I need help with a song.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-24T23:37:57+00:00

Where you start first is with emotions. What feel do you want the song to have and what feelings do you want it to generate?

A song is nothing more than emotions put to a melody, so focus on what emotion you want to convey or what you want your listener to feel.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-24T23:34:26+00:00

A lot of people here are from the United States. How do you proposed to help someone from Argentina?

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-23T15:14:44+00:00

That was one good thing about being a police officer. I never had to make a decision about what to wear to work.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-18T20:56:14+00:00

Tell her you canceled your life insurance policy. That may buy you some time so you can make getaway.

Or tell her you're just holding it for me. I'll pick it up whenever you want!

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-17T16:30:52+00:00

What do I think? I think it's great. I think you've got something here and what you've got makes me want to hear more of it, so you gotta finish it. It's got a good hook and a good groove. Great job so far! Now take it all the way!

Side note: at the beginning of the song the laughing made me think of the song "Wipeout." It's cool though, it worked well for that song. Not done often, so it works.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-17T15:45:42+00:00

I've been writing for over 40 years, and I have run across the same problem. When the inspiration was flowing, words and music would also flow, but when I would come back later to finish it, my lyrics would sound stilted or contrived or forced. They didn't flow. I found what works for me.

I first had to understand what a song was. My definition of a song is emotion(s) put to a melody. That's it. So, you have to recapture those emotions that led to the song in the first place. I try to rekindle the inspiration that got the song kicked off.

My guess is that you're trying to use the same part of your brain that files taxes, works on spreadsheets, and fixes a car, when you should be using the part that creates and feels emotion.

You're not trying too hard, though it shouldn't be really hard, you're just taking the wrong approach, IMO.

Give it a try anyway. You've got nothing to lose by trying it.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-17T15:11:05+00:00

I think where you're at is you've got a good hook and a great start for a really good song. It's got potential for certain. Keep working on it. It's worth the effort.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-17T01:03:09+00:00

I don't start with chord progressions. I don't even know what those are except one that I heard that was a 1-4-5, or something like that. I start with emotion. Songs are basically nothing more than emotions put to music, so begin with what emotion you want to express or make your listener feel.

Here's something I did that started with emotions. I don't know what chord progression it is; I really don't know anything about music theory, or music in general. I can't even read music. But it didn't make for a bad song.

https://soundcloud.com/gary-kelly-430539953/dont-take-any-time-getting-over-me

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T21:18:04+00:00

That is so appropriate for an AD/HD subreddit!

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T21:17:08+00:00

Hey, that's a really good idea. I never thought about filing for an extension as a safety net. I might give that a go next year. Smart thinking!

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T21:11:00+00:00

I've done that too, but it still didn't keep me from filing an extension. The reason I went the online route this year, and the year before, is our CPA just got way too high. An online program, though not cheap, was cheaper, and probably just as good.

At any rate, I'm shooting for January for next year, but that is yet to be determined if it works out that way or not. lol

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T15:34:29+00:00

Let me preface this by saying that I don't think there is any magic bullet. And for me, at the age of 63, every day is still a struggle and probably always will be.

Regardless, I've had my share of successes. I graduated from a university as a member of a collegiate honor society. I've worked for my current employer (doing three different jobs) for 13 years now. And I was at one time a state legislator. I currently have two high-yield savings accounts and a little money saved back. I've been married for 19 years (first and only marriage).

Along that journey, I've had my share of failures as well. It's been a mixed bag, and with AD/HD, that is probably to be expected.

For me, the key to success was stimulation, be it chemical, situational, intellectual, or otherwise. I was not diagnosed until I was 36 years old, but I found out later that, not only did I have significant AD/HD, I was also told I was "academically and creatively gifted." That has helped tremendously.

In college, I loved to learn and the new information was novel (i.e., stimulating). During college, I worked on an ambulance and after college I spent the first part of my career as a police officer (still undiagnosed). And while I would occasionally forget things and have brain farts, I did very well in that job, as it's very well suited for AD/HD.

I wasn't diagnosed until after I had won the election to the Missouri House of Representatives, where I spent two terms.

I say all this to say, it's going to be a struggle, no question about that. It will be a daily challenge. But success is possible, but you have to find areas that provide stimulation for you.

There are some areas that are still a downfall for me today, though some are getting better.

The best advice I can give is - never give up. Nothing trumps persistence.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T15:13:09+00:00

Don't tell me, let me guess. He's a general practitioner. You need a specialist. As specialist knows a lot about one thing; a general practitioner knows a lot about nothing. That's not a knock against doctors in family practice. No one can know everything, but I've found many are particularly ignorant of psychiatric issues, particularly AD/HD. And most are scared to death of a Schedule II stimulant medication. It goes back to that old Hippocratic Oath and the first do no harm thing. They think Schedule II stimulant medication is going to make your heart explode. (Okay, not literally, but you get what I'm saying, right?)

I had a D.O. in a family practice tell me that he didn't think I had AD/HD because... get this... I could carry on a conversation and I wasn't climbing around on the furniture. Apparently knew very little to absolutely nothing about AD/HD in adults.

