Well the weather's a lot warmer now and the sun's out in full force. I think all of you are done with school by now, and those that work still get time to relax every now and then. As you cruise through your neighborhood or head off to the beach with the radio blasting, you'll hear the songs that top the charts, some of which will be tied forever in your memories... and some that are just plain annoying.

Think you can write a better one? Well now's your chance!

Starting right now, July 2nd, a new challenge appears. For the next two months you will be given the opportunity to write the lyrics to a song of any style or genre. As before, the top three winners will be selected from all applications, and our brand-new Design Team will be glad to distribute one-of-a-kind prizes to those lucky few!

Of course, in order for this to be a success, there have to be a couple of rules. First, the songs will be limited to three verses, a bridge and a chorus (variations will be allowed within the chorus each time it appears). Note that you do not have to use all parts, it is set as a maximum, not a minimum. Second, only one song may be submitted by each entrant. If more than one is submitted, only the first one will be considered for the contest. Other than that, you're free to write about any theme, in any style, etc.

The official dates are:
Begin: July 2nd, 2008
End: August 28th, 2008

Again, the song format is:
Up to three verses
One chorus (with variations)
One bridge

I look forward to the submissions you guys enter into this one, and after seeing what the past contests have yielded, I know I'm in for a treat.

Everyday, I see the world around me
See the people just drifting along beside me,
I try to breath, but my lungs just can't fill with air,
Try to see, why these people just don't care

Their hearts on their sleeves, their heads are in the clouds,
My heart's flying through the breeze, my head is underground
I try to speak, but noone can hear me
Try to end, this awful ceremony

Bridge:
Who gives a fuck, who gives?

Chorus:
Well I'm just here, a looking out the window.
Don't care, for anyone's opinion
Don't give a damn, just look out the window
How is this, the top of evolution

No time, to stop and help the men around me
Why should I, just drift along beside me
I try to feel, feel the only way I could
I try to know, know just why I should

Bridge
Chorus

(Sorry if its a little lame, but I thought in a couple of minutes. Did we need a title?)

Lonesome Forgiving

I wake up, in my empty bed,
I cry and shake my lonely head.
With all those nasty lies, Baby;
If you loved me, why'd you make me cry. (verse one)

I'd of done anything for you.
Baby, I loved you through and through.
I'd of done anything for you.
Baby, my heart belonged to you. (Chorus variation one)

I walked through my lonely house.
I sighed and couldn't help but cry out.
All those hurtful words, Baby;
If you loved me, why'd you make me hurt. (verse two)

I'd of done anything for you.
Baby, I loved you through and through.
I'd of done anything for you.
Baby, my heart belonged to you. (chorus variation one)

Stepping into my awful world.
I couldn't help but run from those awful things I heard;
Compared to what others have done,
Your words were like bullets from a gun. (verse three)

Regardless of all that,
Baby, I forgive for all that.
Please baby, remember that; (Bridge)

I'd do anything for you,
Baby, I love you through and through.
I'd do anything for you.
Baby, my heart belongs to you. (Chorus variation two)

((I wrote this whilst feeling emo last night...>_>))

I was gonna run away but didn't want to see the pain
I thought of all I could defy if I could spread a pack of lies
But didn't want to hurt those around me anymore

(Bridge:)
I knew my fate had been the same since I was born

(Chorus:)
Don't wanna live
Don't wanna love
I'm broken and torn
I feel I just exist to cause others trouble and scorn
Don't wanna breath
Don't wanna dream
Just lay my bones down 'cause I'm coming clean now
Let me sleep

There's dancing pictures in my head
The dancing of all that are dead
I feel hot tears run down my face
Memories gone without a trace
The dust and dirt; it stings my hands
Please, just show me the promise land

(Bridge)

(Chorus)

No! Nothing can compare
They're tattered; these clothes I wear
Yes! I will cease to exist
I'm nothing, and I know
I will never be missed

(Chorus)

Sweet slumber; let me sleep

I shall sleep

(Okay, I have no idea what to call this. Does any one think they can help with that?)

