New Song: The Ballad Of N.D.C.

More genre jumping songwriting with a Music Hall inspired, agitprop-pop satire on urban regeneration.
It's all yours - no charge, just leave me a comment.

Download FREE mp3
Download FREE Chord/Lyric Sheet
'Behind the song' post

In the year two thousand and nothing
Our Community got a New Deal
55 million pounds came from London
To fix Radford and Hyson Green
The N.D.C. were appointed to spend it
The Neighbourhood Development Company
But that’s not what N.D.C. stands for
Least not if you ask folk round here…

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
That’s what it means,
‘Cos that’s what there’s been -
No discernable change.

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Well they came and they saw 
And spent millions galore
All for no discernable change.

 55 million quid don’t go far now
If you spend it on Alfreton Rd
The shops along there must be pricey
It’s a good job that half of em’s closed
But who cares that some’s standing vacant
When they’re boarded up so beautifully
If you need a kebab or a haircut
There's no better place you could be

 The government weren’t too impressed though
“For our money please give an account,
Is there anything left in the coffers?”
When they turned out their pockets they found-

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Laggy bands and some sweets
And a lot of receipts
But no discernable change.

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
For only a pound 
We could buy Notts County 
But no discernable change.


 Some Nottingham folk saw it coming
They said things would come to no good
‘Cos the most famous local’s an outlaw
There's robbin’, but it ain't Robin Hood
 
Should we all take our grievances higher?
Does the blame lie at Council House steps?
If we made our voice heard next election
What outcome then might we expect?

 No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Vote ‘em in, vote ‘em out, 
When the last ballot’s counted
No discernable change.

No discernable change,
No discernable change,
Hyson Green you’ve been had, 
Radford, eat your kebab
There’ll be no discernable change


Related Posts: The Eglon Song

Sho Baraka's New Album Is Out Now!

Thats right Sho Baraka's Lions & Liars is available RIGHT NOW!
Lecrae, JAMM, Trip Lee, Tedashii are all on board.

Deluxe versions are available here. There are five versions to choose from.




For more promos and snippets go here, more information? Visit www.reachrecords.com

US peeps can get it at Walmart ($9.99 w/bonus tracks), Family Christian, LifeWay, Berean, and Mardel Christian stores.



Related Posts: The Sho Must Go On


[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

Slowing Down

Posts here might be a little more irregular over the next two weeks. I'm off work for a fortnight (yay school teaching!) so, as well finding some roses to smell, I'm hoping to spend some time doing some of the following

• Set up a more user friendly page where you can get all my song downloads in one place
• Rebrand my Beatles blog
• Rerecord one or two of my best songs so far or
• Write one or two new songs or
• Finish one of my many unfinshed songs.
• Go crazy bananas networking across the blogosphere like a crazy bloggin' fool

wish me luck!


Matt

Behind The Song: One Three Nine

Like the other pro life songs I wrote last summer, One Three Nine was written and recorded in little over a week. I found with this song especially that having a time limit was freeing, forcing me make snap decision rather than getting mired in chasing elusive possibilities.

I’ve wanted to chop up a classical composition and use the chords to create a new song for a long time. As ‘Ase’s Death’ by Edvard Grieg is almost entirely chords I thought it would make an ideal starting point. The original piece, from the play Peer Gynt, is a lament and seemed like a good match for the lyrics.

I spent two days sifting through five different recordings and chopping them up but the process proved too complex because I wanted to change the time signature from 4/4 to ¾, put it in a lower key, discarded one section and invert the remaining two. So in the end I borrowed the score from the public library and played all the parts in myself on a mini keyboard. In between trips to the library I worked on the song by playing the chords as best as I could on guitar.

The lyrics are a paraphrase of Psalm 139: 13-16

Each stanza contrasts the view that the unborn are human beings made in the image of God with the view that they are ‘things’ that we may remove and dispose of as we see fit.

You knit me together there, my maker
Deep in my mother's womb
But they found the place where you hid me
And dragged me out.


There in the hidden depths you wove me
Such intricate handiwork
But they unpicked each strand, in clinical
Man-made light.

