Song-a-day January 2026

 

Every day this January, I'll be composing a brand new song from scratch and then posting it online for all to see! There will be other songwriters joining me along the way. Come see the raw creativity in action on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky! 

Day 31: Somewhere In-Between (Song-a-day January)

Day 31: Somewhere In-Between

by David Coile

Lyrics:
I wanna have my cake and eat it, too
I wanna lie in the bed that I made
I wanna count my eggs before they hatch
I wanna fail the test but still make the grade

And you may think I'm crazy
Trying to have it both ways

I wanna mix my business with pleasure
Stir it up and pour it into a glass
'Cause that way I could take my shots
And nobody would think I'm an ass

But people think it's crazy
Trying to have it both ways

I wanna be rich but live like a peasant
Be a king who doesn't wear any robes
Or maybe be a starving actor
Who gets cast to play in all of the roles

It may be that I'm crazy
Trying to have it both ways

But I believe
It can be achieved
Finding my true meaning
Somewhere in-between

***

Details:

My requirements for the last song of any Song-a-day January is that it get done quickly. But it's also sometimes a confessional. This one is definitely dealing with some of the weirdness of trying to be a working artist; in a lot of ways, it feels like cheating the system. You're not supposed to live like this. But I'm greedy, I guess-- I want to find a way to live creatively without being completely poor, and to be productive but still have as healthy social life.

There are also issues with commitment. I've definitely committed to being creative, but hesitant to do all the things you're supposed to do to be successful at it. I have all sorts of mental blocks and emotional barriers to doing various things.

But one thing I love about this project is that it somehow brings together the creative, the social, and the business sides of things in a fluid fashion. It allows me to do what I really love doing, which is writing songs. When I co-write, it allows me to potentially make new friends and to maintain older friendships. And posting the songs everyday is a great marketing tool. It's not perfect-- I haven't figured out how to monetize it, yet. But it's a great example of how you can pull all these different facets together.

Anyway, back to the song. I was listening to the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" just before starting, and the chord progression and groove bear some resemblance. But the rest of the song goes in a completely different direction. I started out with a bunch of well-known idioms; I recognize that they don't all mean exactly what I want them to mean, but structurally, they're what I was going for. They'll get better in revision. I''d like to get all the verses to be kind of like the 2nd verse-- taking a cliche, but putting a spin on it.

Anyway, I"ll admit that this isn't anywhere close to my favorite song of the month, but I think it emotionally wraps up the project.

Thanks for listening!

Day 30: Turkey Hall of Fame (Song-a-day January)

Day 30: Turkey Hall Of Fame

By Pony Lee & David Coile

Lyrics:

Birds of a feather flock together
And so they gave them names
Tina and Louie, they were ready
To play some turkey games

They were playing peek-a-boo
Flew up to the second floor
They became the peeping toms
And would be forever more

Gobble gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
They loved them worms and grains
Gobble gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
In the turkey hall of fame

Doctors, nurses and patients
They loved them little guys
Every time they saw them
You know they'd get a rise

Gobble gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
They loved them worms and grains
Gobble gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
In the turkey hall of fame

Don't know why that mournful day
The turkey crossed the road
But Tina tried, got squashed and died
That's how the story goes

Gobble gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
They loved them worms and grains
Gobble gobble gobble
Gobble gobble gobble
In the Longmont United Hospital
Same day surgery, post op
And recovery unit
Turkey hall of fame

***

Details:

Back in December, Pony Lee and I talked about writing a song together, and I suggested we set something up in January. About a week ago, he called me and said he wanted to write a song about a turkey that was the mascot for Longmont United Hospital. What's more, he wanted to write it at the hospital and sing it to the staff. So that's what we did...

Day 29: Novocaine Brain (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 29: Novocaine Brain
By Trish Applegate-Loetz, Robby Layton and David Coile

Lyrics:

Big bang trauma therapy
Stepping out of the crash
Sensory singularity
Life gone by in a flash

Who, what, when, where, why and how?
Is it even real?
Battered, bloodied and beaten down
But how come I can't feel?

