For any poets here who are also songwriters (i know we've had a few here in recent times), you might be interested in this -

[www.songwritingcompetition.com] />

good luck!

rikki

Rikki,

Here's a song written by Tom Waits, one of the judges. I think our e-mule songwriters have no need to feel intimidated.

San Diego Serenade
--Tom Waits

I never saw the morning ’til I stayed up all night
I never saw the sunshine ’til you turned out the light
I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long
I never heard the melody, until I needed a song.

I never saw the white line, ’til I was leaving you behind
I never knew I needed you ’til I was caught up in a bind
I never spoke ’i love you’ ’til I cursed you in vain,
I never felt my heartstrings until I nearly went insane.

I never saw the east coast ’til I move to the west
I never saw the moonlight until it shone off your breast
I never saw your heart ’til someone tried to steal,
Tried to steal it away
I never saw your tears until they rolled down your face.


Les

It's not so much the words as his melodious intonations

"FIRST ENTRY: $30
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: $20"

I should start one of these contests

Les and Johnny, you mean you don't like Tom Waits???

How could you not like 'music for the subconscious, scary, horror, lullabies, Kurt Weill-ish theatrical, carousel suspense, chanson, vaudeville distorted parlor songs and broken mirror music' -

and all this in Tom's sexy, gravelly voice, sounding like 'a man with saucepans strapped to either foot coughing up an accordion. Onto a cat. Made of hubcaps. While a soup kitchen collapses and the carnival comes to town.' He's fantastic!

rikki

rikki, I'm just kidding

I like Tom Waits very much

Tom Waits
"The Piano Has Been Drinking"

Lyrics at: [www.lyricsfreak.com]

Not poetry, but .. this is from today's 'Dover Gazette' 6th July. It seems that Mr Waits is continuing to look for new and interesting sound effects.

The National Trust have today revealed that they have been approached by representatives of the American musician Mr Tom Waits for permission to use their land in an ‘unusual sonic experiment ‘. In what is believed to be a first , Mr Waits intends to use the White Cliffs as ‘ a new and wonderful instrument ‘ By using strategically placed microphones, both above and below ground , he hopes to release the music of, as he puts it, ‘of ahh you know , coccolith biomicrites formed from the skeletal elements of minute planktonic green algae, associated with varing proportions of larger microscopic fragments of bivalves, foraminifera and ostracods, ie. chalk , you know.‘

The National Trust spokesperson said “ The full plans have to be finalized. We were a little worried that he intends to do some drilling, so that he can bury some of the microphones underground, but he has assured us that it should be ok. We are going to get it all checked out by our scientific advisers. Once they are in place and all wired up we think that he will sing his songs while stamping heavily, and jumping up and down on the ground at the same time as he sings.”

rikki