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Your First Dance Wedding Song

2007-11-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

So - you're getting married - congratulations!

You have been waiting your whole life for this moment, and you have so much planning to do. One special part of that planning includes picking the wedding song for your romantic first dance. For this choice, there can be as many sources of inspiration as there are couples, but if you're looking for ideas, here are a few tips to help get the ball rolling...and the music playing!

 First Dance Romance: Is there a song that is special to you and your spouse-to-be, perhaps because it reminds you of when you first met, or was playing on your first date? The song need only be special to the two of you; for your first dance, no one else in the Universe matters.

 Ask your parents: Is there a song that has special meaning for either set of parents? For example, many couples choose to pay tribute and thanks to their parents by choosing to dance to the same wedding first dance song that their parents chose so many years before...this can also be very touching for members of the guestlist who actually remember your parents getting married! Even if a song is difficult to find, a good DJ should be able to get it for you.

 Culture: If there is a culture one or both of you come from and would like to honor, ask some relatives for their choice in romantic songs which come from this unique background. Again, a choice like this can be very touching for people included in the ceremony and to whom this music would be very special.

 DJ: Of course if you have no special ideas, your DJ can be the perfect source for choosing your first dance song. He or she is an expert and will be able to tell you what is popular currently.

Hopefully this will help you get started. Have a wonderful time planning your special day, and if money is an issue, don't forget to check out the Amazing Wedding Planning guide at Wedding Planning Makes Perfect, and learn how to save hundreds - possibly thousands - of dollars.

Shauna Arthurs is a writer/editor and founder of a network of web-based help sites, including Wedding Planning Makes Perfect, home of the Amazing Wedding Planning system that helps brides save up to 70% on all wedding expenses - Guaranteed!

Leonardo da Vinci Paintings - Lyrics to a Song? Define Your Own Talent & Go After It - Part One

2007-11-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

Leonardo da Vinci paintings, pictures of kittens and cats, fine art whimsical angel commissions, grim reaper artwork, lyrics to a song, all things creative are within our reach. We can make of our loves what we want to it is all up to us as individuals. Our society has become a fast food, quick service bunch of people though, you know, we all know that and say that often. I think thought that we need to stop for a minute, decide we can in fact do a lot better and go after what we know is within our possibilities.

Feel the day, the sky open and smiling on you and make it rain.

I have always felt that it is essential for artists to boost one another, especially during those dry days when imagination feels slight. Those times when the artist sits alone and tries to do what he/she did the last time something turned out really great, to surprise even the artist. We ask, "How did I do that?" The answer is a nebulous trance and yet deep down to create more of the same, it is the practice that pre-seeded it. Those dry days are lived less and less, the more and more effort is spent on defining dreams with concrete endeavors.

Leonardo da Vinci paintings in your future?

Or maybe, pictures of kittens cats, fine art whimsical angel commissions, grim reaper artwork?

Make it rain.

'How to' though is always knocking at the door coaxing me to learn more, reach out to possibility.

Leonardo da Vinci paintings, fantasy artwork, the next best selling novel or lyrics to a song in your future? Those feelings that I can do any of those things or at the very least improve on where I am now, if I try, will improve who I am and how I feel about myself, to say nothing of reaching a wanted goal.

Make it rain, yes, I believe I can do anything.

Creativity is peeking in on me to see if I am trying or if I am merely getting by and spending my time just wishing.

Understand your own talent evolves from the practice of what you feel in your longings.

You have it, if you feel it, but it does not know light unless you cradle it often.

Honor your own existence and personal beliefs by forming something that did not exist before. Know that you did the best you could in developing it. What an amazing gift that is possible for anyone who chooses to try.

It's in the practice because of your wanting.

Make it rain.

There may be short cuts, yes I suppose there are, but to create great art, the effort needs to be made continually with constant flow and input into ones own talent.

I always say that "Talent is desire and the rest is practice".

Make it rain.

I say this to myself. I say it every time I know I am being lazy and not putting in the effort to actually fulfill the plans in my head. It takes devotion to accomplish anything at all. It is funny that people often think that art is something one is born with and because of that it explodes or not. It is elusive yet it must be encouraged to become something tangible. It must be charmed and romanced. It also must be held accountable and know consequences, or else we fool ourselves into thinking something is good, when really, it may not be.

Nothing comes for free unencumbered from some kind of effort.

Smile.

What Is Most Popular iTunes Song? How To Choose The Most Popular iTunes Song?

2007-11-24T05:33:00.002-08:00

iTunes is a digital media player application. It was introduced by Apple on January 10, 2001 in San Francisco, for playing and organizing digital music and video files. When you download music from the internet, it is saved to your media player and then you can transfer it to your iPod. iTunes songs are downloaded from the internet. Usually they are available for 99 cents each. From the time it was introduced, there has been a craze for downloading the most popular iTunes song amongst people. There is always a craze for downloading the top music. To do that, just go to Apple's website and view the 'Top music' section in the right corner. It also displays top movies and T.V shows.

Every person has his own way of selecting the top iTunes music for himself. Either go to the Apple website or your favorite music website and get that song. Or select a search engine, type your favorite music and iTunes. For eg. 'Sean Paul iTunes'. Or go to music.com, select the latest song and type it into the search engine.

A Tale of Two Songs

2007-11-24T05:33:00.001-08:00

Pretty much any self help book you can buy will stress the importance of having a positive mental attitude to life if you wish you achieve ultimate success.

Think of the grand-daddy of them all, “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale, still selling well today, despite being first published long ago, back in the fifties. The theme of that book has been picked up by numerous self improvement books and courses, and indeed it is a pre-requisite for success.

The power of the mind has long been acknowledged as an essential ingredient in bringing desires to fruition. Remember the mantra “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve”. And that’s the order they come in: conceive – believe – achieve.

But how do you bring this concept into your everyday life?

You can read stories like “The little engine that could”, or read biographies of high achievers.

Read the story of Arnold Schwartzenegger, born in Austria, who pictured himself winning the world body building contest, and then did it. He then came to America, with nothing other than that achievement, great though it was. He spoke broken English (still does!) and had no acting history or ability (in some people’s minds he still doesn’t!). In spite of this he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, instantly recognizable in voice and looks. Then, when he had achieved just about everything he wanted, a successful career, wealth, a beautiful and well connected wife, he set himself the task of becoming the governor of California. As he said in his inaugural address “I came to California with nothing, and California has given me everything”. And who knows, if the Constitution is ever changed to allow foreign born nationals to take the oath of office, who would bet against him becoming President?

So, you can read books and biographies, but perhaps you are telling yourself that you don’t have the time for that, or you could never do that. Arnie must have had some lucky breaks, you tell yourself. This reminds me of the cricketer who always seemed to be lucky, in that most of the umpire’s decisions went his way, he caught every catch that was offered, and always seemed to produce the right innings at the right time. When asked to comment on his seeming luck he replied “Yes, it seems the harder I work on my game and practice, the luckier I seem to get.”

This brings me to the infamous Mrs.Yebbut. You’ll find she’s a relative of most people who never seem to get anywhere. They’ll have a brilliant idea, and get filled with enthusiasm, but soon Mrs.Yebbut comes to visit.

An example – a marvelous opportunity comes about to invest in some real estate, a great deal, and a win-win situation for everyone.

Yebbut “what if real estate prices go down?”
Yebbut “what if the tenants default on their rent”

Well I guess you get the idea, and the inevitable result. Enthusiasm is lost, and the deal goes to someone else. Of course the real estate price doesn’t go down, and landlords’ insurance takes care of any rent shortfalls.

So once again, how do you get a positive mental attitude, and more importantly, how can you keep it in your mind the whole day long?

Well, remember those songs you hear, and then you can’t get them out of your head? Use this concept – it’s an easy way to stay positive all day, if you choose the right song.

The Remarkable Sounds of Birds

2007-11-24T05:32:00.001-08:00

Until the British musician David Hindley studied the song of the Skylark by slowing it down the song was simply regarded as just another beautiful bird song. But what he discovered was that the bird song held recognizable musical notes! From forty eight seconds of the compressed and mind numbingly complex song, Hindley extracted nearly thirteen minutes of sheet music - music that could be played like any other piece. But even more astounding was the remarkable resemblance to structures in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony!

The vocal skills of birds are due in part to the unusual structure of their vocal anatomy and are decidedly more complex than a human’s. The bird’s equivalent to the human sound box is called a syrinx. The two part syrinx is located deep within the bird’s chest at the junction of the air tubes that lead from the lungs. Each half of the syrinx is attached to one of the two different air tubes giving it the ability to produce two different notes at the same time.

Birds use this incredible ability when searching for a mate, when defending and declaring a territory, or to maintain the bond of a pair. For these reasons, males usually are more vocal than females with spring being the most vocal season. Dawn is the bird’s most vocal time of day. Scientists are still not sure why birds seem to prefer dawn but it is characteristic of birds worldwide.

We still have many things to learn from our avian friends. But not knowing all the answers, thankfully, doesn’t keep us from enjoying the sites and sounds of birding!

Giving Credit Where Music Credits Are Due

2007-11-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

Selecting a favorite CD out of my music collection, I popped in the chosen disc and hit play. While the music cranked, I took the CD cover apart and looked closer at the contents of the case (also known as liner notes). Amongst the colorful artwork, band photos and track listings, were the lyrics for each song and of course, the credits for whoever had a hand in the creation of this CD.

Looking at an indie artist and band’s profiles online, more often than not, this simple information is not available and even if that artist did most of the work him or herself, credit information clears the air. Let’s take a closer look at music credits.

There once was a little band from Liverpool where songwriters John and Paul came to an agreement in their partnership to take shared credit in all their works, whether they were written alone or together, or one added more than the other, as Lennon/McCartney. This did work for a length of time with much success and royalties were evenly shared. There came a point where branching off and various other elements started tearing a riff in the duo. Some of these issues are still in discussion today, even though John Lennon has passed away.

It has been proven time and again to discuss legal issues with your collaborator(s), band or group before the first dollar is made on a CD or song sales begin and certainly before the hoped for record deal lands on your plate. Though it may be uncomfortable, you must tackle this subject to avoid problems long term. Not only discuss these issues but get it in writing. A letter of agreement signed by all parties involved on percentages on earnings, credits and name order is all you need and should cover every single song produced. Get ALL your bands issues with credits settled from the get go, covering all your bases. Also, work out what works best for you ALL if someone wants to do solo projects.

Those credits then should be applied online in your music Discography. Credits show upfront, in print, who owns and has rights to which parts of the song and/or music created. The listener will then know up front WHO to contact if they have a project in need of that person’s contribution.

Music Discography – your Album Credits:
Produced by, Arranged by, Recorded by
Recorded at
Mixed by, Mixed at
Distributed by
CD cover concept/artwork by, Photography by
Management
Special thanks to

What to include for Song Credits:
Written by
Vocals, Backing Vocals, Vocals recorded by
Published by, Produced by
Mixed by, Programmed by, Engineered by
Additional by, Assistant
Recorded at
Special thanks to or Courtesy of
List of instruments played with who played them

Things happen in bands, just as they do in marriages, jobs and living life. Members have disagreements, leave, go solo, start new projects, and sometimes tragedies happen. Credits establish acknowledgement, recognition, and ownership of the work done as wells as give thanks to those that helped get the job done. It’s the professional way to do business.

Roll Over, Roy Orbison

2007-11-24T05:29:00.000-08:00

Oh, Boy! Did Roy Orbison get it wrong? Buddy Holly would have rolled over in his grave while Beethoven, contrary to the lyrics of Chuck Berry's classic song, rests peacefully in his, secure in the knowledge that his music has withstood the test of time. Rock 'n' Roll die? That'll be the day!

In the late nineteen sixties Roy Orbison, on a concert tour of Australia, arrived in Adelaide on the same flight as the Walker Brothers. I recall watching on television the airport interview in which Roy, always the nice guy, explained how much he loved the music of Scott Walker and his fellow band members. He went on to explain that he believed Rock 'n' Roll was a passing craze which would soon die out, but that the wonderful music of the Walker Brothers would live on forever.

Sadly, it was the loveable Roy himself who would soon die after such a tragic life, leaving behind a rich legacy of music that remains very popular so many years later. As for the music of the Walker Brothers, they certainly left the world with some memorable hits. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More", "My Ship Is Coming In" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" were all Walker Brothers originals that come instantly to mind, but you can't dance Rock 'n' Roll to them.

Roy's gaff can be forgiven. Its true that the production of music in the original Rock 'n' Roll style didn't continue, although artists like Shakin' Stevens did release some pretty good tracks in the old style during the 'seventies and when Jackie Wilson's Reet Petite was re-released after his death it soared up the charts. In Australia, even Gene Chandler's Duke of Earl enjoyed a revival in the 'eighties after it was featured in a television commercial. The expected death of Rock 'n' Roll wasn't happening.

This also brings to mind a song released by one of the most successful Australian groups of the 'sixties, The Master's Apprentices. The lyrics say "Rockin', Rollin' we're still doing it now, 15 years today and we remember how." When that song was released in 1970 it was apparently remarkable that we "remembered how" after an eon of 15 years. Its now 50 years since Rock 'n' Roll first appeared and we still remember how.

Its a fair bet that Roy Orbison's early songs are played a lot more often around the world nowadays than the Walker Brothers records are. The main reason for that is simply that you can Rock 'n' Roll to them. It can have little to do with the quality of the music, since those of us who were teenagers back then have forgotten so many excellent recordings from when we were young.

Simply put, the dance preserved the music rather than vice versa. Without the lasting popularity of the energetic, versatile and easily learned dance style, the music would probably have died long ago. Perhaps not all of it, at least initially. Elvis fans will no doubt testify to the immortality of The King's music, but reality will triumph. Elvis fans are no more immortal in the flesh than he was. They too will eventually die out.

Most young people who learn Rock 'n' Roll dance nowadays have no more preference for the music of Elvis or The Beatles than they have for any of the obscure one-hit-wonders who contributed so many of the old hit records. They find Smashmouth more appealing as artists, but if an old song is good to dance to they like it no matter who recorded it. Its reasonable to assume they will preserve much of the music after we are gone, but mainly for dance purposes rather than for entertainment.

That is what has happened to other music styles. For example, the folk music that was so popular in the late 'fifties and early 'sixties has died out because you can't dance to it. On the other hand many old time tunes such as waltzes and marches remain popular today because ballroom dancing preserves them.

So, how long will Rock 'n' Roll last? No-one can tell, but the waltz dates back to 1780 and is still practiced, so our favourite dance and music style might have a couple of hundred years to live yet. Perhaps then a songwriter will compose a song in the popular style of the day entitled "Roll Over, Roy Orbison."

Best Song To Play At A Wedding Reception

2007-11-24T05:28:00.000-08:00

Selecting songs is yet another great challenge to the bride and groom. There is nothing like best songs or best music. If the guests had greatest of fun to the songs and music you played it can be the best song. Having said so, make sure of what songs need to be played at different times of their wedding reception. To this they need to do some homework and finalize as early as possible. As a rule of the thumb you need to make the older guests as well as the younger ones enjoy for your songs and music. Plan with your DJ, keeping in mind, this point. Mix old classic jazz melodies with the John Mayer or Jimmy Buffet.

First of all, split the occasion into different times, the entrance song, song for bride and groom's first dance, song for bride and her father's dance, groom and his mother's dance, and lastly, the bridal party.

For the first dance of bride and groom, let their favorite song be played, or at least choose a song that would mean a lot to both of them. "In My Life" by the Beatles can be one or Louis Armstrong's "My One and Only Love" or "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill or Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson can be good song ideas for this moment.

For the bride and her father's dance the very popular song is "Daddy's Little Girl". The song has become almost a regular and many weddings stick to this. It's a big hit for the occasion.

It is also a good idea to play the song "We are family" when the entire bridal party start dancing.

For the cocktail hour, upbeat music is usually followed, to see that the guests are entertained as well as don't feel sleepy while waiting for food. Go for Glenn Miller collection of songs or even a Dean Martin would be good choice.

At dinner play old classics in between Jimmy Buffet's or Frank Sinatra's. Post dinner is the dance hour and songs, which should be for everyone and let them be high gear musical hits

Sit with your DJ and write down a plan of your songs. Let your persona be reflected in the choice of songs. At the same time give freedom to your DJ. Anticipate a redundancy and stay prepared for it. Have the collection of CDs well in advance. Play your collection of songs and you will never run out of party mood and fun.

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Eminem's Rap Lyrics Inspires Us All To Seize The Moment

2007-11-24T05:26:00.000-08:00

You better
Lose yourself, in the music, the moment
You own it
You better never let it go
You only get one shot
Do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

-Eminem, “Lose Yourself”

Eminem, the controversial blonde-haired, blue-eyed rapper from the streets of Detroit gives one of his best and most inspiring performances in the Oscar winning song, "Lose Yourself" from the 8-Mile motion picture soundtrack in which he was the star. The song gives insight on the ambition of a young wanna-be rapper. What's so inspiring about this song is that it speaks to all our ambitions along with our procrastinations and you could easily apply the message in the song to your own life.

The above quote is the catchy chorus within the song and though Eminem is referring to the pursuit of musical success, the profound chorus is actually encouraging (maybe you can even say, demanding) the listener to "lose yourself" in what it is you're passionate about. There's a moment; THE moment in all of our lives where we only get one chance to seize the opportunity, achieve and change our lives forever. Slim Shady (as he's affectionately called) inspires us to "own" the moment and don't let a once in a lifetime opportunity pass by.

In "Lose Yourself", Eminem is masterful at telling the story of an underdog whose sheer desire gives him the strength and courage to pursue his dream. We all have felt like an underdog at some point in our lives. This song could be the soundtrack to your life serving as inspiration throughout your triumphs and failures. "Lose yourself" in whatever you are doing or want to do in your life. When that moment comes, seize it, own it and never let it go until you reach the top.

3 Ringtones That Will Boost Your Mood

2007-11-24T05:25:00.000-08:00

Ringtone delivery continues to grow in popularity and selection. However, how many times have you received an mp3 ringtone from your mobile phone only to later realize the 30 - 45 second ringtone clip you end up with is not your favorite part of the song. It can be a little frustrating.

