Happiness is easy

ARRRRGH

happiness is easy

Lyrics

this is the way my life was supposed to be
all love, so sure, no misery
because happiness is easy

happiness is easy, like growing up
if you don't stop to think about it, it's already done
you don't see the way life could be
you're so sad it makes me crazy

to make you smile i try my best
one wrong step makes the rest worthless
easy for you to treat me harshly
why is it so hard to say you're sorry

you're impossible impossible impossible
happiness is easy
i've never been so happy as when you smiled
and told me you're leaving

you make happiness look so easy
your sadness is solely reserved for me
i've earned the front row first prize
i get to see us break down from the inside

it's impossible impossible impossible
but happiness is easy
i've never been so happy as when you smiled
and told me you're leaving

you take my hand and twist my arm
i hold you close, it kills your charm
what good is love? what good are we?
together we could never be happy

we're impossible impossible impossible
but happiness is easy
i'm sorry to say i could never say
i'm sad that you're leaving

we go on alone. we say we're grown. we're on our own
and it's easy
wrong or right, why bother now. at last goodbye
i'll show you how

Music

Chords

intro: e flat major, f minor, b flat major
verse: e flat major, c minor, a flat major, b flat major
prechorus: c minor, b flat major, a flat major, b flat major
chorus: c minor, g minor, a flat minor with a major seventh, f minor, c minor, g minor, a flat minor with a major seventh, b flat major
bridge: e flat major, f minor, g minor, a flat major
outtro: e flat major, b flat major

Structure

a-b-b-b-c-d-b-c-d-e-c-c-d-d-f

Author's Notes

i like saying "happiness is easy," partly because it's kind of obnoxious. a little along the lines of "suicide is painless," aka the theme song from M*A*S*H*. i was listening to the totally amazing intro to "three to waltz" by cola wars when the germ of this song appeared. i wrote the lyrics while listening to that track so the rhythm follows it a bit. the verse melody sounds familiar to me, but i'm not sure where/whether i'm ripping it off from. someplace. maybe it's just kind of generic. in my head this song is basically performed by ok go. i tried to make it pretty to cover up for the fact that i'm not an emo band.

this song features my yamaha over and over, plus fruityloops and some crickets.

i think the sentiment of this song is really ugly. but i like it anyway, so here it is.

there are maybe too many words? maybe too many changes? i am pretty pleased on the whole though, unless it turns out really did just gank this wholesale from someone else. !!

23:30, 26 September 2006 (PDT)
gabe, your suggestions are rad. i'll have to get a copy of that ace of base song. the second verse bothers me, too. i wanted to make it something less specific but everything i come up with is kind of lame. i don't know though. i'm totally going to do that thing with the last chorus. the preschoruses before it will go--do you mean both of them or just one of them?--unless i can think of something good to say.:) and i'll work on the instrumentation.

Comments

1. this song is rad. the way you've arranged the first verse--particularly with the backing beat you've used--makes me think of ace of base. that tom/kick. so good. and ambient crickets. yes.
2. anyway, that makes me think you should just go completely mid-90s dance-pop all over this song. note that from me, this is a tremendous compliment. the most appealing part of the track to me is the unmistakable hip-hop swaggar on that first verse, I can totally see you wagging your finger at the camera in the video, backed by a posse of tough/hot-looking girls. are they wearing overalls? rollerskates? it's just got such attitude!
3. the excellent dance/hip-hop qualities of the tune make me wish your vocal delivery was just a bit tighter, more agressive, more percussive in places. as if you were rapping.
4. that dancey quality also makes me think the arrangement could be cleaner, more minimalistic, or at least more stingently deployed. i know nothing about dance music, but my impression is that you make it good by adding a part at a time in structurally significant moments. i think you do some of this here, and well, but i think you could use a little more restraint and really milk it. for instance, i think the arrangement gets a little out of control after the bridge, which i think causes things to get harmonically a little messy (from "what good are we?" on). this sort of "everything and the kitchen sink" arrangement from that point means that the last refrain is louder, but it isn't as powerful as the others.
5. structurally, it's great, but i think you should take out that last instrumental pre-chorus. also, as a life-long proponent of the last chorus breakdown, i think you need to have everything stop, and you just sing, "you're impossible, impossible,im--" and then on the third "--possible" everything comes in for a huge refrain. tell me that wouldn't be so. hot.
6. lyrically, some of the stuff scans really well: A. "one wrong step makes the rest worthless" is rhythmic GOLD. B. The whole first verse is outstanding. C. the bridge is solid. oh, if you don't think you should take out that instrumental pre-chorus, as i suggest above, you need to put in a rap in over that part. think: "Don't Turn Around".
7. some of the lines don't flow as well to my ears, though: A. i don't much care for the short second verse, to be honest. it seems to be kind of rehashing the first verse, but not as well. though i suppose maybe that's the job of the second verse? B. i guess that's the only part i don't like. nicely done.

Gabemcelwain 09:04, 23 September 2006 (PDT)

you'll remember this when you hear it. "the sign" was a staple in my walkman during my seventh grade ohio history trip. that and the spin doctors' live album "homebelly groove". yow.

Ace of Base - Don't Turn Around

Gabemcelwain 07:23, 27 September 2006 (PDT)