“What Happens Tonight”

Straight from the studio, here’s one I wrote with Rick Tiger and Matt Willis. We produced it at Studio 526 just yesterday. Big shout out to Kris Hitchcock on vocals. This is one of those songs where we started out with nothing–no hook, no idea. Rick picked up the guitar and started strumming that little groove and pretty soon the words just started coming out. I love it when a song comes together like that. Anyhow, let me know what you think. I hope you like it!

Play: What Happens Tonight

WHAT HAPPENS TONIGHT
© 2011 Seymour/Tiger/Willis

VERSE
I picked up flowers on my way home
Her favorite wine and she don’t know
What happened today was just a 9 to 5
Cause what really matters is what happens tonight

VERSE
I’ll walk through the front door and she’ll just smile
We’ll hold hands for hours and talk for a while
Not wastin’ a breath of our precious time
Cause what really matters is what happens tonight

CHORUS
I’m gonna love her like never before
We’re gonna hold on till we can’t hold no more
This is the moment all the world is right
And what really matters is what happens tonight

VERSE
The sun goes up and the sun goes down
This old rock keeps spinning ’round
And it’s easy to lose yourself sometimes
But what really matters is what happens tonight

CHORUS

TAG
This is the moment all the world is right
And what really matters is what happens tonight

“When The Fish Don’t Bite”

This song was inspired by my grandfather and the times he used to take me fishing when I was a kid. Trace Adkins may have beaten us to the punch with Just Fishin’ but that’s ok–I wrote this more for my grandfather than anything else. Joe Gilder of HomeStudioCorner.com did an awesome job on this demo. Hope you like it!

Play: When the Fish Don’t Bite

WHEN THE FISH DON’T BITE
© 2011 Lemonis/Seymour

Steadied his old coffee cup
His arthritis flaring up
I climbed in his pick up truck
Cane poles hanging out the back
Took me to his favorite spot
Then he helped me tie the knot
Said it’s prob’ly way too hot
There won’t be much to catch
But we’d talk for hours by that pond
Baiting hooks and building bonds

When the fish don’t bite
It’s still worth the time
Sitting side by side with nothing on the line
When you teach a boy to fish
You have fed a man for life
Even when the fish don’t bite

Talked about me growing up
Pretty girls and my first crush
Laughed about all kinds of stuff
While we waited on that bank
Bobbers floating on the top
The conversation never stopped
Wisdom was the most I caught
And I had him to thank
I’ll take my own grandson some day
Wet a line and talk the time away

CHORUS

He didn’t mind staying late till we could barely see
He always took the time and those times are what made me

CHORUS

FORTY

Well, I’m turning 40 this Sunday. It’s definitely a time for reflection, and I’ve been doing a lot of that lately which has turned itself into a new song. I just laid down a very rough piano vocal at home with a single mic and one take, hence its roughness. Sure, there’s a botched chord in there somewhere but I hope the song’s message comes through nonetheless. I don’t foresee pitching this song–it’s not something a publisher would like anyhow. But it’s meaningful to me and that’s cool. Also, not everything is true in the song, like the first line. I quit smoking about 16 years ago:) That first line was also one I came up with in a writing session for another song, but we ended up changing the song around and took it out. I loved the line so I plugged it into this song. I hope you like it.

Play: Forty

FORTY
© 2011, Bill Seymour

I quit smoking Marlboro Lights about six months ago
I know those things will kill me but I’d kill for one more smoke
I started eating right and got myself in better shape
Time ain’t standing still and I ain’t got no time to wait

Cause I can see it coming on
It’s gonna catch me ‘fore too long
I just pray my best days aren’t already gone
But there’s plenty left in store
Cause this time around I swore
I’d learn to do things better than before
Cause forty’s come a knocking at my door

I need to make amends with some friends that I done wrong
I need to hug my kids some more before they’re grown and gone
I’m gonna hike through the Grand Canyon and see things I’ve never seen
I’ll put away the past and try to love you back to me

Cause I can see it coming on
It’s gonna catch me ‘fore too long
I just pray my best days aren’t already gone
But there’s plenty left in store
Cause this time around I swore
I’d learn to do things better than before
Cause forty’s come a knocking at my door

So Lord just bring it on
I ain’t scared of what’s to come
I’m better stronger wiser than I was when I was young

I can see it coming on
It’s gonna catch me ‘fore too long
I just pray my best days aren’t already gone
But there’s plenty left in store
Cause this time around I swore
I’d learn to do things better than before
Cause forty’s come a knocking at my door
Yeah forty’s come a knocking at my door

THAT ONE LEFT A MARK

I wrote this song with Craig Winquist a few years ago and have always liked it. After coming across it again recently I produced this guitar/vocal demo at home. For those Chris Farley fans out there, you’ll recognize the title as a line from the movie, Tommy Boy.