This happenned to me several months ago with one of my favorite songs "Walking on the Moon" by The Police. I was hoping the ringtone clip would feature the chorus, but instead it was from the verse. Sometimes I wonder who these people are that upload the ringtones and how they choose the portion of the song the consumer gets. My best guess is they record track times :31 - :60 seconds for the majority of the ringtones.

After some careful downloading, I've found 3 ringtones to boost your mood. To qualify for this list, a ringtone must have the best part of the song within it's :30 - :45 second clip. It also must serve some uplifting purpose whether it be through bringing back old memories, an energetic beat or simply a great song.

The Top 3:
3) Baby Got Back - Sir Mix A Lot: This track has a hot beat and always makes me laugh when I recall what this song was about. Even funnier perhaps was the video for this song in which giant buns seemingly 10 feet high filled the background. Imagine being the set designer for this video shoot...

2) Super Mario Brothers Theme Song: The video game of my generation. Who hasn't played Super Mario Brothers for Nintendo? This theme song definitely brings back memories and was one of the most downloaded ringtones of 2006.

1) Bed's Too Big Without You - The Police: A great reggae beat with a truly unique sound and the best part of the song got pulled into the ringtone. A rare occurrence, but those ringtone uploaders have to get it right once in a while. Those in need of a stylish, unique ringtone that catches people's attention need not look any further. The "Bed's Too Big Without You" is an uplifting song that enhances my mood everytime I hear it.

Free Music Adds to Your Collection of Songs

2007-11-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

Type the word free music in any of the major search engines and trust me you will come up with an astounding number of results. The very word free has an uncanny ability to attract people and if it is free music you will find music buffs downloading songs from there. The web is in fact overpopulated with sites that claim to provide free music and such other stuffs to visitors. But you must be cautious and find out if the site is dishing out something that is improper in the name of free music. Chances are you may end up downloading a virus in your PC or cell phone if you are not catious about what you are downloading in the name of free music. There are certain sites on the web that actually allow music fans to download free music of their choice from the site without any hassles. So what you need to do is find such sites and download free music from there.

One of the very popular things today is downloading free ringtones for cell phones from the web. Take a look around and you will find that the number of people who own a cell phone is very high. And if you take an even closer look you will find that a majority of them have ringtones of their favorite music or song in the phone. Free music provided by many sites is the main reason for the surge in the number of people who have ringtones in their phones instead of the boring standard tone used to make and receive calls. Free music has opened up a whole world for people to experiment with different things and express their mood clearly. Among the tunes that are used today for ringtones and caller tunes, polyphonic ringtones are the most popular. The choice of tunes is huge and you can find any tune that you are looking for to use as ringtones from the sites that offer free music.

Now it is not that you get just ringtones from the free music sites, you can also get to download full songs from the site. If you have been searching for an old song sung by one of your favorite bands and could not find it, try one of the free music sites. Such sites have a huge database of songs of all genres and all you have to do is find the song. To do this just log in to the site, type the name of the song or the name of the album or the name of the singer and if that song is present in the database of the site, you will find this instantly. For downloading free music you need to install some software that will help in downloading the song properly and quickly.

Surely you will not like to sit and wait if the song takes ages to download from the free music site. The software can also be obtained free of cost, simply search for free music download software programs and you will get the software immediately. It is not difficult to download free music from an online site.

Cole Porter's Song "True Love"

2007-11-24T05:23:00.000-08:00

"True Love" was written by Cole Porter and performed by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the 1955 film, "High Society," which also starred Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. "True Love" was the first and only gold record for Grace Kelly and was the 21st gold record for Bing Crosby. The song stayed on the charts for 22 weeks, rising as high as number 3. "True Love" was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song in 1956, although it lost to Doris Day’s "Que Sera, Sera."

Cole Porter was a highly experienced songwriter when he wrote "True Love." The decades of the 1930’s and 1940’s were full of Cole Porter hit musicals. During the 1930’s alone, Porter wrote music and lyrics for ten Broadway musicals for New York and two film musicals for Hollywood.

Cole Porter was born in Indiana in 1891 to parents who were wealthy. He received an extensive musical education, learning the piano and the violin by age six. His favorite of the two was the piano which he practiced two hours daily. By age ten he was writing words and music to original songs, and by age seventeen he published his first song.

Porter also received an impressive academic education which carried him through Yale and into Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Music. While at Yale, Porter became the president of the Glee Club and a cheer leader, and, among the 300 songs he wrote while at Yale, he wrote two football fight songs that are still played today. Despite being the roommate of Dean Acheson, the future Secretary of State under President Truman, Porter dropped out of Harvard Law School to continue with his music education.

After World War I, Porter moved to Europe where he met and married Linda Lee Thomas, a beautiful and rich divorcee and a descendant of the Lees of Virginia. Their relationship was a loving, supportive, lifelong partnership. Cole Porter was gay and had numerous male interests which Linda had agreed to allow. However, the marriage was at times unstable when Porter’s gay interests threatened the couple’s carefully maintained social appearances.

Following their marriage in 1919 in Paris, the Porters lived an extravagant lifestyle in Europe through the 1920’s. Their palatial home in Paris had floor to ceiling mirrors and zebra skin upholstery. Later, they moved into a famous palace in Venice where their lush parties included fifty gondoliers, circus acrobats, and a ballet company. They also built a night club outside their palace which accommodated 100 guests.

Back in New York, Porter’s first few contributions to Broadway musicals were poorly received. However, by the end of the 1920’s Porter gained recognition, and through the 1930’s and 1940’s he was one of the brightest stars on Broadway. He worked excessively and tirelessly on his musical productions and spent time in both New York and Hollywood.

In 1937 a terrible horse riding accident crushed both of Porter’s legs. As the story goes, while waiting for hours for help to arrive he composed the lyrics to a verse of his song, "At Long Last Love." The accident left him crippled and in pain for the rest of his life. He underwent more than 30 leg operations until his right leg was finally amputated in 1958. Following his leg amputation, Cole Porter dropped out of music production until his death in 1964.

In 1955 Cole Porter wrote the lyrics and music for "High Society," starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. The film was a musical remake of the classic 1940 award winning movie, "The Philadelphia Story," which won a Best Actor Oscar for James Stewart and which also starred Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. "High Society" featured nine musical numbers, plus there were five additional songs written by Porter which were not included in the movie.

"High Society" was one of MGM’s greatest musicals. Grace Kelly was the movie’s luminous star, and the romantic exchange with Bing Crosby in "True Love" was one of the movie’s highlights.

Here are the lyrics to Cole Porter’s "True Love."

Sometimes wind blows
a new moon moves at last alone
feeling far above her
oh how lucky we are

while I give to you
would you give to me
true love true love
so on and on it will always be
true love true love

for you and I have a guardian angel
on high with nothing to do
but to give to you as you give to me
love forever true
love forever true

for you and I have a guardian angel
on high with nothing to do
but to give you as you give to me
love forever true
love forever true

give me more true love oh yeah
true love true love
true love true love
got to give me your oh yeah oh yeah
true love true love
true love true love

for you and I have a guardian angel
on high with nothing to do
but to give to you as you give to me
love forever true
love forever true
love forever true love.

Stairway To Heaven - The Story Behind the Song

2007-11-24T05:22:00.000-08:00

Stairway to Heaven was the song that everyone wanted to learn when I first started playing the guitar. It was the one song that could define you as a good guitarist among your peers.

Stairway to Heaven was written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. They began recording in 1970 and the project was slowly brought to completion one year later in 1971 (after the lyrics were added.) Here are some interesting facts about Stairway to Heaven...

* It was performed by Led Zeppelin for the very first time in conjunction with the first concert they gave in Northern Ireland at Belfast's Ulster Hall.

* It is cited as the most played song on FM radio stations in the United States, despite never being released as a single there.

* Stairway to Heaven is one of the most well-known popular songs in rock and roll history, despite the fact that it was never released as a single.

* It is the biggest-selling single piece of sheet music clocking up an average of 15,000 copies yearly.

* It is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time.

* The opening chord progression in Stairway to Heaven is nearly identical to the 1968 instrumental "Taurus" by the group Spirit.

Some critics have accused Led Zeppelin of recording a hidden Satanic message in Stairway To Heaven that can be heard when it's played backward. The band has ignored such claims for the most part. Singer/composer Robert Plant replied to a question on this subject by saying:

"To me it's very sad, because 'Stairway To Heaven' was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that's not my idea of making music."

Swan Song Records also issued the statement at the time which said:

"Our turntables only play in one direction—forwards".

I personally don't believe there is anything sinister at all about the song Stairway to Heaven . The words are really quite thought provoking. It begins with words about living a life that is only satisfied with material things...

"There's a lady is sure,
all that glitters is gold,
and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows,
if the stores are all closed,
with a word she can get what she came for."

As the song progresses it becomes more reflective and even somewhat spiritual...

"Your head is hummin' and it won't go, in case you don't know,
the piper's calling you to join him.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run,
there's still time to change the road you're on."

I guess everyone must decide for themselves how they feel about this song. As a guitar teacher, I definitley think it's worth learning because it is a true rock and roll classic.

If you're just beginning to learn guitar, you might find Stairway to Heaven a bit of a challenge to play, but it's not impossible. Those of you who have been playing for awhile shouldn't have any problem. Of course, if your in a band, then this song is a must to know as it is a great crowd pleaser. You will definitely gain recognition and a good response if you can play it well.

The Best Songs to Deny are on Your IPOD

2007-11-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

A person's Ipod is a private matter, it's like reading someone's musical diary, discovering their innermost love of lyrics. For these reasons, people sometimes want to keep this private matter just that: private. A self-proclaimed lover of country music, for instance, may be embarrassed to also have songs by Van Halen or Jay Z, a person solely into hardcore rap may hide the fact that he also has an affinity for John Tesh, and a person who attends heavy metal concerts dressed in black, a cigarette lighter aglow in hand, may not want anyone to find out that 90 percent of his Ipod is taken up by Bette Midler songs.

Yes, no matter what kind of music fan we claim to be - Yanni, anyone? - chances are we all have a song or two on our Ipod that causes us to engage in a little download denial. The following is a list of the best songs to place on your Ipod, but say that you didn't:

Achy Breaky Heart (Billy Ray Cyrus): This song, in my opinion, is a catchy little ditty, something you'd surely love to have on your Ipod. It's a song that hits the mark whenever you need something to which you can tap your fingers or you are suddenly overwhelmed by that common yearn to two-step. Even though it's great, when you put it on your Ipod don't tell your friends, your achy breaky friends, I just don't think they'd understand.

Kokomo (The Beach Boys): It's true, this tune is more of a list of places you would like to visit than it is a song you should admit is on your Ipod. Nonetheless, "Kokomo" is still a good song. Not only is it The Beach Boys - a band that I think, I think, has had a hit or two - but it also reminds us of tropical weather, cocktails, and fun in the sun, making it a most important song to download during the cold and dreary winter months.

Any Song by Milli Vanilli: For me, hearing that Milli Vanilli were fakes was just like that time in tenth grade when I realized the Easter Bunny wasn't real. As hard as this truth was to swallow, Milli Vanilli songs are still good: whoever the real singers are, they can really carry a tune. Hits such as "Blame it on the Rain" and "Girl You Know it's True" are songs that those of us who were children of the eighties and early nineties can not help but love. We just might want to keep our sentiments to ourselves, something that can easily be done by not singing aloud and, dare I say, lip singing instead.

Don't Worry be Happy (Bobby McFerrin): This song is addicting, it's like nicotine (not that I've ever smoked but I've seen the after school specials). "Don't Worry be Happy" may be one of the more annoying songs to come out of the music industry according to some people, but according to others it’s a cheerful, fun, and easy to memorize song. It's also a song that perpetuates one small fact: any song you can whistle along to is totally awesome. Put "Don't Worry be Happy" on your Ipod and if anyone asks if you have it, don't worry be in denial.

She's Like the Wind (Patrick Swayze): After seeing Dirty Dancing, we all knew that ol' Patrick could cut a rug, but who knew he could also sing on key. "She's Like the Wind" is an example of a song that we all seemed to like at first, but the second we realized the singer was Patrick Swayze, the song became far too cheesy: we found ourselves turning on Patrick faster than he could say, "Nobody puts baby in a corner." Still, "She's Like the Wind" is a nice, mellow, romantic song to have in your Ipod collection: just keep it your dirty little secret.

1,000 Song Searches: A Comparison of Music Searching with iTunes and Zune Marketplace

2007-11-24T05:20:00.001-08:00

Being an iTunes user for several years, I never thought much about its search capabilities. Until, that is, I experienced the elegance of Zune software's search.

When searching for a song with iTunes, you enter a search term or two (example: "Van Morrison"), and press the Search button to see a list of matching results.

Simple enough. But if you spelled 'Morrison' wrong (with one r, perhaps, or two s's), iTunes won't return any hits. At best, if you're lucky, you'll see a "did you mean...?" message from iTunes.

And don't try partial searches, either. If you try to save time and avoid errors by entering "van mor", you likewise won't get any Van Morrison hits in your iTunes search results.

Another scenario: enter "Eddie Cochrane" as your search term, and iTunes returns no matches. Why? Because the artist you're looking for is Eddie Cochran... you have to lose the trailing e, otherwise iTunes won't help you.

iTunes search is simply unforgiving of typos or incomplete words, and returns only songs that are exact matches to your search terms.

Zune software, on the other hand, is much more forgiving, and much more effective as a tool for finding music. Most noticeably, it provides dynamic searching. As you enter your search terms, a filtered list of search results appears in the details pane. Every letter you press further filters the list - so as you spell your song name or artist name, you can see the results changing dynamically. You get immediate feedback on what you're looking for.

Because of the dynamic search, you can use partial spellings in your search. Enter "van mor", for example, and you'll see all Van Morrison songs appear as you key in the letters.

Zune software lets you mix and match partial search terms for artist and song name, too. This can be a very quick way to filter your results down to a desired song. Enter "van mor moon", and you'll get an idea of how quickly you can filter down to see Van Morrison's track Moondance.

Another useful trait of Marketplace search: it returns everything in that artist's catalog - even items that may not be available for download. This actually facilitates search - by providing a positive hit on your search terms. With iTunes, you have to scroll through search results to be sure you're not missing it, buried among the tribute albums and cover versions by other artists. Or, that you haven't missed it because of iTunes' lack of forgiveness about typos and partial search terms.

On the flip side: While iTunes search is primitive, it is responsive. Press enter, and the results come back faster than the dynamic search of Marketplace.

The benefits of Marketplace search really hit home to me recently during our Rock'n'Roll research, where I and a small team searched for 500 rock and roll songs in each of iTunes and Marketplace. The efficiencies of Zune's Marketplace really stood out in that research project.

Zune software may not be perfect, but when it comes to helping you find the music you want... it blows the doors off of iTunes.

Witnessing Michael Jackson & Co. Create "We Are The World"

2007-11-24T05:19:00.001-08:00

“Witnessing Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Quincy Jones Create “We Are The World” by USA For Africa."

One of the greatest memories in my musical career is witnessing the making of USA For Africa’s “We Are The World” project. This project was (and still is) the biggest collection of Stars coming together to make a recording for a charitable cause. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (better known as Nicole Richie’s pappy to you young folks:) and Quincy Jones produced.

You might be wondering, why am I referencing a song that was done back in the ‘80s? Well, my whole purpose is to share some of the knowledge that I’ve witnessed because many of these concepts and techniques will never be seen again. It’s a different time now and people write songs and make music differently today.

One thing that always stands the test of time, is a well crafted song with a strong melody and great lyrics. A hit song and a hit record are 2 very different things.

The thing that separates the “Best of the Best” is that they NEVER settle for being just “good enough”. The reason why they achieve massive success is that they do more than the average person does. To get extraordinary results, you have to put out EXTRA-ORDINARY effort.

One of the most educational things for me was to hear Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie (with Quincy Jones overseeing it all), voice their thought process concerning the lyrics. To hear exactly WHY they would change certain words and phrases, was very enlightening. Below are the lyrics and I will paraphrase a few of the things that I remember about HOW AND WHY they were changed to make them more effective.

<<<<<<<<<< “We Are The World” Lyrical Analysis >>>>>>>>>>

( 1st Verse ) There comes a time when we heed a certain call (Lionel Richie) When the world must come together as one (Lionel Richie & Stevie Wonder) There are people dying (Stevie Wonder)

• (originally, it said “there are children dying” because they were starving in Africa and that was the whole reason for doing this.

• What was amazing, was to hear them discuss why they should change that phrase to “there are PEOPLE dying” because the song is called “WE Are The World” and even though you saw images of starving children on television every day, that’s a shocking sight to watch, and people may become de-sensitized after a while. But if you say PEOPLE, then it INCLUDES EVERYBODY so it will be more touching. Just Brilliant.)

Oh, and it’s time to lend a hand to life (Paul Simon) The greatest gift of all (Paul Simon/Kenny Rogers) ( 2nd Verse ) We can’t go on pretending day by day (Kenny Rogers) That someone, somehow will soon make a change (James Ingram) We’re all a part of God’s great big family (Tina Turner) And the truth (Billy Joel) You know love is all we need (Tina Turner/Billy Joel)

( CHORUS ) We are the world, we are the children We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving (Michael Jackson) There’s a choice we’re making - we’re saving our own lives (Diana Ross)

• (originally, I think it said “There’s a CHANCE WE’RE TAKING-We’re saving ALL THEIR LIVES” and they discussed changing it. They didn’t want people to think that they were “taking a chance” to help out, so they changed it to “There’s a CHOICE WE’RE MAKING-We’re SAVING OUR OWN LIVES”. Wouldn’t YOU make the choice to save YOUR OWN Life instead of THEIR Lives.

