Category: Songwriting

What a wonderful long weekend of 4 days! These days after freeing myself from my gaming hobby, I suddenly have lots of free time for book reading, movie/TV/DVD watching, vocal practice, and most importantly song writing. Each year I have a soft target to achieve. That is, to write 1 song per month. That works out to be 12 songs per year. To me, song writing is a discipline pretty much like writing books. You have to keep writing to get better.

Though my fingers were all soar even with those nylon strings, I have written the 12th song of this year (lyrics below). Very satisfied with the result. Since I have the tendency to churn out more songs towards the end of the year (perhaps the whole holiday mood and emotion), I am hoping to close this year with a couple more (15 for year 2005 and year 2003 stood the highest number at 35).

Author’s note: In a lazy afternoon, I was alone at home. Sober. My fingers were soar but I have this urge to write a song. The song started off as a ballad with guitar intro but it turned into a song with higher tempo. Lyrically, I was trying to explore the fact that time does not heal everything. There are still scars that are left behind.

Scars That Left Behind

These are the days I want to let go
These are the nights that shouldn’t exist
Don’t want to know why I did the things I did to you and me and everyone else

Supersonic state of mind
Driving too fast crashing too hard
These are the things I did to you and me and everyone else

These are the wounds that can’t be healed
These are scars that left behind

Banging my head onto these doors they are closed in front of my face
Lost control to this spiral pull that sucks me into this
This black and white emptiness evaporates the meaning of it all
This black and white emptiness holds me back
I have nowhere to hide, nowhere to run to
I have no one to run to, no one to hold onto

These are the dogs that won’t let go
Throughout the night wherever I go
They bite me hard on the things I did to you and me and everyone else

Momentary lapse of reason
I should have thought before I fall
These are the things I did to you and me and everyone else

These are the days I wish to erase
These are the pain I feel everyday

These scars that left behind, every time I crash too hard
These scars that left behind, remind me the things I did …
… to you and me and everyone else, I try to look away
I have nowhere to hide, nowhere to run to
I have no one to run to, no one to hold onto

Copyright © 2006 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

So here I am, wrote another song within the same week. This song has a faster tempo than the previous one. The lyrics is as such …

Author’s note: I remember when young, I took bus to school back in Hong Kong. During the right season, there would be swallows just at the balcony of the school near to the bus stop that I always used. Swallows make temporary homes before moving onto their migration journey. At times I miss the traveller kind of lifestyle.

My Little Swallow

One night on my way home I look at the star buried in the hazy sky
I turn up the music listen to the song that chills my heart
I feel the wind
The sense of freedom chills my spine
All by myself
My vision slowly fades away

One night on my way home my eyesight getting blurry I cannot see
This music in my head it slowly lifts me up to the sky
I hear a sound
A calling I have never heard before
Open my eyes
A swallow under the hazy sky

I recognise this beautiful swallow
Building a home on the way to your destination
I want to see you every single night

I often wonder what is it like to be you
All these homes you made these new faces you see every day
I often wonder what is it like to be with you
All these thrills up in the sky must be something to live for
My little swallow, all I want is to be with you
My little swallow, I want to know what’s it like to be you
My little swallow, all I want is to be with you
My little swallow, I want to know what’s it like to be you

Copyright © 2006 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

I felt like writing a new song and so I did. I love the title of the song and I hope I have done the song justice. The lyrics of the song is as such …

Author’s note: Many don’t know how much they worth and always underestimate themselves. Look, You can be the diamond because you are just special … like diamond in the deep ocean, in the deep blue sky.

Diamond In The Deep Blue Ocean, Diamond In The Deep Blue Sky

Shine like a diamond in the deep blue ocean
You shine like a diamond in the deep blue sky
Thousands voices can’t be wrong
But do you know where you belong

Face of an angel with those innocent eyes
You walk the street with your head held high
You feel like drifting in your life
But think of what you really are

You shine like a diamond in the deep blue sky
Everybody love your smile
Do you oblige for the rest of your life?
Can you resist what’s destroying your life?

