Leave Letters

I just wrote this in the last hour and recorded it in the last 15 minutes. shazam.

Leave Letters.mp3

Leave Letters
words and music by Liza Swart

Well you don't write songs for me baby
You don't write songs for me
And I don't want "no," I don't want "maybe"
Not when I know how it oughtta be
But we've tried and tried and tried tonight

Well you don't leave me little letters
You don't leave letters for me
Maybe it's time for something better
Time to change this present company
When we've tried and tried and tried all night

It's not giving up, it's not giving in
We both know now we can never win
It's not giving up, it's not giving in
It's just the end
We can begin

Well I don't whisper sweet nothings
I don't whisper them to you
And I for one am tired of all the running
Tired of running from the truth
When we've tried and tried and tried tonight

It's not giving up, it's not giving in
We both know now we can never win
It's not giving up, it's not giving in
It's just the end
We can begin

It's just the end
We can begin

It's just the end
We can begin

Leave Letters.mp3

Our Year

Our Year.mp3

This is the current view of my backyard. Only add about 4 inches, maybe. No work today! So I thought I'd post a song.

Our Year
words and music by Liza Swart

Chasing down these miles of endless highway
The darkness of the road is on my mind
You never were the kind to see it my way
Just bind it up and keep it all inside

But it's almost here
This will be our year

I suffer from no lack of inhibition
Would you see the meaning of my words
There's nothing so beyond our definition
After all the sky was made for birds

And if you learn to fly
Love, you know, I'm coming right behind

Just a little bit
Just a little bit of you
Just a little bit
Oh love, you know we'll see it through
Just a little bit
Just a little bit of you
Just a little bit
Oh love, it's all that I can do

Picking up the threads of conversation
You know I'm always sleeping when you call
Understanding little of our nation
We conjecture when the empire will fall

But you know my mind
That's the end of sleep I will see tonight

Just a little bit
Just a little bit of you
Just a little bit
Oh love, you know we'll see it through
Just a little bit
Just a little bit of you
Just a little bit
It's all that I can do

Yes, this is the one lacking a bridge- I kind of fudge it a little with that last transition between the choruses. It also really needs some backing keys, but as I'm horrible/have no way to record them, it doesn't get any. Opinions?

Our Year.mp3

the toughest part

Ok, so I'm working on this new song, and it feels done, but there's no bridge.

How important are bridges, really? I know sometimes they're fab, but most of the time they feel contrived- the necessary "C" to augment the "A" and "B".

Is it ok to just not mess with them? Simplistic songwriters want to know...

Songs and Absenteeism

THE ENVELOPE SONG.mp3 [01.25.07]

Hey guys. It's me, your token lady... back from her truancy.

So maybe this month was a horrible time to plan on writing four songs. Oh well. Besides getting hideously sick and having a hellish week singing with the Indianapolis Symphony (the music was pretty, it was just the 25+ hours devoted in one week on top of working full time that killed me), things have been kinda rough with my family. My dad got diagnosed with diabetes this week, so I wasn't in the mood to write pretty little love songs. Maybe I'll write a song about my mortality, just in time for Valentines' Day.

So anyway, I sent my two songs to John tonight, hopefully they'll make it up here soon. One is the "Lay the Line," for which I posted lyrics below.

Also tonight I recovered from my flimsy memory a song that I thought was lost... what a great relief that was. Inadvertently I already did one of John's little exercises from below- it's pretty much all verse. There is a bridge, but it doesn't go anywhere, just back to the verse, so maybe it's more like an oasis.

Regardless of the road to get there, here are the lyrics for "The Envelope Song." Yes, I wrote it on the back of an envelope. The BGVs are a little canned sounding, but with my limited recording capabilities at the moment (I'll post a separate blog on this later) it's about as good as I can get. You can either use your imagination to flesh things out a little, or pretend it's the Carpenters. I'd be flattered, either way.

The Envelope Song
words and music by Liza Swart

She walks by the water
She walks alone
She walks like her father
So far away from home
So far away --- from home

He loves like a brother
He loves with his soul
He loves no other
The one who makes him whole
The one who makes --- him whole

Here we stand
Heart in hand
On golden stands
You understand
You always understand

Well love is our mother
Love is a seed
Love is a wonder
And yes, love makes us free
And yes, love makes --- us free

yeah kinda sappy but what can I say. So am I. ;)

THE ENVELOPE SONG.mp3 [01.25.07]

Lay the Line

LAY THE LINE.mp3 [01.14.07]

Ok-- so I don't have the mp3 available yet because I haven't recorded it, but I will post that part of the business tomorrow.

