I’ve already included links to some of the songs that have been created from my lyrics. However, I’ve created this page to provide a summary of all my latest songs. They’ve all been created in collaboration with fantastic musicians from around the world and I hope that you enjoy listening to them. If you do, then you can even buy many of them for less than a dollar!
Latest Songs – 2023
Having failed miserably to update my 2022 songs, partly because there were so many (!), I’m going to try better this year!
Stranger In Another Time (17Jul23)
It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with David G. Harrington, and he’s done a great job of realising my vision for this song. Stranger In Another Time is a song about feeling out of place. The idea I had was of someone who feels like they’ve time travelled to the present from a past era. The key line in the song is ‘Fell off my horse into a car still kicking my spurs’. There’s a strong train (or ghost train) theme running through the lyrics and I had the idea that the song could feature blues guitar. I love the arrangement and bluesy delivery that David has given the song. Check it out!
Latest Songs – 2021
I Need To Go Somewhere (12Feb22)
My 2nd Random Collab challenge of FAWM 2022, and my 2nd FAWM song this year. I was teamed up with UK musician, Stephen Street (aka Brisk), and wrote some new lyrics that I hoped he would like. Usually, I just write my lyrics and send them to a musician and let them work out how they want the song to sound. I took a slightly different approach with this one by supplying a rough vocal demo. I did that because I had a specific vision for the song’s melody. Thankfully my vocals have been replaced as Stephen took my ideas on board and created a really vibrant great-sounding song.
I Need To Go Somewhere is a song about someone who is restless but can’t decide where they want to go, or what they want to do. Probably something lots of people can relate to, but will the song’s protagonist discover where it is that they need to be? The lyrics employ an AABA format, which means Verse, Verse, Bridge, Verse. I’ve included the first 2 verses below. Listen to the song to hear how it goes from there.
I Need To Go Somewhere
(Verse 1)
I need to go, somewhere
But where that is
I don’t know,
Lost before
I’ve even started
Stuck with nowhere to go
(Verse 2)
I need to see, something
But what that is
I don’t know,
Something big
Like the Antarctic
But maybe that’s too cold?
(Written by Simon Wright, February 2022)
Abracadabra Land (08Feb22)
I’ve been taking part in my 2nd year of FAWM. FAWM stands for February Album Writing Month and the aim is to write 14 new songs/lyrics during February. It’s great fun and I particularly like the Random Collaboration challenges, that see a musician paired with a lyricist to create a song. I got paired with US musician, Rod Johnson, and we had great fun creating Abracadabra Land.
It’s a song about someone who feels that there’s expectation on them to be a hero, but they don’t feel they have it in them. It’s also a song about how the world needs heroes because it needs to be saved from the worst excesses of humanity. Hopefully a message that resonates and the song deserves to be heard. The song’s a bit of an epic, clocking in at over 7 minutes. Look out for a great guitar solo. A sample of the lyrics is included below:
Abracadabra Land
(Intro)
I was born in Abracadabra Land
Magic pulsed in my tiny hands
What kind of hero would I grow to be?
Felt like these tired people placed all their hopes on me
(Verse 1)
The light is fading
And Evil’s holding sway
We’re rotting from the inside
Can’t hold the dark at bay
The world is mourning
Its loss of Innocence
It yearns for someone
To make recompense
(Chorus)
But I am not your hero
Not your Superman
I’m just some guy from
Abracadabra Land
I’m just some guy from
Abracadabra Land
(Simon Wright, February 2022)
The Late Worm And The Early Bird (11Oct21)
While in a final frenzy of lyric writing at the end of this year’s 50 90 Challenge, I came up with the idea of writing a lyric that was based on the well known saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’. It’s used, of course, as an encouragement to us to get up early and get about our activities. However, the thought occurred to me that no-one ever talks about the late worm who escaped the early bird by sleeping in late. So I decided to rectify that! And thus The Late Worm And The Early Bird came into existence.
DZD from the 50m 90 site liked the lyrics and has given it a real hard-edged grunge rock feel. It’s really cool, especially as the guitar sound was created using a homemade musical instrument made out of an old satellite dish!
Here’s a snippet of the lyrics
The Late Worm And The Early Bird
(Verse 1)
The late worm avoids the early bird
Is a truth that’s rarely said
But it’s a wisdom that grants reason
To not get out of bed
(Chorus)
If you go seeking adventure
Bad things may stalk you
Staying under the blankets
Ain’t the worst thing you could do
Written by Simon Wright
(October 2021)
I Don’t Have A Tractor (10Oct21)
I Don’t Have A Tractor is a song that’s been a long time in the making. It started out on the MuseSongWriters website. I don’t normally write lyrics for Country songs but decided to have a go and focused on a story of a guy who fancies a girl, called Melanie. There’s just one problem though – she’s dating Mister Young Farmer of the Year, and he’s got a tractor. The song’s protagonist thinks that if he could only get his hands on a tractor he might stand a chance of winning Melanie’s affections!
The lyric attracted the interest of Nashville songwriter Marc-Alan Barnette, and he took my original lyrics and adapted them into a demo for a slightly different song called ‘Didn’t Have A Tractor’.
However, I was still interested in seeing how my original lyrics would sound and posted the lyrics on the Kompoz music collaboration website.
It’s taken almost exactly a year but I’m delighted that the lyrics have now been turned into a really fun and great-sounding song by a team of talented Kompoz musicians! A big thanks to Barry, WillaWay, Javier, Timothy, and Jim for the work they’ve done to make my original idea into a reality. The resulting I Don’t Have A Tractor track is a contemporary country song, but I think it’s humour (and the quality of the music) will appeal to everyone. Please check it out and I hope that you have as much fun listening to it as we did making it!
Here’s a taster for the lyrics:
‘Wish I had a Massey Ferguson’
They’re words I thought I’d never say
A John Deere would do, I guess too,
But I sure could do with one today
Cos I don’t have a tractor
To try and impress her
That’s why I’m locked out of Melanie’s heart
She loves Garth Brooks and country life
And wants to be a farmer’s wife
Written by Simon Wright
(September 2021)
P.S. You can also listen to Marc-Alan Barnette’s Didn’t Have A Tractor song below
Riding The Same Subway (01Oct21)
I’ve had enormous fun on the 50 90 Challenge website this year, and it’s resulted in quite a lot of song collaborations with great musicians. One of the great features of the site is when they run Random Collaboration challenges, which see a lyricist and musician paired up with the aim of creating a song. I hadn’t worked with DZD before but wrote a grunge-influenced song called ‘Riding The Same Subway‘ which he then took, and adapted, to create an initial demo.
The idea that sparked the lyrics was of two strangers who get thrown together in the same subway carriage. They’re from very different backgrounds and take an instant prejudicial dislike to each other. You’ll have to listen to the song to hear how their interaction evolves, but here’s the first verse that I wrote:
(Verse 1)
You look at me like you’re scraping dirt off your boots
Riding the same subway
Did your chauffeur have the day off?
