Those of you who do FAWM know that we write them pretty fast (good and bad songs) to complete 14 songs in February. Hoped to get the music to some of these, however if anyone else likes the lyrics, have at it. Just give me credit for the lyrics. You are welcome to edit the lyrics and arrangement as necessary to fit your music.

Prompt: FAWM18 Write a Song without a Chorus

Title Mindin’ Her Time DJE 2/2/18

Verse 1
Not gonna’ sign on that dotted line
Marrying would be a crime
Booking flights to see the world
A wanderlust kind of girl
Mindin’ Her Time

Verse 2
She’s got lots of social fans
Doesn’t need a man
Writin’ her travelin’ blog
Deserts to the London fog
Mindin’ Her Time

Bridge
Her girlfriends grew up too fast
She wants freedom to last

Verse 3
Someday she’ll find a special one
Today she’s nobody’s woman
Reads all the budget advertisers
She gets from trip advisors
Mindin’ Her Time
Mindin’ Her Time

Song Lyrics #2 FAWM

Title Quit Livin’ on that Black Cloud
DJE 2/3/18
Verse 1
I’ve heard all your reasons
Your dreams didn’t come easy
You’re havin’ a melt down
The muse is out of town
So pack up and move out
Quit livin’ on that black cloud

Verse 2
Lines and frowns on your face
You need some savin’ grace
You’re hurtin’ what you love
Life doesn’t wear kid gloves
Shout your blues out loud
Quit livin’ on that black cloud

Bridge
Courage comes to announce
What you do is what counts

Verse 3
What matters in the end
Kind words of a friend
Change the things you can
Give the rest to THE MAN
Wrap yourself in his shroud
Quit livin’ on that black cloud
Quit livin' on that black cloud

Your on a roll, Donna! I admire everyone who takes on this task. It's a very daunting adventure!

All the best with FAWM
Noel

This is my second FAWM. I also did a 30 Songs in 30 Days where they would send you a picture in an email everyday with some information about the picture and you would have to come up with a song. It was really fun and taught me I could write about almost anything and write a song every day. Not really getting to put the music to them, but in a couple months hope to have more time. I also did the 50/90 this summer but only got about 30 songs. I have written total over 250 songs in about five years. If anyone wants to put any of these to music that would be great. Thanks for your comment.

Every way I look at the above, it's amazing what you've accomplished in such a short space of time. I'm looking forward to hearing what you do with your lyrics and BIAB when you get a bit of time.

Noel

Thanks Noel. Hope to get to the music soon.

Song #3

Title Down in Little Big Town DJE 2/4/18
Verse 1
She came from a small WV town
Bright eyes and a style that smiled
The age when you take on the world
She’s ready for the miracle mile

Chorus
She’s down in Little Big Town
Hanging out on Music Row
Sleepin’ on sofa’s, makin’ the rounds
Meetin’ all the big cats to know
And she knows how to roll
Lookin’ for nuggets of gold
Down in Little Big Town

Verse 2
Blue Bird nights playin’ her songs
Wants to light up the marquee
But fate can be a dead ringer
Getting’ a break in the industry

Chorus

Bridge
In time, she’s hoping to find
A man with a like mind
Who’ll put the gold on her finger

Chorus

Nice lyrics! I've never done FAWM but have a several friends who do. I just don't have the time. But I sure do admire the folks who can!

Of the two lyrics, I'm particularly fond of the second one - "Quit living On That Black Cloud". if i can find the time between my wife's doctors' visits and all the domestic chores, I'll see what I can do with it.

Good luck with the challenge and keep writing!

Alan

Al-David, thanks for your complements. So sorry your wife is not well, but send her prayers. That would be awesome if you could do the music. It's so nice to hear other's creativity.

Song Lyrics #4 FAWM

Title What Happened to Good Vibrations? DJE 2/5/18
Verse 1
If you saw me when I was eighteen
Beaded sandals, bell bottomed jeans
Thought I could change the world
Peace signs and a free lovin’ girl
We marched to a different drum
Lived in a commune on a farm
Our kids were safe au natural
We had those good vibrations?

