How Much

I am a huge fan of house concerts - where extremely talented musicians put their poetry to music.  This is my attempt at writing "a song".

How much -

I look out into the crowd and I see your faces

The stage has changed; the game’s the same
How much do I have to give away
To get you to like me and my music?

Will a smile be enough?

Will you laugh at my jokes?
Will you listen to what I’m singing?
Can you hear what I’m playing?

I worked really hard on those chords.

I’m pouring my heart out
I spent hours searching for the right rhyme,
The right words, the right pulse.

How much do I have to give away

To get you to like me and my music

You’ve never heard me before

You’ve heard me hundreds of times
You want something with rock and roll
You think everything should rhyme

When it’s over

I don’t get a break but I don’t mind
Working the crowd is part of the deal
What else do you need to buy my CD’s?

How much do I have to give away

To get you to like me and my music

I need to be all things to everyone

I have to be brilliant and funny and smart
I can’t let my guard down
or make offhand remarks

I flirt – just a little - just enough

I have to make you believe
You are the most important person in the room
And in truth, you are all important to me
 
I wish I could give you each my undivided attention
I would love to talk about the meaning in my songs
Why I wrote them, why I used those words or that beat
What I was thinking when I chose that chord

I want to share the story behind the story I tell up here

But there’s no time.
I’m off to the next town, next stage, next place
And I start the tale all over again

How much do I have to give away

To get you to like me and my music

Copyright 2010.  Lori Dominick