What I’ve been doing is writing up all of the song lyrics I wrote way back when thinking
I’d put them into books, and there’s a few things that I realised now, at the
ripe old age of 42, that I would not have realised back then.
I’d put them into books, and there’s a few things that I realised now, at the
ripe old age of 42, that I would not have realised back then.
1 – Most of the songs had the same lyrics, so I seemed to
plagiarise myself a lot.
plagiarise myself a lot.
2 – The lyrics were incredibly young sounding at the
beginning.
beginning.
3 – I wrote the way so many teens did back then.
4 – I was way ahead of my years and the time because of the
topics I wrote about, and surprisingly, they are still very and incredibly
relevant, if not more dominant, now. There’s a sample below the post, and I might post some more. Feel free to share it. I’ll post them to my Pinterest boards at some stage under this name and my real name.
topics I wrote about, and surprisingly, they are still very and incredibly
relevant, if not more dominant, now. There’s a sample below the post, and I might post some more. Feel free to share it. I’ll post them to my Pinterest boards at some stage under this name and my real name.
My lyrics are young because I started writing them when I
was 15 in 1989. It was year ten in high school, I played the drums and piano,
wore a funky blue knitted jumper with a stave on it with the first line of
Funky Town (pic left) and thought I was shit hot. I also wanted to be a singer….
was 15 in 1989. It was year ten in high school, I played the drums and piano,
wore a funky blue knitted jumper with a stave on it with the first line of
Funky Town (pic left) and thought I was shit hot. I also wanted to be a singer….
To be Australia’s version of Debbie Gibson and I’m listening
to her first album, Out Of The Blue, as I write this (I love 80s music more
than anything). I loved everything about her. Her funky clothes to the Swatch
watches she wore. And when she moved into her new mansion, I wanted it and everything else. That’s why she
inspired me with her lyrics and melodies. She did it all. It also didn’t hurt
that the only time she ever toured Australia was with my fave band Indecent
Obsession who I also wrote many a song about (blog post about them here). She even had a thing with the
lead singer. Oooooohhhhhh.
to her first album, Out Of The Blue, as I write this (I love 80s music more
than anything). I loved everything about her. Her funky clothes to the Swatch
watches she wore. And when she moved into her new mansion, I wanted it and everything else. That’s why she
inspired me with her lyrics and melodies. She did it all. It also didn’t hurt
that the only time she ever toured Australia was with my fave band Indecent
Obsession who I also wrote many a song about (blog post about them here). She even had a thing with the
lead singer. Oooooohhhhhh.
Debbie Gibson was huge, along with Tiffany, Kylie and an abundance
of others, Aussie band Indecent Obsession was my fave, there was 80s bubble-gum
pop blasting from every radio and tv. That was my inspiration, along with Jem
and the Holograms (gotta love the 80s).
of others, Aussie band Indecent Obsession was my fave, there was 80s bubble-gum
pop blasting from every radio and tv. That was my inspiration, along with Jem
and the Holograms (gotta love the 80s).
When going back over the decades of music, lyrics were
incredibly simple, be it 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s. Come the 90s it changed. Grunge
came in and lyrics became down right weird and you’d read them and go ‘what the
fuck were they on when they wrote this’. These days it’s different again. Between
Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and so many other females and
males, not to mention bands, lyrics have become harder, edgier, and downright
far too sexy for the teens singing them. I occasionally wonder how the hell
they come up with such adult stuff.
incredibly simple, be it 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s. Come the 90s it changed. Grunge
came in and lyrics became down right weird and you’d read them and go ‘what the
fuck were they on when they wrote this’. These days it’s different again. Between
Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and so many other females and
males, not to mention bands, lyrics have become harder, edgier, and downright
far too sexy for the teens singing them. I occasionally wonder how the hell
they come up with such adult stuff.
Back in the day lyrics were young and innocent, now, they’re
far too sexual from most groups. I definitely don’t know if I could write any
now, the lyrics would be older, more mature, but writing books gives me a
longer platform to get the story across. Not sure I could do it in four verses,
a chorus, and a bridge any more. But you never know. Writing them all up is
giving me inspiration….And you know I can’t not
write something…with everything else I already write and the books yet to be
written…just a foolish beat of my heart….oops, Debbie got in my head….something
is going to come out at some stage.
far too sexual from most groups. I definitely don’t know if I could write any
now, the lyrics would be older, more mature, but writing books gives me a
longer platform to get the story across. Not sure I could do it in four verses,
a chorus, and a bridge any more. But you never know. Writing them all up is
giving me inspiration….And you know I can’t not
write something…with everything else I already write and the books yet to be
written…just a foolish beat of my heart….oops, Debbie got in my head….something
is going to come out at some stage.
