"And/Or" Song Challenge Results
Summary of challenge assignment:
Write and record one song and complete one of these three concepts.
- A stranger comes to your door, and/or….
- You find a class ring along a river bed, and/or..…
- You get a phone call in the middle of the night, and/or…
Paul Nye, VP
MN Assn. of Songwriters
Start Date: 5/15/23
Deadline: 6/15/23
Option: Primarily a solo write, but co-writes are accepted. Open to all MAS members and those who are in a 30-day “Trial Membership.”
Check out what our MAS members wrote!
Knocking At Your Door
Date submitted: June 5, 2023 at 8:16 am
By: Greg Connor: gregoryaconnor@gmail.com,
Copyright info: © Gregory A Connor 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Knocking-At-Your-Door-Gregory-A-Connor.rtf
Just below the consciousness, there waits a new idea
Something never thought about and never was revealed
It’s almost like a stranger that comes knocking at your door
And shares the gift of something new that no one’s seen before
When you hear that stranger knocking, try not to disregard
Open up, let him, It isn’t very hard
You just might find a simple thing you almost can’t believe
That no one’s ever realized and now has been conceived
Chorus
When you hear that stranger knocking open up the door
Invite those new ideas in and brace yourself for more
You never know what’s coming till you finally comprehend
And you see that stranger knocking with something new again
That Stranger’s knocking, knocking at your door
It’s a world of new invention changing every single day
We just keep evolving and we live our lives that way.
When you hear that stranger knocking try to understand
Recognize with open arms the gift held in his hand
This song is a nod to creativity, perseverance and invention. Inspired by both Minnesota Association of Songwriters song challenge prompt and MacPhail’s 2023 Hero Collage challenge. (Taken from MacPhail, Center for Music website: “Tell us the story of your hero that helps you persevere, inspires you, and makes this world a better place.”)
The song addresses the creative process applied to problem solving. Please notice the subtleties that bubble up in the song as an attempt to emulate inspiration. Two examples are the short riff at the end of the verses, guitar followed by Bass and the use of a thumb piano accenting the chord changes.
You Don’t
Date submitted: June 5, 2023 at 9:32 am
By: Manny Cortez: Mannyandthemob@yahoo.com,
Copyright info: 6/3-6/4/2023
You Don’t
I had a dream I found a class ring
Along a river bed the inscription read
Please return this ring to me
I got a call in the middle of the night
No one spoke and it freaked me out
Then I heard someone say to me
(Chorus)
You don’t want to go and turn on me
You don’t want to make me mad
I can make your life a living Hell
Don’t try me, don’t try me It would be bad
The Morning came with a knock on my door
It was a Stranger, though I’ve seen him before
He said that he knew of me
So I let him in and we spoke for awhile
I am the worst of you, He said with a smile
Don’t you know who I am?
(Chorus)
You don’t want to go and turn on me
You don’t want to make me mad
I can make your life a living Hell
Don’t try me, don’t try me It would be bad
I glanced at him and I came to see
That all the signs were pointing at me
The stranger only lived in my head
Words and Music Manny Cortez 6/3-6/4 2023
My system is down so I recorded it on my I-Pad
A Stranger at Your Door
Date submitted: June 5, 2023 at 9:49 am
By: Terry Kennedy-Lares: TurloughKennedy@aol.com,
Copyright info: 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/A-Stranger-at-Your-Door-1.rtf
A Stranger at Your Door
Terry Kennedy-Lares -2023
I don’t have the feelings that you want from me,
I can’t be the person that you want me to be,
I don’t believe in standing in someone else’s shoes,
Loving somebody with nothing left to lose’
You’re gonna lose.
Chorus
You can’t expect love, that, you ought to know,
A garden of false promises is never going to grow,
I won’t give my love away to strangers any more,
Don’t want to be a stranger knocking on your door.
A stranger at your door, A stranger at your door.
I don’t have the answer to the question of love,
I don’t have a remedy for the push and the shove,
I don’t believe in standing in someone else’s shoes,
Loving somebody with nothing left to lose.
You’re gonna lose.
Chorus et fini.
Caller ID
Date submitted: June 5, 2023 at 11:47 am
By: Greg Connor: gregoryaconnor@gmail.com,
Copyright info: © Gregory A Connor 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Caller-ID.rtf
Caller ID – Gregory A Connor © 2023 All Rights Reserved
Two in the morning, who could that be
Who in the world would be calling me
Some late night heckler just saying hello
I try to wake up but I’m moving so slow
Far too often the telephone rings
In the middle of the night, some ding-a-ling
He’s calling to tell me he’s just full of crap
Then laughs and laughs till the line goes flat
I thank the lord for caller ID
It’s all so clear right in front of me
Sun comes up I make the call
Rise and shine you old dirt ball
Caller ID, caller ID, thank the lord for caller ID
I like to catch em fast asleep
When I first wake up and brush my teeth
I’m just returning your late night call
Have a nice day you old hair ball
I thank the lord for caller ID
It’s all so clear right in front of me
Sun comes up I make the call
Rise and shine you old dirt ball
Caller ID, caller ID, thank the lord for caller ID
How do you like the receiving end
I got your number and I’ll call again
Technology has leveled the playing field a bit in regard to unwanted phone calls. When combined with a reverse directory, the world becomes the victim’s oyster. It’s one of the perfect environments to turn frustration into enjoyment.
