Enter Today

Lyricists! Here’s your chance to shine!

LYRICISTS GAIN RECOGNITION THROUGH COMPETITION

Win $50, a 1 year DSA membership, and certificate

Quaterly Contest Deadlines:

Winter - March 30

Spring - June 30

Summer - Sept 30

Fall - December 31

Entry fee is $10

Enter by mail: Dallas Songwriters Lyric Contest, Sammons Center For The Arts, 3630 Harry Hines Blvd #20 Dallas, Tx 75219


Or you can enter at our Square store

Pay here.

Friday, June 3, 2022

2022 Winter Quarterly Lyric Contest Winners

 WINTER LC 2022 WINNERS 


1ST PLACE:  WEDDING DAY by Bill Kapac, West Wildwood, NJ

2ND PLACE:  CITY OF STONE by Eric Douglas, Gilbert, AZ

3RD PLACE:  SINGLE MOM by Robert Ehlert, Carrollton, Tx


                                                                  FIRST PLACE 2022                                                                                             

 

                                           “WEDDING DAY”  by Bill Kapac, West Wildwood, NJ

 

                    V-1  I CAME TO BE here WITH YOU ON YOUR WEDDING DAY

                            TRY AS I MIGHT I COULDN’T STAY AWAY. Tried hard as I could, but I couldn’t stay away.

                            DON’T WORRY YOU WON’T SEE ME OR even KNOW I’M THERE here,

                            I COVERED UP MY FACE AND PUT A WIG UP ON MY HAIR    Shaved my mustache, even darkened up my hair.

 

                                 CHORUS: THE WEATHER”S PICTURE wedding day is PERFECT… SUNSHINE RAINING DOWN  

                                   BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES NOT A CLOUD IN SIGHT. Not a single cloud around.

                                   I GUESS at least in one way IN SOME WAY MY DREAM is coming HAS COME TRUE

                                   ‘Cause I’M HERE ON YOUR WEDDING DAY I’M JUST NOT the one WITH YOU

 

                     V-2 I SEE ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE HERE Remember THEY WERE my friends MINE TOO

                             I WONDER IF THEY’re THINKing I SHOULD BE THE ONE WITH YOU                                      

                             YOU LOOK LIKE just AN ANGEL SO PRETTY IN YOUR GOWN

                              I’M HERE AT THE CHURCH BUT I WON’T STAY stick AROUND 

                                        

               CHORUS: THE WEATHER”S PICTURE wedding day is PERFECT… SUNSHINE RAINING DOWN  

                                   BIRDS SINGING IN THE TREES NOT A CLOUD IN SIGHT. Not a single cloud around.

                                   I GUESS at least in one way IN SOME WAY MY DREAM is coming HAS COME TRUE

                                   ‘Cause I’M HERE ON YOUR WEDDING DAY I’M JUST NOT the one WITH YOU

                 

                 V-3I   WATCH YOU It’s hard as you walk WALKING DOWN THE ISLE SMILING HOLDING HANDS

                         JUST LIKE THE WAY YOU AND I had ALWAYS PLANNED  

                          THIS ISN’T Watching it’s not ISN”T  EASY FOR ME BUT I’LL BE OK  I’m gonna make it through.

                           I’M GLAD YOU CAN’T didn’t SEE ME WHAT WORDS COULD YOU SAY  I wonder what you’d say  do.

 

                  BRIDGE:   It’s hard as you walk down the isle, smiling holding hands … just like you and I had planned.

                                    It’s hard watching you… but I;m gonna make it through,   But If you saw me, wonder what you’d do. 

                                             

                                       

                                   CHORUS

 

             Lyric Judge Note:    I love the concept, the story.

Now, having said that, you’ll notice that I’ve crossed through words and adjusted lines and added my thoughts about how those lines could flow more smoothly.  On a few, I’ve adjusted the meaning.  The only line that I 100% think should be changed is the fourth line in the first verse.  I just cannot see a guy in real life, donning a wig, and how would he ever cover up his face without drawing more attention to himself …a mask?  This isn’t a Covid song. I hope my suggestions will help you make your lyric even better.  If you’ve already mastered the song, and it’s streaming, okay.  It’s still a good song, but if there’s still an opportunity to make some changes, I’m here to support your goals:  Take some of my lyric tips; make the third verse into a bridge with a variation of the main melody; and use the title in the chorus.  I’ve  suggested that the title be in both the first and fourth lines of the chorus. It will stand a better chance of being a hit song. Thank you for your submission to DSA.  In the future, I hope to see more of your submssions to the lyric contest, and I definitely look forward to hearing your recording of Wedding Day.  I wish you the best.