I see you making your judgements about me
Well that cuts both ways
Cos I’m judging the hell back at you
Written by Simon Wright
(September 2021)
Celebpretty (30Sep21)
Celebpretty is another song that started as my lyrics posted to the 50 90 Challenge website. It was then picked up by musician Rich Joseph and Rich enlisted David Taro to turn it onto a really cool song. Lyrically, it started out as a bit of fun wordplay. The term ‘celebpretty’ popped into my head and I then went about creating a song that talks (in a light-hearted humorous way) about the pressures that famous beautiful celebrities sometimes face – lack of privacy, etc.
I quite like that I managed to get references to people as diverse as the Queen and Motley Crue within the song. Here’s a taster of the lyrics:
(Verse 3)
She checks her messages, five missed calls
From a Hollywood mogul with a southern drawl
If the rumours she’s heard are even half true
He’s done more hard drugs than Motley Crue
(Verse 4)
She can kickstart her heart some other day
Right now the only date she wants is with a nice Rosé
Slips into the Limo as the pressgang snap their shots
Tomorrow’s front pages, rated hot or not
Written by Simon Wright
(September 2021)
Until You Say So (26Sep21)
I’m extremely thrilled that Colleen Goodsell has created another song from one of my lyrics. Until You Say So is about a child who finds herself growing up during a time of war, with bombs being dropped from overhead by warplanes. The girl though is too young to really be scared and knows things will be fine as long as she has her mum’s hand to hold. Colleen saw my lyrics when I posted them on the 50 90 Challenge website and commented ‘These amazing lyrics really called out to me, and Simon graciously allowed me to put my musical interpretation on them.’.
Colleen’s interpretation is beautiful – gentle acoustic guitar that allows her lovely voice to take centre stage and tell the story. It would be great if you can give the song a listen.
Thoughts Of Love (04Sep21)
After Colleen G did such a great job with my ‘Any Other Way’ lyrics (see further down this page), I was keen to work with her on another song. So I created some lyrics that Colleen has then very adeptly turned into a really lovely song called Thoughts Of Love. As the title suggests, the song is about love. I had the idea of a woman who is falling in love with a guy but she’s questioning whether her thoughts can be trusted, and that he’s not the only one who has ever made her feel this week.
Colleen’s created a song that has beautiful vocals on top of gorgeous acoustic guitar. It’s a really sweet love song but one that also has a sense of realism to it.
We Follow The Old Ways (01Sep21)
We Follow The Old Ways was a three way collaboration between myself and musicians Georgie Cooper and Gwyn Jones. They’ve created an epic duet song from my lyrics, which centre around a storm at sea. The song’s protagonists are a fisherman who is caught up in the storm and is desperately trying to get home, and his pregnant wife who is waiting on the shore, praying for his safe return. The idea for the song came from the real life Tit Bonhomme fishing tragedy that happened in West Cork, Ireland, in 2012. There was one survivor. I don’t know if he had family waiting for him but it triggered the idea of a guy trying desperately to survive to make it back to his loved ones.
I think the music that Gwyn composed and Georgie and Gwyn’s vocals are perfect, and I’d really love people to listen to and enjoy this great song! I’ve also included a link to the RNLI’s donations page as they do such a great job of rescuing people at sea.
Gallows’ Hill (30Aug21)
I had great fun working with Elizabeth Auzan, Raymond Van Melzen, Kris Pride, and Mark Adams to create this song. Gallows’ Hill is a song that started out with a song title of Alice Grey, who was one of the women accused of witchcraft in the Pendle Witches trials. Those trials took place in 1612 in Lancashire in England, and Alice Grey was the only one of the 11 accused who survived.
I worked with Elizabeth Auzan on the lyrics and then we renewed our partnership with musicians Raymond Van Melzen and Mark Adams, with whom we had worked on a Doctor Who-themed song, entitled Gallifrey that we had entered into the UK Songwriting Contest. This time round, we were joined by fabulous American singer Kris Pride.
The finished product sounds excellent. The musicianship and vocals are first class and I like that we’ve created a song from such an interesting historical event. Hopefully it may have particular interest in the Pendle/Lancashire region, and with historical buffs. It’s also a nice spooky tale ahead of Halloween!
Here’s a taste of some of the lyrics.
(Verse 1)
My name is Alice Grey, a name you’ll not have heard
May the devil strike me down if I speak a false word
Twelfe good Pendle folk, for witchcraft they were tried
Though I escaped a hanging all the others died
(Chorus)
To be hanged for a witch
Like all the others swing and twitch
Noose tightning ’round my throat
While onlookers cheer and gloat
I should have felt death’s chill
Up on Gallows’ Hill, upon Gallows’ Hill
(Written by Simon Wright and Elizabeth Auzan, August 2020)
Nobody Knew His Name (But Do You?) (22Aug21)
Fancy yourself as a bit of an authority on music? If so (or even if you don’t!) then listen to Nobody Knew His Name (But Do You?) and see if you can guess who the song is talking about?!
The song came about when musician Andy Getch and I were paired up on the 50 90 Challenge website as part of a Random Collaboration challenge. Andy’s done a great job with my lyrics and I think the song he’s created is great fun.
Here’s the first verse and chorus of the song to whet your appetite ….
(Verse 1)
Knocked down by a priest in mass at school
Stuffed in a bin, nuns took him for a fool
The boys asked that he be kicked out, it’s true
But the girls were on his side, thought he was cool
(Chorus)
Nobody knew his name
But do you?
The Internet says these facts are true
Nobody knew his name
But do you?
(Written by Simon Wright. August 2021)
Any Other Way (21Aug21)
Any Other Way is a lyric that I actually started writing back in 2017. I’d struck up a Twitter dialogue with a US-based musician whose band does country-tinged rock songs, and we had tentatively talked about working together on a song. There was a possibility of a female singer coming on board, but nothing ever came of it. I came back to revisit it this month as part of the lyric writing I’ve been doing on the 50 90 Challenge website. for those who aren’t aware, this is a site where musicians and lyricists attempt to write at least 50 songs or lyrics in 90 days!
Singer/musician Colleen G had commented that she liked a number of my lyrics and hoped that we might get a chance to work on a song together. A lot of the lyrics I’d written were from a male perspective, so I dug into my archives and reckoned Any Other Way might suit Colleen’s musical style and beautiful voice. I reworked the lyrics and am SO glad that Colleen said ‘yes’ to working them into a song.
Please listen to ‘Any Other Way‘. It sounds so good and I’m really proud of the lyrics. Maybe I should write a few more lyrics from a female perspective?
If You See Kay (16Aug21)
This is an example of a song where the title came first. I liked ‘If You See Kay’ as a title because I felt, when sang, it might almost sound like something was spelling out a swear word, and the playfulness of that appealed to me. Anyway, from there I ended up writing the chorus and it just stuck in my head. That’s always a good sign, so I set out to create a story around that chorus.
I posted the finished draft of the lyrics on the 50 90 Challenge website, and David G. Harrington mentioned that he liked it. He said it reminded him of ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’ by Irish band The Script. David then took my lyrics and created a really catchy well produced song. Please check it out – I think you’ll like it.
