Brad Wins A Song Writing Contest--Again

Over the past number of years our Pittsburgh-based singer-song writer son has submitted an entry in the annual Just This Guy Song Writing Contest, where he has frequently been one of the winners. This time the theme was, aptly, "song contests," and each entry was to include the following:

1. The motivation for participating or not participating in a song contest.
2. A difficulty of song contests.
3. A positive aspect of the song contest competition.
4. The words SONG, LOCAL, CONTEST, REQUIREMENTS, PRIZE and CHALLENGE.

And as always, Bonus Points for using the word MONKEY.

Here's the result, for which he earned the $400 first prize this year:

a SONG CONTEST is an oxymoron,
find some chords you can hang your heart on,
you’ll never lose anytime you sing the truth
I sent my song and my $30
to be turned down by a team of scholars,
or their intern, Bob, whoever they gave that job to?..

now I’ve never been a fan of keeping score,
if you tell me that it’s free, I’ll have some more,
when somebody wants to hear the song I sing,
that’s all the PRIZE that I hope for,
but there are moments when we all want to be loved,
want someone to tell us that we’re good enough,
in those moments I have sent my best songs off,
like throwing darts into the dark…
play it like a scratch card,
maybe you could win a new guitar?…

now I’m a sport and I like a CHALLENGE,
but I’m not sure how to strike a balance
between making art, and all that other “tryin’ to make it” part,
I’ve never been accused of selling out,
if all the MONKEYs say it’s cool, I have my doubts,
I want a song to wake me up, and call my bluff,
and break my heart, and make me shout,
but there are moments when we all say, “what the hay?”

the REQUIREMENTS of life seem much too great,
that’s when we need a song to tell us it’s okay,
no matter what the judges say…
on the road for 3 days,
to play 2 songs on the main stage?..
and I’ve got friends who swear they’ll never enter one again,
and other friends who’ve done them all, and often win…
a song contest is a strange procession,
step right up, make your plain confession,
you can’t lose anytime you sing the truth…

You can hear it here http://www.bradyoder.com/songs/song-contest/. And here's another of Brad's recent songs I really like: 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2018/07/jose-and-maria-at-southern-border.html