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Midnight In The Swamp


Here's something a little different.

I think it's the best lyric I've ever written.

About 15 or 16 years ago, I entered a songwriting contest to write an original song that had to have a full musical soundscape but something significantly out of the ordinary. The only other requirement, other than claiming full copyright ownership, was it had to have a full vocal - no spoken word vocal permitted. This was my entry. They narrowed it down to five songs and then picked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. I ended up at #5.

I ran across the contest on its last day to submit entries and I had a pretty bad cold. The vocal isn't very good, but it was the best I could do with congestion and throat pain. It's obvious I was stretching for some of the high notes. I recorded it in the key of Cm - probably should have done it in Bbm. Oh well. I've never gone back to redo the vocal.

I thought I'd post it just to get some feedback by which I'll decide whether to revisit it - or not. I added the Synthmaster track annotated below to the choruses via BIAB. I have the full Synthmaster program, so this track may or may not be available in the light version included with BIAB. The sound effects are from various internet sites that offer free/royalty-free clips. The rest of the band is from various midi tracks I have.

NOTE: I have used the lyric as the basis for a new novel of the same name I'm writing. I've written 11 chapters; have about 22 - 25 chapters left to write.

Synthmaster Track 142 – FX The Ring via BIAB 2023



Midnight In The Swamp

© January 2007 Alan D. David, BMI, All Rights Reserved

(Music Intro)

(v1)
It always makes me nervous
When I look into the sky
I see that full moon rising
As the daylight starts to die
That Loosi-ana Bayou
Takes on a whole new face
As shadows and black magic
Take o’er that haunted place

(v2)
Your skin will crawl with goose bumps
Your hair will stand on end
Static charges through the air
As the midnight sun sets in
The swamp takes on an aura
Like no man could ever know
As the Mistress of the Darkness
Casts her spell of ebb and flow

(Chorus) Moonlight weaving shadows
As the critters play and romp
Bayous all flow backwards
When it’s midnight in the swamp
When evil spirits moan their chant
Their sonnets chill and daunt
No mortal man should be there
When it’s midnight in the swamp

(v3)
Nothing like you’ve ever heard
Wind passing through the threads
Plays its arcane symphony
On the silken spider webs
The swamp goes spooky silent
Just before it starts to shake
And in a pirogue left behind
Alligators dance with snakes

(v4)
When the moon starts falling
‘Fore night breaks into day
A hush spreads cross the bayou
As the magic fades away
The eerie frolic ceases
As the daylight filters in
But it’s just a few short hours
‘Til the madness starts again

Repeat Chorus

(Music Outro)