Not so long ago, I wrote a post analysing Ira Gershwin's lyrics for his brother's melody, "I Got Rhythm". That post can be found at this link if anyone is interested.

As a result of the above post, I found myself stuck with "I Got Ryhthm" endlessly recycling through my mind. In the end, and in an effort to remove it from my brain, I decided to use it as a starting place for a composition. I wrote the lyrics first and then added music.

Here's the result...

• Tomorrow I'll Be Fine

Also, in case anyone is interested, I've put together a reasonably detailed explanation of how I used Ira Gershwin's lyric format for "I Got Rhythm" to create the lyrics for "Tomorrow I'll Be Fine". The explanation can be found at this link.

Please feel free to comment on any aspect of the song, its writing and its production.

Thank you for taking the time,
Noel


BIAB...
540: Bass, Electric, Pop Sw 165
616: Mandolin, Rhythm Bouncy Sw 165
373: Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Hank Sw 165
812: Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Western Swing Sw 165
1871: Fiddle, Soloist WesternSwingAndy Sw 165
1710: Guitar, Electric, Soloist WesternSwingBrent Sw 165

RealDrums: Nashville2BeatSw8^01-a:Sidestick , b:Snare, Ride


Lyrics...
[VERSE]
Whenever Life makes me stumble
Takes me by surprise
I close my eyes
Breathe deep
And think about the things that keep me going
That make this journey a good one

[REFRAIN]
Give me sunshine
Give me blue sky
Give me freedom
And tomorrow I'll be fine

Give me good friends
Love and family
Give me laughter
And tomorrow I'll be fine

This life's a priceless treasure
By every measure
It's a bold adventure that beckons like wine

Give me a sunrise
And a thankful outlook
As long as I've got air to breathe
Tomorrow I'll be fine
Tomorrow I will be fine

[INSTRUMENTAL]

Give me good friends
Love and family
Give me laughter
And tomorrow I'll be fine

This life's a priceless treasure
By every measure
It's a bold adventure that beckons like wine

Give me a sunrise
And a thankful outlook
As long as I've got air to breathe
Tomorrow I'll be fine
Tomorrow I will be fine

[TAG]
Give me a new morning sunrise
And a thankful outlook
As long as I've got air to breathe
Tomorrow I'll be fine
Tomorrow I will be fine
Yes tomorrow I will be fine

©2016 Noel Adams, words and music, all rights reserved.

Very cool tune Noel. I loved this tune. This brought back memories of high school. Each year we would put on a play i.e. My Fair Lady, Oliver and this tune reminded my of the songs we did in those plays. Loved the lyric and vocal..

Excellent Noel, Uplifting and colorful.

The harmonies worked really well.

Great choice, great writing, great instrumentation.

I really liked the way your brought the melody in after the first verse

This is a real toe-tapper.

Trev

Good song! The spoken word intro is a nice touch and good lyrics and vocal. Nice arrangement of the instrumental part too!

Noel,

You write among the most positive lyrics around - this song is so singalong happy its as refreshing as hearing the kids at my son`s school singing on the bus!
I`m not saying there aren`t sophisticated elements- the "life`s a priceless treasure" refrain is a lovely part of the melody, and the whole production very professional, as usual.
I especially enjoyed the swing guitar/fiddle instrumental break.
Happy listens!

Robert

Great song Noel! Loved the lyrics, vocals are perfect, and production is outstanding. Really enjoyed it!

Wow I love that explanation post! So fascinating and detailed. Awesome job, Noel, this is a real nice tune. Very cheerful, a perfect way to stave off rainy day blues over here

Hi Scott,

Thank you for passing through. I appreciate the support! I'm a fan of My Fair Lady and Oliver... great musicals. I reckon that My Fair Lady is one of the best ever written. I'm glad my song helped bring back some good memories!

