I'm writing rap hooks for Longevity in Atlanta. I'm the guy they send music and rap lyrics to in Nashville so that I can add the hook and their girl can sing in the middle. It's 1994. Babyface and L.A. Reid are the big dogs in the scene. I'm dreaming of a rap Grammy. Any Grammy.
Longevity doesn't last long. They go out of business. It was label. It was a recording studio. It was a clothing line. Wait. What was it? They tried to do too much, too soon.
I don't even remember the name of the guys who ran the thing. I only remember their plans. Ideas. Taking over the world. Selling ... whatever they could sell. Sounded like a good opportunity.
My songwriting at the time was on point. Killer versus came out of that. But they're all gone. Like Longevity, no one remembers those either. I certainly don't. And those notebooks with all the lyrics are long gone. Not the right opportunity.
It's like that one time years later a friend comes to me and says "my nieces and nephews are going to do an under water adventure series, I need you to write me a theme song"... They were young. Like 5 and 7 years old or something ... and they were going to be diving down to wrecked ships and other landmarks in the water (their father was a master chief in the submarine NAVY so these kids were legit) ... and so I say okay.
Here;s what I wrote: "We get to go diving, deep in the sea, hunt for buried treasure, swim with the fishies ... We have a lot of fun and we really learn a lot, Come join us, X marks the spot ... WE'RE THE WRECKED KIDS!!"
- Perfect. The Perfect song. Finally.
The show never happened. The kids grew up. It was no longer entertaining. The idea wasn't even a good one with older kids. Who cares about older kids who aren't into the art of discovery? That was the entire point of the show. Not the right opportunity.
There was another time when a lady named Stacey contacted me. She was the VP of a major TV network, or at least, one of the few. CBS had just bought them. The network she worked for had just acquired an extremely popular show. She asked me to write a song for the WWE. Yes. The Wrestling thing. That's bigtime. Huge ratings. Huge money. Huge opportunity. I could retire with the right conditions and the right song.
Okay, I'll write something for you (I had already written it).
I wrote: "Bones about to break, blood hits the floor, sweat pouring down, can't take any more ... muscles start to ache, strength can not be found, you can either quit, or we'll go another round" ... into the chorus ...
Good stuff.
She was let go. The deal never happened. The dream was over. I wasn't going to retire. Not then. Not the right opportunity.
If anyone wants to talk about choosing a hard career, I suggest they go into the songwriting game, try their luck and then come talk to me. Music is a tough, tough business. But it's full of cool opportunities like those listed above.
As for me, things happen. You move on. You live for tomorrow and not the past. But the past holds lessons. That's why I tell stories about the past.
My songwriting goose laid more than a half dozen eggs - all broke before they were hatched.
Nothing in that world ever worked out like I hoped - or as the opportunity presented itself originally. That's life.
Pivot.
Offers/Advertising:
White Hot Weight Loss
Regain Sharper Focus and Boost Your Memory
A Ground-Breaking New Diet
The Jesus Diet