Here’s a taster for the lyrics:
If You See Kay
(Verse 1)
Hey Mark, I’m writing about your sister
She’s disappeared off the face of my world
It’s not just me, all the folks we used to hang with
Say they’ve not seen hide nor hair of that girl
(Chorus)
If you see Kay
Tell her I love her
If you see Kay
Tell her I do
Tell her I’m always hers
(Written by Simon Wright. August 2021)
The Sorrow Echo (09Aug21)
I got teamed up with musician Alex Klages as part of a random collaboration challenge on the 50 90 Challenge website. I sent him an old lyric that I had written on the 23rd of May 2017, a day after the horrific Manchester Arena bomb exploded at the Ariana Grande concert. I’d actually forgotten that it was written specifically after that tragedy until I went back today and looked at the original completion date.
The Sorrow Echo has lyrics that express regret that some bad people can commit such horrific acts upon children, sometimes leaving their own children sleeping peacefully to go and kill others. Alex has done a beautiful job with it. The sparse acoustic guitar and the emotion conveyed through the vocals actually reminded me a bit of Nirvana’s Unplugged album, which is about as high an accolade as I could hand out. Please have a listen.
Here’s a flavour of the lyrics:
(Verse 1)
Underneath the branches
The river meanders
I can almost see
The sorrow echo.
Flowers gently carried
Caught up in the flow
Whispers on the breeze
“I wish it was not so”.
(Verse 2)
Just beneath the bridges
The blackness stretches
Hard to imagine
The sorrow echo.
Children gently playing
How were they to know
Cries across the distance
“I wish it was not so”.
(Written by Simon Wright, May 2017)
The Beatles Under The Stones (07Aug21)
I’m taking part in the 50 90 Challenge this year, which is a website where lyricists / musicians strive to write 50 lyrics or songs in 90 days. The idea came to me to write a piece with the title The Beatles Under The Stones. That title obviously brings to mind the two colossus British bands, but the actual inspiration was remembering how, as a child, my brothers and I had looked under stones to find insects to then put in jars. We would keep them for a while and then release them again. I decided to stick with the band’s spelling of Beatles (rather than using Beetles) and ended up writing nostalgia-heavy lyrics about what it was like growing up as a child in the Seventies. Our childhood involved a lot of outdoor play and the lyrics cover off some of the many things that we used to do.
The lyrics resonated with fellow Irish man, David G Harrington, who kindly then turned my lyrics into a beautifully crafted piano-led song. I’d love you to check it out and I hope that you enjoy it as much as me. It may bring back very fond memories if you were brought up in a similar time, but I hope as well that those born much later (or much earlier) will also find it interesting and enjoyable!
Here’s some of the final lyrics that emerged after David created the song:
(Verse 1)
The sun shone in the Seventies
Lived outside in the breeze
Splashed in puddles and fished in streams
Climbed tall trees and lived out our dreams
(Verse 2)
We stayed up late, stared at the stars
Imagined the little green men from Mars
Splashed in puddles, played with cars
Chased insects into jam jars
(Chorus)
Back in the day
Before computer games
Before the mobile phone
We used to grub for beatles under the stones (2)
(Written by Simon Wright. August 2021)
I’ve Got To Be With You (03Aug21)
This is a song that is about 5 years in the making, as I started writing the lyrics in 2016. I had been inspired by the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, and the lyrics tell the story of a young couple separated by the war. The guy gets his papers, calling him up to fight, but promises that he’ll do everything he can to get back to his girl. I decided to revisit it just recently a part of my participation in the 50 90 Challenge, where musicians and lyricists aim to write 50 songs or lyrics in 90 days.
It was fantastic then when talented Australian musician Corey Stewart picked the lyrics up and turned them into a fabulous song. I’m really pleased with the modern spin he’s given the song. It’s an emotionally powerful bittersweet song. Please check it out.
In Each Other’s Worlds (24May21)
In Each Other’s Worlds
I had great fun working with American musician John Kluesner and my wife Montaffera on a pop punk duet song called In Each Other’s Worlds. It was part of a collaboration challenge on the MuseSongWriters website, which saw lyric writers paired up with musicians and tasked with writing songs that included a vocal duet.
In Each Other’s Worlds is the first pop punk song that I’ve written lyrics for, and I’m very pleased with the way the lyrics and the song turned out. It’s always great fun to collaborate with talented people on these type of songs but being able to include my wife in this one made it extra special.
Grace Darling (20May21)
My last family holiday before the arrival of the Covid pandemic was to a lovely coastal village called Seahouses, which is in Northumberland, England. While there, I learned about local heroine Grace Darling. She is famous because she was instrumental in the rescue of 9 people who been shipwrecked near the lighthouse that Grace’s father manned. I decided to write a lyric about that event while taking part in a lyric writing challenge on the MuseSongWriters website that had a theme of creating lyrics from historical events.
I then posted the lyrics on the Kompoz music collaboration website, and it was really apt that James Fraser picked them up to work on, given that James lives close to that part of the world. Another regular collaborator, Nigel Robinson, then joined James and they’ve done a great job of turning it into a very thoughtful and beautiful folk song. I love the range of instruments that were put to work on this song – Northumbrian Pipes, Whistle, Madolin, Bouzouki, as well as guitar.
You can find out more about the sinking of the SS Forfarshire and the rescue that Grace and her father so bravely carried out on the Grace Darling website, and on Hazel Stainer’s website.
Cupid Don’t Care (28Apr21)
‘I buttoned my collar tight to my throat
Pulled my tie like a noose, familiar old rope
Heaved on a jacket two sizes too small
Squeezed my heart tighter, soul curled in a ball.’
These are the opening lines to Cupid Don’t Care. It’s one of my more poetic lyrics and I really like the way it came out. It’s been equally enjoyable to see it transformed into a song thanks to the wonderful musical talents of James Fraser, Nigel Robinson, and Tony Wisniewski. Have a listen to it and I hope that you enjoy it.
May The Wind Blow For Us (10Mar21)
Former postie Nathan Evans started a huge sea shanty phenomenon when he posted his Wellerman sea shanty on TikTok. When I participated in FAWM (February Album Writing Month) this year, I saw that there was a thread about creating sea shanties. So I decided to have a go at writing lyrics for a sea shanty. What I ended up creating was a song called May The Wind Blow For Us, which is an over-the-top epic tale of sailors being chased by pirates! It’s quite fun and I was delighted when Australian musician Tim Fatchen kindly turned it into a song. Check it out – I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
Latest Songs – 2020
The Day Before Yesterday (21Sep20)
Listen to this song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/1056332
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/1033218/file/1033219
About this song:
I owe some thanks to singer songwriter, Andy LeFevre, for this song. I submitted my first draft of the lyrics for this song to Andy for consideration for a collaboration challenge that we were doing on the MuseSongWriters website. It was one of 2 lyrics that I sent and we ended up using another one, The End Of The World. However, Andy helped with some feedback on the lyrics to The Day Before Yesterday that enabled me to create the final set of lyrics.