 Alexis                 


2ND PLACE:


CITY OF STONE by Eric Douglas, Gilbert, AZ 


The barber shop is closed

The diner’s disappeared

The movie marquee

Hasn’t changed in a year


There’s silence on the street

A rumble of regret. ( THEN A GRUMBLE OF REGRET)

Red light turns to green

Goes right back to red. (GOES QUICKLY BACK TO RED)


CHORUS

City of stone, the memory’s frozen. (A MEMORY FROZE)

We march in time but we walk alone

I dreamed we were still together

But I woke up in the city of stone


We were looking to the future

We were walking hand in hand

But sunset came too quickly

Cast a shadow on our plans


These are not the streets

The streets we used to know

I recognize the buildings

But this is not my home


CHORUS

City of stone, the memory’s frozen

We march in time but we walk alone

I dreamed we were still together

But I woke up in the city of stone


BRIDGE

We are wandering, we have lost our way

We are strangers though we know each other’s names

We look for clues, we trace our tracks

But there’s nothing left, just ancient artifacts

NOT SURE ANCIENT IS NECESSARY HERE & HURTS THE FLOW.


CHORUS

City of stone, the memory’s frozen

We march in time but we walk alone

I dreamed we were still together

But I woke up in the city of stone


Where the memory’s gone, the promise is broken (AND THE PROMISE BROKE)

Where the wind cuts to the bone

I dreamed we sailed to heaven

But I woke up in the city of stone



JUDGE'S COMMENTS:


I ENJOYED YOUR IDEAS HERE AND WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TWEAK THIS JUST A BIT MORE...PERHAPS USING A FEW NOTES I'VE MADE.  THE STORY IS RELATABLE AND FLOWS PRETTY WELL  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUBMISSION.  I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF YOUR WORK.  ALEXIS


3rd Place


Single Mom by Robert Ehlert, Carrollton, Tx

She’s a single mom

Facing double jeopardy

A Triple threat to fail

If her old man’s lands in jail.


You’d think she’d know by now

You might replace your 1st line with:


She’s seen it all by now.

Her type She’s face(d) some rigid rules

She Rolling with no backup plan 

This Life won’t suffer fools



And Then before you she know(s) it

Before you get the feel

Fate has ambused all her dreams

And life is taking you her way downhill.

Send you for It’s an ugly spill  This line doesn’t add anything to the story and seems unnecessary.

She drives the car you gave away

Shops SNAP and second-hand

Loves her kids like a Mama Bear

Does it all without a man


Some are widowed, some abused

The objects of his wrath

It’d be nice if you took Maybe we should notice 

What if you we were on this path?


And before you knew it. Check verb tenses here to make sure you’re consistent.

before you got the feel

Fate did ambush all your dreams. . . .

Life did take you way downhill

Send you for an ugly spill

And you’re a Single Mom

facing double jeopardy

A triple threat to fail

If your old man’s in jail

Bridge

Reach out, reach out

She needs more than sympathy

Help her family close the gap

Shower them with checkbook empathy

This last line seems odd to me.  Perhaps “Even offer her some money.”

Or “Maybe slip the mom some money”.

Then before you know it

before you get the feel

Fate may ambush all your dreams. . . .


Life can take you way down hill

Send you for an ugly spill

Judge’s comments:

I appreciate your point of the lyric and there’s some good work here.  I would suggest you give it some more attention…perhaps take some of my suggestions for cleaning up the story some for clarity and better flow of your lines.  I personally do not like the line, “send you for an ugly spill”.  It doesn’t live up to the rest of the lyric.  The lyric is a little too long in my opinion.  If I were you, I’d take the best lines and edit for a more get to the point story.  I would enjoy seeing this lyric entered again in with some corrections.  Thank you for your entry.  Alexis


No comments:

Post a Comment

DSA SUMMER LYRIC CONTEST WINNERS 2023

Thanks to Lyric Contest judge Alexis Tapp for her comments.  SEMIFINALISTS BLUE by Bill Kapac, West Wildwood, NJ FREE PIANO by Bill Kapac, W...