Enjoy!

Play: That One Left A Mark

THAT ONE LEFT A MARK
© 2005, Seymour/Winquist

Nobody jumped the creek before
I was scared down to the core
But a double dog dare is hard to ignore
Had to prove that I had a pair
I took a breath and said a quick prayer
And pedaled just like a fool and caught some air
When I came to on the other side
Everything was hurt except my pride
Nobody thought I’d do it but I got the scars to prove it

Cause that one left a mark
Skinned up knees two chipped teeth
I broke my arm and my handle bars
I’ve crashed and burned a few times in my life
And turned out fine so far
But that one left a mark

A couple years on down the way
We were down to one last play
State title on the line five yards away
I took the snap on a quaterback draw
But linebacker was all I saw
And I clawed to get four yards
Stretched out the ball
It wasn’t meant to be that night
Cause I came up just inches shy
I took a knee in disbelief
Then I got back on my feet

But that one left a mark
I’d give it all for one more call
To run that play around the other way
I’ve crashed an burned a few times in my life
And turned out fine so far
But that one left a mark

Oh my daddy used to look me in the eye
And say the man who never failed
Prob’ly never tried

So I’ve crashed and burned a few times in my life
And turned out fine so far
But that one left a mark
Yeah that one left a mark
What Daddy said left a mark
Thank God it left a mark

THIS NEW ME

Here’s a new one that I haven’t demo’d professionally yet. This is a homemade guitar vocal I put together. I’m playing and singing on this one. Hope you like it–let me know!

Play: This New Me

THIS NEW ME
© 2011, Bill Seymour

So you heard I ain’t drinking that much anymore
Yeah it’s crazy how the weight comes off
I quit that job I hated walked right out the door
Life is good now I’m my own boss
I can understand if you’re not sure what to believe
I guess you only think about the old me

Cause I was hard to love didn’t give enough
Fought with myself and got all beat up
I gave you every reason you should leave
I made a mess of things left you wondering
What happened when we had everything
I ain’t proud of who I used to be
But there’s someone here I’d like for you to meet
This new me

I live with how it ended every single day
But it drove me to be a better man
I can’t blame you if you don’t care what I say
I’m just living the best that I can
I know you’ve got to run so I’ll just say goodbye for now
Before you go I hope you can see the man I can be somehow

REPEAT CHORUS

Baby I’m a different guy
Let’s give this love another try

Cause I’ll be good to love and I’ll give enough
I’m fine with myself and I’ll fight for us
I’ll give you every reason not to leave
And there’s a couple things got me wondering
If this time we’d have everything
Cause now I’m proud of who I’ve come to be
Yeah there’s someone here that I think you should meet
Just take a look and maybe you can see
This new me
Oh this new me

“I’m Not There Yet” demo

This is a “new” song co-written with Toby Baxley. By “new” I mean it was written once, then completely changed and written again with a new perspective on the lyric and a new melody–pretty much a total overhaul. I decided to rewrite it after listening to the original version recently, realizing I probably didn’t do the idea justice the first time around. As a writer, I hope to be constantly growing and developing in the craft. So a song that sounded good to me 6 months ago may not sound so good to me today. Anyhow, I completely rewrote the lyric and Toby contributed the melody that takes this song to a whole new level compared to the original. I hope you like it!

Play: I’m Not There Yet

I’M NOT THERE YET
© 2011 Baxley/Seymour

Sometimes I drive through the night
Down this road all alone
Trying to run from the past
Trying to start moving on
Don’t know where I’m headed
And I really don’t care
I might get over you if
I can ever get there

CHORUS:
Everyone’s saying whatever they think I need to hear
To keep this hurt away
Pain so real I can feel pouring from my heart
Shooting through my veins
Yeah every road’s the same
Gotta get to a better place
Where my broken heart can rest
But I’m not there yet

Maybe it’s time to pull off
And take a good look around
I count the miles that I’ve lost
And there ain’t nothing I’ve found
I play it back in my mind here
On the side of the road
There’s nothing but heartache
Any way that I go

REPEAT CHORUS

I’m somewhere in between
Holding on and moving on
And I can’t stay here for long

SOLO

REPEAT CHORUS

Sometimes I drive through the night
Down this road all alone.

“Days That End In Why”

I recently wrote this one with Tim LaRoche. Tim’s such a talented writer and performer, and did an awesome job with the demo, singing and playing. Since I’m typing-challenged as I recover from elbow surgery, the lyrics aren’t included with this post. Anyhow, have a listen and let me know what you think!

Play: Days That End In Why_