Bridge
Now air waves float bad news
Hate camps of opposing views
Identity politics is a closed loop
What you think’s fed by a group
Sense and logic’s gone extinct
Freedom’s drained down the sink

Verse 2
My long hair is gray and I’m 68
I still smoke a joint and contemplate
Why the world changed and went to hell
Young folks don’t listen to stories we tell
Was our visionary movement an anomaly
Just a Woodstock generation in history
Did we open minds and advance spiritually
What happened to good vibrations?

Nice work. As I always say I struggle to write one lyric a month.

Kudos on the challenge and the quality!

J&B

Thanks Bud & Janice. Trying to keep by lyric chops honed. You both always come up with a nice song even if it's once a month. I usually like to put more time and effort into a song, but at this time I'm just writing lyrics and will get to better songs later.

Song #5 FAWM

Title Mama’s Always Here DJE 2/7/18
Verse 1
Walking this dark road
A traveler a lone
Never fit into this world
No rest for my bones
Someday I’ll be happy
Where the angels play
I’ll finally be home
One bright sunny day

Chorus
She rocks me in her arms
Her comfort's sublime
Gives me hope for tomorrow
No better friend can I find
As I pour out my sorrows
She wipes away my fears
Says come to Mama
Mama’s always here

Verse 2
My spirit is willing
But my resolve fails often
I crawl back on the wagon
Seems to be hauling my coffin
I’m holding on to hope
Mama’s tied a rope on me
Someday I’ll overcome
And fly the flag of victory

Chorus

Chorus

Donna,

Some really great stuff here - love the lyrics in #4.

Bob

Thanks Bob. Yeah! my generation, maybe a lot of people here.
You write some nice lyrics also. Always like to read them and get the visuals.

Song #6 FAWM

Title Grandma’s Place DJE 2/4/18
Verse 1
The March wind rips down the hill
At her place it’s warm and cozy still
Sycamore trees with wooden flowers
Big trellis’ covered with grapevine boughs
I’ld hear her singing baking bread
A wood fired cookstove was all she had
She’ld let me grind the chicken feed
Put out the hay in the evenings

Chorus
It’s been sixty years and it’s hard to find
Where the house used to be and the barn
The land was sold, it’s a subdivision now
Bittersweet memories follow me around
Shower me with the love I found
At Grandma’s Place

Verse 2
After supper she’ld say that’s enough
She’ld play her banjo on the porch
Whippowills and insects sang in the night
Rarely heard a car or saw headlights
I was five, evenings I could walk home
I lived next door on an old dirt road
She was my hero, my second mom
A country woman tough and strong

Chorus

You sure are writing some cool stuff here Belladonna!

Good luck!

Donna, I' liking #5! Those words will speak to some folks! Best of luck with all of these! Thanks, Torrey

Thanks David and Torrey. Very interesting to see what appeals to different people. Also, interesting to see other's creativity and interpretations. BIAB has a really great community of talented folks. I will be doing some more music soon, but writing just now.

Song #7 FAWM Halfway through. Stay away from this woman.

Title pyRomancer Amber DJE 2/08/18
Verse 1
She’s aglow with sooty lashes
Does a strip show in naughty fashion
They say she’s a hot mama
If you can tolerate the drama
PyRomancer Amber

Verse 2
She’s a hot July Roman Candle
More than most guys wanna’ handle
Has no qualms about burnin’ bridges
You’ll regret if you think she’s kiddin’
PyRomancer Amber

Bidge
If she’s headed your way
Might wanna’ back away slow
Run like hell cause you know

Verse 3
She’s a master at stoking desire
She’s sexy, beautiful and on fire
Collects trophies on her mantel
Preys on innocent infantiles
PyRomancer Amber

Song #8 FAWM

Title Meet Me In Morroco DJE 2/10/18
Verse 1
A rendezvous in a faraway place
Where the hot trade winds blow
A quaint hotel in Casablanca
That we loved long ago

Chorus
Babe, meet me in Morroco
We’ll be Bogart and Bergman
Our yesterday's ended too soon
Let's renew a love that’s hurtin’


Verse 2
We’ll spend lazy days on the beach
Shop the market’s colored finest
Dance under that Arab moon
Enjoy neon intimate dining


Chorus

Bridge
Can we begin where we left off
Before life's winds blew us off course
Now year's have passed too fast
And I'm feeling remorse

Although I do so admire and appreciate the difficulty of bringing an instrumental piece to life, many times I feel something's missing. Like why is that piece called Moonlight Dancer? As a lyricist primarily, personally I find the words and a good vocalist who can express the words add so much to the completeness of a song. A perfect marriage between the lyrics and the music.

