I've changed my mind on what the title to this should be about six times.
I Won’t Be Famous
Once I dreamed I’d be a painter
I’d use pigments and a palette
To illuminate the rise and the decay
Put carnelian and crimson on a canvas so enthralling
That the world would want to put it on display
But there has to be a person
Who knows how to clean the brushes
And someone needs to mix the linseed oil and turpentine
So I learned to just to apply the gesso once I had concluded
That that kind of glory never would be mine
But when I paint a landscape just for you
In your eyes the artistry comes through
I won’t be famous
And the world will never love me
But you do, you do
Or perhaps I’d be a poet
I’d inspire the world with wonder
Using meter, rhyme, and metaphor as swords
I’d arrange my words with wild abandon; scholars would take notice
And I’d be in line for all the big awards
But my couplets aren’t heroic
And my voice is not distinctive
And how many people even turn to poetry these days?
Still I always have a notebook and still scribble in the margins
Even though I know there won’t be any praise
But when I write a sonnet just for you
In your eyes the artistry comes through
I won’t be famous
And the world will never love me
But you do, you do
Maybe when all is said and done
It’s enough to have been everything to someone
I won’t be famous
And the world will never love me
I know I won’t be famous
And the world will never love me
But you do, you do
You do
© Beth DeSombre 2022 (FAWM #11)
@gm7 Mar 2022
As other have noted this is a great line;
'I won’t be famous
And the world will never love me
But you do, you do"
Such great imagery you have painted with these lyrics and the guitar playing is very well done. Great job.
@berni1954 Mar 2022
Oh I am sure every aspiring songwriter on FAWM can identify with this one.
"I won’t be famous
And the world will never love me
But you do, you do"
And that's enough....
When ever I get the "urge to be famous", I remember the Emily Dickinson short verse:
I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there's a pair of us!
Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one's name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!
@richardmasters Mar 2022
A very relatable song :) Your song has lovely lines, rhymes, and expressions: 'my couplets aren't heroic', and 'scribble in the margins' - great! I think you touch on something very important here, that we create art (whatever kind it is) for those we love and hold dear. As Kurt Vonnegut once said about writing, 'Write for one person - don't open your window and try and make love to the world.'
@davidtaro Mar 2022
'carnelian and crimson' is just lovely writing! And I think in that 'the world will never love me... but you do' line you lay your finger on what's really important anyway. I love the little descend on 'the world will never love me' too. Nice write :) #tit4tat
@mikedebenham Feb 2022
What a lovely lyric. There are so many tales of thwarted ambition leading to bitterness; it's wonderful to see it leading to kindness and wisdom for a change. Musically rich too, with your intimate vocal riding over that warm fingerpicking.
@cicpisces Feb 2022
Sweet. Sums up the role of an artist perfectly. Great.
@crisp1 Feb 2022
Wonderful lyrics and beautiful folk guitar and vocals. A gentle and meaningful love song with a great message in the bridge.
@mikeb Feb 2022
What a beautiful love song that stays away from the usual love-song themes and rhymes. I was expecting a bridge about songwriting, though!
Well done!
@datsch Feb 2022
I had a tear in my eye just 13 seconds in hearing the guitar and skim-reading the lyrics. The verse about poetry is masterfully written and clever, yet you've managed to keep the main hook lines clear and simple and they are all the more effective for that. Reminds of John Gorka's work which I hope you will take as a compliment, Congrats on the recommendation thread entry!
@hamiltonpoolhall Feb 2022
Isn't *that* true: "But there has to be a person/Who knows how to clean the brushes/And someone needs to mix the linseed oil and turpentine." This is such great, sneaky way into a love song, and manages to simultaneously illuminate something really close to home for anyone with creative inclinations. The lyrics are a perfect match for the clarity of your vocals and guitar playing, which are spot-freaking-on as usual.
@mikedelaney Feb 2022
Very sweet and touching, Beth. My favorite line was "everything to someone". I won't be Famous seems an appropriate title.
@mariekevinkmusic Feb 2022
Oh this is beautiful. Like @tawny249, there may have been a lump in my throat. The lyrics are so, so touching. The guitar playing is sublime, so consistent and flowing. I love fingerpicking like that. THe different parts go so well together. Love it.
@kahlo2013 Feb 2022
So glad this was on the recommendation thread! Such a moving and intimate song. The vulnerability and honesty that the song conveys is so gorgeously delivers with your gentle guitar and beautiful vocals.
@tawny249 Feb 2022
Oh wow. I cried a little at this, not going to lie. It resonated so much. The whole song is beautiful, but I am especially in love with that first verse. Your word choice and arrangement is stunning. The way the rhythm varied throughout yet continued to feel natural was also really cool. Thank you for expressing this truth for us.
@eas3637 Feb 2022
Beth, you’re always the master of the beautifully metered line, but this one to me shines above the others. Each phrase is just a delight to hear aloud, especially with alliteration like “carnelian and crimson on a canvas” or “words with wild abandon.” And that’s just the form. I love the clarity of the message here and the authenticity that gets to the heart of why we all create and the fact that all you need is one person to actually really see or hear your creative work for it to matter.
@danvaillancourt Feb 2022
Yes! I love this! SO many great and clever lines. Love the movement in the guitar lines between sections again, which you are a pro at because it seems so effortless. Fame is overrated. May we all find someone (or better yet a small group of people) that loves and really appreciates what we do and for who we are.
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
Lovely lyrics, and as always lovely accompaniment and singing. I think this speaks for poignantly to what we do for the joy of creating, whether we get to be famous for it or not, and the impact we have on those we love. Touching.
@kadmad202 Feb 2022
This is really lovely, Beth, both lyrically and musically. I especially love the 2nd verse - it absolutely flows - and the juxtaposition between where we'd like to think our talent could take us, and the cold reality of our probably just above-average-ness, is something I can completely relate to. But as you show in the song, in our maturity, we can face that reality, and with a smile know that "it's enough to have been everything to someone."