#acoustic #guitar #singersongwriter

It is heartbreaking to witness someone in need of help who refuses all assistance for whatever reason. You are standing on the sidelines, witnessing someone neglecting themselves, and you can do nothing.

Podsafe Audio: https://studio273.bandcamp.com/track/love-yourself

Over more than twenty years of participating in February Album Writing Month (FAWM), I’ve settled into a workflow that lets me capture a solid recording almost as soon as a new song exists. Everything begins with a guitar progression and a melody I’m humming into place. Once a few words surface, the actual songwriting kicks in. Even with all the digital tools available today, I prefer to keep things grounded by playing real instruments. I print the lyrics in large type, hang the sheet above a camera, and run through the song a few times. Usually the fourth or fifth take is the one I keep. FAWM taught me early on not to get stuck chasing “perfect.” After recording, I pull the audio from the video and drop it into a mixing program. Most of my effect settings are locked in beforehand. Then I add extra vocals and additional instruments like guitar, banjo, piano, keyboard. Once the mix sounds clean enough, I sync it back to the video. Every year I pick a new two-tone color theme for these recordings. If a song is captured this way during FAWM, it’s considered finished. After the month ends, I usually have three or four keepers that I test live on stage. Performing them helps the songs develop, but I never rerecord them. Around ninety percent of everything I’ve written in the last two decades began during FAWM: simple, consistent, effective. These days I use ChatGPT to check my lyrics for grammar and spelling and to offer suggestions; before that, I leaned on native-speaking FAWMers. The audio mix I upload to Bandcamp is identical to the one in the videos.

You’re still working out your thoughts, your feelings, all your doubts You’re still bouncing and spinning ’round

Trying to find a way to carry all that weight You keep swaying on replay

You won’t find answers in booze or pills they only give you temporary thrills What you need to work on is time and skills to learn, learn to love yourself

We’ve been here before you don’t fight, you don’t explore You keep ignoring what’s in store

You’ve got to make it end find your meaning, find your strength Stop pretending Call your friends

You need comfort, an arm around you Why don’t you make a plan for what you’re gonna do? Let your loved ones help you through and learn, learn to love yourself

I know it’s hard to breathe when you’re drowning underneath but please let us help you Let us help you, please Please let us help you Let us help you, please

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