Donna,

You're certainly on a roll!

Lyrics are flowing really well for you

You're now over the halfway mark too!

All the best with the continuing journey,
Noel

Thanks Noel. Getting there.

Song #9 FAWM Not sure if you guys can relate, but many girls can.
I guess it's a chick song.

Title Highway Lights DJE 2/11/18
Verse 1
Packing today I know when to run
Last night you held me under a gun
This love life’s never gonna be right
I know when to run with my life

Chorus
And those highway lights
Wave me on my way tonight
Inviting me to neon sites
Lonely lovers lease a new life
Covered by those highway lights

Verse 2
You entrapped me with charming things
Even gave me a golden ring
Controlled me with your insecurities
Locked me in a cage for your surety

Chorus

Bridge
Freedom makes love sing
Release and let it go
If it’s your’s, it’ll fly back again
If it's real you'll know

Chorus

Song # 10 FAWM This song is a little darker than I usually write, but it came to me in a certain way, like a message.

Title In the Witching Hour DJE 2/11/18
Verse 1
I got a lot of friends on Facebook
My happy face gets a lot of likes
But who can I call in the middle of the night
Where are my allies when depression strikes

Chorus
Who ‘s there for me at 3 am
Is it only my old friend Jim Beam
Devils confront me in my prison tower
Who’s there for me in the witching hour

Verse 2
As the moon’s dark face stays hidden
I shield what’s bruised and battered
Only half of my soul I show each day
Does anyone really care, does it matter

Chorus

Bridge
Someone said Jesus will show the way
And hard times are a test for you
So I cling to my bible and I say my prayers
Waiting for a rescue
I'm waiting for a rescue

Chorus

Donna,

I just want to let you know that I thought that your bridge in #10 is outstanding. The desperation that you've managed to capture in so few words is a credit to you.

Regards,
Noel

Thanks Noel for your kind words. 4 more to go.

Song # 11 FAWM

Title I’m Gonna’ Touch It DJE 2/18/18
Verse 1
Momma used to say
Don’t touch that stove
But you know the way
The story goes

Chorus
I’m gonna touch it
Especially, if it’s hot
Got a degree
From the school of hard knocks
Nothins’ out of bounds
Just don’t get caught
Gonna’ touch it, if it’s hot
Gonna’ touch it, if it’s hot

Verse 2
Friends say stay away from you
But I ignore what they say
You’re so inviting lookin’ so cool
Gotta’ learn the hard way

Bridge
Lately I’m second guessin’
Maybe askin'a few more questions

Chorus

Song # 12 FAWM
Montecito's Memories

Title Montecito Memories DJE 2/19/18
Verse 1
The fires came
And the smoke rose
Just twenty minutes to
Head down the road
Evacuation days we came back
Half of the house was gone
Just one of life’s storms

Chorus
These days I drive around
Thinking about this town
Days it all came down
Expressing life’s fragilities
In Montecito’s memories

Verse 2
Days the mud came
Thought we’ld rebuild
Silt moved what was left
Miles down the hill
Escaped with our lives
Living out of a van
We’d lost everything

Chorus

Bridge
No insurance against the pain
Our love took the blame
We couldn’t move on again

Song #13 FAWM

Yesterday I was clever and I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise and I want to change myself.

