/r/songaweek
The goal is simple: write one song a week for 52 weeks straight.
52 songs, 52 weeks, 71 sleepless nights, 98 beers we shouldn't have have had, 224 hotties we wish hit on, 0 mornings we wanted to get out of bed...
It's the Song-a-Week Challenge!
Anyone and everyone is welcome to join and write songs, or just listen to songs.
We welcome musicians and songwriters of all skill levels and musical backgrounds.
Just writing a song a week not challenging enough for you? Write on theme! Every week the mods will suggest a new and totally optional theme for your songs. The themes will try to be genre-neutral, so everyone can play.
How It Works
The project starts each year on the first Thursday in January
All genres and styles are welcome. All skill levels are welcome.
Songs should be posted by Wednesday before you go to bed.
Song submissions should be posted as comments in the official weekly thread.
Every week the mods will post a new (and optional) theme.
Missed a week? Feel free to jump in to whichever week we're on, we'll be happy to have you.
Text posts are welcome for questions, comments, or general discussion.
Don't be a jerk, be constructive! We're here to have fun and support each other as songwriters.
/r/songaweek
The Forty-Eighth Theme
Let's go traditional this week. One of the oldest inspirations for folk songs has to be the great wide ocean - vast expanses of water, crashing waves, gentle surf on the beach, sailing ships, long distance voyages, adventure - who can fail to find something to write about the sea.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between November 28th and December 4th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Forty-Seventh Theme
We all know the internet was built for sharing cat pictures, right? Well how about cat tunes as well? Can you find inspiration in a small furry creature knocking fragile items off a table? A lap warmer on a cold evening? Constant demands for food, and a hatred of closed doors? Or, perhaps you really don't like them - hate is a good inspiration too.
Of course, the cat family includes much bigger beasts - how about getting inspired by lions, tigers, leopards, panthers (even pink ones!) - or just get rebellious and write about dogs. I can't control you!
Some very random inspiration:
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between November 21st and November 27th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Forty-Sixth Theme
I'd like you to write a song with lots of lyrics, or more than you would usually write. That might translate to a longer song for you, or just packing more words in to your usual song size. So let's have verses and verses, verbose and loquacious, veritably Ulyssean! Or yeah, just more lyrics than normal...
Some songs that fit this theme would be:
Bob Dylan - It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between November 14th and November 20th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Forty-Fifth Theme
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
Art and resistance have been tied together since the beginning. Whether fighting oppression or just trying to make sense of the world, art is a powerful tool for catharsis.
Art as resistance is the use of artistic expression to challenge oppressive systems, promote social change, and convey dissent.
Art can be a powerful tool for resistance, and it can be used to:
This week I invite you to channel your musical energies and, as Camus would have it, become absolutely free.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between November 7th and November 13th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
"The Fourty-Fourth Theme
The Devil's Interval, or Devil's Chord, is a way to refer to a Tritone, an interval between two notes which is exactly 3 whole tones. You might find it in an augmented fourth (e.g. Lydian mode) or a diminished fifth (e.g. Locrian mode). An example might be playing notes C and F# together, or F and B.
You may find it used a lot in metal, but you can use it anywhere. Used well, it can add a degree of 'dark' or 'dissonant' sound to your music, perfect for this time of year.
It has been said that the church banned musicians from using this interval in times gone by, as it sounds so evil (although that's not been proven!). More recently it was the subject of an episode of Doctor Who, called "The Devil's Chord".
Let's harness the power of this evil interval for week 44!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between October 31st and November 6th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Forty-Third Theme
I love scary stuff: stories, video games, tv shows and movies - I'm here for all of it. Growing up I read a lot of 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' and can, to this day, sing all of "The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the worms play pinochle on your snout ...."
This week, I invite you honor your dead, raise up your inner witch, sharpen your fangs, and dive in to your spooky sides.