I then posted the lyrics on the Kompoz music collaboration website, where singer songwriter David Mize picked it up and suggested a song arrangement for it. We were soon joined by musician Steve Miller and between him and David the song took shape. I think the lyrics are really cool – they tell the tale of a guy who has made some bad choices in life, got in over his head with gambling, and ended up getting into trouble with a gangster crowd. David and Steve have done an amazing job of bring my vision to life – it sounds just like I had imagined in my head!
Have a listen to it and I hope that you will enjoy it too.
We Got Rain (10Sep20)
Listen to this song: https://www.reverbnation.com/parmaway/song/32128312-we-got-rain?fbclid=IwAR3izkiDoShYzFBOTFdsoz5MuSELT9gKUDD1emFqQ8YLvwbuiq3Jn8Q_Jyg
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/978394/file/992116
About this song:
Back in January of this year, I wrote a lyric that was originally called ‘Empty Space’ but which then ended up being called ‘We Got Rain’. The lyrics are about someone who was in love, living a great life, and then it’s suddenly ripped away from them by the death of their loved one. It was written before Covid19 became such an unescapable part of our lives, but it seems all the more apt now.
I was delighted when singer Jen Carie approached me to ask if she could use the lyrics for a piece of music that she was working on with some musicians. And even more thrilled to hear the finished song and that it’s made it onto an online EP by Parma Way. The EP has the great name of ‘The Forty Elephants Gang’ and is available on Bandcamp and ReverbNation
Music is by Mike Cordray, Jen Carie, Pablo Montenegro, Frederic Osuch, Fredric Schulz, Alex Wilke. Lyrics by Simon Wright.
The song and album have a soulful quality but with a slightly dark feel to them. Please check them out and download them if you like them!
Didn’t Have A Tractor (10Sep20)
By Marc-Alan Barnette and Simon Wright
Lyrics by Marc-Alan Barnette and Simon Wright. Vocals and all Music by Marc-Alan Barnette.
About this song:
I think Nashville songwriter Marc-Alan Barnette and I have cornered the market for love song about a guy who can’t get his girl because he doesn’t have a tractor. Have a listen and see if you agree?!
Didn’t Have A Tractor is my first real venture into writing for the country music genre, and working with Marc-Alan on it has been both hugely fun and educational. One thing that I learned, for example, is that many country music verses are 4 lines long, followed by 2 pre-chorus type lines that are called the ‘Channel’ in country circles.
This song actually came about through back and forth light-hearted comments that we were having after Marc-Alan offered some feedback on a different country lyric that I had written. We found that we both come from farming stock, and an idea sparked for a song. Marc-Alan encouraged me to have a go at writing lyrics for our fledgling idea, and kindly offered to help with it.
I was thrilled enough when he came back with some great lyric suggestions, but totally blown away when he went the extra mile (or should that be acre?!) by recording a demo on his phone. I think it sounds fabulous and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I have.
Around These Parts (07Sep20)
Listen to this song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/1053101
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/1035396/file/1035400
About this song
I’m very pleased with the lyrics that I created for this song. The song’s story has its heart in the inner city streets of Belfast where young men without much education are at risk of getting lured into a life of paramilitary crime. Pablo Andres Garcia Perez contacted me to say that, although he’s from Spain, the lyrics resonated with him and he had an idea to turn it into a song.
The end result is beautiful musically and I think Pablo’s vocals have given it the poignancy that I hoped would come out. It’s poetic and powerful. I hope you will listen to it and enjoy it as much as I have. Pablo (Music and Vocals) was joined by Raymond Van Melzen (Mixing), Allen Conti (Drums) and Paul Harrison (Organ) to create this musical masterpiece.
Here’s a taste of the lyrics:
(Verse 1)
They say ‘be careful where you walk around these parts’
But I’ll walk where I want
And I’ll look you in the eye,
They say ‘you won’t change any hearts around these parts’
But the only certainty
Is you won’t if you don’t try
(Chorus)
Around these parts
The battle cry heard,
Around these parts
The streets steeped in hurt.
Heroes who aren’t heroes
Just foolish young men,
Led to the slaughter
Like pigs from their pen
Felony Rodriguez (30Aug20)
Listen to this song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/1051061
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/1043315/file/1043316
About this song
I’m really enjoying working with Rebecca Gay and Peter Dieck on songs on the Kompoz music collaboration website. Last month, we created a fun rock song called Pull The Lever, and we’ve created another this month, with a song called Felony Rodriguez.
The idea I had for the lyrics was that this guy has met an exciting woman on Tinder. He knows that she’s a bit dangerous and that he’ll probably get burned if he falls for her but he’s powerless to resist. Peter and Rebecca shared the vocals and it’s a really cool fast-paced rock song that will make you smile. Please give it a listen and I hope you will enjoy it!
The End Of The World (27Aug20)
Listen to this song: https://soundcloud.com/andy-lefevre/the-end-of-the-world-160820
About this song
This song came about through a really enjoyable collaboration challenge that I took part in on the MuseSongWriters‘ website. It teamed up lyric writers with musicians and the objective was to create a song that contained a key change. And ideally that key change should be linked to a distinct change in the lyrics. I was delighted to be teamed up with English musician Andy LeFevre and we had great fun creating our song.
The process started with me providing Andy with two candidate lyrics to consider. The one we ended up working on is called The End Of The World. I want spell out exactly what the song is about, other than to say that it features a guy who is sitting on a precarious rocky shoreline looking out to sea to where two islands stand at the edge of the bay.
Andy did a fantastic job of crafting the song. There was a lot of feedback from other challenge participants around the impressive vocal range and the effectiveness of the chosen key change. Indeed, we may end up making a slight change based on that feedback.
Pull The Lever
Listen to this song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/1042306
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/1028707/file/1042292
About this song
Pull The Lever is a fun song that is about a religious guy who goes to a gambling establishment to protest against gambling being sinful. But he ends up unable to take his eyes off one of the women who works there. So it’s a song about desire, temptation, sin. It’s been brilliantly brought to life by Rebecca Gay (vocals), Peter Dieck (Guitar, bass, drums, musical composition) and by Daniel Christos (guitar and backing vocals). Please have a listen – I’m confident that you’ll enjoy it!
Without a Trace
Listen to this song; https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/1037489
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/1013296/file/1014895
About this song
Canadian musician Pascal Vanier asked me if I could provide lyrics for a piece of music that he had created and I was delighted to oblige. Without a Trace then came to fruition as Rebecca Gay added vocals and Paul Ramsey provided lead guitar. It’s a song about how some people get lost and disappear. Check it out!
War Zone in Peace Time
Listen to this song: https://soundcloud.com/paulcanuck/war-zone-in-peace-time-collab-with-songwolfe
About this song
War Zone in Peace Time is a song that reflects upon the situation that we have found ourselves in with the Covid-19 pandemic. Our health services stretched toward breaking point but our doctors and nurses bravely working every hour of the day to save lives. And, beside that, there’s the role the rest of us can play – we can save lives by observing the lockdown restrictions so that we don’t spread the virus.