Title The Battle Within DJE 2/19/18
Verse 1
Mother mountain opens her arms
To welcome her children home
Many are bruised and broken
Needing to heal and atone
Seeking comfort they walk alone

Chorus
Young dreams are clever
Destined to change the world
But we become veterans
Of our own internal wars
Changed forever more
Yeah, we’re changed forever more

Verse 2
Appalachia’s a strange land
Where time’s hourglass drizzles
Testing limits on rocky ascents
Wisdom revealed in riddles
God’s grace gives acquittals

Chorus

Bridge
Now you proudly stand
Trophies in your hands
Now you can rest
From the battle within

Chorus

This is very impressive output, Donna.

It will be interesting hearing music put to them after having read them.

Do you write with some kind of tune in your head as you go? Maybe a pre-existing song? Would think you might need to in order to get the prosody happening...

fj

Hi Floyd Jane,
Yes, many times I do hum a melody, mainly to tweak the line lengths, although when I start putting the music to them, depending on the melody they may still need some revisions. Also, I will probably do some rewriting to try to make them better. Doing FAWM we are sort of under a deadline, but it's nice to get the song idea in a form that I can work with more later. I can come up with melodies pretty easily but the problem is coming up with interesting melodies. I am not as strong in that department and really liked it when other guys on this site did some of them. It allows me to have considerations for songs that I would probably never have thought of.

#14 FAWM Yeah!!! Met My Goal for this year's FAWM. Anymore songs in February are icing on the cake.


Title Spies From the Cold DJE 2/19/18
Verse 1
Facts are stranger than fiction
A deep world under a cloak
Names, places encrypted
On missions agents run fixes

Chorus
Talking heads decry
On the evening TV
Russian confusion
Political delusions
Grab your hot toddy
Hold on to your seat
Are truths are being told
About spies from the cold

Verse 2
Sinners confess and testify
Those who sold their souls
Treasury money justifies
Evil deeds they behold

Chorus

Bridge
Archeology digs find
Dark worlds in gold mines
Governments cover behind
The seemingly benign

Chorus

Song #15 FAWM

A little blue today, went for a walk by the river and was seeing the beauty of God's world and getting confirmations of his spirit and presence. Just had to write this song.

Title Let Your Light Shine DJE 2/20/18
Verse 1
Some days it’s so easy
To think the world’s gone crazy
I’m tryin’ to do the right thing
And it all blows back on me

Chorus
So let your light shine
Burn those dark clouds away
Break out the sunshine
I'm calling on your hotline
Let your light shine

Verse 2
Life can bring you down
Darkness can sweep me away
Jesus throw me a life line
Save me from this slow drown

Chorus

Bridge
I trust you have a plan
So I hand it all over to you

Song # 16 FAWM

Title Blue Malibu Girl DJE 2/22/18
Verse 1
She likes Betty Boop fashions
Long dark flirty lashes
Pearly lips and golden curls
Her hairdresser knows for sure
She’s got her eyes on a prize
Creatin’ a brand no denying

Chorus
She’s the blue Malibu girl
Out for a spin or a whirl
Days she’s at the beach
Nights cruzin’ the beat
Sportin’ her ’69 Teal
Black stiletto heels
The blue Malibu girl

Verse 2
Got the girl next door’s image
Models clothes to look skinny
She’s all pinks and mauve
On a mission with a cause
To make a lot of bucks
With her unique looks

Chorus

Bridge
Guys oogle and ooh!
When she struts across the floor

Chorus

#17 FAWM

I Wasn’t Going to Drink Anymore 2/28/18 DJE
Verse 1:
They say whatever gets you thru this life
But it’s good I know my limits
Was gonna’ let things roll off my chest
Thought I was insulated to the strife
Then I watched the daily news
Kids bled all over a school
Terrorists kidnapped 100 girls
Not a damned thing I could do

Chorus:
I wasn’t going to drink anymore
I'd swore to a new resolution
But then the world crashed
And the pain rained down
And I lost my footing
I wasn’t going to drink anymore

Verse 2:
I scream out, there’s a reason
Probably karma, meant to be
Pray God’ll work it all out
Maybe just wishful believin’
I’ld built a fortress around my heart
But trouble busted down my walls
And knocked me to the floor
Once again I have to start

Chorus

Bridge:
I know a drink doesn’t change anything
Just a quick escape, numbing the pain
Till I can pick myself up again

Chorus: