A Winning Love Song

Have you ever wanted to change the lyrics of a song? I don’t believe I have until now. If you are familiar with Amy Winehouse’s song Love is a Losing Game you may understand what I mean in saying that it’s a beautiful tune but the lyrics absolutely break your heart. If you know Amy’s story you’ll know this is her swan song and that’s heartbreaking enough. I sat down the other day and wrote my own lyrics to Amy’s torch hymn. I believe they are a much more affirmative and positive approach to my own modern experience of love. I have put them up underneath a video of her singing the original with her lyrics. Mine are directly beneath. Give them the once over and then try it with the song. Let me know if you like the change. –The Castle Lady    

 

For you, I was a flame

Love is a losing game

Five-storey fire as you came

Love is a losing game

One I wish I never played

Oh, what a mess we made

And now, the final frame

Love is a losing game

Played out by the band

Love is a losing hand

More than I could stand

Love is a losing hand

Self-professed, profound

'Til the chips were down

Though you're a gambling man

Love is a losing hand

Though I battle blind

Love is a fate resigned

Memories mar my mind

Love, it is a fate resigned

Over futile odds

And laughed at by the gods

And now the final frame

Love is a losing game.

 

 

 

Caught up in wild games

Love flick'ring like a flame

Chasing me, on you came

Love soon forgot its name.

 

One for which I often prayed

Oh what a mess you made

You never took the blame

Love hung its head in shame.

 

Then taken by the hand

Love made for me a stand

I just couldn't understand

Foolish became my brand.

 

In love ourselves we found

Our dance went round and round

Gambling got out of hand

Laid down the cards, the man.

 

Did I almost lose my mind?

Never was the loving kind

Learned love, learned time

Will heal all past design.

 

I bow while crowds applaud

My love was saved by God

In all I've lost or gained

Love is still what remains.

American Idols Newest Contenders

Even though I’m not a huge fan of the show, I can honestly say that American Idol is becoming one of those star-making venues that has a finger on the pulse of music trends, stylistic aberrations and even some unique songwriting talent. It is worthwhile to sit in on both the auditions and the actual weekly contests of potential winners-to-be. Just last night I watched the final 20 round and I definitely had a few favorites that just may make it even if they drop out of the competition by next week. One singer/guitarist who normally writes his own songs is Alejandro Aranda who looks like and has been a street musician. His outside the lines songwriting and song choices are exercises in breaking all the rules of music and getting away with it on an almost genius level. His version of I Fall Apart by Post Malone was reminiscent of his own writing style and showed the world what his potential will be in the long run. 

     Ashley Hess did a version of John Mayer’s Dreaming With a Broken Heart that literally does that. It is a song that makes you think about the human state of longing for love and learning to live without it that makes you choke up inside. Her version sounded a little dreamy and when I ran it over again I realized she took the song to the level it should have been at- a half awake and still dreaming rendition I’ll not soon forget.

     

 Another contestant that I’m extremely impressed with is Kate Barnette, a 23 year old nanny from Georgia. Even though her song didn’t match her Rickie Lee Jones look- of whom she could be a twin- she sang Maroon 5’s Sunday Morning like it was written by Rickie. This girl not only has an extremely versatile and unique voice but she channeled Rickie like a Hollywood star and most likely will make movies- musical or non-musical, with the aplomb of Streisand, Midler and McClaine.

     In closing, I would like to do a shout out to Alejandro. I have some lyrics for a song I think you might like to add music to when you find the time. The name of the song lyrics are Someone Stepped on Her Heart. Sound interesting? Let me know.

The Castle Lady

with a song in my heart !