The blog series that highlights a selected song from my latest album, "III"   

 Episode 6 : CAN'T STAY HERE

I set out from the start to write a moody song. Mission accomplished, I think! Ha ha.

This character hopefully is right on the edge of changing his ways and turning his life around. In my younger days, or wait..... or as a working musician, you are at the gig till the end - closing time. I guess I've heard this phrase more than once- "Don't gotta go home, but you can't stay here!!"

Probably been written before, but silly me said, "Hey, let's write another!" 

On the technical side, the "virtual" drums inside the Logic software gave me a realistic palette of drum kits and fills for me to work with. This is the first song I've put out with the new "gear".

A professional critique i got on this was "classic rock". I suppose the electric guitar lent itself to this. I loved the "Brian May" (Queen) guitar tone I discovered and I couldn't resist not using it!. There was no guitar amp in the room. It's all computer software doing it's magic. My Elton John roots did cross my mind as well as I was working on this one.

All vocals and instruments performed by me. Recorded and mixed with Logic X on an iMac.

Get the album "III" HERE

To see past song stories, CLICK HERE

***** LYRICS *****

CAN'T STAY HERE

The spark of a tongue
Saying you're done
Then you slam the door

Look at you now
Closing it down
Watching the whiskey pour

The barmaid's barking like a buccaneer
Don't gotta go home
But you can't stay here

A flood of regret
Muddles your head
Like an empty glass

Love on the line
Losing your mind
Used to hurt so bad

All you wanted was to disappear
Don't gotta go home
But you can't stay here

And as you're spilling off that barstool
Empty hand around your phone
You reach out for some blonde to break your fall

Hit with the lights
Nothing to hide
Nothing to feel at all

Except for the hole
Shaking your soul
Like an altar call

The spirit's willing, but the flesh can't steer
Don't gotta go home, but you can't stay here

© 2018 Steve Probst

The blog series that highlights a selected song from my latest album, "III"   

 Episode 5 : A GIRL AND HER DOG

One summer day at a New Jersey park for load-in and soundcheck, I spied, across a wide open green expanse, a girl and her....dog...interacting under a tree.

Purely on thinking it was a good title, I went from there with any kind of story line this song might take. At the time of writing this I remember thinking this one as breaking out of the normal type of song I would write. It was fun coming up with the soft brass and woodwind lines in the chorus. (All sampled instruments -  meaning, not played by real players, at my house, in front of a microphone - all from the computer). I'm really happy with the outcome.

All vocals and instruments performed by me. Recorded and mixed with Logic Pro on a MacBookPro.

Get the album "III" HERE

***** LYRICS *****

A GIRL AND HER DOG

Looking out across the green
Not a soul to be seen
Just a girl and her dog

Just like any other day
Till my thoughts began to stray
Toward the girl and her dog

We spend our lives tugging on the leash
Whatever's out of reach looks so inviting
We wag our tails until the bitter end
Every now and then we think get our way

I turned away to watch the clouds
Dancing shadows all around
The girl and her dog

CHORUS

Like a bulldog with a bone
I can't leave well enough alone
And so this song
About a girl and her dog

© 2012 Steve Probst

The blog series that highlights a selected song from my latest album, "III"   

Episode 4 : MAMA GONNA WHOOP YOU

There isn't any long, inspirational story to this song. My good friend and one-time traveling buddy, Kevin, with Hotel California, told me how his mom used to say "Mama's gonna whoop you" or something to that effect. Naturally, heard a song title right off the bat, wrote it down for later. 

Later arrived and so did the song in all it's uncomplicated blues/rock mischievousness.

Anyway, MAMA GONNA WHOOP YOU has been released to the masses! 

Get the album "III" HERE

The blog series that highlights a selected song from my latest album, "III" 

Episode 2 : MY HAPPY PLACE

The seed of this tune came firstly not from artistic inspiration - "Oh, I must capture this song immediately while the muse flows freely through my ever-sensitive creative soul!!" - Oh no, my friends.

There's a song that I really like by Christ Stapleton called, "Whisky and Me". I decided one day to take the form of the song, rhyme scheme, etc and just write something in the same pattern. As an exercise and a way to "jump start" the writing process. First thing I did was search for a title with the same syllables as "whisky and me" from list of title ideas I'm constantly adding to. I decided on "My Happy Place". I then flipped the sentiment - the former song was sad, mine would be happy.

Click play:

I just started my usual "just writing anything until something sticks" (if anything even would that day). I remember sitting on the floor, "reaching" for the possible song that might be floating around "in the room". Stuff started appearing on my yellow pad:

"Fridge is humming" ?- We have an older fridge thta keeps chuggin along!
 "Browning onions smell like heaven in a pan"? True story. Love it.
"Pillow laying on the floor" - There it was to my left, the couch throw pillow
"That Christmas present that never made it out the door"? There it was, over to my right. 
"Puppy paws" - 2 dogs, 8 paws in the household!

The "tie comes off" bit is a bit of a fabrication. I don't wear a tie and come home from the office every day. (Although I've been know to wear one onstage)

In many songs, the "hook" comes right at the beginning of the chorus. I let "My Happy Place" close out every verse.

The stuff about Disney and New York City in the bridge? That's me. My happy places. But the bridge closes out with very best kind of "happy place"

And of course, the ultimate "happy place" in Verse 3.

-----

It was suggested in a songwriting critique session to rewrite the bridge. But I left it as is to move to another song. Someone else may not want to recorded it, but it has a whole not of "me" in it, so I figured I'd keep it for myself.

-----

There you have it! A song that might never have been born that day if I hadn't practiced a little pro-writer discipline and shown up to the solo "writing session"! 

Check out the photo below. I was surprised to be reminded in my scribblings that "My Happy Place" started at the beach but ended up in the living room! 

I love songwriting! How about you?

Here's the song pattern inspiration for "My Happy Place":

Get the album "III" HERE

All written, recorded, and produced between 2008-2017 by Steve Probst 
All vocals, instruments, and drum programming by Steve Probst 
Cover photo by Ann Conibear Roberts

I was inspired to write a ukulele song when it was popular, so bought a decent uke, wrote a song, and recorded it! (Your welcome) 
Get my “Randy Newman” on? No problem 
If there’s a song written in 2011 that you need to sound like the 80’s, I’m your guy! 
Like Blues Rock? Got some of that, too. 
And what’s not to love about a couple of Jazz/Rock guitar instrumentals complete with guitar solos? 
A song for a documentary about water? Got shoulder deep with this one. 

Click over to my STORE PAGE to get yours!

Hope you enjoy the music! 
~ Steve