Trublood (You Need It More Than I Do)

I have just done a chart of my songwriting progress, and it's a bit sketchy. I've managed to write eight songs in the past six months (well, calling "Sausages" a song is a bit rich) but as impressive as that may sound, I am still four songs short. I will catch up, eventually. There are many factors and I am slowly trying to address them.

Here is song Number 8, or rather, song Number 4 in the "Songs About Challenges" category: Trublood (You Need It More Than I Do). Can you guess which challenge it is about? Because I'm all about subtley, you know. I hope HBO don't sue my ass for pulling these dodgy samples off youtube.

Trublood (You Need It More Than I Do) by duskerdee

[I know y'all are vampires and all, but you don't have to be such bitches about it]

I've got 8 litres of the good stuff
And you can share it 'coz I've got enough
How 'bout I fill a coupla bags for you?
We're hoping it'll make you feel brand new

You need it more than I do
You need it more than I do
You need it more than I do
You need it more than I do

I got a bad ass bruise from when I gave
My arm was black and blue for several days
But that won't stop me doing it again
Because I got a Mars Bar at the end

You need it more than I do
You need it more than I do
You need it more than I do
You need it more than I do

[One caveat, gentlemen. If you drain her completely, that's the last faerie blood you'll ever drink.
Mmm, good point.]

The Ballad of a Substandard Cyclist

I finally got around to recording one of October's songs, and I'm starting to get the hang of Garageband. This is the third in my 'Songs About Challenges' repertoire and is definitely a step up from my last attempt, the now classic track "Sausages". This one is about the Sydney to Gong ride and cycling in general.

May I present: The Ballad of a Substandard Cyclist.

Ballad of a Substandard Cyclist by duskerdee

She rides... she rides...

It's like Lamaze

All this breathing and pushing

She rides

Uphill

We battle uphill

While old men sidle effortlessly by

I'm indicating

I'm on a bright yellow bike

And it's frustrating

Because I know I'm in your sight

But you're not waiting

You just drive out and make your point

There's so much hating

Around

Ninety kms...

How are we ever gonna make it

Along that highway?

Uphill

We battle uphill

I'm really gonna make it even if it means

I'm pedalling for days

I'm indicating

I'm on a bright yellow bike

And it's frustrating

Because I know I'm in your sight

But you're not waiting

You just drive out and make your point

There's so much hating

Around

She rides...

She rides...

She rides...

Bike maths

It took me 35 minutes to ride into work this morning – new personal best. Self esteem win. I did however have another high flying business jerk dangerously cut me off on Abercrombie St at whom I yelled the C word very loudly, so I’m also glad I didn’t get arrested. Ben’s got some new App on his phone that tracks his journeys and gives him a reading of his average speed, distance travelled, etc. It’s pretty cool and significantly cheaper than buying one of those fangled bike computers. Yesterday he did 9.94 kms in 27.14 mins, so that’s looking like just over 4 hours to get down to Wollongong. A worthy target. Me, I guess I’m averaging out at around 40 minutes for 8.2kms, so that brings me in at the slightly less impressive time of 7.3 hours. Ben leaves at 6.30am so as expected will probably be frolicking in the ocean or gorging on French toast well before 11am. I leave at 8am so I’ll be lucky to arrive before 4pm. Yikes. Carly has tried to alleviate my concerns by reminding me that she doesn’t even own a bike yet... but I'm not sure if it's working.

It’s the 22nd, and I need to record my 2 songs. Jacob’s is entitled “Tiny Mantis” and is about distracting myself from bigger issues by watching the wildlife directly outside my window. Bart’s is entitled “The Ballad of the Substandard Cyclist” and is rather self-explanatory. To be honest, neither of them are 100% complete, but I was kind of hoping that if I pointed behind you and yelled “hey look at that really interesting thing over there!” nobody will notice.

Oh yeah, and we’re playing at Marrickville Festival on Sunday for a blazing hot 20 minutes. Come and be amazed! And also, make yourself sick on gozleme. But mostly be amazed.

Sausages

It's nearly the 22nd of the month, and what does that mean, people? It means that I freak out and have to write a song really quickly.

I used to listen to Adam & Joe (but I listened to the podcast, not the live show... etc), who do a radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music and are a little bit hilarious. They have a segment called Songwars, in which they have a week to write a song about a particular subject and then the 2 songs face-off against each other for the listener's votes. Generally the songs are crazy Garageband experiments. I thought this might be a good approach to take onboard for the 'songs about challenges' challenge.

I thought wrong.

This is by far the most ridiculous piece of music I've ever constructed. It's about cooking. Enjoy...

Sausages by duskerdee

Cook 'em up

Fry 'em down

Fry 'em up

Cook 'em down

Cook 'em up

Fry 'em down

Fry 'em up

Cook 'em down

Sausages

Sausages

Sausages

Sausages

You are not brown enough

You are not brown enough

You are not brown enough

You are not brown enough

This Song

So you might notice I'm looking a bit defeated in this video. That's mostly because I'd had 2 previous turns at trying to record it, including the big opening spiel, and it felt like there was glue inside my head. But I got there in the end.

I present to you the first of my "songs about challenges": This Song.

And yes, I know I'm talking too quietly. But I'm not doing it over again. I'll work on it for next time, so in the meantime just put your headphones on and shut up.


I have to write a song for every month
Every month I’m 29
And Bart said each song must be based on or inspired by one of the challenges undertaken in that month, or a future or past one that has not yet been used
And I said ‘fine’

And I decided my song will be at this tempo
And my song will descend in the bridge
And my song is probably going to try and fit way too many words into every third line
And that song sounds awfully like this song

This song
This song

So this, this is the first song that I’m writing
But I’m not sure it’s any good
But that doesn’t matter, because this is a process that forces me to be creative, and not dismiss ideas or underestimate my own abilities
The way I should

And my song, it’s gonna tick all the boxes
And my song, it has a passionate bit in the middle
And my song, it moves from B to A to G to E and also an F sharp thrown in there just to make sure you’re paying attention
To this song

This song
This song
This song
This song