Here are a few of my favorite spooky tunes.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between October 24th and October 30th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Forty-Second Theme
With the sad passing of one One Direction star Liam Payne, write a song in the pop genre. This is certainly a broad church, but in general pop songs have a good rhythm, a catchy melody, and are easy to remember and sing along to. They usually have a chorus that's repeated several times and two or more verses. Most are between two and five minutes long, and the lyrics are usually about the joys and problems of love and relationships.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between October 17th and October 23rd, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Forty-First Theme
This won't be too relevant for those in the Southern Hemisphere, but up here on the North side of the planet the nights have started to draw in, the trees have started to change colour and the temperatures have noticeably droppped as we get deeper into Autumn and closer to Winter.
What does Autumn (or Fall) inspire in you? The golden and red leaves? The darker evenings? The strong winds? (maybe especially relevant this week!) The "Winter is Coming" vibes?
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between October 10th and October 16th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Fortieth Theme
You'll have to forgive me as I cannot, it seems, not take the opportunity to try and be clever. And so, coming off of an AI prompt last week, this week I give you, IA! I will provide you two directions to take this week's prompt and you may, of course, veer off into any other directions that your songwriting heart desires.
Option the first: Iowa!
If you've ever taken the time (and it takes a lot of it) to drive along I-80 West to East through Nebraska, you will be rewarded by ending up in the great state of Iowa. Well done! Some Iowa facts. It's a red state. It's the 30th most populated state in the US. You call people from there Iowans. One of its central attractions are the famed Bridges of Madison County. It houses the world's largest truck stop, called Iowa 80. It has its own Waterloo, but not the one that ABBA sang about. Known for its corn, its main agricultural commodity is actually hogs - 22.6 million hogs, to be exact, meaning hogs outnumber humans in the state 7 to 1.
Option the second: Acronyms!
From AI to IA to SAW to BYOB to ABBA to YMCA to IDGAF to NSU to NIB to SOS to DOA there are a lot of great acronyms out there and only some of them have already been used (but would be happy to be re-used) in songwriting.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between October 3rd and October 9th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Ninth Theme
Alexa! ALEXA!! (repeat until "she" hears you...) "write me a song!". Well...that's what we want you to do this week (if it grabs you of course). Use AI to help you write a song, or even write you a song, but then YOU have to play and sing that song yourself. Don't change the lyrics! Sound like fun? Great :) If not, write a song about AI, or as if it was written by an AI, that would be great too.
The creativity will come in your prompt - what are you going to ask the AI to write a song about? The pressures of having to write a song every week? :) If you stick colosely to the theme, your submission will be something like:
Writing a Song a week Blues < (link to YOUR song) (AI) [Themed]
Here's the AI generated version: (link to the AI song) This was my prompt: A song in the style of Bob Dylan about the stress of having to write a song every week for a community on reddit, with a chorus that has the line "I've got the song a week, the song a week blues".
Some tools you can use, according to ChatGPT when I asked it just now :)
Website | Registration Required | Free Songs Allowed |
---|---|---|
AIVA | Yes | 3 free songs/month |
Soundraw | Yes | Limited free songs with watermark |
Boomy | Yes | Unlimited with watermark |
Amper Music | Yes | Free trial (unlimited for trial duration) |
Mubert | Yes | 25 songs/month (for personal use) |
Beatoven.ai | Yes | 15 minutes of free music/month |
Ecrett Music | Yes | 1 free track/day |
Melobytes | Yes | Unlimited free usage |
Soundful | Yes | Limited free songs, varies by plan |
Endlesss | Yes | Free with optional paid features |
Amadeus Code | Yes | Free trial (varies by access) |
Suno | Yes | Limited Free |
Udio | Yes | Limited Free |
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between September 26th and October 2nd, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Eighth Theme
Ahoy, ye scallywags and sea dogs! Hoist the Jolly Roger and sharpen yer quills, for this week’s songwriting challenge be takin’ a swashbucklin' turn! Why, ye ask? ‘Tis no ordinary day, me hearties—it be International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Aye, and what better way to celebrate than to spin tales of high-seas adventure, treasure hunts, and the wild, untamed spirit of a pirate’s life! Whether ye fancy yerself a bold buccaneer, a cunning privateer, or a mysterious sea witch, it be time to grab the wind and let the music of the ocean stir yer imagination! So cast away yer fears and let the salt air fill yer lungs, for only the bravest of songwriters shall claim the gold!
