on discipline

i need to discipline myself to write songs.

today i had a line in my head. and i came up with a nice riff. but then it sounded too much like a hippy folk song and i am not yet ready to write hippy folk songs.

and then i came up with another line.

a whole concept for a song.

and it was good.

it would be good.

but i need to write the rest of the song that goes with these 6 lines that i've written (and the musical concept in my head for how the song plays out)

but.......... i'm tired. it's been a long weekend, and a long and busy week. i want to watch the x files and grey's anatomy and skype my friend.

and i think back to what amanda palmer wrote last week, about writing her new song "machete"

"it was at this point that i gave myself what i'd call an enforced crossroads. a fictional ultimatum.

i was like: ok. you are going to have one of two lives. you are either going to be the person who stayed up and wrote the song, or you're going to be the person who went to bed and didn't write the song. you are either going to be a songwriter, or a boring fucking parent. which would you like?"

except for me, it's like... i am either going to be the person who wrote the song, or i am going to be the person who watched tv.

i am either going to be a songwriter, or a boring fucking lazy tv-watcher.

so...

"let's go to work"