I had an “ah ha” moment about singing sensitive songs the other night!

[lkingston]

I have a couple of original songs that I have been wary of singing because of the lyrics. One of these is one I wrote in my early 20s. It is a story song from the point of view of a young man who has snuck into a strip club on a fake ID to see a girl he idolized in high school strip. He sees everything but the “sparkle in her eyes”.

It’s a decent song, but now that I am in my sixties, I have this feeling that it sounds sort of predatory, like an old man stalking a stripper.

Anyway, I performed it at an open mic the other night, and when I got off the stage, one of my friends had been listening superficially and complimented me on my “love song to my wife”. Lol!

I thought about that afterwards, and I realized that I’d been fretting over nothing. Most of the audience doesn’t listen to lyrics all that closely. As long as it’s a decent tune and you play it well, it really doesn’t matter what the lyrics say exactly. I just did the song again last night, and people seemed to enjoy it.

All my fears about people judging me because of the fine points of what the song said were completely unwarranted!

[lkingston]

By the way, this is the song:

https://laurencekingston.bandcamp.co...le-in-her-eyes

[KenL]

Very nice. Bittersweet.

Great guitar playing!

[rllink]

I think it is a nice song. I can understand your apprehension, I've been there myself. I wrote a novel that I was afraid that my mother-in-law would read. She did and she became my biggest fan. I think that sometimes we over think it. I thought it was a nice song beautifully done. Probably don't want to sing it at Sunday services

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by lkingston

It’s a decent song, but now that I am in my sixties, I have this feeling that it sounds sort of predatory, like an old man stalking a stripper.

I feel that your concern about the song seeming "sort of predatory" is misplaced.

The song is a ballad. Traditionally, the author of a ballad is unknown. In other words, the narrator behind the "I" is not assumed to be the one having composed or performed the piece itself.

Consider the classic "Sloop John B," which was performed by the Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash and the Beach Boys. When Brian Wilson sang it, no one actually thought that he was the mariner narrating the story. To the listener, it doesn't matter whether Brian Wilson ever went to sea on a sailing ship. That's not the point.

Even understanding that convention, your song is as sensitive as it is haunting. Having paid attention to the lyrics as I listened to it, the last thing on my mind was whether the author had ever visited a strip club. You're granted a bit of artistic license on such a point.

[Brent Hahn]

Really nice song, playing, singing, all of it. Congrats on both having a place to play where the lyrics are discernible and having someone actually listen to them. And I think in almost-2022 you can stop thanking Melodyne. :-)

Late edit -- are you originally Canadian?

[Gdjjr]

Very poignant to add to the previous-

side note: a buddy of mine (years and years ago) told me about a girl he ran across in a strip club in Houston - she told him she was from where I called home and her name was ........ I went to the club with him one night to see her-

She was not the girl I knew by that name- I didn't know who she was, I had never seen her- I was disappointed for the sheer nostalgia I had built up in hopes of seeing someone I had known when I was a teen ager

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by lkingston

It’s a decent song, but now that I am in my sixties, I have this feeling that it sounds sort of predatory, like an old man stalking a stripper.

Don't worry about it. When you are singing a song, any song, even one you wrote, the narrator is not you personally. He is a character in the song, not unlike a narrator in a novel or movie.

Originally Posted by lkingston

Anyway, I performed it at an open mic the other night, and when I got off the stage, one of my friends had been listening superficially and complimented me on my “love song to my wife”. Lol!

Works for me. Often when asked how I met my wife, I sometimes say she had been a dancer in a club I frequented.

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Don't worry about it. When you are singing a song, any song, even one you wrote, the narrator is not you personally. He is a character in the song, not unlike a narrator in a novel or movie.



Works for me. Often when asked how I met my wife, I sometimes say she had been a dancer in a club I frequented.

I have a buddy who says he got his wife off craigslist

[Mr. Jelly]

Two things:

When they teach people about dealing with stage fright they explain that largely the audience is thinking about themselves. Often people don't hear the 3rd verse.

I like to play songs from the 20s and 30s which means I look at playing and remaking songs sung by women. Often they are a little risque. Which comes out as cute and titillating. At least to a man. But seem a little gross when done by and older man when you change the he/she lyrics.

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Works for me. Often when asked how I met my wife, I sometimes say she had been a dancer in a club I frequented.

I do the opposite: I tell people that I was the dancer and she was my customer…. ;-)

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by lkingston

I do the opposite: I tell people that I was the dancer and she was my customer…. ;-)