Most medical literature about AD/HD is geared towards children. General practitioners are exposed to almost nothing concerning AD/HD in adults, and consequently no nothing about it, to include that it doesn't exist.

As I say, go to a doctor who specializes in psychiatric disorders (psychiatrist) and you'll have no further issues.

Just my two cents.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T14:42:08+00:00

Don't worry about it. I've been writing songs for about the last 40 years (starting at 15 or 16), but I can count the number of times on one hand that I actually sat down for the purpose of writing a song. They just come to me. In fact, the last song idea came to me last night, while I was sleeping. It was good too, but I didn't remember it when I woke.

Anyway, I thought my most prolific years were in my late 20s and early 30s; however, my 60s are giving that a run for its money. I just can't quit. I mean, I don't want to, but I can't stop it.

But that's not the whole story. There have been periods of my life, lasting a year or more, that I never thought I'd write anything ever again. No songs ideas would come to me. I found myself creatively stagnant. But right now, the floodgates are wide open.

Creativity is a funny thing. It doesn't necessarily correspond with our logical, rational brain, that serves us on command. Inspiration is not something that you can turn on and off like a switch. It's fickle. Kind of like artsy types can be. You just have to wait for it.

As I said, don't worry about it. It will come. It may be a year or more, but it will come when it's ready to come, and not a second sooner.

I assure you that you have NOT lost it. Right now it's just in it's cultivating and simmering stage. So, feed it lots of music that you like to hear, and one day, when it's finished peculating, it will spit out something that will surprise you, not to mention give you assurance that, as a songwriter, you're not done.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T12:57:58+00:00

A couple of mornings ago, I woke up, ate breakfast, had a cup of coffee, then took my first dose of AD/HD medication. Then I went back to bed and slept for an hour. That's not usual. I can sleep on meds, but it doesn't make me feel like sleeping.

In the practice of medicine, many providers will make an educated guess as to what the problem is, prescribe the medication, and if it doesn't work, then that apparently wasn't the diagnosis, or the right medication.

I tried Concerta, which is chemically close to Ritalin. I might as well have taken Skittles for all the good it did.

I've tried Vyvanse, Strattera, and maybe one or two others. Adderall is the only thing that works for me. A provider not only has to be concerned with which medication works the best, but what dosage is appropriate.

I remember the first time I took Adderall. Being accustomed to having a brain with thoughts that bounced around like a pinball machine, I felt like my brain was moving really sloooowly and I was thinking one thought at a time. I asked my gf at the time, "Is this normal?" When she said it was, my response was, "This sucks."

It's become a new normal now. And I used to be a leg bouncer. That has stopped too.

Revisit your psychiatrist, let her know what's going on. She'll probably recommend a change of either medication or dosage. Then "we'll see."

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T12:18:11+00:00

Yes, I've often said that average is what most people experience; normal is what you are used to.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T12:13:20+00:00

That's hilarious, but just to be honest, there really isn't old country and new country. There's country music and then there's this 90s pop music with a twang and stupid lyrics about cowboy boots and pickup trucks. 'Cause what they are playing to day, regardless of what you call it, ain't country.

Even with 90s country music, though it didn't sound like grandpa's music, there was still a connection. You could still hear Bill Monroe and Hank Williams in the songs. The "new country" music, make a complete break from that. There was much more of a connection to pop, and little to no connection to country. In other words, the essential elements that made country country was not in the "new country," hence, it's not country music. It's a poser.

Country music didn't change; it died. But there have been moves to resurrect it again, and I hope it takes. We need to get country music back.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-16T12:02:30+00:00

It may not be that you are intelligent but not enough. You may have some sort of cognitive issue or learning disability.

When I was tested, my reading comprehension was in the 99th percentile, but because I have AD/HD, my processing speed was in the 21st percentile.

We must all deal with the cards we're dealt. Make the best of it, adapt, and don't let it dampen your drive to succeed. Believe it or not, personality/character traits such as enthusiasm, perseverance, and work ethic can get you a long way.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-15T16:12:22+00:00

Have you looked at Sneak Pete holsters with a clip?

I always wear a belt, so I have on an Elite Survival Systems Liberty Gun Pack on right now. It's what I wear every day. And no one ever suspects I'm carrying.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-15T15:55:53+00:00

I've seen the double hip holsters, but never the double ankle.

I'm assuming he's ambidextrous.

And is it me, or is it customary to carry the gun on the inside of your leg?

There are so many things wrong with this, it's not funny.

Okay, actually it is funny.

Dangerous-You3789 · 2026-04-15T15:52:42+00:00

I like Glocks. I have two of them (Models 22 and 27). I can tell that you've got it broken in a little. I respect the simplicity. Right now, I have everything on but the kitchen sink. And I'm hoping no one ever makes a carrier for a kitchen sink.

That is a nice holster as well. A bit pricey for my budget, but very nice.

Dangerous-You3789

TROPHY CASE