• These changes were made to ENGAGE the listener like the quotation, “There, but for the grace of God, go I” - It could easily be you or me. Instead of being just observers of the problem, we’ll all become participants toward the solution. Again, this is absolutely brilliant thinking because, what is the title to this song? --->“WE Are The World”. They never forget that fact.) •

It’s true we’ll make a better day just you and me (Michael Jackson/Diana Ross) (there was a discussion about effectively using the words “brighter day” and “better day”)

( 3rd Verse ) Well, send ’em your heart so they know that someone cares (Dionne Warwick) And their lives will be stronger and free (Dionne Warwick/Willie Nelson) As God has shown us by turning stone to bread (Willie Nelson) And so we all must lend a helping hand (Al Jarreau)

( REPEAT CHORUS ) We are the world, we are the children (Bruce Springsteen) We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving (Kenny Loggins) There’s a choice we’re making we’re saving our own lives (Steve Perry) It’s true we’ll make a better day just you and me (Daryl Hall)

( BRIDGE ) When you’re down and out there seems no hope at all (Michael Jackson) But if you just believe there’s no way we can fall (Huey Lewis) Well, well, well, let’s realize that a change can only come (Cyndi Lauper) When we (Kim Carnes) stand together as one (Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis)

(REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE ) (additional ad-lib vox by Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, James Ingram) (Casting of each voice to each line was vocal choreography at it’s best - Quincy was amazing to listen to - he just seems to always know how to pull it all together.) ( END )

• While there are no guaranteed formulas for getting a hit record, there ARE formulas that will help you craft your songs better. You can literally MAKE people do what you want with well crafted words.

Lyric CRAFTING is becoming a dying art. I urge all Songwriters, Singers, and Musicians who read this article to use these insights on you own songs. YOUR well crafted lyrics and melodies can truly last forever.

Ludacris Money Maker Ringtones

2007-11-24T05:16:00.000-08:00

Famous singer Ludacris (born Christopher Brian Bridges) is a Grammy Award winning US rapper with more than ten million albums sold. Ludacris is also one of the only rapper turned actors worth checking for. Ludacris the rapper was born in Illinois, then Ludacris moved to Atlanta GA where Ludacris made a name for himself, as a Radio DJ at the beginning and thereafter as one of the most successful Southern rappers. The uncle of Ludacris is R & B singer Monica’s stepfather.

As an actor, Ludacris has been acting in several films since 2001 in the movie The Wash, but his big success came in 4 years later in 2005, when Ludacris received numerous critical praise for his roles in Oscar-winning films Crash and Hustle & Flow.

Overall, Ludacris played in The Wash (2001), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), Lil Pimp (2003), Crash (2005), Hustle & Flow (2005), The Heart of the Game (2006) and Ballers (2007).

And most latest Ludacris news say that Ludacris has just joined the cast of the Warner Bros. Pictures' new comedy “Fred Claus” with Vince Vaughn, Dame Judi Dench, Paul Giamatti, and Kevin Spacey. The new movie, directed by David Dobkin, is about Santa's loser brother.

As a singer, Ludacris was nominated numerous times for Grammy Awards:

Best Male Rap Solo Performance (Stand Up and Roll Out My Business)

Best R&B Song (Yeah!)

Best Rap Album (Word of Mouf and Back For the First Time)

Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group (Gossip Folks)

Best Rap Solo Performance (Number 1 Spot)

Best Rap/Song Collaboration (Yeah! and Area Codes)

Best Short Form Music Video (One Minute Man)

Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television Special (Act A Fool)

Record of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Song Collaboration (Yeah!)

His most recent and fifth major-label new cd album "Release Therapy" (Warning, Grew Up a Screw Up - Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Money Maker – Ludacris feat Pharrell, Girls Gone Wild, Ultimate Satisfaction - Field Mob, Ludacris, Mouths to Feed, End of the Night - Ludacris, Bobby Valentino, Woozy, Tell It Like It Is, War with God, Do Your Time - Ludacris, Beanie Sigel, Slap, Runaway Love - Mary J. Blige, Ludacris, Freedom of Preach) was released on September 26, 2006. The Ludacris new album just top number 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts with sales of over 300,000 in its first week.

Ludacris the rapper once again proves to be fantastic with his lyrics and wordplay. I can appreciate this Ludacris new album that is unlike the others. Ludacris got way more personal than before and the beats are somewhat different than his usual pattern. I feel like that this is the best record of Ludacris. The concept and lyrical content has made Ludacris the rapper a more mature artist. It is really a pretty good album, but maybe the latter half is much better than the first part. But overall, the production is really top notch.

Beginner Piano Tunes: Music and Lyrics of Auld Lang Syne and How to Play It on the Piano with Ease!

2007-11-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

Try out this free printable beginner piano lesson for learning to play the old favorite song, Auld Lang Syne, for New Year's Eve! This article includes both the lyrics and music.

You will find it surprisingly easy to learn how to play Auld Lang Syne! It is one of a special selection of tunes that can be played on a five-note piano scale called the Pentatonic Scale.

'Auld Lang Syne', meaning 'Times Gone By' or 'Days Gone By', is a traditional song sung on New Year's Eve in many countries. The words were written by the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

Lyrics of Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Melody of Auld Lang Syne

Did you know that the tune of Auld Lang Syne can be played on just the five different black notes of your piano or keyboard? The black notes on your piano keyboard are arranged in two different groups: sets of two black notes and sets of three black notes.

From left to right, the names of these notes are:

-- In each set of two black notes: C# and D#

-- In each set of three black notes: F#, G# and A#.

To play Auld Lang Syne, begin on the C# black note that is just to the right of Middle C.

Here is how the melody goes:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
C# F# F# F# A# G# F# G#

and never brought to mind?
A# G# F# F# A# C# D#

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
D# C# A# A# F# G# F# G#

and days of auld lang syne?
A# G# F# D# D# C# F#

For auld lang syne, my dear,
D# C# A# A# F# G# F# G#

for auld lang syne,
D# C# A# A# C# D#

we'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
D# C# A# A# F# G# F# G#

for auld lang syne.
A# G# F# D# D# C# F#

This rather haunting melody is special because it is written on the five note pentatonic scale. Another pentatonic scale tune that can be played in a similar way, on the black notes of a piano keyboard, is 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot'.

Learning how to play the piano can be fun and easy! Impress your friends with this Music With Ease method of playing Auld Lang Syne on the pentatonic scale, this New Year's Eve!

Christmas Carols Lyrics

2007-11-24T05:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas carol lyrics can be termed as the most integral part of the songs. After all, the lyrics are the one that hold the perfect potential of making a carol popular among people. Thus much importance is paid by the lyricists or the writers in composing the lyrics. The Christmas carols can be defined as the religious songs, sung in the praise of Jesus Christ as well as the pious festival of Christmas.

Thus according to the experts, the lyrics of the Christmas carols also need to be written in such a beautiful manner that they can do justice to the grand occasion of Christmas. Secondly, the Christmas carols are reputed to be directly associated with the religious sentiments of Christianity followers and thus much attention needs to be paid to the lyrics of these carols so that they unintentionally also don't hurt anyone's feelings. Though many modern day Christmas carol lyrics are written nowadays with the view of celebrating the festival of Christmas without referring to any religious aspect.

Well, here are a few famous lyrics that have made a special place for themselves in the world of carols.

Away In A Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head,
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
and fit us for heaven, to live with you there.

Joy To The World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns:
let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks,hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground:
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found.
He rules the earth with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
wonders of his love.

How To Write Hip Hop Lyrics

2007-11-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

How would you like to come the next big thing in Hip Hop?

Well when writing Hip Hop or rap music, rhyming plays the biggest part compared to the likes of pop, rock, country music. But writing the lyrics to Hip Hop is still as difficult as writing music in any other genre, but all the advice you find on the Internet can be helpful, whatever the genre. The advice about writing from a title, staying focused by answering the questions suggested by the title and using lists of related and opposite words all apply. The original rhymes are up to you!

First of all, before writing your lyrics your going to need beats to write to. If you don't have any beats, see below at the end of the article. When you have your beats and have found one you like, all you need is your computer with speakers, play the beat and start writing your lyrics, this may take you a few weeks to have something decent.

I also recommend purchasing a sequencing program, these programs are in expensive, and I have even seen these sequencing programs for free. Once you have one of these programs, you will need to ute everything but the percussion parts and use this as your rhythm track to write to.

So now you have an idea of how to write Hip Hop lyrics, all you need now is some beats. You can get some awesome beats from HIP HOP LYRICS AND BEATS, al thought you have to pay for membership, it's well worth it with over 100,000 hip hop beats to download. Also includes some free samples.

Gospel Music Lyrics

2007-11-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

Gospel music is considered as a genre of music that is mainly a form of American religious music. According to its history, gospel music came into being during the 18th century during the enslavement of African Americans. The blacks then were prohibited from so many things. They could not even worship alone; they had to do so with their masters. This, though, did not stop them. They organized secret meetings and together they created their own worship hymns. Gospel music, as we know it today, had begun.

The very first gospel music was created using their white master’s worship tunes as the background for their words. If you’re going to read deeply into the early gospel music lyrics composed, you’ll realize that it mostly contain the slaves’ woes and eternal faith in God. These songs were sung while the slaves were working long hours on their master’s plantations. Historians say the slaves created such gospel music and gospel music lyrics to instill faith among each other that their sufferings would end one day and that they would be delivered from their miseries.

Careful analysis of gospel music lyrics will teach you of the sentiments and jubilance of the slaves as well as expose you to their emotions and their experiences during that time. Also, aside from instilling faith among the people who gathered to listen to it, gospel music and its lyrics served as a calling for people and church-goers to abide by God’s ways and pursue his righteous path. Gospel music lyrics mostly appealed to everybody’s heart to have strong faith in God and follow his path even though they’re on the verge of misery.

Generally, gospel music lyrics aim to instill people enthusiasm and spiritual motivation in spite of the hard times and distress. It tells people to always have strong faith in God and his will. Nowadays, gospel music lyrics are being used at most evangelist churches all over the country and even the world.

If you want to learn more about gospel music lyrics, there are sites that offer such information. Books and other printed materials are also available. There are also sites that offer different gospel music lyrics and tablature; in case you may want to try some gospel music pieces.

Gospel Music provides detailed information on Gospel Music, History Of Gospel Music, Southern Gospel Music, Gospel Music Lyrics and more. Gospel Music is affiliated with Download Christian Music.

Lyrics and Great Music: Relive the Moment

2007-11-24T05:10:00.002-08:00

Great music and meaningful lyrics can be a powerful influence in our lives. There’s nothing quite like listening to good music and by default that more often than not means good and meaningful lyrics.

Listening to the radio or even watching television these days, means we can hear all those favourite songs that mean so much to us and the ones we love. How often have you heard a tune and been transported back in your mind to some event or time, be it happy or sad that means so much to you, yes music and certain tunes can be like a timestamp in our years of life.

Although we all think of the big stars of songs and music even the sound of one time only musical favourites can bring a breath of fresh air into our lives and hearten our very souls.

Even some of those one hit wonders can be wonderful listening.

I have always loved all types of music although I really did have a passion for the Tamla Motown songs of the sixties, there was nothing quite like collecting the 45-rpm vinyl and I still proudly own most of my former hugh collection to this very day.

Not only did they have a fantastic musical beat but they also had memorable and meaningful lyrics, which still send a shiver down my spine with joy listening to them even now, some forty years on after they were produced.

The ideal way today of remembering those fantastic lyrics is to use the power of the internet to find a lyrics database site and relive some of those golden moments by searching for your favourite artist or song and voila.

Ebay can also be a great way to find some of those golden oldies which you may have lost or never been able to buy, Ebay has a tremendous musical section with all types of records and cd’s for sale stretching across all the different genre’s of music.

What ever your taste in music, should it be r&b, reggie, soul, rock, jazz, pop or just middle of the road, you will be sure to find a selection available there.

Yes, life may keep ticking by but one thing for sure if you have a love for music and good lyrics then this is one form of entertainment that will always be here to give us joy, pleasure and yes sometimes even a little reminiscing for the days of yesteryear.

How To Learn "Meaning" In Speed Reading!

2007-11-24T05:10:00.001-08:00

As you enter a dance floor, you enjoy the rhythm and beating of a popular song. You start nodding your head in unison with the music. As you enjoy and listen to the lyrics of the song, you miss a beat, then another beat. Now you understand the song by listening to the beating, still you continue to miss beats the more you pay close attention to the music. Why is this happening to you?

Can you tell why you are missing the beat the more you pay attention to the lyrics? You have proper comprehension of the lyrics, yet you are missing the beat (meaning). How does this affect speed reading you may ask? Well, it has everything to do in nearly all we do in life.

In speed reading, you must be fully absorbed in what you are reading. You should be able to feel and read between the lines to derive meaning other than the exact expressions you are seeing in the written text. I will explain with the following real life illustration in music because i started with a music illustration at the beginning of this article.

You may know about the popular song “Good-bye Earl,” this song was compose and written by the Dixie Chicks. If you know the story, you will remember that this song caused serious chaos in the world arena. People who have watched the clip responded bitterly because of misunderstanding of true intentions and meaning of this music. The true meaning of this music was the need for the society to stop violence. However, the world misunderstood the whole concept because in the video, it seems that these girls who sang this song killed Earl and tried to conceal the body. What these ladies actually meant or was implying was that violence should be put away. They used this in a figurative way, but the majority of the world misunderstood them. What a way for the world to understand an an innocent intention that these women have.

So it goes with speed reading! Let's consider the following statement to further clarify my point.

Test exercise:

Geek: The geeks are amazing type of people. When they learn, they learn meaning from bits of information gathered from different sources. They bring this details together to form a whole meaning to them. Geeks use insight and wisdom to discover hidden facts that are otherwise unnoticeable.

What do you understand from the above.

True meaning of test exercise: Geek: A person who is able to assemble puzzles together to form a whole. Someone willing and able to collate facts and make a meaning out of those facts. This person makes uses of all his five senses to decode information to make meaning to him.

Do you understand what i'm trying to let you comprehend? Do you get my point? If you don't, go back and reread this article till you get my drift. What i'm saying is your ability to comprehend depends on your ability to put information together and get a meaning from it.

Do not allow people's opinion to decide your understanding of any particular event. Make judgements from the facts available to you and decide your comprehension from these information. Look beyond what you see to grasp the meaning of material and events. It is an art you must learn if you will be successful in speed reading. That way, your speed reading skills will be maximally improved.

Sing Me A Love Song On This Valentine's Day

2007-11-24T05:08:00.000-08:00

What makes a great love song? The truth is, a songwriter didn’t compose a great love song, a singer didn’t sing a great love song, but the ones who listen to it make it great, especially when two twine together as one – a romance. We, therefore, are the ones who pick it one in “Top 10 love songs” or “Best love songs ever.”

Even my ex-boyfriend and I used to have that as our song - “Lover, I don’t have to love” by Bright Eyes. It seemed foolish because its song title, lyrics, and even melody are bittersweet and melancholy. We didn’t understand why we were listening to this song over and over, maybe just because we both found it a remarkable rhythm at that time. However, love don’t live here anymore. Now I have to forget the sad tune, find myself a new squeeze who sings me a new “our song.”

Ah, Valentine’s Day! Every February 14, and during the weeks leading to this day, couples send beautiful flowers, meaningful cards, and sweet chocolates to their darlings and explore their romantic sides. And a perfect dreamy night with serene melodies is the norm. So, sing me a love song and be my Valentine! When your sweetheart comes to say this to you, what song will you choose? There’s no better time than Valentine’s Day to turn our musical choices passionate.

Recently, I’ve heard some wonderful love tracks. So, narrowing down my list to just 10 “best of” tunes took a lot of thought. If you don’t find your favorites here, send me an email at kittykitcoldplay@yahoo.com. Now, cool off and sit awhile with me, and read some exciting stuffs about my picks of 10 romantic songs for Valentine’s Day:

1) You And Me (Lifehouse) It makes my heart melt. There is a sense of peacefulness every time I hear this song. Such a melodious and gifted voice! All in all this is a true gem.

2) The Other Side of the World (KT Tunstall) This nice radiopop is well crafted and remarkable. What I mean is that I keep remembering this song because I like the way she sings and phrases. A sparkling new singer-songwriter.

3) The Scientist (Coldplay) The song is beautifully crafted and the unprocessed passion in Martin's voice is almost heartbreaking. The best love song yet! An incredibly moving song!

4) You’re Beautiful (James Blunt) Just beautiful tune! This piece means so much to me and although I’ve heard it many times I still enjoy listening even now. A unique voice that really stands out.

5) Smooth (Santana featuring Rob Thomas) This has a nice Santana feel. This smooth song rocks. This awesome Latin song is just sensual and also great to dance with.

6) Wherever You Will Go (The Calling) If I could make you mine, I’ll go wherever you will go. Thumbs up for the melody.

7) If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind (Agnetha Faltskog) “And in the winter snow, my songs would keep you from the cold.” The lyrics are soooooooo nice and so is the voice of ABBA. It’s totally enjoyable to hear her crystal clear pure sound once again.

8) Crazy In Love (Eminem) Love the title and love the song! And oh, the lyrics! Slim Shady finally created a non-classic-rap. It sounds like a poem “You are the meaning of my existence, ”You're essential to me, You're the air I breathe, I believe if you ever leave me, I'd probably have no reason to be.”

9) The Look Of Love (Diana Krall) The look of love sees the invisible in the visible and the sound of love is smooth. A gorgeous love song. A cuddle by the fireside with the one you love.

10) When You Tell Me That You Love Me (Westlife featuring Diana Ross) Westlife is back to raise you up with a new cover of a famous song. Moreover, this song is a nice comeback to the pop ballads that made them well known. Just tell your honey that you adore her or him with this cute tune.

Why don’t you make your own love song CD with “our song” as a special gift for your significant other on this special occasion? You might want to visit another collection of Top love songs at http://www.audio4fun.com/lovesongcd.htm. They are offering full-length downloads of all tracks in the CD.

Louise shares an MP3 selection of best-ever love songs at http://www.audio4fun.com/lovesongcd.htm in recognition that you guys who are in love need to find "our song" for this Valentine’s Day.

