Brilliant Sunshine – Song and a Chat

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Episode #183: Brilliant Sunshine (Song starts at 4:43)

I started this song as I was travelling to piano teaching one morning. I was sitting at the bus stop on the busy road. The sun was so hot and bright I could barely read the words on my page. That is literally what the first few sentences of the lyrics say.

So pretty much, no matter where you are, or what you’re up to, it can be done. We all have the choice to focus on something creative to lift out mood.

I could’ve been sitting at that bus stop stewing about the fact that my previous train was canceled & I was a bit tired – I could’ve got scratchy about it all.

Instead, I picked a pen and got something off my shoulders by starting with some real things that are happening around me. Then I reflected on the images and feelings. And I came up with something new, a step on: some art.

It feels good to do this in the moment, and then it feels doubly good to look back and think hey I’ve got great memories of feeling good because I chose to focus and get creative.

On that note, I could be licking my wounds because of the last few years of Covid and the consequent pretty much non-recovery of the arts (as yet), here in Melbourne. Instead I’m looking back at 3 years of a heap of music and art, chat and writing on the internet which I’ve produced. It feels good.

Putting music to these lyrics felt really good too. The demo version on this episode is piano/vocal. I can really hear a full band arrangement – including and extended guitar solo ending. That’d be fun.

I’ll take you down to the beach again this week. This time I’m doing a spot of fishing. I’m glad I did. I’ve had a couple of weeks break from teaching (school holidays here) so I’m amongst the usual painting, podcast recording and blog writing, I made a point of taking some time out.

In this city of a million stories, here’s another one. Mine. I also then turn it around at the end of the singing with …let me hear your story.

Because it’s not all about me. As a lyricist, I’m inviting the listener to choose to do some work, go through some similar thought processes by following along with my lyrics, and then reflecting on how those ideas might pertain to themselves.

That’s sometimes what happens with art. It offers a tangible place for some sort of reflection and personal transformation/ growth to take place. Or – at the very least – perhaps the listener might think: ‘Hey, that songs got a nice beat. It’s lifted my mood’. The lyrics might not even be delved into to any degree – and that’s fine.

That’s the beauty of songwriting, I think it’s an inclusive domain – both for the listener and for the songwriters.

That’s why I’m sharing how I write a song. I’m not telling anyone how to write a song.. on these episodes, I’m just sharing some ideas about how I do it.

I’m finding sitting at the piano as I chat is working well, because I can demonstrate something musically, easily. Then go back to the chat.

Or I can take off on musical tangents….eg a new bridge for a song like last episode, or perhaps an improvised piece, as I did towards the end of this week’s episode.

I hope you some new music. Perhaps Paul Dredge and I might include this one on a folk rock album. We are 9 songs into our new folk rock album. You’ll hear more about that (here) soon.

To keep up with my art and music ( and two read the lyrics of the songs on this podcast, check out my blog. www.petepascoe.wordpress.com there are a 180 odd posts there now, including lots of cartoons, seascape paintings, creative ideas, photos and links to lots more music.

This podcast is such a pleasure to produce. Thanks for the great feedback, folks.

Here we go… enjoy ( the) brilliant sunshine.