I'm a Lyrical Gangsta

When I was much, much younger, I spent a lot of time writing poetry and songs--lots of really sappy love songs about falling in love with Prince Charming and such.  Very Taylorswiftian.  In fact, I wrote a song and sang it in my high school talent show (you could probably find a really embarrassing VHS tape of the performance in a closet at Edmond Santa Fe High School) and was then voted "Best Singer" of the senior class, which is a pretty lame category if you ask me (especially for Yale Scott, my male counterpart who should have been voted most likely to rock at life or something like that).  Anyway, I fancied myself a songwriter.

I don't know why I stopped writing songs--maybe because I grew into the cynical realist I am today, leaving the romantic idealist in my dust.  A few months ago, my friend, Derrick, messaged me on Facebook asking if I ever write poetry or songs. I told him that I didn't, but I could try.  Derrick and I met in college when we were part of the same Life Group--a college/singles Bible study group that met at our mutual friend, Lori's, house.  Until the last few months, I hadn't seen Derrick since we were in college--so somewhere around seven years.

I am so grateful to him for asking me to write for him.  Sometimes I write the lyrics and hum to him over the phone.  Sometimes he has music that is just waiting for words.  It's one of the best things in my life right now.  A million years ago (when I was romantic), I always thought I wanted a boy to write a song for and about me.  But, what I've realized over time is that what I really wanted was to write my own songs and have a boy put them to music.  This is much better.

So, here's a video of one of the songs we wrote.  FYI, ladies, Derrick is SINGLE!  SINGLE!  SINGLE!  (And I can vouch for the fact that he is nice and handsome and all those good things.)  If I can convince Derrick to send me more videos, I'll post more later.  I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed creating.

The Only Thing

No matter how I want you, you’re not really mine

You travel in and out of my life when you have the time

My thoughts in the morning, my desire late at night

So, so very wrong, so wrong that you’re right

And I can’t sleep

No, I can’t sleep

When everything else has got my head in the clouds and my back’s against a wall

You are the only thing that makes any sense at all

You’re the only thing I have to hold onto when I fall

You are the only thing that makes any sense at all

Two hours ago I felt the warmth of every heartbeat

The smell of your skin is wrapped up in these cold sheets

So, come back, please come back, come back to my bed

Help me quiet these thoughts in my head

Cause I can’t sleep

No, I can’t sleep

No matter how I want you, you’re not really mine