How to Turn a Rap Song Into a Country Song

2007-11-24T05:07:00.001-08:00

Many guitarists just starting out find the idea of music theory to be boring, and hence don't invest much time in studying it. While words like "pentatonic scales" and "transposed keys" may not conjure up exciting imagery, the truth is undeniable: even the basics of music theory can prove to be endlessly useful, and can help guitarists improve their compositional and performance capabilities. In this article, we'll take a look at how music theory can be used to transform any rap song into a country song. Now that, my friends, is pretty exciting stuff.

How it Works

Once you have a basic understanding of music theory, learning how to transform a rap song into a country song is a fairly straightforward process. In case you need to learn or review music theory, the links in the steps below point to articles that can help explain the concepts intuitively.

1. Identify your target rap song. As you might expect, if you want to transform a rap song into a country song, you first need to identify what rap song you want to transform. Try to pick one that you genuinely enjoy; your country song will end up much better that way.

2. Pick a seventh chord to serve as your root chord. The root chord is the starting point of your chord progression; it's sort of the anchor that that the other chords in your song can be based around. Seventh chords have a country twang to them, so they are perfect for this exercise.

3. Once you've got your root chord, identify your fourth (IV) and fifth (V) chords. All the chords should be seventh chords; for instance, if I chose A7 as my root, D7 and E7 would be the fourth and fifth, respectively. If you're not sure what all this root/fourth/fifth chord business is, check out this article on intervals as well and this introductory lesson on music theory.

4. The root-fourth-fifth (I-IV-V) chord progression will be the foundation of your song. You can play it for both the chorus and the verse. The trick is to switch up the rhythm and picking style so that the song sounds unique.

5. Add vocals. This is the fun part! Rap the lyrics or sing along to the seventh chords -- experiment with what you think will work.

And that's it! Congratulations -- you've transformed a rap song into a country song.

The Big Secret to Making This Work

Remember, the key to making this sound original and fun is to have a unique vocal delivery layered over a unique rhythm structure and a simple I-IV-V chord change.

Does Joe Public Need Your Song?

2007-11-24T05:06:00.002-08:00

Many musicians and composers I have met have been and in some cases still are, a little frustrated because of the difficulty of being recognized as a predominant figure in the music world. They try so hard at perfecting their music, working the arrangements over and over again, trying to get it so that the 'riff' of the guitar may be heard, or that one line of the lyrics is 'just right'. All that may be important for another musician or a music 'expert', but, on the whole, for Joe Public, it doesn't take center stage.

Music is not like rice and beans. Rice and beans (or at least food) are a basic need. People need food to survive. The food has to be technically of a good quality and standard, containing the necessary vitamins etc.

However music isn't a need, it's a want. People must want your music to buy it or even download it for free. As it's not a need, it's not necessary to maintain a certain 'standard'.

So what makes a person like your music? They like your music because they can relate to it, or because it brings back fond memories, or because it sends a message out to people that they support. So when James Blunt sang one of the most simple songs in the world and told the world "You're Beautiful" it became famous the whole world over.

You could argue that it was the quality of the singer that made the song famous, but from then until now, James hasn't had a hit nowhere as successful as that one.

You could argue that the musical genius of the arrangements was responsible, but the arrangement was so simple. Even the lyrics, if you broke them down didn't really make that much sense. However, and this is the important part, the message was sent out loud and clear and a lot of people understood, related to and remembered that one moment in life. A simple occurrence, that we can all relate to was made into a song. A successful song.

Steve Allen is consultant and music producer.

Author of "Marketing Your Music – Success Strategies", "Personal Management in the Music Industry" and "Street Teams – Expand your Fan Base"

Song Lyrics - Creating Possible Song Titles

2007-11-24T05:06:00.001-08:00

his songwriting exercise that I'm going to show you is a great example of a powerful technique called brainstorming.

Brainstorming is being able to spontaneously come up with ideas on a given topic or a problem at hand, but in this case we want to fill a page full of possible song titles.

The task is not to write a song but to come up with possible titles for a song. I try to do this at least twice a week. I have pages and pages of possible titles for me to look back on.

To start the exercise, write the first thing that pops into your head and then using that phrase start writing song titles making sure that the next phrase is derived from the first phrase.

Heres a short example:

Cry Baby
Baby Don't Cry
Don't Cry For Me Baby
Don't Cry
Why So Sad?
Im So Sad
Im Leaving Today

(I'm hoping you get my drift here)

Remember, because you are brainstorming you can write anything down, go off on any tangent you like and not worry about whether you are going to use it in the future or not.

Incidentally, your critical inner voice hates this kind of exercise as it has no control over what you are doing.

In fact, when you are doing this exercise don't even think about what you are writing. Just be automatic and spontaneous. Have fun with it.

Set yourself a target of doing this for 30 minutes, two to three times a week and build up a body of possible song titles.

After a couple of weeks have a look at what you have written. Pay close attention to the rhythm of the words and I'm sure that something will jump out at you and BINGO! You have the beginnings of a new song.

Looking back on what you have written can be a very interesting experience in itself. Its amazing what you write down when you stop judging what you write.

In the meantime, give it a go and see what happens.

I personally use brainstorming a lot in getting my songwriting ideas. It's a great way in freeing myself into being in the now when I write.

If you're going to try the 'possible song titles' exercise I suggest that you write as blindly as you can and try to make your word associations rapid-fire.

Write down the first thing that pops into your head. Do it for thirty minutes and see where the spontaneity takes you.

Country Song Lyrics - Photo Puzzles and A Wing In the Fire of Moods

2007-11-24T05:05:00.001-08:00

I came across a woman
she shared no emotions that felt kind
not with me.
Country song lyrics came to mind.
No smiles
no eyes that said today could be special.
No energy
except for her own sullenness
her own self indulgence.

I became someone in parenthesis.
No matter my life may have in fact known darker days
she would never know.
I don't suppose it really matters.
It is not as if she and I would ever be friends.

Yet the day would have
could have
had a softer presence.

It take so little really
just a little smile
a simple recognition.
It takes so little to rise to the occasion
see life outside of ones own breath.
Photo puzzles deciphered
country lyrics understood
just one wing in the fire.

I have thought of her
on an off
since that day I saw her sitting
slumped over
measuring my worth?
I am not sure of that.
I would not want to be unfair.

There was a breeze that day
I heard it gently in my ear.
It touched me through my hair.
I was reminded of different days
hard days
difficult days
a wing
just one left behind
and in the fire
more than a country lyric
more than a bad song.
Sad days
photo puzzles
never finding their place on the shelf.
Days I did not want to be in.

I then thought about that woman
decided to give her the benefit of the doubt
reasons to be sullen.
Paths I could not be savvy to.
One never knows.

Yet
oh
and yet
I want to feel the rain
the breeze
share smiles
no matter what.
Hope beyond
a wing that burns
have a glint in my eye
to share
even if no one looks up.

ABOUT Kathy Ostman-Magnusen

I paint and sculpt female fantasy art and map faery tale adventures. I dream of beautiful women on canvas and art of exotic women.

I have illustrated for Hay House Inc.,"Women Who Do Too Much" CARDS taken from Anne Wilson Schaef's book. I also illustrated for Neil Davidson, who was considered for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing, and several other publications. My paintings are collected worldwide.

Hurricanes and Music Pop Charts

2007-11-24T05:04:00.002-08:00

Are you a songwriter and find a tough time writing new songs? It is not easy to write a good one and it is hard to get in the right emotional and creative state in order to make a good song. In addition if you do not put the right melody with the right lyrics it will not work, it will not sell and no one will like it and good luck trying to get a local radio station to play it without you paying them.

I submit to you that when people fall on hard times or are involved in adversity in life that they can draw on the raw emotions of that time to get into a creative state to help them write great songs. Adversity builds character and adversity spurs on creativity.

It is almost as if necessity is the Mother of invention and extreme hardship is the Father of creativity. Can you use the destruction and devastation of an Atlantic tropical hurricane season to help you write a song, which will help people get through life?

Such a song is needed and if you are a good songwriter and you can get in the proper mood you will be able to write that perfect song. Perhaps during the next mandatory evacuation of the next large category or catastrophic hurricane you can tap into that raw emotion.

Perhaps if you fail to evacuate and you stock up and then go without tap water and power for four to six weeks while authorities try to repair the damage, that you can use this time to write a perfect song about hurricanes and adversity. Consider this in 2006.

How John And Paul Help Me Teach English

2007-11-24T05:04:00.001-08:00

How John and Paul help me teach English A brilliant and accessible way of Teaching English as a Foreign Language which I learnt as a student has proved to be the best tool in my box! Using Song Lyrics is just excellent! Music has, for decades, been an International language all of its own. There are many globally recognisable bands out there, singing tunes that have been hits in many many countries. Groups such as The Beatles produced song after song that people the world over can still hum. ‘Yesterday’, ‘Yellow Submarine’, ‘She Loves You’ are widely recognisable melodies, and, although the words aren’t well understood, they are easily assimilated. Use these and other lyrics line by line for enjoyable one-on-one or small group teaching sessions. I’ve had a sing along with my latest student as we discussed and tried out a number of grammar points whilst reading through each line of a number of well known songs.

Try describing some apparently simple concepts, like love, and see where words can take you! We have looked at different tenses: ‘Yesterday’ invites you to consider times and dates – make sure the student has really understood by asking for similar examples, or questions that draw answers that indicate full comprehension (for example: “what was the date yesterday?”). We have certainly considered a good lot of vocabulary too: colours, travel, weather, relationships. My lessons could easily centre on lyrics: we have a few fixed exercises, such as looking at the date, time and (as this is England) the weather; we have set tasks each lesson, such as the vocabulary tray (my version of a memory game: various everyday objects on a tray that we keep returning to until the student has got them all in English – then we re-stock the tray!); and then we have our lyric and see where we go! All from a few short verses: thanks John and Paul for giving the world some great teaching tools!

When Are Lyrics Not Important?

2007-11-24T05:02:00.001-08:00

As many fans of music know, the lyrical parts of a song are usually the most important and integral pieces to a particular song or piece’s success. Many times these words are the only part of a song that fans will remember or be able to recognize in an instant. In addition, it is common for artists to make the leap into becoming a superstar when they come out with great lyrics for their new hits. But the truth is that not every artist in the world who is selling CDs and concert tickets has great lyrics to their work, or any at all for that matter. You might be wondering, how can music be good without meaningful words, much less having no words at all? This article should help to answer that question and change the common notion that all great music must have unbelievable lyrics as well.

To start out with, it is important to realize that music is not just the songs a person can hear on a radio. In fact, the first pieces of music were almost exclusively played in a concert hall. In this setting, a group of different instruments play in unison to a conductor’s movements. There are no words because quite simply there doesn’t need to be any. Some of the most famous musical work in the world, and oldest at that, is often played in this style. While not popular with the youth today, classical music, as it is often termed, often goes hand in hand with being upper-class. Whether this is a fair pairing or not, that is debatable. But this much is true, many people find deeper meaning and enjoy this style of music without looking for words to accompany they harmony of the instruments!

On the other hand, a popular selection at almost any night or dance club is techno music. Techno music is often generated on a computer, and combines wacky sounding drum beats and other instrumental sounds to make a song that sounds like it was electronically produced. This music has many different beats and often is extremely easy to dance to. While it can have words, it is more common for techno songs to be without any human voices, or to use them sparingly. Even with the absence of almost any words at all, however, techno music remains a popular choice on any dance floor and it would be hard to find a club that doesn’t play at least one song. Indeed there are even some popular techno artists, whose main musical talents lie in creating new beats and remixing past billboard toppers!

All in all, it should be fairly obvious by now that a song doesn’t have to have lyrics to be considered worth listening to. Many different types and genres of music embedded in our society today are, in fact, found without any words at all. Whether it be rich classical music that your grandparents listen to, or fast-moving techno music that you dance to, words are not as important as they may seem initially.

Soundtrack Lyrics

2007-11-24T05:01:00.000-08:00

Are you trying to write soundtrack lyrics but can’t get started? You are not alone – thousands of people are struggling, too. Whether you’re just trying to compose lyrics for a school project or a community theater movie, or would like to make a serious career writing soundtrack lyrics, you will find these tips from the pros very useful.

Invest in educational lyric writing tools. Get as much as you possibly can from songwriting books, magazines, and articles. You will be surprised at the amount of information, tips, and even inspiration you will get from these. If you want to pursue soundtrack writing as a career, then enroll in lyric-writing programs and courses, or at least buy software that can educate you from home.

Listen for clichés and then break them. You know a cliché when you hear one. Don’t fall into the same trap of being unoriginal. The reason why so many lyricists fail is because they do not offer anything new. It’s true that movie themes are almost always the same, but with enough creativity, you can find ways of expressing them differently, in unique and unexpected ways. An example of a good lyric ‘twist’ that worked out really well was Dianne Warren’s famous line, “Unbreak my heart.” The boring formula “break my heart” was modified using a very simple (and even grammatically-incorrect) prefix “un,” adding character and recall to the song. This is the power of lyric writing – it can turn an otherwise usual song into a hit.

Finally, motivate yourself. Find new places to work in – maybe in the park or in a quiet café – to get your creative juices flowing again. There are a thousand inexpensive ways to find inspiration and motivation. Do not mull over writer’s block by forcing yourself to write – it will not work. Instead, relax and go back to the basics. Remember why you are writing lyrics in the first place – to express yourself creatively and to touch people’s lives.

Homeschool Materials In A Song

2007-11-24T05:00:00.001-08:00

Homeschool materials are indeed everywhere. In fact, one of best learning tools you can use as a homeschooling parent is making use of songs. Think of it…. Does it not amaze you to this day when you hear on of your favorite songs come on the radio and as soon as the lyrics begin you can jump right in and sing along even though you perhaps haven’t heard this song in months or even years! Learning through lyric and rhyme is very powerful stuff!

With some careful searching you can come up with many songs, lyrics, and rhymes that fit well with your homeschool lesson plan or unit study. Some sites even have theme related songs which are fantastic to add to your homeschooling materials and supplies! Even if you don’t find a particular great match for what you may be teaching at the time…. Write you own. Yes, with a little practice, you can not only write your own songs… over time you’ll be surprised just how good you can become.

Take any of the traditional children’s song and modify them to meet your needs. This is a fun exercise for both you and your child and the benefits to this type of reading, recognizing sounds, and retentive memory is unbeatable. Soon you’ll have your child want to write and sing their own versions of songs that they come up with for the home school class!

Song and singing is such a great way to teach your child and it’s fun, relaxing and many times a much needed break from the studying at hand.

Turn your creativity and imagination loose and have fun…… whistle while you work!

Looking For Music Without Lyrics? Here's A Short Guide To Different Kinds Of Music Without Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:59:00.000-08:00

Who's searching for music without lyrics, and why?

Some people are looking for backing music they can sing to, usually of songs that they're familiar with. There are three kinds of music without lyrics that spring to mind, catering for this need.

1.) Karaoke - This usually comes on a CD or DVD, where the backing music is played while the lyrics, along with a video of some arbitrary scenery, are displayed.
The lyrics are usually highlighted at the appropriate time for them to be sung. While this form of music without lyrics is great for parties and pubs, it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to serious vocal performances.
Technically speaking, this is actually music with lyrics, but the music and the lyrics have been separated so that you can sing them.

2.) Backing tracks - These are sometimes called "Backtracks". Professional backing tracks are a step up from karaoke tracks, however, they don't display the lyrics on a screen.
Professional backing tracks should contain as much live instrumentation as possible, or otherwise feature sound samples that are a very convincing substitute. You'll find that a lot of quality backing tracks will only be available on audio CD or in mp3 format. The reason for this is that a lot of expensive audio samples and live recordings are used in this type of music without lyrics, making each backing track a unique production that can only be correctly reproduced either on the studio engineers own equipment, or as a final audio mix-down.

3.) Midi - Midi is short for "Musical instrument digital interface". I'm sure you are familiar with the term "Midi file". This is a music file that contains the note information as if it was played on a keyboard (Not the computer keyboard).
All of the instrumentation for a song can be reproduced via a computers sound card or other external keyboard sound modules.
Although midi is used extensively in recording studios, getting a midi file to sing along to is probably the poorest choice when looking for music without lyrics to compliment your vocal talent.
The audio samples used in general midi reproduction lack the tonal nuances that make up a convincing instrumental performance.

A brief summary of these three kinds of music without lyrics and their best uses

1.) Karaoke - Great for pubs and home entertainment.
2.) Backing tracks - For serious vocal performers.
3.) Midi - Great for one or two man bands who can supplement the fake sounding instruments with real live ones.

Other forms of music without lyrics.

I mention these only for the sake of completeness, but seeing as they are so obvious, I'll make this short.

Classical music, Instrumental music (some people confuse this for backing tracks), Trance music and music for healing, which should also be music without lyrics and drums.
I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what to look for in music without lyrics.

Top 10 Wedding Songs

2007-11-24T04:58:00.002-08:00

The search for the perfect wedding song has always been one of the difficult tasks for Christian married couples. As an occasion full of love, liveliness and promises, good wedding songs not only set the mood of the crowd, but also describe the couple’s feelings and emotions for that moment and expectations from their life to come.

The search for the perfect song is not an easy one, with thousands of songs that would work for this occasion. However, the most popular wedding songs are usually those that speak of love and commitment for each other.

There are hundreds of songs that can be good wedding songs. However, there can be no unanimous choice regarding the top 10 songs played at weddings, since it is determined by the requirement and temperament of the couple. Here is a list of 10 most popular wedding songs, chosen and listed here because of their beautiful lyrics, to assist anyone seeking a song for their own wedding.

Love of my Life by Jim Brickman (also featuring Micheal W.Smith)

‘If you ever need me’ by Gracy Chapman

‘For you’ by Michael W. Smith

‘Your love keeps lifting me higher’ by Audio Adrenaline

‘Waltz for Jennifer’ by FFH

‘I Promise’ by Carman

‘You’ve got me’ by Steven Curtis Chapman

‘I’ll Give’ by Small Town Poets

‘A page is turned’ by Bebo Norman

‘Household of Faith’ by Steve Green.

It is advisable to listen to a few of these songs first and then discuss them with the musicians and singers who will be performing at the wedding before finalizing the list of songs to be performed at the wedding.

