When reviewing the songs from the 2020 DSA contest, I began with “thank God 2020 is over.” Ditto, thank God again 2021 is over. Hopefully, we will get a hold on this pandemic and move our collective energy in the right direction soon. With that said, the Dallas Songwriters Association Annual Songwriting Competition remains a bright spot in my year. Before I get into the winners, I want to acknowledge everyone at DSA for their great work. I am proud to be a small part of the DSA and congrats to all of you!
Here is how I do it. Over the course of a few weeks, I listen to each song 10-15 times before I start writing the review. In that process, I rank, edit, note and create the winning song list many times. Sometimes a song will grow on me the more I hear it. And at times, just the opposite occurs. It seems that just about every song in this list was in the Top 5 at one point or another. Even during the documentation process where I rank the lyric, hooks, etc, the order can change significantly. Upon an initial listen, I might think the song has a great hook. But after analyzing and listening to other songs, maybe it doesn’t have the strongest hook in the bunch. There are several songs entered this year which were entered in previous years. Even though I reviewed the song in the past, maybe it’s been tweaked or I hear it differently this time around and score it another way. Maybe the rest of the list is stronger or weaker which would re-position the previous entry. One last note is that I never consider production when reviewing the quality of a song. A good or bad production can be hard to ignore, but it’s not taken into consideration during the evaluation of the song. However, I may leave a production note at the end of the review. I also might leave a note about what I would experiment with if it was my song.
Sometimes when listening to songs one can gravitate towards a particular style or genre they like. There are a few songs in this year's list pulling at my audio tastebuds. We all like different music, but this process is an evaluation of songwriting quality. Genre, style or production isn’t taken into consideration. The DSA scoresheet provides a strong structure as it’s a quantitative measure of six different categories including lyrics, melody, hook, structure, truth and originality. While it’s hard to write a song that shines in all six categories, good songs have strengths in more than one. Great songs usually end up with high scores in all of them.
Also, there were numerous songs that held the #1 spot at different times during the evaluation process this year: Gone, Gone, Gone, Come Sundown, Slay Me With Your Eyes, Except You, Hey Now, Farewell My Angel, Whittle, One Rich Man and That Man You Imagine. Any one of these could have won the race on any given day.
Here are the winners.
Slay Me With Your Eyes
When I began the reviewing process, Slay Me With Your Eyes was in third place, but after listening to it while writing, I couldn’t deny it the top spot. This is the love (or lust) story of MJ & Wild Bill. It is complete with narration, a monosyllabic vocal, a ghost sound and a melodic chorus that strengthens it, especially the ending.
An exceptionally intricate lust song that keeps the intellect drawn to a sophisticated millenial lyric, a melody with benefits while riding inside a structural work of genius. This style of song is not normally the teacup I drink from, but it makes me get the saucer out of the cupboard as this pot is on high boil.
In my opinion (IMO,) this is the finest and most innovative lyric in the competition. Lyrics like “She’s Bad Kitty, OMG, lookin’ all Gucci….” & “how ‘bout L.M.I.R.L.” & “your motto is Y.O.L.O.” & “You’re lit, cross-fit, glad you’ve got my digits….” The rhyming scheme of the words, acronyms and slang didn’t exist prior to 20 years ago……and the rhyming is typical in spots and unusual in others. Every time I listen, I hear a lyric I didn’t hear the first time around.
For the folks my age reading this, I offer some translation before you listen:
Bad Kitty, OMG, lookin’ all Gucci = She is lookin’ good while looking for something more
L.M.I.R.L. = Let’s meet in real life
Y.O.L.O. = You only live once
You’re lit, cross fit, glad you’ve got my digits = He’s lookin’ good and got her phone number
That ends the millennial-to-senior translation portion of this review. However, I reserve the right to try and be hip. LMAO
It starts with an interesting staccato glissando riff that is ducked under a chatting narrator. ICYMI, the storyteller speaks about a “young man who is talking to a magician and says, I don’t believe in magic. The magician replies, “you will when you meet her and feel that shiver down your spine.” Even though it’s recited and not sung, it is the picture-perfect opening to the song. Then at 15 seconds it delivers one of the most remarkable monosyllabic vocals I have ever heard, SMH. TBH, I resist describing this as a rap or a vocal as it’s a little of both with the end of line hitting the melody. Then at 34 seconds the vocal almost sounds as if it’s detuned, but it’s not. It is a brilliant turn in the melody that works perfectly. At 45 seconds, the chorus is big, and one could hear an entire dance floor singing it. There is a line in the chorus, “I should be partners in crime” that is written to work with the melody. What do I mean? If you listen closely to the word “partners,” it’s almost as if another syllable is needed, but it works better landing the two syllables on the successive beats…..and then rhyming with the next line, “no more love on the line,” but sounds like it shouldn’t. It might sound like I’m not making sense - just listen to the song and you’ll know what I mean. The method is repeated in the last chorus with the words “open heart surgery” and “painkiller.” This is a naturally gifted writer who has such a unique feel without listening to all the rules of songwriting. I would love to hear more from this writer.
