Songwriting
For ‘Denial’ our song writing process was brainstorming off of the word and feeling of denial. Dan, Bluebell and I brainstormed phrases and ideas of how to musically create the feeling in the form of a mind map (see photo 1).
This is what we came up with:
Key: Em
Structure
Intro (2 x G)
1 x Verse (2 x G + E)
Interlude ( 1 x G + E)
1 x Verse
2 x Prechorus (Am9, Bm, C, D, E) (Need to alter B,C,D)
1 x Verse
2 x Prechorus
Bridge
End (modulate to A# - ii, V, I)
To be without you, it cant be true, you’re stuck in my head, I cant face the truth.
So whilst I wait for you to come home, i’ll carry on pretend I’m still with you.
-interlude-
I set the table for two, your seat is empty but you’ll be home to fill it soon.
Suns sets, falling dark but I thought id see you by noon
-
Im go—ing, im go—ing crazy without you
-
I still sleep on the left side of the bed
Your spot next to me is cold how can I sleep at night when your not sleeping on my right.
For acceptance we decided to use the method ‘Cut Up' lyrics where you find poems and pieces of writing and cut up words and phrases our of that and arrange a song out of those phrases and words. We chose to specifically use poems and pieces of writing about acceptance as it was the theme of the song. (view photos 2 &3).
We decided to write the song in G Major and the original lyrics we fit together just out of the cut ups were;
“I know its hard to practice acceptance when you deeply wish things were different
Sometimes we cant change our reality, even if we try
Let the night be too dark for me to see,
Our understanding can wait better things will always follow
Life will bring many challenges, receive with open arms
Part of the real beauty of life is that its unpredictable
During the last year of my life I have learned the true power of acceptance
tired and bruised I allowed myself to give into the feeling.
Today I allowed myself to cry and fell their heaviness flowing out
How good it feels to cry, and know that its my right
Into the future we will accept instead of resisting
Yes, acceptance is a choice, let what ill be, be
Constantly fighting to change things
No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud
Embrace it when the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud
An unconditional acceptance of life view them from a different perspective
As they carry put my pain.”
We then edited this lyrics to make them make more sense in the contest of a song, these are the lyrics after that;
“Its hard to accept when you deeply wish things were different
Sometimes we cant change our reality,
Let the night be too dark for me to see,
My understanding can wait cus better things follow
Life will bring many challenges, try to receive with open arms
Part of the real beauty of life, its unpredictable
The last year of my life I have learned the true power of acceptance
Tired and bruised I gave into that feeling.
And allowed myself to cry and feel the heaviness flow out
How good it feels to cry, and know that its my right
Into the future we will accept instead of resist
Yes, acceptance is a choice, let what’ll be, be
Constantly fighting for things to change
No voice in nature cries aloud
Embrace it when the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud
An unconditional acceptance of life viewed from a different perspective
Let that carry put my pain.”
When practicing the song before recording we changed the music a little and realised that now the some of the phrasing and lines didn’t fit the song instrumentally anymore so we moved around more lyrics and cut them down quite a lot. Here are the final lyrics from the ‘Cut Ups’ method:
“Sometimes we cant change our reality,
Let the night be too dark for me to see,
My understanding can wait cus better things follow
Part of the beauty of life, its unpredictable
I allowed myself to cry, and feel the heaviness to flow out
Tired and bruised, how good it feels to cry, and know that it’s my right
Into the future, let what’ll be, be
Fighting for things to change
No voice in nature cries aloud
I’ve learned the true power of acceptance
Let that carry out my pain.”