Six Easy Steps for Writing a Personal Wedding Song to Your Wife

2007-11-24T04:58:00.001-08:00

Husbands can create a loving environment and successful marriage by showing their wives how much they are loved and cherished. In his ground-breaking book, "Women are from Venus and Men are from Mars," John Gray outlined the important differences between men and women. One of his key findings is that wives love to be touched and held. Wives love to be told, in a gentle and humble way, how important they are to their husbands. One of the most touching ways that a husband can show honor and respect to his wife is to write a personal wedding song for her. No matter if a husband has been married for a month or longer than 50 years, he can renew his marriage every day with a personal wedding song.

“What me sing? No way!” most husbands may say. “I can’t carry a tune, let alone do a solo.” While it may seem challenging, a personal wedding song is simply a love poem set to music. I know from personal experience of writing, recording and singing a wedding song to my wife, that it can be done. When I started, I had no guidance, just a gut intuition. All it takes to get started is to know what steps to take and then take the first step. Here are six steps every husband can take to show his wife what a treasure she is.

Step One. Acknowledge Your Wife

Write down five attributes that you love about your wife and admire her for. What five would you choose? Is she, an excellent listener, your best friend? Does she have a friendly and warm smile or a hilarious sense of humor? Does she love to surprise you? If you can list ten or more things, all the better.

Step Two: Write Down the Special Things She Loves

What does your wife treasure? My wife Cheryl loves purple, she loves to hold hands and be hugged, she is very action oriented, she is so thoughtful, she never forgets a family member’s birthday. She loves greeting cards, music, plays, going out to dinner. She is very wise about relationships. A personal wedding song should focus on what is unique and special to your wife and your relationship.

Step Three: Put Yourself and Your Feelings into the Song

I wrote a personal wedding song for my wife after 14 years of marriage. I titled it “Song of Our Marriage.” I wrote a touching refrain that honored her with a title, her role in my life and what that has done for me. The lyrics to the refrain go like this:

“Teacher of wisdom, you’ve shown me God’s face, your strength is gentle and fine as white lace. You listen with heart strings that sing out a song, it’s your love that makes me feel strong.”

Using your list in Step 2, choose several of your wife’s best traits and write down what they mean to you. If you need help with rhyming, you can get a Rhyming Dictionary. Or you can read books of poems or search the Internet through a Google Search to get a starter idea. Make sure to personalize your words, though, so that they come from your heart. You want to be authentic; a cheap copy of someone else passed off as your own may work against you.

Step Four: Make It Simple: Two Verses and a Refrain (more if you can)

Make your personal wedding song easy to sing, but unique to your wife. For example, remember the poems that start, “Roses are red, violets are blue?” You can expand that phrase into a verse, like:

"Roses are red, violets are blue,
I can’t see myself living without you.
You are my wife, the crown of my life,
my life would be empty without you.”

Step Five: Use a Familiar Tune for the Music

Did you know that is acceptable to "borrow" a melody (as long as you don’t sell it or claim it as your own) for your personal wedding song? In fact, if your wife has a special song that she likes, you might learn how to write lyrics that go along with it. If you get serious, you could find a musician or studio to help. When I wrote “Song of Our Marriage,” I figured out the melody by humming it, plunking out the keys on a piano and then finding a studio that produced the accompaniment. Use the Internet to find someone who can help. With downloadable MP3 files, you can actually produce a song on your PC.

Step Six: Sing the Song to Your Wife and Frame the Lyrics

Now comes the most important part – the delivery. Don’t write a personal wedding song and then stick it in your golf bag. Perform it for your wife. Record it. Frame the lyrics and hang the song in your bedroom or kitchen. For “Song of Our Marriage,” I created even a photo album with pictures of my wife in Lilac Park, in Disney World, with her friends, and more in several sections. Each section of the album reflected the verse and refrain from the personal wedding song.

There you have it, six steps to writing a personal wedding song for your wife. It takes work. If I can do it, you can do it too. Go ahead, take a risk. Your wife will be deeply moved by your touching gift and care for her.

Hip Hop Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:55:00.000-08:00

Hip hop lyrics are expressions that are linked with cultural and societal feelings of an individual. Most often it contains themes on political, social and economic life and conveys a message that is culturally important. It simply conveys one's feelings, experiences, and ideas to the world. The lyrics also portray the struggles and difficulties faced by individuals in real life.

Hip hop lyrics contain many references that listeners can relate to. Those lyrics that tell of excess wealth and luxury of artists may connect to a group of individuals with such dreams. The themes in lyrics connect the artists with their fantasy lives. Some other lyrics tell about big houses and fancy cars.

Hip hop lyrics most often cover three different topics. They are cars, fashion, and beverages. Cars are considered a status symbol for most hip hops. Mercedes is considered the classic car of hip hops. Fashion has earned much reputation with hip hop culture. Hip hop clothing and jewelry are very popular. Beverages are an important part of hip hop's lifestyle.

Hip hop lyrics are known for their conversational quality. Though the conversational quality is checked several times, it is not necessary for hip hop lyrics to be pretty at all times. The lyrics need not be spontaneous as free flowing speeches. The artists give special importance and attention to their speech. The lack of attention can result in a stigmatized speech. More attention means, the speech becomes more standard or formal.

Those persons who watch rap music regularly can easily identify the differences between rap and hip hop lyrics. There is reality in rap lyrics. But this is not the case with hip hop lyrics.

Hip hop lyrics find usage in teaching features such as assonance, imagery, alliteration, and rhymes. It allows individuals to learn the rhythmic structures along with the basis such as consonants, vowels, blends, and spellings.

How to Write Lyrics For a Song

2007-11-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to write good lyrics to a song (or a poem). This article will present some different ideas, hopefully to help you consider some new avenues for your songwriting that you may not have thought of before.

When you look at successful song lyrics, in order to sound original, they tend to avoid trite phrases and often embrace tension, dissonance, or unexpected directions. The following are some strategies to consider for writing your own song lyrics:

Wordplay. Some songs are distinct because they contain plays on words. For example:

* "You are my greatest mistake." (Sheryl Crow)
* "The only thing that looks good on me is you." (Bryan Adams)

Mysterious. Some songs seem compelling because of ambiguity (what does the singer actually mean?) or what the songs leave out. It leaves a person guessing. For example:

* "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that..." (Meatloaf)
* "Because the night"
* "Don't call me daughter, not fair to me." (Pearl Jam)

Unexpected phrasing. Surprising people with a phrase that is totally unexpected can deliver a big effect. For example:

* "I may not always love you..." in God Only Knows

Story. Some songs tell a story or a tale of some interesting experience or encounter.

* "A long, long time ago..." in Don McLean's American Pie
* "The Story of my Life" by Deana Carter

Question. Many songs pose questions, some of which may not have answers. For example,

* "Why do birds suddenly appear?" by the Carpenters
* "What's my name?", "Who wants to know?", "Who am I?"

Repetition. Many songs use a repeated word or phrase. For instance, count the number of repeated words in the following songs:

* "I Believe" by Blessid Union of Souls
* "Every Breath You Take" by the Police

Cinematic. Some songs have lurid, descriptive words that paint a scene:

* "The screen door slams; Mary's dress waves...'
* "I see Maryanne walking away..."

Avoid cliches.. Unless you can add a new twist! You should steer clear of the following cliches, unless you can add an unexpected, refreshing twist to them:

* heartbeat like a drum
* all night long
* you are my fire.. desire
* stood in the rain.. pain.. insane
* cold as ice
* fire in your eyes
* catch me when I fall

Other Ideas. There are endless other ways to write a good song lyric. Some approaches that have worked for others:

* Geography (e.g. songs like California Dreamin, Kansas City, Living in America, Carolina on my Mind)
* Names (e.g. "Amanda", "Eileen", "Mandy", "Virginia", and countless others)
* Telephone numbers and letters
* (e.g. songs like "Jenny", "I Just Called to Say I Love You") Memories and time (songs centered around past, present, or future, e.g. "In my Life", "Summer Holiday", "Rock Around the Clock", "Monday Monday", etc.)

What's Important to You? Another idea is to consider the themes that are important in your own life (what you have passion about, whether it's the environment, religion, politics, a hobby) and to write songs related to those themes. Sometimes a heartfelt song can be the best ones.

Remember to have fun!

Country Music Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:53:00.002-08:00

Developed as an amalgamation of various musical forms, country music has a huge fan following across the globe. Country music enthusiasts are divided loosely into two sects. The first contains those people who listen to this melodious form for entertainment. The second and the more serious are those who follow country music as a form of art.

Country music lyrics have played a huge part in bringing the music to its present successful stage. The simple and flowing words of country music describe the day-to-day lives of the average American. Not every body identifies with Brad Pitt or Madonna, but you can empathize with the simple characters described in country music. An average working class American citizen relates to the beautiful depiction of relationships, touching loneliness or poverty.

Earlier commercial forms of country music copied ballad or folk music. The lyrics depicted the lives of Americans in earlier days, using a fiddler to deliver the message. A good example of this was fiddling John Carson’s 1924 hit "Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane."

Country music lyrics beautifully portrayed the romantic version of a vast span of lonesome prairies. People loved the image of a singing cowboy galloping on a steed singing and working hard on a sunny day. Singers like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers boosted the image of country music tremendously by including beautiful lyrics in their songs.

The lyrics in country music are often repeated as a catchy melodious phrase by a chorus, and composers usually write tunes that are 150 words or less.

The Song Writer and the Poet

2007-11-24T04:53:00.001-08:00

Have you heard the phrase The Wreck of the Hesperus? How about Ivan Skivinsky Skivar?

The first, The Wreck of the Hesperus is from a poem by Longfellow. Longfellow was a New Englander born in 1807 and died in 1882. He was a Mayflower descendent. (I am too. So are a zillion other Americans.)

The poem describes a sea captain that took his young daughter to sea. They died in the wreck during a hurricane. Read about Longfellow and his poem at: http://eclecticesoterica.com/longfellow.html. You should read The Song of Hiawatha and The Village Blacksmith too.

Americans love Longfellow because his poems are easy to understand and many like his simple Solomon-Seesaw cadence.

The second, Ivan Skivinsky Skivar, is from the song Abdul Abulbul Ameer. It was written by the Englishman Percy French (1854-1920). Read the lyrics to this humorous song at: http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/3243.html.

Percy was an engineer but considered himself to be an artist. He never received one dime for his songs and they were often published without even a name credit.

If you like Abdul Abulbul Ameer, you will also enjoy Robert Service, the Canadian poet that wrote about the Yukon. My favourite is The Cremation of Sam McGee. Read it at: http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1841.html.

Have fun!

The End

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success. He calls himself "Taylor Jones, the hack writer."

Songwriting Tips - Listen for Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:52:00.002-08:00

Do you ever have a time where you're searching for lyrical ideas? I know I do. Some of you may have already my newsletter 'Super-charge your lyrical Ideas' - and hopefully you've grabbed some idea's from it. Here, I'll go into it a little bit more. You should certainly take what is happening in your daily life and try and 'listen for lyrics' as they happen to you.

Overheard Chit-Chat For example, I overheard a conversation at a restaurant the other day (which usually isn't very difficult) and somebody said the phrase "there's just no use in me trying". I immediately jotted it down, came home and starting to write a song based around that phrase. The song was about a relationship and the girl tried her best to keep it together, but it was sinking situation and the hook (chorus) would sing "there just ain't no use in my trying". This is a very simple yet powerful idea.

Write about your Friends Situation There isn't anything like taking ideas from your friends or relative's life. Of course, if it's seemingly negative then you may not want to tell them where the inspiration came from ;-) If your friend's mother just had a heart transplant and the family is going through grief, then why not write a song about it? In fact, why don't you go one further and make out like the father is cheating with another woman? Fictionalizing a real life story is often a great way to write a song. Perhaps the father cheating can be a feature of the song. Yes, this may seem harsh - but look, who's to say you have to reveal your sources of inspiration? Remember, you are only writing a song here.

Grab the Daily News What's happening in the world today? Earthquakes? Tsunamis? Politics? Violence? Racism? Think about the implications of events that are unfolding before your very eyes. These are the things and the people of the world are listening and watching. Remember to take things to a new level with your song - meaning think of the depths of these events and circumstances and write from a 'how this effects us' stand point. This is incredibly powerful because people will WANT to sing your song as it effects them too.

Ideas from TV and the Movies How many times have you watched a movie and have been completely moved by it? This is exactly the feeling people experience when listening to a song they love. It makes them feel validated in some way. The lyrics are totally congruent with their emotions. Writing about specific situations from TV and films in realistic genres (ie. not sci-fi and horror) will be a route to evoke somebody and then hopefully to like your song enough to want to hear it over and over.

As you can see, the above will surely get your ears listening for lyrical ideas in different situations. Once you make a habit of this, ideas will be flooding in your mind - sometimes non-stop.

Different Ways Artists Can Use Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:52:00.001-08:00

Often times music lyrics are simply used to create catchy words that people hear. These words are designed to appeal and convince people to buy CDs and attend concerts of a certain artist. There are other reasons, however, that artists choose their lyrics as they do. Lyrics are heard by all of an artist’s audience and can occasionally be beneficial to a cause or an idea. This article will explore the different reasons artists create lyrics in the way that they do.

A common usage of lyrics in this day and age is to critique the current state, or even form, of government in a country. It is quite common for folk of any nationality to be unhappy with their governing powers for one reason or another. In the United States there is much concern over the way President Bush has handled the issues of terrorism, oil, and even immigration in recent days. Rather than coming out publicly with speeches, many artists hide messages of their disgust into their lyrics. Often times people will hear their message more often and more clearly through music than in a boring speech in which people can simply change the channel. A musical group who created these type of lyrics often was Rage Against the Machine, although they have been broken up for quite some time now.

Lyrics can also be used to reminisce about good times or bad times had as a child or teenager. Often times these years are the ones that shape a person and who he or she is going to be when they grow up. So it makes sense that as an adult, many artists feel the need to pay homage to this crucial part of their life. Many of these song’s lyrics focus in on past relationships long forgotten, good times had with best friends, and even sometimes traumatic experiences with abusive or uncaring parents or relatives. Whatever the topic is, being able to sing about their past memories allows artists to release whatever emotion they are feeling.

Of course it would be a mistake to claim all lyrics are meaningful and are made with some ulterior message underneath. Often times artists are simply looking for songs to make them more money and just garble together some nonsense about dancing and making money into a song. While these lyrics certainly do not have any real positive message, most of the time, they are still among the most popular of the youth today. There is no real problem with this, however, as kids shouldn’t be worried about deep meanings at every point of their life. They should be able to feel good about themselves and have fun for no reason when they are young!

Song lyrics are something that almost every genre of music has, and it is important to realize that some songs are made with interior meanings. Without recognizing that a song may mean more than simply the words it displays from the exterior, it is easy to overlook an artist’s true creation and art and to give them less credit than they deserve.

Easy Guide on How to Write a Song

2007-11-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

There are may ways in which a song can be written, this is one of them.

Here are some basic steps:

Lyrics

Mostly all songs need lyrics. These can be either in a poem form, free form (no rhyme) or other. You can start by simply taking a phrase, a feeling, a situation, a general idea or belief and writing a poem about it. If you do write a poem I suggest keeping the same measure(number of syllables in a verse) throughout the poem. Now if you want a chorus (refrain), choose the most relevant part of the poem and make that your chorus. You can write the chorus separately, or you don’t have to have a chorus. But if you do have one, remember that the chorus must reflect the idea behind the song( that and, it has to be catchy).

Tune (or melodic backbone)

This can be done in two ways: - You first have the lyrics; you take a guitar (or a piano) and start playing a tune (a succession of note, arpeggios, or chords), then try to sing the lyrics along with the tune. - You have a good tune in your head; start playing it and then try singing different lyrics that come to mind.

No matter which one you pick, keep in mind that the lyrics and the tune have to represent each other, you must get the same feeling both from the lyrics and the tune. If the tune is soft, choose according lyrics (something regarding love, relaxation, world peace etc.)

Basic song structure

You now have a tune, and some lyrics. You have to decide a basic song structure for your song. This means you have to decide how you’re going to split the lyrics, chorus, intro, outro, solo. Here is a good song structure: small guitar intro, first verses, chorus, more verses, chorus, small chorus add-on, guitar solo, chorus, small outro. The intro and outro can be the same as the basic tune, or just the first part of the tune, but without lyrics. If your playing it on a guitar, it easier to change the chord after each verse.

Adding to the song

If you intend to play the song with a band you have to add to the song. Lets say you made your song tune on a acoustic guitar. You can include the following instrument to the sons: Bass: the most important thing about the bass is that it keeps a good rhythm and it also completes the frequency spectrum of the song (by the low pitched notes it plays). A good tip for the bass musical line is to mark the crossing between chords(arpeggios) by playing the fundamental note in that chord. - Electric guitar: there are a lot of things that an electric guitar can do in a song. It can help keep the rhythm, it can use special effect to add to the songs feel, it can play a good solo and so on. If you use a acoustic guitar as the base rhythm, don’t play the same chords on the electric guitar, it becomes too “full”. You can use fifth to sustain the tune. You can also play a nice simple tune that goes along with the main tune, but were the electric guitar excels is at solos.

- Drums: these are very important to a song, they are the ones who keep the beat of the song. You can have a full drum set, or just a couple of bongos. If your drummer is good, he’ll have no problem at getting the beat of the song. You can vary the percussion of a song a lot , so don’t hold back.

- Piano: this is a very good instrument to base your song on. As a secondary instrument, it can be used for background effects, and certain solo parts. But if you have based your song on an acoustic guitar there is so much a piano can do.

- Other instruments: there are many instruments that you can use to “complete” the sound of your song. Don’t hesitate to try new and exotic sounds.

Final form

After you tried all the instruments available, and all the variations you wanted, it’s time to set the final form of the song. If you’re in a band, agree to a common version for the song. Don’t forget, you’ll have to make compromises some times (that’s a part of being in a band). If you want to play it life, rehearse it a few times, just to be sure you all know how the song goes.

