Some Friend I Turned Out To Be (I'm Sorry)
Ryan
prefer not, but hey it's a free world. Just take a look and please tell
me if I have any artistic quality as a lyricist. This is one of only a
few songs I wrote that is based on a personal experience. A good female
friend of mine wrote me a letter about five years ago, and I never knew
why until just a few weeks ago. I found out that about five years ago
she was raped by her abusive boyfriend (she was 14). It's a sad song.
And sad songs say so much, don't they? -- Ryan
Some Friend I Turned Out To Be (I’m Sorry)
You wrote me a letter,
And you told me I was your best friend
I didn’t know what to say,
Didn’t know how to respond
Nobody else, had ever told me I was their best friend
So I never wrote back,
I just kept it in my room
You wrote me a letter,
It was the only one you wrote me
Something must have happened,
But I didn’t do anything
You reached out to me
I’m not used to being the one
I guess you were wrong,
Some friend I turned out to be
I must have read that letter
A hundred times or more
I just couldn’t see
What else you were trying to tell me
I put it away,
So I could read it again someday,
Now I can’t find it,
Some friend I turned out to be
Chorus:
I’m sorry,
You were reaching out
And I refused to take your hand
I’m sorry,
I was just a kid,
Some things I couldn’t understand
I’m sorry,
I was immature
Some things I just couldn’t understand
You wrote me a letter,
You never said the reason why,
But I found out today,
And the pain you went through made me cry
Why didn’t you tell me,
I wouldn’t have known what to say,
But one thing I know,
Is that I would have written back anyway,
Oh, (repeat chorus)
I am sorry,
I don’t understand subtlety,
I just thought,
You were being nice to me
You told me
You’d do anything for me
But I turned my back,
Some friend I turned out to be
Oh, and I’m sorry,
Why didn’t you tell me,
I would have called,
I would have tried to help,
Why didn’t you tell me,
Now I feel so bad,
I feel so guilty,
I’m sorry,
Some friend I turned out to be
PegBertsch
Writing lyrics about personal experience can be difficult and scary, and
sometimes I think we end up holding back -- in part because we forget we are
close enough to the subject to know what it's about, while a listener who
doesn't have that personal knowledge won't have the benefit of that personal,
emotional connection. But also, it's difficult because when we go beneath the
obvious at the surface, things get harder to say. We feel like we're exposing
ourselves too much, it's almost uncomfortable to share those most private
thoughts with the world.
But that's where the really great lyricists separate themselves.
After reading your description of where your song came from, I immediately
thought of two songs I've heard that deal with domestic abuse, by two top-notch
songwriters. Maybe you'll seek them out and take a listen:
"I Would Be Stronger Than That" -- written by Gary Burr, recorded by Maura
O'Connell on her album "Blue is the Color of Hope" I think (also recorded by
Faith Hill, I think, but I don't know which album).
"Walkin' Waste of Time" -- written and recorded by Dana Cooper, included on
both his "Roughy Speaking" mostly-acoustic album, and his latest Compass
Records release, "Miracle Mile" (one of my favorite albums from last year).
[Dana's cds are available online at songs.com/dc]
Then I would take a hard, objective look at how these writers set the scene in
their lyrics, the kind of poetic imagery they use, the visual aspect of their
lyrics. And ask yourself if your own lyrics possess the same "artistic"
qualities.
I learn a lot from studying lyrics I really admire. They challenge me to raise
the bar when I'm writing my own songs, they often remind me that the best
lyrics come when we're willing to open ourselves up to the very core and let
people peek inside. Lines like "I feel so guilty" turn into "She turned
away/I turned to salt/No ocean made of tears/Could ever wash away my fault"
(lines from another Dana Cooper song, "I Had That Coming").
I think the road to becoming an "artistic lyricist" is often a rocky,
challenging one. But I think those who are brave enough to even venture out
and take the first few steps can make it, if they are willing to work hard at
it.
See you out there on that road ;-)
--peg (who still has a lot of ground to cover...)
Holly
Since you prefer it, I won't critique, only offer a suggestion...
Since this is so fresh (only a couple of weeks?) try putting this one away
for a month, and come back to it and see if *you* feel you have any talent.
In the meantime, every time you think about this experience and some
emotion it evokes in you, grab a piece of paper and write it down...it
doesn't have to rhyme...just write it down...I think that this lyric is a
good frame of a song...you just need to finish building it, when you are
ready.
I'm still struggling with a song written about something I don't fully
understand yet...the song won't be right until I come to terms with what it
is I'm trying to heal with it.
Good luck!
Holly
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Rik Shafer
away/I turned to salt/No ocean made of tears/Could ever wash away my
fault"
(lines from another Dana Cooper song, "I Had That Coming").
Ouch. Why didn't I think of that!
Michael & Irene Woloshen
Yeah...
--
Irene Jackson
Webpage: http://www.islandnet.com/~woloshen/ijackson.html
RMMS: http://www.islandnet.com/~woloshen/rmms.html