Character Song Challenge

[john]

Hi Gang

 

Ernest Scribbler, CEO of BlahBlahBlah Productions inc is looking for a character based song... they have some strange requirements,

 

• The song should include the character's name, at least once
• They don't have a name for their character yet... so they are leaving it up to you
• Your lyrics should be in 3rd person (he, she, they etc)
• The story should be engaging
• The song should have 3 to 5 verses
• Each verse should have a refrain
• Do not use a separate chorus
• Employ couplets within your song

 

If you need guidance on refrains vs chorus and song forms that use them, try our song writing articles section. I'll leave you to poke about there. The song forms that commonly use a refrain are covered too.

 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to compose the lyrics for BlahBlahBlah Productions inc song. You have one week to complete this challenge, including going through the critique process.

 

Important: In addition, Ernest has asked that you also pitch your song to him! For this Ernest is looking for 100-200 words about you, the song, and why BlahBlahBlah Productions should use your song.

 

Can you complete the brief, or is it mission impossible?

 

Cheers

 

John

 

PS To remove any doubt (yes I have been asked several times before on other challenges, hence this disclaimer ), Ernest and BlahBlahBlah are fictional characters created purely as a fun backstory and your entertainment... this is not a real opportunity! The Challenge is however very real.

 

 

[JH Michaels]

Ugh!  Taskmaster!  How can I create under this kind of pressure!  I am an artiste! 

[Skin]

Just for fun.

 

A Tale About Ernest

 

They said Ernest was a loser

They never said it to his face

Ernest was a giant of a man

A freak of the human race

They never said it to his face

 

They said Ernest was no good

They never said it to his face

Always whispers behind his back

And never in good taste

They never said it to his face

 

They said Ernest was a butt ole

They never said to his face

Made jokes at his expense 

Making fun of his dental brace

They never said it to his face

 

Well Ernest was none of the above

His heart was filled with love

He found a girl that saw past his shell

So all those dickheads can go to hell

[Timbre]

Niiice! Meets all the criteria. Get ready to pitch! ~T

[teek]

Am i too late ,?  Also i prob don't meet any of the requirements , :-)

 

Not sure what this means ?

• Each verse should have a refrain

Or  this ?

• Employ couplets within your song

 

Declan

 

V.1.

A punk with a metaphor

A given name of Declan

No political ambition

He's just a musician

 

V.2.

Just a little left of centre

Maybe a little human

Anti establishment

Within a humble man

 

V.3.

Has the blues in his soul

Listening taste is classical

Plays in the mainstream

He's just so disographical

 

V.4.

He may be last years model

But is still current today

A social listener

That never went away

 

V.5.

A snappy dresser

Does the hard yards on the road

A dapper professor

Lives by the musicians code

 

V.6.

Wears a stylish suit

Fedora on top

What happened to Veronica

Swimming in pop

 

V.7.

A punk with a metaphor

Just a little left of centre

Has the blues in his soul

Listening taste is classical

Plays in the mainstream

He's just so disographical

 

 

 

 

 

[john]

Take a look at the articles in http://www.songstuff.com/song-writing/article to get an explanation of what refrain is (rather than me just repeating what is there.

 

Couplets are paired lines that rhyme. They usually relate to each other. Avoid using identical words instead of rhymes. Within any verse, avoid more rhymes on the same sound.

 

A couplet example:

 

I just can't believe

that it's time to leave

As I'm sitting here sighing

all I hear is you crying

 

The lines duck, but you get the idea.

 

the brief is not to create a verse from couplets, ie an 8 line verse made up of 4 couplets. You can have an 8 line verse that only uses one couplet.. Indeed the rest of the verse might not rhyme at all