The song repeats this arrangement with the rimshot landing on 2 & 4 throughout. The ending chorus is phenomenal with additional lyrics. It is distinctive, different and hooks up with everybody who listens. Like, it certainly ain’t cheugy, they crush it, it’s lit and I can’t even. It’s a love or lust story told in 2021.
Production Note: Kudos to the producer, singer and everyone on this project. This song & production is ready for prime time right now. I would sign and pitch it as is. If I were at a label, this artist would be signed as well.
Gone, Gone, Gone
Gone, Gone, Gone is a remarkable song in ¾ time and an example of “simple complexity.” While hearing it the first time through, one might think it’s a good hook. It’s not a good hook, it’s a great hook, because after you hear it once you can sing it the second time around. This is an ABAB song, with the hook at the end of the verse with well-placed set-ups just before the hook, “Gone, Gone, Gone.” The set-ups are positioned perfectly. “Even she can’t trust her memory, but the lake is there for all to see” is an example of the set-up in Verse 1. The song picks up at 1:21 with a body-swaying break. The entire feel and message of the song is something you just want to hold onto and envision.
If this song was a book, it would be considered a collection of short stories as each verse really deals with a different topic, but at the same time the hook works for all verses. The first is about Lake Erie drying up, the second is about a strange object in the sky, and the third verse is about losing a girl. One of the great phrases in this contest comes from the last verse – “Forever Is So Temporary.” But the entire song is about the simple, but powerful effect of something disappearing, whether it’s love, nature or in the night sky.
My guess is this song was written quickly and it just flowed or channeled out of the writer. Maybe a few lyrical edits were necessary, but it seems as if the writer guided it to this form. We all have at least one of these songs in our collection. When it happens, it’s a gift. I’m not sure if that was the case here, but it really doesn’t matter, it’s still a great song.
With every song I hear, I think if this was my song, this is what I would change. In this case, I am not sure I would change much about it. It is authentic, raw, sentimental and satisfying. With a good production, this could easily cross genres and have a long shelf life.
Come Sundown
Third place goes to another poignant melody that I couldn’t get out my head during this whole process, Come Sundown. This is a wonderfully written piano piece that reminded me of the song “Suicide Is Painless,” better known as the M.A.S.H. theme. But when listening to them back-to-back, they are significantly different.
It begins with a beautiful new age like opening for about 10 seconds, then starts with a minimal lead line moving back and forth between the one and the five note, then finishing on the augmented 5th. The second phrase, which is just a half step apart, peaks on the 4th, then returns home. The entire piece is stunning and effortless. The aforementioned one to five phrase is the hook and that’s what gets stuck in your head, almost to the point of pleasant annoyance. The second verse is the same melody, but tastefully an octave higher. The entire melody seems to be a love affair between two notes. At 2:25 & 2:30, there is an interesting offbeat left-hand rhythm accent that I initially thought was a mistake of the pianist. But then this similar peculiar rhythm energy emerges during the verse beginning at 2:38 and I smiled as this was added aural spice. Since the melody is so strong, the listener may not even hear this subtle addition if not listening intently. The end of the preceding phrase is establishing the next verse as if the “Georges” came together to add intensity - Winston on the right hand and Gershwin on the left. It feels like these subtle parts were written in the original score. If it wasn’t, then kudos to the performer as they made it sound as if they were.
When I hear songs this elegant, I wonder what complex thoughts might have going through the composer’s head as it has a melancholy feel. While I don’t think this fits squarely within the pop world, it certainly could be performed with an orchestra, jazz band, an acoustic guitar, virtually any solo instrument or even land in a film. The Georges would be proud of this graceful song that frees the mind to meander while listening.
One other note: This song was in the contest a few years ago, but I heard it differently this time around. Maybe it was tweaked and re-entered. Regardless, it really caught my hear this year. It is very difficult for instrumentals to win or even place in a songwriting contest, but Come Sundown earned third place this year.
Except You
A multifaceted modern love song delivered with great melodic skill. It begins with an awesome vocal line that would be extremely hard to sing though fascinating to hear. It’s definitely not a sing-a-long as the entire melody, with the exception of the chorus, is a staccato-driven message about love. The song is about 100 beats per minute and would easily pack a dancefloor. The lyric and melody work well together and it captured me from the first listen. The melody at 9 & 19 seconds (throughout as well) feels like a vocal-drum fill and probably stems from having too many syllables in the line. But the writer made it work with the melody. I am assuming the writer is the singer as this would be a challenging song to cover. Like the winning song, this is not in my regular tea box, but I could listen to this repeatedly and will continue to do so. Kudos to writer, great work on this. One production note: Being an old synth guy, I love the OBX type sound used in the chorus.
