I am working on a new album of songs. I am taking it back to the old school Minneapolis Sound. Feel Good, Pop, Dance, Funk. I am working on quite a few songs right now. I wanted to share a new one I just sang and mixed today. It is called, “Law of Attraction” Check it out:
“Law of Attraction” written and produced by Chad Shank. ©2013 Chad Shank, Rowley Street Music, BMI
This week I gave myself a songwriting assignment. I posted that assignment here. I started off following my own assignment pretty closely….but then the song kinda of took a few different turns. Mainly in the number of lines in the sections and where in the measures the melody starts. Anyway, what came out was the start of a song called, “Human.” It probably needs some work, but the whole point of these assignments and exercises is to keep myself writing. Not every song is going to be a smash hit, but even the not-quite-there songs are very important, because you don’t reach the gold without digging for it. So this is my songwriting ‘digging’ this week….. ~~ Chad
Human
by Chad Shank
He has beach blond hair with darker streaks
And he moves like a breeze across the beach
The sand sticks to his sweat
Beads of water on his skin
He’s free as the Caribean sun sets
Chorus:
He feels Human
In this place he likes to find his joy
Where he feels Human
Away from the stress
Away from the noise
He feels Human
Sometimes he paints to forget the pain
With a brush in his hand in a different state
Emotions on the page
Feelings in the scene
Art is what takes him away
CHORUS
Bridge:
He lets himself go
Lost in the taste, touch, sight, sound and smell
Where he can find himself
Find himself again
Chorus Repeats
Chords:
Verse: ||Cm |Cm |Ab |Ab |Cm |Cm |Fm |Fm ||
Chorus: ||Ab |Bb |Gm |Gm ||
Bridge: ||Bb Fm |Ab ||
©2012 Chad Shank
Here is another song that I wrote. Check it out, it is called, “The Past I’m Running From” ~~ Chad
The Past I’m Running From
by Chad Shank
On wet gravel
A tear slips down my face
I push the pedal
And try to drive this hurt away
The sky is black
The rain it pounds
I’m not sure where I’m going now
So I just drive away
Make my escape
But I’m haunted
By choices made and my mistakes
I’m trying to find some answers
Speeding down this dirt road
Struggling
With the Past I’m Running From
Ugly demons
Staring at me from the backseat
‘Cause I hurt the
One closest to me
I cheated
And I told some lies
And now I’m in this storm tonight
CHORUS
Bridge:
From the bottom of my heart
I never meant to tear our world apart like this
Lost out on these muddy roads
The first and last place that I should go is to you
CHORUS
©2012 Chad Shank, Rowley Street Music
Here is another new song that I wrote recently. It is called, ‘I Feel Free.’ ~~ Chad
I Feel Free
by Chad Shank
I fill up with gas at a 2 pump station
On the outskirts of civilization
Out here where I can roam
The rat race I run away from
So I can breathe in freedom
The prairie feels like home
PC:
City’s where I make ends meet
back there I’m Mr Corporate
Stuffed into an office
Out here I’m king not a worker bee
CHORUS:
Country air
Windows down
I Feel Free
Getting out
On the road
I Feel Free
As the sun’s sinking down over the corn fields
I Feel Free
V2:
The way time is flying it won’t be that long
I can quit my job and say so long
Can’t wait til I’m retired
Get back to rural America
No concrete hysteria
The place where I’m revived
PC:
Watch the sunset and stars come out
Sinking slow on the horizon
Man it’s really something
It’s those simple things that what life’s about
CHORUS
Bridge:
Hello Farmland
It is always good to see you
But let’s not wait so long for next time
CHORUS
©2012 Chad Shank, Rowley Street Music
Here is a new song that I co-wrote with a great friend and songwriter, Janice Gilbert. I cut the demo at my place in Minneapolis. Check it out! ~~ Chad
When She Puts On That Lipstick
by Janice Gilbert and Chad Shank
Verse:
She’s a foxy little vixen
With a wild look in her eyes
Wearing rich velvet lipstick
The way she moves should be a crime
The whole town’s been talking
About where she was last night
Was alone when she walked in
But walked out with a new guy
She had him on her hook
She was playing the game
No one can resist that kind of bait
Chorus:
When she puts on that lipstick
Boy, you better forget it
She knows she’s got ‘em watchin’
She can feel it in their looks
When they stare longer than they should
When she puts on that lipstick
This ain’t the first time this has happened
Feel sorry for the last guy
She used her body to trap him
and she took him for a ride
She was chasing dollar bills
She was playing the game
No one can resist that kind of bait
CHORUS
Bridge:
When she puts on
On that Lipstick
They forget their common sense
And get stuck with
Sorry regrets
But she knows just what she’s doin’
Chorus
©2012 Janice Gilbert and Chad Shank
People usually understand the idea of a songwriting class, or seminar…but I find that, at first, my clients are a little confused by 1 on 1 songwriting lessons. They understand piano and guitar lessons, but maybe not quite songwriting lessons…..Doesn’t everyone know how to write songs? You just write. Well….yes and no. We all have been listening to songs since our parents played or sang us lullabies. Songs are not in short supply. We hear them all the time. We know what great songs sound like, so we can write them, right? You do hear them, but do you really know what is going on mechanically with the lyrics, melody and harmony that make it a great song?
