I Heart Songwrtiing Club - Term 13

I first encountered Amber Gunn on an online music collaboraiton site known as Bandhub.  It single-handedly brought musicians together from all over the world, so they could make music with each other no matter where they were!  Amber went by the username "yourmom0814", and most of the other users started calling her "Mom" for short.  Needelss to say, she was one of many users from the United States Of America.  Amber and I ended up doing 20 "collabs" together between 2015 and 2017, and she would always bring unbridled joy and enthusiasm to every project we took on!  We ended up being quite a team, with a lot of our collabs being truly memorable!  There are too many to name, but a few stand out as I watch the old collab videos every now and then.  Sadly we lost contact after we last played music together in 2017, and I do hope we can get back in touch some day.  One of the songs we did together was "Twisted" by Keith Sweat, in particular the version that samples Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing."  This is what my song's chord progression is based on.


VERSE 1
She was an American
Who had several kids
She found life really tough
Like she was on the skids

She found a place online
Where she could express herself
Others reached out to her
Whne they needed her help


CHORUS
Amber was her name
She truly was a gun
Whoever jammed with her
Would always be having fun

We both met on Bandhub
Abd we became fast friends
The things we did together
We hoped would never end


VERSE 2
She was the narrator
For The Three Little Pigs
As for their voices
She left that to her kids

She also did a few raps
On songs she barely knew
She went to town on those
And her talents shone through


CHORUS
Amber was her name
She truly was a gun
Whoever jammed with her
Would always be having fun

We both met on Bandhub
Abd we became fast friends
The things we did together
We hoped would never end


VERSE 3
She told me to let it rip
And I would do just that
It was on a Keith Sweat hit
That was a great collab

We did twenty songs as one
While three years came and went
I hope we can get back in touch
That would be heaven sent


CHORUS
Amber was her name
She truly was a gun
Whoever jammed with her
Would always be having fun

We both met on Bandhub
Abd we became fast friends
The things we did together
We hoped would never end

Amber Funn

"It's Still A Secret" is one of my favourite venues when it comes to taking in live music.  It is a short walk from my hometown's Central Business District, so that makes it all the more convenient.  It may have gone through several changes in name and ownership over the years, but the main premise has always been the same.  Every gig I've been to at this venue has been nothing short of fabulous!  It also helps that it's such a nice place too, and walking through it really makes you feel like you're at someone's house!  It has a real retro vibe, with furniture and other decorations that come straight from the 1970s!  It definitely fits this week's theme "cosy" to an absolute tee!  I am friends with the members of a seven-piece Balkan gypsy jazz band called Greshka, and they play at this venue once a month.  i attend so many of their gigs there, that I have actually been put "on the door" so I don't even have to pay to get in!  I even went to a show of theirs on my birthday last year, and it was a really special night!  For those who are unaware, "Greshka" is actually the Bosnian word for "mistake."  For my submission this week, the chord progression in the verses is based on a song that used to be sung on the children's TV show "Play School."  As for the choruses, the chords follow that of Kylie Minogue's "It's No Secret."


VERSE 1
It used to be The Joynt
Then The Milk Factory
Get yourself a cocktail
Or a daiquiri

With 70s decor
Abd a big disco ball
Live music comes here
To enthuse and enthrall


PRE-CHORUS
There's a nice menu
Or order a pizza
One thing's for certain
Hunger won't beat ya


CHORUS
It's Still A Secret
Well not anymore
Everybody knows
What this place has in store

You can chill on a couch
After a long hard day
You'll be entertained
By the acts who come to play


VERSE 2
Some bands play there monthly
With a residency
Fans show up in their droves
Without hesitancy

Those who come to every gig
Can sometimes go on the door
They don't have to pay a thing
This is their reward


PRE-CHORUS
I get in for free
With one of these groups
This ain't no Greshka
It is a real coup


CHORUS
It's Still A Secret
Well not anymore
Everybody knows
What this place has in store

You can chill on a couch
After a long hard day
You'll be entertained
By the acts who come to play


VERSE 3
In more recent months though
There have been troubled times
For this place to stay open
It has been a real grind

With other venues closing
Due to rising costs
They're trying to stay afloat
And really earn their spot


PRE-CHORUS
Go support live music
And hoist the sold out sign
Pack it to the rafters
And see the artists shine


CHORUS
It's Still A Secret
Well not anymore
Everybody knows
What this place has in store

You can chill on a couch
After a long hard day
You'll be entertained
By the acts who come to play

It's Still A Secret

This was originally by first ever co-written song!  It was a parody of the John Denver song "Sing Australia."  When I say parody, I mean original lyrics that are sung to the tune of an existing song.  When my siblings and I were kids, we would have a series of babysitters look after us while Mum was out working at night.  The lyrics for this song were written by myself and one of our regular babysitters back in the early 90s (possibly around 1990).  I remember i was having a bubble bath at the time, and our babysitter locked herself and I in the bathroom as we penned this very cheeky song!  This one was part of a series of parodies that we wrote about each other, and absolutely no-one was safe!  There were tales of working Mums, tantrum days and very naughty kids, just to name a few.  For my submission this week, only the lyrics (with a few tweaks here and there) remain from our parody.  The title has changed slightly, with the chords and melody being used from one of my previous songs for the Club written to the theme "Latitude."