Novocaine brain
It's keeping me sane
Novocaine brain
It's my only relief from the pain

Heading home in the usual way
Saw I had a green light
Looking forward to dinner at eight
Then came the truck from the right

Novocaine brain
It's keeping me sane
Novocaine brain
It's my only relief from the pain

Novocaine brain
It's killing the pain
But it's insane
Maybe it's time to feel the pain

***

Details:

Trish and Robby are both in my band, and we've written songs together as duos, but never as a trio. We haven't had a chance to catch up for a while, so it took us some time to get started, and when we did, we were really struggling to get mutually inspired.

We've all had politics on the mind lately, but weren't sure if we wanted to tackle it directly. But the world overall seems like a crazy place, and Trish got to talking about how dreamlike it is-- sometimes it's hard to believe it's even real.

Once we had the topic, it came together fairly quickly. We did spend a lot of time trying to figure out the chord progression, and ended up with this grunge-like guitar part, and we were a little inspired by Kurt Cobain's lyrical style. But the lyrics started out telling a more literal story, then got more oblique as we went forward.

I love my band-- they're great to work with! And I'm glad we got to write an original tune together. Next, we might try writing a song with all five of us.

Day 28: Ice Castles Melt Into The Ocean (Song-a-day January)

 Day 28: Ice Castles Melt Into The Ocean

By David Coile

Lyrics:

There will come a time
When winter reigns
When the land is white
And the sky is grey
When all that glistens
Will be frozen
And frost will settle
On the ocean

We will dream
Of azure skies
Of emerald leaves
A golden sunrise
Of inland streams
Softly flowing
Until they join
With the ocean

Now we see
The glacial walls
The urban tundra
The frigid halls
But every fortress
Confronts erosion
And all ice castles melt
Into the ocean

***

Details:

Another struggle tonight; thank god I only have a couple more days left. I didn't have any inspiration tonight, so I just started playing around with the guitar again. I capo'd up real high and tried out a tinkling sound and decided it sounded like ice. I like writing songs about seasons; they work very well as metaphors (whatever metaphor you may be looking for).

There's not much to the melody, but it reminds me a bit of a song from last year, so I may end up tweaking it. And, once again, the lyrics are so simple, they need to be just right, so I'll probably run through those a few more times, too. Anyway, I would file this under "has potential".

Day 27: Ain't No Shame In Asking

 

Day 27: Ain’t No Shame In Asking
By David Coile

Lyrics:

There's nothing wrong
With communication
There's nothing wrong
With a simple question

No hints, no intimations, no innuendo
No need to wear a mask
All you gotta do is ask
There ain't no shame in asking
No, there ain't no shame in that

We're all so different
We're so hard to understand
Let's have this discussion
With no fear of reprimands

No hints, no intimations, no innuendo
No need to wear a mask
All you gotta do is ask
There ain't no shame in asking
No, there ain't no shame in that

Are you perplexed?
Are you bereft of clues?
Are you bewildered, baffled or puzzled?
Are you confused?

No hints, no intimations, no innuendo
No need to wear a mask
All you gotta do is ask
There ain't no shame in asking
No, there ain't no shame in that

***

Details:

I was definitely feeling the writer's block today. I knew I wanted to rock out a little, but I had no topic. So I just played around with several riffs and settled on this one. Then while fixing a snack, the line "There ain't no shame in asking" came to me, so I decided to build around it. Just another song about trying to work through miscommunication.

Day 26: Take Some Time (Song-a-day January)

Day 26: Take Some Time

By David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

They don't understand why you cry

They don't understand how you feel deep inside

They don't understand what it means to run and hide

You don't have to face them alone

We can be your friends, this is where you belong

If you need somewhere to retreat, make yourself at home

Take some time, take some time

Take some time for yourself

Take some time, take some time

Take some time to be yourself

Everywhere they're drawing a line

Every word you use, they prefer undefined

Every other person you meet can be so unkind

You don't have to worry with me

We can sit together and simply be

You can take some time to relax, to feel carefree

Take some time, take some time

Take some time for yourself

Take some time, take some time

Take some time to be yourself

When the world is harsh

When it's too severe

When you need relief

Find shelter here

Take some time, take some time

Take some time for yourself

Take some time, take some time

Take some time to be yourself

***

Details: 

This is my last song before the end of the Meta Boycott, and one of the main issues concerned the LBGTQ community. I'm not always as vocal an ally as I should be-- mostly because I worry about stumbling over new word usage-- but I am an ally, and I think it's ridiculous that the LGBTQ community is used as a political football. 

