Feel-good songs

[Cornflake]

I find it hard to write songs about feeling good that don't sound like Zippity Doo Dah warmed over. I like this one, though. I feel good when I sing it. That's enough reason for its existence.

Listen--hear the trees?
A drum is brushing in the morning breeze
Proud sails are blowing here and there
Well songs too are powered by the air
The day won't last though I wish it would
So I guess I'd better soar while the soaring's good

I find I'm saying thanks
I'm not sure to who
All the same I do

Feel the sun, soft as a kiss?
Daylight doesn't get much better than this
I love the shifting faces of the sea
We're at the edges of a mystery
Staying light takes a certain knack
Thought I might have lost it but it's coming back

And I find I'm saying thanks
I'm not sure to who
All the same I do

Here there's peace but there's a war
They're side by side forevermore
I'm trying not to care too much
Or else I'll lose all that's good to touch
Now a bird going who knows where
Draws a dotted line through the bright blue air

And I find I'm saying thanks
I'm not sure to who
All the same I do

[Deleted]

Wonderful lyrics! Made me feel happy too!

But I had problems with the sound file. ;D

[Marshall]

I had trouble figuring out this line until I added the punctuation (which of course you'd sing naturally)

Well, songs too are powered by the air.

I particularly like:

Staying light takes a certain knack

[loopysanchez]

If you want to make your audience happy and let them forget about the worries of the world for a while, I would consider losing the line about war. It tends to bring things down a bit. Kinda like if JT's "Your Smiling Face" had a line about cancer. Maybe you put it there to keep the song from being too unabashedly happy, but I would tell you there's nothing wrong with writing a purely happy song. And of course, I say this knowing that my next one will be my first. :-)

Other than that, I love the rest. Great nature imagery, and a beautifully simple chorus that sums up how I've felt on perfect days like the one you describe.

[Cornflake]

I'm glad y'all like this one.

Loopy, I gave what you discuss a lot of thought. I don't want people to forget the world's troubles and be happy. I want them to remember the world's troubles and be happy. That could be a misguided goal but since being commercial isn't a concern, I can shoot for it.

[Marshall]

They're side by side forevermore is a great line.

I agree with Don, Don ( ) about the war thingy. In fact that's one of the things I like about Flake's writing. There's always a strong grain of reality in his humor.

[loopysanchez]

Thanks for adding that explanation of your goal for the song, 'Flake. I can understand the logic behind lines I questioned much better now.

[davidhanners]

I can see your point about the "peace/war" line CF, but I do think Loopy's view has some merit, too. Perhaps the line might work better if you were to make a value judgment about those human conditions, such as:

We're blessed with peace, cursed by war
They're side-by-side forevermore

Or

We're blessed by peace, cursed with war
Side-by-side forevermore

With the latter example, you'd have two "b" sounds ("blessed by") and two "w" sounds ("with war") together.

Or not.

I'm envious. "Feel-good" tunes is something I don't do. To me, a "feel-good" tune is one in which the protagonist is merely wounded or injured, and not killed.

[Gypsy Picker]

Very nice lyric, Don. A small point, but I find myself a bit distracted by the "Well, songs too are powered by the air" line. I understand the meaning, but not the context. Felt like I had missed something previously brought up. The sailboats set up some nice imagery, but then the "songs" line leaves me wondering - all songs? bird songs? this song? It's so general, I wonder if being more descriptive may give the line more weight and smooth the transition. Also, I like David's thoughts on the war/peace line.

To me, a "feel-good" tune is one in which the protagonist is merely wounded or injured, and not killed.

This line belongs in the quotables thread.