VERSE 1
A voice that is so piercing
Is a boom inside my head
Fills my dreams at night
It's gonna haunt me when I'm dead

I wake up in the morning
And my eyes are blood-shot red
The sound starts getting closer
Sp I hide under my bed


VERSE 2
I get up and I leave my room
But it just follows me
Way out in the garden
It echoes through the trees

I plug my ears with cotton wool
But it still bothers me
I hope that she will lose her voice
Somebody set me free


CHORUS
In the bathroom, in the kitchen
In the lounge room, in the loo
In the bedroom. in the garden
I can hear my sister's voice

Zip it sister!
Zip it sister!
At the end of the street
I can hear my sister's voice!


VERSE 3
I have such a headache
Now I can't think straight
I don't know what I'm doing
And I'm really running late

I sit down and I hear it
That sound I really hate
It's driving me bananas
Let me leave this state


VERSE 4
This song is nearly over
But I must tell you this
The one that caused our heads to spin
That loud and rowdy miss

If you haven't guessed yet
I'll tell you who it is
My sister is the culprit
I am positive


CHORUS
In the bathroom, in the kitchen
In the lounge room, in the loo
In the bedroom. in the garden
I can hear my sister's voice

Zip it sister!
Zip it sister!
At the end of the street
I can hear my sister's voice!

Zip It Sister

For this week's submission, I thought about the very concept of hiberation.  Not only what it means in winter, but in summer as well.  Then I made a list of things that I do in summer, as well as their polar (pun intended) opposites in relation to winter.  Examples of this include staying out of the shade in winter, and out of the sun in summer.  I have the heater on in winter, and the air conditioner on in summer.  The word "scorching" is overused in summer, while the word "freezing" is overused in winter.  Standing in the shade is absolutely beautiful in summer, but not in winter.  I did not end up using all of these points, but they did help me to shape my song.  I feel like we all have our favourite seasons, and I'll bet that most of us will choose neither of these.  It was really easy to pick a song to base my submission's chord progression on, with that being "Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry.


CHORUS
Too hot to go out
Too cold to stay in
Oh what will I do
My head's in a spin

Outdoors I burn
Inside I freeze
Oh what's with this weather
It's all a really big tease


VERSE 1
Standing in the bath
With water on your feet
It feels really cold
Like snow or sleet

Turning on the shower
To get yourself clean
It feels really hot
This must be obscene


PRE-CHORUS
How can we be hot and cold
At the same time
The mind truly boggles sometimes


CHORUS
Too hot to go out
Too cold to stay in
Oh what will I do
My head's in a spin

Outdoors I burn
Inside I freeze
Oh what's with this weather
It's all a really big tease


VERSE 2
Summer can be hard
When we want to have fun
AWful things can happen
If we get too much sun

Winter can be worse
With flu going round
You're sick in bed for days
It's as bad as it sounds


PRE-CHORUS
Summer means endless sweat
Winter means frosty hands
It's time to make a stand


CHORUS
Too hot to go out
Too cold to stay in
Oh what will I do
My head's in a spin

Outdoors I burn
Inside I freeze
Oh what's with this weather
It's all a really big tease


ENDING
So which would you prefer
The hot or cold weather
I wish that I could choose neither

Autumn and spring
Are most ideal
It all depends on how you feel

I'd like to hibernate
Like those in the wild
That is what I most desire

We should follow their lead
The animals know best
And then we'll succeed in uor quest

Summer Or Winter

My very first thought for this week was "Natural", so I decided to write to that theme instead.  I also figure that after 12 terms in I Heart Songwriting Club, I consider myself a natural at writing songs every week and refining those skills.  This song is essentially about writing songs.  I originally wrote this in 2004, and the instrumental here is from that initial recording.  I revisted the song recently, and updated the lyrics to reflect the various changes that had happened in my life.  Only the third and fourth verses needed changing, but I chose to re-record all of the vocals.  I must say that I am rather proud of this song, and I especially was when I initially recorded it 20 years ago!  I used a program called FruityLoops (now FL Studio), and at that time it was basically a software sampler and drum machine with no recording features whatsoever!  I ended up using another program to record the vocals, then I imported them into FruityLoops and triggered them as samples.  For this new recording of the song, I used the latest version of FL Studio which does let you record straight into the program!  This is so much easier, in my opinion.


VERSE 1
Let's write about the weather
Let's write about the heat
Let's write about the blisters
And the sores on my feet

Let's write about relationships
Let's write about booze
Let's write about how everybody
Wants to date Tom Cruise

Man, is he really that short? I had no idea.


CHORUS
Let's write about it
Go get some ideas
Don't let all these thoughts
Slip into arrears.

