"The Locket"

Between Memorial Day and my everlasting love of brilliantly written love songs, this song is the answer.
My grandparents have almost the same love story, and this song just breaks my heart.  My grandfather would send letters and poems to my grandmother (I wonder where I got it from?!) during the war and one of my dreams was to literally take those poems and make them into a song.  Well, after hearing this song, every time I try to do that, every word I write comes out to this song's beautiful melody.  Between the stories being so parallel and the sheer brilliance of this song, I think this song has said all there is to say.
From a songwriter point of a view, sometimes it is so hard to find the right way to find that niche in a story song, almost like that spark that makes it unique.  Well, the way Mallary turned this song around gave me chills so much that I had to stop driving when I heard this.  I got those chills that are so sharp that they almost hurt.  This song hit my heart.

On behalf of SongBird & myself, Lauren Alaina - PLEASE release this as a single so Mallary Hope can wear a gorgeous little BMI medallion around her neck, this song deserves every award out there.  Brilliant.


FM Radio:
Singer: Lauren Alaina, Mallary Hope
Songwriter: Mallary Hope 
(How awesome is this?!  A solo female writer + the fact that it is Mallary Hope!)
Song: "The Locket"
Back in '41. you met a brown-eyed boy
Who called you pretty
He'd walk every day, couple miles out of his way
To hold your hand and keep you company
Your mama said, don't call it love at 14
But sittin' on that front porch swing

He gave you his picture in a locket
That you wore around your neck
Left it right beside your heart
So you would not forget
The way it felt when he held your hand
And you swore that you would never take it off
And the butterflies you felt said it all
You were falling for the boy inside your locket

Back in '43, the brown-eyed boy went overseas
And had to leave town for a little while
He swore he'd marry you
As soon as the war was through
You would be his wife
Standing in the pouring rain
You cried as you watched him ride away

But everyday
You had his picture in a locket
That you wore around your neck
Left it right beside your heart so you would not forget

The way his kiss tasted on your lips
And everyday felt like a lifetime with him gone
And you prayed that God would bring him safely home
'Cause you made a promise
To the boy inside your locket

Oh, 60 years you two had together
But he's been gone for a couple now
And it breaks my heart to see you struggle to remember
But I've been writing all your memories down
And I stopped by today
To read a couple pages
Grandma, you sure look pretty
And you smiled that smile
The one I haven't seen in quite a while
And you said to me, 1 want you to keep

His picture in a locket that I wore around my neck
The one I left beside my heart so I would not forget
The greatest love and the greatest man I've ever known
But it's gettin' time for me to head on home
She said, that brown-eyed boy is waiting
And I don't want to keep him long
Heaven is calling
And she said, my heart is longing
For the boy inside your locket


Listen to Mallary's breathtaking version: http://www.myspace.com/mallaryhope

"21 Guns"

Today has not gone at all how I expected it, but for some reason this song feels right.  I have heard this song before, but it hasn't affected me like hearing it today.  If you've been reading the blog, you've read my post about Mallary Hope and how much I adore her.  Well, I have gained even more respect and idolization for her...I thought I already maximized it.

Although you read about it in the newspaper and see it on the news, unless you are connected to the ones protecting our country, you really don't have an in-depth realistic view-point of what is really going on.  However, with this flawless song, I feel connected.  Absolutely brilliant, I've never heard a more heartfelt, real war song.  This is emotion people!  "The cost of your freedom is the sound of 21 Guns." If this doesn't haunt you, nothing will.

And then keep watching...she sings "To Make You Feel My Love"!!  She needs to put this on her album & release it ASAP!!!  LOVE!

FM Radio:
Singer & Songwriter: Mallary Hope
Song: 21 Guns (Watch at 14:00)

"Love Lives On" & "I Belong To You"

Never in my life have I had the opportunity to realize that I am witnessing something beyond words happen in front of my eyes...until now.  When I started to become obsessed with music and lyrics, back in the myspace days, I used to spend countless hours discovering new songs.  The second I heard a song that struck me, I would write it out.  I would take me a little while to keep pausing, writing, pausing, writing, but that is how I taught myself how to structure and write a song.  I discovered rhyming patterns, different structures, etc.  Crazy, right?  Anyways, I would do this so often that I began discovering my 'favorite' writers.  When some people listen to a song, unknowingly, they immediately only listen to the melody, not caring or knowing what in the heck the song is about.  I, on the other hand, listen initially to the lyrics, second for how the melody blends with the lyrics, third...I end up writing it out if I love it that much.  Anyways, to make me even crazier, I still have a notebook filled with lyrics to a bunch of songwriters demos that disappeared off of the internet.  So maybe you just heard the song playing on the radio, but I heard it about 2 years ago.

Sometimes a writer comes along that, for lack of better words, totally blows your mind and rips your heart out with every song you hear.  So for today, meet my best kept secret...Mallary Hope.  Usually, you get to know an artist once their song has gone #1 and they've been on the market forever.  Well, I've been honored to watch Mallary's career develop from probably more than 2 years ago.  I discovered her myspace and was captivated, I heard something in her that I hadn't heard before.  She has this indescribable ability to pour emotions into her lyrics and performance that is just unbelievable.  I'll never forget a song I heard so long ago called "Why'd You Let Me Love You," I wrote it out and blasted it consecutively every day (obsessed?) until it was taken down haha!  I have been a fan from when she signed her publishing to record deal, and listened from 900 miles away while she made her Grand Ole Opry debut...which was incredible by the way ;)  I honestly can't say enough about how much she has influenced me!  I can't wait until she starts racking up her CMA's & Grammy's!!

Well, Mallary wrote & released one of my favorite songs ever written (Yes I put that on my Belmont application as my favorite song!) "Love Lives On."  You have to sit down and lose yourself in this song...it's the crying kind.  

Tonight, Mallary put on Facebook a video of a song that is undoubtedly getting added to my 'all-time favorite songs' list.  I have no idea if this is going to work, but the song is called "I Belong To You."  If it doesn't open, friend her and listen!!!   

Watch: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150270904123907&comments  

FM Radio:

Singer: Mallary Hope

Songwriters: Mallary Hope, Shane Stevens, Matthew West

Song: "Love Lives On" 

I reached for you this morning

Woke up with empty arms

Once again it's sinking in

How far away you are

I still pour two cups of coffee

And tell you all about my dreams

This kitchen's way to quiet

You should still be here with me

And even though I cry like crazy

Even though it hurts so bad

I'm thankful for the time god gave me

Even though we couldn't make it last

I’m learning how to live without you

Even though i don't want to

And even with you gone love lives on

I still call your mom on Sunday

It's good to hear her voice

She always tells me that same story

About her stubborn little boy

And i kept your favorite tshirt

You know the one i used to hate

Ain't it funny how it's the one thing i

I just can't throw away

And even though I cry like crazy

Even though it hurts so bad

I'm thankful for the time god gave me

Even though we couldn't make it last

I’m learning how to live without you

Even though i don't want to

And even with you gone love lives on

She comes with me on your birthday

Little flowers in her hands

She's always known there's something missing

But to young to understand

And someday she's going to ask me

What kind of man you were

I'll tell her all the ways i loved you

And all of you i see in her

And even though i cry like crazy

Even though it hurts so bad

I’m thankful for the love god gave me

And she's the perfect way to make it last

Learning how to live without you

Baby i don't want you to

But even with you gone

Love lives on yeah

I reached for you this morning

Woke up with empty arms

Hear The Story & Watch Her Sing It: