I refuse to use AI for songs, even if I knew how.

thank you for saying this. my thoughts exactly!

ha ha brilliant lyrics ! i like your forceful delivery too joe well done

Hey Joe. Cool that you are speaking out on important issues of our strange times 😎 I like very much your catchy melodies and vocals. Really great songwriting, as always!  Thanks for sharing, brother! 🌟

Ha! Yes! I’m kinda a big deal around the & Cloud!! He and he and ha!!!😂😂😂.. Joe!! This is freaking hilarious and amazing! Singing! Bassing( great bad ass bass guitar.. especially, yes.. guitars are also great.. just attracted to bass guitar on this one!!! Yes!💎🕺🏼🔥) seriously @ love the give and take.. back and forth.. between the 300 or so of @ commenters and @ TRUE fans and creators in their respective circles and communities! I, for one.. I think you make absolutely amazing and stellar creations! Humorous.. and also some @ serious!! YES! I’m very happy and proud to know you , a bit!  Also.. to have created with you!! 😎🕺🏼🕺🏼🕺🏼🙏🙏🙏🔥🔥🔥.. the older I get.. the more I enjoy those I enjoy.. but conversely.. abhor those @ I don’t!!!🥵.. it’s okay! I wish I had a desire to @ champion @ everyone.. I don’t.. but @ cream rises to the top! You are top!! Yes!!🙌🙌🙌🙌❤️❤️❤️💎💎💎

Hi again Joe! Another fantastic tune with lyrics that are not made by a computer chip, imagine that?!!?! You're not using your brain, are you Joe! How Bohemian of you! Awesome song! Take care!👍😎✌🏼

Great song! Someone once said I want AI to wash my dishes and laundry not write songs.

Shock the Algorithm

This is actually the third version of the song. I felt the original idea I’d roughed out with the keyboard and computer could be more interesting. So I reworked the whole track again (twice) adding several ‘hooks’. These were some vocal ‘stabs’, some keyboard/synth riffs as well as writing ( what I hope ) is a more interesting bass line. I beefed up the drum section too. I hope the fun I had creating it is reflected in the overall vibe of the track. Having said all this, the question is: did it actually work? 


Get Up

Special thanks to Cecilia for her a cappella ...of which I modified the tone in order to fit perfectly with my arrangement and atmosphere

EQUALITY FOR ALL.  🎧

(Chorus)
No basic style, come on take a ride
Basic style——why? A catalog of vibe
Put a name on it, another wave for the tide
Listen what’s inside, then blast it worldwide 
The groove does not lie, a melodic glide
   Something-though, this much is certain
Set free to run wild—-no basic style
No basic style (Echo)

(Verse 1) 
Energy driven, music’s a haven
No questions-no answers -Taken-none given
We Share parts of ourselves 
   Just for the living
But I’m still underground 
Although I have risen
To a higher level in fact,
Basic styles-good riddance 
Bye bye—-let’s dance 

Switch it up!

(Verse2)
Switch it up-Switch it up
Random rhythm of raindrops 
Nothing fancy—-plop, plop
Lightning strikes naturally 
It’s all good-fear not

No hassle, add a deep bass
Some kicks and one-shots
Vibe along, it hits the spot
Feel the rhythm, move your butts
Cataloged tabbed—-
“Forget Me Nots-Vibe Will Hit The Spot”

No basic style—
(Chorus)
Interlude

No Basic Style

on your mark

get ready to

cannonball

into the blue



after swimming

sparkle all around you

catch the sound

breakers breaking



stop the boat

get ready to

pick a spot

to slip into



after swimming

as the sunlight bakes you

summer sips

on a sand dune



after swimming

after swimming

come swimming

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

image by Leandro Crespi via Unsplash

After Swimming

'ghetto falsetto' with Harmful if Followed and sixstring mac 

Isaac and the apple:
Mac: music, lyrics and vocals
Harmful/Shane: lyrics, vocals, backups 

one man verity show:
Scotty: lyrics, vocals, backups, art 

Well the night’s effervescent and I’m on fire
Full of anti depressants to blunt my ire
Well aware of the presence of my desire
It feels very pleasant as I get higher
And I’m clad in a fashion to catch the eye
So why does everyone ignore me as I walk by
It would be a different story for a different guy
But I’ll never find the glory unless I try
So why do I lie so low 
Why don’t I let them know
Let them bask in the glow
Of my ghetto falsetto 

Most are fucked up from the drugs they take,
and don't care to interrupt all the love I make,
but I can't quite erupt so, I'll simply fake,
and make believe
that I have climaxed, because all the noise
that keeps me far from relaxed and trapped in the void, 
I've always had a clean nose but perhaps I'll toy 
with singing in falsetto. 

