Run And Hide

This song was written for the challenge "Write a song in a minor key". THe opening line was borrowed from internet humour I read years ago, which intern inspired the development of the story in the lyrics.

Kinda Funny

Lyrics inspired by stream of consciousness writing. It's about activities we've each been involved in over a long period and coming to the realisation it's not working.

Spinning Wheel

The idea for this song came as I was writing another, so I had to quickly develop the idea for both without losing either. It is encouragement to avoid negativity.

Down Down Down

Written in 2001, it's taken me 22 years to record this song. My 2023 addition are the lyrics to the bridge, with the usual arrangement embellishments occurring during recording, such as the bridge staccato piano and bass, and the 'hmmms' in the outro.
The song is about reflective, melancholy episodes, but while assuring the listener "don't worry about me". There's a slight turn of phrase in the final verse, acknowledging the positive effect that others can have.

While My Coffee Goes Cold

A song written to the challenge 'Write something in swing or shuffle style'. The theme is about aging. The initial chord progression F - Bm - E7 - Am whas inspired by a songwriting tip (from analysis of The Beatles 'Yesterday') to move from a diatonic root chord, to borrowed chord, then resolve to a minor chord associated with the diatonic. The F - Bm move at first sounds jarring but becomes familiar over time (no pun intended).

It's Never Too Late

Written in 2016 and recorded and arranged in August 2023, about standing up to life's challenges, in spite of feeling inadequate and like your 'faking it'.

You Stand Tall

Originally written and recorded in 2006 (or maybe earlier than that?), I had previously uploaded a recording that was backed by midi, and was really starting to age. This recording is October 2023 and is slightly faster than the original, with enhanced vocal and instrument arrangements.

In Paradise When You Smile

GOOD DAYS

Welcome to my latest musical creation, inspired by Samantha Harvey's thought-provoking novel, 'Orbital.' This original song weaves the thematic elements of the novel with unique moveable chord progressions. In this piece, I sing all the vocals and play all the guitars and bass. The bass line, inspired by Paul McCartney's iconic groove on 'Come Together,' adds a distinct touch to the overall feel of the song.

Take a journey with me through a sonic landscape where literature meets melody, and let the moveable chords guide you through an auditory experience like no other.

If you enjoyed the song, please like, comment, and subscribe for more original music and musical explorations. Thank you for listening!

Nowhere - inspired by 'Orbital' by Samantha Harvey

This was another song in response to a challenge to write a song containing a foreign language phrase - albeit I slightly misunderstood the assignment. The song theme arose out of my challenge with arthritis in my fingers, something as a guitarist is in front of mind for me. Mid-way through writing, I took delivery of a keyboard controller and was reminded of the struggles from my younger years when learning guitar and the frustration that my fingers would not move quick enough to make a chord change without losing time. For the lyrics, I translated 'move you little fingers now' to French as it contained a similar number of syllables to fit into the existing meter.

When editing the video, this theme was added to with the plethora of online tutorials that make claims about 'this one thing' as a silver bullet solution.

Musically, I played all instruments other than drums, including my elementary keyboard skills.

Come on - songwriter original

Written in 2016, this is a song about breaking free from something I'd done for 40 years (work). If I recall correctly, the music came first, but the lyrics quickly after and relatively pain-free, which is not always the case for me.
All guitars, bass and vocals are mine, with drums generated by Band-In-A-Box. The bass line in the first two bars of the chorus is reminiscent of animal noises, which was intended.

Antelope

I wrote this song in December 2023 and recorded January 2024. It is the result of a songwriting challenge to write a song in 3:4 (waltz) time. As mostly occurs, the music came first. I use Band In A Box to give me a backing to work with, so I decided on A minor (actually key G major, where the Am becomes part of a ii - V - I progression), plugged in a few chords, then chose a 3:4 style to work with. There was a style named Mariachi Waltz or something like that, and I was immediately taken by the trumpets, leading me to write the chord progression and the intro melody, which also became the verse melody. 
As I often do, I wanted the song to 'jump' to something fresh for the chorus, and ended up moving to C major. I replaced the bass and guitars with my own work, but drums and trumpets are midi.
In regards to the lyrics, the style sounded Mexican so I looked for a city in Mexico and came across Puerto Marques just 10 km south of Acapulco. A quick Wikepedia search revealed that Puerto Marques is known for its pottery, so the title 'The Potter of Puerto Marques' was there straight away, along with the idea that the person was a 'potter of the mind' with unwholesome motives. A week later, I decided the lyrics needed a more sinister turn, and that's where I ended up. 
I considered adding an acoustic guitar lead to it, but decided after a few recording attempts that I was falling into too trodden paths and should let the trumpets do the talking.

The Potter of Puerto Marques

My records show I wrote the verses and chorus to this song back in 2013 - even recorded and uploaded to Soundcloud. However I felt the verses and choruses went on and needed to be broken up by a bridge/middle 8, which I wrote in 2023. I quite like the haunting backing in the bridge - many of us are haunted by our past.

As usual, this is all mine except for the drums - which I cannot play.

It's a little bit strange

We are the sum of our experiences, and these human artefacts accumulate to shape us - at least that's the implication of this song. Of course, this ignores how our genetics also shape us. The lyrics culminate in the notion 'The artefact is me'.