Musically, I wanted something with a mellow drone. This doesn't quite sound like John Lennon, but it was inspired by his style. My voice is still a bit scratchy from my cold, so my singing isn't as full-throated as it could have been...

Day 25: The Cold Or The Medicine (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 25: The Cold Or The Medicine

By David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

It was late in the evening

When I got my runny nose

Had a standard issue box of tissues

But, man, it really blows

Took cough drops and a cup of NyQuil

And then I went to bed

When I woke up I could barely move

I felt like I was dead

Is it the cold or the medicine

That's got me feeling down?

There's snow outside too high to drive through

I just can't get around

And I have an empty pantry

Left my groceries at the store

Take Robitussin, tuck myself in

And maybe that's the cure

Last night I got the symptoms

When I hung up the phone

My eyes began to water

And I began to moan

I opened up the cabinets

Looking for relief

Took Benadryl, it nearly killed me

At least, that's what I believe

Is it the cold or the medicine

That's got me feeling down?

There's snow outside too high to drive through

I just can't get around

And I have an empty pantry

Left my groceries at the store

Take Robitussin, tuck myself in

And maybe that's the cure

***

Details:

Meh. I have a cold. I figured I'd write a song about it. 

Day 24: My Bottle Cap Souvenir (Song-a-day January)

Day 24: My Bottle-cap Souvenir

By Todd Hawkins & David Coile 

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025 

Lyrics: 

Just left the soda shop 

Got a kick in my step and a hop 

Can't help but shake my hips 

I can still taste her on my lips 

It's a big campus, but it feels so small 

And I'm walking tall to my residence hall 

Flying as high as a rocket 

A catalyst in my pocket 

My bottle cap souvenir 

My bottle cap souvenir 

Means that she's always here 

My bottle cap souvenir 

The tingle on my tongue is still fizzy 

That girl has left my mind in a tizzy 

It's hard to go to sleep at this hour 

Not until I take my cold shower 

My bottle cap souvenir 

My bottle cap souvenir 

Means that she's always here 

My bottle cap souvenir 

Alarm goes off, I roll out of bed 

Can't seem to get her out of my head 

But she's not there at the lecture 

All I can do is recollect her with 

My bottle cap souvenir 

My bottle cap souvenir 

Feels like she's always near 

My bottle cap souvenir 

*** 

It's Neil Diamond's birthday! And what better way to celebrate than with the biggest Neil Diamond fan I've ever met, Todd Hawkins? 

Todd and I are good friends, and I believe this is the 5th song we've written together. When we met up and he mentioned it was Neil Diamond's birthday, I knew we had to do something in his spirit. That was perfect after yesterday's song; I needed a break from being super serious. Todd felt that Neil Diamond's greatness was in writing simple and catchy pop songs, so that's what we set out to write. 

Neil Diamond has a pretty distinctive guitar style, and we ran through a couple different riffs, then set off to write something in the vein of "Cherry Cherry". Just made it a simple story about a student excited after a date with a co-ed at a soda shop. 

We wrote and recorded this sucker in a little under 2 hours. It's light and breezy, but it was exactly the kind of song I needed today.

Day 23: Maybe I'm Part Of The Problem (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 23: Maybe I'm Part Of The Problem

by David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

Maybe I'm part of the problem

Sitting in the backseat of a driverless car

So far it's fine

In-between the lines

But maybe I'm part of the problem

The off ramp was three miles back

At least, that's what the map says

It disagrees with the GPS

Could be I'm part of the problem

There are mile markers and hitchhikers

And other drivers of a kind

All ignoring the street signs

Well, maybe I am part of the problem

But the seats are heated

And I'm being treated like a millionaire

Breathing recycled air

But maybe I'm part of the problem

The road is curving and turning right

And the light is turning red

But we keep moving on ahead

But maybe I'm the solution

I could take the wheel of this automobile

And turn it all around

If only I could remember how

But maybe I'm part of the problem

***

Meh. Not liking this one. I was depressed about politics all day, feeling powerless and unsure what to do. I guess that sent me to an esoteric place. So this song comes from aimless guilt, and it sounds like it. The vibe could be okay as slam poetry, I suppose, but the lyrics would need to be a lot stronger, I think. 

