Quite a while back when started my SG membership, I wrote a short blog post about a song idea I had. This was a couple years ago and I was new so I forgive you if you never saw the post.
But I'm happy to say, I've been working on it over the past few weeks and I think I have the lyrics finished. The song is called Toxic. The idea came from an experience I had with a family member who got on my nerves one too many times with her complaining, bragging and publicly berating her husband. While we've sort of reconciled... we speak with each other when we see each other (which is infrequently), the issues that caused the rift in the first place has yet to be addressed. I was very angry and bitter toward her then but not so much now (it's been two years since the incident occurred).
Funny thing is, this song, while written about her, could also apply to almost any U.S politician, most of the lyrics anyway. Enough background. On to the lyrics.
TOXIC
Verbal pollution
Noxious words invade my brain
Like an infection
Contamination
Viral parasitic drain
Mental corrosion
-- CHORUS --
You're like acid rain
Caustic
Venom in my vein
Toxic
Complaints aggravate
Negativity burning
Boastings irritate
Patience arrested
The disrespect disturbing
Tolerance tested
-- CHORUS --
You're like acid rain
Caustic
Venom in my vein
Toxic
Miasmic ego
Craving constant attention
Oppressive control
Friendly bridges burned
Acrid alienation
Family ties spurned
-- CHORUS --
You're like acid rain
Caustic
Venom in my vein
Toxic
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So that's it. I might swap the second and third verse. I might add another verse; it might go at the end or go between the second and third verse so that there are two verses between the choruses. Where the additional verse goes depends upon how it turns out and fits with the other verses. I'm also not completely happy with the last verse, so it might change.
It's a pretty bitter song, so it calls for a down tuned, dark, sludgy, maybe even an evil sounding, heavy metal guitar riff. I've been playing around with two different tunings on my guitars: drop C (strings 1-5 are tuned one full step down from standard E and string 6 is dropped another full step to C) and CmAdd9, which is a dark, kind of evil sounding, chord that really fits the bitterness of the lyrics. I'm leaning toward CmAdd9 tuning, but it's rather difficult to play with right now because it's so unfamiliar, meaning the notes on the fretboard are all different than I'm used to.
I came up with the main riff a few days ago and added in an intro that I came up with quite some time ago that just fits perfectly. But I'm having a little trouble coming up with something that will fill in between verse stanzas, a transition from the main riff to the chorus, the chorus, a transition from the chorus back to the main riff, the guitar solo section (though I could solo over the main riff or over the chorus) and an outdo to finish off the song. All of these parts need to be dark and sludgy. They can't be "happy" chords or riffs. I'm hoping to hit on a "pleasing" dissonant power chord or riff that will work with the main riff. But so far, inspiration hasn't hit me. Maybe I need to record the main riff so I can play over it to find the "brown" sound that'll fit perfectly.
After that's all done, I can lay down a click track (like a metronome) and record the first guitar part. I have an idea for a second guitar part, but I can't work on it until the first guitar part is done. Then I'll need to create a bass guitar part (yes, I have a bass guitar too). Somewhere in there, I'll program the drum track (I don't play drums), probably after the first guitar part is recorded. I'll record the vocals last.
I'll definitely post when the demo is done and where you can go to hear it, probably Reverbnation, unless it's too long to upload to my free Reverbnation account. In that case (and I hope it's not), it'll go up on Soundcloud and Fandalism.
So, I still have a lot to do on Toxic, but I'm making progress finally. It feels really good to be playing my guitars more regularly and writing a new song. It's been at least nine years since I wrote my last song.
I had a specific verse structure I wanted to try on this song, something I know I've never seen or heard in a song in any popular genre. If you think you figured it out, post a comment with what you think it is. If enough people hazard a guess, I'll reveal the song structure. HINT: it is a poetic structure not normally associated with music and usually doesn't rhyme.
Also, feel free to let me know what you think of the lyrics.
Stay Tuned,
DeadGuitarist