These streets are full of cackles and high pitched screams
A ghetto manifesto haunting my dreams
Monotone narration to a story I know
A baritone ending won’t leave me alone
I’m not crazy it’s the world around me
I’ll deal with the shit eventually 
Then get past the truth I know
That I’m too low for ghetto falsetto 

But it don’t mater how high or how low 
Unless you mean it nobody will know
All you need is the seed and the get go
Let go of the ghetto falsetto

ghetto falsetto (with Harmful if Followed and sixstring mac)

Mahan Mahan is responible for the orchestration and mix(coverart)
TexMex Shaman on electric guitar and Mastering(coverart)
the poem and voice by stonerjazz(coverart)
 
the nature of their being by jeff gardiner 

 ponder and ponder if you wanna
speculations bout meanings and measures and structure
of time and the present
and yet it remains completely unknown
made no dent in the fabric
of monstrous illusion
collusion of unseen forces
nibbling away with whispers
while meekly we, perish, never knowing
what we're feeding
believers believing bleeding rivers of remorse
and of course, the horses don;t ponder for a moment
the nature of their being--

The Nature of their Being-with TexMex Shaman and Mahan💀Mahan

I have been hearing so much AI music lately on SoundCloud and these  thoughts have been percolating with me for a while and finally they coalesced into a song. (created without the use of AI).
***
Vocals & Back Up Vocals: Joe Stroffolino
Guitar Strumming Track:  Joe Stroffolino Taylor 114CE
Drums: EZ Drummer 3
Bass: PG Music Real track
Piano:  EZ Keys2 
Synth Bass: Logic Pro 
***
You got tired of struggling so hard to write a great original song
And then this amazing newfangled technology came along
Now you’re using AI to create music, and it’s a much easier process
And you’re convinced you found the ticket to achieving great success.
You tell yourself you’re a great artist because prompting takes a lot of skill
But deep down you know the AI did most of the work and you swallow the bitter pill
People complement you on your guitar playing and they tell you your voice sounds great
It makes you feel so good but you don’t ever set them straight
Those classic rockers used to write 10 or 12 good songs every couple of years
Now you’re posting two or three songs a day and hoping for a bunch of cheers
You’re rolling the musical dice, hoping you’ll come up with a catchy viral hit 
But there’s so much music flooding the internet that no one gives a shit
You tell yourself you’re a great artist because prompting takes a lot of skill
But deep down you know the AI did most of the work and you swallow the bitter pill
People complement you on your guitar playing and they tell you your voice sounds great, it makes you feel so good but you don’t ever set them straight
Some people believe we’re living in simulation and none of this is real
We’re just digital creations in a computer with the ability to feel
But even if that’s not the case, we’re quickly, heading to a place where no one’s going to be able to tell the difference.
You used strum your guitar, trying to capture lightning in a bottle and the songs that emerged came from you.
And now the songs you write with AI, what they’re saying, you don’t have a clue.
Music used to feel therapeutic, it was a window on your soul that you could share.
But now something feels missing because your songs no longer lay your heart bare.

Prompting Takes A Lot Of Skill

Torbjørn: vocal, instrumental and vocal composition https://soundcloud.com/tobbenv
Oddrun: vocal and vocal composition
Mastering: Njål Frode Lie
Poem: William Blake
"Ah! Sun-flower" is a poem by William Blake, published in his collection Songs of Experience in 1794. The poem explores themes of longing, weariness, and the human desire for something beyond earthly existence, using the sunflower as a symbol. 

A big thank you to you Torbjørn, what a great joy to sing this beautiful poem.

Poem: William Blake

Ah! sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done;

Where the youth pined away with desire,
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow,
Arise from their graves and aspire;
Where my sunflower wishes to go.

Ah! Sun-flower. Torbjørn Vagle. Oddrun Eikli

Way overdue for something new but I've been living in exile without the usual, albeit modest, setup I'm used to. So this might be pretty rough. And it's full of the usual horror at political realities and way full of schmaltzy velveeta. 

Guitarist note:  I don't have amps at present and was struggling to find a decent direct sound. There is a *free* VST plugin by Neural Amp DSP and online libraries of tone prints, also free, that came to the rescue. Highly recommended.

it's alright for you as long as it's alright
you don't mind what they do in the broad daylight

it never could be you

but you don't see the way you're blinded
they'll never drag you down to the places meant for those

do you feel the color of your soul
when you live with love suspended hiding in a hole
the moment is yours but you don't believe 
you won't believe what lies there ripening 
growing in your mind without you knowing

now it could be you

and as you feel the weight of the binding
you know they're dragging you down to the places meant for those

to liberate the light of every heart and mind
you can say it never paying any price

there's a little part of everyone that knows 
we're only playing separate lives 
till true faith arrives

if there's every gonna be a change 
let it start right here

you know it could be you

It Could Be You

No one knows what they’re doing
Don’t believe everything you think
Some things aren’t worth pursuing
Don’t believe everything you think
Feelings aren’t facts
They’re weapons of mass distraction
Holding on won’t change the past
You can win the game by not playing
Complaining won’t change the past
You can win the game by not playing
Don’t believe everything you think
No one knows what they’re doing
Don’t believe everything you think
Some things aren’t worth pursuing
Don’t believe everything you think
If everything around you is darkness, you may be the light
If everything around you is darkness, you may be the light
If everything around you is darkness, you may be the light

