Say The Word

[billman]

"Say The Word" is a rock/pop tune that I wrote many years ago, but recently had a county band express interest in cutting it as a county/pop single.By listening to the original version, can you "hear" it as a county tune?Lyrically speaking - it's not really country, it was more of an experiment to see if I could make every line a question.I would appreciate any thoughts/comments on the original version, opinions if it can be "country-fied" and lyrical comments as well.thanks:http://www.taximusic.com/hosting/home.p ... billmanSay the WordDo you still change your mindEvery time the clock changes timeDo you still like to cry at moviesYou’ve seen a hundred timesDo you still agreeThat we were born to make a differenceAnd change the world tooDid you have to throw it all awayDid you have to say the wordDid you have to say goodbyeDid you have to leave me here just wondering whyDid you have to say the word goodbyeDo you still sing our songEvery time it comes onDo you still like to make believeThat we are still in loveDo you still agreeThat we were born to make a differenceAnd change the world tooDid you have to throw it all awayDid you have to say the wordDid you have to say goodbyeDid you have to leave me here just wondering whyDid you have to say the word goodbye© 1999 - Music & Lyrics by Bill Hunterwww.TexasRockBand.com

[zoom]

Hey Bill... welcome to the forums!I can definitely hear this as a country tune. The melody and chord progressions lend themselves easy to that, as it already sounds somewhat like the Gear Daddies and other bands that fit that guitar pop vibe. Country-fying the song is really just having different instruments and a new vocalist on it... there's nothing that needs to be done from a writing perspective IMO.Lyrically, I think it would be nice to change it out of question mode -- perhaps in a bridge -- but the lines you have are pretty solid and tell a good story. And hey, if someone wants to cover it why not let them?Hope that helps, and good luck with the country version!

[wrdsnmuzik]

I agree, this could work for a country band . . . let 'em take it and see what they do with the arrangement. Good stuff.

[billman]

Thanks - I appreciate the feedback.

[cjdenecia]

you want it to be a country song?why? yeah, it could be ... but it sure seems to me it wasn't written from that perspective and it doesn't come off like that in this production nor in my ear, does it lend itself that way otherwise.it's a classic rock song that you could modernize quite a bit with some different guitar attacks ... and maybe just a few slight changes in the lead vocal here and there as far as melody is concerned.the lead solo would need an update but I hear how it could be a lot more frenetic and off melody but still quite congenial with the structure of the song harmonically ... it's never gonna be major hit material, it doesn't have a big hook and it doesn't strike major nerves but it is a good song with a good overall melody and would make fine album filler or maybe good commercial fodder for bits and pieces of it in a film or for that matter - an advertisement ... cus it has moments.but I wouldn't try to make it what it's not - and what it's NOT is country - not even mutt lange would try to take this and make it a 70's style rocker turned modern country - or if he did, it'd be cus he found it a challenge.the thing that seems to stick in my head hearing this tho is how much more powerful it might be if you treated it with an acoustic arrangement. taking that electric completely out and replacing it with a 6 string and add power chords and the big build up ...and back again .... then follow that with a good soaring bridge for that lead area (again - I think that needs to be redone, that lead is technically solid but emotionally anti-climatic)a lyrical second look might be in order here and there ... wasn't real fond of how the second verse fit in ... especially it's first line ...but to be honest, I wasn't really looking hard at the lyrics cus they flowed well and I don't normally even bother with the "message" until the music and melody has grabbed me, brought me in and given me a reason to pay attention to that ... which hopefully for you is the 3rd to 5th play ... and I'm a singer/lyricist ... but I look from a listeners POV as much as possible and so - I think you gotta grab 'em first musically.and this does ok with that. so - don't take it country (unless you're offered some good money and then - do what you have to do!) - it's what it is. don't bastardize it.

[cameron]

Nov 19, 2008, 4:56pm, cjdenecia wrote:you want it to be a country song?so - don't take it country (unless you're offered some good money and then - do what you have to do!) - it's what it is. don't bastardize it.As John Lennon said about Imagine, "It's just a bloody song". Do whatever the hell you want with it and whatever helps sell it. It's no good keeping it as is if nobody is going to hear it.The lyrics don't sound a lot like current country stuff to me but musically I think it would workCam

[billman]

I didn't write it with a country theme in mind - i don't think that the lyrics are "country" at all - but hey, who am i to argue when someone wants to record a tune. thanks for the replies. i appreciate it!