All the best,
Noel

I agree. Positive and delightful!! I can really hear this one in a musical. It really has that quality. Like Gershwin's "Who could ask for anything more?" Wonderful listen-the production is clean and beautifully executed. Great stuff!! Take care. Greg

Hello, Noel

I also agree. Positive and delightful! It is a very good song as a musical tune or may not. The modulation and the dominant motions of the bridge and the deceptive cadence of the end of the melody are wonderful and very Gershwin-like. The choice of the instruments at interlude is perfect. The mixing is very clean and beautiful and your vocal is very nice.
I enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best Regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Noel,
How different our songs are!
You spend hours perfecting a masterpiece and are able to explain the technique you use. Incredible!
You MUST be a teacher to be able to dissect a song as you do and then explain it in a way that I can understand!

AND then produce such a clear mix!
Sounds great here in Wales.

Well done, Noel.

excellent

Alyn

Noel,

Great vibe and a uplifting catchy tune. Excellent lesson in songwriting and an interesting analysis of what you did here.
Really well done (the song stays in your head).

Peter

Thanks, Trev. Appreciate the feedback.

I wasn't expecting this particular songwriting journey to be as productive as it has turned out to be! Everything seemed to fall into place pretty well. For the harmony, I had a little help with Melodyne - it's a great program and much more reliable than my background vocals!

All the best,
Noel

Hi Dave,

Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel

Hi Robert,

Thank you for the comments! Band In A Box is such an amazing tool. I never tire of using it and it really has given me a whole new lease on life! I could never write these kind of songs without it. I'm glad that Dr Gannon invented such an amazing program.

Thanks for dropping in.

All the best,
Noel

Noel,

I SO enjoyed listening (a number of times) to this.

The opening is interesting, unique, well conceived... that bass is so nicely "crisp" (for a bass)...combined with the drums, an excellent bed for the spoken intro...

Man! what a nice sound you got on the acoustics! How much of that is Audiophile and how much Noel-processing? The entire mix is EXRTRAORDINARY. Everything fits perfectly. The electric solo snuggles in magically...

One of your all-time-best vocals. Confident and comfortable...natural... really well recorded - any processing that you did to it is spectacular - nothing about it "pokes it's head above the singing" - completely transparent - perfect vocal processing. Kudos.

Your writing here is strong. The "I GOT RHYTHM" influence can be heard if you are listening for it - yet it still sounds like a Noel Adams song. It actually made me think of "The Book of Mormon" - One of the best musicals (lyrically and musically) in the last 30 years. This would fit in that show without missing a beat....rousing applause...

Strong in every regard.

fj

Very nice tune indeed! The intro part works very well.
I could never come up with something positive like this
Also, the soloist is very well-chosen.

Rob

"Man! what a nice sound you got on the acoustics! How much of that is Audiophile and how much Noel-processing? The entire mix is EXRTRAORDINARY. Everything fits perfectly. The electric solo snuggles in magically..."

What fj said. This is, indeed, an amazing production. The spoken part is very effective.

I'm writing this as Janice and I sit on our porch overlooking a forest complete with birds singing. Your songs always cause one to contemplate the blessings of life. Even in more positive moments I would never be able to write a lyric that so well captures the moment as you do. Frankly I'm amazed that you can tolerate some of my darker productions.

Stunning! In all aspects.

J&B

PS I look forward to reading your link.

Hey David!

Thanks for visiting and listening. Now if only I knew how to be as creative as you...

Appreciate the feedback.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Will,

It's good to read that my tune is finding a useful purpose over on Vancouver Island Thanks for taking the time to have a listen and to comment. Appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel

Noel,

This one is a ripper! ("rippa" to you)

Enjoyed this bouncy thing. I imagine you in a white tux with a cane and top hat, doing this as a song-and-dance!

Good onya, mate!


Regards,

Bob

Hi Noel,

I was very interested to read how you analysed "I Got Rhythm" and used your analysis to come up with a completely new song. You are certainly honing your songwriting and BIAB/RB skills into a fine art as is evident in this your latest creation.

I have taken to making notes as I listen to a song through a few times, so here's what I captured.

- The simple bass/drums with spoken intro works well to introduce the song's message.
- Fascinating how you captured the vibe of "I Got Rhythm".
- Really positive message which is also how the song makes you feel (especially if you sing along as I did
- Incredible use of RTs - all expertly woven into the song's structure. Echoing what Floyd said nothing is wasted or out of place.
- Beautiful violin and guitar solos (guitar ending is also perfect).
- Love the subtle way the mandolin comes in.
- Vocals are just right and also build towards the end with some great harmonies.
- The modulation "gear change" near the end. Really helps to draw the song to a close.

