Recently, I was inspired to write a song after learning about "Kintsugi", the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. Kintsugi's basic technique involves reassembling broken pottery using lacquer/glue that has been mixed with gold, silver or platinum. By doing this, the scars of breakage become valuable features that enhance the broken ceramics immeasurably.
Because there is a bit of a story behind this song that might interest some forum members, I'll detail my songwriting inspiration and approach in the post immediately below this one. In the meantime, if you'd like to have a listen (lyrics are on Soundcloud)...
The journey of "Get Up And Get Going" began with the below video clip that I stumbled across on YouTube.
After watching this, the idea of embracing damage and using it to create something even more beautiful than the original started playing around in my mind. It's a very powerful metaphor for life.
While I was pondering this metaphor, I began zig-zagging my way around YouTube looking through old songs from the Tin Pan Alley era. That was when I landed "Put On A Happy Face" (POAHF) with Dick Van Dyke singing.
Because I approach songwriting mostly from an analytical perspective, my next step was to use POAHF to create a template.
When I looked at my sheet music for POAHF, the song was 32 bars long. Comparing this to the lyrics, I found that each eight bars of POAHF corresponded to four lyric phrases. In other words, the song consisted of four lots of 8-bar sections. The first and the third sections were musically and structurally the same, so I labeled these 'A' sections. The second and fourth sections were different from each other and different from the A-sections, so I labeled these 'B' and 'C'. The format of the song, therefore, can be described as A-B-A-C.
Since I've never written a song in this format, I was guided by POAHF and constructed my song in the same A-B-A-C format where each section was eight bars long. I varied the last two bars of my second A-section, though. This meant that while it was mostly the same as the first A-section, the second A-section was slightly different. Musically, such a section is often denoted with an apostrophe-like dash.
So the format for my song can be described as A-B-A'-C
I also noticed that in this format, the title appears as a lyric phrase on the second and fourth lines of the A-section.
Thus, with a format in mind about how to create a 32-bar song, I set about writing some lyrics to fit.
this is a v special song imho i really liked this.
sometimes kiss just works.
loved the 'bounce' of this and the 'naturalness'.
an old AE i once met said 'a good hooky song should come thru' in a few traks'. this is a excellent example of what he said and a grrreat song. its also an excellent example of not needing a ton of plug ins in a song.
this is a v special song imho i really liked this.
sometimes kiss just works.
loved the 'bounce' of this and the 'naturalness'.
an old AE i once met said 'a good hooky song should come thru' in a few traks'. this is a excellent example of what he said and a grrreat song. its also an excellent example of not needing a ton of plug ins in a song.
SUPERB...>>>SERIOUSLY CATCHY.
happiness.
om
Hi om,
That was quick!
Thank you so much for jumping in and having a listen!!! It's 2:45 a.m. for me here right now, and you've made my night. I really appreciate your comments a great deal
I think this is a real gem. It sounds like a tune from one of the great musicals of the 40s, 50s and 60s that Rodgers and Hammerstein, or Lerner and Loewe wrote. I've always wanted to write a song like that and have tried but not been successful at it. There are one or two lines where the prosody could be better but I'm comparing it to the great masters and that is perhaps unfair to do ("tougher and can do more" feels slightly cramped, for instance). In fairness, my songs always have a few instances like that.
I saw recently where you say you liked Tin Pan Alley songs but didn't think you had the voice for it. I think you should give it a try anyway. You have a great voice and it just may work in that genre.
Again, this tune's a real winner!
Windows 10, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 6i6, Komplete keyboard, Sony Acid Music Studio 11, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
This song really is a good combination of "Kintsugi" and the song "Put on a happy Face". Interesting video about Kintsugi. I had seen these lines before, now I know why they are there. It's like life itself. All the cracks in our lives get healed in the long run (except the loss of a child, my mother told me), they make our lives interesting. We should look upon wrinkles and scars as beautiful gold lines, that healed us too. Sometimes other people heal us, sometimes we have to do it ourselves. A happy face may help.
The song is really good, your voice beautiful and it gives you a happy feeling.
Anne-Marie
We are Rob Meulman and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp from The Netherlands.
