Congratulations to our November MAS 2021 Co-Writing Challenge songwriters!
Each time we run these challenges, it's a special treat to see what songs are created from the same set of prompts they are given.
Some writers selected their own co-writer, and some were adventurous and let us pick a writer at random for them.
The talent, creativity, and heart of our writers shows up in their work.
You'll hear it in a second.
If you're interested in jumping in on the fun our members have, click here to find out how you can join MAS today.
What was the prompt this time?
This month we kept it straightforward; watch a video clip and write a song. It can be about anything from something a character says to a picture frame on the wall in the background. Just watch the clip and write what comes to mind.
Here are the songs.
A Lucky Hand
Date submitted: November 12, 2021 at 9:46 pm
By: Mary Kealy-Falk: vintagevfh@gmail.com, Greg Connor: gregoryaconnor@gmail.com,
Copyright info: 2021
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/A-Lucky-Hand-Mary-Kealy-Falk-Greg-Connor-Co-Write-Challenge-RTF.rtf
A Lucky Hand
Mary Kealy-Falk & Greg Connor
Copyright 2021
Verse 1
I went with Lady Luck for a walk one cool morning
As I held her lovely hand, she said to me
Good luck and bad will both be smiling at your door
And they both will play a part as you will see
Verse 2
She told me life is just a game of luck, it’s only destiny
If you think you’re in control, well think again
You’ve got air in your lungs and been blessed with God’s good fortune
So know that you’ve been dealt a lucky hand
Chorus
A lucky hand, hold it loosely,
Life was never meant to know or understand
Grab yourself a magic pen and a few blank sheets of paper
And write your song of life with a lucky hand
Bridge
Hold it loosely, and you will always know
The hand of luck is with you wherever you go
Chorus
Refrain
A lucky hand, a lucky hand, write your song of life with a lucky hand.
Here’s A Song
Date submitted: November 18, 2021 at 12:27 pm
By: Jon Theis: jontheismusic@gmail.com, Jan Slow: vanishingcowboys@yahoo.com,
Copyright info: 2021
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/Jon-Theis-Jan-Slow-Heres-a-Song-Cowrite-Challenge.rtf
Here’s A Song (The Ghost)
You were the sunrise I gazed on every morn
And like the sunrise in a moment you’ll be gone
Stop pretending you might stay another day
What can I give you for the promises betrayed
How can you leave the times we shared behind
There’ll be no next time no one more day of lies
So remember there are no good goodbyes
Here’s a song let it burn behind your eyes
[Chorus]
Here’s a song my parting gift to you
Here’s a song to tear you heart in two
Here’s a song to taunt your memory
Here’s a song the ghost of you and me
A song of sorrows you can hear without a sound
A song of shadows may you wander town to town
And when the night falls may teardrops fill your dreams
May you tremble as your soul tears at the seams
[Repeat Chorus]
Forget your kisses you don’t exist
I’ll ask my heartache exactly what we’ve missed
Here’s a song
[Repeat Chorus]
Jon Theis | Jan Slow
(I’ll Never Have) Way Too Much of You
Date submitted: November 21, 2021 at 8:20 pm
By: Paul Beckermann: paulandpambeckermann@gmail.com, Skip Zetzman: skipzetzman@gmail.com,
Copyright info: 2021
(I’ll Never Have) Way Too Much of You
By Skip Zetzman and Paul Beckermann
Verse 1
(I’ve had) Too much work for too many days
Straining my hands in too many ways
Nothin’ but bills and too little change for me
(I’ve had) Too much scotch and not enough rocks
Too many holes in my Sunday socks
Too much time reliving my used-to-be’s
Pre-Chorus
Then I look into your full-moon eyes
I begin to realize
Too much of you is just too little for me
Chorus
(‘Cause I’ve had) too much, way too much
Too many times I’ve craved the rush
Too much of this crazy life it seems
(I’ve had) too much, way too much
But not too much of a tender touch
Way too much of too many things it’s true
But I’ll never have way too much of you
Verse 2
Too much coffee with all those pills
Too many meds to cure my ills
Too many calories cookin’ on the grill
More’s not better, more or less
But I keep putting that to the test
I feel like I’ve climbed way too many hills
Pre-chorus
And then your hand slips into mine
And writes a poem with perfect rhyme
You restart my heartbeat every time
Repeat Chorus
Pre-chorus
And when your hand slips into mine
We write a poem with perfect rhyme
Words that join our heartbeats every time
Repeat Chorus
Outro
No, I’ll never have way too much of you
No, I’ll never ever have way too much of you
Copyright Skip Zetzman and Paul Beckermann
Stuck Yesterdays
Date submitted: November 21, 2021 at 10:12 pm
By: John Landretti: jlandretti@gmail.com, Vicki Morrison Goble: vicki@latebloomersrock.com,
Copyright info: Copyright 2021 John Landretti and Vicki Morrison Goble
Lyrics sheet: https://mnsongwriters.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/8/John-Landretti-vmgoble-Stuck-Yesterdays-Co-Write-Challenge.rtf
Stuck Yesterdays
Long after hours the restaurant had closed
the stars were out as before
Hattie stepped out with the trash in her hand
and walked to the dumpster once more
she stood where the trees cast a shadow
past the light of the hot kitchen haze
then tossed up the bag that seemed the weight of her days.
CHORUS
Out on the road, up on a ridge
back on a bedroll under a bridge
My stuck yesterdays won’t follow me here
Bring on tomorrow with nothing to fear
Cares to the wind, farewell to the end
time to begin at beginning again
Back at the house the curtains were closed
her husband lay drunk on the floor
Hattie went through with a bruise on her cheek
and walked to the bedroom once more
she looked at the mirror with its postcard
of a boat setting off from the shore
then packed up her bag and walked one last time out the door.
Repeat Chorus
Long after midnight when nothing was closed
the stars were out as before
Hattie sat up with a pen in her hand
and opened her notebook once more
She sketched the early horizon up on an old cowboy ridge
then lay on her bedroll and dreamed of crossing a bridge.
Repeat Chorus
