Question for the songwriters (1 Viewer)

[Serpico]

Something that has always been a bit of a problem for me and Im wondering has anyone got a tried and trusted policy on it. Basically, you write a song and you like it. You leave it for a bit and when you come back you change some of the lyrics and you think its better. Then you go back and realise the first ones were better. Then you go to play or record a definitive version and cant decide between the two. Discuss.
Im wondering is there any examples of bands that have recorded exactly the same music with two or three different sets of lyrics. Kind of like the Jamaican tradition of using the same backing track for a few different hits only in modern popular music.
Just wonderin...

 

[Ed]

Originally posted by Serpico
Im wondering is there any examples of bands that have recorded exactly the same music with two or three different sets of lyrics. Kind of like the Jamaican tradition of using the same backing track for a few different hits only in modern popular music.
Just wonderin...

Guns 'n' Roses did it with don't cry, there's plenty of examples in soul music. and then there's sampling which is just taking the music from another song and recording it with different lyrics, some times it works - "regulate" by nate dogg and warren g used I keep forgetting by michael mcdonald as the basis of the track and making a hell of an improvement. Sometimes it doesn't - e.g. most of puff daddy's stuff

 

[Serpico]

Yeah but Guns 'n roses are wank and sampling is taking someone elses music isnt it? I mean an original song with alternate lyrics by the band or artist that wrote it.
I was kind of hoping for more replies to the original question of solving the problem of deciding between the two sets of lyrics. But Im just being lazy. I dont suppose that realistically there could be a solution that suits all.

 

[Goodbye]

all i can think of on the local tip is that song by Dot Creek that morphs in the last few bars into Last Christmas...

Oh, and Goodtime's For All The Girls Back Home is Sweet Home Alabama isint it

 

[Richie]

Originally posted by Serpico
I was kind of hoping for more replies to the original question of solving the problem of deciding between the two sets of lyrics.

Surely that's just a matter of personal taste?... post up the two possible sets of lyrics and at least people can tell you which one *they* prefer.

 

[jpat]

the black crows did it with the song "sting me" which was a big hit for them on mtv and such
it was originally a completely different song called "your wrong"

i say do both and compare them

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Originally posted by Serpico
Yeah but Guns 'n roses are wank

nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Appetite For Destruction is a fucking classic.
and Use Your Illusion I and II had about 10-12 excellent tunes between them

 

[Juno]

Lots of bands change their lyrics slightly between the album and the single versions and again when they play live. The Manic Street Preachers have always been fond of reworking the same music/lyrics - much of 'Motorcycle Emptiness' existed as another song (forget the name - it's on an ancient bootleg) and you can even spot parts of early songs in some of their current dismal stuff.

 

[rothko]

Originally posted by nlgbbbblth
nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Appetite For Destruction is a fucking classic.
and Use Your Illusion I and II had about 10-12 excellent tunes between them

correct

 

[Ed]

Originally posted by Juno
Lots of bands change their lyrics slightly between the album and the single versions and again when they play live. The Manic Street Preachers have always been fond of reworking the same music/lyrics - much of 'Motorcycle Emptiness' existed as another song (forget the name - it's on an ancient bootleg) and you can even spot parts of early songs in some of their current dismal stuff.

ah fuck it, i was gonna go all nerdy and explain about the original motorcycle emptiness but frankly it's so lame that i'd have to make fun of myself

Also Guns 'n' Roses = one of the best bands ever. pricks

 

[mazzyianne]

You tell 'im Ed. And yeah, stop being a nerd while ur at it.
Frankly, I'm disgusted, calling GnR wank!!!!
You should be shot.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Originally posted by Juno
Lots of bands change their lyrics slightly between the album and the single versions and again when they play live. The Manic Street Preachers have always been fond of reworking the same music/lyrics - much of 'Motorcycle Emptiness' existed as another song (forget the name - it's on an ancient bootleg) and you can even spot parts of early songs in some of their current dismal stuff.

didn't they do sometime similiar with the two "Repeat" versions on Generation Terrorists?

 

[Ed]

Originally posted by nlgbbbblth
didn't they do sometime similiar with the two "Repeat" versions on Generation Terrorists?

Nerdery - There was Repeat which was released as a single, and Repeat(Stars and Stripes) which was a remix by The Bomb Squad(Public Enemy's production wing)

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Repeat UK is 68 secs shorter than Stars and Stripes

 

[fluffy]

Nerdery indeed!

My advice on the lyrics thing would be to... first give em some time....

Then: if both sets of lyrics really have to be set to the same music... you could do two different versions of the song like Nick Cave (a real grown-up songwriter like what I want to be like when I'm old). He did two versions of Do You Love Me... one ramshackle and mad, and one slow and mournful.

Or maybe one could be a spoken word thing like Will Shatner did with Mr Tambourine Man... The way he shouts MR TAMBOURINE MAN! at the end like a mad Shakespearian actor is really cool.

Or you could record it, then slow down the backing track and get your drummer to sing it. Thus getting two tracks for the price of one, and sort of ripping off your audience. And I've never done that ever.

 

[Serpico]

Cheers all. Im gonna record both and if I get them into some poncey internet format with a link and schtuff then Ill let ye's all know and you can hear em both and tell me I shouldnt have bothered with either. Ah no, they're good like....|..|

 

[Beanstalk]

The Wannadies have 2 songs "Silent People" and "Bumble Bee" on an album that are basically the same chord progression.

If you rewind the first track on the CD you can hear both songs played simultaneously over each other. Nice inside joke.


Eat your heart out geeks.!baggyyyy

 

[Pantone247]

before Grrrr says it

Neil Young has a few things like that, Tonights the night has two variations on the title track at the begining and end. An theres is Hey Hey My My, and My My, Hey Hey (or something) which is an electric version and an acoustic version of fundamentaly the same song, with some minor lyric changes.

 

[egg_]

Re: before Grrrr says it

Originally posted by Pantone247
Neil Young has a few things like that ...

Also 'Freedom' has two versions of 'Rockin in the Free World' (beginning and end again)

 

[Pantone247]

Re: Re: before Grrrr says it

Originally posted by egg_
Also 'Freedom' has two versions of 'Rockin in the Free World' (beginning and end again)

I did not know that... what a lazy bugger....

there is also a dodgy synth pop version of the Buffalo Springield tune Mister Soul on one of his dodgy synth albums, and in Human Highway he does Hey Hey My My with Devo and again its quite a bit different (and 18mins long)

he's mad for the aul re-doing his own songs is our Neil

nobody dooing anything similar leaps to mind