Idol Songwriter Contest: My Entry ("Dream Big")
6 Comments Ryan Welton on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 8:47 PM.
I am hesitant to post this only because it's not the best vocal in the world, but I was sober when I did it, which is a plus. Alas, for those of you who watch Idol, you probably know they have this songwriter's contest.
It's a first for AI, and the deadline is tomorrow. I had a song all ready to go, but at the last minute, I decided I didn't like it. I've watched the show since Season 2, and I know what the finale song is supposed to be in terms of lyric and music.
My first thought was: Do I stray from that format to show some originality?
After quite a bit of thinking, I decided that this contest was kinda akin to any other writing assignment. You have to know the audience.
The three things I aspired to do with the song is to write universally uplifting but not trite lyrics that may or may not reflect the journey one of these contestants goes through. My second goal in writing this song was to compose music that has a big, pop structure with a bridge and final chorus that could be complemented by a giant gospel choir, which the show always has. My final goal was to write something that didn't completely make me cringe.
For the most part I succeeded, not that I think I will be one of the 20 writers selected, just that I think I pretty much did the best I could do given the challenge.
So, here's a link to the song: click here to listen.
As for lyrics, they're posted below ...
"Dream Big"
c. 2007, Ryan Welton
Verse 1:
----------
Life is a chance
And chances are meant to take
God doesn't make mistakes
No, he don't ...
The voice in my head
Tugs at me constantly
What does it want from me?
oh, it says ...
Pre-Chorus:
------------
It says
Through it all
There will be mountains
You'll have to climb
And that gave me time
To figure out what I believe in
So I could get on with dreamin'
Chorus:
-------------
Even when you're feelin' small
Stand tall
Dream big, dream big
Before you learn to walk, you learn to crawl
Stand tall
Dream big, dream big
Dream big
Verse 2:
-------------
There's no guarantee
The odds just don't work that way
Noone is gonna say
That it'll ever be easy
But the voice in my head
It tugs at me constantly
Wants what is best for me
when it says ...
Pre-Chorus:
--------------
It says
Through it all
There will be mountains
You'll have to climb
And that gave me time
To figure out what I believe in
So I could get on with dreamin'
Chorus:
---------------
Even when you're feelin' small
Stand tall
Dream big, dream big
Before you learn to walk, you learn to crawl
Stand tall
Dream big, dream big
Dream big
Bridge:
----------------
Too many people stand on the shoulder
at the end of life's highway
Too many heroes never emerge
Because they live their lives afraid
Too many times I was beaten and broken
But I rose up anyway
Too much is made of tomorrow and not nearly enough of today ...
Chorus:
---------------
Even when you're feelin' small
Stand tall
Dream big, dream big
Before you learn to walk, you learn to crawl
Stand tall
Dream big, dream big
Dream big
Feel free to comment, ridicule, cajole or post links to your submissions.
Hello,
I like your song. I enjoyed it very much. I am usually drawn to dark songs like "Comfortably Numb" and the entire "The Wall" album, or darkly funny songs like the ones by Lily Allen, 10,000 Maniacs, Regina Spektor, etc. But lately I have been listening to uplifting, happy Christian music and it does improve my mood and with much fewer side effects than the Paxil and Wellbutrin that my friends have to take.Anyway, I like the song, the lyrics reminded me of Casting Crowns "Voice of Truth" which is one of my FAVORITE songs ever. Here is a excerpt:
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
Chorus:
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Anyway, I don't know what it takes to make it big in the music business, but I think that you are better than most that have done it. Good luck and never give up! And I want to hear that song on Myspace.
Hahahahaha. Love it. I get what you're saying. I'll put it on MySpace ... see what happens. :-)
I like it, actually. Just enough change-ups to give the singer a chance to "surprise" the audience. Simple enough to let them spin it their way, but enough strength to stand up itself. A great example of writing to the spec :).
BTW, I think that your singing's getting better too, compared to some of the earlier stuff you've done that I heard - at least, that's the way it comes across when recorded.
You did submit it, right?
Thanks, man! I did submit it, but there are 30,000 entries. It's essentially a lottery. They only pick 20 for voting, and my gut hunch says at least half of those come from established writers who do this for a living and have some connection to major singers on the left coast.
That's not cynical; it is what it is. Any songwriter aspiring to write pop music would love to have that edge -- the hope for each one is that one day they'd get a shot to join them.
And, among this quantity of competition, it's gonna take luck. Pure and simple.
Thanks on the vocals compliment. I'm workin' on 'em and working on learning the science of recording well enough that I can manipulate technically what I lack naturally. :-)
My RSS reader just decided your blog exists again. That's a pretty impressive effort at putting something together that very much fits Idol's mold (not that I watch anything but IdolCritic...)
~Adam
I'm pissed,
After listening to some of the top 20 songs that were selected, I know that the judges were biased and racist. I submitted a song and not that its the best song in the world but at least it applied to American Idol. Some of the songs that made the top 20 had nothing to do with winning American Idol or overcoming obstacles. I can't believe that they would pull a stunt like this with all of America watching.
I am starting a protest and demand that they review the songs with a diverse panel of Judges.
At least your song applies to American Idol.
SPREAD THE WORD- BOYCOTT AMERICAN IDOL and Demand that they select the TOP 20 again.