Day 22: The Golden Catch (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 22: The Golden Catch

By Aprylisa Snyder & David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

Early each morn

My soul rises from sleep

To sail out to the bay

Throw my net o'er the deep

The knots and the lines

Like fingers are crossed

Hunting the catch

I so dearly lost

I cast out my net

Cast it far, cast it wide

To see just what I might fetch

Rumors and legends

Lost treasures and dead ends

My quest for the golden catch

A pull on the net

And the deep water strong

Oh, my fortune is made

But I could be wrong

Between hope and doubt

My strength wants to be free

From this tug of war

With this bottomless sea

I cast out my net

Cast it far, cast it wide

To see just what I might fetch

Rumors and legends

Lost treasures and dead ends

My quest for the golden catch

I once had a love that was pure and golden

She silently slipped from my grasp

Her light beckons me from the ocean's horizon

My sweet bonnie mermaid lass

I open my net

To find fool's gold

And objects lost

In the sea

There are trinkets and tangles

And seaweed

No treasure to find

Or to keep

I'll go back to the land

And its shadows

And lay my heart gently to sleep 

And when the sun beckons

My soul to rise

Return to my quest in the deep

I cast out my net

Cast it far, cast it wide

To see just what I might fetch

Rumors and legends

Lost treasures and dead ends

My quest for the golden catch

***

Details:

Big lesson to be learned from this writing session: always record a quick voice memo when you've figured out a section. We had basically written the whole thing, but when we went to record it, we had forgotten the verse melody, or maybe the chord progression. What happened was that we went to work on the bridge, which had a different progression and melody, and failed to retain the exact verse music. This was frustrating and Aprylisa decided to stop at that point, and I took the song home to try to salvage it. 

Aside from that, the writing session went very well. Aprylisa hasn't co-written before, but I've helped her out with some of the songs she's written on her own. I appreciated this session because Aprylisa started off the way I usually do with co-writes-- she asked a lot of questions to zero in on the theme of the song and to develop a palette of ideas to draw from.

When we first got together, we decided we didn't want to write about politics, even though it had been on both of our minds. Instead, we talked about the ins and outs of networking in creative work and other types of business. That led us to the image of casting a net, and it eventually evolved into more of a metaphor about searching for a true love. 

We talked about the overall structure of the song and what each section would be trying to say, then I came up with the chord progression and Aprylisa wrote most of the lyrics. The only exception being that I wrote the lyrics for the chorus. I think it's interesting to compare our writing styles, because I can rhyme, but Aprylisa's verse lyrics are much more poetic and beautiful. But I think it all comes together. 

Once I got home, I reconstructed the verse melody as well as I could, and I think I got close to the original, but this song is ripe for a substantial revision the next time we get together. 

Day 21: Coffee Date With The Devil (Song-a-day January)

Day 21: Coffee Date With The Devil 

By Karen Finch & David Coile 

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025 

Lyrics: 

My friends say "stay away 

"He's from the other side 

"He doesn't think like you 

"He will eat you alive" 

But I see you mowing grass 

Playing with your family 

You're taking out the trash 

You wear your pants the same as me 

Cream and sugar 

Our cups are full 

How about 

A coffee date with the devil? 

I wave and you wave back 

We both retreat inside 

We never seem to talk 

It often makes me wonder why 

I really don't know you 

You really don't know me 

Why don't we get together? 

Find out where we can agree 

Cream and sugar 

Our cups are full 

How about 

A coffee date with the devil? 

I don't like your politics 

Some things between us just don't mix 

The world's in chaos, let's bridge the divide 

And keep the peace where we reside 

How about a coffee date 

How about a coffee date 

What about a coffee date With the devil? 

*** 

I think this is the 6th song I've written with Karen Finch, but this one went a different direction. We started off talking about politics, because it's hard not to these days. Most of the songs we've written have involved romantic relationships in some fashion, but we decided to figure out what a Karen Finch protest song would sound like. 

It may not be fashionable right now, but Karen and I both lean toward trying to find common ground with the people we disagree with. There's a lot of ideological self-segregation going on right now, and I worry that if we all huddle in our distinct political corners, we'll lose sight of our common humanity; I worry that it would make things worse. I don't know if it's ultimately the right tactic, but that's my disposition. 

