Here's a new one... don't have a recording of it yet, but I'll put up a link as soon as I am able. Looks like the last tune I wrote was Nothin' All Day back in January, so this is a welcome addition. I'm truly amazed and impressed with you all and the songs you've been writing! Keep up the great passion!
Short commentary/introduction:
We're all affected by bad decisions and/or mistakes. The person who makes the mistake suffers, but also the folks in their circle of influence sometimes pay a price. This song thinks a bit about those on both sides...
Thanks for taking the time,
John
p.s. Thanks for all you do with the site, bro...
Help Me Be Good
words and music by John Natiw
He woke up on Sunday and made one last mark on the wall
The last time he lived as a free man he couldn't recall
Since then it's been nothin' but dodgin' these big iron doors
Tryin' to stay out of trouble and settlin' scores
They gave him his old clothes and said 'don't you ever come back'
The rest of his life and a Bible tucked into a sack
Twenty one years to forget all the things that he'd done
He walked through the front gate, his face turned up into the sun
And he said...
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin' is help me be good
The day that they took him away she was too young to know
Why a man that she wanted to stay said he still had to go
In the years that have past pain and anger have come home to live
In the place of a man who just didn't have nothin' to give
She thought to herself more than once 'he can go straight to hell'
Then a voice from the front room said 'momma, can I get the bell'
Twenty one long years of thinkin' 'bout what might have been
She turned to her son and said 'go let your grandaddy in'
And she said...
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin' is help me be good
[instrumental verse]
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin'... is...
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin'
All that I'm sayin'
Please hear me sayin'...
Help me be good
Short commentary/introduction:
We're all affected by bad decisions and/or mistakes. The person who makes the mistake suffers, but also the folks in their circle of influence sometimes pay a price. This song thinks a bit about those on both sides...
Thanks for taking the time,
John
p.s. Thanks for all you do with the site, bro...
Help Me Be Good
words and music by John Natiw
He woke up on Sunday and made one last mark on the wall
The last time he lived as a free man he couldn't recall
Since then it's been nothin' but dodgin' these big iron doors
Tryin' to stay out of trouble and settlin' scores
They gave him his old clothes and said 'don't you ever come back'
The rest of his life and a Bible tucked into a sack
Twenty one years to forget all the things that he'd done
He walked through the front gate, his face turned up into the sun
And he said...
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin' is help me be good
The day that they took him away she was too young to know
Why a man that she wanted to stay said he still had to go
In the years that have past pain and anger have come home to live
In the place of a man who just didn't have nothin' to give
She thought to herself more than once 'he can go straight to hell'
Then a voice from the front room said 'momma, can I get the bell'
Twenty one long years of thinkin' 'bout what might have been
She turned to her son and said 'go let your grandaddy in'
And she said...
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin' is help me be good
[instrumental verse]
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin'... is...
Help me to be just a little less angry and misunderstood
I don't want to waste my whole life sayin' 'you know that I would if I could'
Give me the strength, Lord, to do all the things that I should
I guess what I'm sayin'
All that I'm sayin'
Please hear me sayin'...
Help me be good
7 comments:
Hi John, I'm a sucker for this kind of lyric and I love the two sides of the story and how you intersect them. The story works for me as well, and the chorus nicely done. I can't wait for the music.
~Billy
Tell me that Arlington Station is interested in this one!
:)
btw- My pleasure, John.
:)
Did I forget to say, "HEY JOHN!!!!"?
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, Arlington Station is doing this one. We trade off verses (Lisa sings the second verse). Did it for the first time a couple weeks ago at a local coffee shop open mic and got some nice reaction. Did it for the first time as a full band last Friday. Seemed to go over very well. Ron (fiddle player) and I did it the next night as well.
Billy, I appreciate your thoughts on the lyrics. Means a lot.
Write on,
John
Hey man, looking forward to hearing this one!
Hi, I've been exploring different songwriting blogs and came up with this one; I gotta say I loved this song, metrics are excellent and I love the images you used. "you know that I would if I could" was my fav. line. I really like your work, keep it up!
Euge
Hey, thanks for the comments. We (Arlington Station) recently did a live radio appearance and did this tune as well as another recent one I posted here - Nothin' All Day. You can listen at our myspace if you like: www.myspace.com/arlingtonstation/
Thanks again!
John
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