Mockingbird.

---

Vs. 1.
I look into her eyes,
And I can see the hurt,
When she tells me how you
Put your hands on her,
And you try to deny it,
Then try to justify
Your actions when you've killed the mockingbird.

Chorus.
And her bruises may fade,
But that doesn't change what you did,
She can't forget,
And she won't forgive,
And she can't live and let live,
Did it make you feel better at all,
When you did the unforgivable.

Vs 2.
I look into her heart,
And I can see her fear,
She's living in the dark,
Blinded by her tears,
She just wants to forget it,
But she can't seem to let it go,
Just wants it all to dissapear.

Chorus.
And her bruises may fade,
But that doesn't change what you did,
She can't forget
And she won't forgive,
And she can't live and let live,
Did it make you feel better at all,
When you did the unforgivable.

Bridge.
It's just unforgivable.
Build her up and then watch her fall.
And if it get's too hard
To try and smile,
Then there's a million ways to die...

Vs 3.
Now there's only tears,
Where once was only laughter,
And every moment of her pain
Lives on for ever after,
She just wants to hide away,
Coz' everytime she sees your face,
it kinda kills a part of her.

Chorus.
And her bruises may fade,
But that doesn't change what you did,
She can't forget
She won't forgive,
And she can't live and let live,
Did it make you feel better at all,
When you did the unforgivable.

---

Captive

(verse one)
Surrounded by unbreakable bonds
Holding me back
Anger's rising
Fear's colliding
Relize the smiles were bred from cons

(bridge)
The world is but a prison
Of which I cannot see
Caught up in the center
Of four walls which I cannot see
Is this all to life
Or is this all to me?

(chorus)
These walls hold me in captivity
To the end of infinity
These walls lock me up inside
The only thing left is my mind
These walls constrict all of my breaths
Pleading, but the world is deaf

(verse two)
You can't break me
It's not that easy
Following the path you laid out
But don't you dout
That I'll find my way out

(chorus)
These walls hold me in captivity
To the end of infinity
These walls lock me up inside
The only thing left is my mind
These walls constrict all of my breaths
Pleading, but the world is deaf

(the bridge turns into verse three here)
The world is but a prison
Of which I cannot see
Caught up in the center
Of four walls which I cannot see
Hold me in captivity
To the end of infinity
Now I'm breaking free

Final Performance/My Heart

Never seeing your eyes
Always seeing your lies
You weave tales of love and destiny
Repetition, no redemption
Only one chance left for me

Bridge:
How could you do this to me?
You always said we could live

Chorus (var. 1):
This is not my happy ending
This is not my choice at all
But you've only left me one choice through your lies
And that is to fall

You told me that I was your only one
And then you went off to her
You said that you had love and fun
But you left me for her
That woman who stole my true love

Bridge:
How could you do this to me?
You always said we could live

Chorus (var. 1 (twice)):
This is not my happy ending
This is not my choice at all
But you've only left me one choice through your lies
And that is to fall
This is not my happy ending
This is not my choice at all
But you've only left me one choice through your lies
And that is to fall

Bridge/verse 3(the bridge surrounds the verse):
How could you do this to me?
You took my breath away
And crushed my fragile heart
Now they wonder why she went off
It's because
My heart never could restart
You said we could live

Chorus (variations 1, 2, &3):
This is not my happy ending
This is not my choice at all
But you've only left me one choice through your lies
And that is to fall
This is not my happy beginning
As I climb up these stairs
But you've only led me one place through your lies
And that is to heaven
This is not my rightful ending
This is not my life at all
But you've only led me to death through your lies
And that is to fall

Too much heat turns the sand to glass,
When a man realizes that he has no past.
The time he wasted coming to this moment.
He had formed his fate.
Squashed while other looked agape
He could only gasps as the man spoke on.
Brought up where he was his situation was highly provoked upon…
and what was the future of this man you might ask
Jailed… for the rest of his life.