[Yes she does, as of 01.25.07! Check it out! JN]

the good news is that I've finished a song. And now that I'm not sick, or singing 5 million performances a day with the symphony, I'll actually have time to catch up with you gentlemen! I've finished the bit that I posted earlier, and there is no "awful" in the lyrics. (Although it could be said about them...)

I don't know if this is a keeper yet. time will tell- but I like it now, and since it's now, I'm ok with it.

LAY THE LINE.mp3 [01.14.07]

Phone rings in the night
Woke me up, but that's alright
I'll take what I can get
Just to talk with you in bed
No games this time
If it's wrong or if it's right--

Take my heart tonight
I'll lay it on the line
Oh love, I'm all for you
I've seen it in your eyes
Farewell to this disguise
Trade in these lies for truth (lies for truth)

Fire in the sky
I was pressed against your side
Your eyes in the dark
Started fires in my heart
No more dancing, please
Let's just say what we mean

Take my heart tonight
I'll lay it on the line
Oh love, I'm all for you
I've seen it in your eyes
Farewell to this disguise
Trade in these lies for truth

Take my heart, take my heart... I'm all for you
Take my heart, take my heart....
Just take my heart tonight
I'll lay it on the line
Oh love, I'm all for you
I've seen it in your eyes
Farewell to this disguise
Trade in these lies for truth (lies for truth)

Phone rings in the night
Woke me up, but that's alright

LAY THE LINE.mp3 [01.14.07]

Some Junk

So I worked a little bit tonight, and hells bells if I can't get out of writing in the same key right now... it just happens though and I know enough to go with it when it comes. that's what capos are for, right? ;)

But it's coming along, coming along. The chorus bit that I have so far lyrically goes-

So take my heart tonight
I'll lay it on the line
Oh love, I'm all for you (or, alternately, can be "awful... you" with the you tagging to the next portion of the chorus- maybe I'll never tell anyone what I'm singing so you'll have to guess- call me Karin jr.)
I've seen it in your eyes
Farewell to this disguise
Trade in these lies for truth

hmmm and oh yes I'm thinking verses something about a bobbypin in a shoe metaphor? the words are still wishy washy so I'm reluctant to be any more forthcoming at this point. but you've all been so lovely about being in my corner I felt I had to throw my brain junk up here for now. I'll finish this one tomorrow after it has properly gestated and basted in my brain.

Goodnight.

liza, schmiza

so, I've already failed-- and it's the first week!

I was ridiculously sick this last week... imagine screws connecting your temples to your jaw and tightening almost imperceptibly, continually, forever. it was something like that.

I still wanna do 4 songs this month- can I make up for it later? many apologies.

(still) your favorite loser...
liza

Better Days a la Liza

hmm I'm gonna say this one was finished on the 19th? whatever date was Tuesday. this is my pre-contest warm up. please scoot on over here if you like and give a listen. I just posted it originally as a very rough, guitar and vocal take, but eventually trashed that baby and made another. Finding the balance between just the right amount of BGVs and not enough is sometimes hard for me... maybe you apples can help a girl out.

Without further ado, a simple little ditty, I present...

BETTER DAYS.mp3 - [12.24.06]

Door bell rings in the morning-- I've seen better days
Your face there on the landing, we both could use some grace
Darlin' please, all I'm askin' is for a bit of space
'Fore this day is through... and I'll come back for you

Cell phone rings at the bus stop-- your voice on the line
Love you sound much more, much more composed than I
I'm not through yet, I just need some precious time
This much is true... I'll come back to you

And if I go, darlin' know, it's the first time- not the last.
And if I go, darlin' know, I'm coming back, coming back to you.

Church bells ring in the city, worker bees will rest
I head home in the sunset, tired and overdressed
One thing left in the twilight- I'll give to you my best
This I will do... love, I'm coming home to you

And if I go, darlin' know, it's the first time, not the last.
And if I go, darlin' know, I'm coming back, coming back to you.
Coming back- it's true.
Oh love, how could I leave you?

And if I go, darlin' know, it's the first time, not the last.
And if I go, darlin' know, I'm coming back, coming back--
I've seen better days.

(also a short disclaimer- although I didn't intend to steal the title of this song from Pete Murray, I'll give kudos where kudos are due... czech his "Better Days" out if you can.)