SAC Songwriting Challenge - Week 2 – Grow your Antennae!

SAC Songwriting Challenge - Week 2 – Grow your Antennae!

Well, this was the week to observe. Keep our songwriters antennae’s up.  The assignment was to take 10 minutes a day, over five days in five different places, to see, hear, feel and absorb ideas that we could work into a song lyric.  

When I was out walking, my thoughts wandered to digging for ideas, to really work it. Aha ….song title: “Working It”, or “I’m Workin’ It”. Could be cast in any number of scenarios.

At the kitchen table, reading the daily newspaper: ‘Business As Usual”, or “Open for Business”. Hmm…that could work into a song.

On the bus, leaning against the window, almost drifting to sleep, my mind ignoring the conversation the group of teenagers are having at the back of the bus, until I hear: “All the cool kids sit at the back of the bus”. All right. I’m alert now. Start scribbling in my note pad. Song idea.

In my writing room, gazing out the window at the rain streaming down. I love the rain. There’s something satisfying and purifying about it; and it seems to bring out a childlike delight in me. Aha…”Let Your Love Rain Down on Me”. Another song title.

Late at night, trying to relax myself to sleep by reading a light romance novel (yep, trying to mine for ideas as well); and I’m jotting down song ideas sparked by some of the lines in the book. Then, for some reason, the phrase ‘Laze in the Shade” popped into my head. Nothing about shade, or shades, or ‘lolling around’ are in the book. Don’t know where that idea came from. Quick, write it down. Have to capture it, before it’s gone.

So, how to choose which song to work on? Well, that word 'work' cinched it. “I’m Workin’ It”.  Developed the lyric and melodic flow with my co-writer Mark Dolin, while he’s strumming his guitar and getting some cool rhythmic grooves down. .

The song is completed, but I don’t have a work-tape for it yet. Mark had to go out of town for a couple of gigs, so I won’t have the work-tape until next week. In the meantime, here’s the lyric.

Just posted my work-tape in time. Here's the link to the song:
https://soundcloud.com/midnight-mama-music/workin-it-lucy-w-t

I’m Workin’ It

2014 Lucy LeBlanc, Mark Dolin

Back breaking sweat hot July sun

Too much to do, I’ll get ‘er done

Back forty to plow, bale the hay, mend the fence, round up the cows

I’m the CEO of me yeah and I’m damn proud…and I’m damn proud

Chorus:

I’m workin it

For everything I’m worth

I’m workin it

My little place on this earth

I’m working it

Through the sweat and the dirt

I’m working it

Gotta live, gotta learn

Yea, I’m workin it

Sweet loving gal right next to me

Showing me how to love the way it should be

Wakes me up with a smile, coffee’s hot, time to go, she kisses me now

When the night time comes, Wow wow wow

Chorus:

I’m workin it

For everything I’m worth

I’m workin it

My little place on this earth

I’m working it

Through the sweat and the dirt

I’m working it

Gotta live, gotta learn

Yea, I’m workin it

Bridge:

Digging down for the gold

Everything life holds

I’m digging what I got

And I sure do got a lot

Chorus:

I’m workin it

For everything I’m worth

I’m workin it

My little place on this earth

I’m working it

Through the sweat and the dirt

I’m working it

Gotta live, gotta learn

Yea, I’m workin it