Song a Week Challenge

Original Lyrics:
He wondered if it was up to him
Symphonic gongs blasting through the ceiling
A taste of raspberries stained in his memories
There! It begins again! Hit the lights! Hit the lights my friend!

Meteors hurtled from her hands
As if she was bowling across the universe
A song of mango bleeding across asteroid fields
There! It begins again! Hit the lights! Hit the lights my friend!

Who are we but two beings?
Built of carbon and electricity
A touch of melancholy the abyss between pinprick stars
And worlds collide, hit the lights, hit the lights!

Hit The Lights

Glasgow Songwriting Festival with lots of good tutors and inspiration.
This was written after an afternoon with Boo Hewerdine

Every Road

My friend was friends with Steve Earle's sister
And the stories that she told about her telling stories
With second hand hearsay being small town gospel
Pray

At these times we should stop and wait
It's not my place to speculate
Think about the nothing that we make with time
And the something that we leave behind

You can take someone out of context, try to grow them straight
In the shade of burning trees a street or two away
You can take years to leave the ones before
You can take someone out of context, but when the context is a war
Sometimes it doesn't matter
Some die fighting losing battles

It's a wonder for those on the line
That anyone makes it to 29
Easy enough for me to say
The leaving behind, the nothing made
The thousand miles, the setting straight
The burning bright, praying for rain
The small town gospel gossip pray
The, hell, who am I to say

Not Waiting Around (Out of Context) - Song a Week 2020, Week 35

"This One Night Stand Could Stand Just One More Night" (#386-#389, 200817-200828)

 * co-written with Melvin Purvis * 

Buckled up my jeans slipped my timepiece on
Headed downtown to the honky tonk
Goin' where I know I can find a dance and a drink

As I pulled up in the truck I thought I spied
Pretty little cutie with those Monroe eyes
Said a quick prayer she was there lookin' for the same thing

I held the door open and she walked right in
Knowin' how tonight could end

Never mind the same old pick up lines
Just one question your place or mine
I don't even care if we close the blinds
This one night stand could stand just one more night

I went what do you say we grab a cold one for the road
She said you got game but this ain't my first rodeo
Yeah she saw me comin' from my watch down to my boots

Like an old time cowgirl she headed me off at the pass
Every time I opened my mouth she shut me down fast
Kinda' started thinkin' that I bit off more than I could chew

Sittin' there wonderin' how the night would end
When she grabbed me by the hand

Never mind the same old pick up lines
Just one question your place or mine
I don't even care if we close the blinds
This one night stand could stand just one more night

When we wake up tomorrow we can flip a coin
But we both know where this thing is goin'

Week 35a - This One Night Stand Could Stand Just One More Night (200828)

(to all of you who already know the story behind this song, thank you for your support ❤️ not the best recording- apologies in advance)

The most special of mentions to my amazing friend Ayelen Molina for making this INSANELY AMAZING artwork. I am OBSESSED with this ❤️

Lyrics:

I haven't done that much since the last time I saw your face.
I fell apart on the road, now there's two versions of myself.
One you'd feel at home with, one you wouldn't recognize
hiding the weight of the world behind my eyes.

And I'm sorry I brought you here out of nowhere
and I said I love you completely out of context.
I'm a crybaby by nature,
please don't act like a stranger.
An astrological mess passing as an entertainer.

And it should be as easy to breathe,
but I can't get no relief.
You haunt me even in the happiest of songs,
and I can't get no grief.
So I fall asleep in this miserable routine
where I say I love you, I cry and repeat...
(and repeat, and repeat)

I haven't done that much since the last time I saw your face.
I tried to work on my issues before I talked about it.
I stopped being pretentious cause I know it'll get me nowhere.
So here it is: I fucked up. I can't make it poetic.

So I'm sorry I brought you here for nothing.
My intentions were good, I hope that counts for something.
I'm a crybaby, by heart I remember your last call
when I heard you laugh, I knew I would give you all.

And it should be as easy to breathe,
but I can't get no relief.
You haunt me even in the happiest of songs,
and I can't get no grief.
So I fall asleep in this miserable routine
where I say I love you, I cry and repeat...
(and repeat, and repeat)

it should be as easy to breathe.


Crybaby

My heart just sank at the news today
Nothing to do
What can anybody say about it all?
At this the latest blow to fall
I sigh at the waste at the pointlessness
Shake my head, and I'm cursing as I turn a weary eye
To the earth and to sky

What sense to make except to be grateful for the gifts you gave?

Thank you for your service to your people
Cause you were a king - you were a king
In the vision of a world with all men equal
You showed the dream, you showed the dream
You showed a courage and a strength, and dignity though,
Too soon to go, too soon to go
The unfinished work of superheroes*
Must be our own, becomes our own

Surprised to learn how you knew of it
Long before your triumph, that this thing was inside you
That your days were numbered too
Love and respect the choice you made
To take the wave and ride it,
Dance along, crack a smile,
Live it all before you die

What sense to make except to be grateful for the gifts life gave?

Thank you for your service to all people
You were a king - you were a king
Vision of a world with all men equal
You showed the dream, you showed the dream
You showed a courage and a strength, and dignity though,
Too soon to go, too soon to go
I guess the unfinished work of superheroes*
Becomes our own, must be our own

* Credit where credit's due, I just wanting to acknowledge that this line comes from (indeed, is a reference to), Ben Harper's "the unfinished work of our heroes must be our own", from "How Many Miles Must We March". When I heard his line, I assumed it was an existing quote or a saying, but it looks like Ben Harper is just deep.

