As many of you know, one of my favorite things to do (other than snapping photos of everything in sight) is to write poetry/lyrics. Poetry seems to come easier to me than lyrics do, but every now and then I’ll work to practice my lyric skills just to kill time in hopes of getting better. Sometimes I do a little thing I call “lacing” – basically “lyric tracing.”
My father is a very good artist, and when asked how he got so good at drawing, his typical response is “I traced a lot when I was a kid.” While I normally shrugged that golden nugget of advice off, one day it got me thinking – could the same be applied to other types of art? Thus, lacing was born (or rather, just put into practice by me.) First, I pick a song who’s tune and lyrics I find interesting, and then I trace! I work to write a song within their boundaries. So I “color within the lines” so to speak. In no way do I think I own any of the songs I lace, or try to make some sort of profit from the product I create. It’s just a simple, fun activity that helps me study music 🙂 Now, why did I just take forever explaining that to you? Well, because I’m about to show you an example, of course! I wanted to make sure we were both on the same page before I bombard you with words. Enjoy my take on Shinedown’s If You Only Knew (totally different lyric meaning, and sadly without the epic rocker voice.)
War & Hope
Prison bars
They can’t contain the thoughts that slowly eat me away
The policeman’s car
Could drive my mind a million miles north and I’d still be plagued
–
I can’t remember the last time the good guys won
Under the flaming sun
Sun (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
–
The clock strikes ten
And I’m here again
Fighting a burning chest with fire till I melt down
In need of some snow
To rain down some hope
My bones are charred and weak
I’m losing my reasons to fight anymore
What am I fighting for?
–
A widow’s cries
Resonating, tears are her only source of silver
Kryptonite
Kills every superman in town, fear never fails to deliver
–
I hurt for the child with no shoes
The man who lives roofless, hope at this point seems hopeless
–
The clock strikes ten
And I’m here again
Fighting a burning chest with fire till I melt down
In need of some snow
To rain down some hope
My bones are charred and weak
I’m losing my reasons to fight anymore
What am I fighting for?
–
Am I the one to fight this war?
–
The oppressed and the orphaned grieve my soul
Emotions shout, not sure how to help them out
–
The clock strikes ten
And I’m here again
Empathy running deep, I mourn for all suffering
All I really care to know
That there’s a glimmer hope
Refuge is reaching out
I’ll clean up my wounds just to fight a little more
Fight a little more
For you I will fight a little more
Declare to the world this is war
–
Because it’s worth fighting for
Novice Journal 