By The Window

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By The Window

Music & Lyrics by Hui Leng & Betty(2007)

Once a time, you promised me the stars and moon.

Once a time, you said you’ll heal up all my wounds.

Once a time, we used to camp out in your room,

Forgetting time counting the bright stars
By the window.

You and I, I thought our love was here to stay.

You and I, our lives were merry and so gay.

But one day, you said goodbye and went your way,

Left me alone by the window in pain.

How could you

Just cast our love away?

Why did you

Say all those words for my sake?

So you leave me all alone,

Left me to pick up broken pieces of my heart.

So for now, I’ve learnt to count the stars alone.

So for now, my tears have dried up on their own.

But somehow, I’d find myself by the window

Saying a little prayer just for you.

Hui Leng presented her music during the 2nd session of Songcraft(18 May 2007). I noticed the darker tinge to this as compared to her previous music during the 1st session.

The weekend after, I was listening to the recording of the session and when I heard her music again, the first line came to me...
"Once a time, you promised me the stars and moon...".
Brainwave!

I quickly grabbed my pencil and jotted down all the words that began to flood me. Words that rhyme with the last word of each line.

I gradually developed an idea of how the song was going to be - a breakup song. Thought of all the words, all the scenarios one encounters when In and Out of love.

First verse was quickly completed. Then chorus.

Chorus was easy because I was thinking of all the questions one (the hurt one) would ask the other (hurt-er) and Hui Leng's music was very well-structured to fit words in easily.

Second verse was next completed. I was worried that there was too much rhyming - "stay", "gay", "day" and "way"; but it all sounded fine and I really liked it that way.

Third verse was the hardest and took me the longest time to complete it.

The first draft was

So for now, I will stop waiting by the phone.

So for now, I'll wash out smells of your cologne.

And for now, I'll learn to stand up on my own,

Forgetting kisses we once shared by the window.

Yay, completed!

Emailed Hui Leng the next day.

She was elated. Was pleased with everything BUT the last verse.

She told me of a particular Chinese song which she likes alot.

The song sings of a breakup and how the person is really hurt.

Even though she eventually got over the hurt, life isn't the same anymore.

Thus I followed this train of thought. Cracked my head lots.

Emailed Hui Leng another draft but it was really bad; we both didn't even like it, haha!

This time Hui Leng gave another advice - even though we've broken up, I still wish you well.

My brains got tired soon after. Left it aside for a while.

I thought I was never gonna complete it.

A week before the 3rd session of Songcraft, I picked it up again.

Suddenly the words came a-flooding.

And there, on 24 June 2007 I completed the lyrics for the music.

:)

One thing I'm really pleased with is the different places within the verses I inserted the three important words of this song - "by the window".

Didya noticed it? Hee.


Listen to the recording of this work here.