Like a Knock on the Door
Date submitted: June 6, 2023 at 8:53 pm
By: PAUL BECKERMANN: paulandpambeckermann@gmail.com,
Copyright info: copyright Paul Beckermann 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Like-a-Knock-on-the-Door.rtf
Like a Knock on the Door
Some days when every stone’s out of place
Leaves tumblin, getting tired of the chase
Torn from a branch by a crisp autumn breeze
Will I ever find peace?
Will I ever find peace?
CHORUS
(Is it) Like a knock on the door
In the dark of the night
Or a bend in the road
Something just out of sight
How will I know when I’ve found my peace
Will it make a sound?
Will it make a sound?
I’ve seen bright sun cast cool shade
On days when I think I’ve got it made
The rain starts gentle then comes down in sheets
Will I ever find peace?
Will I ever find peace?
CHORUS
I pick up the stone
I peak out the door
I look ‘round the bend
For something more
I dance in the rain
I twirl in the breeze
I flirt with the shadows
And set myself free
CHORUS
©Paul Beckermann 2023
Just When You Think
Date submitted: June 7, 2023 at 4:14 pm
By: Greg Connor: gregoryaconnor@gmail.com,
Copyright info: © Gregory A Connor 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Just-When-You-Think.rtf
Steve Earl Cantrell from Biloxi High
Was out on a summer day
He went for a swim as the day slipped by
And was shocked when his ring fell away
He put his class ring deep in his pocket
For safe keeping, or so he had thought
One dive too many, he knew he had lost it
Searching had left him fore naught
Chorus
Just when you think everything is lost
Something will change your mind
Look for the good in what comes across
And that’s what I think you will find
He and his friends they looked without end
They dove on and on in that place
The Biloxi flowed by and the water was high
They never recovered a trace
45 years, I think it was that
The gold class ring crossed his mind
Eventually came to grips with the fact
His class ring he never would find
Chorus
One day a friend said he found it on line
A 68 Gold Class Ring
Engraved with initials that matched Cantrel
It seemed like the craziest thing
A phone call or two revealed it true
It seems so hard to believe
Steve Earl Cantrel pretty sure that he knew
His class ring would soon be retrieved
Chorus
Mary Kay Johnson called with the news
Her grandchildren found that ring
On a sand bar along the Biloxi River
It was easy to spot the small shiny thing
Chorus
True Story … Steve Earl Cantrell (Class of 1968 Biloxi High School Mississippi) lost his class ring while swimming in the Biloxi River. Thanks to the internet, Facebook specifically, Mary Kay Johnson’s grandchildren found the ring on a sandbar 45 years later and was able to find the original owner.
The ring was engraved with Steve Earl Cantrell’s initials, S E C.
My first impression reading the prompt (“You find a class ring along a river bed”) was did that ever happen, followed quickly by what could possibly be interesting enough to write a song about that.
JUST WHEN YOU THINK EVERYTHING IS LOST, SOMETHING WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.
Love Sick Lap Dog Fool
Date submitted: June 8, 2023 at 11:02 am
By: Greg Beck: gregb@mac.com,
Copyright info: 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Love-Sick-Lap-Dog-Fool-MAS.rtf
Love Sick Lap Dog Fool
She’s got me on choke chain
Can not break away
I was a free roaming hound on the hunt
Now she’s got me well trained
No matter when she calls
I will be right there
Could be the middle of the night it doesn’t matter
I no longer care
Chorus:
I think it’s over but then she calls
Will she be loving will she be cruel
I tell myself don’t answer but I always do
I’m her love sick lap dog fool
[Repeat Chorus]
She loves me then she doesn’t
I’m going insane
Wish I could quit her but I’m caught
Between pleasure and pain
She’s an angel or a demon
Depends on the day
I’m in heaven or in hell it’s hard to tell
I live my life in disarray
[Repeat Chorus]
©Greg Beck | gregb@mac.com | 320-266-2460
Christmas Ain’t What It Used To Be
Date submitted: June 10, 2023 at 2:56 pm
By: Douglas Millaway: virgil.trucker@gmail.com,
Copyright info: ©2023 Doug Millaway
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Untitled-document-2.rtf
Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve
I suppose it’s time for me to leave
I need to get away from here
Don’t want the kids to see my tears
When you told me we were through
I was still so in love with you
Not sure I can fake a smile
Best for me to get away for a while
Wrap the presents, trim the tree
You bring that special gift to me
It’s not what it seems, It’s just a dream
Christmas ain’t what it used to be.