Too much heat turns the sand to glass
The crashing rain lifted the plants of its roots
so its obvious too much of one thing can only bring humanity down
so why do we constantly fight for the crown


Too much heat turns the sand to glass,
When a teen realizes his the failure of his class
It seems there was no choice for him
and his life was over.
Drugs were his last resort,
Because he needed something to give him pleasure
And if you asked why he did not go to college
“Teachers” is what he’d reply
I hate to break it to you but,
It wasn’t the people around you who gave up on you
It was you… who summated your life.

Too much heat turns the sand to glass,
and it will no longer be able to change
your life is the sand and the time is the sun
Most people don’t understand this until the welding has well past begun…

Don’t be another…
Do something…
Anything…
As long as you can receive pleasure in life…

Verse one.

Standing in the shadow
Sitting at the back
Don’t know what it’s like
To be in the front row

You are scared
You’re afraid

Come and take
My hand…

Chorus.

Cos we’re gonna let go!
We’re gonna show
What life is
What love is
Laugh it out!
No more seeing other people’s shoulder
We’ll rock on!

Yeah, we’ll rock on!

Oh, yeah…
Yeah, yeah…


Verse two.

Always second-best
Never going front
Well, you’re so unique
Different from the rest


And you’ll fly,
so high in the sky

Come and take
My hand…

Chorus.

Cos we’re gonna let go!
We’re gonna show
What life is
What love is
Laugh it out!
No more seeing other people’s shoulder
We’ll rock on!

Bridge.

Cos it’s the last time
You’ve found your stars now
Come on float away
Give up common sense
And imagine your way now

You know you got it
You know you’ll have it
And you know, you must know…
You’ll fight for it!

Chorus

Yeah! Cos we’re gonna let go!
We’re gonna show
What life is
What love is
Laugh it out!
No more seeing other people’s shoulder
We’ll rock on!
We are going to let go! (Oh!)
We are going to show! (Yeah!)
Win!
Lose!

We’ll rock on!

You can access the crappy .wmv file for this song here. No, that isn't me singing. I swear. Stop looking at me! :(

~Bad Dream

I flip on the tv.

There's a homeless child with a crooked smile,
playing with crippled hands.
A heart so wide it bursts through his eyes,
dreams reflected in the bands.

Beggars and rats and trash and gnats don't get him down.

And I wonder, how can this be happening?
If it were me, I'd be throat-deep in misery.

I denounce it as a bad dream, but a thought comes to me:

It takes a little suffering, to make a grin worthwhile.
He's thankful for such easy things.
I haven't been thankful in a while.

I denounce it as a bad dream, but it doesn't go away.

There he is again, on a dusty curb edge,
talking with a dying wench.
Some chatter and touch is all it takes,
to give her hope again.

Dirt and rain and fleas and pain don't get him down.

And I wonder, how can this be happening?
If it were me, I'd be throat-deep in misery.

I denounce it as a bad dream, but a thought comes to me:

It takes a little suffering, to make a grin worthwhile.
His kindness is shared easily.
I've not shown kindness in a while.

I flip off the tv.

Suffering and emptiness are not neighbors.

This is a fast kinda blues

"Help me out"

Verse 1
What in the hell is goin' on?
These feelings that I'm feelin' are oh so strong
But I don't know just what to do
When it seems I can't get enough of you.

Chorus
What can I do? What can I say?
When I'm crazier about you everyday?

Verse 2
Why does it have to be this way?
My life hangs on every word you say
I dunno if you know it, but if you do
Help me out, 'cuz I sure got a thing for you!

Chorus
What can I do? What can I say?
When I'm crazier about you everyday?

Verse 3
Why, why, why, why, why?
Do you gotta make me cry?
I'm crazy aboutcha, girl it's true!
I'd wait till the end of the world for you!

Chorus Variant
Don't leave me hangin', out on a limb!
Oh, please, baby, let me in!

I wrote this song for a friend of mine, an internet friend, who passed away a few months ago. Though we never met each other in real life, we were very close. I hope you enjoy. Stealth, this is for you.

