Songs I Wish I Had Written

I see the rating-but-not-commenters are out in force today... Rate if you want, but I'm MUCH more interested in what you think.

Eric: I think Springsteen has written a number of them. For me, even more so than Dylan. (I'm going to see Springsteen and his Seeger Sessions Band in 9 days, BTW.) But, the song that has stuck with me ever since I first saw him perform it on PBS when I was an impressionable pre-teen is "The Pretender" by Jackson Browne.

Eric, (forgetting for now that there are already votes without comments..) I swing wildly on Bruce. at times he's so terribly blokey that he makes me cringe and yet other times he makes me swoon with his understanding of relationships. I hope you get your movie..

The lyrics I wish i'd written? Graeme Connors, Australian folky contempory country-ish chap did this many years ago:

Love Works
Words and Music: Graeme Connors

Mrs.Turner lives in a third floor apartment in the heart of the city
Surrounded by high-rise that block out the sunlight for most of the day
Yet on her small balcony she tends a garden
Where the flowers bloom perfectly in the grey
And when people ask how she does it all Mrs.Turner will say is
Love works, in the midst of all this love works
Each day I tell my flowers I love them
And love works, in the midst of all this love works
They hear and the grow 'cause even the flowers know, love works.

Mrs.Turner keeps a life-sized portrait of her husband William
A brave young soldier who failed to return from the Second World War
And each night she sits and knits and talks to him
As if he'd just walked through the door
And when people ask why she does it Mrs.Turner will say 'cause I'm sure
Love works in the midst of all this love works
Each day I tell my Bill I love him
And love works, in the midst of all this love works
He hears I know and he's with me wherever I go 'cause love works.

And every morning Mrs.Turner takes a short walk to the corner
To say a prayer and light a candle at St. Paul's
With a bunch of fresh cut flowers and the memories of her William
She's a beautiful example to us all - how

Love works, in the midst of all this love works.
Each day somewhere a prayer is answered
And love works, in the midst of all this love works
God hears and it shows in ways we may never know love works.

(Copyright 1993 The Panama Music Company Pty. Ltd.)

Paul, I like The Pretender too! But, my favorite Jackson Brown song has to be The Load Out (Stay A Little Bit Longer). Especially poignant since, during college, I worked backstage at Merriwether Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, and helped load out Brown and Band.

Carolyn, first, love the Gathercon! Awesome. Next, that's a great song! I love the lyrics! I think I'm going to visit iTunes...

"The Pretender" by Jackson Browne
I'm going to rent myself a house
In the shade of the freeway
Gonna pack my lunch in the morning
And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around
I'll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in
I'll get up and do it again
Amen.
Say it again
Amen.

I want to know what became of the changes
We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams
Of some greater awakening?
I've been aware of the time going by
They say in the end it's the wink of an eye
When the morning light comes streaming in
You'll get up and do it again
Amen.

Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender.
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening
Strolls the Pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there

Ah the laughter of the lovers
As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others
But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might
While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight

I'm gonna find myself a girl
Who can show me what laughter means
And we'll fill in the missing colors
In each other's paint-by-number dreams
And then we'll put our dark glasses on
And we'll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in
We'll get up and do it again
Get it up again

I'm gonna be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
where true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the Pretender.
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender.

Say a prayer for the pretender
Are you there for the pretender?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Are you there for the pretender?
Are you prepared for the pretender?

The "Load Out" was a favorite track on my "Running on Empty" LP, too. I've been fortunate to see both Browne and Springsteen in concert several times each - they both deliver such passionate performances in their own ways, and Browne's voice is as crystal clear as it has ever been. (While Bruce now uses his gravelly voice more than he used to.)

And yes, "The Pretender" is overly idealistic and I have not risen to the challenge of the song. (How many of us have?) Doesn't keep me from trying, and from liking the song, though.

I think I've already seen a movie that this Sprinsteen lyric could accompany. It starred Sean Penn and took place in a desert, I think it was the film "U-Turn". It was thick with emotions of betrayal and sinister motivations.

Eric, great topic. Since I'm a wanna-be-songwriter, with a binder of over two hundred attempts, only four with music and not one of those recorded, you've sure hit me where it hurts. I've often heard a song and then turned to someone and said, "I WISH I had written that" with honest envy and respect. "I Hope You Dance" is the first one that came to mind when I saw the title of your article. "The Song Remembers When" is another I remember saying that about the first time I heard it. I have a lot on my mind today, but I'm going to make this a project when I get time, to work on a more complete list of songs I wish I had written. Thanks for the idea.

