Written in 25 minutes, with the Carrizozo Writers- Raw, unedited, exactly as it flowed through my fingers to the keyboard
I got a bass riff going that felt comfortable and played with it awhile until it flowed. Marnie started singing lyrics that sounded like she was making them up as she went along, short and snappy words, a kind of scat, if you will, like an old jazz tune – something you’d expect with Mack the Knife, or maybe from Ella, or that Crothers guy.
She got to a line, and I’m not sure what she said exactly, but it sounded like “What light through yonder window breaks.”
I stopped playing and set down the guitar. “You can’t say that Marnie.” I chastised her.
“Why not?”
“Because that was written by Billy Shakespeare, weren’t you listening to Jean earlier? That shit’s probably copyrighted. You’ll need to get his permission before you use his lyrics in your song.”
“Those are not his lyrics!” She insisted, “Those are mine.”
“No, I promise, that line belongs to Billy. I can show it to you in a book.”
“Well, maybe so,” Marnie shot back, “but I said it first.”
“Did not!”
“Did so!”
##
time’s up – step away
The prompts:
- decorated with short and snappy words
- what does he do when he can’t sleep
- poison trees
- I said it first