Blogging in B Minor

I just finished the final stages of production on a new cut called “Angels of the Night”. As with most writers, I never know where a song’s inspiration will come from – or when it will come. I had the music finished and fully produced for this piece for a good 3-4 weeks before the inspiration came and everything started flowing lyrically for this song from the primary message to the melodies. This is how I typically write – the music comes first and then I write the lyrics and create the melodies from that foundation. There are different schools of thought here but most believe that if you write lyrics and then try to set them to music it’s more difficult. I find that I can work more effectively with music first. As an example, I could have a bar in the chorus that is perfect for a verse that contains a total of seven syllables (chorus in Angels of the Night….”they’ll do all they can……to lift your wings up again“). It would be hard to pigeon-hole lyrics to this music if the chorus that was prewritten had, say, five syllables or ten. Are there people who can do it, and do it well? Absolutely!! All you need to do is look at Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. The difference here, however, is that Bernie is a talented musician in his own right so when he’s writing lyrics, he already has some general ideas in mind from a musical standpoint and he passes those on along with the finished lyric.

Anyway, due to recent health issues, I’m exposed to a lot of people who are dealing with some pretty dire circumstances and I learned about a boy being cared for by my Neurosurgeon (if you care to read the “back story”, you can find it here http://www.sacbee.com/health/story/169025.html ). She along with the team of doctors essentially saved his life. I view people like her as Godsent, thus the metaphor of angels. Someone in that office even made the statement “they are like angels – I don’t know how they do what they do”. The story about this boy inspired me to write this song. It started with him in mind but as with most songs, I tried to strike a balance between the personal and universal so everyone could identify with it and apply it to their own lives, in their own way. The metaphor of angels took on new meanings as I continued to write and let the song sink in.

Here’s the cut:

Angels of the Night

Verse 1

Have you ever wondered why
When the well was running dry
When it feels like borrowed time
How life can change on a dime
Have you ever wondered why
Through the days of cloudy skies
And the nights of no sleep
Why it’s hard to look before you leap

Intro Chorus

People come and go and some just fade
But angels they are always there
They help you face life unafraid

Chorus

The angels of the night
They’re here with you they’ll be your light
They’ll do all they can
To lift your wings up again
Please believe and just hold on
They’ll brighten the stars that fade at dawn
Raise you up so you can soar like an eagle flies
Angels of the night

Verse 2

Have you ever floated away
On a cloud above the fray
Looking down so all you see
Is how you’d like your life to be
Have you ever stopped to think
Why the world’s so out of sync
Why your friends think you’ve changed
Why your life’s been rearranged

Intro Chorus

Chorus

Repeat Chorus

Copyright 2007 © Mark Miller. All rights reserved.

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