Author: marcelpereira

Week 33 – Dance, Dance, Dance

Posted on by marcelpereira

Please bear with me for this longish post, I just thought I’d devote more time to the inspiration behind this song 🙂

Lately, I’ve been reading a few books by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, described as one of the world’s greatest living novelists. His books have been translated into many languages, and sold all over the world.

The first of his books I picked up was Sputnik Sweetheart, which got me hooked. Then I read Dance, Dance, Dance, which inspired me to write this song, but I’ll go into that later…

At this very moment, I’m trying to read The Elephant Vanishes and Kafka On The Shore at the same time (because I have to return both books to the library soon!)

Not that I’m rushing through them; I’m reading the books slowly, paying attention to the wonderful way he describes everyday objects.

Take, for example, his description of an unused alley behind the protagonist’s house in The Elephant Vanishes. He ventures inside in search of his missing cat:

“Oh, well, I think, might as well look for that cat. Leave later developments for later. Anyway, it’s a damn sight better to be out and about than to be cooped up indoors waiting for the telephone to ring.

The spring sun cuts clean and crisp through the ceiling of overhanging branches, scattering patches of shadow across the ground. With no wind, the shadows stay glued in place like fateful stains. Telltale stains sure to cling to the earth as it goes around and around the sun for millennia to come.

Shadows flit over my shirt as I pass under the branches, then return to the ground. All is still. You can almost hear each blade of grass respiring in the sunlight. A few small clouds float in the sky, vivid and well formed, straight out of a medieval engraving. Everything stands out with such clarity that I feel buoyant, as if somehow my body went on forever. That, and it’s terribly hot.”

Amazing isn’t it? Anyway, back to Dance, Dance, Dance, the novel.

I won’t go much into the story, but anyone who’s read this book will remember the mysterious Sheep Man, a being who lives somewhere between worlds and who’s task it is to help the book’s protagonist, who’s completely and utterly lost in his search for answers, get connected. This is what the Sheep Man tells him to do, and by the way, this is exactly how he talks:

“Dance,” said the Sheep Man. “Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays. Yougota dance. Don’teventhinkwhy. Starttothink, yourfeetstop. Yourfeetstop,wegetstuck. Wegetstuck, gottakeepthestep. Yougottalimberup. Yougottaloosenwhatyoubolteddown. Yougottauseallyougot. Weknowyou’retired, tiredandscared. Happensoeveryone, okay? Justdon’tletyourfeetstop….Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays.”

Yup, when you get stuck, you gotta dance. Dance like your life depended on it.

Dance, Dance, Dance
Inspired by a novel of the same name by Haruki Murakami
© Marcel Lee Pereira, 17 December 2010

I get lost sometimes
Walking down the street with a blindfold on
Confused by the things that have come and gone

I think I think too much
Staring at shoelaces come undone
Tripping me up when I want to run

I gotta tie it together
I’ve got nothing to lose

CHORUS
So I’ll dance, dance, dance (x 2)
As long as the music’s playing
Stepping to my own beat, swaying
Dancing like my life depended on it

You see I won’t ask why
I’ll just keep my body moving
I won’t stop till my world is grooving

Round and round I go
Spinning like a ball of clay
To find my shape on the potter’s tray

Wishing’s not gonna do it
I’m gonna get to it

CHORUS
So I’ll dance, dance, dance (x 2)
As long as the music’s playing
Stepping to my own beat, swaying
Dancing like my life depended on it

Dancing to my music
Dancing to my own beat
Dancing to my music
Dancing to my own beat

Week 32 – Save Me A Kiss On Christmas

Posted on by marcelpereira

I’ve been meaning to write a Christmas song at some point, so I guess this week’s it. It’s two weeks before Christmas after all, so why not? 🙂

Spending time with family is I think one of the most important things to do every Christmas season, other than of course celebrating the birth of Jesus. That’s why songwriters have written much about coming home for the festive season.

Songs like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, ” Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “Driving Home For Christmas” are some of the more popular examples I can think of.

This week’s song is all about coming home. It’s written from the perspective of someone who has gone away from the woman he loves to seek his fortune. She has given him her love and support, and is patiently waiting for him to return.