Born To Run might be my all time favorite album.

Great post Eric. There are so many songs that make me wish I had written them. One that leaps to mind and never fails to bring me up when I'm down is "Can't Keep it In" by Cat Stevens.

Oh I can't keep it in, I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see, see all the love
love that's in me. I said, why walk alone, why worry when it's
warm over here. You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
mean what you're thinking, and think anything.
Oh why, why must you waste you're life away,
you've got to live for today, then let it go
Oh, lover, I want to spend this time with you,
there's nothing I wouldn't do, If you let me know.
And I can't keep it in, I can't hide it and I can't lock it away.
I'm up for your love, love heats my blood,
blood spins my head, and my head falls in love, oh.
No, I can't keep it in, I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've gotta show the world, world's got to know,
know of the love, love that lies low, so
Why can't you say, If you know, then why can't you say.
You've got too much deceit, deceit kills the light,
light needs to shine, I said shine light , shine light.
Love, That's no way to live your life,
you allow too much to go by, and that won't do.
No, lover. I want to have you here by my side
Now don't you run, don't you hide, while I'm with you.
'N I can't keep it in, I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see, see all the love
love that's in me. I said, why walk alone, why worry when it's
warm over here. You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
mean what you're thinking, and think anything. Why not?
Now why why why not?

Definitely "The Lumberjack Song" by Monty Python. Either that or "I'm Gonna Buy Me A Dog," recorded by the Monkees (not sure who wrote that one.) Those are some serious, poignant, heartfelt lyrics there. The wisdom of the ages served up on a plate of humility with a side dish of lumpy mashed potatoes.

Sandy: Cool that you actually have four with music. Go for it! (With the songs and albums you named, I bet they're worth hearing.)

I thought you DID write The Lumberjack Song, AstroGirl! Just went and listened to that Monkees' song - pretty silly. Thanks.

The two song-writers I admire most are Kris Kristofferson and Gary Morris. Gary's "Anything Goes" and "Somebody Lives There" live in my heart every day. And I sit around reading Kris' lyrics over and over, year after year, still blow away by some of them.

Kris Kristofferson (on his music and songwriting) "It's where the stuff you feel in your heart is expressed, it's the closest thing to your soul. To me it's satisfying to express things that you feel and have other people say 'Right, that's exactly how I feel, too.'"

Silver (the Hunger) Kris Kristofferson
Silver was a rounder with a wicked reputation
Music was his magic and his madness rolled in one
It's said he charmed the fairest hearts of this world's fairest maidens

Quick as silver mercury and slippery as a song

Winding like a river through a thirsty world of strangers
Carving out a legend in a dream-forsaken land
Silver took his pleasures just as freely as he gave them
'Cause hungry eyes weren't quick enough for Silver's flashing hands

Then once upon escaping from the world of silk and shadows
Sudden growin' sicker of the secrets and the shame
He stumbled onto something real that beckoned like a candle
And never lookin' backwards, he surrendered to the flame

Chorus:
Because Hunger, is the surface, of a darkened pool of sadness
Silver pale reflection of a deeper need below
Mystery and magic are the holy forms of madness
Sacred as the ecstasy that slumbers in your soul

Silver moved instinctively within her soft defenses
Soon unfolding mysteries he'd never seen before
And wakening an ancient need, she slipped inside his senses
And Silver took it easy as the closing of a door

Then soon he touched the secret fears she'd hidden with her sorrows
Darker than her raven hair and deeper than her eyes
And dared to try to lead her to the sunlight from her shadows
Following the line between her laughter and her lies

But Silver left his magic with the legend he'd abandoned
Love had stripped him naked of illusion and it's charms
Then one long night her changing mind took kindly to a stranger
And morning found her moving in the golden stranger's arms

Chorus:
Because Hunger, is the surface, of a darkened pool of sadness
Silver pale reflection of a deeper need below
Mystery and magic are the holy forms of madness
Sacred as the ecstasy that slumbers in your soul

Silver stared in silence at the tangled scene before him
Time was burning frozen in the oceans of his eyes
And sadly turning backwards to the world that he'd forsaken
He donned the shining mantle of deception and disguise

Slowly, with the patience born of silent desperation
Silver worked his way into the darkness of her mind
Weaving through her conscience like a chance she might have taken
Sadder than the shadows of the love she'll never find

And Silver's spell was stronger than the softly smiling stranger
Whose star was burning smaller in the naked light of day
And Silver took her hand again, a wiser man, but sadder
Ready for the stranger who would steal her love away

Chorus:
Because Hunger, is the surface, of a darkened pool of sadness
Silver pale reflection of a deeper need below
Mystery and magic are the holy forms of madness
Sworn to free the ecstasy that slumbers in your soul

Paul, thanks. If I can get my daughter to record any of them, I'll send you a clip ;-)

Paul, it's a popular misconception, but that was my evil twin the naked piano guy.

