"I Need You"

I'm currently wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, my huge headphones hanging around my neck, sipping my coffee, heart happy and wanting this song.  This song has this sexy "I Can't Make You Love" but you really do love me feel to it.  Get the picture?  Ever feel like you want to fast forward parts of your life?  This song makes me feel like I've jumped to my happily ever after for all of 3:03.  This song is a wrecking ball of need, want, desire, aching, ahh, just music.  How did this song only peak to #8 on the Hot Country Songs chart?  Oh and it legitimately has its own Wikipedia page.  Classic?  I think so.  Check it out here.

FM Radio:
Singers: Tim McGraw/Faith Hill
Songwriters: David Lee, Tony Lane
Song: "I Need You"

(Tim)
I wanna drink that shot of whiskey
I wanna smoke that cigarette 
I wanna smell that sweet addiction on my breath 
I wanna ride 'cross West Virginia in the backseat of a Cadillac 
You know some cowboys like me go out like that 
So I need you 

(Chorus)
Like a needle needs a vein
Like my uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs the rain
I need you like a lighthouse on the coast
Like the father and the son need the holy ghost
I need you

(Faith)
I wanna get lost in some corner booth
Cantina Mexico 
I wanna dance to the static of an AM radio
I wanna wrap the moon around us and lay beside you skin on skin
Make love 'til the sun comes up… 'til the sun goes down again 
‘Cause I need you 

(Chorus)
Like a needle needs a vein 
Like uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs the rain
I need you
Like a lighthouse needs a coast 
Like the father and the son need the holy ghost
I need you
oooohhhhh I need you

(Tim)
I wanna drink that shot of whiskey 
I wanna smoke that cigarette 
You know some cowboys like me go out like that 
So I need you
ooooohh I need you

"I Surrender All"

I've wanted to write about this song since I had the idea of The SongBird Project.  Being of Catholic faith, I have no idea why, but I have never, ever, heard this breathtaking song until I heard it on The Oprah Show.  I wish they would sing this in church!  If you know me, you know I believe Oprah is Gods way of being on earth.  I couldn't even begin to describe how much of an influence she has had on me.  Just put it this way, I love this woman!  There shouldn't be any presidents, there should just be an Oprah.  This woman was put on Earth to teach us how to live.  Watch her Masterclass on OWN, then you'll understand.

Anyways, sometimes we try so hard, just to get nowhere.  Once you reach that point, just send it up.  Every fear, doubt, wish, just send it up.  Today, I've had one of those days.  And today, I'm surrendering.



FM Radio:
Song: "I Surrender All"


All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In his presence daily live.
I surrender all, to you [tag]Jesus[/tag] I surrender all, all;
All to thee, my blessed [tag]Savior[/tag],
I surrender all.
All I have I give to You (I’ll give it to You)
I surrender all to You (everything I have)
I’ll do what you want me to (what you want me do)
I’ll give You everything
I surrender all to Jesus I surrender all
I give my self to thee
Fill me with a love and power that your blessing follow me
I surrender all
To you Jesus I (I surrender all)
All to thee, my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All I have I give to You
I surrender all to You
I’ll do what you want me to
I’ll give You everything
I surrender all to Jesus
All I have I give to You (all to you Lord)
I surrender all to You (I surrender all I have to you)
I’ll do what you want me to (whatever you want from me)
I’ll give You everything
I surrender all to You
[tag]I surrender all[/tag] to You
I’ll do whatever you want me to
Nothing else I’d rather do
With my life, Lord I’ll serve you every day
Even when things don’t go my way
Lord you can trust me to never straight, oh

"It Matters To Me"

I have a weakness for any song that is done acoustically...or just alone with a piano.
Since I have apparently been biten by the Faith Hill bug lately, I found this absolutely breathtaking performance of "It Matters To Me" that she did live somewhere.  Does anyone know where this is from?  My volume can't get any louder on the computer I'm totally in love and have the chills when the audience sings!  AHHH!  AHHMAZING!  Faith needs a comeback!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And let me just say THIS IS MUSIC.

