Poetry vs Songs

[SongwriterFan]

I've written a couple of things recently that end up sounding more like poetry to me than songs. It's a bit hard to explain the difference.

Here's the latest one:

"Sunflowers and Sunsets"
(David Pennybaker - date of creation March 13, 2022)

Sunflowers and sunsets / I ain’t got time for those
Or so I felt / Not that long ago
One shows up each evenin’ / One comes ‘round every year
They ain’t nothin’ special / They’ll always be here

Sunflowers and sunsets / To you it was clear
A display of God’s beauty / You held them so dear
You were right, of course / I was too busy to see
Now that you’re gone / They mean somethin’ to me

Sunflowers and sunsets / Vivid yellow-orange hues
Puttin’ on a show / For anyone to view
Year after year / Night after night
Keep on keepin’ on / For all our delight

Sunflowers and sunsets / Remind me of you
Back when I thought / I knew what to do
I keep on searchin’ / Though I’ve known all along
Forgiveness can’t be found / I ain’t done nothin’ wrong


I'm thinking maybe it could be done as a song, with mainly spoken word over some simple guitar picking . . . something like this (I recently discovered Bill Sibley at a local open mic).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR1eMwcVwBY

[FrankHudson]

You could do either (sung or spoken word). You can even do part of the lyric one way and part another. I've even done things where I have a second vocal singing the words or some of the words mixed behind the spoken stuff.

Also, there's singing and then there's singing -- a continuum between fully sung vocalization and speaking as if on the phone or in conversation.

What will you like? Play around with it and see.

[SongwriterFan]

Yeah, I'll just have to play around with it.

It'll never be a hit or a popular song, but I've had very positive feedback from my friends on this. Of course, they know what inspired it.

It's written to my friend who passed away a couple of years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6EaBSMn5UY