Awesome song, and great topic! There are many I wish I'd written Eric...One that comes to mind that I've always loved is Sentimental Lady by Bob Welch:

You are here and warm
But I could look away and you'd be gone
Cause we live in a time
When meaning falls in splinters from our lives
And that's why I've travelled far
Cause I come so together where you are

Yes, and all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
Fourteen joys and a will to be merry
All of the things that we say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

Yes, and all of the things that I said that I wanted
Come rushing by in my head when I'm with you
Fourteen joys and a will to be merry
All of the things that they say are very
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one
Sentimental gentle wind
Blowing through my life again
Sentimental Lady
Gentle one

BTW....love the howling coyote! You want to come to Arizona or something Eric?

( ;

Great thread inspired by your thoughts. Everyone has mentioned primo material.

Joni Mitchell has always spoken to my heart. "A Case Of You" ~sigh~

But I also love the lyrics and melody of Gershwin's "Our Love is Here To Stay" Ira's lyrics were written after George had passed. Ira was going through his late brother's studio when he discovered the melody. The lyrics he added were a tribute to George.

Love the topic...and damn if I haven't been thinking all day, in the back of my mind, just what song would it be? Well sorry to say,(now that I've given myself a headache! Thanks Eric...lol) that being a music junkie, there are just too many to pick from at the moment. Bruce is right up there, as lyricist and poet, as is Dylan, my number one man and of course Neil Young. Maybe something will cme to me in my dreams tonite.....

You're post brings up an interesting story a friend of mine once told me. Once upon a time, a young session drummer landed a gig at the legendary Muscle Shoals recording studio. Eager to make a good impression, he asked the producer of the session what his favorite song was.
According to the story, the producer turned to the young drummer and said, "There's no such thing as a good song, there are only good recordings of songs".
It really is the recording of a song that makes it the great experience that it is. I thought long and hard on your question and speaking only for myself, all I can say is there are many dozens, maybe hundreds, of songs that really move me to the bone, but I can't honestly say any one of them shines head and shoulders above the rest. I love'em all.

I agree with George. i have sat hwere for ten minutes, ad every time I think "Thats it!", another wonderful song pops into my head.

I like that, George. Yo, tambien. (Oops, can I still say that in the U.S.?)

I really liked Springsteen - and bought several of his early Lps (back in the vinyl days) but no offense to you Eric - I don't think his songs stand the test time - they seem posed :I'm just trying to survive
What if what you do to survive
Kills the things you love
Fear's a powerful thing
It can turn your heart black you can trust
It'll take your God filled soul
And fill it with devils and dust

I'm not sure this stanza makes sense but a black heart and fear don't exactly go together - mixed metaphor - however he does have his momenst:Well I dreamed of you last night
In a field of blood and stone
The blood began to dry
The smell began to rise
Well I dreamed of you last night
In a field of mud and bone
Your blood began to dry
The smell began to rise

This stanza is far better than about 80% of other songs.
However, when I listen to him and watch him - his movements seem calculated - his topics chosen by marketing focus groups - his 'oh he is so tough and tender' posture seems like a bad imitation of Dylan.

Thanks though Eric - Springsteen is certainly worthy of our attention and don't take this personally. Just a difference in opinion.
Sometime listen to Dylan singing "Its All Right Ma, Im Only Bleeding" - I don't think anything done by any contemporary artist of his time or this time cant match the sheer poetic force of those early songs.

I came back to see what my gatherades had to say. Sandy I delight in your mention of Kristofferson, well for all the usual reasons but also because it synchronises with my boy Graeme Connors. a hunnerd years ago, when we were all young, Graeme got to be supporting act for Mr K on tour in Sydney and he still speaks with great regard and gratitude for the support Mr K gave him back them. He helped him immeasurably with advice and contacts and was instrumental in turning a skinny kid from Mackay into a national icon.