The music, vocals, and musical composition were all provided by Canadian musician, Paul Canuck. I supplied the lyrics. It was a collaboration that came about through a K.I.S.S. collaboration content on the MuseSongWriters website. That’s K.I.S.S. as in Keep It Super Simple rather than the heavy rock band! The contest came with some rules. They were as follows:
‘The musical challenge is this: three chords (or fewer), three instruments (or fewer). To clarify, your song can only have three chords. Doesn’t matter to me if they are major, minor, or diminished. But if you use G, C, and D, that’s it… you can’t use an Am. Nor can you use a D7 or a G maj7 in addition to a regular D or G. If you use a G, you must always play it as a G. If you use a D7, it must always be a D7 every time you use it.
The three instruments can be anything you chose: guitar, bass, and drums, or piano, sitar and bagpipes, as long as there are only three identifiable instruments. And no double tracking instruments, either. Yes, technically a keyboard is one instrument that can play multiple voices, but we’re all adults here and you all know what I mean. In addition, there can only be one vocal track. No harmony.
The lyric challenge is this: AABA format, which is verse, verse, bridge, verse.’
Paul did an amazing job with turning my lyrics into a really cool folksy protest song. I think it’s reminiscent of some of Bob Dylan’s work. Have a listen and see what you think? It would also be cool to hear if anyone else has tried creating songs with similar rigid guidelines on the number or chords or instruments used? What was your experience of it? All the entries in the K.I.S.S. contest were great, so I think the guidelines merely served to stimulate people’s creativity!
Why don’t we see what we’re doing?
Listen to this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLqjyIfSi04&feature=youtu.be
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/975630/file/975632
About this song
‘Why don’t we see what we’re doing?’ is a lyric that talks about the damage that humankind is doing to the world and to the hopes of future generations, whether it’s war or climate change. I was delighted when Jorge Paulo took the lyrics and created some amazing music to go with them. Parts of his guitar playing remind me of Carlos Santana – a real Latin feel to them. Alex Zulaika did a brilliant job adding drums, and Mike Patterson’s classy vocals put the finishing touch on a song that I absolutely love.
And my excitement was increased even further when Jorge revealed the YouTube video that he’s created for the song. It’s really compelling and goes very well with the song.
One by One, by No Clear Sky
Listen to this song: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf0R8TyqcCoFk1EoUNzJV2g
About this song
One by One is a powerful anti war metal song that appears on No Clear Sky’s 2nd album, which is called ‘Black Mold – Volume 2‘ The band is comprised of loads of talented musicians and lyricists from around the world, many of whom are drawn from the Kompoz music collaboration website. One by One features Frank Ruiz on vocals, Sergey Engel on bass guitar, Brian Henry on drums, and Tsvetomir Ivanov on guitars and production.
I’m really proud to be associated with this very high quality album. You should check it out, especially if you like loud metal music. The album is also available to buy and download from No Clear Sky’s Bandcamp page on a ‘name your price’ deal. It would make a great addition to your music collection, or a great gift for a loved one who’s into loud music!
Paper Airplanes
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/1009517
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/1007685/file/1008136
About this song
The lyric for this song started as a Coronavirus lockdown lyric about a guy who is in lockdown in a tower block who has a crush on a way whom he can see across the street. The initial lyric was called Self Isolate With You but got changed to Paper Aeroplanes following some suggestions that I received. Then, on the Kompoz, site, singer Kim Noble suggested that some girl power be applied with it being sung from a female perspective! A few alterations were made to the lyrics and music was supplied by Richard Williams and JeanLui. I really like how it’s ended up – a really fun and quirky song about how love blossomed even in the harshest of conditions!
Out on the Streets
Listen to this song: https://soundcloud.com/justin-osowiecki-music/out-on-the-streets-collab-with-simon-wright
About this song
This song came about through a really cool collaboration contest that I entered on the Musesongwriters website. I was lucky enough to be paired up with talented American musician, Justin Osowiecki. I supplied a lyric and Justin came up with an idea for the music that he described as being a mix of The Beastie Boys and Rage Against The Machine. The idea of the contest was for us to challenge ourselves and writing an angst-laden rock song is outside Justin’s normal genres. We went back and forth on both the lyrics and the music and I think the final result is awesome!
For my part, I had decided that I wanted to write about a character (called Riley) who had appeared in a previous song that I had collaborated on. That song was called Stand For You and featured on a Christmas charity album. Riley was a US army veteran who had become homeless, and I wanted to flesh out his story a bit more. With Justin’s help, I think Riley’s story has started to emerge!
Broken Flowers
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/993918
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/930194/file/930195
About this song
A dark lyric that James Fraser took on and skilfully worked into a hauntingly powerful song. James was joined by Nigel Robinson who added piano and percussion. And by Kris Pride who backing vocals are perfect for the track. I like the way this one turned out – nice work by everyone!
Bone Shaker
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/981739
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/960289/file/960290
About this song
When I wrote the lyrics to this song, I deliberately didn’t explicitly spell out what or who the Bone Shaker is. However, I see it as a metaphor for when politicians stir up nationalistic passions (for their own selfish ends) but it gets out of hand, and then suddenly you get wars, or countries that tear themselves apart. I had a great team of musicians who came together to turn it into a really fun metal track. I was helped to begin with by a Spanish trio of Jon Garcia (bass), Victor Parro (guitar), and Alex Zulaika (drums). I was delighted when Mike Patterson came in to provide perfect vocals and Josh Miller’s soaring lead guitar was a real thrill to hear. Finally, WillaWay came in and did a great job of mixing the song into its final version. Check the song out – you’ll love it!
Latest Songs – 2019
Mercury’s Rising
Mercury’s Rising
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/966298
Full Lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/944050/file/944052
About this song
In August, I had an article published in Write Away magazine that showcased a lyric that I had written that was called Mercury’s Rising. Subsequently, I posted the lyric on the Kompoz music collaboration website, where it was picked up by American musician Bobby Watson. Bobby created some beautiful music (guitar, piano, violin, drums) for it and George Schiessl then joined us to provide vocals, bass guitar and strings. I think the end result is fantastic. Please check it out and see if you love it as much as me. As an interesting aside, I’d been listening to a lot of Chris Cornell songs when I wrote this lyric, and it was Cornell’s voice that was in my head as I penned it.
All That Matters
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/955961
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/920220/file/920221
About this song
This is a song about the value of friendship, especially if a person is going through dark times. It was a great delight to work with the extremely talented duo of Markus Palsson (vocals) and Ette (all music) as this song took shape. I think it’s ended up as a really interesting and cool song, and probably the first song I’ve been involved with that has a bit of a reggae flavour
(Verse 1)
Jagged are the thorns of life that prick me
Cruel in their benign disguise
It seems that the closer to joy that I get
The more they delight in their lies
(Verse 2)
Wretched is the dream of love that I see
Fake in its serpentine charm
I know that the sweeter all the kisses
The deeper the poison’s harm
Not Broken Down
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/954215
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/944207/file/944213
About this song
I wrote this lyric about someone finding love again when they thought that ship had sailed. Here’s how the lyrics start:
(Verse 1)
The years have left their marks
I got my share of rust
My heart’s been under wraps
Just gathering dust.
