Welcome to Season 454
I am not going to go for the obvious choice of songs about Halloween, or witches, zombies, etc. this week. No, instead I am going for a more transformational theme.
Now, as usual with my Seasons, there will be two themes, one for the songwriters and one for those who prefer to do covers.
There will be no prize for the covers, other than my thanks. However, for the Songwriter's section I will be awarding the person I choose as the Winner with a MYSTERY UKULELE ASSOCIATED STRINGED INSTRUMENT - only to be revealed when the Season is over.
The theme for songwriters is "Epiphany - or a sudden great change!"
The term "epiphany" usually refers to a moment when something suddenly becomes clear to a person dwelling on a problem. Famous examples being: Archimedes in his bath realising he could use water displacement to measure mass, or else Newton getting bonked on the head with an apple and making the connection with gravity. You can use examples like that of moments in your own life (or the life of your fictional narrator).
My use of the word tends towards how James Joyce, the novelist, used the word. In "Stephen Hero"- an early version of "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" - Stephen says that epiphanies are a sudden and momentary showing forth or disclosure of one’s authentic inner self. That is the sense in which I used the word in my song entitled "Epiphany" that I submitted to Season 453.
So, I'd like you to write a song in which your protagonist experiences such a profound shift in their vision of the world, or your protagonist describes such a shift in others.
This momentous occasion which causes a reassessment of one's life could be the moment you met your partner, the birth of your first child, the death of a loved one, some enormous stroke of luck or unbelievable coincidence, etc, etc. Indeed, any event that brought on a sudden and lasting change in the life of the person experiencing this moment. You should include the event and something about its aftermath. How did it change the person it happened to and what were the lasting effects of the epiphany.
I will give bonus points to anyone declaring that the song(s) submitted is/are the first one(s) you have ever let the public hear. So, for those of you who didn't know you had it in you to write a song, in the video you can see my carrot to get you writing!
Hope that whets all your appetites to get song writing.
For those of you wanting to offer me covers this week, your theme is "J.M." - Three of my favourite songwriters in order of their discovery by my young self were: Jim Morrison (who led me into a cul-de-sac of terrible poetry ), Joni Mitchell ( who I worship from afar and believe to be one of the greatest songwriters ever) and John Martyn (who sadly squandered his early promise through alcoholism and drugs and lost a leg and then his life as a result).
So you can bring me any songs WRITTEN BY (not covered by) one of those artists.
Or indeed if you know of any other songwriters whose initials are J.M. then bring me one of theirs.
Usual rules apply: the video should feature a ukulele (or close cousin). Multi-tracking is welcome . Your first entry should not be submitted before the starting gun of Hawaiian Midnight on Saturday 24th October nor after Hawaiian Midnight on All Saints Day.
I am requesting that you keep the number of submissions to one a day - or if you prefer seven over the week.
And as usual, please respect Season 453, which still has a day to run.
I look forward immensely to hearing and viewing what you have in store for me this week.
PLAYLIST Originals
Playlist Covers
PS Please put the lyrics of original songs either in the thread here or else in the Description on your YouTube submission - thanks
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