I swear, I'm back for good this time!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know I said that last time but this time, I mean it! As I was standing in the crowd at The Bluebird watching Jake Dodds sing "Longshot at Best", it just kinda hit me. I am a songwriter. It's not just a hobby, it's who I am. No matter what happens, I need to stick to this. So I'm going to start off by.....finishing a lyric I started down in Nashville! Yes, I started this song back in February and I haven't finished it yet. Shame, shame, shame! But, today, I'm going to make myself write until I'm blue in the face!

So, before anyone reads the first verse and starts thinking that this is about a one night stand I had in Nashville...it's not.  I have a certain brand of lip stain that I absolutely love, so I wore it every day on my vacation. It's bright red and it makes me feel super sassy. Well, one morning, I decided to wake up and pull my guitar out. There's something about the atmosphere down there that just makes me want to write all day long. Well, at the end of the long day before, I just crashed from a food coma that was the direct result of a midnight trip to the waffle house. When I woke up and grabbed my guitar, I just sat in bed strumming a few chords. I had a melody in my head, but no clue where to go lyrically. At that point, I looked into the mirror across from the bed and noticed that my lip stain was still on, and thought of the line "last night's lipstick in a hotel mirror".  Within five minutes, the first two verses were complete. However, I didn't have a hook. So I decided to make myself write this today. But that didn't solve the main problem with this song. I had no idea where to take it next. As I was sitting in Nashville, I came up with this intricate story about a woman who told her husband she was going to see her mother as an alibi for cheating on him, but at the end of the night she realizes that she loves her husband more than she thought. I thought it'd be an interesting story song...not very commercial, but interesting. However, with every line, I felt myself asking more questions. The story has changed several times. In one version he passed away. In one version he was abusive. In one version he was calling her frantically trying to figure out if she was okay. There was no definite plot, it was just a song about a woman waking up in a hotel room after a long lonely night. So....I have decided to ruin this song. Yes, I said I am going to ruin it. I'm going to make it somewhat personal (gag me!), and turn it into something that I can only hope someone out there can relate to and appreciate. On the plus side, as soon as I ruin this one, I can turn my focus to something fun and interesting! I'm already working on a 2015 summer anthem idea! Layton, Jake and Company...you guys better be ready. It'll be a fun one!

Another Night in Nashville 

© 2014 Chelsey Sears 

Last night's lipstick, in a hotel mirror

Crimson taste of regret

Teardrops mix with old mascara

Fall to the cold granite

Her curls have fallen, and her black dress

Still lies where she left it at the foot of the bed

Last night's whiskey, made a promise

She knew it'd never keep

Said she'd find a bit of comfort 

In a stranger's company

He was the kinda man any girl would want

That's why she left him waiting at the restaurant

Nobody said it would be easy, nobody said it'd be this hard

She's ready for a new beginning, but doesn't know quite where to start

Though freedom 's a sweet release, it's a bitter pill

So she'll smile and chase her dreams, another night in Nashville

Southern sunrise, peeks through the curtain

Slowly makes it's way 

Across that three-star room

'Til it lands on her face

And in that moment, it becomes so clear

That all her battle scars, they led her here

Nobody said it would be easy, nobody said it'd be this hard

She's ready for a new beginning, but doesn't know quite where to start

Though freedom 's a sweet release, it's a bitter pill

So she'll smile and chase her dreams, another night in Nashville

Though freedom 's a sweet release, it's a bitter pill

But she'll still smile and chase her dreams, another night in Nashville