Download the FREE mp3
FREE Chord sheet
Read the full lyrics


Other pro-life songs
Your Difficult Decision
Salt Water
First Black President

Write Like Newton

A blog I'd recommend you check out is Sound Doxology. This from a nice post called Worship leaders imitate John Newton

Newton speculated in his Preface, “The late Dr. Watts, might, as a poet, have a right to say, That it cost him some labor to restrain his fire, and to accommodate himself to the capacities of common readers. But it would not become me to make such a declaration. It behoved me to do my best.” What Newton is saying, is that Isaac Watts was so skilled in his composition of hymns that he had to “labor” for his ‘usefulness’. Where Newton strived to be his best, Watts did his best not to do his best! Why? So that he might be useful to the lowest in the flock, or in this case “the capacities of the common readers”! That is a beautiful picture of what the heart of a worship leader should look like!

Read the whole thing


Want more John Newton? Check out Cardiphonia's Newton's Songwriting 101



Related Posts: Me & Isaac Watts are starting a bowel movement
part one and two

OK Go Again, Jazz Police & Beatles vs U2

I know Wednesday is in danger of becoming the OK Go appreciation day on this blog, but if you've seen the Rube Goldberg Machine video for their song This Too Shall Pass (and why on earth wouldn't you have seen it?) then I know you'll be interested in the new feature on their site. An interactive floor plan of the machine with videos, photo & 'did you know' sidebars. 

Unleash your inner geek.

Zach Nielsen posts more in a day than I do in a month but still manages to gig with a jazz trio. Now he has a dedicated website with free mp3 downloads. Try a tasty Message In A Bottle starter then head over to the audio page for the main course.


For the songwriters among you there's a post on the blog after 909 looking at why The Beatles were so prolific and why U2 aren't. It's called Blessed Are The Limited.

Related post: Songs in the key of Z

Can Universal Records Save The CD?

Here's the latest episode in the major labels attempt to their own sorry necks. What's the 'hail mary pass'?

Sell more CDs.

 Seriously.

Yep, dinosaurs aren't renowned for their smarts. The story would be funny if it wasn't for all the artist who have the misfortune to be shackled to a major liability label.

Reuters reports...

Universal are testing of a new pricing structure designed to sell most new CD releases at $10 or less at retail [bringing] CD prices more in line with what consumers pay for digital albums at online retailers like iTunes and Amazon.


"We think it will really bring new life into the physical format," Jim Urie Chairman/CEO Universal Music Group Distribution says.

Lost. For. Words.

The plan is to reduce UMG's cut to $7.50 or less & put suggested retail prices on CDs, ranging from $6 to $10. This will cut Universal's profit by about $2.50 per CD.

UMG is betting that it can offset the loss in revenue per CD with increased sales volume

(fat chance)

and the rollout of greater numbers of higher-priced, higher-margin deluxe editions of albums.

Maybe, but not enough to claw back what they're giving away.

Rueters suspects that UMG will try to reduce CD costs, like less elaborate packaging on standard single CD releases 


Removing one of the reasons people choose physical over digital? Won't that drive more people to iTunes?

or placing fewer songs on albums in order to reduce mechanical royalty payments to songwriters.

Fewer songs? Less royalties? AKA stiffing the public & stiffing the artists.
Business as usual.

Read the whole thing



Related Posts: The Album Is Dead
Trent gives it away

Should We Pursue Excellence In Musical Outreach?

Updated 23/03/10

Here’s the scenario. You live in a hip city, a bustling metropolis if you will. You are reaching out with the gospel to cultured people, artistically and aesthetically switched on. They’re not just urban they’re urbane. So what music are you going to use in your outreach? Or more to the point what level of quality?

Isn’t it obvious? These aren’t X-Factor loving binge drinkers you’re trying to win. You’re reaching out to discerning people. Surely you need cutting edge music performed by top quality musicians, industry-standard sound gear, maybe even stage lighting. Anything less will turn them off. Won’t it?

The thing is if you go through most people’s playlists, CD rack or vinyl collection you'll probably find nestling among the multi-platinum perfectly produced classics some of the following

Punk
Early folk music
Blues
Grunge
Field recordings
Rock and roll
Live bootlegs

What characterises many (but by no means all) artists in these genres is poor recording quality and a 'rough and ready' level of technical proficiency. But something in them connects with the hearts of people, sophisticated and simple. And maybe that same thing would connect them to the music played in your church.

