90 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Wrote a quick fun tune for a this quirky challenge: “This is a challenge:

What should be the title of Swift’s America-breaking-up-with-Trump anthem? Bonus points if you can come up with a catchy first line.”

So my “concept draft idea” for a song:

Title: "Not Gonna Lie (This Feels Fire)"

—Drum line—

Intro:

(Heavy beat drops)

Lies, lies, lies, lies (echoing)

Not gonna, not gonna, not gonna lie

Verse 1:

Told us stories, sold us lies

Now we're rising, watch us fly

Breaking chains, igniting flames

America's not playing games

Pre-Chorus:

Heya freedom, hear us roar

We're kicking down every door

Chorus:

Not gonna lie, this feels fire (Fire!)

Watch your world burn higher and higher

Not gonna cry, gonna fight (Fight!)

Turning up our truth so bright

Goodbye lies, hello rebellion (Hell yeah!)

This is our declaration

Not gonna lie, this feels right (So right!)

America's blazing through the night

Post-Chorus:

(Intense beat)

Heya, heya, revolution

Heya, heya, new solution

Verse 2:

House of cards? Watch it crash

Your empire's turning to ash

Rising strong, hear our song

The truth is where we belong

(Repeat Pre-Chorus and Chorus)

Bridge:

(Beat intensifies)

Every step we take (We take!)

Shakes the ground (The ground!)

Every voice we raise (We raise!)

Makes a mighty sound (So loud!)

Break:

Not gonna, not gonna, not gonna lie

(Beat drops out)

This. Feels. FIRE!

(Explosive beat return)

(Repeat Chorus with increased intensity)

Outro:

Not gonna lie (Lie!)

This feels fire (Fire!)

Goodbye lies (Lies!)

Hello higher! (Higher!)

(Beat fades with echoing "Not gonna lie")

—Single drummer—

Expand full comment
TCinLA's avatar

Gloria: collect the musicians you know and make a video of doing this and post it on YouTube. It will be your Breakout Moment.

Seriously!

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Out of all the things I crave in life, A Breakout Moment is not one of them. Being hounded by MSM. No thanks.

I would however happily let my tune be somebody else’s big moment. Thoughts?

Expand full comment
TCinLA's avatar

Not being in that musical community I'm sorry that I don't. But ask around among your other friends.

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

I’ll give it some thought.

Expand full comment
David H's avatar

In my science fiction dreaming there is an AI that could use your words as a prompt. It could give the author a first draft, and the author would be able to "punch up" the music. When you like it, put it out there, and invite folks to run with it, do whatever they want with it. Let a thousand versions blossom!

Expand full comment
TCinLA's avatar

That's not so "sci-fi" nowadays.

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

We have a very very close friend who is a country music star. He is a friend and I won’t show him the song because people ask favors of him all the time.

He uses AI to do musical analysis of his rhythm and to help with rhyming. I asked him if it was commonplace for artists generally to use AI. He told me if an artist had access to a DaVinci or a Michelangelo and did not use their resources they would be nuts.

Expand full comment
TCinLA's avatar

The rule is "steal from the best and make it your own." Not "steal from the best and use it like your own."

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

That is truth!

Expand full comment
David H's avatar

Word!

I started reading science fiction when I was about 10, probably 4th grade, probably 1958. I discovered Andre Norton, whose work was aimed at kids, or at least that's how I look at it now. I have pondered AI in many "sci-fic" (as one of my sisters insisted it should be known) novels. And I majored in philosophy in college, where the "mind-body problem" and the "freedom problem" occupied much of my attention. In a Newtonian universe, how can there be freedom? And to the question "can a machine become sentient?" we must first ask "how is it possible for an animal, human or otherwise, to become sentient?" AI is certainly coming along, but I'll be impressed if we begin to see signs of "heart and soul".

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Since songwriting is not my job, I think your idea is brilliant. For someone who makes a living from creating music, they would most likely have a vastly different opinion.

Personally, if someone took my rough attempt at lyrics and made a hit, I would be thrilled. Money isn’t the most important factor in my life. For decades, I was a shark but not anymore.

Expand full comment
David H's avatar

Gloria, my favorite teachers were good at "inspiration". Creativity in general tends to affect people in ways that lead them to think, or to feel, or to try to be creative in other ways.

An author naturally tries to cause particular thoughts or ideas to occur in the minds of those who read the words. But ultimately, the consumer of the work will react according to their own sensibilities and experience. So we put it out there, and hope for the best.

I agree that "money isn't the most important factor in my life." I would like to be able to help other people conjure a better world in which all of us could live. That would surely be better than merely receiving money.

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

🩵🩵🩵

Expand full comment
JDinTX's avatar

Agree

Expand full comment
David Levine's avatar

this is my my hard agreement. just do it. whose slogan was that? I honestly don't remember. was it Jane Fonda? a Nike commercial? some Frank Luntz flunky? one of us??

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

David, the slogan "Just Do It" was created by Dan Wieden, co-founder of the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, for Nike in 1988. It quickly became one of the most recognizable and successful advertising slogans in history. Wieden was inspired by the final words of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, who said "Let's do it" before his execution. He altered the phrase to "Just Do It" to align with Nike's message of motivation and empowerment.

Expand full comment
Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Tom's right, this needs to be recorded.

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Thank you. I’m kind of proud of it.

Expand full comment
Dave Conant - MO's avatar

You should be.

Expand full comment
Victoria Brown's avatar

You should be. It's genius and beautiful Gloria.

Expand full comment
Kathy's avatar

Love this, Gloria !Agree with TC this could be a “Breakout Moment”.

Taylor’s Shake It Off was Florida’s DNC song.Your lyrics have the same fiery feel but with a much more powerful message.This dancing Swiftie boomer can easily picture myself rocking to your lyrics..💃🏼

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Maybe I’ll post it on my Substack and do a voice over or something. Maybe. 🤔

Expand full comment
Kathy's avatar

Yes !!! Just thinking Shake It Off was my home state’s(Rhode Island,Taylor has a home there) DNC song. My current state, Florida,was Tom Petty’s, I Won’t Back Down.Minor details…your lyrics resonate!

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Why Tom Petty’s song do you suppose? And, forgive me for not knowing but is he Republican?!?

Expand full comment
TCinLA's avatar

Tom was no Republican. His lighting & staging director (who invented theatrical stage lighting for rock concerts) was a good friend of mine, so I knew Tom too till they broke up.

Expand full comment
Kathy's avatar

Link below gives you the relationship to each DNC song and state.Tom Petty was born and raised in Florida.He passed away from an accidental overdose ~ 5+ years ago.I’m not sure about his party but something tells me maybe he wasn’t a Republican .I thought Won’t Back Down was appropriate for Florida !

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/g-s1-18188/democratic-national-convention-roll-call-music-state

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

That’s interesting.

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Thank you!!! for the huge compliment.

Expand full comment
Andrew Abshier's avatar

My song idea was to have System of a Down record Concept Of a Plan!

Expand full comment
Monnina's avatar

I do hope a musician comes forward to help you realise this song. Wonderful lyrics. Apologies if you have heard this Trump song before. Brilliant Scots songsmith Karine Polwart’s message to Donald, ‘I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-oBXOIbAtZw

Expand full comment
Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

I have not. Thank you Thank you Thank you

Expand full comment