I see how you could think it
I might think it too
If I was eyeing me
With the gaze I see from you.
Regular collaborators James Fraser and Nigel Robinson worked my lyrics skilfully into this great little song. Nigel, like me, lives in Scotland and James is from the North East of England, so we should probably go under a band name of ‘The Northeners’ or something like that?! Check the song out – I hope that you’ll like it, and its message.
War Face
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/942426
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/940676/file/940677
About this song
I wrote this lyric about a situation where someone feels worn down and daunted by life’s challenges. They feel they have to put their war face on just to get out the door and do the things that they need to do in life.
Regular musical collaborator James Fraser picked the lyric up and came up with a fantastic guitar riff to support the musical composition. Then, he rounded up Nigel Robinson (drums) and Peter Zero (lead guitar) to add the finishing touches. At one point we had quite a lot of cow bell in the song but we ended up saying ‘less cowbell’ rather than ‘more cowbell’ for this particular song.
Darkness
Listen to the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/936376
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/933140/file/933141
About this song
A dark little lyric, written in an AABA format, that James Fraser has taken and turned into a classy song. Check out the beautiful baritone guitar that underpins it!
Here’s a taster for the lyrics:
Darkness
(Verse 1)
I watched the darkness come down
Completely over my town
I couldn’t see my fingers
I couldn’t see my way
All I could do was watch my past on constant replay
Said Goodbye
Listen to and watch the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onN5qS79fvo&feature=youtu.be
About this song
I’ve been taking part in a song collaboration contest on the MuseSongWriters website, which resulted in this great song, called ‘Said Goodbye’. I wrote the lyrics and then Joe did the music, vocals and live recording YouTube video. We’ve also been working on another song and the contest has been great fun to take part in.
The contest had an interesting premise. Alistair, who was running it, stated ‘Simply see what the picture evokes in you in terms of ideas and emotions (which might have nothing to do with what the picture actually represents) and write a song based on that. Second, the song must be no longer than 3 minutes and no shorter than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. You will need to negotiate what is kept in and what has to be sacrificed to fit the time constraint.’
The first thing I thought when I saw the picture was people emigrating from Ireland to America to escape poverty and in search of a better life. Indeed, that trip across the Atlantic is one that several people from my family did, so it felt like a nice topic to write about. The time constraints were certainly a challenge and we had to cut down a bit on my original draft of the lyrics. However, I think what we’ve ended up with works really well and sounds great. Kudos to Joe for doing the hard lifting on the song and I particularly love the idea he came up with for singing the word ‘suitcase’!
I’ve included the lyrics below. The bits in red are the lines that got cut …
Said Goodbye
(Verse 1)
Mouths to feed
No food to find
Love of the land
Land’s been so unkind
(Verse 2)
Forced to flee
Flee far away
Leave love behind
Last words hard to say
(Chorus)
Said goodbye to her family
Kissed goodbye to Emily
She said ‘It won’t be long Sis ‘til I see your face’
Then she packed her life into an old suitcase.
(Verse 3)
Days at sea
Grey as the sky
Pallor of death
Watching children cry
(Chorus)
Said goodbye to her family
Kissed goodbye to Emily
She’d said ‘It won’t be long Sis ‘til I see your face’
Then she packed her life into an old suitcase.
(Verse 4)
Said farewell
To all she knew
Tossed to the wind
Landed with a harbour view
(Bridge)
America
It was New York city
Lady Liberty
Opened her arms out wide.
Ellis Island
Names recorded
Then out into those big American skies
(Chorus)
Said goodbye to her family
Kissed goodbye to Emily
She’d said ‘It won’t be long Sis ‘til I see your face’
But she never did make it home again
(Outro)
From the farm fields of Fermanagh
To New York city’s dirt and glamour
It’s a long road for a country girl to take.
From the farm fields of Fermanagh
To New York city’s dirt and glamour
It’s a long road for a country girl to take.
(to fade)
Written by Simon Wright
(March 2019)
Madly in love with you
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/919227
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/697106/file/697107
About this song
I wrote this lyric away back in June 2016 when I was just getting into the idea of collaborating with musicians. It was partly influenced by an experience I had as I was travelling home after work. I fell asleep and missed my stop so I had to get off at the next station. As I waited for the next train back, I witnessed a seagull getting hit by a train. Or, more accurately, I saw the aftermath with white feathers fluttering up into the air.
Anyway, here we are in 2019 and the lyric was picked up by Italian musicians Riccardo Della Pelle and Fabrizio Formicone, plus American drummer, Brian Henry. The lyric’s quite a quirky one, and Riccardo and team have stayed true to that with the song they’ve constructed. It’s really cool!
River Reaper
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/911414
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/907171/file/907172
About this song
It’s funny how some lyrics get started. My wife had done a painting and remarked how it had ended up looking like the Grim Reaper was walking beside a river. I remarked that she should call the painting the River Reaper. Not long after, I was scribbling some lyrics that turned into this great song.
James Fraser and Nigel Robinson did a fantastic job of turning my lyric into a moody-sounding song. Check it out … but maybe not at night time if you are wandering near a river!
Latest Songs – 2018
Olives and Clementines
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/897620
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/882496/file/882497
About this song
This lyric was inspired by watching a very moving BBC documentary about the plight of ordinary people who find themselves stuck in war-torn Palestine. Without taking sides in that political conflict, I wanted the lyric to convey the sadness of the tragedy that has played out there.
James Fraser has displayed great skill and sensitivity in the way he has taken my lyric and turned it into a song. Please have a listen.
Army of the Damned
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/892011
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/856847/file/857799
About this song
I initially wrote this with the thought that it could be a dark doom-laden Black Sabbath style of song. The opening lyrics ‘This is not a cold war / Though a chill fills my head / This is not a cool war / Just go and ask the dead’ immediately sets the scene and the song goes on to decry the awful reality of war, including eyes being cooked! I think I was a bit influenced by Wilfred Owen’s fantastic poem, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’. Check it out if you’ve never read it! Its description of a victim of mustard gas is both compelling and heart-wrenching.
Seeing this lyric become a full on rock song was really thrilling, not least because it saw me working with a brand new set of musicians. There was Bob Campbell on vocals, and then Heron Almeida, Anand Gupta, and Paul Schlichting provided the music. I think the final result is REALLY high quality!
White Feathers
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/891831
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/888019/file/888020
About this song
Ahead of Remembrance Day, I attended an exhibition in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, about the First World War. The exhibition included stories about men from the area who had gone off to fight in the war and who had died. One story that stood out was about a boy who was underage but signed up to fight anyway. The circumstances were quite shocking and sad. Apparently a box of white feathers were left on his family’s doorstep. The implication of being handed white feathers was that people thought you were a coward. Despite being so young the boy lied about his age, signed up to join the war effort, fought bravely for 4 years and then tragically was killed.
