We are currently packing up the house that we’ve lived in since our first child was born. (He’s now 13.) We’re excited about the move, but it’s a little bittersweet because we have so many wonderful memories here (and it’s been the kids’ only home so far).
In the online songwriting sync class I’m taking, my accountability group set up a songwriting challenge – two weeks to write the first verse and a chorus of a song about “home.”
During the first week, I started a song about somebody coming home. I drew from the feeling I felt when driving into the neighborhood that I grew up in. I wrote the verse and the chorus, which I think came out OK, but I didn’t love it. Then about three days before the challenge was to end, I realized that one reason I was struggling with it was because there was a much bigger “home” issue happening right now – our move. So I switched gears and wrote the first verse fairly quickly:
This door welcomed you when you were new
This wall saw you learn to crawl
Your first steps were across this floor
Soon we won’t live here anymore
Next, the chorus. It went through a few changes, but here’s the current version:
What makes a house a home, the people living in it
A place to love and grow, a new beginning in it
Though we’re moving on, our spirit remains strong
We’ll make that new house our home
Here’s the first version – working on the second verse now. One of the things encouraged in this class is reaching out to other students for co-writing. Since the music part of it is always my biggest challenge, I’m considering reaching out to see if any producers in the group would want to help it move forward. I’m picturing it in a commercial about home sales or home decor…