You Were A King

The seventh song from Deconstructed

Solo para ti

Cada que me besa
con esa destreza
sabe cuanto me gusta
su mirada traviesa
Cuando ella me mira
pierdo la cabeza
Baby soy de ti
sólo para ti

You're what I want for me
and I can't go on así
so baby just let me be your man

Ay, you’re the one for me
sabe cuanto me gusta
su mirada traviesa
Ay, tú eres para mí
Baby soy de ti
sólo para ti

You're what I want for me
and I can't go on así
so baby just let me be your man

Deconstructed

Solo Para Ti

Artwork by the amazing Ayelen Molina ❤️

Lyrics:

I feel like I know you, know you from another life.
I think I already lived the moment of looking at your eyes.
And your voice, I heard it before you even made a sound.
I knew you'd be right here before you came around.

And this torture of feeling closer
keeps me here even when you disappear.
The silence that I'm fighting,
is it a dream or am I just pulling all the seams?

If I was a little bit smarter,
I'd wear all my tears as an armour.
You'd say it's ok to feel good,
but it's so far from fine.
Wouldn't take this any farther,
cause losing you is harder.
My broken bones still remember the war
from another timeline.

I'm walking back home, when it used to be your arms.
Every thought of you aches like stepping on thorns.
I hate I can't erase it, cause here I got nothing  to efface...
Just another glass of wine, spilled all over the place.

This torture, I'm at the border 
of saying your name as if you'd even care.
But I hold it till it overthrows me,
and our lines overlap, break a brand new heart...

If I was a little bit smarter,
I'd wear all my tears as an armour.
You'd say it's ok to feel good,
but it's so far from fine.
Wouldn't take this any farther,
cause losing you is harder.
My broken bones still remember the war
from another timeline.

(Say it's ok to feel good)

And I know it's too much
gin and sadness for the heart.
Living in blissful ignorance
(cause it never knew any different)
It's too much to take 
for the hall of fame of late night mistakes...
(gotta be a little bit smarter)

If I was a little bit smarter,
if I was a little bit smarter...

If I was a little bit smarter,
I'd wear all my tears as an armour.
You'd say it's ok to feel good,
but it's so far from fine.
Wouldn't take this any farther,
cause losing you is harder.
My broken bones still remember the war
from another timeline.

(Say it's ok to feel good
cause it never knew any different)

If I was a little bit smarter...
If I was a little bit smarter...
(cause it never knew any different)

Timeline

"IMAOKFUR" (#390, 200901)

RUOK
IMOK

FUROK
NIMOK

U84NUD
8S242C

L41N14L
SMT2CDN

RSNF4S2B
IMAOKFUR

Week 36b - IMAOKFUR (#390, 200901)

"Give My Best" (#393, 200906)

Some lovers find you like a penny
Others leave you with a scar
Make a mark before they shut the door
A tattoo on your heart

Some lovers hold you like a midnight
Close their eyes and drink you in
Others lift you up and watch you float away
Like a feather in the wind

Give my best to New York City
She's always on my mind
The way she kissed my winter cheeks
Her breathe in the summertime

Autumn rain doesn't look the same
Outside my new address
I'm moving on but never really gone
Give my best

Some lovers break you like a mirror
Little pieces everywhere
Until the next one tapes you back together
To show how much they care

Give my best to New York City
She's always on my mind
The way she kissed my winter cheeks
Her breathe in the summertime

Autumn rain doesn't the look the same
Outside my new address
I'm moving on but never really gone
Give my best

She misses me I know it she's just too sad to show it
If you see her take a moment and give my best

Week 37b - Give My Best (200906)

I got electricity that's shooting out my fingertips 
feel it when I walk into the room
I got sexuality that's bending all of space and time 
Find the world revolves around me too

The elixir of life - the elixir of life
I got the the goddam font of youth with me tonight
The elixir of life - the elixir of life
it's coursing through my veins
I'm set to set the world alight

I been every hole you ever sold your soul to leave behind
I been broken down and left to die
I tried every way to shake the naked devil off your back
Can you see the twinkle in my eye

The elixir of life - the elixir of life
I got the the goddam font of youth in me tonight
The elixir of life - the elixir of life
I feel it's coursing through my veins
I'm setting everything alight

I got on top and
Ain’t gonna stop
Ain’t gonna stop now - no
I crashed out
I’m back now
Bringing something to the light

The elixir of life - the elixir of life
I got the the goddam font of youth in me tonight
The elixir of life - the elixir of life
I feel it's coursing through my veins
I'm set to set the world alight

Elixir Of Life

Nashville songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Godin Guitars Official Artist and Founder of www.songaweek.org.

His catalog of 500+ titles includes collaborations with hit writers Mark Narmore, Elliott Park, Steve Dean, and Pete & Pat Luboff, among others internationally from England to Australia.

Redding's music has landed cuts by numerous recording artists including Dan Whitehouse, Emma Gale, and David Easterling.

Week 35a - This One Night Stand Could Stand Just One More Night (200828)

James Tristan Redding