Don't Believe Everything You Think

Electric Horizon

Simple music made in GarageBand :)
Lyrics & vocal by me

Lyrics:

I'm a little different, not like everyone else
But I'm happy with that
I have nothing to prove
And I don't need a common groove

I walk around with a smile on my face
You may think, Is there something wrong
Well, I am just a satisfied woman
Living life, singing this song

So I´ll toast to a happy life
It can be challenging for sure
But if you get through it with a smile on your face
Can you ask for more? 

There is comfort in getting to live
It's not a given for me
Spend my life doing what I want
Allow myself to dream

I walk around with a smile on my face
And you may think, is there something wrong
Well I am just a satisfied woman
Living life, singing this song

So i´ll toast to a happy life
It can be challenging for sure
But if you get through it with a smile on your face
Can you ask for more?

If you get through it with a smile on your face
Can you ask for more?

A Happy Life (Original)

Brand New track on the Rocks! Summer 2025 and let it roll with my brand new track called "I Keep Protecting my Soul".

Purchase it digitally via #bandcamp: https://shockthealgorithm.bandcamp.com/track/i-keep-protecting-my-soul

(p) & (c) 2025, STA.

lyrics:
I keep protecting my soul
There's nothing more sacred than my soul
I keep protecting my soul
The body dies, it's eternal the soul

Clear is conscience, i am free i am alive
Sleeping in peace not with fear with opened one eye
I never harmed anyone, don't owe a dime
i am keep paving with gold this road so up high.

I Keep Protecting my Soul

The Snow Queen – Gerda Searches for Kay – Feat. Melissa Rood
August 2025
Duration: 2:40
Listen to more music from the Snow Queen ballet at: https://soundcloud.com/bruce-klepper-1/sets/the-snow-queen-music-for-danse
Vocals: Melissa Rood https://soundcloud.com/novembersoundmusic
Recording: Bill Rood
Mixing and production: John-Marc Ventimiglia https://soundcloud.com/john-marc-ventimiglia
The Snow Queen has taken Kay and Gerda is sad for the loss of her frend and is looking for him in Winter. 
Music for Danse Etoile Ballet (www.danseetoile.org) who will be performing The Snow Queen Ballet January 2026 in Colorado.
For voice, strings, piano, bells and percussion

The Snow Queen - Gerda Searches for Kay - Feat. Melissa Rood

Giving and Taking (open invitation for a collaboration from IPG1) 
https://soundcloud.com/ipg1/giving-and-taking-vox-90-bpm
Paploviante: E-Bass, Music, Composing, Arrangement, Mix and Mastering
Lyrics IPG1:
Cloud Stepping (Chorus) Life is relative, 
to the one that’s living it Inside outlook, 
to giving and taking it 
Experience god’s works, all senses 
We were given just a little bit 
We couldn’t handle it all  the few we have 
can nearly fit the few 
we have can nearly fit
(Verse1) 
If we knew it all, and all, and all 
Then nothing would matter It’s all a puzzle to be solved 
We have always been the answer 
The plan of god without reward 
Evolves in different ways 
We are all awake in different dreams 
To let the devil play
(Verse2)
 Who amongst us hear the screams 
Of millions of lives lost,  and don’t look on it as savagery
 And wonder what’s the cost 
What’s the worth, and what’s the cost 
Are we listening or not 
Are we listening or not
(Chorus)
 Life is relative, to the one that’s living it Inside outlook, to giving and taking it Experience god’s works, all senses 
We were given just a little bit 
We couldn’t handle it all  the few we have 
can nearly fit the few we have can nearly fit

Giving And Taking IPG1 and Paploviante

Heavy Punk Rock 'n' Roll band turns into Synthwave nowadays! Brand NEW album "Ultraviolet Cosmos" available NOW!
https://shockthealgorithm.bandcamp.com/album/ultraviolet-cosmos

Songs with a twinge of humor (and some a bit more serious).  
I do not use AI to create my songs. 
https://linktr.ee/joe.stroffolino
Recently I have had the urge to pick up my guitars (Taylor 114ce and Fender Squire) and I have been trying to use more guitar in my songs.  
My go to .vst plug ins are  EZkeys 2, EZ Bass and  EZ drummer 3) and my DAW is Logic Pro 11. 
I welcome your comments and enjoy listening to all the great music on SoundCloud. 
All songs are originals and copyrighted.

Prompting Takes A Lot Of Skill

Joe Stroffolino

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