Whittle
One of my favorites in the contest. “Stood there watching this grey-haired man, carving a piece a wood in his hand,” is a wonderful starting line. Most of the time, I want the opening to tell me what the song is about, but in Whittle I wasn’t sure what it meant and was ok with it. Later in the song, we found what it really means and that’s what makes it so appealing. It came together with a surprising and satisfying ending. This song is filled with lyrical gems, “Bought us a six pack of brew……..about the war and the missions he flew,” and “Bummed one of his cigarettes, he said he had few regrets.” The first line of the chorus is, “Take my knife, hold it tight, see if you can feel to make something right” is the opening line of the chorus. It is a powerful song with an awe-inspiring conclusion. With each listen of this song, I got a little more into it and it moved up the list. Loved it.
That Man You Imagine
A good song with a great concept, “That Man You Imagine.” The “truth” of this song is obvious as every man wants his woman to believe this. The opening lyric of the chorus is the title and perfectly marries the melody at this point. I imagine the writer had a difficult time creating lyrics that measured up to this hook. It is great hook, a well-crafted lyric and maybe the best theme in the contest.
Hey Now
Upon the first listen through the list, this is the hook I recalled. It is an upbeat song about love with a hook one could easily hear an entire stadium of people singing. Even more than that, it just feels like a song one wants to sing along with. I could easily imagine Green Day, Blink-182, Fall-Out Boy or someone similar covering this. Simple lyric, simple progression, simple melody that supports to a great hook. With a strong production, this would have some legs. Great work!
Farewell My Angel
When I first heard this melody it took me back to some standard Big Band jazz songs like Satin Doll, Harrison Crabfeathers, Girl from Ipanema and many others. Simple elegant melodies over a great progression.
When a writer crafts a great melody like this one, it can be interpreted by any solo instrument as demonstrated in this song. A very interesting turn around at 1:45 brings the listener back to the verse/chorus. Every aspect of this piece is well done and thought through. I could listen to it all day. One other thought: It would be interesting to see what this would sound like with a good lyric.
One other note: I mentioned above that I had to separate my attraction to certain genres when evaluating songs. This is an example of that. I grew up with a father who was big band musician in his youth and was influenced by his love for the genre.
One Rich Man
One more fantastic lyric that is in sync with the melody that delivers it. This is a song about a “poor man” who is rich because of his love of God. It is clearly written with passion and an example of an innovative way to write about the love of God. The lyrics of this song are easily visualized and the “feeling” of the words are compelling.
She Takes Me
Great melodic intro in an off-the-beaten-path time-signature, but it works well. The chorus is strong, “That’s where we belong….She Takes Me,” that returns to the intro, very tasteful and very well done. At 2:15 is a good bridge that sets up the return to the chorus. This is a well written love story about a man who feels he may not measure up to his partner. After she hears this, I am confident they are exactly right for each other. Great work!
Crazy
If these writers would have said to me they were thinking about writing a ballad titled, “Crazy” and it’s about being lonely, I would have said you are “Crazy.” It’s been done. Willie wrote it, Floyd, Bob, Harold and Buddy played it, Owen produced it and Patsy sang it with the Jordanaires.
But they did it and pulled it off. Not only is it a great song on its own, it was in the Top 5 on my list several times throughout this process. It’s still one of my favorites in this collection, but other songs simply moved up the list. I love the humble phrase, “You’re addictive, I can’t get my fill” along with so many other lines that work so flawlessly with the melody. It’s a strong composition and pleasing to hear. Production note: The choice to make this a duet was right on the money. Fantastic work.
Here are the rest of the songs in alphabetical order:
Baby You’re Gone
Good heartfelt blues song about lost love. Straightforward and right in the pocket for the genre.
Bayou Sef
(Same review from last year) Clever hook, very evocative, very descriptive. Excellent concept. The hook is so strong it deserves a melody that is perhaps a little stronger. Lyric and the rhythm of the words are really good. The more I listened, the more I really liked it. Production note: For me, the production was a bit busy but I do understand the producer was trying to express the regional style of the lyric – which does work well.
Additional Note: I scored the song a little higher this year. I have always liked it and feel it is well crafted by a strong writer. I didn’t compare it to the previous entry, but it did sound tweaked……or it just continues to grow on me.
Best Work on Wood
Original concept about Jesus doing his best work on wood. Lyrics are inventive, expressing faith in a creative way.