As a conclusion, you don’t have to have a license diploma as a musician to write a song. Just play what you like, be open minded and the songs will come to you. A song shouldn’t be written because you have to, a song should be written because you want to.

Here is an example of a song:

Lyrics:

I wrote a song on a Sunday morning,(C) (C) (C-G) I did it till my pen started moaning,(Am) (A) (A-E) I picked up a guitar and started to play,(F) (F) (F-C) I wrote my song and I did it my way.(G) (G) (G-D)

Chorus:

Be free, (C) (C) (C-G)

Let yourself be free

Rise to the challenge(G) (G) (G-D)

Of your own destiny.

Chorus add-on: Break the boundaries of society. I played my song in a thousand places(C) I brought smiles to a thousand faces(Am) I faced my fears and I got this far,(F) I am now a world famous rock star.(G)

-the symbols in the brackets are chords (you can choose a chord pattern by using “The Circle of Fifths”). You change the chord when the verse ends.

-A very simple bass line can be done by playing the fundamental of each chord when the verse begins. The bass can peed up the tempo where it is required.

-The electric guitar can play fifths ( C-G, A-E, F-C and G-D), can also vary the rhythm, can have a distorts effect on the chorus. It can do a simple solo (because it’s the C major scale, you don’t have any accidentals(#)) after the chorus add-on (you can use a pattern from “Musical Mode Pattern for Picking” article).

-The drums have a basic 4/4 beat which can be varied easily. Small drum breaks at the end of a verse and the begin of the chorus are a good idea, it tells the people listening that a chorus is coming.

Feeling Blue? Cure it With Powerful Southern Gospel Music Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:50:00.000-08:00

Whether read or listened to, southern gospel music lyrics have the focus and the message that grounds you in an attitude of thankfulness and humbleness, whether you are Christian or not.

Of all the genres of music popular today, one of the most authentically original is black gospel and souther gospel music. The gospel music song lyrics are one of the most searched for items on the internet, and for one good reason. They uplift. They pick you up.

Let's look at two of the most popular gospel songs and see why.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is perhaps one of the most famous and popular American songs, well beyond the gospel category. Here are the opening lyrics:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me.... I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see.

Aside music itself, which sends shivers down your spine from the opening notes, the lyrics speak to a universal condition. All of us, at various times, feel lost and unworthy, blind and hopeless. So this song's lyrics bring a powerful message of the bliss of when we find our way, our purpose, whatever that might be.

Beulah Land

This song is one of my favorites. It is so short, but it speaks to the longing for a home that we all feel: a place where our separations and sorrows of this world will no longer intrude:

I'm kind of homesick for a country To which I've never been before. No sad goodbyes will there be spoken for time won't matter anymore.

This song is a great example of how universal the southern gospel themes are, breaking out of the bounds of bible-thumbing Jesus-saved me politics, and speaking to the human condition in a timeless way. Beulah Land closes out with these amazing lyrics:

I'm looking now across the river where my faith will end in sight. There's just a few more days to labor. Then I will take my heavenly flight.

Cure Those Blues Now

How ironic that another great southern music tradition is the blues, and this phrase has entered our language to denote 'being down.' If you think about it, perhaps it's only logical that the 19th century slavery experience would lead 20th century African American culture -- still segregated and oppressed for much of that century too -- to develop two great music traditions that denote the depressed condition (the Blues), and provide the antidote (Gospel Music).

So pump yourself up with some gospel music - you can either listen to it online or, one of my favorites, is to print out the lyrics to my favorite songs. Once you're up again, feeling good, and all jazzed up, then it's time to listen to the third great black southern music tradition, Jazz. But that's another whole story.

Song Writing Tips For The Beginner Songwriter

2007-11-24T04:49:00.001-08:00

Writing songs on the keyboard or piano.

As a song writer, you will always end up with a method that works best for you, whether or not you learn the art of songwriting from a professional songwriter.

I can only speak from my own experience as far as songwriting is concerned, so for myself, playing the guitar and a little piano has helped a lot in my own personal style of songwriting.

For someone just starting out with songwriting, I would suggest buying a small keyboard to help get ideas down.

The nice thing about the piano or keyboard is that if you stick to the key of C, the chords are very easy to play.

Another very usable feature for writing songs on the keyboard is the auto accompaniment function. Setting a good beat and style for a song before you write it can work very nicely towards getting inspired.

A note of caution though, is to remember not to use the one finger feature when creating chords, as you won't know what it is that you played.

Why I write songs on the guitar.

The main reason why I write songs on a guitar is because that's my main instrument. Many people who play guitar, even if they are novices at it, somehow, like myself, seem to prefer it as a song writing tool.

As a fairly advanced guitarist, and I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet here, heck, I don't even own a trumpet.

Okay, where was I now?

Oh yes, I can use guitar riffs, off beats and various other little music nuances to really get the song happening.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really helps to have a good mastery of the instrument when writing songs.

Be that as it may, the essence of a good song, and I'm talking from a commercial appeal point of view, is good melody, chords that sit nicely on the ear (no funny pictures please) and a good beat.

How to write lyrics.

Now this is the real scary part, mostly because a lot of people thing they are good lyricists, when in fact they aren't.

I need to make a very clear distinction here between poetry and song lyrics. They are not the same.

The thing with song lyrics is that they don't have to be that good, they still need to be meaningful though.

Good song lyrics communicate a feeling or concept in easily understandable words that have a tendency towards rhyme.

Writing lyrics for songs is a bit of a black art, if you ask me. Listen to the greatest lyricists of our time, and try to get a feel for what they did that was so powerful.

One thing that they do very effectively is communicate. Listen to Bob Dylan, he's very clever and a natural.

Love Songs Encompass All The Emotions

2007-11-24T04:48:00.001-08:00

Expressing love becomes simple when you find the right means or to be more specific the right song to tell your feeling. Song and music is that form of art which has the power to capture the hearts and minds of all people. Expressing an emotion like love becomes easier with the right type of love music. Love is a wonderful emotion and you need the right kind of music to express the emotion to the other person. Expressing love to your sweetheart, mother, father, siblings and friend though love songs is just perfect. Words have the capacity to send across any message to anyone, so if you come across a love song that more or less puts to word all your feelings and emotions then you really have a great song in your hands. Love songs not only tell about one’s emotions and feelings but also create a romantic ambiance whenever they are played.

There are many things associated with love songs other then the wonderful lyrics. The music of the songs, the feel of it and the beats can make all the difference between normal song and love songs of all kinds. I have my own list of favorite love songs; they just make me feel romantic, no matter in what mood I am. Some of my personal favorites in the love song category are To Make you Feel my Love by Bob Dylan. Find me one romantic who does not love this song and trust me I will reconstruct the list. The lyrics are sensitive, loving and appeals to people of all age group in all genders across the world. The song is just special and no one who is genuinely in love can miss out the warmth and affection in the song. Meaningful lyrics in love songs are the one thing which appeals to most people.

Some other songs like Love me Tender, Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley has not lost its touch and appeal till today. So it is not surprising that you still find men singing this song to woo that special person in their life. Other love songs like Maybe I M Amazed, In my Life, A Moment Like this, Everything I do, Please Forgive Me the list is simply endless depict all the feelings which one experiences when they are in love. Love truly is an amazing feeling and love songs rightly depict all that one wants to tell to their lover. Now if someone says that they are looking for particular love song but they do not seem to find it, this is perfectly understandable. But no one true lover of songs and a person who is genuinely in love can claim that they do not know where to find love songs.

The web is the perfect source where one can find all type of songs including love songs. In fact the web is over populated with sites that provide songs to visitors. Such sites have a huge database of songs and all you need to do is type the name of the song or the artist in the search bar of the site, and the song will be there for you.

Tapping Into Your Musical Side - Writing Song Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:47:00.001-08:00

Have you ever thought about writing a song? Do you love music? We all know that a song is so much more than the musical background you hear throughout. No, the whole song comes together with the lyrics. The lyrics make the song it makes the music. Typically, the lyrics are written before the melody and music are added. The lyrics and the idea behind the lyrics lay the ground for the music to come afterwards.

Think about your favorite songs. Why are they your favorite? For many people, the words within the song grab their attention. For me personally, my favorite songs are those that have meaning. Rather, it evokes a particular feeling within me or it tells about a specific time in my life. The lyrics tell a story. They can tell any story, rather it be about love gone bad, an ever-lasting love, a person, a group of people, or a time in ones life. You are telling a story to the listeners and hoping they can relate to that story in some way.

Getting Lyrical Ideas

Most lyrics you hear in song come from the everyday life of the lyricist. It's a good idea, if you are serious about writing song lyrics, to get yourself a journal and keep it with you throughout the day, jotting down your ideas. You never know when a lyrical idea will come to you. Be watchful and mindful of your interactions throughout the day. Some areas that may bring you ideas for lyrics may include:

. General conversation - While speaking to anyone throughout the day, such as friends, family, or colleagues, you may find that something they have to say gives you an idea.
. Happenings in your surroundings - Your environment can tell as story as well. While you're in the cab, while walking down the street, on the subway, or anywhere you might be. Something might occur, even the slightest thing, which could jog a lyrical idea.
. Newspaper - Current events, articles, or even advertisements.
. Magazines - Real life stories, fashion, and other events could spark an idea.

It is important to keep in mind that your lyrics should have meaning to you. They should flow in a seamless way. You see, as mentioned earlier, lyrics tell a story. Therefore, treat your lyrics as a story first. Write your story, then you can begin to break them up in to song lyrics with rhyming other important aspects after your story is finished.

Lyrical Tools

Throughout the years, lyricists have relied mostly on the trusty old pen and paper to write lyrics. To many, they will not use anything but pen and paper to write their lyrics. However, in the computerized world of today, more and more lyricists are turning to the computer to write songs.

There are a variety of tools available to any songwriter on the computer and off. For example, rhyming dictionaries are great when you are having troubles coming up with rhymes to specific words. On the computer, rhyming and replacing words is extremely easy, and most often performed with a simple click of the mouse. Many programs such as Microsoft Word and other specific songwriting software programs offer an integrated thesaurus that is perfect for coming up with alternative words and phrases to increase the impact of your lyrics.

However, the most important tools are your own thoughts and ideas. You can choose the pen and paper method or the computerized method; however, your ideas are what make the lyrics to begin with.

Crafting Your Ideas Into Song Lyrics

You have your ideas; you've chosen your method of writing, now what? Now it is time to start forming your lyrics. This is likely the hardest part of writing the song, much harder than coming up with ideas. Now you have to work verses and choruses to form your songs. Rhyming is ultimately important. This is where your rhyming dictionary comes in handing.

Typically, the end of the second line rhymes with the end of the first. However, in some cases, the end of the third line will rhyme with the first.

For example:

As we grow older,
The world gets colder,
Because the love is gone
Though we keep going on
And keep our love in a song.

Don't forget your chorus; this is what brings the song together. You decide where your versus go and where the chorus comes in and repeats. Writing lyrics to a song is a wonderful way to express yourself. It tells a story in the way you see it and feel it.

Audience's Perception Of Songs

2007-11-24T04:46:00.000-08:00

Any songwriter knows that a song will not make it without having well-written music and perfectly crafted lyrics. But the interaction between music and lyrics in a song poses two questions. The first is which is more important and the second is which should be written first. Nevertheless, the second question is not truly an issue; as it is simply a matter of personal preference and habit. The question that really needs answering is in fact the first: “Which is more important?!”

To answer this question, we have to examine the audience perception of songs. Songs are written for people to hear them; therefore the way they identify with songs is most relevant and crucial to the songwriting process. A good songwriter should examine his/her audience beforehand and, consequently, shape the song to be as easily conceived as possible by its intended audience.

As I belong to western music by education (classical music) and to oriental music by birth (being from Egypt), I have examined -as deeply as I could- the perception of songs by both Arabic listeners and European listeners. My conclusion is that those two different cultures produced very differently biased people.

The Arabic culture and legacy is based heavily on poetry while music remained trivial. Consequently, for Arabic listeners the lyrics come first and music is reduced to a melodic vehicle for the lyrics with the least amount of arrangement possible. Lyrics come first for Arabic listeners!

On the other hand, Europe’s music heritage is enormous with a lot of genius composers who will always be remembered. At the same time, Europe's great poets used the type of language that today needs a lot of simplification to understand. The music reaches the European listener before the lyrics! So, does this mean that one can write "bad" lyrics for European listeners and get away with it?! Of course NOT!! They eventually catch up. Also, Arabic listeners will not listen to a song with bad music. The idea is that if your audiences care less for lyrics, then they wouldn’t “appreciate” a complex lyric. In fact, they wouldn’t understand it and will label it as “bad”. It has to be “good” but not “complex”.

It’s all about complexity. Arabic listeners will settle down with a nice melody that fits the lyrics well. It has to be nice, but it CAN’T be complex!! My mother thinks that Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” is “louder” than music should be. I think she meant to say: “too complicated for music”. Conversely, European listeners will not settle for a nice melody, you have to have strong chord progressions, a powerful base line and a strong drum line.

So, I write more complicated lyrics for Arabic listeners and more complicated music for European listeners. Study YOUR OWN audiences and see what they like and to which side they are biased, so you know how to adjust your song’s complexity. But beware; sometimes “less complicated” means “more difficult to write”…Wish you simple songwriting!!

Karaoke MP3 Players Give Singers Music and Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:45:00.002-08:00

Back in the late 1990s, MP3 players revolutionized the way people listen to music. Today, karaoke MP3 players are revolutionizing the way people sing.

For those who are unfamiliar with the origins of MP3 players, MP3 is a file extension name (.mp3) for a type of compressed audio file. Typically, an MP3 file retains the quality of the sound while compressing it to about one-twelfth its original size. Early MP3 players were made with flash memory, and could hold only about 20 songs. Today, MP3 players (and digital audio players like the iPod) have internal hard drives that can hold thousands of songs.

In the early days, MP3 downloads were songs "ripped" from CDs and "shared" via the Internet. That was deemed to be illegal copyright infringement, and eventually led to online music stores that sold not only top 20 Billboards but also virtually any song available for sale. MP3 music players became ubiquitous and everyone from teenagers walking down the street to businessmen on airline flights could be seen with the telltale earbuds in their ears.

Today, MP3 players have gone to the next level, providing not only listening pleasure, but also the satisfaction of being able to read the song lyrics and sing along. These MP3 karaoke players are the hot new gadgets on the market, and capitalize on the popularity of such hit TV shows as "American Idol," "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" and "The Singing Bee."

Karaoke MP3 players are a breeze to use. Simply put, the user takes his or her MP3 downloads, loads them into the karaoke MP3 player, and then enters the lyrics. You can either enter the actual lyrics of the song or your own version of the lyrics. Once you've entered the lyrics, you can use the manufacturer's software to remove the vocal track from the song. This leaves you with only the music. From there, the screen on the MP3 player displays the lyrics as you sing along and records your voice over the melody. From there, you can share "your song" with friends, submit it as an audition, or simply listen for your own enjoyment.

Unlike regular karaoke machines, which are bulky and require setting up, karaoke MP3 players are the ultimate mobile devices. In addition, karaoke music players rely on karaoke CDs to display the lyrics and play the music. You can forget the top 20 Billboards, since by the time a song makes it on a karaoke CD, it's long past its prime. In contrast, karaoke MP3 players allow you to use MP3 downloads of the most current hits - as well as old favorites.

There's little doubt that MP3 players have come a long way, and that the new wave of karaoke MP3 players are in perfect harmony with today's trend to sing along and sing out loud!

Music Lyrics Soothes the Savage Breast

2007-11-24T04:45:00.001-08:00

Songs can be an emotional trigger greater than sight or smell. Because songs are associated with so many different events in our lives, just hearing the opening bars can take us to a place where we were happy or sad, some of the best or worst times in our lives. So many times a music lyric will remind us of someone or something. This is one reason why so many couples have “their song.” It’s something special between those people that keeps them connected even if they are not with each other at the time.

But what do music lyrics mean? Well, that’s one of the great things about song lyrics. They can mean virtually anything to anybody. What lyrics in a song mean can be possibly the most important question when talking about different songs. But it’s a question that has so many possible answers, with none of them being the definitive one. It’s logical to first look at the words and find the meaning that way.

But the problem with that comes when the literal meaning is so different than the meaning the artist actually intended. This is because music, as one of the great arts, relies on being able to take literal meanings and to infuse them with allusion, suggestion, and implied meanings.

One of the best ways to figure out the meaning of a song is to get other people’s reactions to it. Responses and interpretations of songs are available in reviews, newspapers, and online. If the songwriter has provided a meaning for the song this of course, should be taken into careful consideration. However, this does not necessarily mean that this is the absolute meaning of the song.

Because music and songs relate to so many people on so many different levels, the writer of the song could have had something completely different in mind than the audience who hears it. That is one of the beauties of music and one of the magical powers of song.

This does not mean that all interpretations to the song will be true. Some suggested meanings of the songs may contradict the actual literal meaning (meaning the actual words) of the song. They may also be different than the obvious purpose of the performer or the songwriter or they may not correspond to anyone else’s reaction to the same song. In this case, the interpretation probably is not accurate.

It’s important to remember that the interpretation must remain respectful of the songwriter in the first place. While it’s fine to have a different interpretation of the song than the writer did originally, it’s a different matter entirely to twist the song’s meaning so that the interpretation is the only one possible.

Songs are a wonderful release of so many different emotions. The words can soothe us when we are upset, or can elate us to a point of happiness for no particular reason except that we have heard a particular song.

There is a song, and lyrics to go along with it, for almost any occasion and any emotion. This is why music lyrics are the main reason why songs are so popular. Being able to make songs our own and apply them to our own life is truly something truly magical.

Song Lyrics Make the Scrapbook Journaling

2007-11-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

Song lyrics are a great way to preserve a memory. Not only are you complimenting the photo memory with the song lyrics, but you are also remembering the song itself and what it meant to you! I have to compliment country and western song lyrics as some of the most meaningful things to say.

What Was Your Favorite Song?