I hope this will come across in the spirit it's intended in, i.e. I hope this won't sound offensive in any way, because it's meant as a genuine compliment :-)
This song sounds like something Kermit the Frog might sing on Sesame Street! Something like "Being Green" or something. It has that kind of simple, clear, direct message - and your voice is the perfect "carrying agent", if that makes any sense, for this kind of song.
I personally genuinely loved it - you are the master of the positive message song. Bravo, bravo, bravo - and thanks so much for sharing, really put a huge grin on my face :-)
Noel ...this song should be presented to Disney or Pixar for one of their family picture...it's really a joyful positive song...Dick Van Dyke would have killed this one...though perhaps not as good as you just did it! really enjoyed it! best regards...Dan
www.soundclick.com/firesong BiaB 2024, Steinberg Cubase Pro 13, Wavelab 11.2, SpetraLayers Pro 10, Audacity, Steinberg UR44 Interface, Yamaha Genos, Roland FP60 and FP10, Windows 10
You are who you are because you do what you do because of what you believe.
Nice to hear again another Noel positive song. Very interesting backstory and inspiration for the song. Just wondering should I break something just to re-built it stronger
"Scars of experience are badges of pride" and many other beautiful lines are very uplifting and really made me smile. Perfect title for the catchy chorus. Simple but working arrangement and your smooth vocal is always big pleasure to listen to.
It's great to see one of my favorite artists gracing the forum with another classic! I love the simple instrumental approach of this track. It serve's to cradle perfectly the wonderful vocal you delivered here! What a great message that everybody needs! That ukulele...yes!!
I think this is a real gem. It sounds like a tune from one of the great musicals of the 40s, 50s and 60s that Rodgers and Hammerstein, or Lerner and Loewe wrote. I've always wanted to write a song like that and have tried but not been successful at it. There are one or two lines where the prosody could be better but I'm comparing it to the great masters and that is perhaps unfair to do ("tougher and can do more" feels slightly cramped, for instance). In fairness, my songs always have a few instances like that.
I saw recently where you say you liked Tin Pan Alley songs but didn't think you had the voice for it. I think you should give it a try anyway. You have a great voice and it just may work in that genre.
Again, this tune's a real winner!
Hi TuneMonger!
Thanks a ton for the uplifting comments.
It's interesting that the influence of Musicals came through. That was purely accidental. I'm a huge fan of musical-comedies, though, and I admire the melodists and lyricists from this era enormously. Quite honestly, I don't mind being compared to these masters favorably or unfavorably *LOL*. I'll take it either way.
And yeah, I love the Tin Pan Alley era of music. When it moves into the big-band genre, though, my skills are limited. Maybe one day I'll wake up feeling adventurous, and I'll try my hand with BIAB's big-band tracks. When others use these realtracks, like Josie/Sundance did recently, they sound awesome!
Thanks again for the visit, your comments and the smiles you brought my way Noel
This song really is a good combination of "Kintsugi" and the song "Put on a happy Face". Interesting video about Kintsugi. I had seen these lines before, now I know why they are there. It's like life itself. All the cracks in our lives get healed in the long run (except the loss of a child, my mother told me), they make our lives interesting. We should look upon wrinkles and scars as beautiful gold lines, that healed us too. Sometimes other people heal us, sometimes we have to do it ourselves. A happy face may help.
The song is really good, your voice beautiful and it gives you a happy feeling.
Anne-Marie
Hi Anne-Marie.
It's really great to see you! Thanks for visiting me and my song
When I saw that video on Kintsugi, I was inspired to do two things. The first was to write a song and to use the principle of Kintsugi as a metaphor for the lyrics. Now that I've managed to do that, I can move on to the second thing that I was inspired to do. And that is to break a piece of pottery and to put it back together again with golden highlighted cracks.
I've done a bit of research around the internet now and some of the Kintsugi craft work is incredible.
I love these thoughts of yours....
Originally Posted By: Anne-Marie
We should look upon wrinkles and scars as beautiful gold lines, that healed us too. Sometimes other people heal us, sometimes we have to do it ourselves. A happy face may help.
May lots of good things come your and Rob's way! Noel
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