Listen, Rewritten Song

Rewritten Song: Nothing Oughta Be Like Nothing (version 2)

Audio

Here’s the tune I released this week, last year. I wrote this one over the course of an entire week…one verse each day, starting on Monday. Then I recorded that verse on a new instrument. You can check out the original progression of this song and then the compiled version by clicking on the appropriate day of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

I did, also, record a cleaner version a few weeks later, which you can listen to here. But it still wasn’t completely done. I added another verse to the end at some point after this recording.

Then the song was finished…or almost. I changed the music slightly after adding that new verse and playing it out a couple times. I think I felt it was just a little boring and repetitive. So I gave it a little more up and down. A little more melody. I don’t have a recording of that, but maybe you’ll see me play it out sometime and I’ll play it like that. It ain’t too far away from the original tune.

This new recording ain’t too far away either. It’s faster and a little bluesier. And the repeating “oughta” lines I moved around a little bit, giving the feel of a chorus.

Don’t know if this works, or if it’s better or worse. Just different. What do ya think?

Listen, New Song

New Song: Start the new day

Audio

Here’s a tune I wrote on Friday last week. It’s basically a companion to my song “Goodnight Babe” from my full-length album from last August (which you better go buy soon cause I’m running low on copies). Or at least that’s what I had in mind when I wrote it. You can listen to Goodnight Babe by clicking here.

It’s not nearly as successful as Goodnight Babe, but I think that’s probably because it’s a wake up song instead of a goodnight song. There’s plenty of lullabies to fall back on for images, but not really any how-ya-doing, sun-rise-and-shinin songs. I took a little from an old Woody Guthrie tune (Wake Up), off one of his kids songs albums. But everything else is mine.

And there you have it.

Listen, New Song

New Song: Baby, give it the gun

Audio

Here’s the new song for the week (finally). I got behind, but, in addition to writing this one yesterday, I also wrote 7 or 8 other songs. They aren’t all good, but I’ve at least got a starting point for next week. So I’ll have something on Monday morning for you. Bright and early.

This song is pretty much your standard folk train song. The idea for it came from this book:

Not much else to say about it. It’s done, that’s it.

Maybe I’ll see ya out at the Folk and Roots Festival this weekend. The Barehand Jugband is playing at 3pm on Saturday. We’ll be doing our set inside in the Old Town School’s auditorium. Get yourself in there and beat that heat.

Listen, Rewritten Song

Rewritten Song: Only in America (version 2)

Audio

Okay, so here’s the new version of the song I recorded this week, last year. It’s a patriotic tune. I was doing theme weeks last year around this time and because of Independence Day I did “Songs About America Week.” Go ahead and browse back and check out the other songs I posted.

But, also, check out the original version, which includes a lengthy description of where the song initially came from. It’s a good read for a Thursday morning.

This new one is kinda jumbled up. I combined some of the verses to make new sets of verses and then used the repeating element from the original to craft together a chorus. I think it works pretty well. I at least like the structure of this one and probably will use it on some other new songs coming up.

The music’s similar to the re-record of “I Can’t Help It” that I did back in late May. Of course, that one was on electric guitar, but it’s basically the same idea. Check it out.

Songwriting, home recording and vinyl records from Chicago folk singer and songwriter Andrew Francis.