The song originated in March 2016, and from my records, I believe I added the music for a bridge in 2018. The words for the bridge were added in 2024 along with a rewording from the second person to the first person. I toyed with the idea of adding words to the chorus, but decided to leave it as it is for something different.

Musically, the melody refrain was there from the beginning. On this recording, the drums, piano and organ are from Band-In-A-Box, while all guitars, bass and vocals are mine.

Artefacts

This one's been patiently waiting since 2005, and only existed in midi form for 17 years. So I've finally recorded it after a few false starts and a key change. I can't say I'm overwhelmed with the outcome. Is it too slow? The pace is pedestrian so I guess it suits the topic. Are the words too negative? I've had a go at making them more positive, with mixed results.

Musically, the chugging guitars go throughout, other than the bridge. There's a nod to reggae in the solo and final verse. All guitars are mine; as well as bass and vocals. Drums and organ are not. The organ is reminiscent of 'Better be home soon' and supports the isolationist outlook.

I walk a lonely road

Written pre-2004 and originally 'You can't (be my baby)', replaced with new lyrics to become 'The lost sock' in 2024 and finally recorded in March 2025.

The lost sock

Written way back in April 2001, this song has sat dormant patiently awaiting my attention. Recently, I chose to use it as a project in which the accompaniment, recording and mixing was completely done in Band-in-a-Box. The flute solo is a special highlight for me, and one could never have imagined a cowbell could be so problematic.

Love's a danger

One of my very oldies - my records are unclear, but the verse melody and chords were written somewhere in 1981 - 82. I ditched the original lyrics because they were 'naff' - obviously meaningful to me at the time, but now upon reflection, trivial in the scheme of things. However, this song evoked a sentimental melancholy when I rediscovered it, so I have chosen to use this theme (looking back on my past) to inform the new lyrics. Besides the words, the section containing the title is new, as is the arrangement.

Lyrically, the title ('March from early November') assumes a lifetime is expressed in calendar months, and I wrote 'looking back on March' (late teens/early twenties) from my current position in early November (my sixties). 

The first verse dwells on some clumsy things I have said over the years that still make me cringe. 'Left it at the railway station' refers to these as unresolved matters. The verse ends with 'choose another line' - referring to a new railway line, but also wanting to avoid putting my foot in my mouth. 

The second verse deals with finding a balance between passions and loves that are sometimes competing for time and attention. In my own life, I was writing songs and playing music in my early years, and I could have allowed this to occupy my time, but I chose to focus on family, work and financial security and push musical interests to one side ('I thought the hill was too hard to climb, so I settled for a lesser view; truth be told my time was running short'). Now in my later years, I have the joy of returning to music ('I rediscovered climbing gear I used to know') while having the joy of family around me and seeing their own lives unfold, but at the cost of my health that impacts on my ability to 'climb'. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

This feeds into the third verse/chorus where I express the joy that relationships bring, despite pain, loss and hardships.

Musically, I play bass, guitars and sing, and programmed the strings. The drums and piano have been auto-generated.

March from early November

Somewhere

I have now added a chorus to the song to replace the instrumental motif.

Artefacts (with a chorus)

I wrote this song in May 2025 in response to a songwriting challenge to write a humourous song. The storyline is fictional - just in case anyone is wondering. These circumstances have never happened to me and I doubt they ever will. My hope is that if it did, I would take the same moral stand.

I wrote music and lyrics, with the music backing generated in Band-In-a-Box and recorded, mixed and produced in Cakewalk.

(c) Andrew Davies 2025

Mrs O'Connor

I wrote and did my first recording of this song back in May 2023 - but I wasn't quite happy with it - I have difficulty singing any note longer than a minim without going on tangents, so I decided recently to give my vocal vulnerabilities a few tweaks. The lesson here is you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Despite this, I enjoyed writing a song with long-held notes which is abnormal for me.

The idea for the song originated with the first line ... 'If I [mumble] [mumble] [mumble], refine me', so the rest of the verses became an exercise in finding words rhyming with 'remind' and overlaying these on melodic variations of the first line. Lastly, because the verses describe external intervention, it became natural to write a chorus recognising the person. The guitar riff (if we call it that) gave some busyness to sit underneath the long notes in the chorus - something I realised a few years back - if one instrument/voice is busy, often another instrument/voice will be less so in order that each has their own space.

Refine me

This song was written to the challenge to use the title 'Use it or you lose it'. I wrote the chord progression, then melody, then added lyrics. The song is about saying 'I love you' to those that matter most, but that we sometimes do not. All backing is generated from Band In A Box, other than all vocals and the solo in the bridge.

Use it or you lose it

Look what's become of me

I've been a guitarist since the age of 15 and writing songs since then, albeit more prolifically since 2000. I prefer strong melodies and to borrow chords to move outside of the diatonic. Usually, the song mix contains my vocals, guitars and sometimes bass, with drums, keys and other instruments auto-generated. The tracks uploaded in my Soundcloud are attempts to 'illustrate' the idea and sound I imagined when writing the songs. At best, the quality of recordings are demo quality. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!

Andrew of the antipodes

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