Comments on: Amateur

Amateur

cortex — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:47:49 -0800

This is the first song I ever wrote. I was fifteen. I've come a long way, baby.

By: chococat

chococat — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:56:34 -0800

Great! That's everybody's first song, isn't it? I think I have one very much like it.

Sounds like you had some Indigo Girls in your life at the time.
I think everyone should post their first shit.

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:58:27 -0800

I played this song at a Creative Writing Group meeting either late freshman or early sophomore year in highschool. It was a profoundly outgoing thing for me to do at the time, and may have been one of the most important acts of gumption in my life.

After that first nervous performance went off well, I started playing open mics and such. I cannot say to what degree I owe public musical performances to my transformation from silent wallflower to outspoken jackass, but it was definitely a vital part of the process.

The song is full of strained rhymes and other artifacts of (how appropriate!) an amateur, but for that it is not really too bad, I think—after this one, I wrote several terrible, unlistenable, thankfully forgotten abortions before starting to find my early (and still fairly execrable) song-writing stride.

This was one of thirteen songs recorded in an actual studio for an actual Album—a neighbor had a little $10K basement setup, and I bought a few hours of time from him during a break in my freshman year of college. I have an alternate take recorded a year earlier in my bedroom, in which I completely fuck up the second verse, make ridiculous noises for half a minute, and then start again. Ah, youth.

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:00:27 -0800

I didn't even know who Indigo Girls were, at that point, if you can believe it. I listened to some Bob Dylan and a lot of Pink Floyd and had been previously listening to a hell of a lot of soft-rock starting at about age 11. Before that, I listened to essentially nothing but Catholic hymns and cartoon show theme songs. That I didn't end up starting a Richard Marx cover band is something of a lucky break.

By: chococat

chococat — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:07:41 -0800

You're lucky. I remember finally getting over the shyness of playing in front of people after high school and playing Indigo Girls songs at friends' cottages all summer long.
The thought horrifies me now.
The fact that I have been the Guy with an Acoustic Guitar at a Party causes me much unrest to this day, being as crusty and cynical as I am now.

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:17:00 -0800

GUYS WITH ACOUSTIC GUITARS AT PARTIES UNITE!

Be assured, I eventually learned about Indigo Girls when I went off to college. From a lesbian guitarist/singer/songwriter I developed a pointless crush on, no less.

And I used to play "Runaway Train" at nearly every goddam opportunity.

By: chococat

chococat — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:24:51 -0800

yikes. that's almost as good as playing "Jane Says."

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 22:37:26 -0800

I just thought it was, like, really emotionally, like, meaningful. I heard that Dave Pirner, y'know, cried when they recorded that song.

By: The Confessor

The Confessor — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 06:14:28 -0800

cortex:

re: Your Song

Fricking hell! That was your first song? I've been writing songs sporadically for more than a year now, and my lyrics/melodies aren't nearly to that level.

re: Runaway Train

Don't feel bad; I felt the same way about Come On Over-era Shania.

By: cortex

cortex — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 08:22:43 -0800

The aforementioned earlier recording. Oy.

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:00:51 -0800

This is a pretty good first song.

I just thought it was, like, really emotionally, like, meaningful. I heard that Dave Pirner, y'know, cried when they recorded that song.

And I need to point out that this completely cracked me up.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:53:21 -0800

Hey, I loved the original "Oy" version too. Awesome song.

By: Durhey

Durhey — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:08:24 -0800

Criminy, that was pretty damn good for fifteen or any age. Not to mention that most fifteen-year olds think they're experts at life. That's some good perspective.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:56:44 -0800

Great song.