But what is it?

Leave me a comment...



Related Posts: This is sooo wrong #2

New Song: One Three Nine

One Three Nine is in many ways the most unusual song I've posted here. It's a pro-life song, the music is from a classical piece by Grieg called Aase's Death, it's my first song with no guitar and the lyrics are a paraphrase of psalm 139 intercut with a response from the point of view of the unborn.

(For more info read the 'Behind the song' post).



Download the FREE mp3
FREE Chord sheet
Read the full lyrics


Almighty God, my maker
You formed the depths of me
Like wolves they came, encircling
Eager to tear me to pieces
You knit me together there, my maker
Deep in my mother's womb
But they found the place where you hid me
And dragged me out.



Other pro-life songs
Your Difficult Decision
Salt Water
First Black President

Stop Singing, Start Worshipping And Get On That Treadmill!

Want to know how to work out whether a band is christian or not? Josh Harris (via Sound Doxology) is happy to help. (click to enlarge).

Are you a leader who needs to get back to the heart of worship? This talk by Dave Holden will do you good.

But maybe you want to kill off congregational singing in ten easy steps? Let Jamie Brown lead you.

I'm just discovering OK Go. Apologies if you're one of the 47 ,000,000,000 people who have already seen this video.




On a personal note last week saw my 800th song download. Thanks to every one of you. Hope you liked 'em. If you did, tell a friend. They're all free! Also over at the blog after 909 I've blogged my way through the Beatles first album. Only another 12 or so to go...


Related Posts:
The slow death of Congregational singing
Armistice (Mutemath) review

[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

One Three Nine: New Song Preview

Sneak preview of my 4th & final pro-life song.
Music: Edvard Grieg, melody & lyrics: Matt Blick.
mp3 posted Friday 19 Mar 10

One Three Nine

Almighty God, my maker
You formed the depths of me
Like wolves they came, encircling
Eager to tear me to pieces
You knit me together there, my maker
Deep in my mother's womb
But they found the place where you hid me
And dragged me out.


Almighty God, you made me
So fearfully and wonderfully
But fearlessly, so callously
See how they chose to unmake me.
Your works are wonderful, my maker
That I know very well
The horror of things evil men do
I know that too.


Almighty God you saw me
In secret you made my frame
But openly, so publically
They broke me before I was finished
There in the hidden depths you wove me
Such intricate handiwork
But they unpicked each strand, in clinical
Man-made light


Almighty God, you saw me
My body as yet unformed
They saw me too, thier hearts unmoved
Labelled me something sub-human
All the days you ordained for me Lord
Were written down in your book
But still their decree stood that not one
Should come to pass.



Other pro-life songs
Your Difficult Decision
Salt Water
First Black President

Writing Songs With - Stephen King

All A Songwriter Needs Is A Door

Here’s one of many things I’ve gleaned from horror writer Stephen King’s excellent book On Writing and transposed from books to songs.

“The space [where you write] can be humble…it really only needs one thing: a door you are willing to shut”.

Write With The Door Closed

Stephen learned this from newspaper editor John Gould who told him, “Write with the door closed. Rewrite with it open.” Meaning a songwriter should try to write the first draft of his/her song “with no help (or interference) from anyone” and then rewrite with the help of feedback from others.

He recommends finishing the song as quickly as possible saying, “If I write rapidly…I find that I can keep up with my original enthusiasm and at the same time outrun the self-doubt that’s always waiting to settle in”.

Once the first draft is finished “[let it] rest and go to work on something else.” Resist the temptation to go back and repeatedly listen to the demo. You want to be able put it on in a few weeks and hear it with fresh ears, the way your audience will.

Rewrite With The Door Open

When you start seeking objective advice the first person to ask is yourself. If you’ve been good and not put the song on heavy rotation on your mp3 player you should have gained some much needed objectivity (or at least a tad more than you had when recording it). Make notes of possible corrections, revisions etc, but don’t do anything about them yet.

Now get a few trusted people to give you feedback. There are two types

Factual. If your grammar or theology or anything else is objectively incorrect - change it, without delay or argument.