When it comes to the nuts and bolts, Karen and I are pretty even co-writers. We both work on lyrics, chords and melody, and I really enjoy our collaborations. Karen and I are very different performance-wise, so I decided to defer to her on guitar and singing, and it was fun to break out the hand drum!

Day 20: As The Crow Flies (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 20: As The Crow Flies 

By Helen Peterson & David Coile 

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025 

Lyrics: 

Driving down the road 

Thought I was going home 

Just left work for the day 

Sick of feeling needed 

Leaves me feeling depleted 

You know there's got to be a different way 

Free of all the obstacles 

No one tells me where to go 

I want to follow open skies 

As the crow flies 

I remember at 18 

Searching for what life means 

Taking a turn where the asphalt ends 

The reservoir was on my right 

Above me shined the Northern Lights 

I didn't know what I didn't know then 

Free of all the obstacles 

No one told me where to go 

I went to follow open skies 

As the crow flies 

Sometimes I have second thoughts 

Of chances taken and others left behind 

But sometimes I find that getting lost 

Is just the thing I need to ease my weary mind 

Roll in the driveway, back at home 

Cat in the window, lights are on 

Long shadows lead me to the door 

After dinner, I brush my teeth 

Say my prayers, lay me down to sleep 

And in my dreams I begin to soar 

Free of all the obstacles 

No one tells me where to go 

I want to follow open skies 

As the crow flies 

*** 

Details: 

Helen and I rescheduled our co-writing session twice before settling on this snowy January day, with temperature in the single digits. I drove over to her place and my trunk was frozen stuck, so I couldn't bring in my music stand (it's still in the trunk). 

Helen didn't have much experience co-writing, but I told her my preferred process, which is to start from scratch and pull ideas from our conversation. Helen really likes to write road songs, so we started from that idea, and I basically interviewed her about why and what she gets out of driving around. Personally, I don't get much out of driving except on rare occasions-- it's just a way to get form here to there. But we ended up exchanging a variety of driving tales and the song started taking shape. 

We spent about 3 hours writing the song, but doing this after work, Helen wanted to wrap up for the day. We were just a few lines short, so I ended up finishing the last couple lines on my own, with the caveat that they're fair game for getting cut come the revision. I wish we had finished early enough to have gotten Helen on camera-- she has a wonderfully nuanced and powerful guitar technique that would have enhanced this song quite a bit. Plus, harmonizing with her would be fun. But we'll just have to make another video sometime. 

It was great fun getting to know Helen better and learn about her writing process! I'm looking forward to developing this song with her. 

Day 19: Engineers of Temptation (Song-a-day January)

Day 19: The Engineers of Temptation 

By David Coile 

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025 

Lyrics: 

They act like they are gods 

And like we're barely human 

Born of flesh and blood 

And bred for their amusement 

They lure us with lights 

A thousand different types 

Of temptation 

We have five sensations 

Of seven deadly sins 

I've seen their calculations 

It's on this math their business hinges 

Dividing us with numbers 

Trying to drag us under 

With temptation 

Glory Hallelujah 

You know they're trying to fool ya 

Tell me, what's it to ya? 

Hey! 

There will come a time 

When we will come together 

To change the paradigm 

You know that this can't last forever 

We'll fight the profiteers 

Remove the engineers 

Of temptation 

*** 

Details: 

A weeklong boycott of Meta started today, and I decided to participate by logging out of Facebook-related platforms for the duration. I know it revolves around specific issues with misinformation, community moderation and what not-- which I think are important and complex problems-- but my decision had more to do with just bringing down the beast. Facebook is too big, and I hope the boycott bolsters some alternative social media platforms. And, in general, I support collective action of this sort as an effective counterpoint to big business. 

Anyway, the boycott and tomorrow's Presidential inauguration means that a new protest season has begun, so I figured it was a good time to flex my protest songwriting muscles. 

I'm far enough along in this project that I'm starting to repeat myself. The first chord progression I came up with sounded like several other songs, including some of the ones I've written this month. I'm also running out of unique guitar tricks and strumming patterns. However, I haven't done many tunes in a minor key, so I decided to give that a shot. 

I was running pretty late with writing this, and I was worried I wouldn't get it done by the end of the day, but I actually finished the last line at exactly midnight! So I'm still on track for writing a song each day this month...

