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Is That Gold You’re Praying For ©2015 Robert George BMI

Is that gold you’re praying for
Do you think your prayers are shallow
And you should be saying more
Though your mask is shaped like faith
Is that gold you’re praying for

Is it gold you’ve learned to trust
Will you ride the wind together
When you have returned to dust
Though your speeches lean on God
Is it gold you’ve learned to trust

It seems foolish that you’d rather
Harvest riches that remain uncertain
When it’s sure the faith you gather
Will still shine beyond the shadow curtain

Love will soon inspire you
If you trade your golden visions
For a humble, higher view
If you walk a bridge of light
Love will soon inspire you

O Is that gold you’re praying for
Do you think your prayers are shallow
And you should be saying more

Is that gold
Is that gold you’re praying for…

Another great lyric Robert.

Is it gold you’ve learned to trust
Will you ride the wind together
When you have returned to dust
Though your speeches lean on God
Is it gold you’ve learned to trust

Your lines are so well done. Do you sing these or play guitar? Just curious... They flow so well.
~Bob

Thanks Bob. I don't play or really sing. But I have made a decent study of the songs that came out of the sixties as well as songwriters influenced by that era. I remember sitting in a Pizza Hut when I was 18 listening to King of Pain and thinking about it from all angles. There's nothing like that out there now. Not that I'm aware of, anyway. I saw a video of a highly praised Grammy performance. It had a weak melody and lyric and the lyric's meter was a mess. The singer had a good voice but songwriting craft was completely absent. It's been eroding since the late 60s and is almost extinct. Can you imagine pro writers coming up with Will You Love Me Tomorrow in today's writing climate? And the proliferation of mentors, workshops and seminars isn't helping.

Anyway, those are my thoughts, haha. I've even tried to acquire an acquaintance with some Tin Pan Alley standards.

I've been seriously studying songs for the past 20 years now. I started writing when I was about 14, that would be 1961 when there were songs like "I Fall to Pieces" and wouldn't you know it, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and Roy Orbison's "Crying". I started writing because I loved that music. I don't believe it's coming back. I loved the 60's music. I started losing interest in popular music in the late 70's. There still are some pretty good lyrics being churned out, but I don't listen enough anymore to know anything. Radio music sucks even if the lyrics are OK. Not that I want to listen to oldies all the time, but I expected music to advance and rise above, not stagnate with overly sexually explicit lyrics and grungy/punky music that just sounds like a broken instrument. Most popular music leaves me flat these days. I read your lyrics and I'm spellbound. I read a lot of modern lyrics and I feel disconnected (probably because I'm an old fart). I've come to the conclusion I will never write songs that will be published and performed by anyone of notice. I write for me and my daughter and we like what we create. I hardly even post my lyrics anywhere, though lately I've been trying to write Heavy Metal Viking stuff because I love the Norse Mythology and I've posted those lyrics here and there. But they have little or no potential to be anything other than an interesting hobby. Most other writers don't comment, too weird.
~Bob

well, I want to make a distinction between a cranky geezer who misses the good old days and doesn't like change, which is inevitable in all endeavors. The sixties(and prior) wasn't my era but I can clearly see entropy at work in songwriting since then. I don't mind The Ramones at all but Beat On the Brat isn't as well written as Paint It, Black. It's just not. and none of the bands highly imfluenced by punk or its predecessors like The Velvet Underground are going to compose The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Dock of the Bay or God Only Knows. or create a record as good as Graceland. Graceland blows The Joshua Tree off the map in every area.

so, I'm not complaining that styles have changed, I'm saying the element of craftsman ship is no longer there.

I understand and I agree. I just think the musicianship in some genres is non-existent and not listenable. And I hope I don't just sound like a grumpy old man either. That's why I write things like Heavy Metal as well as Country and Folk. You have the ability to do anything. That's why I admire you so. You probably get tired of my praise, but it's so easy...
~Bob

thanks Bob. I don't mind a little validation, haha.

Well Robert. I hope you are getting your lyrics put to music. Let me know where I can go listen!
~Bob

Bob, here's my old soundclick site. It's moribund but I like most of the songs on there. listen to 'em all, haha, but I'm partial to Heavy Cross to Bear, Rose of Sunrise, Calico Sundown and Where the Rainbow is the Gold. I also like Roadside Rest and Adios Amigo. hell, listen to 'em all. I like carefree River, too.


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... tent=music

I will check them out Robert.
Thanks!
~Bob