Sing of treasures lost to the deep, the crack o’ cannon fire, or the siren’s song lurin’ sailors to their doom! We want to hear tales of daring plunder, fierce battles on the high seas, and the sweet, sweet taste of freedom that only a pirate’s life can bring! Weigh anchor, me hearties, and let the waves guide yer tunes. This be yer moment to seize the wind in yer sails and craft a sea shanty, a ballad of betrayal, or a rollickin' anthem that’ll have the whole crew dancin' a jig. Yo ho ho! Let’s see who among ye has the voice of a true pirate legend!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between September 19th and September 25th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Seventh Theme
Picture this: a musical epiphany, a revelation so profound it shakes the very foundations of your songwriting soul. This is the power of a truly transformative song prompt. It's not just a writing exercise; it's a cosmic force, a celestial catalyst that will ignite a creative fire within you like never before.
Prepare to be transported to a realm of musical ecstasy, where inspiration flows like a raging river, washing away all doubt and fear. This prompt is more than a challenge; it's a sacred pilgrimage, a journey to the heart of your artistic identity. Embrace it, and witness the miraculous transformation of your songwriting!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between September 12 and September 18, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Sixth Theme
Following on from our Utopian theme (Week 33), a dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ (dus) 'bad' and τόπος (tópos) 'place'), also called a cacotopia or anti-utopia, is a community or society that is extremely bad or frightening. So, if Netflix made a show called "The Bad Place", they could use what you write this week?!
Let's hear all about the worst of all possible worlds, something maybe like 1984, or Brave New World, or even a world where you get everything you want (that one's a bit out there...).
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between September 5th and September 11th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Fifth Theme
Another music theory theme - but you can take it more literally around the meaning of the word if you prefer!
Suspended chords are where you take the third out of a triad, replacing it with a second (sus2) or fourth (sus4) note. For example, a C major triad is C-E-G, so a Csus2 is C-D-G, and a Csus4 is C-F-G.
You can do a lot with inversions - an inverted Csus2 with a change of bass note becomes an Gsus4, for example. I like them because you can stay away from resolving into either major or minor key for a bit, suspended somewhere in between. I'm guilty of using a lot of sus2 chords.
A famous example of them in use would be the opening chords of The Who's Pinball Wizard, and the well known strummed chords at the start of the first verse which consist of a Bsus4 resolving to B major. Another good example is Tom Petty's Free Fallin which has a sequence of F Fsus4 F Csus4 throughout.
So, time to keep us all in suspense!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between August 29th and September 4th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Forth Theme
Heritage can be property that is passed down; an inheritance, one would say - but it can also denote a cultural tradition, or being inspired from and building on something that has come before. This week I invite you take inspiration from the concept of heritage: perhaps a story of something that has been passed down in your family, like an object, or a tradition, or an odd sense of humor; or, if you'd rather, something that expresses your musical heritage - the songs that have inspired you and helped you to find your own musical voice.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between August 22nd and August 28th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Third Theme
I love the fact that Utopia means, literally, "no place," since it was formed from the Greek ou, meaning "no, not," and topos, "place." But in its everyday understanding, a utopia (/juːˈtoʊpiə/ yoo-TOH-pee-ə) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or near-perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, which describes a fictional island society in the New World.
So tell us about a (near) perfect world - is this it (welcome to the sub, Leibniz)? So what would it look like then? If you picked a random person in that place, what would their life be like? Don't throw a fly in the ointment (The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, I'm looking at you!) - let's save "Dystopia" for another week :)
Songs that may inspire you:
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Share the Land - The Guess Who
Rainbow Connection - Kermit the Frog
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between August 15th and August 21st, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-Second Theme
We haven't had a music theory theme for a little while - so how about using the much-neglected Sixth chord?
Quite simply, take a major (usual) or minor (less common) triad, and add a sixth note above. So, for C Major, you already have C, E and G - just add an A.