In my songwriting lessons, it is my goal to share with you the knowledge and know-how to write better songs than you have ever written. Songs that people not only like, but LOVE. Songs that connect and get people emotionally….and maybe even financially invested in you. (Insert smiley faces and dollars signs)
How can I teach that? Well in my lessons, I break down songwriting concepts into very basic and fundamental theories and ideas. Some of those concepts are hidden in plain sight, we hear them subconsciously and don’t really know what is happening….but what if you DID know what was happening and could do it on purpose? THAT is what songwriting lessons are about. We will look at your current writing….or maybe you haven’t written yet, but want to know how. We will break it into very simple, yet powerful chunks and nurture your creative songwriter.
So right now I am offering anyone who emails me, and lives in the Minneapolis or the Twin Cities area a free 1 hour songwriting lesson/coaching session. Yes, I said, if you live in Minneapolis, I will meet with you in-person and give you a free 1 hour lesson/session. That is worth $60! —- WAIT….but what if I DON’T live in Minneapolis? Well for you guys, I am offering a free song critique. I will critique one of your songs and give you some pointers on how to make it better. That is a $20 value….FREE.
All you need to do is EMAIL ME. Also be sure to follow this site and sign up to get my email updates….I am working on booking some new songwriting classes, workshops, and I am working on some new songwriting E-Books!
~ Chad
I am starting to book 1 on 1 songwriting lessons and coaching for this summer. If you are in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area, I host the lessons at my project studio in the west metro. If you do not live in Minneapolis, we can work out online lessons via phone, web, or skype.
Do you write songs, but they seem to be missing something, or not connecting with listeners? Do you struggle with how to finish or develop good song ideas? I can help you, no matter what level you are at by teaching you tried and useful techniques, theories and tools. It will help you grow as a songwriter.
Send me an email or give me a call at 612-454-0926 to book a session. ~~ Chad
I wrote and cut a new song this past weekend. It is a fun -pop-country type track called, ‘Summertime Lover.’
Summertime Lover
by Chad Shank
The sun
It burns my forehead
I take my shirt off
And hang it on the barbwire fence
I swig some Coca Cola
And set it on the fence post
You’re down on that blanket
I wanna get real close
I come down so we can snuggle
Kinda teasin’, kinda playful
We stare into each others eyes
We kiss, We sweat
Under a hot blue sky
Chorus:
You’re my Summertime Lover
You’re my Summertime Lover
You’re my Summertime Lover
You’re my Summertime Lover
Right on
Since this is the country
Ain’t no one gonna see us
There’s something I must confess
Baby you’re really smokin
We got too many clothes on
We’re not to far from water
We can get our splash on
You and me in the midst of nature
Little action, perspiration
We got the temperature on the rise
When we kiss, when we sweat
Under a hot blue sky
CHORUS
Bridge:
We got the birds and the bees
And the shack and the trees
And the bugs and the creek
And our barefeet
We got your and me and the summer heat
Uh Oh, Uh Oh
We got the birds and the bees
And the shack and the trees
And the bugs and the creek
And our barefeet
We got your and me and the summer heat
Uh Oh, Uh Oh
CHORUS
©2012 Chad Shank, Rowley Street Music, BMI
Writing Great Pop and Country Songs
Are you a songwriter? Do you write lyrics? Do you struggle with writer’s block or not knowing what to write about? Want to write better songs? Join us to take an in-depth look at what makes hit songs work, explore topics like object writing, point of view, rhyme scheme, building contrast, writing from your senses, and more! Songwriting is a mix of craft and art. Many times it starts with inspiration to get a rough draft, but how do you make your song shine? You’ll leave class with the tools to start writing better songs that touch people.
3 classes just $49! Sign up here: http://www.slpcommunityed.org/insight/registry/classinfo.asp?courseID=7986&catID=1391
Classes are Thursday nights from 7pm to 9pm, May 3, 10 and 17.