Day 18: Hit and Run (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 18: Hit and Run
By David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

You know that every lecture
Should have a Q&A
And every accusation
Should have a scheduled court date

If you want to solve a problem
You ought to show your work
We can find a resolution
It don't need to be perfect

It's so hard living under the gun
When you hit and run, hit and run
Hit and run
You just run away

When you say that I hurt you
And then you disappear
How can I learn my lesson
When there's no more teacher here

I just want communication
I just want a guiding hand
And I don't need forgiveness
But I need to understand

It's so hard living under the gun
When you hit and run, hit and run
Hit and run
You just run away

***

Details:

The great filmmaker David Lynch passed away this week, and his films would be an interesting inspiration for a song. But in this case, I've been seeing Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long" being listed as one of David Lynch's favorite songs. As it turns out, I'm also a HUGE fan of Otis Redding, including that song, so I decided to write something inspired by Redding and 60s southern soul.

If you listen to that Otis Redding song (or some songs by Sam Cooke), the phrasing of the opening line should be familiar. However, the rest of the song follows more of an Irish-folk chord progression, even though I mix it with superficially soulful structure and singing.

The topic is just about having an argument with someone who wants to take their shots, but isn't much willing to get a response or have a real discussion. That can be especially tough when it's somebody you're close to.

As I was recording this, all sorts of alternate chords were popping out at me, and I imagine that the progression will be revised to make it a little less folky. Also, the whistle solo needs to be replaced by some other instrument; preferably horns, but horn players aren't easy to come by.

Day 17: High Standards (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 17: High Standards
By Chad Mathis & David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

Happy hour on another Tuesday
Pimpin' some tunes for a couple bucks
Cigarette haze and the smell of whiskey
It's all worth it if she's shows up

She'll be wearing
A pom pom beanine, a dirty martini
She always wears her wavy hair down
Sittin' at the bar, back to the band
Please, won't you turn around

Set break comes and I rush to find her
Tell me where did everybody go?
Got 10 minutes to the top of the hour
Bartender, here's who I'm looking for

She's wearing
A pom pom beanie, dirty martini
She always wears her wavy hair down
She sat at the bar, back to the band
Where can she be found?

He said, "she's got high standards
"Buddy, here's the score
"If you play it right
"She'll keep coming back for more"

Last call comes and the tables' clearing
Closing time, empty all your cups
Gotta get paid, gotta find the owner
Tap on the shoulder and I look up

To see
A pom pom beanie, dirty martini
She has her wavy hair down
The girl from the bar come back to the band
Before I could make a sound

She said she has "high standards
"And I've seen your band around
"Now I'll see you this weekend
"Let me write my number down."

***

Details:

Chad Mathis plays in a bunch of bands around town, but he doesn't do much songwriting. That's often the best kind of person to co-write with, because experienced players always have a song in them; they just may not know it yet.

Chad whipped us up a yummy dinner to start with, and we had a good chat before moving into his music room. I know Chad mostly as a bassist, but he's actually a multi-instrumentalist with a degree in sound production. The last couple co-writes were mostly me handling the music chores while the other person worked mostly on lyrics, but we swapped roles here, with Chad cranking out the basic song structure pretty quickly. Chad has an overarching theme that he's set for this year which has to do with movement, so the music was supposed to capture a sense of moving from one state to another.

Lyrically, we talked about some crummy gigs and how they ended up going well by the end. We started off listing fine details about setting up for a gig, but things didn't get rolling until we decided the narrator was waiting for a woman that was coming to the show.

We realized after the second chorus that we set up a scenario where the bartender must be saying something. We play acted the scene a couple times to figure out exactly what the bartender would say, then made it musical. It actually took us in a surprising direction-- we weren't planning for the girl at the bar to be the owner, but that's what is implied by the final lyric.

Anyway, this was a fun collaboration, and it was great to get to know Chad a bit better.

