Original Song: Songs Of Cynicism And Regret

songs of cynicism and regretAnd so to the 51st month of the song-a-month project, and this one is really special to me. I’d been playing around with some lyrics about songs about break-ups and love gone wrong – mainly from listening to a few Elvis Costello tracks of that ilk. It just seemed interesting that there are so many break-up songs and it seems to me that every band has a few, simply because they are somewhat easy to write when there’s not a lot of inspiration in other areas (hence the line “the last recorded, the first track cut”). Anyway, armed with a nice minor key chord pattern I recorded some basic guidelines tracks on the weekend. My 14-year-old daughter wandered in and mentioned she quite liked the sound of it. I suggested she sing along with me and, miracle of miracles, she agreed! You see she likes singing but is pretty shy about it (as most are). I took a punt and suggested I record her doing it, but she said she’d only do it with me out of the room. I set her up, walked away, and let her go for it. Half an hour later she came to me and apologetically said she changed the melody a bit. And then I had a listen…

I was amazed at what she’d come up with. I know this is a father speaking, but it really does sound cool to me. It’s as though she’s gone into character for it and ended up sounding a little like Sinead O’Conner meets Jewel. I kept my vocal on the bridge, but gave her solo duties on the rest.

 

SONGS OF CYNICISM AND REGRET
© 2016 Chuck Smeeton

Gm                         Eb
Songs of cynicism and regret
Cm                         Dm
Motives that you’ll soon forget
Gm                        Eb
Lyrics bite and tell a tale
Adim                     Dm
Minor keys and a mournful wail

Love that’s lost or never found
Beneath the weight of holding ground
A plea unanswered, barely heard
Lost within emotion stirred

(Chorus)
F
The last recorded
Bb
The first track cut
F
Clutching for inspired ideas
Bb                   A
Born out of a creative rut

Fleeting moments captured true
All the things that you still rue
Close the curtains, lock the door
Expel the demons from your core

No longer tell the right from wrong
Juxtaposed within this song
Leaving before you ever arrived
Give up the fight, you have survived

(Bridge)
Gm                        Cm
This ain’t a song you’ll sing again
Gm                         F
To do so would bring back the pain
Gm                        Cm
Thoughts that flow like freezing rain
Gm                        F
There’s no way to remove the stain

(Chorus)

About the original songs
In January 2012 I commenced a goal of trying to write and record at least one song from scratch each month – sometimes it comes easily, sometimes it’s a real challenge, but I love the discipline it creates. I managed to complete the year, but it was so much fun that I’ve decided to keep it rolling for as long as I can.

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