Now, after he’s done what he had to do, he’s trying to get home for Christmas, but he isn’t sure he’ll make it time. Flights are full, traffic is a killer, and everyone just seems to be getting in the way…

Still, he’s hoping for that special Christmas miracle to happen and he’s asking his love to save him a kiss when he returns.

Lyrics below:

Save Me A Kiss On Christmas
©Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 11 Dec, 2010

The nights are a getting colder, this time of the year
I’ve been away too long, sung my song, climbed my mountain
Your voice was all I could hear

You told me to follow my heart, down the uncharted path
Since I’ve been gone, you’ve waited for me, so patiently
How I’ve prayed to see you again

There’s a star rising above your door
I’m a long way off, but I’ll get there for sure

CHORUS
The streets are filled with people
With nowhere to go
The city lights
Part of a show
Time moves too slow
My heart’s already flown
Save me a kiss on Christmas
I’m coming home soon

I’ve missed my flight and the traffic’s not a pretty sight
Will I get out of here, I’m lost in space, want your embrace
Your smile like starlight dancing in your eyes

A voice inside of me, telling me to believe
To hope against hope
I see a star rising above your door
I’m a long way off, but I’ll get there for sure

Week 31 – Bad Stuff Got You Good

Posted on by marcelpereira

This song initially started with the title “Don’t Let The Bad Stuff Get You Good”, and I built the verses from the phrase.

I wanted to play on the words “bad” and “good”. “Get you good” can mean someone’s going to beat you up, as in: “You’d better watch out, I’m gonna get you good!”; Or it can also mean someone wants you real bad, as in Shania Twain’s song “I’m Gonna Getcha Good.” What I wanted to do was to encourage people not let the bad things in life get them down, and say it in a slightly unconventional way.

I finished up what was to be the first draft of the song, and played it for Carol. (She’s always the first one to hear a song I’ve written ;))

She didn’t really like it. There were too many “ohhhs” in the middle, and the verses were repetitive, she said. And she also suggested I change the title to make it “less obvious”. I agreed with her. Plus, the initial version was about 5 minutes long and could do with some tightening.

The next day, I spent the entire afternoon doing major rewrites. I made the verses less repetitive and cut down the breaks between each line to make the verses flow better. I also changed the title to “Bad Stuff Got You Good”. I felt it was more punchy, less obvious, and still got the message across.

Here’s the final result:

Bad Stuff Got You Good
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 2 Dec 2010

Rain clouds comin’ in too fast
A shroud of sadness that never rests
Find a shelter on your windswept way
Winter’s troubles fade in May

Put love and hope on your speed dial
They’re trying to get to you, my child
Like birds of spring singing at your door
Let them in, don’t cry no more

CHORUS
Oh… when the bad stuff got you good
Never worry
More than you should

God won’t give you what you can’t take
Won’t break the promises he’s made
When all else fails you’ve got me, don’t forget
I’ll do my best to pick up the slack

CHORUS
Oh… when the bad stuff got you good
Never worry
More than you should

BRIDGE
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Like you haven’t got enough
To care about

So smile for me and steal my breath away
You’re amazing and I want you to stay
We can face each day as it comes
What good is life without the sun

CHORUS
Oh… when the bad stuff got you good
Never worry
More than you should

Week 30 – King Of The Toadstool

Posted on by marcelpereira

I’m generally a very easygoing person, and there aren’t many people I really dislike. I mean, live and let live, right?

Carol tells me many, many times that I’m too nice, and she’s worried that people will take advantage of me. Anyway, whether that’s true or not isn’t the topic of this post.

So yes, about this person this song is about… I’m not going to name any names, of course. Nope, no details whatsoever. I’m not even going to say if this person is a guy or a girl. Suffice it to say that he/she is the “King of the Toadstool”.

What do I mean by that?

Picture an ugly amphibian perched on a toadstool, lording it over the flies that cross the path of its sticky tongue. The flies are the only ones that fear it, and it relishes that power. This toad thinks it’s the king of the world; it takes great pleasure in its glorious position, its mushroom throne.