Day 16: Ten Dollar Words (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 16: Ten Dollar Words
By Anna Yale French & David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

If you ask me how I'm doing
Then I'll say I'm fine
Not what I'm thinkiing
But when I try to speak my mind
My train of thought
Ends up being a tangled thread
Like a Gordian knot goes
The lexicon in my head

Wracking my brain for something simple to say
Ten dollar words keep on getting in the way

When I was young
I would sit there for hours on end
Perusing the volumes of
My favorite paper friends
When I was talking to people
They'd wince and cringe
My outsized words put me
Out on the social fringe

Wracking my brain for something simple to say
Ten dollar words keep on getting in the way

When I grew older
I found that my literacy
Brought me attention from
Like minded company
They'd ask me questions
When I sounded outre
My tribe of odd ones
All seemed to like me this way

I don't have to search for a simpler way
Ten dollar words are forever here to stay
Ten dollar words no longer getting in the way

***
Details:

I try to get all my friend groups involved with this song-a-day project, even my non-songwriter friends. I've worked with Anna before on comedy projects (like my "Very Scary with Gerry McCreary" podcast, and a short Halloween film called "Knock Knock"), and she had expressed interest in being involved in one of my music projects. So we veered a bit theatrical with this tune.

I asked Anna what her favorite musical styles were, and she said that she likes a broad range, from medieval music to rap, and so I said "Hey! Let's do a medieval rap song!" We dropped the rap part fairly quickly, but my guitar arrangement was an attempt to adapt some medieval style chords; or, at least, the plucking style.

The song is actually fairly autobiographical. Anna grew up reading a lot of books and has a huge vocabulary as a result. I think I have a reasonably sized vocabulary, but she stumps me all the time. The problem is that sometimes people feel like they're being condescended to if you use big words around them, even if you're just speaking naturally from your perspective.

It was fun to hang out with Anna and work in a new artistic medium with her!

Day 15: Bitter Boy (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 15: Bitter Boy
By David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

I woke up craving a little bit of sweetness
So I decided to go patronize your business
I got a table in the corner of your venue
Then I went and opened up your menu

I saw coffee, cappuccino and chai
Blueberry muffins, coffee cake and fruit pie
I tried a sample just to ease my doubts
But that left a bad taste in my mouth

Now I'm a bitter boy through and through
Yes, I'm a bitter boy, it makes me blue
I'm acidic and I'm sharp
Disagreeable and a little harsh
I'm a bitter boy, yes, it's true

Come noontime, I wanted something savory
A little bit of salt can bring out the flavor, you see
Let me tell you folks, I hate to be whiny
But that dish came out a little too briny

I'm a bitter boy through and through
Yes, I'm a bitter boy, it makes me blue
I'm acidic and I'm sharp
Disagreeable and a little harsh
I'm a bitter boy, yes, it's true

When supper came, I got a little bit feisty
Thought I'd try a meal just a little more spicy
Took onion, ginger, garlic, made them into a curry
That only resulted in my vision getting blurry

'Cause I'm a bitter boy through and through
Yes, I'm a bitter boy, it makes me blue
I'm acidic and I'm sharp
Disagreeable and a little harsh
I'm a bitter boy, yes, it's true

***

Details:

I don't really play the blues. There are a lot of other folks who have a good handle on it, and I don't feel like I have much to add. It's also one of those song forms that benefits from playing it a lot; blues jams are pretty common, and those guitarists can really rip it up. So, because I don't do the blues, I was a little embarrassed today when a client wanted me to play a basic blues progression on the guitar, and I was a little stumped. You see, I don't improvise much, either, and I don't think in terms of the number system (I IV V, etc.)-- in other words, I'm lacking some basic skills that any musician should have. Anyway, I decided that tonight's song should be a blues for that reason.

I also ran across some colleagues complaining about the music business. And it was one of those things where I understand the complaints, but it's hard to see how it's hard to avoid some of the annoying aspects, either as the annoyed or the annoyance. For whatever reason, it left me feeling a bit bitter. And once I get bitter about one thing, it creates a chain reaction where all the things I'm bitter about come to the fore. So when I started writing the song, the line "I'm a bitter boy" came out straight away.

From there I looked up a bunch of words related to taste and decided to jumble them together. Unlike my Day 10 song, "Breakfast at Sunrise", I didn't have Josh Elioseff here to feed me food terminology.

Honestly, this song felt like a cheat, or a paint by number piece, at least. Just an exercise in style. I'll guess it's good to have a blues song in my back pocket...