That story was the inspiration for the lyric that followed, although I have to stress that there’s an element of fictionalisation in my song. It’s not supposed to be an exact telling of that particular case. I think the stories that exist around service and loss from both the World Wars are extremely poignant and I hope that people enjoy this song. Thanks to James Fraser for taking the lyric and doing all the hard work to turn it into a beautiful song!
Stand for you – part of charity album. Available to buy now!
Buy as part of ‘Hope for Homeless Heroes’ Hearts’ charity album: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hopeforhomelessheroeshear?fbclid=IwAR3sC86HOZZHNHelHog6xv9EfMAIdb8qopyWEU8F788MEOLTWrG25T8tnkc
I’m very pleased to have been part of an inspiring Internet group of musicians and songwriters who collaborated to create a Christmas charity album ‘Hope for Homeless Heroes’ Hearts’ that will raise funds for homeless veterans in the US. With contributors from across the globe, the album is truly an International effort and it’s fantastic how people have been able to collaborate so effectively to create what I think is a really nice album.
I set myself the task of writing an original lyric and ‘Stand for you’ is what emerged. I had originally envisioned it being a Bruce Springsteen genre song but album mastermind Stephen Kalpin came up with the idea of turning it into a heavy rock song! Then, I recruited Bob Campbell (who I’ve worked with previously on the Kompoz website) to provide vocals. Bob also added drums and production on top of Stephen’s guitar and bass and the end result is, I think, a really energetic fun rock song that also has a hard hitting impassioned message!
Here’s a taster of the lyrics:
(Verse 1)
Snow is falling on Christmas Eve
Reindeer being readied
Sleigh bells on the breeze,
But not everybody’s tucked up in bed
Or has a roof on which to land a sled
Woah, Christmas Eve
(Verse 2)
Snow keeps falling on Christmas Eve
Riley’s old blanket
Guards against the freeze,
The medals that he earned were sold long ago
A dog-tag round his neck glinting in the snow
Woah, in the snow
(Pre Chorus)
We all have our wars to fight
Let me stand with you
Deep in the dark of night
I know what you would do
(Chorus)
You stood for me
So I will stand for you
If you can’t stand any more
I will carry you
We’ll carry you
Support each other
It’s what we gotta do
Hold on
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/881022
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/868264/file/868271
About this song
Hold on started as just a beautiful piano piece by Tommy Helsten. From the moment I heard it on the Kompoz website I felt compelled to write lyrics for it. I stayed up into the wee small hours until I was satisfied that I had completed my lyrics! I was thrilled then when Kim Noble sang a demo with my lyrics and Tommy then agreed that we could take it forward as a song. Tommy added in cello and flute, and Jean Toudou came in to add drums and bass. I think the resulting song is memorable. A real pleasure to be part of.
The lyric is about someone who saw the love of their life walk down the aisle with someone else, but they retained their love over many resultant years. I think I originally envisaged the singer being male but it works really well with a female singer, especially when the vocals are to great!
I’ll hide
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/877956
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/871791/file/871799
About this song
I saw a post on the Kompoz website’s Community page, where a conversation was taking place about writing songs that tackle the topic of climate change. I had an old lyric on this topic that I had never taken forward so I dusted it off and uploaded it.
I was delighted when Parmia Vaala and James Fraser picked it up. We actually ended up doing 2 versions. (The other is called ‘Six Degrees (and gone)’ and you can find it further down this page!)
James provided the chord structure and then Parmia handled vocals, melody, and music. It was my first time working with Parmia who is an extremely gifted and powerful vocalist from Finland. Check out this song please as I’m sure you will enjoy it and the topic is important!
Underwater
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/877858
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/875319/file/875320
About this song
Underwater is a song about someone who despairs at the daily grind of work life and office politics and lives to get away to the freedom of diving underwater.
Two of my regular collaborators, James Fraser and Nigel Robinson, teamed up to magic the lyric into a song, and I think they’ve done a great job. James did the song arrangement as well as vocals, guitar and bass. And Nigel provided drums and keyboard.
This Dog
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/875958
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/863189/file/866444
About this song
This Dog is a song about a dog who is homeless and has been mistreated over his life. But he still wags his tail and is still optimistic that things will work out well. That message could also resonate with humans who have been through a tough time.
I was very lucky to have the lyric picked up by Suzana Stoimenova, from Bulgaria, who did a brilliant job of adding music, song arrangement, and vocals that are beautiful. We then had Ronnie Allison come in to add some great guitars that work so well with the song. And then the icing on the cake was having Paul Schlichting come in to do the final mastering of the tracks. I think it sounds amazing!
Make Dreams Come True
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/876389
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/876143/file/876183
Make Dreams Come True is an example of where I’ve created a bespoke lyric for an existing piece of music. James Fraser approached me saying that he was interested in adding guitar and vocals for a great piece of music that a German musician Steffen O had created, but he needed lyrics. I accepted the challenge and am very pleased with the way it’s turned out.
The song tells the story of a musician who is out busking to try to promote a CD that he or she is selling. However, it’s not going well and they look a bit down on their luck. Another person (the singer) then goes to perform with them and also tells them that they can achieve what they want to if they work really hard for it. I think both the lyric and the song have ended up as nicely uplifting and it also sounds great! As well as Steffen and James’ contributions, it also features lovely backing vocals by Susan FidlerSongs and top quality drumming by Chris Bouchard. An all-star cast!
Six Degrees (And Gone)
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/876382
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/870144/file/870587
The inspiration for this lyric was reading an article about what the impact would be if the planet’s average temperature was to increase by 6 degrees Celsius. Basically, it would not be good and is a disaster that we need to avoid! Anyway, I sat on the lyric for a while until I saw a discussion on the Kompoz Community pages about doing songs that are about global warming.
I posted my lyric and was thrilled when James Fraser and Parmia Vaala said they would help take it forward. James is a regular contributor and it’s always fantastic to work with him. Parmia is a really talented and powerful vocalist from Finland and I’m delighted to have collaborated with her for the first time! (Even better, there will be a second time as she has also been working on an awesome alternative version of this song, under the song title ‘I’ll hide’. Look out for that version appearing here at some time in the future!)
Another regular collaborator, Nigel Robinson, brought in his drumming prowess to help underpin the song and I love the way it’s worked out. Please check it out – I hope that both the song and the message resonate with lots of people.
Mr Smith and Mr Wesson
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/874610
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/871735/file/871736
About this song
Mr Smith and Mr Wesson is a fictitious tale about an attempted bank robbery that doesn’t quite go to plan! I originally trialled the lyrics on the MuseSongWriters website and received some useful feedback about it. I then made a few tweaks and my regular collaborator James Fraser said that he’d like to have a go at it.
James came up with a really cool music idea for it, contributing guitars, bass, harmonica and vocals. And then we invited in another regular contributor Nigel Robinson who provided some lovely drums and keyboard. For a final flourish James added some cool special effects. The feedback received on this song has been extremely positive. I think it’s a classy and fun track and I hope that you will enjoy listening to it!