Astro, there is nothing finer than a good nutty Monkees song. and just to be totally sure we have nothing in common.. "I eat my lunch, i wear highheels, suspenders and a bra, I wish i'd been a girlie just like my dear Papa."

Nobody's gone near Eric Clapton yet?

I came back for a little "look-see" too! Funny you should mention the Monkees Carolyn...One of my favorites as a teen was:

I want to be free like the bluebird flying by me
Like the waves out on the blue sea
Your love has to tie me, don't try me, say goodbye

I want to be free, don't say you love me, say you like me
But when I need you beside me
Stay close enough to guide me, confide in me, oh-oh-oh-oh

I want to hold your hand, walk along the sand
Laughin' in the sun, always havin' fun
Doin' all those things without any strings to tie me down

I want to be free like the warm September wind, babe
Say you'll always be my friend , babe
We can make it to the end, babe
Again, babe, I gotta say

I want to be free
I want to be free
I want to be free

One of my favorite songs is "Lightning Crashes" By Live. As many deaths I have had in my family that song it reminds me of my life.

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
her placenta falls to the floor
the angel opens her eyes
the confusion sets in
before the doctor can even close the door

lightning crashes, an old mother dies
her intentions fall to the floor
the angel closes her eyes
the confusion that was hers
belongs now, to the baby down the hall

oh I feel it comin' back again
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind
forces pullin' from the center of the earth again
i can feel it.

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
this moment she's been waiting for
the angel opens her eyes
pale blue colored iris, presents the circle
and puts the glory out to hide, hide

oh i feel it comin back again
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind
forces pulli froom the center of the earth again
i feel it, i can feel it

Chorus x3

i can feel it (repeatedly)

Thanks, Diane. Y'know, that's one of the (too many) songs I hear, sing along to the chorus, and never really work to actually LISTEN to the lyrics. Just went and listened to it. And, watched the video - which is even more of a thought-provoker than the song alone. Check it out. (Here's one place you can: http://www.dc101.com/cc-common/videos_on_demand/; I watched/listened to it on Rhapsody, which is well worth the subscription if you like checking out a wide variety of music.)

Sorry, Nathan, don't know about Eric, but I DO take it personally! ;-) I'm going to see the Boss next Saturday and - even though he is not going to play much of his old stuff (different band, different genre this tour) this time around, I really do think that his songs stand up very well. And, especially so when considering the context of the times in which they were written. (I think that is important for Dylan's songs, Live's songs, Gershwin's songs, etc, etc)

In fact, just a couple of days ago, I was mentioning to a friend how impressive some of his songs and concerts in the late 70's (we were listening to a 1978 cut on Wolfgang's Vault) set against the disco that was dominating then.

I thought about this question long and hard. It was even a topic for discussion in the bakery I work at. After searching my mentals , I came up with a few but stuck with one:

"Refuge" by John Legend

"I pray for better days to come
I pray that will see the sun
'cause life is so burdensome
when everyday is a rainy one..."

Thanks for the topic!

After the Lovin'
Words & Music by Alan Bertstein & Richard Zigler
Recorded by Englebert Humperdink, 1976 (#8


G7 C C/B Am7 Am7/G
So I sing you to sleep af - ter the lov - in'

Dm Dm+7 Dm7 Dm6
With a song I just wrote yesterday,

Dm Dm+7
And I hope you can hear

G G7+ C
What the words and the music have to say.

G7 C C/B Am7 Am7/G
It's so hard to explain all the things that I'm feel - in' --

Dm Dm+7 Dm7 Dm6
Face to face, I just seem to go dry,

Dm Dm+7
But I love you so much

G G7 C C7
That the sound of your voice can make me high.


Bridge:

F C F G C
Thanks for takin' me on a one-way trip to the sun,

Am Am+7 Am7 Am6 Dm7 G7
And thanks for turnin' me into a someone.


G7 C C/B Am7 Am7/G
So I sing you to sleep after the lovin',

Dm Dm+7 Dm7 Dm6
And I brush back the hair from your eyes,

Dm Dm+7 G G7 E7
And the love on your face is so real that it makes me want to cry.

F F7 E E7 Am
And I know that my song isn't saying anything new,

F G F G C Cdim
Oh, but after the lovin', I'm still in love with you.


D D6 D D6
So I sing you to sleep after the lovin',

Bm Bm7
And I brush back the hair from your eyes,

A7 F#7
And the love on your face is so real that it makes me want to cry.