Day 14: Heat Check (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 14: Heat Check (My Fingers Are So Cold)
By Peggy Kay and David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

Standing at the door
Hey! Don't look away
Oh, you're talking on the phone
My fingers are so cold!

Come out here
Let's have a chat
I have three jackets on
My fingers are so cold!

How many times do I have to ask?
You're just a yes man to shut me up
You've got no follow through
This doesn't have to be a fight
Just let me sing my song
This is a heat check!

Been asking for weeks
When the trees still had leaves
Now it's 10 degrees
My fingers are so cold!

"I'll put in a request"
That's what you always say
Nothing ever gets done
How can you be so cold?

How many times do I have to ask?
You're just a yes man to shut me up
You've got no follow through
This doesn't have to be a fight
Just let me sing my song
This is a heat check!

That thermostat is in a box
Behind many doors and many locks
You have no control, no authority
Just give me the keys-- this is my destiny!

You have been told
My fingers are so cold!
You have been told
My fingers are so cold!

How many times do I have to ask?
You're just a yes man to shut me up
You've got no follow through
This doesn't have to be a fight
Just let me sing my song
This is a heat check!
This is a heat check!

***

Details:

Peggy and I met at Song School last summer, and for the last several months, she's been giving me some diet and fitness coaching in exchange for some music coaching from me. I've given her support and feedback for songs she's been writing, but this is the first time we've actually written a song together.

Turns out Peggy and I are both fans of Ani DiFranco, so we tried to capture her aggressive vibe. The verse guitar part was my attempt at doing DiFranco's percussive style of guitar playing, though I can't hold a candle to her. The rest of the guitar arrangement was simply trying to provide variation without killing the energy.

Earlier in the day, Peggy had had a confrontation with one of her bosses over the temperature at her workplace. A lot of us know how frustrating it can be to adjust the thermostat in large buildings-- it can get downright absurd. As Peggy was describing things, I felt like a lot of what she was saying could make catchy song lyrics, so we went that direction.

This song was super fun to write, and we rolled it out pretty quickly, too. Peggy writes a lot of unique and very catchy songs, so I'm happy to now have one of my songs as part of her repertoire.

Day 13: The Big Show (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 13: The Big Show
By Andy Ard and David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

Good evening folks, I hope you will enjoy the show
I’ll be performing until it’s time to go
The bar is open, won’t you make yourself at home
Whether you’re with friends or you've come alone

Now we’re together and you’re off the hook
Enjoy the moment, give the menu a look
You don’t need to pay attention to me
I want you to feel that you’re in the place to be

No matter what you do, it’s gonna be fine
Swaying in your chair or a Conga line
There’s no other place that you need to go
You’re in the front row of the big show

It’s always nice to see you, I’m glad that you’re here
Go see Katie at the bar if you’d like another beer
Give us a sign if you like the song
If you feel the rhythm maybe dance along

Your satisfaction is the only ticket price
If you dropped a fiver, that’d be oh so very nice
There’s no other place that you need to go
You’re in the front row of the big show

Thank you for listening, it means a lot
I’ll always give you everything I’ve got
I hope you’ve really had a ball
In our little concert hall

I must be going now, you’ve been so fine
I’d love to see you all again sometime
Of all the places that you could go
You came right here to the big show

And everything you do is gonna be fine
Swaying in your seat or in a Conga line
Remember, everywhere you go
You’re the star of the big show

***

Details:

I know Andy Ard through my friend John Bunzli. In fact, it was at a John Bunzli show that we talked about co-writing. When we got together, Andy had a lot of interesting stories and insights about performing, and one thing that came up in our conversation was how to gently prod the audience into giving you their full attention. That seemed like a fine topic for a song!

We also stumbled onto our mutual love of the Kinks. I'm most familiar with the Kinks' 60s releases, but Andy knows about their entire catalog. Anyway, the bouncy music hall feel of a Ray Davies penned tune played a role in musical direction we came up with.

We discussed extensively the basic construction of the song and what it was supposed to communicate, but the process mostly ended up being Andy writing the words and me working out the guitar part.

Andy wasn't able to hang around long enough to perform the song with me, and the melody is more in his key than mine-- if I performed it solo, I'd probably drop the key a bit. But whatever the case, this was a fun song that I can't imagine writing if it wasn't for Andy. I'm looking forward to working this one out as the year progresses.