Aesthetic. Look for consensus. Do they all hate the chorus? You probably need to change it. Does everyone has a problem with a different aspect of the song? You don’t need to change anything unless you want to. And if some people love the part that you hate or haven’t noticed that 'horrendous' note in the pre chorus maybe you need to let that go too.

The 'get the first draft finished as fast as possible' approach is new to me. I have to confess that struggling over a song for ten years has felt like a badge of honour for me, but perhaps it's the most insane example of multitasking ever attempted. I'll let you know how it works for me.

What's your method?

How does Stephen's advice differ from your approach?

Has this post inspired you to try anything different?

Related Posts: Songwriting with Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg

Lessons from U2's coffee table

Keith & Kristyn Getty songwriting seminar

Behind The Song: Salt Water

Watch Part Two here

Salt Water was my first attempt at a pro-life song written in the summer of 2009. I had seen a video on Youtube of prolife activist Gianna Jessen who is remarkable not only for her courage and outspokeness but also for the fact that she herself survived a Saline abortion at 7 1/2 months that left her with Cerebral Palsy. Her story stuck in my mind and galvanised the desire to speak in defence of those had not lived to tell the tale as Gianna had done.

'Instillation abortion' is one of the less common methods used to abort babies often late term. Saline solution is injected in to the amniotic fluid turning it poisonous, burning the baby inside out.

I tried to imagine what a baby would feel in the womb, both during an unhappy pregnancy and then during abortion. I’m very aware that this makes the song difficult to listen to but I tried hard to write as sensitively as possible about what is, after all, a horrific subject.

The final verse is paraphrase of And Can It Be by Charles Wesley

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

To echo his language was a spur of the minute decision that felt right at the time.

The song moves through five different keys, starting in the Lydian modes of E, A & G in the verse. Then E minor and E major in the chorus, returning to E minor for the coda.

The chorus chords are ones I had for a long time using them first in a song called Mark 4:14 and later an instrumental called Funeral Dirge For A Dead Ex-Girlfriend. Hopefully they’ve found a permanent home here.

Download the free mp3
Free chord sheet

Related Posts: other pro-life songs

Your Difficult Decision
First Black President



[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

The Amazing OK Go!

I'm a fan of Mutemath and their amazing videos but American band OK Go blow MM out of the water with two incredible videos for the song This Too Shall Pass.

First the Rube Goldberg machine version which is nuts. Some clever editing makes it look like a single take but even so it is a work of certifiable genius. If you want to know more there are a series of 'making of' videos - here's part one.



You'll have to go to Youtube to watch the Marching Band version but believe me, it's worth it. Then why not get a free mp3 of the marching band version from OK Go's website.

If you like what you see this band deserves your love - they have parted company with thier record company today but I'm sure that is EMI's loss.

Zach saw it first

Related Posts: MuteMath - Spotlight
Mutemath - Typical


[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

Writing Songs With - Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg

Welcome to an occasional series of posts gleaning songwriting tips from unusual sources. Can a worship songwriter learn anything from horror writer Stephen King? What can a prog-rock band learn from The Goon Show? Find out in the next few weeks, and read on to see how YOU can shape future posts...

Do It Yourself (For Now)

Films are made by casts of thousands, even tens of thousands. One in every 25 New Zealanders worked on Lord Of The Rings in some capacity, so the legend goes. Alongside the extras and assistant to the third assistant directors are a core team of incredibly talented people who carry major responsibility in their own right.

But Peter Jackson didn’t begin by moblising a whole country to his vision, kick-starting the tourist industry and driving down unemployment. No, before Richard Taylor & Weta Workshop had been set to work making a single Hobbit ear, Peter Jackson was mixing foam latex in his mother’s food mixer and baking alien heads in the family oven for Bad Taste.

And before John Williams entered Steven Spielberg’s life (no doubt preceded by a menacing Cello leitmotif) Steven was composing his own score for the 1964 film, Firelight, on the clarinet. Both directors did these roles out of necessity rather than choice and were happy to make way for more talented men or women when they arrived, but in the early stages they did everything. When Jackson needed a steadicam (RRP $40,000) he built one (for $20). When the Nazis in Escape To Nowhere needed matching shirts it was Spielberg who got dye on his hands.

