Don't Have to Wake Up.

Dennis James

Genre: Rock

Get Flash to see this player.

Description

One I wrote at a time alone and on the dole after an illness.....

Leave a Comment

You must be registered and logged-in to comment.

Lyrics

DON’T HAVE TO WAKE UP.

Don’t have to wake up, don’t have to getup
There’s not a thing I have to do.
Don’t have to be anywhere, don’t have to really care
There ain’t a thing I gotta do.

I wouldn’t know, how to get up and go
Or anything that’s happening today.
I’m a driftin’ swamp mist, a permanent frost
Don’t melt with the sun or the day….

I’m the dark of the night, dissolved by the light
There ain’t a thing I’m meant to see.
I see no love in sight that don’t mean a fight
Don’t know where I’m supposed to be….

Song Stats

Hits: 477
Comments: 10
Fans: 5
Plays: 23
Downloads: 46
Votes: 6
Uploaded: Jul 16, 2008 - 11:15:08 AM
Last Updated: Jul 16, 2008 - 11:15:08 AM Last Played: May 19, 2009 - 06:18:29 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution

Song Actions

Comments

Feter	Feter said 498 days ago (July 16th, 2008)
	Don't Have to Wake awesome my friend ...melancholy singin with wild flamin guitar ..what better than that ?? man ..this is great .the lead is a classic cake and I like it .. top notch !...thnx for sharin !!! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

MarkHolbrook	MarkHolbrook said 498 days ago (July 16th, 2008)
	Dennis This is great as usual per your style. Great guitars! Check out my latest song called Never Say Goodbye - Bond Challenge

sloparts

sloparts said 498 days ago (July 16th, 2008)

As per my new policy
I'm going to vote and critique this song honestly. I hope you realize that my reasons for changing the way I do these things is to try and offer advice that I think will actually help my fellow musicians and song writers get better at this craft we call music.

I expect no less from those who review my songs and will cheerfully accept the honest comments of those willing to really listen and offer suggestions for improvement on my songs and recordings.

So here goes Dennis. Please don't be angry, this is meant in the most positive way possible my friend.

On this song, I gave you all 7's Dennis, and heres why

On the song writing:
You've written some lines that rhyme and make some sense, but they don't go anywhere. The fact that you repeat these 3 verses takes away from the potential for the story the song could be telling and taking the listener somewhere.

On Performance and Production:
While your performance is good as it always is, all your songs begin to sound the same after a while. It's not necessarily a bad thing to have your own style, but I feel you need to vary the tempo, or change the instrument sounds a little now and then. Leave more room for the bass or drums, add an organ or piano or maybe horns where appropriate, things like that.

Give the music some new dynamics by letting the song breath in once in a while by changing the tempo or drop the guitars into a mellower setting on the amp. Just something to try to get some different sound going through the song in different places to create interest and keep the listener form say "Oh this is a Dennis James song" after the first 4 bars. Make them guess who it is by creating anticipation and suspense in the song.

Your productions and the quality of sound recording are always good, and it is on this song as well. But again, it all sounds the same after a while. Use those great engineering skills to better advantage by getting good recording and then mixing in the interest I talked about above.

On Originality and Creativity:
You are a very creative person my friend but I think your just so used to doing it this way that you need to be pushed or pulled out if the rut you've gotten yourself into.

You have written some wonderful lyrics, I know because I've listened to them on some of your other songs. This song is not one of them, but then again it could be if you just sit down and tell us the rest of the story about where this song is going in your head. I know it's in there, but it's not here in this recording.

Do a re-write and tell us all the rest of it in the next version, I want to hear that one when it's done.

Dennis, you know I respect you as a musician and a song writer, so please take my comments in the friendly manner they are intended.