I wrote from 1989 through to 1996 and I didn’t write another
one until 2002 and that was it. Four years later I wrote my first novel, and I
think my lyrics made way for them. I even wrote song trilogies which have stood
me in good stead for writing the book trilogy I’ve written this year. Lyrics
were clearly my training for bigger and longer stories, which songs are. They
are stories of love, pain, hurt, heartache etc. Just listen to country songs.
The dog dies, the wife leaves and the ute (utility/work car) breaks down. Songs
are full of it and many times lyrics are simple.
one until 2002 and that was it. Four years later I wrote my first novel, and I
think my lyrics made way for them. I even wrote song trilogies which have stood
me in good stead for writing the book trilogy I’ve written this year. Lyrics
were clearly my training for bigger and longer stories, which songs are. They
are stories of love, pain, hurt, heartache etc. Just listen to country songs.
The dog dies, the wife leaves and the ute (utility/work car) breaks down. Songs
are full of it and many times lyrics are simple.
Remember all those really poppy songs from the 80s? Try
Stock, Aitken and Waterman songs, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Bananarama,
Sonia, any UK 80s pop act had one of their songs and they were all done to
formula. Two verses, chorus, two verses, chorus, bridge, chorus to end. The
music was what sucked you in, it was up tempo, poppy and danceable. But analyse
the lyrics and they were the most teenager-ish ridiculous things around. Yet
they meant so much at the time when we were young, but reading back over them
as adults, they are just silly and childish. Remember B*Witched’s
Rollercoaster? Enough said!
Stock, Aitken and Waterman songs, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Bananarama,
Sonia, any UK 80s pop act had one of their songs and they were all done to
formula. Two verses, chorus, two verses, chorus, bridge, chorus to end. The
music was what sucked you in, it was up tempo, poppy and danceable. But analyse
the lyrics and they were the most teenager-ish ridiculous things around. Yet
they meant so much at the time when we were young, but reading back over them
as adults, they are just silly and childish. Remember B*Witched’s
Rollercoaster? Enough said!
But that’s what makes a pop song, and that’s what I wrote.
Young pop lyrics from a 15-22 year old who didn’t know any better and wasn’t experienced
at anything we call life. Like now.
Young pop lyrics from a 15-22 year old who didn’t know any better and wasn’t experienced
at anything we call life. Like now.
Did my lyrics get older and more mature? Sort of. You can
see the progression into 94-96. Around this time Alanis Morrissette came out
and I desperately wished I could write a song like her. I didn’t have her
angst, but I tried. I’m not sure I succeeded. There’s a few good sets of lyrics
in the last years and some of my song titles were freakin’ awesome, like
Brunettes Look Best in Red, Ginger Elle, Cool Fred and Firenze. I stole most of
them. A line from someone else’s song, or an Impulse body spray name (big body
spray label over here that’s been around forever).
see the progression into 94-96. Around this time Alanis Morrissette came out
and I desperately wished I could write a song like her. I didn’t have her
angst, but I tried. I’m not sure I succeeded. There’s a few good sets of lyrics
in the last years and some of my song titles were freakin’ awesome, like
Brunettes Look Best in Red, Ginger Elle, Cool Fred and Firenze. I stole most of
them. A line from someone else’s song, or an Impulse body spray name (big body
spray label over here that’s been around forever).
I have found some good lyrics that I will be doing print ups
for, no topic was off limits, I did songs about child abuse (below), politics, the world,
generation x (the Spice Girls ripped me off a few years later with that one,
lol). No topic was not written about…. That I remember. It’s taken me three
weeks to write out 639 song lyrics in and around all of the people coming to see mum. I was definite that I had 700…maybe I need
to add to that 639…below is a song I wrote about child abuse, heavy lyrics by my standard back in 1994 when I was 20, and probably still relevant today.
for, no topic was off limits, I did songs about child abuse (below), politics, the world,
generation x (the Spice Girls ripped me off a few years later with that one,
lol). No topic was not written about…. That I remember. It’s taken me three
weeks to write out 639 song lyrics in and around all of the people coming to see mum. I was definite that I had 700…maybe I need
to add to that 639…below is a song I wrote about child abuse, heavy lyrics by my standard back in 1994 when I was 20, and probably still relevant today.
Cheryl says
You are such a talent on so many levels. I can't tell you how impressed I am with your writing…whether it's song lyrics or novels, you have an amazing gift.
The child abuse lyrics are absolutely relevant. WOW!!! Beautifully (and tragically) written.
L.J. Diva says
Thanks Cheryl. Even at 20 I was having some pretty deep thoughts.