Music has a smaller but no less essential crew. To get a song from an idea to an audience you probably need at the very least a songwriter, a singer, musicians, a producer/engineer, a publisher, and a publicist. Who are you going to get to do all those jobs? Long term – who knows? But short term I’m pretty sure it will be you. Some of these roles you’re gifted in. In others you’re hopeless. But it doesn’t matter. You have to do them anyway, at least till you can pay someone or talk ‘em into doing it for nothing. And that may be never. 

What I’ve learned from Steven and Peter is there are jobs to be done and they ALL need to be done. You can’t work doubly hard at some and ignore others.

• It’s pointless writing great songs if you never record them.
• Pointless making great demos if you never get anyone to listen to them.
• Pointless being a master publicist with no songs to promote.

Until your dream team (and the funds to pay them) arrives do the best you can. Study if you have to. But remember as you struggle with SEO, or Pro Tools, or playing the drums that incredible projects like The Two Towers or Close Encounters only exist because something came out of Steven’s Clarinet and Mrs. Jackson’s oven.

Over to You. 

Is there anything you’ve learned from someone outside of the music business that has really shaped your songwriting? A preacher, sports coach, cookery expert, business mogul? Maybe even a fictional character? Leave me a comment – who knows? It might be worth turning into a guest post?

Other posts in this series

Stephen King

Related Posts: Why Pixar's Pete Docter feels like God

Why Weird Al is a great example for worship songwriters

New Song: Salt Water

Salt Water is the third of four pro-life songs I'm posting through February and March.

Download the free mp3
Free chord sheet
Behind the song post

All the light,
All the light that I can see
I can see through you.

When you walk,
When you walk my world trembles
And moves with you.

When you sing
Your breathing embraces me
But you haven't sung
Since the day you found out I was here.

I'm not a twinkle in his eye,
I'm just a little star inside
The universe of you.
Let me shine, let me shine.

Keep me safe inside,
I'm not ready yet.

Read the full lyrics



Related Posts:
Behind the song: First Black President
  New song: Your Difficult Decision

Five reasons for writing pro-life songs

Wed News & Links

Future gear, fancy drummin', loops, lists, & gritty rappin'

Bob Kauflin has a helpful song list on the second coming
and another on the resurrection.

If you use loops in your worship band Kyle Campos of Our Rising Sound can produce them for you. For example, check out his band playing God Of This City live. You can also get lots of loops from his site for whatever you want to donate.

Streets Of New York - DJ Official feat. J.A.Z. & Magellan




You want to see amazingly sychronized highly flammable, yet curiously effeminent mock sword fighting drummers? You got it!

And finally, I gotta get me one of these...

I particularly like the Creative Difference Engine & Decade Selector.

The Future of music book saw it first



Related Posts: more links

Salt Water - New Song Preview

Here's the lyrics for the third  (& probably most controversial) of my pro-life songs. Download the free mp3

Salt Water

All the light,
All the light that I can see
I can see through you.

When you walk,
When you walk my world trembles
And moves with you.

When you sing
Your breathing embraces me
But you haven't sung
Since the day you found out I was here.

I'm not a twinkle in his eye,
I'm just a little star inside
The universe of you.
Let me shine, let me shine.

I'm not an earthquake come to shake
All you worked so hard to make
But you can burn me, you can break me.
Keep me safe,
Keep me safe inside,
Inside.
I'm not ready yet.

I hear the sound,
I hear the pounding of life
Coursing wild through you.

All you feel,
All you fear in your heart,
I can feel it too.

When you laugh
I feel your laughter shaking me
But you haven't laughed
Since the day you found out I was here.

I'm not a twinkle in his eye...

I awake.
My kindly prison flames with light.
It feels like time.
Is it my time, my time to arrive?

Salt water burns my skin,
Salt water burns my eyes.
(Though I've never seen your face,
Even so I love you)


© Matt Blick NeverbornSongs.Com 2009
For, and with thanks to, Gianna Jessen.

Download the free mp3
Read more about the inspiration for and writing of Salt Water

Related Posts: Five reasons for writing pro-life songs
Behind the song: First Black President
Behind the song: Your Difficult Decision