Enter Today.

Lyricists! Here’s your chance to shine! Enter The Dallas Songwriters Quarterly Lyric Contest Entry fee is $10 per lyric.

Quarterly Entry Deadlines: Winter - March 31 * Spring - June 30 * Summer - September 30 * Fall - December 31


PRIZES TO BE AWARDED

Of course the MAIN prize is what we ALL aspire to:

RECOGNITION FOR OUR LYRICAL WORK!

ALSO: The 1st place winning lyricist receives:

A certificate, $50 cash and a 1 year DSA membership.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winner's lyrics and judges critiques will be published in the DSA “Songwriters Notes” and on the DSA Website.

Friday, February 3, 2012

WINNERS OF THE 2011 FALL LYRIC CONTEST


Semifinalists
We'll Go Away As Friends by Bill Kapac, Williamstown, NJ
Shadows on the Wall by George Puccini, Las Vegas, NV
Body Surfing by Larry Dodge, Dallas, Tx
In A Heartbeat by Dana Young, Anthony, KS
All of You by Jenifer Christmas, Arverne, NY
Don't Play That Song by Dana Young, Anthony, KS
My Momma, (She Really Loved To Dance) by Fremont Ashton, Englewood, FL
I was Only Trying to Help Her Make Up My Mind by Bill Kapac, Williamstown, NJ
The Homecoming Dance by Lisa Simmons, Lewisville, Tx
Jesus Rides this Freight Train With Me by Tony McCall, Brisbane, Australia

Fade by Ryan Eichenwaid, Dallas, Tx 



WINNERS
There were a lot of good lyric entries this quarter and it was hard to choose. I will critique as I type and use a parenthesis to remove a word or phrase or add a word. Sometimes I add  or remove a word to make meters match.

1ST PLACE

WE'LL GO AWAY AS FRIENDS by Bill Kapac
This is a well crafted song with a lot of emotion.  There are a lot of "break-up" songs but this one had an upbeat twist.

VERSE 1
Love doesn't disappear, it (just) slowly fades away
The feelings will go, but the memories all stay
Our life as one is over, in the morning I'll be gone
We're going our separate ways, we're both moving on (we'll both be moving on)

VERSE 2
We could try again tomorrow, but tomorrows never come
They just become today and that's what we're running from
I lie staring at the ceiling, next to your bed
With the sound of the past ringing (over) in my head

CHORUS
Hold me through the night I ask, stay until it ends
Kiss me in the morning and we'll go away as friends
Life can be so crazy, we could fall in love again
Walk me to the door and we'll go away as friends

VERSE 3
I turn and try to talk as the strength drains from my voice
There's no turning back now, we've already made that choice
I'm thinking to myself, should we give it one more try
But I won't say a word, (I don't want her to see me cry)  can't let her see me cry

REPEAT CHORUS


2ND PLACE

SHADOWS ON THE WALL by George Puccini
These lyrics are original and paint a good visual picture.  They also show emotion.

VERSE 1
An old photograph, a song from the past
Her laugh that lingers like a haunting (tune) melody
The scent of her hair surrounding me here
Like the shadows on the wall I see

VERSE 2
I look and she's there, asleep in my chair
I call her name and reach to touch her cheek
Then my cigarette flames and eerily frames
The shadows on the wall (around me) that can't speak

BRIDGE
I know the shadows taunt me as they haunt me
Now that she's gone
They bring her face before me just to warm me
Then they flicker and move on

VERSE 3
As my cigarette dies, alone in the night
I'll watch the silhouettes dance on the wall
Just old memories of what (life) used to be
Shadows on the wall and me

REPEAT BRIDGE
As my cigarette dies, alone  in the night
I'll watch the silhouettes dance on the wall
Just old memories of what (life) used to be
Shadows on the wall
Shadows on the wall
Shadows on the wall and me

3RD PLACE

BODY SURFING by Larry Dodge
This is a very original and well crafted song. It might be a little too sexy to be commercial but it is certainly well written and a fun song. Catchy tune something Brad Paisley would do - a few words could be changed, but structure seems good and somewhat original.
Verse 1:
I love the ocean and my baby does too
Beaches and breakers and water so blue
Barbecues and blankets on our favorite turf
But the highest high is when we body surf

Ramp:
There's really nothing like it when we catch a wave
We ride it 'til it breaks , but pretty quickly we crave
Another wave, even bigger, they'll challenge our skill
Until we crash, exhausted, and fall asleep lying still

Chorus:
No board needed, it just gets in the way
Of total immersion  in the foam and spray
Ride the rhythm of the ocean 'til the dance is through
Oh Baby, I love BODY SURFING with you

Verse 2:
Now Baby and I we live far from the shore
And we rarely have time to make the trip anymore
But we don't need breakers, except in our head
We get the same kind of thrills here at home instead

[Repeat ramp and chorus]

Tag:
No,  there's really nothing  better when the day is through
Oh Baby, I love BODY SURFING with you!

HONORABLE MENTION
This was a hard decision as there were many lyrics that deserved to be honored.  After re-reading many songs several times, I finally decided on

IN A HEARTBEAT by Dana Young, Anthony, KS
These were catchy lyrics with an upbeat message. I would suggest that you shorten the verses to 6 lines instead of 8.  Also  the bridge should be changed to read:
Faster than a jet plane
In the blink of an eye
I fell for you
Now honey, that's no lie

VERSE
When I first met you 
Didn't know much about love 
Just having a good time 
Was all that I could think of 
Then I met you baby 
And I fell hard and fast 
Would I do it all again girl 
You don't even have to ask. 

CHORUS
In a heartbeat 
In a split second 
Like a flashoof lightening 
Honey there's no question 
In a heartbeat. 

VERSE
After we were married 
And I was gonna be a dad 
Didn't know if I was ready 
I admit I was scared 
But the first time that I saw her 
Such tiny hands and feet 
I fell in love again 
In a heartbeat. 

CHORUS
In a heartbeat 
In a split second 
Like a flashoof lightening 
Honey there's no question 
In a heartbeat. 

BRIDGE
Faster than a jet plane 
In the blink of an eye 
Like the flutter of a bird's wing 
Now honey that's no lie. 

CHORUS
In a heartbeat 
In a split second 
Like a flash of lightening 
Honey there's no question 
In a heartbeat 

I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

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