Sultry Music

[Marshall]

I'm working on yet another new one. Just what the world needs; another song.

But it's got me by the gonads and I can't let it go. I've wanted to delve into more jazzy material for some time. This song is similar musically and themeatically with the last one, "Kali." I really try to vary my writing, usually alternating from sad to happy or bouncy tunes. But this musical pattern just fell into my hands and crowded out the other ideas I was toying with. It's got a cool (for me) verse pattern, and a nifty bridge pattern (not really a chorus) that plays off the main pattern. There's some instrumental possibilities and a couple of variations on the verse turn-around that should help me keep it fresh. So, far the lyrics only have one partial verse that fell into my lap. So, I'll be developing a full storyline based on that. It wasn't until I opened this thread that I realized the song wants to be called "Sultry Music." Here's the first part of the first verse;

Was I only dreaming
Of you standing in a spot-light on the stage
Singing sultry music
While my guitar I played.

[Marshall]

Well, I've been having way too much fun messing with the musical pattern. It takes a lot of repetition for me to cull through all the possibilities and iron out the musical phrases, decide which ones to keep and which ones to throw away. And examine how they come and go from each other, to decide what a final song structure will be. (I don't write in 1, 4, 5 pattern very often.)

That gives the "framework" for my lyrical story to be worked out and laid over. At the same time I toy around with lyrical possibilities. The opening lyrical phrase is the "Was I only dreaming" line. I think in most of the rest of the times that same musical line comes up I'll say things like; "Did I just imagine," "Was it a fabrication," and stuff like that.

But I think I've ironed out the musical pattern/framework to commence story weaving.
- It'll be an abbreviated instrumental chorus as intro;
- The half verse above; (a second half of the verse);
- A full chorus;
- A second verse;
- A real instrumental based on different chords and syncopation from the rest of the song.
- A second chorus
- The closing lines which will be "Was I only dreaming (stop) of you. " (melancholy closing chords).

It'll be over 3 minutes long. Maybe 4:00 with everything.

I've got a lyrical framework in mind for the chorus. It's probably time to solidify that. The song is more mood than story. But the chorus needs to 'splain something.

[Marshall]

Ahhhh. Another lovely 4:00 am song segment. Woke up at 3:52 this morning and immediately started churning over ideas in my head. There is such a singularity to middle of the night inspirations. It's so easy to remain focused and in-the-moment. No mundane distractions.

So I worked out the chorus and the second half of the first verse. The first verse completes the "music metaphor." The chorus will get repeated later. I will need to come up with a different second verse. I'm thinking at the moment of shifting metaphors from "music" to some other romantic adventure. Maybe like spies in a movie drama. This song is not about "story." It's about mood. And I want to create an aura about the relationship between the characters by describing their relationship in exaggerated terms. I think that feeds well into the "Was I only dreaming," phrase. In fact that needs to be the title.

Here's where it sits at the moment:

Was I Only Dreaming - Marshall Hjertstedt

Was I only dreaming
Of you standing in a spot-light on a stage
Singing sultry music
While my guitar I played.

Did I just imagine
Our voices entwined in harmony
In a noisy bar room
There's no one but you and me

(Chorus)
Once I lived just for the light in your eyes
Now when our eyes meet the embers have died
Away

(Second verse)

(Instrumental)

(Chorus)

Was I only dreaming
Of you.

[Marshall]

PS - My goal in this one is that everyone that hears it will want to step in front of an express bus. It really WALLOWS in it.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Marshall]

I played through it one more time and decided to put the instrumental after the first chorus instead of after the second verse. The song needs a vocal rest to let the gravity of the chorus sink in (wallow?) before starting a new verse/train-of-thought.

That's all for now.

[Marshall]

Well I think it's done. The second verse gave me some difficulty. I wanted to get away from the "music" metaphor. But I didn't think introducing a second metaphor was going to help the song. So I churned the possibiities and decided to go back in time to the time the characters first meet. That allows for a different focus in that verse without changing the storyline. I think it came out quite well. it's as good as anything i do. The second line in each stanza is the critical one to get right. it has a lot of words and an extended synchopation over a couple of juicy chords. So the second line tells the story of each stanza. Then the other lines just flesh it out.

Was I Only Dreaming - Marshall Hjertstedt

Was I only dreaming
Of you standing in the spot-light on a stage
Singing sultry music
While my guitar I played.

Did I just imagine
Our voices were so entwined in harmony
In a noisy bar room
There's only you and me

(Chorus)
Once I lived just for the light in your eyes
Now when our eyes meet the embers have died
Away

(Instrumental)

(Second verse)
Was it fabrication
That I was once a young and dashing guy
All of that was changed when
You came walking by

Just exaggeration
The room got so much smaller when our eyes first met
You came close and whispered
"Let’s go off to bed."

(Chorus)
Once I lived just for the light in your eyes
Now when our eyes meet the embers have died
Away

Was I only dreaming
Of you.


I'll make a Zoom recording soon. It plays nicely on Ernie. The jazz chords need more sustain than I can get out of the Zoo.

[Marshall]

OK. I made a quickie Zoom recording and it's up on my Soundclick

www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=870281

[Resolve]

I actually listened to your song a while ago but life has been so crazy I haven't had time to respond...but since in your equally busy life you found time to respond to my efforts, the least I can do is to respond to yours.

I noted (from other posts) that you played this live and got some good feedback! I guess that kind of says it all! (insert applause here!!!)

I enjoyed listening to your musical composition when you posted the recording and I always enjoy reading though your "blog" of how the song starts to take shape for you.

One thing though....this woman seems a bit coarse in her enticement which seems at odds with "sultry". I think it's just a matter of softening the words....maybe to "Take me to your bed". Just a thought...as a woman, you know.

[Marshall]

Hhhmmm