Did (or do) you have a favorite song? Use some of the lyrics instead of journaling. Sometimes the photos just don't have something specific to remember, but just the "being there" part-the beautiful face of your little grand daughter - granted there is alot to say, but sometimes it just gets to be just that - alot to say - with no particular meaning. However, if you were to use a particular song lyric - just one verse - or even just the title of the song - it says so much about that precious little face, and then you also have that memory every time you hear that song!

George Straite's song "In All The World, You'll Never Find A Love As True As Mine" came out long time AFTER I was married and I wasn't scrapping back then either. However, when I did start scrapping, my wedding was the event I started with and that song was popular at the time and I loved it, so that was the "journaling" I used for the page. Do I remember my wedding? Yes, to a point. But 29 years ago? I admit I don't remember all the details. But this song, just says it all. I can see where I started and know how far I have come! (by the way, those are lyrics from a LeeAnn Womack song that is great and I titled my daughters scrapbook album with that title!)

One page, One Layout = multiple stories and memories

My son was a cowboy from the start. Well, he ended up migrating to County Sheriff, but hey - there can be only one Wyatt Earp! But Waylon Jennings version of "Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" was just the "journaling" I needed to accommodate all his "cowboy want-a-be" days! This is also a good way to include pictures of the same "topic" but across several years. One page, one layout - multiple stories and memories!

Song lyrics are a great way to capture multiple persons,same situation

My son, daughter and husband on their favorite "wheels". To make a layout for each person was just not worth the cost of supplies, much less the time to do it and what do I say "they liked their bike"?. So I included ALL 3 of them on their personal "favorite wheels" and it made a wonderful layout! Titled "Born To Ride" - captioned it all. I then added the years and my layout has years of memories - and only 3 words were used to "discuss" it all!

So don't think that you have to make one layout for each and every memory. Often, seeing them all together will make even more memories!

Song Writing: Is It Hard Or Easy To Write A Song?

2007-11-24T04:43:00.002-08:00

Do you feel that it is easy to write songs? Can anyone be creative? A song is the end product produced by stimulating your song writing powers in many different ways. Let's take a look!

Here are some tips on how to stimulate and develop your song writing abilities:

Listen

An obvious tips of course! You have to listen to songs to find and develop your taste. But don't just listen to the music you usually listen to. Listen to things you don't normally hear on the radio. It will help your unconscious to create more interesting songs.

I recall that John or Paul in the Beatles talked about the music they heard on the radio when they were young. The radio channels in those days played many different types of music and they were inspired by the melodies heard on the radio like evergreens, jazz, folk music and classical music and so on.

On commercial radio channels nowadays you'll often find very niched music but I think it is important to find music that differs a lot from your normal taste. All these musical ideas will hopefully mold into interesting new melody lines. A form of fusion music.

Chord progressions

Sit down with your guitar or at your piano just playing chords that loosely seem to fit together. Don't worry about the quality of your progressions. It is important to have moments when you play without evaluating things, otherwise you will not dare to take the step into the unknown.

Song melodies

Humming melodies as you play chords on your guitar or piano in a relaxed manner will stimulate your creative powers. If you find it hard to improvise melodies, it might comfort you to know that it is a talent but also a skill that can be dveloped by practice. It can become a form of meditation that will clear your mind, stimulate your imagination and improvisational skills.

Lyrics

Well, what do you expect me to write here? Right, humming melodies with nonsense lyrics is a great way to stimulate and actually write a song. Nonsense lyrics might not be the apropriate term as every word you sing can trigger ideas that will lead you to a phrase that might be the beginning of a great song.

Documentation

A very boring and bureaucratic word indeed but somehow you have to find a way to remember all nice words and melodies. A recording device like an mp3-player, mobile, digital recorder or tape recorder might do. The simpler the better. You can of course do as I do, write sheet music and lyrics on scrap paper. However, this requires you to know sheet music notation unless you have invented your own notational system.

Using a computer

Personally I have discovered the advantage of using a word processor at this final stage of creating the song lyrics. I usually write down the text with a font size that will fill a printed page. This makes it easy to see the text on the screen and taste the lyrics with my heart.

This might sound a little weird but I guess that you want the listener to feel the same as you feel when you sing the song. You have to be touched by you own song first.

When you have the lyrics on your computer you can change a word here, a word there and and read the words over and over. One day you will realize that the song is complete and you can relax and be proud over your creation.

A song is not a song until it is sung

Well, this means that you have to give your song a chance to shine by singing it, working on your way to perform it and learning it by heart. By singing a song often, even in front of other people, it will most likely mature and the performance will develop and convey the message of the song better and better.

So You Wrote Some Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:43:00.001-08:00

This the first article in a series of articles that cover the steps a lyricist should take in order to convert his lyrics into actual complete songs.

So you write lyrics...but are you a real lyricist? I mean have your words been put to music? We all know that lyrics are the words of songs. So if your lyrics didn't end up as songs, it means they have just been wasted!! The question now becomes: What steps should I take to convert my lyrics into a full-functional song?

Well, there are two situations. First, you might be a musician too and then you have the choice of writing music for your own lyrics. Second, you might not be able to write music for your lyrics, which is OK, but you will have to "sell" your lyrics for another songwriter who is willing to wrte music for it.

Considering the first situation; being a musician besides being a lyricist, you first need to know how to write music for existing lyrics. Many musician songwriters compose some music first and then go ahead and fit some lyrics into it, but what about the other way around?

It's fairly easy, if you got enough will and patience. The idea is simply to keep reading your lyrics until you totally "absorb" the lyrics and be able to understand the rythm that already exists in them. Then, you start "trying to sing" the lyrics until you come up with some melody for the chorus. This usually takes time, until you finally find a melody that's good enough for your lyrics. There are no particular rules or steps to follow, although there is a couple of things to watch for:

1- Let the melody do the talking. If the melody doesn't fit the lyrics exactly, then alter your lyrics not the music. You will find that it's easier and makes more sense than changing the music to make it fit the lyrics.

2- Don't settle with the first melody you get. The first melody that pumps into your head is usually imperfect and as your song develops more, you will definitely need to change a few things around to be satisfied with what you got.

As for the secong situation; being strictly a lyricist who doesn't write music, you will need to make yourself and your work known to musicians whom you think might be intrested in working with you. To do that, you will need to know how and where to make your lyrics available for others to review. We will cover different ways you do that in the next article in this series, so stay tuned.

American Idol - Tips For Song Selection

2007-11-24T04:42:00.001-08:00

Song selection is both an art and a science, especially for American Idol audition. Song selection is very important whether you are doing covers or original material, or a combination of both. The rules and audition format for each city where American Idol auditions are held keep changing each year, so be sure to check the American Idol site and prepare exactly what they specify for the city where you plan to audition.

1. American Idol Audition
So, if you're thinking of auditioning for the next round there are a few things you need to be ready for to make it by the judges. There is no other way to explain it, you need to do your homework if you're going to make it past the very first and following auditions. To become American Idol you need to give these auditions your absolute best shot if you want to make it. Factor in how an American Idol auditions is always a magnet for the really strange over the real singers. To have to listen to those people who confidently claimed that their tones sound like Freddy Mercury in the American idol audition is already emotionally and physically (to the ears of course) torturous.

2. American Idol Songs
The first rule to American Idol song selection is to pick a song that you can sing. I have seen too many good vocalists singing poor songs, which effectively reduces an artist's chances of success. The second rule to song selection is to choose a song people know. If the judges don't know your song, they will have little idea if you are singing the song correctly or not and that tends to bring scores down. The third rule of song selection is to pick a song that shows off all you have to offer. Be true to yourself and your voice to get your best shot at this business of singing. The forth and final rule to song selection is to choose a song that suites your personality. If you are shy and quite with a soft voice, you're probably better off singing a ballad than trying to fake your way through an outgoing dance song.

3. Searching for Songs
You can search for songs with a keyword, phrase and/or composer. Perform a lyrics search by artist name, title, or song lyrics text or check out the top song lyrics searches and see the most popular love songs on The Love Lyrics Encyclopedia. Searching by titles or keywords is much faster than searching the whole text (these are "indexed" searches, and take only about a tenth the time a full-text search requires), but they only work if you know the song's title or can guess at the keywords. There is a search method for preparing a sensitivity table which can be updated with a correlation value between a search keyword (for example, cheerful song or refreshing song) and a feature word (for example, cheerfulness or energetic). After searching a song, look for the words 'Karaoke Lyrics' under song info.

4. Karaoke Tips For Next American Idols
Karaoke is supposed to be easy, breezy, and stress free for American idols contestant, where lining up an hour's worth of songs should only take 30 seconds. You have a great selection of karaoke to choose from and presented in a good package. For example, each Pocket Songs PSCDG album contains a complete performance with a professional vocalist as well as the karaoke tracks of each song, for the at-home performer. The cutting edge technology of the computerized karaoke system is a big plus for the die-hard karaoke junkie, and I can see lots of entertainment potential with the added features of the digital system. Sing at karaoke clubs as much as possible. Record yourself singing along with the singer or piano accompaniment with melody and make sure your voice matches, especially on high notes, low notes, fast phrases and runs. Record yourself again and listen for any pitch problems.

Song selection is important for every party involved in American Idol audition, especially if you want them to have a lot of fun. Practice your song in front of the mirror and make sure that your singing sounds good. When you want to become American Idol there are many things that are involved in the worship event and worship leading, but song selection is a really important one.

Seven Tips to Choose the Right Popular Wedding Song

2007-11-24T04:41:00.000-08:00

Popular wedding songs are precisely called as such because many people seem to find meaning in their lyrics. There is absolutely nothing wrong with jumping into the bandwagon and having the same popular wedding song as a thousand other couples. There are however some nice tips to remember when you choose your popular wedding song.

Go a Few Years Back

Yes, it is all right to have the same popular wedding song as everyone else but you don’t want to have the same song playing from the reception room beside yours. You can pick a hit popular wedding song from a few weeks back instead of one of the hits last week. This will lessen the possibility of you having a popular wedding song that is also the wedding song of everyone else who got married on the same day.

Ask the DJ or Band

If you have no idea which popular wedding song is perfect for you then ask your reception band or DJ to give you some suggestions. They are experts in the field of music and will offer suggestions based on the melody and lyrics quality of each song.

Have Activity Songs

It would be great to have a popular wedding song that is also meaningful to both of you. Maybe you would like to have the song that was playing when you first bumped into each other. Your theme song however, will only be good for the two of you probably on your first dance at the reception. You should consider having one popular wedding song for every wedding activity. Pick songs for the entrance of the bride, cocktail time, dinner time, cake cutting and parents’ dance

Include Tribute Songs

It would be a great idea to have a popular wedding song that was a hit a few decades ago. A particular song that was special to set of parents would be a wonderful way to show affection and gratitude. You can play your parents’ popular wedding songs when you each dance with them.

Have Variations to a Song

You may like a particular popular wedding song but you just can’t stand the same old beat. Have your band play the song in a different beat. You can slow dance to an originally fast song or you can have a disco dance with an originally slow song.

Check the Lyrics

It’s important to read song lyrics before you decide to have a popular wedding song. Some songs have great tunes but may send out such negative messages as desperation, mild sexual suggestions and separation. Some couples seem to think that there is nothing wrong with such popular song lyrics. Make sure however that you judge a song not just by the melody but by the lyrics too if you are the type who does not appreciate such lines.

Check the Artist

Nobody’s perfect but you might be the picky type who would not like an artist who has radically different principles and beliefs from you. You might also consider checking a band’s status. Do you honestly want a song from a teeny bopper bubble gum band with members who probably never even had first loves yet?

Lisa Carter is an expert in wedding planning. Get her Free Wedding Planning Guide here or visit her site at www.Your-Wedding-Plans.com for money-saving tips and other useful advise for your dream wedding.

So You Wrote Some Lyrics-2

2007-11-24T04:40:00.000-08:00

Making Your Lyrics Shine

We discussed in a previous article how can a songwriter write music for his/her lyrics, now we go ahead and consider the situation where one is strictly a lyricist. In order to transfer lyrics into complete songs, a lyricist will need to find a musician who is willing to collaborate and write music for the lyrics at hand. But first, one must make the lyrics appealing to musicians and songwriters. Therefore, there may be a couple of things a lyricist need to check in his/her lyrics...

The lyrics must be "song worthy"

Being a lyricist you should already know how to write good lyrics. One important tip, though, is STRUCTURE. Your lyrics will not be interesting for musicians and songwriters if it doesn't have clear structure and form, meaning that there has to be chorus and verses already set, with some rhyme and internal rhythm in the words...Just remember that it's not poetry.

No spelling mistakes

If you got spelling mistakes in your lyrics, it's just going to send the clear message of you being not professional and careless...Check your spelling!

No weird words

Cutting words short just because you are too lazy to write a complete word is very irritating to whoever is reading your lyrics. Well-known stuff like "gonna", "wanna" and "ain't" is ok, especially if it keeps rhyme or rhythm...It's "aint" (without apostrophe) that's not right for example.

Have a powerful title

A lyrics' title plays a great role in making musicians want to write music to your lyrics. If the title is strong, interesting and has some (but little!!) meaning to it, it can easily draw songwriters into reading your lyrics with enthusiasm and an open-mind. On the other hand, a boring title that says everything about the song in advance is probably going to drive everybody away from your lyrics.

When you make sure that your lyrics are "dressed up" well and ready to go out to the world :), start showing it to musicians who you think might be interested in collaborating with you. However, we still need to answer the question of where to publish your lyrics and how to make yourself popular among other songwriters. Go ahead to "So You Wrote Some Lyrics" songwriting online course for more about that.

Singing is My Passion

2007-11-24T04:39:00.000-08:00

My passion in life is SINGING. Most members of my family love to sing too. I guess we started singing before we even learned to speak. I dream of recording my own CD. A grand dream; yes it is, that I would like to fulfill! I also want my own music room in my house where I can sing at the top of my voice.

For me, singing is a form of expressing my emotions; anger, pain, love, happiness, and madness. It gives me hope and allows me to dream. Music releases my stress and relaxes me, too! I do believe that every song is written by someone who has experienced life in all aspect. Songs have been their channel to express their emotions, treasured moments and immense lessons in life. That is why every song must be sung in a way that the singer feels every emotion; every pain, love and happiness, in the lyrics of the song. Otherwise, it will fail to touch lives. Imagine singing a love song in a monotonous tone. You will agree with me that it is stale and the meaning of the song will not be the same.

Singing is also an art. Of course it is. Not everybody can sing. It is a gift. It is a combination of singing the right note at the right time and in the right combination while expressing the emotions hidden in every word, and every phrase of the lyrics. And then, you touch lives. But then do not forget to have fun. If you cannot carry a tune or two, have fun while singing and learn to laugh at yourself and trust me, you will get away with it. Courage and confidence is the name of the game.

Yes, through singing you can touch lives, heal broken spirits, inspire, give hope, express yourself, and of course have fun in the process. Now, isn't that something?

Need A Scrapbook Journaling Idea?

2007-11-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

Try using song lyrics in your next layout.

Song lyrics can be a great source of title and page inspiration for a scraper.

Music and songs play an important part in our lives. Hearing a song again can evoke a lot of emotion, bringing back fond memories of special times, special people and special places.

Of course, different songs mean different things to different people - but you can use songs to 'tap' into those memories to create unique, and highly personal scrapbook pages.

How do you use lyrics on your pages?

Well, here’s a scrapbook journaling idea for you to try using a wedding layout as an example.

If the bride and groom have their own ‘special song’ then you use that to add a personal touch. If not don’t worry find another suitable song instead, there are lots of song lyric web sites on the internet that you can browse.

Pick a section from your chosen song for example, the first verse of “A Groovy Kind of Love” by Phil Collins and journal the lyrics around the edges of your page.

Then embellish your border with some appropriate wedding stickers, die-cuts or punches. Tie it all neatly together, by using the title of the chosen song as the accent title for your layout.

What about a friendship page? You could use some of the lyrics from "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King, maybe decorate your border with musical notes.

Doing a page about someone’s birthday? You could journal the words from “Happy Birthday” and embellish the border with cakes, candles or other birthday memorabilia.

Don’t limit yourself to just a section of a song, use all of it if you want to.

Write or print out the complete song lyrics onto some nice paper and add it to your page. If you don’t have the room left on your album page make a pocket envelope to put your song sheet into.

You can apply this scrapbook journaling idea to any kind of page theme, not just the ones listed here as examples.

There have been tens of thousands of songs published over the years covering all sorts of subjects – the possibilities for the resourceful scraper are endless.

Just make sure that the song title or lyric you are going to use is suitable for the theme of your layout and you’ll soon add a quick, simple and memorable piece of journaling to your page.

Why Lyrics Are Important

2007-11-24T04:37:00.003-08:00

What makes a good song so appealing to the people who buy CDs and MP3 files? Is it the background beats or the guitar riffs played? Is it the voice of the lead singer or how high he or she can take his vocals to? The truth is that the most important part of most songs, techno possibly being an exception, is the lyrics, or the words of the song. The lyrics are the meat of any song, and are usually the part that is most recognizable from any song. They are an integral part of any music tune and it would be a mistake for any artist to take them lightly.

As mentioned before, the most recognizable part of any song is usually the lyrics. What this means is that when someone is looking for a song they heard on the radio, they will probably remember some key lines from the chorus. They are not, however, likely to remember a well-done guitar solo or something of that sort. While instrumental play is important as well, people usually link songs with the words inside the music. This is because words are not only much easier to remember than instrument music is, they are also easy to translate to someone else. For example, it would be much easier to find a CD if you know the words to a song than if you knew the drum beats from a song.

Lyrics are often commonly considered to be the single artistic part of music as well. While this is certainly not true from a musicians standpoint, as guitars and drums take a lot of practice and time to master, it doesn’t change the fact that many people feel that a good song must have quality lyrics. Good lyrics will relate to a person’s life and make them feel better about a bad situation. Bad lyrics will focus on trivial parts of life that really don’t matter and will have no deeper meaning to them after the song is over. Artists will find that after a while people tire of hearing the same old stuff about showing off gold chains and shaking behinds. Many music fans are looking for songs that have meanings, and this in turn means that artists need to spend more time on their lyrics.

