Many people ask me are my poems suitable as lyrics for songs, can song lyrics be called poetry, and is songwriting a very different genre from poetry. These are interesting questions to which I have no definitive answers.
Most of my poems have internal rhymes and rhythms which only become obvious when the poems are read aloud. I feel that I have hundreds of songs just waiting to bust their way out of the lock-up in my head. And the prison gate is this idea – right or wrong – that writing a song and writing a poem need a completely different approach.
This is definitely worth discussing, but perhaps in another blogpost.
In the meantime, today I start a songwriting course with Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier. I’m hoping it will kickstart my songwriting habit and unleash some of those falsely imprisoned songs.
In spite of the lock-up, some songs do escape!
Last year, my very talented and kooky DJ pal Paul Allan aka The Krakafaktri wrote a tune, I wrote lyrics, then we recorded it (I sang).
You can hear it here.
It’s had some airplay on Adelaide’s Fresh FM radio station.
I thought I’d share the lyrics with you here.
Serenity Now
Inner space
is where I find that place
safe from grief
safe from disbelief
bring me to that space:
a state of inner grace.
Serenity now
that blessed state
I had to wait
such a long, long time
to feel
to heal
to reveal
my real self
serenity now
in your arms
I float
my boat
on the sea
of serenity.
© Jennifer Liston 2009
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