FEBRUARY 1

So, I’ve signed up for something called the RPM Challenge, which basically, I have 28 over the course of February to write and record a CD. Band across the world are doing it (this is the fourth year of the Challenge) but there is no prize; it’s done just for the music.

Their web-site is here: http://www.rpmchallenge.com/ if you want to check it our, or even sign-up.

I want to use The Stools for this project, but we are trying to learn a ton of new songs for our live set and I don’t want to confuse them with even more songs that I haven’t even written yet. I guess we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it, as they say. First things first: I gotta send an email out to my old friend Paul who’s got a funky little studio that would be perfect for this kind of project and see if he’d be interested.

Actually, first things first, maybe a should write some songs. It can’t be any of the old stuff. We’re on the honor system here and they’ve all gotta be fresh caught songs. Hmmmm….

I keep a list of titles for songs that I might want to write some day, so I’ll just go through it and pick the first 10 that appeal to me. Actually, I’m only going to pick 9 because I was talking with Dan Margarita on Facebook the other day about the history of the talking blues, and that got me in the mood to write a talking blues, so one tenth of my list is done.

TALKING BLUES

Ok, now for the other nine, in no particular order:

GOOD ENUF

HER FLOWERS ARE MY WEEDS

LAZY MAN’S LOAD

ONE EYED KING

ROOT HOG OR DIE

FLAVOR OF THE WEAK

SHOES BY THE HIGHWAY

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLOND I MARRIED?

THE JUKEBOX LIED AGAIN
Now there’s an album worth of titles. I’m always confused when musicians take so long between albums. You just sit down and do it. Get it out of the way. Money where your mouth is time. Let’s knock the first song on the list, GOOD ENUF, off right now. Of course, the lyrics might get tweaked a little as it is recorded, but I just want to come up with a frame to start hanging the music on.
The Grammys were last night and I can’t imagine any of Lady Ga Ga’s songs took more than a half hour to write. So let’s jump in. Free associate. Lady “If I Lead with My Vagina Maybe They Won’t Notice I Have No Talent” Ga Ga.... Grammys… Award shows… Phonies… Here we go….

GOOD ENUF

(Norris)

IT’S AN HONOR JUST TO BE A NOMINEE
THAT’S GOOD ENUF FOR ME
GIVE THE AWARD LITTLE GEORGE CLOONEY
IT’S JUST A PLEASURE TO BE IN HIS COMPANY

I DIDN’T EVEN PREPARE A SPEECH
WINNING SEEMED SO OUT OF REACH
WHEN YOU’RE UP AGAINST A BALDWIN AND THE KID WHO PLAYED SCREECH
HELL, THAT’S NO DAY AT THE BEACH

WHY DO I COME HERE, THE FOOD AIN’T THAT GREAT
MY SENSE OF IMPORTANCE IS STARTING TO DEFLATE

COULD THIS BE A METAPHOR
FOR YOU ACTING LIKE A WHORE
GIVING A PRIZE TO EVERY COMPETITOR
ABOUT AS SINCERE AS DREW BARRYMORE

2010 DUTCHCO MUSIC/BMI

Good enough for Government work. Like I said, just wanted something to hang the music on. I can tweak it later. I got the melody in my head, now I just have to figure out some chords…And then do it nine more times.

No problem.