Probably because I heard the new Springsteen single on the radio today, I'm hearing this as a Bruce inspired rocker with the back-up singers and the whole nine yards. Perhaps a bit like Glory Days. (maybe)!
Summers End
Well my time here's running down
Theres no reason to pretend
And I know that I won't live to see
Another summers end
I'm sittin here on Labor day
Beneath a harvest moon
But I still hear the melody
The cicadas brought in June
My mind rolls back the decades
That got here all too soon
Along with summers end
Here at my summers end
My Judi was a beauty
She burned like an August star
Hanging at the pool
Or riding in my car
I dreamed we'd be together
For forever and a day
We'd have a dozen kids
And dance the years away
I really don't remember
How I let her get away
Back at that summers end
Here in my summers end
I hate the snow in winter
But I love the leaves in fall
And all those April showers
Don't bring anything at all
But Junes Julys and Augusts
Are the months that I recall
Here at my summers end
Here at my summers end
So remember me at Christmas
When you sing beneath the tree
When you raise a glass St Paddy's Day
Then please remember me
Now all that I can wish
Is that I be remembered well
I'm way too bad for heaven
And far too good for hell
There is so much in the heavens
I could never comprehend
Until my summers end
Here at my summers end.
Kathy Reichert
9/3/07
Here's the soundclick link:
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
So....
Are we doing this at the Monterey General Store on October 13? :wink:
My only suggestion (and it's truly nitpicking) is that you might come up with something besides "endless summer" in the second verse. Also, did he walk her home from school in the summer? Lots of folks go to summer school...
How about
My Judi was a beauty
Burning like an August star
Splashing at the pool
Or going parking in my car
Or maybe not...
As always, looking forward to more. Please post when you've got the music ready. Try a lot of crunchy chords in E on your electric.
Peace
Great edit David, I'm using at least part of it. I haven't actually sat down for music yet, but I have a melody running through my head that I hope is not too blatant a rip-off of someone elses work. I don't often write something that comes as a rocker straight off, so I'm looking forward to playing around with it. It may be presentable by October.......... 8)
Oh, and the Judi is an homage to my oldest sister, who actually married one of the lifeguards at our local pool years ago. No ones life is safe from the evil clutches of songwriters. Sometimes the names are changed to protect the innocent.
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
Hi Kathy
look forward to hearing it. I love these 2 linesI'm way too bad for heaven
And far too good for hell very good.
I'm not so keen on this line though
For forever and a day it just feels a little hackneyed to me maybe something this:
My Judi was a beauty
She burned like an August star
Hanging at the pool
Or riding in my car
I dreamed we'd be together
From then until today
We'd have a dozen kids
And dance the years away
I really don't remember
How I let her get away
Back at that summers end
Here in my summers end
cheers
Paul
Hi Kathy,
Not much to add.
I also love the lines Paul quoted:
I'm way too bad for heaven
And far too good for hell
I think those lines and the St. Paddy's Day reference
can only be truly appreciated by someone who grew
up in an Irish Catholic family.
I think the old saying goes something like:
Heaven don't want me
And Hell won't have me
The last verse reminds me of Warren Zevon's
"Keep Me In Your Heart" off The Wind.
It conveys the same emotion
John
I think this is great and though I'm not very familiar with Springsteen's stuff, I recognise what you say about the style.
Someone recently on another thread criticised (in the nicest possible way) someone for using forced rhymes. I'd take issue with that as I feel being restricted to exact matches is limiting and oblique rhymes I feel liberate the flow. Exact matches, particularly single syllable ones cramp the action and have the listener guessing the next one before they get there (or is it just us that do that?).
You've used both and and you only rhyme the even numbered lines. Oblique example Labor Day* with melody (nice) and 'moon' and June' (arghhhh!!! - the classic).
By the way, lots of people celebrate St. Patrick's Day here regardless of denomination. It's best known as the day when every musician ought to be able to get a gig :lol: However only an American would know what Labor Day was or indeed Summer Camp. :wink:
Hi Kathy
I love this. The references are not so parochial that only the populations that celebrate them understand them - the merging of cultures on a global scale through TV, Media and Internet is seeing to that... :wink:
There are a few dodgy lines as PBee points out and the classic moon/june rhyme makes its appearance but they're forgiveable in this context as the rest of the song is so good - look forward to hearing this and it'll keep your Everybody Lies assignment company on my iPod.
Great stuff
Bob :wink:
You are what you eat, eat well
http://www.soundclick.com/kathyreichert . Give it a listen!
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
Brava!
A wonderful rocker. Maybe a tad too fast for the words (or maybe time for a "shave off a few syllables" rewrite), but driving and speeding off into the sunset. Got to download it so I can get going on my part. I'm hearing a "Beach Boys meets Ramones" sort of lead...
Peace
I'm thinking I may have to slow it down just a tad.... or maybe not. 8)
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