Hope for a call in the middle of the night
You just tell me it’ll be all right
A 2:00 am knock on the door
You say you don’t want to live apart anymore
Then I realize it’s all in my head
Loneliness stole my happiness instead
Thought these were supposed to be happy days
My Christmas Spirit is just a haze
Wrap the presents, trim the tree
You bring that special gift to me
It’s not what it seems. It’s just a dream
Christmas ain’t what it used to be.
Wrap the presents, trim the tree
You bring that special gift to me
It’s not what it seems. It’s just a dream
Christmas ain’t what it used to be.
Time to fall
Date submitted: June 10, 2023 at 8:45 pm
By: Rebecca Drimmel: radrimmel@gmail.com,
Copyright info: Rebecca Ann Drimmel June 2023
Time to fall (Written by Rebecca Drimmel)
Intro chorus:
It’s a long way down
It’s a long way down
Verse 1:
I awaken, a little after midnight
Rain pouring down
After all this time
That you’d be gone
Is this the call, that would end it all
Chorus:
It’s a long way down
I’m living in tears after all these years
It’s a long way down
I’m living in fear, cause you’re no longer here
It’s a long way down
It’s a long way down
Verse 2:
In my mind
I’m fighting these years and fears
Maybe a few tears
Cause your voice is still here, in my head
When I wake up
Your shadows appear
As I look into the mirror, are you here
Bridge:
Oh no, no, no
Oh no, no, no
No, you’re never coming back
I got that call
Is it time, for me to fall
Chorus:
It’s a long way down
I’m living in tears after all these years
It’s a long way down
I’m living in fear, cause you’re no longer here
I wrote, composed, mixed and mastered this song on my DAW GarageBand and Logic.
Don’t Let Go
Date submitted: June 15, 2023 at 5:50 pm
By: Pierre Bohemier: phbohemier@gmail.com,
Copyright info: 2023
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Dont-Let-Go-Pierre-Bohemier-June-MAS.rtf
Don’t Let Go
Still of the night, ringtone breaks the air
A daughter’s reaching out in despair
She hopes that he’ll wake and answer her call
She needs her dad to break her fall
She hears his voice and knows she won’t cry alone
He’ll listen till the night is gone
Through words of comfort he’ll dry her tears
On this late night call, he’ll calm her fears
And he tells her
Chorus:
Don’t let go, hold on tight
Everything is gonna be alright
I’ll be there to see you through
Always remember, I love you
A mother’s neglect casts a haunting spell
The damage done, the scars still dwell
The highs and lows, a childhood of strain
Now seeking refuge to deal with the pain
Too young to understand her mother’s ways
In a storm of struggles and cloudy days
With every word they speak, her healing takes flight
Through the darkness, he’s her guiding light
And he tells her
[Repeat chorus]
As the dawn breaks, the phone call fades away
But the bond between them will stay
She’ll remember
Don’t let go, hold on tight
Everything is gonna be alright
Don’t let go, hold on tight
Everything is gonna be alright
©Pierre Bohemier | phbohemier@gmail.com | 204-952-3074
His Name Is Rudi, I’m His Deejay
Date submitted: June 15, 2023 at 9:12 pm
By: Dan Barnes: dan@danbarnes.net,
Copyright info: 2023
v1 He said he needed a little Elvis
To make his old back stronger
He said Bless You Man like always
When I cued up Blue Suede Shoes
It was his second call in August
At three a.m., as usual
I can do this in my sleep
I no longer blow my fuse
c His name is Rudi,
I’m his deejay
He says birds gave him my number
Calls my landline
It’s unlisted
Gets rung by him alone
I’ve grown to like his calling
I have Siri wake up Elvis
To sing to Rudi on speakerphone
v2 We get to chat a bit like strangers
Before I start the music
Like two city busline riders
Whose stops are miles apart
He’s a stockboy out at FoodLand
That’s on third shift, and on second
He cleans offices, five floors worth
And it kinda breaks my heart
c repeat
v3 Last June I thought he was an jackass
I swore and blocked his number
Then something said unblock it
Now I worry what it means
That my three a.m.’s gone silent
Wafting by without a whisper
Here I am in late September
And Rudi only calls my dreams
c repeat
This song is a little “out there.” I used the challenge prompt, “You get a phone call in the middle of the night.” From there, I have the caller trying to request a song from a deejay. From there, what if he’s dialing a wrong number? What if he’s a little crazy? What if he keeps calling, on and off for weeks? And what if the guy who gets called comes to think this is OK?
I used the iOS app “iReal Pro” to generate the arrangement. It’s sort of like Band In A Box, but focused on jazzy sounds and much cheaper. I ran iReal Pro on my iPad and recorded the vocal on my iPhone, then put the tracks together in Audacity on my PC. I tried to jazz up my vocal phrasing a bit, and there are a few lines whose timing I’d fine tune if I had better Audacity skills at this point. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this song.
