Chain Smoker…I Just Got It!

Several years ago, I decided to really commit to understanding the “craft” of songwriting from a more academic point of view. What this involved was me cracking open a songwriting book (and my mindedness) and see how one is actually constructed from the expertise and exercises of a hit songwriter.Um. Duh.

One such book is called Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling by Andrea Stolpe, who wrote songs recorded by such artists as Faith Hill, Julianne Hough, Daniel Lee Martin, Jimmy Wayne, and others.

So, as I floundered through chapter after chapter, I soon discovered a muscle or three beginning to form. One, in particular, was called, knowledge.

Chain Smoker was simply an exercise in “destination writing” – where you create a who, what, where, when and why jumping off point to your story, then integrate internal and external rhyming pairs (words that describe how you feel vs. those that show or describe what something looks like or what’s happening).

I never really had much of a purpose to the song, other than mocking a chain smoker. I wrote it about a person who is rushing to get to the airport (namely LAX), and continues to hit figurative roadblocks all along the way. In this momentary and harried dash, this person is suddenly stopped and forced to stand in line (the security line). It’s that hurry-up-and-wait phenomenon of travel, basically.

Then, as she/he is now in the plane, she/he realizes a panic coming on because they somehow hadn’t counted on being stuck in a metal tube 3000 feet up in the air, unable to take a drag. Their frenetic mind-scramble is suddenly interrupted by a BANG! BANG! of an engine going out.

Then peace. Acceptance. And an unapologetic drag before they plunge into the sea.

Kinda of dark, right? 

In actuality, and mind you, I JUST got this, this song is an anti-smoking cautionary tale. Simply, smoking often leads to death…like a plane crash…also known as, the metaphor.

Sit down Keith, you’re a totally bizarre exception.

Again, this exercise was mainly meant to get the creative juices squeezed, de-seeded and poured out onto a page. I guess, armed with songwriting tools, it’s possible to create something more.

Damn. I had no idea that’s what this song was about. 

Crap, I’m Awesome.

I’ve been hiding under a rock. Well, pop-rock that is. Writing, studying, and not quite ready to share any new lyrics or music quite yet…been in bit of a creation hibernation state. Meanwhile, my passion for everything vintage design has been growing. I’m so excited, I found THE chandelier today at a place called Hom (imagine a line over the letter “o” indicating the “oh” sound). Anyhow…you’ll be able to see it in an upcoming DiggersList blog of mine. To hold you over, I thought you’d enjoy this cool-vintage sitting area featuring a pillow with one of those kinds of sayings I wish I had the awesome, creative genius to think up myself. Off to pick back up my gui-tar!

Room design, chair how-to and photo: Mandi via vintagerevivals.blogspot.com

Ba-bye.

I looked a Gifted Horse In the Mouth…

image: deadwesternplains.tumblr.com

My brother-in-law Johnnie is a hipster. I just had to put that in writing and on record, cuz…I just like to rib him about that kind of thing. Mostly, I am in awe of his “old-soul” wisdom, his kind-calmness, intelligence, and most of all…his crazy creative genius. I’m actually always telling him he’s a genius…yeah, he is.

So…part of his “CG” are the words he strings together like a “poet-and-hopeless-romantic-meets-dark-wannabe-stuck-inside-the-mind-of-a-nerd” (hence, the title: hipster). He certainly writes from a very “straight-guy” perspective, and then, also from an “ease of being” place…a place where he can quietly observe the world in confidence and wonder, then translate his interpretation of his world through music and lyrics that often take a dark spin and passionate tumble, all at the same time. It’s quite intriguing and I’m so freaking proud. I’d like to write with him one day, but I’ll keep that on the q.t. for now. Here…just check out these words…

Gift Horse In the Mouth

Dead Western Plains

like a man, i love
like a child, i need
like a rabbit, i’m prey to the wolves that i feed
but, like the me that you gave your unconditionality –
i need, because i love, and not love because i need.

when she left, she took the conditions (ha!) and left the unconditional
(which i still feel, with all my naivety)
and i’ve gathered my sins for a makeshift confessional,
just to yell all my sins back at god

but when the scents that she left in the creases of my sheets slip out as i bundle up,
remember why i keep up hope

did you love her as she leaned into the wind?
did you love her as she dangled from the edge?

i’m just not ready dear,
so put away your machete, dear,
and let’s call it a day to forget.

Yup. A gifted horse in the mouth I have looked at…mostly through ichat. Oh, btw-that was me, Skaie…hee, why!?!. Damn it, I can’t stop rhyming! I guess it’s just my timing.

Follow  @DeadWesternPlains.

ba-bye.

Impossible is Nothing.

Doing the Impossible. Image: doingtheimpossible.com

I love meaningful words. Words like these that inspire me to believe in possibilities. We’ve got TWO DATES…until the latter, I’m gonna keep kick’n ass.

