SAC 4 x 4 Songwriting Challenge III

This weeks challenge is to connect with one of the other challengers, and write a song

together. Kristine St. Pierre is singer songwriter from Ottawa, so I popped the question to her with a disclaimer... I am only available a few evenings up to Thursday. I am in a murder mystery play, I work full time, my wife and I organize a music festival every August...so there is work to be done with that, I am going to be away at a music festival from Friday to Sunday and then there is the challenge. Kristine was also jammed for time with work contracts, performances, policy meetings, a 16 month old little girl...and the challenge. So we met Tuesday to talk about what our song should be about. Guy on a train, passing little towns outside his train window...nah. Guy who lost his wife and gets up goes to work at 5:ooam to you guessed, it work on a train, or car, or he drinks too much and ends up face down on the couch every night...nah. We sat and looked at each other with our note pads and guitars. How are we going to write something together?...then Kristine started to play a chunky rhythm, and we played around with that to create a steady beat for our lyrics. We settled on a song about family. I have two grown boys, and Kristine with her 16 month old. We talked about how raising children is like gardening, give them love, nurture them, don't squeeze too tight, watch out for the stormy times. We use gardening metaphors to create emotional thoughts. I occasionally strayed off the concept and tried to be too literal. Kristine could feel the song building, and pushed us back to stay true to the concept. We thought and discussed every word, figured out who would sing what...how we would sing harmonies. We had the bones of a song by early evening. The next night we wrote the bridge and figured out a unique way to play and sing it. We recorded a rough demo off the floor, and are going to create a final version tonight. Our song is called Family Gardener.

Family Gardener

Words and music Kristine St. Pierre & David Shackleton 2016

Plant a seed in the ground, and let it grow

Give it love, sun and rain, something’s bound to show

Keep an eye on the weather, cause you never know

When it’s going to turn, and tear up what you’ve sewn

Chorus

I’m the family gardener

I watch everything grow

I’m the family gardener

It’s what I know

Covered you, to keep you warm

Let you dance in the morning dew

Where ever you end up

It’s now up to you

Chorus

Bridge

Seasons always change

Wind always blows

Carry you around

Anywhere you want to go

I’m the family gardener

I watch everything grow

I’m the family gardener

It’s what I know

I’m the family gardener

I watch everything grow

I’m the family gardener

It’s what I know