California
Folk song about moving to California. Earnest lyric about returning to the place where the singer is from. California has a mesmerizing quality to it. Thought provoking lyric which feels like it’s searching and longing for something more than just returning home. If this was my song, I would add a bridge, middle eight or an interlude that creates some change in the progression. Production: Excellent guitar work.
Cowboy Bootie Call
This song is well constructed and the lyrics in the verses are excellent. The melody, verses, progression and structure of the song are clearly crafted by quality writers. If it was mine, I would re-work the hook as it feels a little contrived and didn’t quite hit the powerful level the rest of the song did. I could be completely off-base as someone in the country world might hear this and love it as is. The song is very well crafted. Production note: Great production, good recording, good mix and instrumentation. One of the best in the competition. Kudos to the producer and everyone involved.
Daddy Had Another Bad Day
When listening to this song, one just wants to hug the writer. This is a sad song and maybe the most poignant in the competition. The lyric is about an explosive father who can’t seem to control his rage. His children are in constant fear, can’t sleep and as the song says, “It’s a shame, children have to pay.” The melody alone is very sad and works perfectly with the lyric. I am not sure about how this came to be a song, but the result is moving and full of Truth. Hopefully it provided some relief for the writer, and will provide comfort to others who’ve been through this.
I’m Sorry
Strong hook & concept. If it was mine, I would re-work the lyric. Hook is awesome, lyric could use some tweaking.
Kiss Me In The Kitchen
Good hook, arrangement and new concept. I love the idea of “Kiss Me In The Kitchen” as it creates nice imagery.
Miss The Heat
Good melody about missing a relationship. Lyrics and melody fit well together. Production note: Currently the song sits at about 98 BPMS. I might increase this 10 – 15 BPMS and I think you might have a vastly improved feel.
My Amazing Grace
Song of praise with a good hook and melody. Love the line, “Free me from every demon I believed” -it worked seamlessly with the melody. Song was obviously written by gifted writers as it was well-structured and undoubtedly came from the heart. If it was my song, I would modify the lyric as it sounded as if the singer might have struggled with the syllable count and staccato melody in the verses.
My Dad, My Dog and Me
Terrific idea about childhood and spending time with dad. Lots of “sentiment” from this song and it does make one think about their own childhood. The title is a unique concept that conveys real meaning to the listener. The hook is very good and I found this to be one of the most creative in the collection. Sometimes with a hook this strong, it can be hard to create a lyric that is equally as good. If this was my song, I might re-write some of the lyrics and possibly include more specifics about dad and the dog. I would take a lot of time and make every line convincing and point to the hook. Again, great work and I smiled every time I heard it.
My Wish List
Good holiday song that could easily become a standard with the right artist cutting it. I loved the lyric, “lots of carrots for your crew” along with the feel and overall vibe of My Wish List. It brings joy to the listener.
If it was my song, I would change the line “travel down the chimney” to “slide(ing) down the chimney.” After I listened to the list several times through, I read the titles and thought I had missed this song. After specifically listening to it, I did hear it many times, but didn’t remember it when simply reading the title. “My Wish List” didn’t pop out of the song at all as a hook or key phrase. Prior to this, I thought the song title might be “Love, Love, Love.” Maybe repeating “My Wish List Is Love” in the chorus might make the title a little more memorable or rename it “My Wish List Is Love,” or both. This is clearly a good songwriter(s) and they have a good shot at getting this song licensed annually. I would love to hear more.
Over The Moon, Over You
Gook hook and good melody. Loved the idea. Strong, well-crafted song that was clearly written by an experienced writer.
Re-Discovery
Nice wandering melody that seems to get stronger as the song progresses. Pleasant build at 55 seconds & 1:46 and a few other spots in the song.
Tidal Wave
Love the opening, “You blew in like nothing at sea.” Clearly accomplished writer(s) using ocean metaphors such as drifting, drowning, sinking, tsunami, undertow, SOS, submerged, etc. to make their lyrical point. The rap in the middle of the chorus is very artistic and tasteful backed by a good hook. Nice work. Production note: Love the synth work and the good driving groove.
Zipcode
(Review repeated from last year) - This is an awesome song in the voice of a kid whose father has recently passed and whose mother died during birth. While it’s an upbeat fun & strong melody, it really is a sad song. But it works well with a kid singing it. By the way, this was a brilliant production decision to have a kid sing it. The opening line is very memorable and has a great connection between the lyric and melody. I went back and forth on this song, listening over and over again and it continued to grow on me. It would be very easy to hear this on a Broadway stage or in a children’s show. A strong melody and a memorable lyric. The song starts with the chorus and the verses are meaningful. It is an exceptionally original song and is clearly written by a talented writer.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Roy