[GuyBarry]

We've been discussing my latest song "I Never Expected You" elsewhere on the forum so I thought I'd post the lyrics here.  There's no sound file available yet but the sheet music is available here (written in glorious longhand)! 

The last verse was written specially for the occasion when I performed it, so I'm obviously going to need new lyrics for subsequent performances or recordings.  Any ideas about what to put in there?


I never expected that in twenty-sixteen
We would mourn the great and the good,
Leonard Cohen, Bowie, Prince Buster,
Greg Lake, Victoria Wood.
I never expected that we'd leave the EU,
Or they'd swear in President Trump,
The disdain for Jeremy Corbyn
Brought me down to earth with a bump.

Oh, they were completely unexpected,
And they took me by surprise,
They were unforeseen, if you know what I mean,
Hit me straight between the eyes.
I tell you I never saw them coming,
They arrived like a bolt from the blue,
Yes, they gave me a knock, but the biggest shock
Was that I never expected you.

I never expected Leicester City would rise
To the top of the Premier League,
Mischa Zverev beat Andy Murray,
Which filled me up with intrigue.
I never expected BHS would go bust
Or Theresa winning the vote,
Or the endless Southern Rail strikes,
Or the plastic five-pound note.

Oh, they were entirely unpredicted,
They were not known in advance,
They were unrevealed, they came out of left field,
They were acts of random chance.
I tell you I never saw them coming,
They arrived like a bolt from the blue,
Yes, they gave me a knock, but the biggest shock
Was that I never expected you.

I'm cautious with my money and I've never gambled yet,
But I'd have made my fortune if I'd only placed a bet.

I never expected I'd be up on the stage
At a Rec House Session tonight,
Right here in front of the curtain,
And standing under the light.
I never expected I'd have written this song
And be here performing it now,
Maybe Pleasure Garden Productions
Have made it happen somehow.

You know it was not anticipated,
And it couldn't be foretold,
It wasn't bargained for, I was swept off the floor,
And it nearly left me cold.
I tell you I never saw it coming,
It arrived like a bolt from the blue,
Yes, it gave me a knock, but the biggest shock
Was that I never expected you.
I tell you I never saw it coming,
It arrived like a bolt from the blue,
Yes, it gave me a knock, but the biggest shock
Was that I never expected, never expected, never expected you!

[Arkwright]

This is a clever piece of writing Guy in that it's current and should certainly appeal to a British audience. However, therein lies a potential problem. It may not stand the test of time or have a universal appeal.

That being said it's very well written, flows well and if I were to listen to it in twenty years time it would bring back some poignant memories.

Nice work...

[GuyBarry]

This is a clever piece of writing Guy in that it's current and should certainly appeal to a British audience. However, therein lies a potential problem. It may not stand the test of time or have a universal appeal.

Oh of course it won't!  It was written specifically to be performed now, at the beginning of 2017.  The idea was to create a contrast between the "retro" swing style and the contemporary references, so that audiences would think "what?"  I can always update the lyrics from time to time.

That being said it's very well written, flows well and if I were to listen to it in twenty years time it would bring back some poignant memories.

Nice work...

Thanks very much

[diademgrove]

I really like the words to your song. They work for me but then I know all the references.

The punchline, "I never expected you", works really well as its the last thing I'd have expected the song to be, a love song.

Keith

[Vintage54]

    Hi,
     Smart, and rolls along nicely. I Get what the Ark says about it being too current, and dying with time. But i also like your idea of updating it, as the time passes to keep it fresh. It's a good write, particularly like the penultimate verse, that one will never need updating.

                            Vintage54

[Cazrolina]

Hey there,

How about something like...

I never expected I'd be centre stage
At this music session tonight,
But Im here in front of you lovely folks,
And blinking under the light.
I never expected I'd have written this song
And be here performing it now,
Maybe a loved one smiling above
Has made it all happen somehow

Happy Thursday one and all
Caz

https://soundcloud.com/cazrolina-1