Best regards

Ed

Check out my latest song called Just a little Something

Dennis James

Dennis James said 497 days ago (July 17th, 2008)

Hey Ed....
....your every point has validity....but, LOL....I have some excuses/reasons.
With this particular song, it is simply about doing nothing, thus the words really do not go anywhere, lazy song, lazy words. There really IS no story to tell, just a moment in time....a sound and an emotion....no chronological story.
I do know I go for a similar sound etc on many songs....I think that is because, I do like a signature sound, but also....if I was an actual "record selling artist", this would not be the case. So, trying to sell just one song someday, one keeps at the same style until one song really surpasses the rest.
I do like to get a big sound on most everything. Partly that is because, with my live 3 piece band, it is by necessity much sparser, so when recording I go for all I cannot do at my gigs...if ya' know what I mean. Also....my favourite producer of all time is Phil Spector....so....LOL.

I do think I vary my tempos a bit, I have waltz times and 4/4 of varying tempos....my sounds ARE very uniform, although a stranger would be hard pressed to indentify say, "Time Flies" and "Lowest Kinda High" as the same performer!!!!

No Ed...I am NOT angry at all, and I see where you are coming from, but I also have my reasons.
I have joined the critics circle so I will have to be honest to people as well.

Dennis.

Check out my latest song called Desolate.

Vic Holman	Vic Holman said 498 days ago (July 16th, 2008)
	who wants to wake up? it only means you have to go to work. Actually I'm hearing something of a Lennon style to this song, especially in the vocals. The back up vocals are slick. I really liked the slide guitar parts and probably would have liked to of had heard more of them. Making for a good Lennon/ Harrison sound Check out my latest song called November

Dennis James	Dennis James said 498 days ago (July 16th, 2008)
	TY.... ....Yeah Vic, thank you. When I wrote it I did have the Revolver Beatles period in my mind as I recall. No slide on there though, just bends. I actually can't play slide although listeners often seem to hear it on my stuff. Dennis. Check out my latest song called Desolate.

	said 496 days ago (July 18th, 2008)
	Ha! I just woke up, sat down at the computer, and here this is! What do I do now? Ha ha... Excellent tune. Somewhere between John Lennon and our own Vic Holman in feel. Lovely guitar work. Fine vocal delivery. Be well!

guygrooves

guygrooves said 496 days ago (July 18th, 2008)

I am a new fan
of yours Dennis and I really dig your style and songs. I would buy your music without a doubt, and I don't buy often, so it's not an empty compliment. In light of the recent cultural revolution here, I will be honest. I really do like this song and will download it and fav it and even vote. I have only one nit as they say, and this is purely from a listeners point of view, because I am no where close to being in the same league as someone like you. The vocal seemed jerky and went against the fluidity of the the music. Whether it was intentional or not I just couldn't get into it like I wanted to. This is a great song with a great production. I am a fan of that "big sound" too. Killer guitar chops as always and a cool hook. Thanks for the freebie ;o)

Check out my latest song called Last Day Here

VicDiesel	VicDiesel said 496 days ago (July 19th, 2008)
	Diminished chords? You don't see that often in pop songs. In general I'm not all that in favour of effects on vocals, but with the character of the song you actually make it work. Cool stuff. Check out my latest song called Desert Stars

announcer

announcer said 495 days ago (July 19th, 2008)

Another James original
I have to disagree with sloparts on this one (even though I do respect his right to critique any song if he does it honestly)

Here is what I like about this song:

Another great lyric in these lines

"I wouldn%u2019t know, how to get up and go
Or anything that%u2019s happening today.
I%u2019m a driftin%u2019 swamp mist, a permanent frost
Don%u2019t melt with the sun or the day%u2026."

perhaps people who are on vacation can enjoy that feeling, but anyone who has ever been out of work has felt like that and didn't know what to do about it.

I also like the playing here ... but that goes without saying. You give the guitar such a great role in your songs because you have such mastery of the instrument.

Check out my latest song called It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

Fan List

Artist Info

Name: Dennis James

40 odd years working in Australia in a myriad of R&R and country-based bands. Now working out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. See my interview in the MacJams Music Blog: Dennis James - Down Under in Pittsburgh... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

Genre Info

More songs in Rock:

Chat

Alimar	67
drakonis	62
Feter	41
rabittwhole	22
segiperkasa	13
ThroughRivers	51
tonestones	4