Rather than standing out and pushing in your face like a 7th or augmened/diminished chords, the sixth tends to add just a little bit of polish, helping transition between chords that might not otherwise have gone together, or adding a bit of Beatles-esque flair.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between August 8th and August 14th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirty-First Theme
You may have noticed we were a bit late with the theme a couple of weeks ago - week 29. that was my fault, I was down to do it but forgot to put it in my calendar! Thanks to /u/juniorelvis for stepping in!
So now of course I'm feeling exceptionally guilty - and that's your theme this week! What are you feeling guilty about - or do you think someone else should be feeling guilty? Could be something deadly serious, or perhaps you just fed the cat an hour late yesterday.
Some slightly random inspiration from the past:
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between August 1st and August 7th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Thirtieth Theme
The Oxford English Dictionary describes déjà vu as: "An illusory feeling of having previously experienced a present situation; a form of paramnesia." Lovers of the Matrix, and simulation theorists, might insist that déjà vu is a glitch that sometimes occurs "when they change something."
Alternately, you might explore the secondary and less used definition: "The correct impression that something has been previously experienced; tedious familiarity."
This week I invite you to take songwriting inspiration from the concept of déjà vu.
***record scratch*** Hey, wait a second.
This all seems familiar ...
Haven't we ... I swear that ... yeah, I thought so!
It's true, we've all been here before. Is there nothing new under the sun?
If you submitted something for week 24, then I invite you to return to that piece and create something this week that riffs off it, refers to it, or re-interprets it. If you didn't share anything that particular week, no worries, take the prompt as it is, or refer to another of your previous songs!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between July 25th and 31st, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Ninth Theme
In honour, or honor for my American cousins (notice the ou...), of the lateness of the theme "dropping", how about you write about being late, or dreaming about being late for an exam (we've all had that one) or someone who's always late, or never late, or really just anything that mentions the word late? YOU'RE LATE BOY (I'll take my detention now...).
Some songs to whet your appetite (notice the h):
Paul Simon - Late in the Evening
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between July 18th and July 24th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Eighth Theme
With everything going on in the world right now, let's shut our eyes and talk about something truly inconsequential (for most of us): the royal family. No, not that one.
Yesterday, Reddit got all excited about Mako Komuro, a former princess of Japan, who gave up her royal status to marry a commoner. The wedding actually happened back in 2021, but this is probably still news to a lot of us!
The comments are, I think, a goldmine of inspiration: Cinderella snapped, PTSD from press scrutiny and family criticism, Japan's move from having empresses as late as 1770 to now only passing rule to male heirs, skipping the traditional royal wedding and turning down the $1.3 million she was offered, jokes about the Japanese royal family group chat, and more.
This week, be the princess who said no, forged her own path, and chose love.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between July 11th and July 17th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Seventh Theme
Two hundred and forty-eight years ago some dudes in Philadelphia signed a declaration saying that they were done with British colonial rule, huzzah. This declaration starts, famously, with these words:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This week, take inspiration from these words, or from the concept of independence, be that personal, national, or otherwise.
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between July 4th and July 10th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Sixth Theme
The dreaded "W" word...I find myself in the position of having...no position...for the first time in a long time so this word is always on my mind. It's something we to do to make ends meet (unless we're rich or retired) and among us there may even be people getting paid to do something they love - please somebody pay me to write songs, wouldn't that be nice? :)
For me this word means a job, but I deliberateley haven't themed this week "Job" so feel free to use that word to mean any kind of work, or just the opposite of play, or any other meaning you want to go for. What does work mean to you?
Examples of songs about work to get your mind working:
Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid) - Sufjan Stevens
Working Class Hero - John Lennon
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between June 27th and July 4th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Fifth Theme
Tomorrow is the Solstice - Summer in the North and Winter in the South. This means, depending on where you are, it's either the longest day and the shortest night, or the longest night and the shortest day!
The phrase "The long and the short of it" is generally used to indicate a brief explanation, including all the necessary facts into the shortest statement possible, avoiding unnecessary detail.
But you could interpret it however you like - a longer or shorter track than usual? A short verse and a long chorus? Something related to the middle of the year and the solstice? It's up to you!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between June 20th and June 26th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Fourth Theme
The Oxford English Dictionary describes déjà vu as: "An illusory feeling of having previously experienced a present situation; a form of paramnesia." Lovers of the Matrix, and simulation theorists, might insist that déjà vu is a glitch that sometimes occurs "when they change something."