Out on my feet
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/872396
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/867867/file/867868
About this song
This is a song that is about being in a tough place, totally bone tired, but knowing that you’re going to work through the pain and come out the other side. My protagonist is a lobster pot fisherman which allowed me to bring a storm metaphor in. Besides, I love songs that are about the sea.
Regular collaborators James Fraser and Nigel Robinson teamed up to turn it into a really cool song. James contributed vocals, guitar, bass, and production. Nigel provided keyboards and drums.
Counting the days down
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/869121
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/858873/file/858885
About this song
The lyric for this song was inspired by reading about Ernest Shackleton’s failed attempt to cross the Antarctic continent from one coast to the other via the South Pole. His attempt ran into difficulties when his boat, The Endurance, became trapped in ice. He and all his crew had to leave the Endurance behind and make their way to Elephant Island. From there, it goes from a disaster story to one of the greatest rescue stories of all time. Shackleton took 5 other men, including navigator Frank Worsley, in a small boat called the James Caird. Their implausible task was to make it safely through fierce Antarctic seas to reach a remote whaling port, from where the alarm could be raised to save all his crew.
My lyric was beautifully turned into a song by my regular collaborator partner James Fraser, who handled vocals, all music, and production. I think he did a fabulous job with it and I love that we were able to create a song about such a great historic story.
Lady of the Lake
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/868376
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/824989/file/824990
About this song
I guess this is a song about being lonely. And being by a beautiful expanse of water. And then creating a love for a mythical person, who can’t succumb to the faults that real flesh and blood humans possess.
I had ‘discovered’ Nick Drake’s music back in January and spent lots of hours listening to his wonderful music and reading about his tragic life. This lyric followed those hours of immersing myself in his songs, so I guess formed the inspiration. Lady of the Lake was breathed into life expertly by the hugely talented James Fraser (vocals, guitar, bass, production) and Nigel Robinson (piano, strings, and accordion). Thanks guys!
Molly Brooker
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/864233
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/862783/file/862784
About this song
Molly Brooker is a dark tale about a fictitious character called Molly Brooker. She lives alone and gets into a romance with a prisoner called Ricky Breen, who is in jail for murder but is about to be released.
James Fraser picked up the lyric and turned it into a song, adding vocals, guitar, and bass. Roddy Potter then added drums. And Alice Minguez added some haunting lyrics to bring in Molly’s perspective on the story. I LOVE the way this has turned out and I hope that you will enjoy it too!
Boots O’Reilly
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/863825
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/862773/file/862774
About this song
Boots O’Reilly is a fictitious Irish character who I pictured had led a colourful life, including lots of time on the open road. The lyric has actually written for a songwriting collaboration contest on the MuseSongWriters website but wasn’t used. I then posted it on the Kompoz website and was delighted when regular collaborator James Fraser picked it up.
James has done a great job with it. He used 2 acoustic guitars, Irish bouzouki, tin whistle, and bodhran. And also handled the vocals and all production.
A little meadow
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/859484
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/857987/file/857988
About this song
A little meadow is a quirky love song. It’s about two people who find love when they least expect it. I originally wrote it to just be a male vocal but feedback I received from another lyric writer encouraged me to suggest that it could be a male/female duet. And I think that approach has worked brilliantly!
All music and production, plus male vocals provided by regular collaborator James Fraser. And female vocals added by Alice Minguez. Thanks to both of them for doing such a fantastic job with my lyric!
Comeback Kid
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/854808
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/839924/file/839925
About the song:
This is a song about never giving up. I wrote it about a boxer who has suffered some losses but is determined to learn from them and come back stronger. However, it could apply to anyone. Whatever your goal in life, don’t give up when you hit bumps in the road!
This is actually the 2nd version of this song that I’ve been lucky enough to see. George Schiessl had previously created another version based on my lyric, which I also love. It’s fantastic when I get to see different musicians interpretations of my lyrics!
In this version, Pascal Vanier has done a brilliant job of creating all the supporting music. And it was a lovely surprise when Alice Minguez came in to do the vocals. They sound amazing. The song also includes a Muhammed Ali quote so listen out for it!
Credits:
Simon Wright – Lyrics
Pascal Vanier – All music and Production
Alice Minguez – Vocals
You know the score
Listen to & buy the song: https://www.soundblend.com/store/release/851745
Full lyrics: https://www.kompoz.com/music/collaboration/765758/file/765759
About the song:
The idea behind this song is that a successful old-time rock star has a drug problem that has led to him being in debt to a gangster. The gangster sends a man around to either collect the debt or show others that you don’t fail to pay your debts. I had great fun writing this one. I had in mind that it could be a bluesy hard rock songs, maybe along the lines of ZZ Top. However, George took it in a more mellow direction but it sounds very cool. 🙂
Credits
Simon Wright – Lyrics
George Schiessl – Vocals, guitar, piano, production
Brian Henry – Drums
Not my fault
Listen to the song: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hjN3SXjMOujCyQromqm5RXulhmq5OG4E/view
Credits:
Simon Wright – Lyrics
Josh Castagno – Vocals, all music, production
About the song:
Another gangster song and the fact that it appears right below ‘I know the score’ makes it sound like I’ve been going through a gangster phase! However, ‘I know the score’ was written much earlier – it just took some time to get to a completely finished state.
The idea behind the lyric was that I wanted to place someone in a hugely perilous position right from the start of the song. The 1st verse ended up as:
And the angle I went with that sometimes we can get into trouble through friendships that we have with others. In this case, the protagonist’s best friend had a drug addiction that led to a run in with gangsters.
Footprints in the snow
Listen to Footprints in the snow
Credits:
Simon Wright – Lyrics
Josh Castagno – Vocals, all music, production
About the song:
I created this lyric as part of a song collaboration on the MuseSongwriters website. The lyric writers in the contest were given a free reign to come up with whatever lyrics they wanted. However, the organiser had suggested that we try to write to an AABA song structure on a theme to do with feet or footwear.
The angle that I took was of a couple who had sneaked out into the snow many years ago for a secret romantic rendezvous. They had been forced into secrecy because the love they shared was in some way taboo.
I was lucky to be paired with amazing American musician Josh Castagno and Josh turned the lyric into a fantastic moving song. And it ended up winning the contest! 🙂
Poor John Druitt
Credits:
Simon Wright – Lyrics
James Fraser – Vocals, all music, production
About the song:
John Druitt was named retrospectively as a suspect in the infamous Jack the Ripper murders that happened in London in 1888. By the time he was named he was already dead, having committed suicide in the River Thames. All the evidence seems to suggest that he couldn’t have been the killer. For example, he was a very keen cricketer and match records show his whereabouts on key dates and make it implausible that he could then have travelled to some of the murder scenes in sufficient time.
I decided to write a lyric about him. I’m very pleased with the way it turned out. And was delighted when regular collaborator James Fraser picked the lyric up and turned it into a cool atmospheric folk song.
Liked my latest songs?
I hope you’ve liked my latest songs? If so, then please also check out the My Songs page, where I’ve included some more. And, if you’re a musician, and would like to collaborate with me, then please use the Contact Me form to get in touch with me.