You shine like a diamond in the deep blue ocean
You should feel larger than life
Take away those tears in your eyes
Take away those scars start to live your life

You are a diamond in the deep blue ocean
You are a diamond in the deep blue sky
Don’t you forget who you really are
Don’t you forget what you can do with your life
You’re beautiful in every way
You are divine can’t be denied
You’re a diamond in my eyes
A star that shines wherever you go
Wherever you go, wherever you go
You are a star in my eyes

Copyright © 2006 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

I asked my friend GS to give me 10 things that struck her mind when I mentioned a word (not going to reveal here as I believe every song has to be interpreted in the audience’s own way). Her reply was: happiness, stressed, tired, guilty, euphoric, competitive, anticipation, dread, confusion, frustration.

Here is the lyrics of the new song.

Do It Again

You know something that is, something that is true
You can’t help but to, do it again, do it again
You dread this moment that you face … but here it goes again

You keep running away, lying to yourselves
You keep falling but you, do it again, do it again
This secret pleasure that you feel … you have been there before

Seducing you, this euphoric feeling that is blinding you
Confusing you, with what is right and with what is consuming you
This guilty feeling starts to spread all over you
Losing control to this temptation
Do it again, you so want to
Do it again, though you so dread to
Do it again, though it’s frustrated to
Do it again, you feel you just have to

Anticipation, that is running, in your veins, in your veins
You’re getting closer, you really really shouldn’t, but you do it again, do it again
You are tired, every steps you take, everything you get, all that you spent
How long more, will you realise that this happiness will never last
Do it again, do it again, do it again, do it again
How long more, will you realise that this happiness will never last

You know something that is, something that is true
You can’t help but to, do it again, do it again
You dread this moment that you face … but here it goes again

Seducing you, this euphoric feeling that is blinding you
Confusing you, with what is right and with what is consuming you
This guilty feeling starts to spread all over you
Losing control to this temptation
Do it again, you so want to
Do it again, though you so dread to
Do it again, though it’s frustrated to
Do it again, you feel you just have to
Do it again, you so want to
Do it again, though you so dread to
Do it again, though it’s frustrated to
Do it again, you feel you just have to

Copyright © 2006 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

I was planning to compose the song as written the night before. Turned out that the chords, rhythm, and tempo did not fit the theme of the song. So I have decided to write another song instead. When I first demo’ed it to Cynthia, she said: it’s cute! Yep, it is a darn cute song. The lyrics as such:

Something In Your Eyes

This is the last time I promise myself
I will not give in to the look in your eyes
Spin around losing track of time
I want to run run run away from you

Won’t be the next time I promise myself
To let you break my life apart
You do me good till I’m barely alive
I want to run run run away from you

Something in your eyes corrupting my mind
Something deep inside contradict my life
Sometimes when you smile I feel so sublimed
Sometimes when you cry I feel so denied

In this lukewarm paradigm of a dream denied
I swim in this pitch dark black pool of mine
It is hard to find when I cannot open my eyes
I cannot think straight when you are by my side

Something in your eyes corrupting my mind
Something deep inside contradict my life
Sometimes when you smile I feel so sublimed
Sometimes when you cry I feel so denied

Copyright © 2006 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

Just some useless statistics. You see, when I write songs, I write the lyrics and chords on a notepad. Usually I will type them out nicely into Words format as well as updating an Excel spreadsheet in order to keep track of what I have written. Over the year, I have become lazy and just put up with handwritten scores. Today, I have decided to do some housecleaning. I have realised the following useless statistics:

• As of today, I have written 136 songs.
• I have written 22 songs in the year of 2004.
• I have written 15 songs in the year of 2005.
• The first month of 2006 is over soon and I have only written 1 song.
• There are 17 songs yet to be typed into Words format.

Wife was having conference call in the late evening so instead of composing music melody, I worked on the lyrics instead. The title of the song could be “Are You Feeling Lonely (Let Me Be With You)”. All comments are welcome. I have not worked on the music yet.

Are You Feeling Lonely (Let Me Be With You)

Are you feeling lonely, sick of what people cannot see in you?
Are you feeling tired of these standards, sick of what they say to you?
Do you consider to be different, someday someone may see the real you?
Do you consider leaving, find yourself another home?

Do you think it is fair, hurt by the ones you love most?
Do you think it is the norm, to take in all that they say to you?
Do you feel like hidding from the faces of your daily life?
Do you feel like running away from your kind?