Alternately, you might explore the secondary and less used definition: "The correct impression that something has been previously experienced; tedious familiarity."
This week I invite you to take songwriting inspiration from the concept of déjà vu.
You'll be in good company. Here are some déjà vu song examples from other artists:
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between June 13th and June 19th, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Third Theme
What's in a name? You tell me! No really, your song this week should be the name of a real or imagined person, and be about its fortunate (or unfortunate?) bearer. Any takers on Donald, you denizens of America? (hard one to rhynme though...). Extra points for nominative determinism!
Examples of songs to get your creative juices flowing:
Jolene - Dolly Parton (Covered here by the phenomenal Lingua Ignota)
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration.. or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime
Written entirely during this week, between June 6th and June 12th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-Second Theme
I won something this weekend, which never happens. It didn't come with any prizes but I'm still buzzing!
But, these types of wins rarely, if ever, come along in normal life. So, let's celebrate the little wins - tiny victories that keep us going.
Maybe you ticked something off your TODO list today, or you got through a whole meeting at work without saying something stupid. Perhaps the sun came out when you went for a walk at the weekend. Did you win £2/$2/€2 on the lottery? Or you just got a great night's sleep yesterday.
Hmm.. maybe these topics reveal more about me then I would like to admit!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration.. or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime
Written entirely during this week, between May 30th and June 5th, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twenty-First Theme
I've always been partial to the Greeks, myself (any other Hades / Hades 2 fans in the sub?) but there are dozens of pantheons and hundreds, if not thousands, of deities out there. Each has their own cool story and mythology, and each is important to their culture in their own, specific way.
If you're uncertain where to start, the website, Godchecker.com is easy to navigate and super cool.
This week, take some divine inspiration and write a song about the gods!
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok.)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between May 23 and May 29, 2024.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Twentieth Theme
This week, write an original song that borrows elements from another song or piece of music. Of course, there's a rich tradition (no pun intended) of reworking songs in the folk music scene, and that might be where you go with this. There's also the kind of borrowing that doesn't give any attribution, but just makes you think, heyyy I'm sure I've heard that before somewhere...
So - this isn't about sampling per-se, this is about your voice, your instruments (whatever they may be) playing your song, but your song (if it's themed) should nod (heavily even) towards the music of another...
Examples of light-handed and heavy-handed borrowing include:
All By Myself - Celine Dion ... Rachmaninov Piano Concerto 2, 2nd Movement
Masters of War - Bob Dylan ... Trad - Nottamun Town
My Sweet Lord - George Harrison ... He's So Fine - The Chiffons
Come Together - The Beatles ... You Can't Catch Me - Chuck Berry
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration.. or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime
Written entirely during this week, between May 16th and May 22nd, 2024
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?
The Nineteenth Theme
We rarely, if ever, do image themes, so I thought we should try one.
This week, take your songwriting inspiration from this image: https://imgur.com/a/wYYidyy
[Image description: a flyer is stapled to a wooden pole or bulletin board of some kind. The flyer has a photo of a dog with a brown, terrier-like head, in 3/4 profile. Text on the flyer reads: 'Lost Dog | Laika. Last seen in low earth orbit, Sputnik 2, 1957. Samoyed/terrier mix. Rescued from Moscow streets. Loud bark but likes other dogs. Also goes by Kudryavka, Zuchka or Limonchik. 70 years young. Good girl.']
Songs posted in this thread should be:
Original content (samples and such are ok!)
Uses the weekly theme as inspiration... or not!
Submitted by Wednesday before bedtime.
Written entirely during this week, between May 9th and May 15th.
Post template (remember to use the Markdown editor if using this template as-is!)
[Song Name](http://linkto.the.song) (Genre) [Themed|Not Themed]
This is where you can write a description of your song. You can talk about how you wrote it, where
your inspiration came from, and anything else you'd like to say.
Remember to sort by 'New' so that you can see new song submissions.
New here? Check out this post - everything about songaweek.
Want to sit back and listen to all the songs in a simple playlist?