Lyrics Writing Challenge #17 - Your Favourite Artist

[Kimberly Shires]

#17 Shipwrecked - Lyrics

 

Here is the lyric and the chords. I am working my way through recording it. I should have this sometime next week. I lied about not modulating. I went into the relative major for the chorus. It happens ;0)

 

Here are my Hozier principles:

1) Fairly simple chord structure

2) Bluesy feel to the vocals, but with a folksier musical backing track

3) I have included vocal harmony in the low humming cemetery creep yet slightly gospel sort of way that he tends to do 

4) Use of a repeated root chord note

5) The guitar does not have a lot of heavy strumming. It is a bit simple.

6) A lot of lyrical metaphor, where I let the metaphor lead itself into another metaphor. Hozier tends to use a lot of word association.

7) Use of musical white space. I do this in the pre-chorus.

 

After all of the above, it actually sounds nothing like Hozy, but I think he would like it that way. I wrote me, not him.

 

Capo on 5 (the song starts with one strum and the base note repeating 8th notes for 4 bars and then all the way through the verse)

 

Shipwrecked

Intro

Em G Em G

 

Verse

The (Em) crow has danced

From the (G) corner of my eyes

The (Em) footprints left

Something (G) tragically sublime

 

I (Am7) took what I found

A (Em) scavenger's feast

No (Am7) meal that is served

Tastes so (Em) bitter and sweet

 

Pre-Chorus (There is one strum on each chord on the down beat)

(Am7) Oh, (C7) Oh, I am (G) shipwrecked

(Am7) Oh, (C7) Oh, I am (G) shipwrecked

 

Chorus (These chords are hitting in the middle of the word following the notation)

Cause I want (D7) opposite things (Am7) simultaneously

(D7) Audaciously free

Or (Cadd9) moored intentionally

(Am7) Insatiable quest

I (G) drive these streets

Just (Cadd9) don't forget to yield

at the corner of (G) 40 and 15th

 

Verse

Oh (Em) Captain, oh Captain

I can't (G) read the map

(Em) Steer me through

This (G) illiterate gap

 

I (Am7) search for the gold

but it's (Em) never as rich

As the (Am7) peat in the bog

Burning (Em) rancidness

 

Pre-Chorus

 

Chorus