Erika & The Silver Screen

Dreams don't always turn out the way we thought they would/should... But sometimes they still work out. I wrote this one without a chorus... It has the little bit of repetition at the end of the verses but I just let the storyline carry the song. I did stereo vocals and panned them left and right.

Listen/Download Here: Erika & The Silver Screen
(Donate or Buy Merch HERE)

Erika & The Silver Screen

Erika's in Arizona doing laundry for the hotel
Be she wants to be in the movies in LA
Erika's folding towels, folding sheets for the hotel
But she wants to be folding the script back learning her lines
-She Acts like nothings wrong. She Act like she's content.
But she'd rather be acting on the silver screen

“Hey Mama. Hey Papa. I want to move away.
Get on the bus, move to L.A.
Hey Mama! Hey Papa! I'm sick of this hotel.
I want to be a movie star. Shop on Rodeo Dr.”
-They Act like she is crazy. They Act like she's a fool.
Because she'd rather be acting on the silver screen.

Erika's fighting tears back, knowing that she may never leave.
This hotel seems it may steal her very soul
She just can't leave her family. They love her. They need her.
This hotel was her Papa's lifelong dream
-The Act of loving family. Can Actively be hard.
When you'd rather be acting on the silver screen

Papa saved his money. Mama went without.
And they build a little stage in the hotel
It doubles as an acting school. She doubles as the star.
People come from far and near to see the show.
-She Acts on the stage and teaches little ones to Act.
And they Act like she's a star on the silver screen.

(c) & (p) Daniel L. Vaillancourt (ASCAP)

Song #4 - Dayna & Her Combat Boots and Spikes

Dayna has become one of the favorites of my series on the 50/90. :) It's an unlikely love story that took twenty years to materialize. Sometimes people don't change... and sometimes that's a good thing.

You get a little mouth trumpet at the end... I just doing some scatting and busted into it...

I don't really know German... but I thought it was funny. :) It may be the first song I've written with a line in another language... I can't think of any other ones.

Listen/Download Here: Dayna & Her Combat Boots and Spikes
(Donate or Buy Merch HERE)

Dayna & Her Combat Boots and Spikes

Dayna's always playing the fool but she'll make it up to you.
Because Dayna is a hell of a girl but she never quite knows what to do
An army brat, she moved around, she'll speak in German when she meets you
“Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Wunderbar! Sehr Gut! Volkswagen...”
Sarcastic is her middle name, at least that's what her mother says...
And we all know that Mother's always know best.

CHORUS:
She skips a little when she walks. She sings a little when she talks.
She sings, “la la la la la la la... La ti da te da da da

She never does what you tell her to. You'll never catch her in a dress
Combat boots to her high school prom. You can imagine the rest.
She almost caused a riot as she walked down the stairs
They reminded her about the dress code and marveled at the spikes in her hair
She was never at a school quite long enough to make friends or enemies
But her escapades at the '88 prom will go down in history
Her escapades at the '88 prom will go down in infamy

She went to her 20th reunion with combat boots, hair spiked.
Two decades later... She still looked gorgeous... He thought from the corner of the room
He'd dreamed of a day when she'd be his bride and he would be her groom
He walked up and they spoke in German. They hit it right off.
It was no time at all before they got married and she finally wore a dress
She and her bridesmaids wore combat boots, hair spiked.

(C) & (P) Daniel L. Vaillancourt (ASCAP)

Song #3: Caroline & The DJ in Her Head

Part 3 in the Story Series. My bet is you know someone like Caroline. This song features my alter ego on Human Turntable and backing vox... I posted an updated version with my friend Thomas Boles on backing vox too.

Listen/Download Here: Caroline & The DJ in Her Head
(Donate or Buy Merch HERE)

Caroline & The DJ In Her Head

Caroline's going out on Saturday Night
She puts on her Favorite Dress
She's dressed to the nines, going out at 10
She's going to meet all of her friends
And next Saturday night
They'll do it all over again
She'll do it all over again

All of her friends like girl's night
Going out for dancing and drinks
There's something about that dim-lit club
That makes them feel young again
And Next Saturday Night
They'll do it all over again
They'll do it all over again

The next time seems like the last time
But it never quite feels like the first time
The years keep on changing but
They never quite see it in each other's eyes
But in the mirror they all talk to themselves

Caroline doesn't really care
About the club or who is there
Because even when she's not at the club
She dances to the DJ in her head
And Everyday...
She'll do it all over again.