Just write about it
Cos you know you can
So go and ask yourself
If you can lend a hand


VERSE 2 
Because all a person really needs is an idea

Songwriting can be such a chore
It can be such a pain
You've got to have your wits about
You've got to rack your brain

Ideas are very hard to come by
Think of what you've done
That can by turned into a song
And not sound really dumb

You're not wrong; I've written some utter crap in my time!


CHORUS
Let's write about it
Go get some ideas
Don't let all these thoughts
Slip into arrears.

Just write about it
Cos you know you can
So go and ask yourself
If you can lend a hand


Go get some ideas
Go get some ideas


VERSE 3
Things in life that you've achieved
Just anything will do
Make sure it's a substantial thing
And not too good to be true

Things like getting drunk as such
For just the very first time
Or having a baby and getting hitched
Though those two memories aren't mine

But what am I gonna do? Am I gonna cry about it?


CHORUS
Let's write about it
Go get some ideas
Don't let all these thoughts
Slip into arrears.

Just write about it
Cos you know you can
So go and ask yourself
If you can lend a hand


Go get some ideas
Go get some ideas
Go get some ideas


VERSE 4
Buying a car and finding love
Man I am so far behind
I don't have a girlfriend
So I can't even have Georgia on my mind

I have to get by with just friendship
But that's unreliable too
Not knowing when you can see your buds
You can end up getting the blues

Which can lead to depression, among other things.


CHORUS
Let's write about it
Go get some ideas
Don't let all these thoughts
Slip into arrears.

Just write about it
Cos you know you can
So go and ask yourself
If you can lend a hand


CHORUS
Let's write about it
Go get some ideas
Don't let all these thoughts
Slip into arrears.

Just write about it
Cos you know you can
So go and ask yourself
If you can lend a hand


ENDING
Go get some ideas
Go get some ideas
You'd better go get some ideas
Don't let them slip into arrears

Come on, you know you can
Go and ask yourself if you can lend a hand
So writing a song isn't all that hard 
You just need some good ideas.

Let's Write About It (Revised 2024)

People can be so judgemental in this day and age!  They don't even know you, but they form their own opinions about you regardless if they are true or not!  What do they know though?  Everyone should look after their own backyard, and not care about what anyone else thinks about them!  It took me years to get to this point in my life, and for this I am so grateful!  Do not give a flying fig, and get on with what you like to do with your time!  Verses 1 and 2 are based on actual events, while the third verse is offering adivce to others who may be struggling with judgement from those they may or may not know.  I started off my song with no rhyming structure, but then I introduced one in Verses 2 and 3.  I suppose this is different to how I usually write, which fits in with the guideline rather nicely I feel.  My submission's chord progression is based on the song "All Rise" by British boy band Blue.  


CHORUS
Don't judge me and
I won't judge you
There is no need for that

Does it make you feel good
To make others feel bad
This thinking is so old hat


VERSE 1
Kids stare at me
Dogs lunge at me
What did I do to them

Is it cos I'm different
Or am I just unique
It's not worth thinking about

I won't give them
The iight of day
They don't even know me

Whatever they think
They can keep to themselves
I could not care less


CHORUS
Don't judge me and
I won't judge you
There is no need for that

Does it make you feel good
To make others feel bad
This thinking is so old hat


VERSE 2
Saying I did something
When it is not true
Where do you get off

Speaking up loudly
For the whole world to hear
You make me want to scoff

I had to get help
Cos you were making threats
Then they came to my aid

It took a whole month
For them to bring you down
Now I'll never see you again


CHORUS
Don't judge me and
I won't judge you
There is no need for that

Does it make you feel good
To make others feel bad
This thinking is so old hat


VERSE 3
No-one deserves
To be treated this way
Don't let it get you down

It can interfere
With your happiness
Then all you'll do is frown

People can think
And say what they want
Don't let it bother you

At the end of the day
It is you that matters
So to yourself stay true


CHORUS
Don't judge me and
I won't judge you
There is no need for that

Does it make you feel good
To make others feel bad
This thinking is so old hat


CHORUS
Don't judge me and
I won't judge you
There is no need for that

Does it make you feel good
To make others feel bad
This thinking is so old hat

Don't Judge Me

Protis has been writing music since 1998, when he was still in high school. The name Protis came about from watching the TV show Pokemon; his original name was Piggy, and just how Pikachu evolves into Raichu, well he decided that Piggy would evolve into Protis. The name has stuck ever since then.

Protis is a big fan of computer-based music.  The first computer program he used for music purposes was Cubase Lite on good ol' Windows 3.1 operating system.  Over the years he moved on to Cubast VST, where he further developed his skills as a songwriter.  Most of his early recordings were instrumental works, as at the time he was unable to compose decent lyrics.

After a while, Protis decided to leave the realm of General MIDI and progress into the world of loops and samples.  He accomplished this by using the ACID range of products.  Countless hours were spent with this brilliant piece of software, coming up with lots of cool beats.

Protis has also dabbled in the FruityLoops software, now called FL Studio.  He utilised FL Studio to write songs which contained his first self-penned lyrics.  He was surprised at just how well his lyrics came across in each song, fitting in well with the music.  And all this from someone who could never write words to his songs!