I sponsor a SONGWRITING CLUB at the school where I work.  We have minimal club time; we make the most of it.

When quizzed about their 5 favorite songs, a couple students included Beatles’ songs.  I was impressed.  Another student included a Train song among his Top Five.  This kid is going to go somewhere!

I, however, was the only lost one in the room.  I must admit the majority of the songs they listed and the artists they listed were truly lost on me.  I did not know who many of them were and the song titles were not familiar at all.

One thing I am trying to impart to them is that they can write a song if they want to.  I am living proof.  The best part of it is these kids are in their early teens.  I was nearly thirty before I wrote songs proper.

Today I played my group a song that I had recorded.  We were discussing how emotions are so prevalent in songs and how themes often present themselves in both lyrics and music.

They were spot on in diagnosing the wherefore and the why of the song I played them.  It is a tune called “When We Could See the Wind”.   I wrote it with my high school chums in mind.  It kind of tells the tale of how we rarely see each other compared to the whirlwind force we once seemingly produced together when we would walk into a room.

The first verse says:

We’ve seen better days for sailing

The leaves are listlessly falling down

When I look back I can still see us

I can see those leaves swirling around

Days when sailing waters were stormy seas at best

Now looking outside my window

I see that breeze has come to somewhat of a rest….

I really enjoy this song.  It doesn’t make me sad.  It makes me glad to know I have such great friends…even if we do just get around to seeing each other a few times a year.

In a couple of weeks I am going back to the recording studio to demo a couple new tunes. I am so looking forward to that.

Have a great weekend.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson