I had a day of rest on Sunday, and have been working on game music today.
This evening, songs for fun! I've managed to write four "Facebook" songs so far. "Incomplete Version of the Writer" has been penned on paper but only one verse and chorus. For that I simply made it up, with the words and music coming at once. When I found a piano I noted down the melody and it's really rather pleasant. Sounds a bit like a hymn, "Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace".
For today's, "Between Sanity and Madness Gotten Finer" I listened to some David Bowie tracks, from Hunky Dory. It was a tough song to write because the only prerequisite is the title... and it makes little sense! However a vision jumped into my head about a steward on the Titanic explaining to the ship's psychiatrist that he's had a premonition about the sinking. Once I had that, I pictured the start scene, a brown Edwardian morning as he sets out for work. After that it was easy. The music isn't as inventive as Life on Mars (itself, a semi-copy of My Way) but is rather good... even if the chorus is a little too close for comfort to "Incomplete Version of the Writer"! Here are the full lyrics...
Between Sanity and Madness Gotten Finer
He doesn't want to go to work today.
The rain is falling everywhere the sky is grey.
The factory is blowing at the growing day
but he doesn't want to go away.
He doesn't want to leave his loving wife.
He doesn't want to shut the door and ride his bike.
He had a special message in his sleep last night.
He had a secret message from God.
It said stay away from the ship today.
It said stay away from the ship...
you'll die on the liner.
You'll be left behind and never find her.
There's ice and saline sadness
between sanity and madness gotten finer.
He's walking down the avenue towards the shop.
He staring at the pavement and he will not stop.
He tells himself to concentrate on what to do.
He's got to get a message to Sue.
He'll say stay away from the ship today.
He'll say stay away from the ship because
you'll die on the liner.
You'll be left behind and never find her.
There's ice and saline sadness
between sanity and madness gotten finer.
He knew that it was coming but he couldn't hide.
He knew the iron bell was ringing deep inside.
He knew the shrinking harbour was his last look home
but he could let her die alone
so he went to work on the ship that day.
So he went to work on the ship...
and died in the water.
He had stayed behind to save his daughter
and the arms of the frozen ocean
gave him peace like a magic potion.
She lived, and became a mother
and she told her children that her dad loved her,
that in the wake of the sinking liner
she had left a piece of them behind her.
