https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:21:51 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195683 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 12:38:48 +0000 Sunday Songwriters Group greybeard https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195683 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195679 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 12:05:29 +0000
Below the Stair - love the MP3 the guitar work is excellent - (open D - I'm going to have to get msef over to Slide and Alternate Tuning Forum).

Things Hapen - quite punky in style can see you pogoing around the stage whilst playing this :wink:

Great stuff

Bob :wink:]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Bob https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195679 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195633 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 04:54:00 +0000
Thanks again.

Peace]]> Sunday Songwriters Group David Hodge https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195633 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195626 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 04:31:31 +0000
This is great. I loved the way the story unfolded. Blown away by the music.

I liked a lot of greybeard's rewrite too, with one minor change: And the awkward emotions are left unaired I like it, but maybe change "awkward emotions" to something like "dirt and stains".

Once again, nice.]]> Sunday Songwriters Group SlowPlay https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195626 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195610 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 01:35:09 +0000 there was a TV program called "Upstairs Downstairs" that screened here way back, the main character was called Hudson, so I suspect that restaraunt was named in reference to that .
Lovely song, and the music will go well with it I think. I love that one line that to me gives the game away, Does she ever miss being his wife and of course people never really change do they.
Great job
cheers
Paul]]> Sunday Songwriters Group pbee https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195610 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195603 Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:35:26 +0000
You should be able to find both songs on my soundclick page:

http://www.soundclick.com/davidhodge

The usual apologies for production. Things Happen is a copy of a copy (I think) of the original demo tape, made in 1980. What it lacks in style it hopefully makes up for with youthful enthusiasm (and, as Bob points out, naivety). Below The Stair is one take with single guitar and then one take on the vocal, done in the wee hours of the morning.

Graham, thanks for the ideas. I'll try working them in as I revise.

Bob, the second verse went through a lot before anyone even saw the post (I think). I had just hit "submit" and was typing something else when this version (something close to it anyway) came to mind and I hurried back and put it it. Don't know how many people saw the "original" second verse. Anyway, I hope you like the music. It's the part of the song I'm happiest with. Again, my thanks for getting me off my rear end and working on it.

Peace]]> Sunday Songwriters Group David Hodge https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195603 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195569 Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:32:00 +0000
He fills her glass
Remembering it's a wine she likes
Asks her how she finds her London life
Does she never miss being his wife
She has to smile
Wonders if he'll ever really change
Talks about her job, about the train
But the smalltalk soon has all been said
And the awkward emotions are left unaired
So they sit and smile and stare
Just two old friends
Sharing old times
Below the stair]]> Sunday Songwriters Group greybeard https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195569 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195565 Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:07:40 +0000
Below the Stair is a great song - I like the contrasting moods between the two main protagonists it comes across really well. The third line seems a bit awkward to me with the predomiant 'e' sounding words but I suspect you are making that work. I'd be interested to hear how that works when you post it up.

The second verse is Ok to me as it depicts the awkward reunion very well.

I really like it - can't wait to hear it.

I think the mood and the story are really well told.

Things Happen is a great title and I like the song it's certainly far more naive than a lot of your stuff but it's still a good song. I don't whether it was because youplanted the seed but I sped up as I read it and it made me smile. :wink:

Bob]]> Sunday Songwriters Group Bob https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-195565 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-19977 Sat, 26 Aug 2006 05:57:52 +0000 huge thank you to Bob because I've been working on this song since 1996, when I wrote the first four lines. Then in 1998 I came up with the music pretty much as it is (MP3 going up hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning) and it's gets brought out every now and then and nothing happens so I put it back. There's still much work to do here - don't like the second verse all that much, meaning not at all! It's like a huge "Work Still In Progress" sign plastered over the whole song. (EDIT: In fact, I've rewritten it twice now since posting it! :wink: ) But it's at least more than I've had in a while, which for this song is a looooooong while.

Anyway, a few other side notes...

In 1996, there was a terrific restaurant in York (England) called Hudson's Below Stair, where I and a good old friend had a great time. I hope it's still there. I have always remembered it as being "Below The Stair" and that's where the title comes from. I've since looked it up and found myself wrong but it fits the melody better with the "the" in there.

Below The Stair

He says "Hey
You know it doesn't seem that fair to me
That you can be twice as lovely
As I remember you to be"
And she laughs "Well
Here I was all worried that you'd changed
But some things you just count on like the rain
Or how you always know the perfect thing to say"
The waiter shows them to a table
They're the only people there
Just two old friends
Sharing a meal
Below the stair

He fills her glass
Hopes to God he chose a wine she likes
Asks her how she finds her London life
Does she ever miss being his wife
She has to smile
Talks about her job about the train
Wonders if he'll truly ever change
Tells herself she'll not do this again
They run out of things to talk about
So they sit and smile and stare
Just two old friends
Sharing old times
Below the stair

Instrumental half verse

He holds her coat and hails her cab
Pays the driver for her fare
Just two old friends
Saying goodbye
Below the stair

©D. Hodge - 2006



Bob's subject also reminded me of one of the first songs I wrote (however peripherally) on this topic, back when I was an old man of twenty-three! I've even managed to find a demo of this made by the band I was playing with at the time, so I'll try to post it up, too, if for no other reason than it's a real giggle. Especially since it keeps getting faster and faster as the song progresses...

Things Happen

I met an old friend we had lunch yesterday
Hadn't seen him in years we had little to say
So we took out our lists and traded some names
And shared a few laughs 'cause some things never change
A long time ago this would have made me depressed
It doesn't now what can you say
Things happen

She dropped me a line to say she was bored
Of the house and the kids and the grocery store
And though married life wasn't all that she dreamed
It wasn't as bad as she was making it seem
I really should take time to write out a reply
And let her know I know how she feels
But things happen
People change
And it's not all that terribly strange
After all life's not something you learn
It's something that happens

So teach me the words you've been longing to hear
And I'll tell you I love you whenever you're near
I'll hold you and kiss you and sing you love songs
And miss you so incredibly much when you're gone
And when someone asks why things didn't work out
We'll sigh and we'll smile and we'll say
Things happen
People change
And it's not all that terribly strange
After all love's not something you learn
It's something that happens
All the time yeah

©D. Hodge - 1980

As always, thanks for taking the time to read and critique.

Peace]]> Sunday Songwriters Group David Hodge https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/ssg-year-4-week-42-dhodge/#post-19977