It doesn’t realise that it is just a toad, and its “kingdom” is just a tiny patch of earth… And the flies? They are scared of everything.

The proverbial frog in the well.

If you read the lyrics below, you’ll get a better idea of how I feel towards this someone. And if he/she eventually stumbles across this post, I couldn’t give a damn, really.

King Of The Toadstool
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 27 Nov 2010

You’re the fat fish in a small pond
Wielding fear like Machiavelli
Telling everybody what to do, ohh…
I don’t have a problem with authority
Go to hell, respect you gotta earn

The fake plastic horns on your head
A million empty threats
Killing every Monday, Wednesday ohh…
Go ahead ‘cos you don’t scare me
From the bottom of your well, you’ll never learn

Chorus
You’re the king of the toadstool
Thinking you rule
But the sky is too high
Above your throne
You’re the king of the toadstool
Prince of the flies
But there’s no way I’d stick around
No I won’t

I’m no bug on your tongue
Got the first ticket out
I’m not getting high-strung
Gonna disappear

So your majesty you
Gotta find someone new
Clean your own dirty shoes
Cos I ain’t here

Week 29 – Be A Duck

Posted on by marcelpereira

I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase “like water off a duck’s back”, which basically means something has no effect on you, like when insults are hurled at you and you don’t feel even the least bit annoyed.

Of course, when it comes to hurtful words, they can – and usually do – hurt…

A while ago, I was trying to console Carol about something someone said to upset her; and to cut a long story short, I told her to “be a duck” – let the words roll off your back. They are just words after all.

This week, which was a very long and trying week for the two of us, I guess I felt the need to be a duck myself, and ignore some of the things people were saying to me.

So… this song is all about being a duck. Next time, if you know somebody who’s feeling down because of criticism, tell ’em to be a duck too 🙂

By the way, if you think you heard me sing the F-word, you heard right. Completely intentional – and the first time I’ve used an expletive in a song.

I actually think this song should be called “Be A Duck (Don’t Give A F**k)”, but I’ll stick with the current one for now 😉

Be A Duck
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 19 Nov 2010

Try not to think about
The silly things that people say
A thunderstorm of cruel words
Can ruin a sunny day
The cold chills fill your soul
And nag you as you pray
But they’re not true
I know you

Look the face in the mirror
Straight in the eye
Say hi, give a smile
It’s worth a try

Chorus
Don’t drown yourself
In whining over your bad luck
Be a duck, be a duck, be a da da da…
Shrug the water off your back
Don’t give a fuck, yeah

Words, they are just letters
Stacked together in a made up fact
And the labels stuck on you
Are not stuck with superglue
Like post-it notes on a tree
They soon fall away
Relax
You’re okay

Look the face in the mirror
Straight in the eye
Say hi, give a smile
It’s worth a try

Chorus
Don’t drown yourself
In whining over your bad luck
Be a duck, be a duck, be a da da da…
Shrug the water off your back
Don’t give a fuck, yeah

It’s easy to stumble
When you’re in doubt
Stand on a cloud
That’s allowed

Week 28 – On Heaven’s Wings

Posted on by marcelpereira

This week, I was introduced to just about the most beautiful passage on love I have ever read. It’s from The Prophet, a book by Lebanese-American poet and writer Khalil Gibran.

In the chapter on love, which you can read here, I encountered one of the most profound (and true) descriptions of this basic human emotion. Take some time to read it if you can.

As I read and re-read the passage to get its full meaning, one line stood out for me: “When love beckons to you follow him,/Though his ways are hard and steep.”

That line really brought home the meaning of love for me: that in order to truly experience love, you have to feel both its pleasure and its pain. Only then are you in the heart of love itself.

This was the line from which I began to write this song. I called it “On Heaven’s Wings” because I felt the title fit the message I wanted to achieve with it: An invitation to the one I love to experience true love with me.

There’s a reason for everything, and I think I discovered this passage because I wanted to write a love song to Carol this week. Something which had meaning…

I played this song to a fellow songwriter who was at the Maestro outlet at Scape Mall this morning, and he asked: “How many times have you made your wife fall in love with you?”