G Gm F#7 Bm
And I know that my song isn't saying anything new,

G A G A7 D
Oh, but after the lovin', I'm still in love with you.

I wish I were Shel Silverstein. He wrote great songs for Dr. Hook before they went bubblegum, like Carry Me Carrie:

Second street and Broadway
Sittin' in a doorway.
Head held in his hands.
Looked to all the world like he was prayin'.
Foot wrapped in an old rag.
Bottle in a brown bag.
I saw him try to stand.
Then I heard the words that he was sayin'.

Come on Carrie
Carry me a little farther
Come on Carrie
Carrie me one more mile.
I don't know where it's leadin' to
But I know I could make it if I lean on you
So, Come on Carrie
Carry me a little.
I carried you.
So, carry me a little.
Come on Carrie.
Carry me a little while.

Then he struggled to his feet
And staggered down the street
to the window of a five and dime
Where he stood and laughed a while
At his reflection.
And then I heard him shoutin'
Somethin' 'bout a mountain
He could surely climb
If only she was there to point the right direction.

He said,

Come on Carrie
Carry me a little farther
Come on Carrie
Carrie me one more mile.
I don't know where it's leadin' to
But I know I could make it if I lean on you
So, Come on Carrie
Carry me a little.
I carried you.
So, carry me a little.
Come on Carrie.
Carry me a little while.

------------

Maybe it's not great art, but anything I can type by memory 30 years later has to have something going for it.

Okay, Eric, I can't stay away.


IN MY LIFE Lennon & McCartney

G D7
G D7 (best intro in beatledom)

Am G Bm G7 (unbelievable!)
C Cm (too cool) G
Am G Bm G7
C Cm G

"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" - Pearl Jam

Great topic and some of my faves here. Just listened to some old Jackson Browne ("In the Shape of a Heart" and "That Girl Could Sing"). Best Springsteen song for me is "Rosalita" for several reasons and Johnny, what about "Corduroy?" So many songs, so little time.

Too Much Rain - Paul McCartney

Laugh, when your eyes are burning
Smile, when your heart is filled with pain

Sigh, as you brush away your sorrow
Make a vow, that's it's not going to happen again

It's not right, in one life
Too much rain

You, know the wheels keep turning
Why, do the tears run down your face

We, use to hide away our feelings
But for now, tell yourself it won't happen again

It's not right, in one life
Too much rain

It's too much for anyone, Too hard for anyone
Who wants a happy and peaceful life
You've gotta learn to laugh

Smile, when your spinning round and round
Sigh, as you think about tomorrow
Make a vow, that your gonna be happy again

It's all right, in your life
No more rain

It's too much for anyone, Too hard for anyone
Who wants a happy and peaceful life
You've gotta learn to laugh

There are too many to count that would and should be made into a movie. A certain one comes to mind by Phil Collins...Another Day in Paradise. It may have already been used. But then maybe I should go curl up in the corner with pen and paper and give it another go round. Give me a day or two.

Funny to find this topic when I recently wrote a song for a friend that requested one... please don't throw tomatoes at me I'd never attempted this before.

It's Not Me, It's You

We went for dinner and you picked the place
You never even noticed the look on my face

I paused for a moment when we reached the door
Deja vu hit me, I'd been here before

Not with you baby but just with your type
You're puttin' a show on, I know it's all hype

You think you know me, you think you're right
You think I want you, you think I might…

I'm thinking different, soon you will too
Reality's comin', it's not me, It's you
It's you who's been dreamin', all stuck in your head
It's me who'll be sleepin', alone in my bed

I nod at your stories and force out a smile
You're the worst date I've had in such a long while

Now I'm getting restless and chewing my ice
You think it's sexy and that I'm so nice

But…
I'm thinking different, soon you will too
Reality's comin', it's not me, It's you
It's you who's been dreamin', all stuck in your head
It's me who'll be sleepin', alone in my bed

Cause…
I'm thinking different, soon you will too
Reality's comin', it's not me, It's you

Nasty Habits by Oingo Boingo. I won't give all the lyrics, but a nice taste is:

People act so proper
When they're going 'bout their business
Cup of coffee
Friendly conversation
'till they get home
'till they get home.

Take the phone of
Lock the door
And close the curtains
Make sure the neighbors
Are without suspicion
No one will know
No one will know.

---------

Actually, I'd be very happy to have written anything Danny Elfman has.

There are so many songs that can catch you by surprise. Many of these songs I like. Have a great day!!!!