[nrand]

Hi folks
I was referring to this older song of mine as an example on a writing topic elsewhere here, and looking at it again through different eyes, I am thinking I might redo the music for Amanda completely.  It was originally played in a moderate tempo finger style on a DADGAD tuned guitar but I am thinking of making it much more up tempo. While I polish off a couple of more recent efforts, I though it would be fun to see what others here think about a style to suit these words. Feedback is welcome.

Amanda

1. Amanda there’s someone here needs you
Has the needing made you tired?
Amanda there’s someone here wants you,
Has the wanting quenched your fire?
Love is captive to desire.
Amanda, Oh Amanda

2. Amanda your eyes never wavered
When the stranger took you in
Amanda your eyes never told him
Love is ugly, Love is sin
Light is fading, growing dim
Amanda, oh Amanda

CHORUS: Amanda, mother’s child
I can see in through your windows
I can hear it in your sighs
Amanda, Mother’s child
I can see in through your windows,
Amanda
I can see in through your windows
Amanda,
Oh Amanda

INSTR Bridge

3. Amanda the children are watching
Who can tell them what to see
Amanda their eyes are like oceans
We are drifting out to sea
Life is fleeting, let things be
Amanda, oh Amanda


CHORUS: Amanda, mother’s child
I can see in through your windows
I can hear it in your sighs
Amanda, Mother’s child
I can see in through your windows,
Amanda
I can see in through your windows
I can see in through your windows
Amanda  
Oh Amanda

This song is copyright © Nick Randall - & Gorgeous Productions 1997
All rights reserved

[hardtwistmusic]

That sang easily and with a reasonably dramatic vocal melody at about 120-128 bpm when I read it. 

That is (of course) a guess, but I think it's reasonably accurate.

BTW... what a marvelous lyric.  Very very polished imo.  Expresses a lot emotionally without being specific about what it is it's expressing -- which leaves the listener to fill in the blanks from his/her own life. 

An extremely good lyric imo.

[tokenangmoh]

Now those are some beautiful lyrics.

Personally I hear moderate to low tempo with this. Could be finger picking, could be piano. A cello may be involved... The words just feel like they need to be lingered on a little.

But it's your tune and you would know best. I look forward to hearing both versions.

Matt

[Jess]

I liked this piece- especially verse 2- but I agree when I read it I heard a slower finger picking melody. I mean the lyrics sound quite sad and solemn so I don't know if an uptempo beat would work? I also was a little unsure what it was about, like obviously it's about Amanda, but what's she done? Why have you written the song? For me that wasn't totally clear in the song.

[nrand]

Happy New Year! & Thanks for all your comments.
I have always been fairly satisfied with the lyrics but felt the music let it down a little.
This was originally one of eight or so songs I wrote for a play called Futz.
The setting is in Appalachia, and the play is a black comedy about censorship, although with this song, the last moment in the play, I felt I needed to turn the them on its head and ask questions about lost innocence. .
The second verse, especially 'Has the wanting quenched your fire?, Love is captive to Desire'
really sums the intent of the song. Written as an allegory- thus there is no need for more specifics as I think these questions are potentially universal.
The original was played with picked guitar and fiddle with two voices in sort of a quasi-bluegrass style. The acoustic guitar part seemed to make the song drag a little, and I this with a brighter instrumentationI can get the musical lift it needs.
I am now leaning towards making mandolin the main rhythm instrument, as with bluegrass / trad folk music a sad tale does not necessarily need to be told slowly. I am working out the mandolin part now.
Hopefully by the end of January I'll have something to show. I am on holidays now and preparing a covers show which I do solo. Its all music, all good.