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given, than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is NOTHING.” -Lon Enos

Writing Room Re-Designed!

Okay, so, I’ve been absent for about a month or so…between the redesign of my writing room, summer “vacay” to Vegas (baby!), and subsequently catching some kind of weird, clingy, won’t-go-away stomach virus (note to self: from now on, bring anti-bacterial hand gel to overcrowded locations of interest!)…needless to say with all this going on, I’ve been a bit MIA. No longer, my friends! I’m back and thought I’d jump right in and show you my new dream digs…love, love, love it! More music to come!

Check out the full “Before and After” & photos on my design blog at DiggersList.

Ba-bye.

Cardboard Love.

Weiner. What a wiener. Why do I need to know about this guy? In fact, whenever I turn on the news…ugh. I would have to say that 90% of what I see is completely USELESS to me. Oprah! Come baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Well, I suppose 25 years of motherly nurturing have lead us to this jumping off point, like baby birds readying themselves for that first flight out of the nest. I have hope, though. An example? Cardboardlove.com…it’s a site that is simple, (ah…simple), and lovingly sweet…(yum!). Take a look these cardboard love messages recently posted (I’ll be back with more music crap soon-been remodeling my writing room…whoohoo!). The site’s creator was motivated by self-negativity and the need for a daily dose of goodness and positivity. Bravo! Oprah would be proud.

Ba-bye!

Chain Smoker-Part 2…the saga continues!

So, it’s been a few weeks of living with Chain Smoker…I think I realized something in the process of writing this song. I really like having lyrics first, then developing the music around it. It doesn’t always work out that way, but, I’m finding, as in country music, lyrics are VITAL! And when you have a great foundation of lyrics, the music can really live and breath and reflect what the story is telling.

The video below is where I am now with this song. It’s certainly not a typical ABABCB structured song, but…I don’t give a crap at this point…just wanna get some shit down!!! Next: record the song with additional instruments…and MAAAAAAYBE, I’ll write something that looks and sounds like a chorus. Exhhhhhhhhaaaaaaale…

Ba-bye!

Inspiration is for amateurs.

Blog blurb pinned to my inspriation board. A real kick in the pants.

I can’t quite remember where I found this blog blurb…but, I do know Chuck Close wrote it. It’s a perfect kick-myself-in-the-butt-and-just-get-writing type of quote (can you find the pun?!). Yesterday, I heard an interview with Rod Stewart who was recently honored by ASCAP (songwriting association) and said he never considered himself a songwriter, “They usually had to drag and lock me into a room to bang out a song.” A similar statement was said by Neil Diamond…I guess that means I’m in good company.

Ba-bye.

“Trust” Featured in Good Cause Video

I was recently asked to have a song I wrote called “Trust” (produced by Juno composer Mateo “Matt” Messina) featured on a video for the Pacifica Malaria Campaign to help raise funds to provide mosquito nets for the people of Africa. I hold a special place in my heart for this region of the world, and know intimately how devastating mosquitos are and how a simple net can save so many lives. I spent about a month traveling through Western Africa some years ago and instantly felt a love for the land, the animals, and the ancient beauty of this country.

Watch and listen and, if possible, help in any way you can.

Ba-bye.

Chain Smoker

Here’s something I “brainstormed” today. I’ve been getting up into my head so much, (that’s why I didn’t blog last week…was a bit overwhelmed and recovering from the auditions), so I decided to open the cage door and write for writing’s sake, with no particular format or formula. Below is a video and the lyrics of the FIRST run-through of a song I call “Chain Smoker“-again, this is a BRAND NEW tune, so, it’s got a ways to go.

You’ll notice, to help inspire and explore other ways of thinking, I have a few “key words” along with the 6 senses at the top of the page. Did I use all 6? BTW-it’s prolly a good idea to read along while you listen…

chain smoker, running through the airport, early morning

Taste/Smell/Touch/Sound/Sight/Movement

Written by Skaie Knox

Don’t care much ‘bout what the weather man says,
The sun will shine or not, and nothing’s gonna change that,
Ah, damn, the wall clock’s off again,
Battery’s low, and now my car door, well it won’t open…

With a jerk and tug I slide on in,
Shove the shifter into drive, I got a funny feel’n,
Traffic lights help me make up time,
Hurry now to wait in line.

Park,
Check-in,
Violation,
Locate,
My gate,
Apprehension,
Suffocation,
I’m choking,
No smoking,
Four hours in the air,
Jones’n pull’n out my hair
Insane attack,
I panic,
Eyes all pasting over,
Tongue fuzzier than ever
Bang, bang,
Jerk,
We fall,
Light up,
Shut up,
Ignore,
It doesn’t matter any more.
Splash,
Crash,
Black.