Barring a minor miracle, this will be my final track for February Album Writing Month 2023. I came up with this tune in the first couple of days of the month, and then came back to it later when I came up with a direction to take it in. It ended up being kind of a defense of pessimism lol. Not that optimism is in and of itself a bad thing, but the fictional person that the song is being sung to is *blindly* optimistic, at least in the opinion of the narrator.

I really like this song... it's one of the few I've written that makes me feel like I should be wearing sunglasses while I sing it lol.

---

"I'll Play Along"

You live a life of make-believe
It's hard for me to imagine someone being so naive
I guess it's just a form of self-defense
Choosing fantasy at reality's expense

Because you're looking out at the same world as me
But I don't think you see the same things that I see
And you're pretending everything's all right
When everything's all wrong
But if it makes you happy, baby
I'll play along

I don't understand how you got like this
You're living proof that ignorance is bliss
To remain deluded seems to be your pledge
I guess it's something, if it keeps you off the ledge

But there's a kind of desperation in your smile
And the cracks begin to show after a while
But you're pretending everything's all right
When everything's all wrong
So if it makes you happy, baby
I'll play along

There's a kind of desperation in your smile
And your rose-colored glasses are going out of style
You're still pretending everything's all right
When everything's all wrong
So if it makes you happy, baby
I'll play along
I'll play along
I'll play along
I'll play along

FAWM 2023

I'll Play Along (Demo, FAWM 2023)

Weekly reddit freestyle!

Follow @lonzojamz !!!!

Beat: https://soundcloud.com/lonzojamz/pass2?si=1a0f134fa1d64462815fbc8e228f4afc&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

4 13 Reddit Freestyle prod. by Lonzo Jamz

The quarterlife blues is real. After graduating, getting your first job or your first longterm relationship, plenty young people in their mid 20s fall into the quarterlife crisis, an existencial crisis with similar signs to the midlife crisis. Our song "Quarterlife Blues" turns this feeling of being scared, lost and confused in early adulthood into heavy blues rock. It's the first song I recorded with my guitar, and I am super lucky with Andrea's lyrics and David's rocking blues vocals and guitar solos. Let's rock!

Nadine de Macedo: composition, rhythm guitars, piano, programming, arrangement, production
David Taro: vocals, lead guitar, solo
Andrea Brennan: lyrics

Where to find us:
https://soundcloud.com/nadinedemacedo
https://soundcloud.com/david_taro
https://soundcloud.com/user-444928277

==== LYRICS ==== 

Driving home from work
Wish I could quit each day
Stuck in a dead end job
But it brings home the pay

Sirens up ahead
A blaring wake up call
If today were my last
Would I care at all

I'm drowning in the sound
Heading for a breakdown

A hamster in a wheel
Spinning round and round
Colliding with my thoughts
And always losing ground
Running for my life
But heading for a breakdown

What if the victim's my wife
Our love's been fading by degrees
Would I feel lonely and lost
Or finally free

Am I just like my father
And his father too
Settling for a life
Just hoping to get through

I'm drowning in the sound
Heading for a breakdown

A hamster in a wheel
Spinning round and round
Colliding with my thoughts
And always losing ground
Running for my life
But heading for a breakdown

Quarterlife Blues

Pyramid Selling

Kate Stanton and I were discussing music and happened to connect over that weird vibe of being in betwixt and between. After she shared her video from a local dead mall in her town that is being demolished soon, she sent me a rough piano / synth and vocal draft. I added some synthesizers and beats to enhance the dark and haunting vibe. Welcome to the "Liminal Spaces", do you want to hang out with us in the ether?

Kate Stanton: composition, piano, vocals, lyrics
Nadine de Macedo: composition, synthesizer, arrangement, programming, production
Special thanks to Dex Hannon and Nadia Cripps

Where to find us:
https://soundcloud.com/katestanton21
https://soundcloud.com/nadinedemacedo

==== LYRICS ====

You’re my star 
In the sky 
My constant light
Oh, you shine so bright 
All the time

On the darkest night 
I see you the most 
And I feel connected
Carbon-made, gravity stays
Holding be back 
In these liminal spaces

Glowing from the inside out 
Luminous grace and hope 
Am I alive? 
Cause even a ghost girl has fears

You’re my beacon of hope
Message I heard as a girl
Constant. Steady. Strong.

On the darkest night
I see you the most 
And I feel connected
Carbon-made, gravity stays
Holding me down 
In these liminal spaces

This year nearly broke me 
Roaming the halls
Every character flaw on display
Every weakness, every break
What do I do now with these bones?