The next time never seems like the first time
But it always feel like the last time
The years keep on changing but
They never quite see it in each other's eyes
But in the mirror they all talk to themselves

Caroline's going out on Saturday Night
She puts on her favorite dress

(c) & (p) 2008 Daniel L. Vaillancourt

Song #2: Betty & The Constant Battle of Fire and Water

This is part 2 in the my alphabet of fictitious stories Series. This is really a song I thought about writing while I was down in New Orleans this year... I was reading the history of the city on a walking tour and through out the years it has burned or been destroyed by hurricanes many times... but it always heals. New Orleans is an amazing place with amazing people. (And SUPER amazing food.)

Interesting Facts:
http://www.frenchquarter.com/history/elements.php

Listen/Download HERE: Betty & the Battle of Fire and Water
(Donate or Buy Merch HERE)


Betty & The Battle of Fire & Water

Betty, before banquets, used to cater... to men.
Times were hard down in New Orleans
She did what she had to just to make ends meet
Things got worse, before they got better
But things got better.
And at least for the most part every thing's fine

CHORUS
She makes Jambalaya, makes a mean gumbo with alligator sausage
It'll burn your mouth off if you don't wash it down
It's like a constant battle of fire and water.

Everyone said pack what is precious and leave
But everything that is precious seems to be lost
But she found her dignity, found her courage, decided to stay
Things got worse, before they got better
But they got better.
And at least for the most part every thing's fine

Destructive history that you can see from the outside
It's easy to see, why Betty didn't want to leave
She is like the city, and this city always heals
You can see the water lines and where the buildings burned
But things are getting better
At least for the most part
At least most of the time
The city's constant battle with Fire and Water

c&p2008 Daniel L. Vaillancourt ASCAP

SONG #1: Abigail & Her Library

The first song in the series is a song about Abigail...

Interesting facts:
-Abigail means "Her Father's Joy."
-St. Lawrence is the patron saint of Librarians.

Listen and/or Download: Abigail & Her Library
(Donate or Buy Merch HERE)

Lyrics:

Abigail & Her Library
Abigail is inquisitive. Her nose always in a book
Words are her great escape. She rarely looks you in the eye.
She'd rather be in her fantasy. The ink across the page.
Leather bound or paperback... eventually she'll read them all.
Or so she says.

CHORUS:
Abigail wants to know everything
All of the details. So don't leave anything out.

Abigail was her father's joy. Everyone knew it to be true.
Her eyes would his smile, as he walked into the room
She'd follow him into his library. A story was sure to ensue
Her father must have known everything. He'd read all the books in that room...
Or so he said.

Abigail knew something was wrong. Her father had suddenly taken ill.
Prayers were said to St. Lawrence, seemingly to no avail
It wasn't long before her father passed. Abigail never was the same
She keeps that picture of St. Lawrence as a bookmark as she attempts to read them all.

All the Books in his Library
All of the details
Don't leave a single one out
Abigail wants to know everything

c&p 2008 Daniel L. Vaillancourt (ASCAP)

Q & A: 50 Songs. Written & Recorded in 90 Days.

WHAT?
Okay... So to fill everyone in... I am doing what has been called the "Marathon of Songwriting Challenges." It is the 50/90 Challenge... Attempting to write 50 songs in 90 days. I am trying to record demos of all 50 too. In case you flunked math... that is one song every 43.2 hours... for 90 days. Crazy... yes. More about it here: www.5090.fawm.org/

WHY?
Why not? I did a song a week for the last 20-some weeks of 2007 as a personal challenge... and 14 songs in a February as part of February Album Writing Month. I decided that since gas prices, an aging car, and a few more reasons kept me from touring this summer... I would do this crazy challenge instead.

WHAT DO YOU WIN?!
Nothing. Lots of folks ask what will I win if I finish... Nothing... However if you like new songs... YOU WIN! :)

FIRST 26 SONGS - SERIES #1
I decided to write a series of songs about 26 fictitious people... all the titles and first words of the songs will be of a girl's name... Each song will be a name in alphabetical order... (Like naming Hurricanes.) i.e. Abigail, Betty, Caroline... Etc... Of course with any fiction... there is a little fact.

HOW DO YOU RECORD THEM?
I record a live version of the songs with a couple of microphones... Sometimes I will do an extra backing vocal. You might hear me breath, my lips smack, the neighbors dog bark...

CAN I DOWNLOAD THE SONGS?
Sure can. I'll be posting all the demos... Feel free to donate or buy something via the Donate and Merch link of the right of the page... Every little bit helps. :) ... and every $4 buys a gallon of gas.

WILL YOU WRITE A SONG ABOUT ME?
Maybe I already did.