With a Song in My Head

I like to try write lyrics occasionally – never poems.

Sometimes you can say things much neater in that way than you can in any other.

As I always say when I flash a lyric, if anyone can come up with a good tune for one of these puppies, let me know, perhaps we could do a Lennon/McCartney type thing on it.

I gotta like the tune though. I gotta love it!



When we Finally Say Goodbye
We've been together always
but the way's been hard and dry
so we shouldn't make a deal of it
when we finally say goodbye.

We stuck it out as best we could
and the years just walked on by
but we'll know it's only for the best
when we finally say goodbye.

It's been a long time coming
but it's been coming all the time
and we lost however many times we tried.
It's been such a long time coming
but we're running out of time
now it's coming to our time to say goodbye.

We dragged and pushed and clung so hard
we're allowed just one more cry
but the tears will stop forever
when we finally say goodbye.

Heart and Skin
I took up my blade
the night we met.
The edge was sharp and true.
I gave you my heart,
gave you my skin.
I cut them nice for you.

I pledged allegiance
to your flag.
Carved off my tattoo.
Gave you my heart,
gave you my skin
Forever me and you.

My body lying
raw and still.
You’re onto something new.
I gave you my heart,
gave you my skin.
Flayed and lifeless too.

© Ken Armstrong and Niamh O’Reilly 2007

I'm Gone
You can tell me that you love me.
Swear the grass is always green
You can say my disposition's just
the sweetest ever seen.
You can say that we're forever.
That we never can go wrong
You can say in heaven's choir
we're both singing the same song.

Just remember that I'm idling
and I've got my handbrake on.
You can lay your heart down in my road
but when the light goes green, I'm gone.

You can say that I'm an angel.
You can think that I'm the Man.
You can say that in the scheme of things
we're nature's given plan.
You can sing my highest praises.
You can curse me into hell
You can swear allegiance to my throne
and kiss my ass as well.

Just remember that I'm stalling.
I'm intent on moving on.
You can put your hair down on the ground
but when that light goes green, I'm gone.

People think that we're forever
gotta tell you that they're wrong
'cos you're stuck in my no-parking zone
and when that light goes green I'm gone.
To me you're just a pit stop.
A place to wash my screen,
check my tyre pressure,
wipe my dipstick clean.

You can wish for love eternal.
You can wish for what you need.
Just don’t put me in your wishes,
I'll be gone from you at speed.

Like I told you I'm just idling
and I've got my handbrake on.
You can lay your heart down on the road
but when the light goes green, I'm gone



(That's me: gone.)


15 comments:

Tam said...

to me you're just a pit stop
a place to wash my screen
check my tyre pressure
wipe my dipstick clean


Brutal...I like

Then the apt image of some poor young girl placing her heart in the middle of the road for you to run over. Nice
I like it, brutal.


If it's not 2008's Christmas number one, then something is very wrong in the world pop.

NathanKP said...

I like the first set of lyrics. The last two I did not find as appealing.

Good work, though!

NathanKP - Inkweaver Review

Fiendish said...

I'd read the middle one before, so thoughts on the other two:

The first one is very sweet, and it reads in a musical way that I like. Out of the three, I think it sounds most lyrical.

The third one reminds me of a souped-up "Baby Driver". Niiice.

Matthew S. Urdan said...

Damn Ken!

I love the first one!

It evokes a slow ballad with one loud crescendo that I can almost hear Celine Dion or Faith Hill singing.

You need to get a copy of Song Writer's Digest and submit that one, it's begging for a melody!

Cheers!

tashabud said...

I like the first one. It tugs at my heart--something that I can relate to.

The second one, It repulsed me. Who wants to hear a song about someone who's into self mutilation?

The third one is too brutal, cold, and insensitive. Very self-centered, egotistical, and arrogant.

Hope the first one will be recorded.

Julia Ward said...

Time to tune up one of my 5 guitars and WRITE something! What an inspiration. Haven't felt like singing since I got hit by lightning (but...that's another story)

blessings,

julia

julia ward - a BLINDING heart - a writer's blog - www.ablindingherat.com

Jena Isle said...

I can pick a tune with those words....a candid expression of true feelings.

Ken Armstrong said...

Gosh. I mustn't have replied to comments back when I first posted this. How odd I was back then. Luckily, I'm okay now.

(twitch)

Rachel Fox said...

Quite a different you that writes these, isn't it Ken! I like all the twistedness in them...makes you think straightaway of a kind of moody C & W or something...and you can imagine Tom Waits' voice singing them too (or someone like him).

Does Dominic Rivron come over here? He put one of my poems to music the other week. He's good (and damned quick!).
x

Anonymous said...

I like the second two, Ken. Rock lyrics, a little emo perhaps? Right up my street. Visceral. Brutal. Relentless. I could just hear these to a gut-bursting riff...

Ken Armstrong said...

Rachel: Your comments are always astute. These are indeed quite a different 'me' for a pretty good reason - they're not true. If one thing beinds the post on this little blog together, it's an attempt to maintain a level of honesty and truth. This is something that hasn't always come easily to me. I'm more of a technical writer - give me a problem and I will solve it. Telling the truth is tougher. The first lyric here has some measure of truth in it, although it's about the breaking up of a job rather than a relationship. The second and third are much more detached and 'untrue' exercises in lyric writing and, as such, don't really reflect my feelings about anything at all.

For example, the second one sprang from the fact that, in Bebo, you're background is often called a 'skin' and, if you like someone, you can send them a little heart. When I borrowed my nieces, skin for my page and sent her one of the hearts as a thank you and thus a cold idea was born.

Andy: Are you writing dude? Would like to see it. You write rockin' horror. Come on!!:)

Anonymous said...

I'm writing, man, I'm writing! Got a piece in the upcoming LitDen Anthology, so keep watching. Having a very dodgy personal life at the moment, so writing has become more difficult than normal. I have a feeling that what I write next will be truly horrific, even by my standards...

Kat Mortensen said...

I'm supposed to be writing, but I just noticed I missed this post.

The middle one gives me the willies. Kind of like a psychopathic serenade.

The last one, I can imagine being sung by one of yer Country & Western fellas out of Nashville, but wouldn't it be great by Nine Inch Nails or someone? Really twist that knife.

The first one is a bit sappy for my taste, but that's just me.

I definitely like the last one best.

I'd like to see (hear) more.

Kat

Susan at Stony River said...

The first one I found amazing. I was hearing a tune as I read it: there's definitely music in it. Eurovision winner baby! (though it deserves better)

The last one: the 'kiss my ass' plus wipe my dipstick clean?? GORGEOUS, a sure-fire true-blue Country chartbuster. When I'm in West Virginia this summer, come and visit me for a week or two: we'll try it out in the local bars before we drive it down to Nashville. I am so serious.

Ken, I think songwriting is your thang. I loved these.

Laura Cousins said...

Do you have anyone putting these to music for you, Ken..?