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Your First Dance Wedding Song

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"

"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

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

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

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"

“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

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.