Time Goes On

Verse One:
I told you all my secrets,
I told you my whole life.
But now you’re gone, there’s nothing left.
How will I ever get by?

I know you're up there watching.
Though I never saw your face.
And the name I called you, wasn’t yours by birth.
Still, in my heart it has a place.

Chorus:
I already miss you.
Didn’t expect that you’d be gone.
I’ve finished one month without you.
But time will keep going on.

Verse Two:
I don’t think you could have done that.
From what I learned your life was good.
Why would one like you, want to take their own life?
I never thought you could.

Wish I could go and avenge your death.
But what good would it do?
You were across the country, a different world.
And what happened I haven’t a clue...

Chorus:
I already miss you.
Didn’t expect that you’d be gone.
I’ve finished six months without you.
But time will keep going on.

Bridge:
And I hope you know.
I’ll never forget you,
Never forget your soul.

Oh yeah, I hope you know.
I’ll never forget you.
Never, never forget your soul.

Verse Three:
How do I stop myself from hurting?
I’ll never get my friend back.
I don’t believe you could have done it.
You don’t seem like you'd do that.

But one never knows.
People you meet under such circumstances.
People you've never truly seen.

But it doesn’t make you love them less.
And it doesn’t make the pain lift off your chest.

Chorus:
For I already miss you.
Didn’t expect that you’d be gone.
Now I’ve finished one year without you.
And time will keep going on.

I already miss you.
Didn’t expect that you’d be gone.
Now I’ve finished a few years without you...
Only a lifetime left to go.

School and Summer

V1-
Nothing to do during Summer Break
School is stupid with that 8 o'clock wake!
Vacations cost to much
And the homework just piles up!

V2-
Can't stand the teachers
It's just so boring
Seating in my seat
No air condition
So we're just sitting in the heat!

V3-
Can't stand the heat
So bored
Nothing to do
So bored!

Chorus-
Can't stand it any more
Just want it to end
Yeah, can't stand it any more
Just want it to end!

(Hey if u can make it any better please e mail me at Stars4kayla@aol.com)

Well this topic has been left open a few extra days in the hope that there would be some late entries, but sadly there weren't, haha. So I'm now locking this thread, and the judging of its contents should be done within a few days. Thanks for all those who participated. ^^

Well, hello again everyone. After quite some time I've finally finished judging all of the songs entered, and am ready to announce the winners.

It's important first to say exactly how the songs were judged. I used a system loosely based on the one used by the Great American Song Contest which breaks up a song into the following criteria:

Creative and emotionally engaging lyrics
Effective and memorable melodies
The overall success of songwriting technique

Since there is obviously (with one exception) impossible to heard the actual melody of these songs I've substituted melody with rhythm (beat counts and syllables and whatnot). So my own criteria reads as follow:

Creative and emotionally engaging lyrics
Effective and useful rhythm
The overall success of songwriting technique

So without further adieu I'll give you the winners with a small bit about why they were selected.

In third place, there's the song Clonus, an untitled, fast blues number. Its particularly strong areas were its rhythm and the success of the technique. While its lyrics were obviously weaker than some of the other songs, this is a song-writing contest rather than a poetry one, so the other two categories outweighed what it was lacking.

In second place is mindless_invalid's "Mockingbird". This song had very nice lyrics fitting both the rhythm and technique used in the song. Again, since I can not hear it I have to try on my own to determine the song's genre, and this apparent ballad hit the mark. Its only weaknesses were occassional lapses in rhythm and an almost too-repetitive chorus, but these were small when compared to the song as a whole.

Finally in first place we have Circ's bluegrass (in my opinion) song, "Bad Dream". The lyrics and rhyme scheme were very enjoyable and suitable to the tone and theme of the whole, and the rhythm only really had one or two weakpoints.

So congratulations to all of you (even those who didn't place). Your submissions were great to read, and some of you only missed the mark by a fraction of a point somewhere. I hope to see you participating in future contests (the next one will begin in October) and good luck in all you do until we meet again.