I shrugged and smiled. I think you’ll have to ask Carol for that answer.

On Heaven’s Wings
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 12 Nov, 2010

Love, you beckoned, and there you stood
One girl in a million
You had me good, you had me good

Love, you beckoned, and I answered
Your voice smooth as a kitten’s purr
My thoughts a blur, my thoughts a blur

Chorus
Walk with me
And I will sing
Lie with me
On Heaven’s wings

I know, I fear that love can hurt
But love, it can also heal
Pleasure and pain, again and again

So I yielded my heart to you
‘Cos we don’t want to laugh alone
Nor cry under a stone, under a stone

Chorus
Walk with me
And I will sing
Lie with me
On Heaven’s wings

We shall run like the deer
Run free, two melodies
That fall and rise perfectly
I love you for you
And so I give freely
Myself, my heart, my life

Chorus
Walk with me
And I will sing
Lie with me
On Heaven’s wings

Week 27 – Fragile

Posted on by marcelpereira

It’s been a rather ’emo’ week for me.

We lost an uncle to cancer on Monday. He died just slightly over half a year after he was diagnosed… very sudden, very sad.

The day he died happened to be All Saints’ Day, and his obituary in the papers read: “Gone fishing with the Lord and the saints”, together with a snapshot of him on a boat, showing off his catch. I kinda liked that.

Then, there was the senseless and tragic murder of 19-year-old Darren Ng, which I’m sure you’ve read about in the papers.

He was just hanging out with his friends at the Downtown East theme park last Saturday. They somehow got into a staring match with another bunch of youngsters, who set upon them with knives and choppers.

The poor boy couldn’t outrun his attackers, and was hacked to death, in full view of the people there.

God knows why those guys were carrying weapons at a place packed with families and kids. One can only begin to wonder what was inside their heads… The brutality of the attack was simply mind-boggling.

I’m glad that the police have arrested four guys over the incident. All of them are around the same age as the victim, mind you.

Of course, that will bring little comfort to Darren’s family… It was very painful to read of their grief and my heart goes out to them.

Another incident which took place this week could easily have resulted in a massive tragedy.

I’m talking about Qantas flight QF32, which was forced to make an emergency landing at Changi Airport after one of its four engines exploded in mid-air, just 10 minutes after taking off from Singapore. Parts of the engine fell over Batam, leading people to believe the plane had crashed there.

Thankfully it didn’t. Through the God’s Grace, it made a safe landing and no one was hurt.

This entire week has made me think about the fragility of life, and just how precious it is. This song is about saying goodbye, and how hard it is to accept the transience of life. Lyrics below:

Fragile
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 5 Nov, 2010

As children we spent
Our days believing
We were super-heroes
We would never die
Man, we could even fly

Then life dawned on us
At the tender age of 10
Someone was taken from us
We never saw ’em again
Oh, we learnt the hard way

Chorus
Tell me how to say goodbye
For you and I
Are fragile
So very fragile
Don’t believe we cannot die
‘cos you and I
Are fragile
So very fragile

Nothing we can keep but
Pictures to remember
A friend who’s gone forever
Their faces on the wall
Are a blessing to us all

Chorus
Tell me how to say goodbye
For you and I
Are fragile
So very fragile
Don’t believe we cannot die
‘cos you and I
Are fragile
So very fragile

Bridge
A lifetime is too brief
Too brief to make amends
For time thrown away in useless things
Moments dissolve like rice paper on candy
A chapter closes at the first breath
Like touch-me-nots in an abandoned field

Week 26 – Save Me (A Song of Hope)

Posted on by marcelpereira

Recently, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest announced a special competition in honour of Lennon’s 70th Birthday.

They sent out a call for songwriters to submit songs of peace, love, political activism and free expression, all in the spirit of the man himself. What’s more, the winner will be selected by none other than Yoko Ono!

I just knew I had to take part, despite the US$30 entrance fee.

I spent a bit more time and effort on this song than I usually do. I was trying to think of a message that would be true to the spirit of John Lennon, something that called for change but was not overtly preachy.

