Category Archives: songwriting

The Other Side of Nowhere

songwriting

by Rob Roper 1st Draft February 11, 2009

You walk through this world
but you can’t find your song
Doing what you should
not what you want
And the last time I saw you
you were drunk on despair
I’ll be waiting on the other side of nowhere.

You talk of your dreams
with a frown and a sneer
You’ve been living the wrong way
for so many years
And you say that you’re trapped
but the answer’s right there
I’ll be waiting on the other side of nowhere.

Drive down the freeway
Stare at the grey
You like to complain
But you don’t like to pray
You could take the next exit
But you don’t dare
I’ll be waiting on the other side of nowhere.

(I’ll record the song and put it on my demo site so you can hear the melody. www.myspace.com/robroperdemos)

The Man in the Movies

"Rob Roper", songwriting

I dug up some free writing from my journal from a couple years ago, created some potential lines, and liked “she was looking for the man in the movies”. Initially I came up with a simple melody with some rock and roll music, nothing very original. A few weeks later, I was noodling around in the DADGAD tuning and thought of these lyrics, and decided this slower, more melancholy music was better. So I started writing lines and the melody and tweaking the music. I’ll put a rough recording on my demo site later today, myspace.com/robroperdemos.

The Man in the Movies
by Rob Roper 3rd draft December 16, 2008

She had no time for sadness
Didn’t believe in second chances
She was looking for the man in the movies
She wanted flowers without the rain

Guess I scared her a little
when I let her see my cry
She was looking for the man in the movies
and no clouds to block the sun

I guess I’ve changed
’cause I no longer play the game
She’s still looking for the man in the movies
I take the flowers with the rain

Misfit

"Rob Roper", songwriting

by Rob Roper 2nd draft Dec 8, 2008

Too weird for straight
too straight for freaks
not a redneck
not a hippy
Don’t have a tatoo
don’t have piercings
don’t have dreadlocks
don’t wear a hoodie
Misft

Don’t watch sitcoms
or the cop shows
Don’t watch the Oscars
or the Grammys
Don’t like the Idols
or the hit songs
The music that I like
you never heard of
Misft

Don’t eat McDonalds
I’m not a vegan
don’t drink Jaegermeiser
or Bud-lite
Don’t have children
or a wife
not gay
or even bi
Misfit

Not a Democrat
or Republican
not a Christian
not a Jew
not a Muslim
or a Buddist

What’s a misfit boy gonna do?
Gotta find me a misfit girl
Like you.

Mama Had a Mohawk

punk rock, songwriting

A couple of years ago I was at my neighborhood bar, and met this young kid who was into to punk rock. He was a second generation punk rocker; he said his mom had a blue mohawk. Didn’t know his dad, he was just some guy in one of the bands his mom met. He was working at a tatoo shop on S. Broadway. I mentioned that I liked the song “Story of my Life” by Social Distortion, and he said, “man, that song saved my life when I was in high school”. I thought, “this is a song!” I made a few notes at the time, but just got around to really working on it yesterday and today. I took what he told me, and made the rest of it up. Here’s a first draft of the lyrics. I posted a rough recording on my myspace demo site, http://www.myspace.com/robroperdemos.

“Mama Had a Mohawk”
by Rob Roper 1st Draft Nov 18, 2008

Mama had a mohawk, painted it blue
black leather jacket, an angel tatoo
Daddy played the drums, in a punk rock band
Mama said, “son, one day you’ll understand”

Chorus
Mama had a mohawk
Daddy wasn’t around
They let me run wild
on the streets of the town
A rock and roll baby
Born and bred
I look back now
Can’t believe I’m not dead

Sometimes at night, mama wouldn’t come home
I’d have to call my friend, on the telephone
She’d pick me up at noon, and buy me ice cream
and say, “sorry, litle man, I was out with the band”

Chorus

High school was tough, I didn’t fit in
I was skinny and ugly, only had one friend
We were always skipping school
hanging out, smoking pot
Just sitting in the car
and listen to punk rock

Chorus

I remember the day, Social D came to town
Mama snuck me in the back, when the guard wasn’t around
Mike Ness looked at me, sang “Story of my Life”
Every word rang true, man, he got it all right

Chorus

Now I’m ok, work in a tatoo shop
got a hardcore band, and man, we really rock
I watch the kids jump around, from up on the stage
They remind me of me, when I was their age.

Chorus

Freestyle

freestyle, hip-hop, rap, songwriting

I saw a good movie last night. It’s a documentary called “Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme”. “Freestyle” is a type of rap where you spontaneously make up a rap. The lines can’t just rhyme, they have to flow logically and make sense. And you can’t pre-write any of it; it has to be spontaneous. Try it sometime, it’s hard! I think it could be a good songwriting exercise even for songwriters who don’t write in the hip-hop style.

Rent the movie. I got it on Netflix. It’s amazing the stuff these guys come up with on the spot.

-Rob