Come to me, my love, I can take care of you
I see true beauty missed by the eyes of fools
I see how far you can fly though no one believe in you
Let me ease your pain, and see how much I love you

In this arid land you are looking for a sign of hope
You feel so deflated, not sure what to do
You are desperate and quiet, your energy is running low
Keep walking, though you wish someone is with you

Come to me, my love, I can take care of you
I see true beauty missed by the eyes of fools
I see how far you can fly though no one believe in you
Let me ease your pain, and see how much I love you

I was once broken not unlike the present you
I was once hurt way worst then you
There came upon an angel helped me to get through
Now my arms are opened, let me be with you

Come to me, my love, I can take care of you

Copyright © 2006 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

God knows why, an inspiration hit me yesterday and I care less about messing the whole place up (as wife not in town), wires were everywhere. Worst still I have decided to use my Sequencer to give me an usual drum beat temp of 115 (my songs are usually 72-ish and 148-ish).

It is not at all easy to do 115. To me, it is not that slow and not that fast. Even the strumming pattern is different. “Whirlpool of Love and Hate” is my first song in the year 2006. Spent tonight re-recordiing the song and the demo mp3 was sent to my wife (out-of-town), sister, and brother-in-law for comments. Since I am not ready to upload the song yet (the next round of comments will come from my band after my family ok it), here are the lyrics towards the ending of the song:

This whirlpool of love and hate, these lies that we have made
These wishes of a tainted fate, this life that I was used to live
This whirlpool of love and hate, it is love that I can’t live without
It is hope that I can’t live without, it is you whom I can’t live without

I did not expect myself actually writing a song tonight. True, during the day, I had an idea and when I shared it with JT, it kind of grew on me. There and then, I have come up with the song title “I Diminish You” written from the mind of an elitist. Tonight, I was tired and wanted to rest and when I picked up my guitar and just strummed a few chords, the song kind of flew out from nowhere. I quickly set up my studio and in an hour’s time, a new song was born.

The lyrics of song is kind of harsh … but it was meant to be an experimental piece anyway. It goes something like this:

I diminish you, what are you going to say?
I devour you, what are you going to do?
I look down upon you, are you going to cry?
I diminish you, that is what I do …

Oh My God! I just don’t believe it. Jason and I have come out with some whacky ideas and after hours of practicing at home, I have taken up the courage to face up the challenge. True, I have this strong urge to write songs because I have not been doing that for a very long time – much time has been contributed to training my vocal.

It all started with a colleague started an Alpha course – something in relationship to religion. I proposed to Jason yesterday that we shall hold a gig for our friend having song titles such as:

• Heaven Is Just Courses Away
• Paying Myself To Heaven
• God Is Good (Even Thought My Life Is Bad)

Today in my car, our thoughts went wild and we have added the following song titles as well:

• Good Men Go To Heaven (But What About Me?)
• Where Is Satan (When I Need Him The Most)?

Spent 4 hours to write 5 songs. Definitely broke my record in songwriting. The most I could do was 2 songs in one night. I am certainly pleased with the results. I have taken Jason’s advice to be subtle and try not to go too deep into religion. Instead of going shallow, I have given each song a twist. Click

The title of the album may potentially be called Music For The Alpha. 3 fast songs and 2 slow ones. Balanced huh?

Of course, you are welcome to read the lyrics first without reading how each song came about. After all, given each song title, you must have some sort of association to some subjects already.

Paying To Heaven’s Door was inspired by the fact that some religion groups require members to contribute a certain percentage of their income to the groups. However, when I wrote that song, I have in mind a divorced parent who pay his/her way to get to continue seeing his/her child. Neat huh?

Some religion groups, if not all, organise courses to get people into the good of the religion. My thinking is that courses are designed by humans to bring humans into the divine. Well, let’s not think too deep. In Heaven Is Just Courses Away, I am exploring the possibility to know or date someone by courses.

God Is Good (Even Though My Life Is Bad) is an interesting song. There are two different groups of lyrics mixed into one song but alternative lines. The first line and the subsequent odd number lines talks about a bigger picture on God is good but how come so much bad things happen around us. The secnod line and the subsequent even number lines talks about a failed relationship (bad huh?). And the beauty is how this two themes merge together.

Good Men Go To Heaven (But What About Me) is not a song copied from Meatloaf’s Good Girls Go To Heaven (And Bad Girls Go Everywhere). It is a what-if scenario whereby you fall in love with someone worth going to Hell for … dramaticaly of course. Deep huh?