I also wanted to record it properly at home (with the limited equipment I have) instead of doing my usual video of me and the guitar. What I did was record the guitar track on Garageband, and add some drum loops and effects. Then I recorded my voice over the track and mixed everything together on Cubase.

I decided to write from the point of view of the people who needed us, and the words “save me” came to my mind. My intent was not for the song to be a forlorn cry for help, but rather a rallying call by the oppressed to you and me, the people who are able and willing to help them.

This song is a cry of hope, and my hope is that it will inspire people out there to do something for the less fortunate among them.

Save Me
Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 2010

I am the one who sleeps on the streets
I am the one who has nothing to eat
I am the prisoner of my neighbour’s hate
I am here because my skin seals my fate

I am the one who cannot use my eyes
I am the one who’s never learnt to write
I am sent to war for a stranger’s sins
I am down but hope lives within

Chorus
Save me
Save me
Give me something to believe
Hang a star up there for me

You are the one who can heal my heart
Only you can get me back on my feet
You hold my hand, I feel your love
Teaching me how to forget and forgive

Chorus
Save me
Save me
Give me something to believe
Hang a star up there for me

Bridge
Why do I see violence
Why do I shed tears
No I won’t sit in silence
I won’t give in to fears
Stop breathing in possessions
They make you lose direction
Fill your wallets with pictures
Instead of notes
I am a friend and not a foe

Chorus
Save me
Save me
Give me something to believe
Hang a star up there for me

Week 25 – Haze Gets In My Eyes

Posted on by marcelpereira

I wrote the lyrics on Thursday as a joke actually, because the haze was so bad it was – quite literally – getting into my eyes.

So I sat down, banged something out in about 10 minutes, and posted it here. I didn’t want to record anything at first, but a friend suggested I put a video on YouTube, so I thought what the heck.

This is my first parody, and I wrote it because I was so sick of this environmental problem which keeps coming back year after year, and nothing seems to be done about it.

If you want to know what a parody is, check out Weird Al Yankovic, one of the world’s most notable parodists of pop music.

I’m sure you can tell I used a Karaoke backing track from the actual Platters’ song, which is why all the backup vocals are completely off. What I did was record my vocals over the track and mix them together using Cubase. Then I just pulled some pictures from the internet and made the video with iMovie.

Hope it’ll brighten up those hazy days!

Haze Gets In My Eyes

(Sung to the tune of The Platters’ classic)

They asked me how I knew
The air was grey and blue
Oh, I of course replied
100 PSI cannot be denied

Hey, can’t you see the skies
You farmers are blind
Oh, when the land’s on fire
You must realize
Haze gets in my eyes

So they chaffed me and they gaily laughed
To think I could stop them burnin’
Still today, the cops are M.I.A
And my lungs are churnin’

Now, I can’t go outside
Tears I cannot hide
Oh, so at home I’ll stay
Till their lovely flames die
Haze gets in my eyes
Haze gets in my eyes

***

P.S. If I’ve ruffled any feathers by using the music or pictures without permission, this is meant only as a joke and not intended for commercial use.

Week 24 – Every Little Detail

Posted on by marcelpereira

It’s such a blessing to have someone who knows you inside out, who can read you like a book, and who can tell what you’re thinking about just by looking at you…

In the same way, it’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to know another person that well.

This song is for my wife, Carol.

It’s true, you know. There’s no one else in this world who knows her better than I do.

I asked her if she thought it was a sexy song… and she said yes 😉 (She’s blushing as I’m writing this post!)

Every Little Detail
© Music and Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 15 Oct, 2010

I know exactly where to touch you to turn you on
Kisses like pins on a map, places only I have gone
Emotions flow like water as I breathe in the scent of your skin
I take pleasure in

Every little detail
Is sweet music to my eyes
Every little detail
As you lie by my side

The way your hair falls on your pillow after your bedtime routine
The goosebumps on your arms in the cold, cold wind
The way you bite your lips, the shape of the covers on your hips
I take pleasure in

Every little detail
Is sweet music to my eyes
Every little detail
As you lie by my side

I see colours only the painter sees
I hear rhymes only the poet needs
I read your face like a familiar place
I know

Every little detail
Is sweet music to my eyes
Every little detail
As you lie by my side