On a whim I decided to crack open my ancient lyric files. I’ve been writing lyrics, off and on, since the mid-80s. They are generally… hm. How should I put it? Eccentric. Yes, I think eccentric would be a good word for it. (I know, you’re shocked). The thing that surprised me is that the working files on my computer (which do not include the many, many archive files on other hard drives, nor the boxes of paper files) are more than enough for an album. Possibly two.
There are, of course, a couple of problems with that. One, thematically it would be more like 12 albums… there’s no sensible cohesion to them (that’s what comes of having a fizzy brain); two, I’d have to either sing them (augh!) or get someone else to sing them (good luck with that, right?). Three, I’d have to persuade someone to listen to them. That used to be the big killer, right there.
But now I’m in a weird place. Now I know for a fact that there are probably hundreds, even thousands, of people out there who would actually listen to my insane weird songs. They range from people with nothing better to do (“Hey sure, it’s gotta be better than Shark Week!”) to people who actively seek out the strange in life (“I wonder if he has any songs about fungus?”). And a big chunk of the people would be filkers, and one of the things I like best about filkers (aside from them only very rarely throwing things at me when I sing) is that they are dedicated to hearing what people have to say, and evaluating a song based on its merits as a song, rather than solely on its production values, or its glamorous cover shot, or its “Featuring: Annoyingly Wealthy Rapper!” tag.
So in other words, not only do I have an entire instrumental album basically ready to drop onto tape, I had forgotten that I have dozens – possibly hundreds – of songs that I could do with my own rambling, half-mad lyrics. And I have a couple of albums worth of material from The Korea Project that I have to lay on you folks too. Brace yourself: weird is coming…
Damn. There’s GOT to be a Game of Thrones joke there but I’m drawing a blank. Work is actually occupying brain.
Thematic cohesion is overrated. 🙂
Weeeeeeeeeeeeell, Marilisa, yes and no… if it makes *me* barf, it might be a bridge too far 😉 Joe, I already *know* what your input is. “NEEDS MORE RING MODULATION! MOD-U-LATE! MOOOOD-U-LAAAATE!”
Sorry Ben, Joe Dalek stole my post. He is now in Dalek time out. And I took his ring modulator away.
However, let me know if you want feedback of any sort.
DALEKS DO NOT POUT! DALEKS ARE NOT SORRY! (and yes) MOD-U-LAAAAAATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey if Seanan can have a song about the Black Death, why can’t you have one about fungus?
James – absolutely 🙂 Joe – stuff it in your plunger 😉
Ange – “one”? 😉
Oo, possible Ben album(s)?
Working on it! If I ever get the time away from that other band. You know, the one with the chick.
In the meantime, I shall keep my fingers crossed : )
I dunno. More than one song about fungus could be a consisted a little cheesey…
This could potentially lead to a long thread of fungus themed album title suggestions such as Fungus Amongus (possible band name as well) or maybe The Mush Room…
Just the other day I had one of your old ditties rattling round in my head, you may of course have copyrightlawyeritus for ‘happy feet’
I dunno….there’s not too much better than “Shark Week”…!
You should OCR them, put them in a single word doc and then use the “summarize” feature and see what Microsoft thinks…
But songs about fungus make great party anthems! After all, that’s why I’m such a fun guy 😉
JB – if need be I’ll drag you in to the courtroom to prove prior art. I’ll kick their ass with my happy feet!
NO FAIR, HAPPY FEET EARWORM! (And I’ve forgotten the rest of the song). I blame James and Ben… but then, what else is new? 😉
Oh, it’s fine now, it’s just been replaced with “Love Under the Sink”… o.O
Yes, I am one of the crazies that would actually like hearing your songs.
Bring it on, Ben. Bring it all on.
You say that, Ja, but you KNOW you’re getting shanghaied 😉
Oh, I know. And still, I say, “Bring it on…bring it all on”
Ooooh…. I wonder if I’m a filker? In any case, bring it dude.