Late Night Creations

A professional calligrapher once told me that his best work was done at night when he was relaxed. That seems to be my best time, too. It may be while working late, when I can’t get to sleep, or when something is on my mind. When it comes to music, this has happened several times. At times, I have written lyrics that seemed to fit a beautiful tune someone else composed. And less often, I have composed my own melody with lyrics. Both have been an enjoyable exercise in creativity. While none have become big hits, I enjoy going back and listening to them occasionally. Tonight was one of those times.

“I’ll Be There”

Being away for work was difficult for my family. But that didn’t change the way I felt about my wife. When I heard Per-Olov Kindgren’s song, “I’ll Be There,” it prompted me to write lyrics and a counter melody about my desire to always be there for her.

“You Make Me Smile”

If you have been in a long-term relationship, you know that love is often filled with conflicting emotions. This love song celebrates the relationship while acknowledging the ups and downs. The tune is based on Per-Olov Kindgren’s “Xiexie (For Miya).” After writing the lyrics, I hired someone from Fiverr.com to sing this one and was happy with the results.

“All I Meant to Say”

When I first heard the tune, I was entranced. It made me think of someone who held back his true feelings and missed the opportunity to share them with the woman he loved. Later, when I played it for some friends, someone mentioned that the words could also refer to someone who had lost a spouse. I hadn’t thought of that until then. The tune is based on “All You Have to Say” by Per-Olov Kindgren.

“You and I”

This is a special song for me. I wrote the lyrics and tune to celebrate my relationship with my wife. Each verse talks about a different stage of our relationship including the first date, the wedding, and the beauty of our continued relationship. I surprised her by having it arranged for four-part harmony and then having someone make a multitrack recording for our 30th anniversary.

I haven’t written any other love songs recently. But I was intrigued by Bailey Pickles’ tune “For Alice” composed from three notes given to him by a little girl. The original short showed the little girl’s video playing three notes on a piano and then asking him to create a song from them. It certainly is beautiful, but lyrics will have to wait. Perhaps another late night will provide me with enough inspiration to write lyrics for his song.