Add to that a perfect mix and gorgeous clear sound and you have notched up another classic creation.
As Bob said I could also imagine you doing a "Fred and Ginger" to this in a white tux with a cane and top hat!

Well done!
Jez

Noel, growing up my mother and my sisters were always singing show tunes. So through osmosis I became very familiar with the genre. This would be perfect for a production on stage. A really great mix and sung to perfection. I enjoyed reading your analysis. Beautiful work. Tom

Hi Greg,

Thank you for giving the song a listen. I appreciate it. Also, thank you for the feedback.

All the best,
Noel

I posted this on SoundCloud... and I don't mean to get all gushy on this. I like people and am supportive, but internally I am a harsh critic... very hard to please:

Honestly, this is an anthem, Noel... Your voice, and to my USA ears the slight down-under accent, fits in so casually and naturally, snug as a roof-shingle. I kept hearing places this song could be placed. Definitely movie tracks... And kids would be all over it... And the turns and key changes...SURPRISE!

Absolutely awesome, Noel.

Konichiwa Shigeki Adachi,

I really appreciate that you took time to visit the thread and have a listen. Thank you.

It was fun putting this song together. In relation to the dominant movement and cadences, the chord progression was modelled on George Gershwin's work. I took out all the extended sounds in chords and created a musical texture with only major, minor, minor seventh and dominant seventh chords. That seemed to work well enough so I left it at that. The modulation came about simply because I needed to make the song last a bit longer (at 165 bpm, it disappeared quickly). Repeating the last section without changing key sounded a bit boring. I thought that changing the key added a bit of extra life and made it a bit more interesting again.

Once again, thank you for taking the time.

Regards,
Noel

Hey Alyn,

It's always good to see you. Thanks for visiting.

Seriously... I would love to be able to write songs like you. I can't, though. That sort of creativity is beyond me. The only way that I seem to be able to get something together is to approach it though an analytical process. Over the years, I've developed half-a-dozen or so pathways that seem to work for me. How I created this song is one of them.

I said once in a post to floyd that grass grows quicker than the songs I write. I know this for a fact because I usually mow the lawns once or twice per new song.

And you guessed correctly! I'm a teacher.... science teacher actually.... so that probably explains it all

Thanks again for dropping in. I appreciate your comments.

All the best,
Noel

Hey Peter,

Thank you. Appreciate your passing through the thread, listening and commenting.

All the best,
Noel

Hey floyd,

It's always good to see you. Thanks dropping in and for giving me so much to think about. Appreciate it.

Writing this song was an interesting journey. It's been a long time since I used an existing song as inspiration and giving me a start on the road to creating a song of my own.

In relation to the acoustic guitars, I generated two versions of the #373 Realtrack and set one at 70% left and the other at 70% right. If there were any instances where the same bar or two was generated on both tracks, and the stereo effect was lost, I simply sliced the section on one of the tracks and offset it by 10 ms. I didn't use any special effects on the tracks. The only thing that affected the guitars was Ozone on my master control. For this, I used the Ozone 6 preset called "Increased space" that's found under the 'Heavy' category. I tweaked it a little but not too much.

Hope this helps with the guitars. Thanks again for the visit and comments.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Rob and Anne-Marie.

Thanks for listening. I always appreciate it when you visit.

Regards,
Noel

Noel96, I absolutely loved this one. As I commented on Soundcloud, I could hear Ringo recording this one. This should have a very broad appeal. The vocals and production were great!!Take care,Torrey.

Hi J&B,

I appreciate your taking the time. I'd love to be overlooking a forest! It sounds like you both have the perfect low-stress setting for life

Thanks for the comments. I mostly don't set out to write positive songs, they just seem to happen. It's good to know that they are useful, though.

Thanks again!
Noel

P.S. It's VERY easy to tolerate your songs. I always look forward to seeing and hearing what you bring to the forum. Your music is first class in every way.

Hey Bob,

Good to see you. I have to say, you do a really credible Aussie accent! Thanks for passing through the thread and listening. Appreciate the comments.

All the best,
Noel

Hi, Noel !:))


What a lovely song !
This gets you in a good mood !
Love everything about it !
Your harmonies are earcandy
to me !:))

Cheers
Dani

...great lyrics! I'm really enjoying listening to this song - and thanks for sharing your Lyric Techniques for this song in the "Woodshedding - Learning to Play!" forum!

This is our "Hot Forum Topic" for today

~Callie

Hi Callie,

Thank you

I wrote up how I approached writing the lyrics for this one because I thought it might help others. Most song writing books say that a good way to start learning the art of lyrics, is to use the patterns found in existing songs. Unfortunately, they don't then explain how to isolate those patterns. I was aiming to fill in the gap a bit.

Kind regards,
Noel

Hi Jez.

Wow!! Thank you heaps for taking so much time to give such a thorough insight into your listening experience. Your comments are very valuable to me. They help me a great deal to appreciate how others hear my song.

We BIAB/RB users are incredibly lucky to have so many Realtracks from which to choose. PG Music give us some mighty tools with which to create music. It so easy to have fun and be productive at the same time.

I really appreciate your visit and comprehensive comments. Thanks again.

Regards,
Noel

Tom,

Thanks for jumping in I don't know why my songs end up sounding like they're designed for the stage! It just seems to happen that way. I wonder if it might have something to do with the AABA form? That's a format that's been really popular on stage. One of the form's strengths is it's ability to capture the moment. Since songs on stage are often about a moment in time, the AABA form is well suited.

One of the things I learned from song's by floyd is that if you want to tell a story in AABA, you need to imagine yourself the story teller presenting a story to friends. Such a perspective allows the storyteller to stay in the moment while the story unfolds through lyrics. This works in AABA. I haven't yet quite worked out how to use AABA to cover a sequence of events without being in 'story teller' mode. Maybe one day!

Thanks again and all the best,
Noel

Hi Noel. Love that your songs are always so uplifting. This one is no exception. Well done.

Andy,

Thanks heaps for making my day! Your comments had me smiling big time. "Sung as a roof shingle" is not something I've heard before... love the phrase!!! Thank you for having a listen and commenting both here and on Soundcloud. I really appreciate it.

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Torrey. Much appreciated.

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Dani. It's always good to see you. Thanks for listening. Now if only I could sing barbershop style like you!..... that would make for an interesting song

All the best,
Noel

A super song Noel...again! This perked me up this morning, just when I needed it. (I'm going in for a minor op next week, so feeling a bit, well under a cloud.) Thanks for the good start to my day!

Best
John

Thanks Joanne. I hope that all is travelling well for you.

Regards,
Noel

Thanks John. All the best with your surgery. Anaesthetics are excellent these days. There's very little impact on well being (like in the distant past). I wish you well.

Regards,
Noel

Your writing is always so well done and I love you mix as well. Outstanding all around!

Hi Lawrence,

Thanks for taking time to drop in. I appreciate it. It's good to see you on the forum again.

All the best,
Noel

Noel,

What a terrific song!
I love the way you built this arrangement.
It sounds great and those vocal harmonies are sweet.
Just what so many of us needs to hear right now too.
You should consider making a video of this one.

Well done!

Noel,

This is your best for me! Everything works so well here - your vocal is excellent and the production is stellar!

Bob

Noel, a real nice happy toe tapper for sure, well done

Nelson

Hi Josie,

Thanks for taking time out to have a listen. I'm glad it appealed. The harmonies are courtesy of Melodyne. While I know what notes to sing, I'm not yet very good at harmonising with myself. I'll keep on practising, though... one day I'll get there!

Take care
Noel

Hi Bob,

Thank you for finding time to drop in. Appreciate it.

All the best,
Noel

Thanks for listening, Nelson. I appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel

Had me thinking of the old dance hall standard much popularised by Morecambe and Wise - Bring me Sunshine. Which is, of course, no bad thing!

Thanks, Marc. I used to enjoy watching Morcombe and Wise... very entertaining. Interestingly, "Bring me sunshine" would have worked well too! I didn't think of that.