"Stronger"

As a promise to myself, The SongBird Project will be at least a 365 day blog.  I may not post every single day but by this time next year, I will guarantee there will be 365 posts!
Anyways, my reason for not posting yesterday is that I had the most traumatic experience of my life.  To spare the details, let me just say if I ever am able to get my voice back and sing like I used to, it will only be by the grace of God.  However, Music always saves me.  As I was going through the events of yesterday, all I had in my head was this song.  Besides the obvious title of this song, "Stronger," I believe a great song is marked by the ability to carry a message that can be applied to any situation.  If you remove the relationship context of this song, this song can apply to anything.  This chorus is incredible!!  Not to be totally corny, but once you cry it out and get the weight of your emotions off your chest you are then able to move forward and on to something greater than what had been.  To me, this song symbolizes allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to realize what you have to overcome to get to where you want to go.  You have to be weak to be strong. 


On a side note: I am probably the biggest Hillary Lindsey fan out there, but I saw her and a few other writers a few years ago at a CMA Songwriters Series in NYC and that night completely changed my life.  One of the songs Hillary sang that night was "Stronger," which is better than Faith's in my opinion, below is the video I took!

FM Radio:
Song: "Stronger"
Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges
Singer: Faith Hill

This is the window to my heart

I just want us to be free

There ain't no freedom where we are

Ain't no wishes in these stars

Ain't no reasons to believe

But don't worry baby

Don't you worry

Maybe this is what we need

A little bruise and a little bleeding

Some space that we can breathe in

Some silence in between

[Chorus:]

So cry for me baby

And I'll cry for you

And we'll both break down and we'll both break through

We'll find our way you will face the truth

We both will be stronger

And we'll lie down in our loneliness

Wake up with our sad regrets

Even know we don't know it yet

We both will be stronger

We both will be stronger

I can't believe you're really gone now

But I know it's for the best

And I know that we weren't right

But I still reach for you each night

And man that hurts like hell

[Chorus]

So baby
[Chorus]

This is the window to my heart

I just want us to be free

Baby I'm sorry for the way things are

Goodbye is always hard

And we both will be stronger

Hear Hillary's version: (She looks at us around the 3:20 mark)

Hear Faith Hill's version: (3:11 is my favorite)

"This Is Me"

Silence is the antithesis to my life.  Since I can remember I've always had a song in my head, constantly.  I know every 'music lover' says this, but honestly, music IS the soundtrack to my life.  I believe music can change your life...it's changed mine.  

I've always admired others who can crack themselves open and expose everything about themselves, whether that be in a book, a song, a blog...So the least to say is that I have been inspired.  I've never been an open book, but I guess I could try to be.  So to all the songs, songwriters, bloggers, Oprah, etc., this is for you.  You've taught me to not be afraid of who I am, what I believe in, or what kind of music I listen to.  ;)    

Every school report, that anyone grades or reads, gets criticism for being too wordy.  Well truth is, I love to write.  Even that is an understatement.  I'm constantly finding words that I hear people say that instantly sound like a song title.  Although I'll sometimes strive for the 'ideal' 3 minutes and 40 seconds, I want to lose and find myself in my words, my music, and in my songs.  I'm a songwriter, through and through, it's everything I am.  However, sometimes it gets hard to open a hidden heart.  So that is what this blog is for and what it's going to become.  A place to crack myself open and expose all I am.  


I love shedding light on things that remain unseen or unheard.  I am, self-professed, totally, utterly, obsessed, with discovering songs and songwriters.  So, since my life is chronicled through songs, and is practically a Lifetime movie in the making, as long as you are reading this, you are basically listening to my radio.  So at the end of every post will be a 'What's playing'....Listen!!  I like my music relatable, emotional and truthful.  Unfortunately, most music has now become any 'singer' that likes to have a backing of fake instruments and autotune.  Fortunately, there's one genre that doesn't tolerate that nonsense...country.  
So if I haven't made it clear....My name is Francesca and I love Country Music.     

Why SongBird? - Everyone is a work in progress, myself included.  In my eyes, music is empowering, it can give you wings.  Hopefully, one day, when these wings are ready to fly, I'll have a 'franchise' haha, that will be everything SongBird...SongBird Music, SongBird Bake Shoppe, etc.  So this blog is sort of a 'making of' myself with documentation = The SongBird Project.   

FM Radio

Song: "This Is Me"

Songwriters: Hillary Lindsey (You'll be seeing a LOT of her), Troy Verges

Singer: Faith Hill