The last song of the set Where Is Satan (When I Need Him The Most) came about from the idea that since we cannot see the face of God, seeing the face of Satan does implies that God exists right? Again, the song is lightened up by putting into the context of a love affair.

Definitely I do plan to record these 5 songs with Jason. Not sure we shall release these songs under the band name of No Eye Candy. Haven’t decided if the negative image is too much to bear.

The lyrics of each songs as below:

Copyright © 2005 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

1. Paying To Heaven’s Door

I pay my way to get close to you even though I’m so broke
I pay my way to get close to you even though I can’t see the truth
Every month I pay a sum and it doesn’t seems to make any sense
Everyone is doing it even though I do not seems to understand

Is it fair to stop me from seeing you if I cannot pay no more?
Is it fair to take you away from me if I cannot pay no more?
Who set these rules? Don’t we all have eyes?
Why do we follow blindly till we fall?
Is it fair to take you away from me if I cannot pay no more?

It’s not easy to make a choice when there are bills to pay
It’s not easy to sacrifice for something I don’t have
Every now and then I look back on why I end up in this mess
Everyone pretend that it’s part of our lives and that I don’t understand

2. Heaven Is Just Courses Away

Once again we have drifted afar
At times I don’t know if you are with me at all
High and low I am searching for
A manual of you, to know you more

I would sign up for courses if that is all
it takes for me to get to your door
It’s because that’s what people say
that I need to read more to get to you
You are just courses away that’s what people say so they say
I don’t know what I sign up for and so they say, to get to you

Once again I am lost
I don’t believe I can read you at all
I hardly able to see your face
What more can I learn even if I try?

I wish I could read to know you more
But why must I go through this? Can’t you see my love inside?
My love inside is real
How I live my life is real
My beating heart is real
Where I live is real
I wish that you are real
These courses are real
What I’ve learnt is real
I wish your love is real

3. God Is Good (Even Though My Life Is Bad)

I look around seeing all these bad things happen everyday
I look around realise that you’re no longer next to me
I used to face the day wondering if it’s going to be a better day
I now face the day not sure if you’re going to visit one day

I still feel the need to see the balance of good and bad
I fail to see why you have to pack your bag and say goodbye
I used to think it’s fine to accept these bad things in life
I can’t help but to think again if these all make sense to me

There must be a reason why my innocent hands are filled with tainted blood
A reason why you’ve left the photos behind
There must be a way to rinse these curses off my hands, off my hands
There must be a way to lead you back, back to me

I ponder upon if things happen for a reason, they must be
I ponder upon if I have been treating you bad these days
I can’t understand why someone good turns things so bad
I can’t understand why you are making me feel so sad

4. Good Men Go To Heaven (But What About Me?)

I can smell the roses even though they are miles away
I can indulge in these vices even though I am heading South
Good men go to heaven, but for you I shall wait
To see if heaven can be as good as the indulgence in you

I wish I could fall in love with a fantasy that men creates
I wish I could have faith in something that we cannot see
But I can’t equate heaven with someone like you
I wish that heaven can be as good as the indulgence in you

You all can make your way planning your after-life the way that you like
I am staying behind for someone I’ve found whom I like
I fall in love with a piece of heaven that lives where we live
If only I could win her heart, there goes my ticket to God knows where

I can feel your body even though you are far away
I can sense the emotion even though no word is said
Good men go to heaven, but for you I shall wait
To see if heaven can be as good as the indulgence in you

5. Where Is Satan (When I Need Him The Most)

You are just an illusion that does not exist
I can never see your true self even in this hour of mine
I’ve been tempted a hundred and one ways
And you are good, I have never seen your face
I’ve been tempted a hundred and one ways
And you are good, I have never seen your face

You are hiding in the shadow watching me as your prey
If I could see your dark side, perhaps the good does exist
But I have tried a hundred and one ways
You are just a ghost that doesn’t exist
But I have tried a hundred and one ways
You are just a ghost that doesn’t exist

You can only made with fire because no creature of Heaven can be so wild
The way you look at me is enough to drive me insane
If I can be sure that you are evil, I resign to fate
If I can be sure that you are evil, Heaven must exist

When I kiss your lips I feel the fire within
When I hold you close this buring desire within
Till now I still cannot see the evil in you
You could be the proof that Heaven does exist

Copyright © 2005 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.