Remember that before it was stated that lyrics are important because of how they can be recognized. This is double-fold when you consider that good lyrics in one song can sometimes single-handedly assure an artists legacy. Journey is one good example of this, as their biggest hit in “Don’t Stop Believing” is a pop culture hit that has never lost fans throughout the decades since it’s release. On the other hand, artists without a standout lyrical song will often find themselves fade out of the picture as their era in music ends.

All in all, lyrics are an important part of any song and the words are the part fans look to the most for inspiration and meaning. Artists who come up with great lyrics are usually the ones most revered long past their prime, so it is important that they focus on this part of a song!

Song Lyrics About Britney Spears

2007-11-24T04:37:00.001-08:00

Britney Spears has been in the headlines a lot lately and it is mostly for bad things, but what no one has really focused on is her new album titled Blackout.

This album seems to be a little autobiographical and even the title seems to point to Britney Spear's problem with drugs and alcohol. If you look at the titles of the songs alone you will get hints to how and what Britney is going through, for example one song is titled "Why Should I Be Sad" this is most likely describing how she feels about her breakup with Kevin.

Take the Lyrics for that song and you definitely know it is about her marriage to Kevin, take these two little bits of lyrics from that Britney song.

"My friends said you would play me

But I just said they're crazy

While I was crying, praying

Was it true?"

"I sent you to Vegas

With a pocket roll of paper

Don't put no ultimatums on you

I thought what could separate us

But it just seemed to break us

Only brought the playa part of you

(Hey baby, what's your name?)

You can't tell me that Britney is not referring to her marriage to Kevin! I think Britney really spills her guts in her song lyrics on this album, and for that reason I think people should forget about all the other nonsense and listen to the song lyrics for what they are. Britney Spears still has a lot to offer the music community and if she manages to stop doing stupid things that take away from her music then people would maybe stop and really listen to her lyrics and what she has to say.

song lyrics

Yahoo's New Music Lyrics System

2007-11-24T04:36:00.001-08:00

In today's world, many people turn to the internet to find information about any subject that one may think about. One subject that is increasing in popularity is searching for full music lyrics to all and any genres of songs. This is fairly simple to accomplish with a simple search in Google, but some people worry that in the very near future, this may or may not be changing.

Yahoo recently announced a new feature that would allow users to search music lyrics from their site. Yahoo has obtained licensing for tons of artists from many different record labels. In exchange for the allowed use of the music lyrics, Yahoo provides a portion of all advertising revenue gained from the site to the artists and record labels.

Some owners of other music lyrics websites have worried that Yahoo's new system will take away a large portion of their site's traffic. One website I contacted even suggested that they would have to take an additional approach, such as offering a new mobile-based lyrics system for cell-phone users, in response to the loss of advertising revenue due to Yahoo's new music lyrics system. Additionally, some lyrics websites are disallowed from posting lyrics to certain artists or bands due to copyright issues. Yahoo's system is an attempt to get around this problem and offers music lyrics to any song the user would want to search for.

While Yahoo's approach is an elegant solution, there are still a couple of drawbacks to their music lyrics system. Part of the deal agreed upon by Yahoo and various record labels include the requirement for all lyrics to be in picture format versus pure text. This is mainly to prevent users from copying and pasting the text of lyrics and to prevent online robots from crawling their webpage with the sole intent to steal the text of the lyrics. This also has a drawback, as mentioned above. Since the lyrics are in picture format, search engines will not be able to see the text in the lyrics, and searches where users enter a verse from their favorite song will not return a result from Yahoo's system.

Yahoo's music lyrics search also suffers from the fact that the "typical" internet user just doesn't know about it. With Google being the current king of search engines, a good portion of internet users have no idea that Yahoo offers such a system. These users will continue to search for music lyrics as they always have in the past, through a typical Google search. This, coupled with the fact that 90% of search engine traffic comes from Google, will mean that although Yahoo's system is a nice approach, many online music lyrics websites will not be as heavily hit as some once thought after Yahoo's announcement. One thing is for certain: unless Yahoo takes over as the king of search engines, most users will continue to find music lyrics online in the same fashion they have used in the past, through Google.

Karaoke Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:35:00.002-08:00

Song brought a whole new era in human existence, making the expression of many feelings and sentiments possible, enabling communication, and creating a condition in which people could actually sing to the music they heard around them. No one can deny that the charm of a karaoke session is apparent only when all people present know and understand the lyrics. Karaoke lyrics refer to the words the songs, whose tunes are being meted out by the karaoke box.

Generally, karaoke discs come in a combined audio-visual format, in which the music is played on the speaker and the words displayed on a television set. If however, the music system has not been connected to a display unit, the lyrics will not be seen and singers will have to depend on memory for the wording of a song. Moreover, if s singer forgets a few lines or messes up their order, the entire karaoke session can go for a toss. This is mainly why karaoke bars always use large display screen for karaoke lyrics.

When people are unsure of the lyrics, they are generally reluctant to sing. Having a display of karaoke lyrics is generally enough to get them off their chairs and on to the stage. When the karaoke lyrics are not embedded in the CD, they can be downloaded from the Internet. Using the media drives of a personal computer, people can even have a ready-to-use karaoke at home to play and display all karaoke songs. At times, the karaoke lyrics are color coded to depict rose and fall of voice and music. At times, these lyrics are displayed along with the original video of the song, so if people please they can look at the actual singer instead of the one pretending to be it.

Most regular players are not equipped to read lyrics from karaoke CDs since they are not designed to read the coded words. Specialized lyric editors that can read file of all formats and synchronize the karaoke lyrics are preferable to regular music systems.

7 Ways to Use Songs and Music in the ESL - EFL Classroom

2007-11-24T04:35:00.001-08:00

For teachers of ESL and EFL, it is necessary to go beyond the book and use alternative activities in the classroom. What could be more fun than using songs to teach English? Here are seven ways that you can use music to make your classroom more exciting.

Cloze or Fill-In-The-Blank Worksheets
One of the simplest ways to introduce a song is to remove all appearances of the grammar point from the lyrics. For example, if the grammar point is adjectives, and the lyrics are, "I'm so tired," the fill-in-the-blank worksheet will show, "I'm so ______." Give your students the worksheets and have them try to fill in the blanks while listening to the song.

Scrambled Lyrics
Another popular activity is to cut up all the lyrics. Most people seperate them by line, but you could even do it by phrase, that's your choice. Divide the class into teams and give each team a set of lyrics. Play the song and have them try to put all the lines in the correct order.

Act Out The Verb
If the song you are playing uses a lot of verbs, play the song for them once without any lyrics. Every time the students recognize a verb, they have to act it out. This can be a lot of fun and gets the class relaxed.

Listening for Points
To introduce a song to the class, divide them into two teams. Explain that the song contains a certain grammar point that you have been studying. If someone hears that grammar point, they must raise their hand. If they identify it correctly, their team gets a point. It's a good idea to pause the song at this point so that you don't miss anything.

Theme-based Songs
If the song you are using is not related to a specific grammar point, but instead to a theme, that's okay! Play the song first without the lyrics and have students write down anything they hear that is relevant to the theme: nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

Combinations of Topics
Of course, the above activities can be combined or altered to make different activities. For example, Act Out The Verb and Listening for Points could be combined to make a fun and competitive activity. I find that students often get more involved when it is a competition, even if there isn't a prize!

Sing the Song!
After any activity, remember to take a few minutes and sing the song as a class! The students enthusiasm will be influenced by yours, so be excited about it. Singing the song after these games will give your students a sense of accomplishment. They have just learned some authentic material and are proud of it!

The Stories Contained in Song Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:33:00.002-08:00

In my opinion, music has the potential to alter the world. However, the changes still have to start with the person. You can learn the secrets of the ages through song lyrics if you are capable of listening to music very honestly. I began to understand the transformative power of listening to song lyrics through a set of lyrics written by Linda Rondstadt years ago. It goes, "I've been cheated. Been mistreated. When will I be loved?"

I was studying the book Beloved by Toni Morrison when I was in college. I had a paper due in one day, but I was completely stressed out because of other school pressures. As a result, I had no clue what to write about.

I wanted to get rid of some of the stress so I took a nap and woke to the lyrics of Ms. Rondstadt’s song. It was buzzing in my ears, and I had the sudden feeling that I should pay close attention. Intuitively, I felt that the lyrics were important. The few lines from that song gave me all the insight I needed to write my paper in a very short time.

The line "When will I be loved?" turned out to be a doorway into my understanding of the book Beloved. I realized that the central character of the book just wanted to be loved. I was able to access enough creativity to write a terrific paper through that realization. I never again doubted the pure potentiality of song lyrics because of this experience.

My experience is just one illustration of the power of song lyrics. I recommend that you always pay close attention to any song lyrics that run through your head. The lyrics are no longer “our there” when they run through your head. You should write down the lyrics of the song that you are singing. This way you will imbue them with meaning, and you will gain a better understanding of what they are trying to convey.

If you look carefully at what you are singing, then you can gain great self-awareness and wisdom. It would be unwise to assume that these are just random song lyrics running though you mind. Since you are choosing to sing them, they must have a message.

In general, the message is about something you wish you had or about something that makes you feel scared. You will uncover clues as to what your deepest values and beliefs are through the songs that you are singing. You should pay attention to the song lyrics that run through your head so that you can grow.

What Makes a Good Keyword Phrase?

2007-11-24T04:33:00.001-08:00

Matt from Washington asks:

“What makes a good keyword phrase?”

A good keyword phrase is one that is closely targeted to your product or service and reveals intent on the part of the searcher.

That’s a mouth full. Let me break it down for you:

When people do keyword research they often focus on keywords that are far too general. Let’s say I have a site where I sell digital sheet music for classic rock songs. Here is a list of possible keywords:

Sheet music
Digital music
Lyrics
Music lyrics
Classic rock
Rolling Stones
…and so on

There are a couple of problems with this keyword list:

1. They are only loosely related to my core product—digital sheet music for sale.

Take “sheet music” for example. Do you sell sheet music? Sure you do. But the sheet music you sell is very specific. Most people who are typing “sheet music” into Google are looking for something other than what you are offering.

Would it benefit you to target this phrase? If you got to the top of Google for this phrase it WOULD result in sales, but because it is only loosely targeted to your product it would likely not be worth the effort you would put in to get there.

2. They don’t reveal intent on the part of the searcher.

Let’s consider “classic rock.” When someone types that phrase into a search engine, they may be looking for the phone number of the local classic rock radio station, a way to download classic rock music or lyrics to a specific song.

These aren’t likely to do you a lot of good.

Here’s how you can improve your search terms, decrease the competition you have to overcome and get more sales per visitor:

1. Look for keywords where intent is clear.

Let’s look at the term “lyrics”.

While you DO sell lyrics, adding a few words to the term will help it be much more closely targeted to your product.

Classic rock lyrics
60’s rock lyrics
Rock lyrics of the 70’s

Can you see how these specific terms reveal what the searcher is looking for?

2. Target keywords specific to your product/service.

You should target the exact keyword phrases describing your product or service.

For example:

If you sell sheet music to the Rolling Stone’s “She’s So Cold”, then you want to make sure you have targeted all of the relevant keyword phrases:

Rolling Stones Sheet Music
Rolling Stones She’s So Cold
She’s So Cold Lyrics
She’s So Cold Sheet Music
She’s So Cold music
…and so on.

Remember this rule: The more specific the keyword the less competition and the more sales you will make.

Take time to create very specific keyword lists and you will climb quickly in the search engine results and make a boatload of money.

Lyrics And Songwriting Ideas

2007-11-24T04:32:00.001-08:00

A song is totally based on its lyrics and melody. Writing lyrics for a song may seem difficult at first. Some people think it takes years of formal training to write good lyrics and become a decent songwriter. I believe it's quite the opposite though. Lyrics are all around us every day, if we just be observe. You have to develop a lyrical mindset. Songs can be written about anything.

It is easy to get ideas for writing lyrics by listening to conversations in day to day life and by observing activities going on around you. Inspiration can be found everywhere, in magazines and newspapers, on the radio, and even in your workplace. Some songwriters start out composing their thoughts as a story, and then putting these ideas into lyrics and rhyme.

When you get your lyrical ideas down on paper, you refine it and start searching for words that will make your lyrics rhyme. However, you don't always need your lyrics to rhyme. Don't just add words to a song because they rhyme, if they don't make sense in the song. Also, if you can't get the last part of the lyrics to rhyme, you can try to think of combinations of words that would rhyme. Whatever you do, you want your lyrics and rhymes to flow naturally.

Don't worry about trying to finish an entire song in one sitting. That just isn't practical most of the time, although sometimes someone can feel really inspired and write whole songs worth of lyrics at once. Really though, you should just write the lyrics down as they come to you, and you will eventually be able to take the best lines and best phrases to complete the song with original lyrics.

As with everything else, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better you will become. Besides just jotting down lyrics as they come to you throughout the day, try to schedule a regular time each day and think about how to compose those lyrics into a meaningful song. Some people find early mornings to be the best time, when they feel refreshed and get better ideas. Today, there is even songwriting software available on the internet to help aspiring lyricists. You may want to look at some of the songwriting software on the market.

Song Titles

2007-11-24T04:31:00.000-08:00

Writing a song seems to be an interesting pastime for some people. However, there always comes the question of where to start writing a song. It is hard to believe, but it is from the song title that a song gets started.

It’s no use starting to write a song until you have a title that moves you, as it is the title that is going to be your chorus, the hook and heart of the song. It is the song title that is going to be the guiding beacon of your song. So start looking around for good titles that have energy for you; perhaps action words, images or some short phrases. You can get that phrase all around you, in the newspaper, conversations, television or magazine. Write all the ideas you get and then choose the one that is most appropriate to you. Once you get the right song title, writing the song proves to flow along, as you ask questions about the song title, and look for their answers. Then you could also make a list of all the words and phrases that are associated with the song title to get more lyrics for your song.

However, when writing song titles, there are a few rules that have to be followed. The first and last words should always be capitalized to provide the effect of the song title. Of course, articles, conjunctions and prepositions that are less than five letters long needn’t be capitalized in the song title. Prepositions are only capitalized if they are the first or last word of the song title. Even prepositions that are part of a two-word phrase, like Come On, have to be capitalized in the song title. Even remember that the short words like also, if, than, when have to be capitalized in the song title. If you follow these rules and ideas, you are bound to come up with a song title that surpasses all other song titles.

Song Lyrics

2007-11-24T04:30:00.003-08:00

Songs are all based on their lyrics and tunes. Writing the lyrics of a song may seem like something that needs lots of formal training. On the contrary, song lyrics are available everywhere around us. We just have to realize that they’re there.

It is very easy to get lyric writing ideas by listening in to conversations and by monitoring activities around you. There are ideas everywhere, on the radio, magazines, and newspapers and even in your office. You could start out writing your thoughts like a story, and then transform these ideas into lyrics and rhyme. Once you start writing lyrics, you start searching for words that rhyme to make your lyrics rhyme. However, if you can’t get the last words of the lyrics to rhyme, you could try to make the line rhyme halfway as well. However, it is not always that you need to have the lyrics rhyme. Don’t make it seem as if the rhymes have been forced to rhyme by adding words at the end of the line just because they rhyme. Instead, make your rhymes flow naturally into the lyrics.

Never pressure yourself to finish a song on one seating, as this is not practical. Just jot the lines as they come to you, and eventually you will be able to pick up the best of the ideas or phrases to complete the lyrics for your song. As in all other cases, practice makes perfect. The more songs and lyrics you write, the better you will become. To ensure that you don’t neglect your lyric writing, it is better to set aside a regular period everyday to write lyrics, preferably early in the morning when you are fresh and will thus get better ideas. Nowadays, for those who need instant song lyrics, there is even songwriting software available on the internet.

Free Song Lyrics Website - How To Choose The Right One?

2007-11-24T04:30:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder what the lyrics to your favorite song are? Or are you one of those people who just sings along with your favorite song without knowing all of the song lyrics? If you answered yes to either of these questions then you are someone who should do a Google search for a good lyrics site.

Most of the lyric sites on the web are free and offer a huge amount of free song lyrics for you to browse through and read. The one thing to watch out for with these free lyric websites is the amount of ads they serve, and in extreme cases some lyric websites have one or more pop up ads that seem to pop up every time you open a page.

The things you should look for when trying to find a good free song lyric website is first and foremost layout. The layout is very important because you have to comfortable browsing through the pages because most lyric websites have thousands of song lyric pages. The layout is also important because a layout that has bright graphics or moving things can cause eye strain and be very irritating.

Another thing that is very useful with a song lyric website is features such as favorites list, which allows users to bookmark or save their favorite song lyrics in one spot for easy access. Another key feature which is a must have is a print function. This function allows you to print the lyrics and most of the time the print function will display the lyrics only and cut out all of the layout stuff so you are not printing graphics and colors etc.

So in the end it pays off to do a little search for a good song lyric website because once you find a good one you will not have to sing songs without knowing the words.

Christian Music Lyrics

2007-11-24T03:54:00.000-08:00

The Internet is the greatest resource for Christian music lyrics. Christian music lovers often search the Internet to find their favorite Christian music lyrics. All you need to do is search by artist, title or album, and the site will offer you the lyrics of the song. The sites offering Christian music lyrics usually have a huge database. For Christian music fans, those sites are the ultimate destination for Christian music lyrics. These Christian music sites are equipped to fulfill all your lyric needs.

Among thousands of Christian music lyrics, you will definitely find your favorite one. Along with offering Christian music lyrics, they also offer the latest news on Christian music. They talk about the latest releases. Those who want to find their favorite Christian songs can search various sites. They may end up learning new Christian songs. The sites always add new songs and lyrics to their databases. You should know the lyrics of the songs so that you don’t lose track of the tune. You need to learn the lyrics of a special hymn to avoid any embarrassing situation at church. You will feel more confident if you know the lyrics.

Renowned musicians have written Christian music lyrics. So, adequate knowledge of Christian music lyrics will definitely help people enjoy the music. Christian music lyrics are quite easy to learn. You can check out leading Christian music sites to get the lyrics and start practicing. New Christian music lyrics are always coming up. If you want to play a more active role in church, start learning Christian music lyrics now!