Guru Challenge (pt 2) Mr. Daydream

There's something to challenging myself to create really great content you'll enjoy listening to. Understand, however, as an artist I can't cater to you. When I start doing things people expect, I don't do my best work. So, I like doing something new and fresh every time.

In this case, I'm challenging myself to take on my guitar teacher, Doug Marks. When I got into my motorcycle accident in 1983, I didn't know where I'd end up. I ended up living with my grandparents and was getting bored. I couldn't walk very well and everything hurt. But I picked up a copy of Guitar Magazine and found this little advertisement that said if I paid the man $60 bucks, I'd have all the guitar lessons I'd ever need.

So, I clunked down my money and got the courses. Doug wasn't wrong. I learned so much from the lessons. But as time went on and my life began evolving, I had to put the guitar down and start making a living. As it is today, it's hard to support an original band when the pay is small and the risks are high.

Never the less, I kept my lessons and when times weren't so lean, I picked up the guitar again. As the years went on, Doug's lessons went to video. He also picked up a few new instructors.

In this piece, I lean on guitar riff #50 from "Riffology". See the video montage, below.

From there, I wanted to write a song about following your dreams. Or better yet, write a song about how people telling you following your dreams is a waste of time.

So, I wrote the following words. We'll see where we end up.

Tried to steal your fire

Called you a liar

Told you your dreams

Would never come true (look at you)

But come the morning

You remember their warning

Voices sing to you in the night

They were right they say

Don’t quit your daydream

The tide will turn

Take your shot

Give it all you got

Let your fire burn

Don’t quit your daydream

Keep it burning bright

Never count you out

Don't give into doubt

Go screaming in the night

Mister Daydream

Mister Daydream

Truth be told

Dreams never get old

You’re still that half past crazy child

You are wild

Give it all you got

Or die trying

Just look around

youll see the lost not found

you know those people could be you

you know what to do

Don’t quit your daydream

Let your fire burn

It’s your only shot

Give it all you got

Or die trying

Once they whispered in your ear

You started to doubt

You started to believe them

Now you can’t leave them

When your soul wants to shout

For my next blog, I'll go over the words a little more and talk you through some preproduction steps I use to help get the song to shape up.

Again, we want to suck just enough to get the words down, get the melody right and all that. We don't want to get stuck in tweak-mode, where we just keep editing. If you're a creative type, like me, all that production stuff takes the fun out of writing a good song.

So, we want to get the brass tacks of the song down, and keep working on the lyrics. They must tell a good story.

Love & Rockets,

Russ