Walkin' In the City

Since we have been practicing and playing quite a lot over the past few weeks, and with the prep work for the 'show' at Expressionz Cafe next Saturday, song writing has taken a back seat.   Until this morning. 

I had this piece of music that I've been playing around with for about a month now.  just a little kind of poppy up-beat tempo thing.  I figured if I kept playing around with it something would come out of the air.   Friday night I was playing around with it and a simple phrase came to me  "Walkin' In the City".   That not only became the core thought for the song, but also its' title.  

I was still blank on the rest of the song, so early yesterday morning I got in my car, drove downtown and walked around.  I took my camera and got some great city shots.  My favourite photo from yesterday is a shot I took through a restaurant window.  I called it 8865 - 97th Street. 

 

I then wandered down to the farmers market on 104th street and took in the sights and sounds of the morning.  Among the music and the vendors, it is a great place to people watch, which by the way is one of my favourite passtimes.  

After exhausting myself walking around, I decided to go over to my favourite coffee and gelato shop in Edmonton - the Beuno Vista.  I got a large latte, took a few more photos, then headed home.

All through this Walk in the City,  I wrote down some notes and ideas that I could work into this new song.  When I got home, I wrote down the first verse:

Walkin' in the City, this Saturday morn

The street is gritty, and the concrete is worn

All the lost souls, look sad and alone

Waitin' at the Carot Cafe

For the rest of the day, I went blank.  Had the ideas, but it just wasn't fitting together.   Sunday morning, I got up waaaaaay too early.   For some reason, quiet Sunday mornings seem to be a good time for me to write.  I picked up my guitar, played that first verse,  and a chorus line came to me, sort of like this:

Walkin' in the City  (then second voice comes in)  da da da da   day

Evenutually, I filled in some words for da da da da day.  

I then went to my notebook,  It didn't take long after that to write out the rest of the song.    lines like:

Yuppies on the corner, with a silver spoon

sippin their cup o' lattes

There's a line in the song that came from a chance meeting on the street with Dr. John on some previous walk around town.  

Saw Dr. John, I said how ya doin'. 

Another line in the song came from the notebook.  While walkin' around, I came by this fellow with long flowing hair, and wearing a long black coat with a cross belt buckle.  He mumbled something about salvation as he walked by.   The line is the song

Preacher in his collar, he's prayin' for more

It was a productive morning.  Another song in the song book.   I've lost count, but I think that's about 10 for the year so far.  so it's the 6th month, and I'm half way to my goal.  I'm sure it will get harder.  

Maybe my trip to Nashville in August will get t he creative juices flowing.