On the darkest night I see you the most 
And I feel connected
Carbon-made, gravity stay
Holding me back
In these liminal spaces

Glowing from the inside out
A luminous grace and hope.
I am alive
Even a ghost girl has fears.

Liminal Spaces

Imagine you're stuck with your blues buddies in a Texan desert with nothing but empty cans of oil, a guitar and a blues harp. While the sun is slowly melting your brain, you jam polyrhythm on trash cans and end up with instrumental blues rock. Something you'd never do when you're of sound mind. Are you ready for the Western showdown?

This song is part of the album "Quarterlife Blues" that can be downloaded on Bandcamp. 
https://nadinedemacedo.bandcamp.com/album/quarterlife-blues

Nadine de Macedo: composition, arrangement, programming, production
Mark Koschwitz: harmonica, solo

Where to find us:
https://soundcloud.com/nadinedemacedo
https://soundcloud.com/mark-p-koschwitz

High Noon

Burn My Eyes by Black Molly

I pretend to cry, though my tears mean nothing.
Nothing comes to me when all I seek is something.
Something so small, yet so compelling.
When the want is all you have, it has such meaning.

Second hand of time goes on regardless.
Blind to all who is exposed, light into darkness.
I flip the switch, but nothing happens.
My eyes wide in search, to find myself defenseless.

To this love, burn my eyes.
They have no use anymore.
I'm the seeker of something vision can not find.

I've tried to hide behind deception.
Played the role within the cast of your direction.
Now curtains rise, without exception.
Unforgiving are these moments of suspension.

To this love, burn my eyes.
They have no use anymore. 
I'm the seeker of something vision can not find.

Burn My Eyes - Black Molly

Imagine you're in the 1950s and the only things you enjoy is your red shiny car and your family. It's time to hit the pedal to metal and rock. No idea what made me write some black humour blues about drinking and driving, but you won't stop dancing once you hit the play button. Special thanks to the whole band, who really rocked this.

Nadine de Macedo: composition, lyrics, programming, arrangement, production
DJ Clark: vocals
Mark Koschwitz: harmonica, composition, solo
Joe Liberty: guitar, composition, solo
Dragondreams: bass

Where to find us:
https://nadinedemacedo.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/@trashfuzzaudio
https://soundcloud.com/mark-p-koschwitz
https://soundcloud.com/joearl55
https://www.dragondreams.org.uk


==== Lyrics ====

Everybody's got real big problems
Not everything is worth a fight
The atmosphere is not always solemn
Can't get a hold of my car tonight

Oh oh, I turn the key, oh oh
And put the pedal to the metal - and rock!

Mama told me not to drive fast,
Behave well, commit no crime
Two pints of beer won't make my pain last
I got no pity for a dime

Oh oh, I turn the key, oh oh
And put the pedal to the metal - let’s rock!

Uh, look what you made me do
All pumped up with fuel
I reek of gasoline
And put the pedal to the metal and rock
And put the pedal to the metal and rock

The wind is blowing into my face
Fallen leaves late in September
So fucking tired of this rat race
Thank God I modified the camber

Oh oh, I took it easy, oh
And put the pedal to the metal - and rock!

Guardian angels burst in laughter
When my car got out of control
Another man who leaves two daughters
That's the price for rock'n'roll

Oh oh, I turned the key, oh oh
And put the pedal to the metal - and rocked!

And put the pedal to the metal - and rocked!
And put the pedal to the metal - and rocked!

Pedal To Metal

Written during 2024's 50/90 - a broken love song
Lyrics - NSFW:
When It Was For You
Along came the day that I dreaded
Life's fabric, completely unthreaded
When you said goodbye, with no tears in your eyes,
and nothing about it, regretted

For you. When it was for you.
All for you. When it was for you.
All for you. When it was for you.

The circus of life, we were sharing
On the high wire, we were so daring.
Along came a frown, wearing a clown,
Next thing, my heart, it was tearing.

For you. All for you.
When it was for you..All for you.
When it was for you.
Ahhh....Fuck you, ahhhh.... fuck you!
Fuck You.

When It Was For You

Limbo (Full Demo Version)

This is version 1, take 1 of a song that came to me the other day.
This is a live performance.
I did it live on Twitch the other night
www.twitch.tv.effin_izzy

I will be doing more, there is one spot I need to change the lyrics to make it better.

Any comments from songwriters welcome.
I'll keep it up for a couple of weeks or so, then do another version of it.

Story V1

I love having friends sing and play on my songs...this page is a place where the bare bones rough tracks - how they sounded as they were written - get uploaded (however rough that may be! LOL).

When It Was For You

Mark P Koschwitz

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