The first two we recorded, back in late February/early March, were "Don't Go Lookin' for Trouble" and "Why", which were both written last summer. Bob and I have co-written pretty much all of the songs, but the process hasn't been the same for each one. As for the lyrics: for some songs I've written most of the words and for some he has; sometimes we'll really contribute equally. As for the tunes, same thing. Sometimes for the lyrics I've written I'll have a tune in mind and he'll help me hammer it out on the guitar; sometimes I won't have any idea for a tune and he'll noodle around until we find something we're both feeling; sometimes he'll have a fully formed tune or set of riffs that we'll match up with some lyrics.
"Don't Go Lookin' for Trouble" was one of the songs where I wrote the lyrics, and we collaborated on the music. I say I wrote the lyrics, but they practically wrote themselves (I *love* it when that happens). In fact, I got the idea for the song when I was walking to my car from my office. By the time I got to my car in the parking lot I had the chorus written. On the 10-minute ride home I wrote two of the verses, and when I got home I raced upstairs to my laptop to write it all down before I forgot any of it, and then promptly wrote the third verse as well.
It's the second of two songs that are about a big fight Bob and I had! Just about a year ago or so. Now, listen, Bob and I hardly *ever* fight. Really. We get along so well that it's almost freaky. But every once in a great while, of course, we put on the boxing gloves, as it were, and go at it. It's usually all his fault. Ha. Kidding. Sort of. What happens when we have a disagreement is he's the one who generally gets more angry and reactive, and I just sort of give him some space until he cools down (and comes to his senses :-). While I was giving him that space during this particular fight, I decided that instead of just sitting around waiting and being annoyed I'd pass the time by writing a song about it. That song was "Why". I left the lyrics in the chorus vague enough that they could apply to any number of situations where your partner slips up or lets you down. It was actually a really fun and empowering experience to write about a fight, and I told Bob to go ahead and be a jerk whenever he wants. LOL
Anyway, Bob loved the lyrics and was happy I'd written them--we had at that point written I think 4 songs which we were performing regularly with the band, and he was very glad to have another one to work on. We didn't write the music right way, but set the lyrics aside, waiting for inspiration to hit.
Not long after that, I was at work, and found out about a situation where some people were gossiping about me. I didn't let it get to me too much, but of course I was not thrilled about it. And on my way to the car that afternoon when I was leaving, I started thinking about how some people just thrive on conflict and drama, and they really enjoy stirring up trouble. I've known people like that my whole life, as I'm sure we all have. They're just always looking for something to stir up. And I was asking myself what makes them that way, and the only thing I could come up with was that maybe it was something from their childhood. And that got me thinking about my mom, and how she used to tell me that you should always pay close attention to what you're looking for because whatever it is, you're bound to find it. So better to be on the lookout for happiness than for trouble. Which then led me back to thinking about the fight Bob and I had recently had (even though it was completely resolved by then), and about how it seemed to me that he had just been sort of looking for a fight with me, and how he'd eventually gotten what he was looking for.... And thus was another song written. The lyrics anyway.
When I called Bob on the phone to tell him about the new song, I prefaced it by saying that it wasn't about him or our fight, really, that it was just in general about people who stand in the way of their own happiness. But he laughed as I read him the lyrics, because we both knew that wasn't exactly the case! Good thing he's so good-natured and has such a great sense of humor, even about himself :-)
Ok, so fast-forward to early August, when we took a trip to Squam Lake, NH, where my sister rents a house on a tiny island every summer and sometimes invites me. It's really beautiful, and also really rustic, with no electricity. We decided to bring the (acoustic) guitars, because we thought it might be nice to play or even write a little music while we were there. Well, it ended up being an incredibly prolific few days for us. We spent much of the time in the lovely gazebo at one end of the island (see several pics below) and wrote a whole slew of songs there, including the music to these two.
A couple of weeks later it was our 1-year wedding anniversary, and we planned a Woodstock-themed celebration (it was also the 40th anniversary of Woodstock). We planned to go first to the town and then the concert venue, spending a day in between at a beautiful inn on a lake. Again we took the guitars with us.
At the inn we sat out on the dock at cocktail hour and ran through all of our new songs, editing/making several adjustments to most of them as we went. When we first got out there the dock was empty, but people began filling the tables during the time we were there. It's really not our style to force our music onto people, so we played quietly, but we also kinda figured if they were choosing to sit down near us they must not hate it! And in fact we got some very nice compliments (and inquiries about the band), which made us feel pretty good.
The next day we went to the Woodstock concert venue, and decided we'd play each of our new songs there as well, to absorb the Woodstock mojo. We sat down on the lawn right in front of where the stage was and started playing and singing, and sort of out of nowhere this really cool hippie appeared with a set of bongos, asking if he could join in with us. He said he'd been waiting there all weekend for someone to come play some music, but that no one else had come. We were more than happy to have him join us, of course. And it was a really neat experience sitting there on that summer day, playing our songs, soaking up the spirit of the place.
A little more on "Don't Go Lookin' for Trouble": my mom really did always used to tell me all of those things, when I was growing up. I wasn't always sure I agreed with her, but now that I'm older and wiser... I do think she's right that we generally find what we look for and get what we wish for, and all that (the law of attraction, before it became so in vogue!). One story she told me from her own youth to illustrate the "be careful what you wish for" thing made a pretty big impression on me. She said that in high school this boy had asked her to a dance and she had said yes, even though she didn't really want to go with him. From the time she agreed to go she started wishing that something would happen so that she wouldn't have to go. Well, on the day of the dance he actually got in an accident and broke his leg! So she got her wish, but felt pretty bad about it.
But I think the funniest part of the story of these two songs is how much our kids love them. When we're driving around town all together in the minivan the kids will often specifically request these songs, and they sing along with every word. Bob rolls his eyes and says, "Great; now I have to listen to my kids sing about what a jerk I am!" But of course I know he secretly loves it ;-)
The gazebo at Squam Lake, where we wrote a whole bunch of songs
Bob hard at work
Another shot of the gazebo... Don'tcha wish you were there right now?!
Ok, this really had nothing to do with the writing of these songs. I just liked the picture. Oh, yeah ;-)
The whole crew at Squam, in front of whom we debuted the songs. (They all joined in on percussion with pots, pans, and wooden spoons.)
Our day in Woodstock, the town. We had our guitars and were going to play our songs on a street corner but decided it was just too darn hot out. It's not that we were chicken or anything.
On the dock at the Chestnut Inn, where we edited the songs and played them for the first time in front of people we weren't related to.
Me on the dock at the inn.... What a fun anniversary weekend this was!
The Woodstock concert venue. The grey area down the hill off to my right was the site of the original stage.
At the front edge of where the stage was, looking up at where the masses were.
My turn to feel like a mega star of 1969
This guy came out of nowhere, almost as if we'd hallucinated him. But we have this picture, so it obviously was *not* the brown acid. LOL
I loved reading this post. :-) And, I just listened to part of "Why" and enjoyed it.... but I have to run now and pick up my daughter. My question is, are you the lead singer? Or is it someone else? (drleeds at sbcglobal dot net)
ReplyDeleteYep, that's me singing. I'm glad you liked the post, and the song! There's more to come, eventually....
ReplyDeleteThat is so weird! We have the SAME name! Well, your married name (I'm assuming) is the same as my maiden name (first & last)! How strange is that! :-) (drleeds at sbcglobal dot net) And, I did enjoy your singing!
ReplyDeleteThat *is* so weird! (And I kept my maiden name, so that's always been my name.) Also I think you named your daughter what I would have named Ben had he been a girl... Alex/Alexandra?
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