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Happy VD all you JPF'rs! OK, so this isn't really a love song. It's more like an anti-love song, a love gone wrong song, a bitter, jilted lover song. Yeah! All that. In my defense, it's another older one. I don't know as I would have written it quite like this today. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

Ricki

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8764358

JAMES DEAN EYES
©Ricki E. Bellos

The rugged beauty of a hard life
Bad love, serious strife
James Dean eyes, a dangerous grin
It's a face that will pull you in

When they say beauty's skin deep
You think you know what that means
Once past what the eye can see
Nothing's quite what it seems

Night cloaked in black velvet robe
That's the color of his heart and soul
He'll scatter diamond dust like stars above
Don't be fool enough to think it's love

When they say beauty's skin deep
You'll come to know what that means
Once past what the eye can see
Nothing's quite what it seems

Raven tattooed on a pearl sky
You still see it when you close your eyes
Cold, raw, bitter day
Dressed in black as he flew away

When they say beauty's skin deep
You finally know what that means
Once past what the eye can see
Nothing's quite what it seems

Now you say beauty's skin deep
And know exactly what that means
Once past what the eye could see
He was nothing like James Dean

Ricki
got it cranking right now, I love what I am hearing ... such a beautiful voice ..I like the strum on the guitar, very smooth ... great lyrics ... pretty melody ...

good job my friend.

Dan

Hi Rat,

Ok, now you're just showing off, but I'm glad you are.
Yes a pretty voice, and a cool song sung well.
I really like this line...

Once past what the eye can see

Great job Ricki

Calvin


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/calvinstewart

Hi Ricki,

Very good writing, and the music is a great match.

"Once past what the eye can see
Nothing's quite what it seems"

--wow...

...and more subtly

"Raven tattooed on a pearl sky
You still see it when you close your eyes"

--is quite beautiful.

Beautiful song. I love the maj7 chords, and the ending which hints at a four maj7th is a really nice touch.

Mike

Ricki, I didn't cry, but enjoyed it.

Hey Ricki...

This is well-written with the subtle but effective changes on Ln 2 of each progressive chorus..then the final chorus changes..builds a nice dimension as she sees what this guy is really about.
The phrasing on your vocal delivery pulls the listener in all the more.

Larry

Hi Dan,

I haven't had anybody cranking me in a while!:) Thanks for letting me know you like this one.

Ricki

Hi Calvin,

Yeah, that's me, old showoff! Thanks for the "cool".

Ricki

Hi Mike,

Thanks for stopping in for this one. I actually plagiarized that raven line, from a poem I wrote. It's an image that has been with me for a long time. I'm glad I found a home for it. Again! I'm glad you like it.

Ricki

Hi Louis,

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I'll get you the next time!

Ricki

Hi Larry,

Thanks for listening and letting me know what you like about this one. Pulling in the listener is what it's all about.

Ricki

Nice vocals and playing, very picturesque lyrics packed with imagery. On the chorus might I suggest replacing the last line with, "Like in the eyes of James Dean" or similar? You do already have it that way in the last line of the song, just wondering if you could get the title heard more that way. Otherwise you could use, "Nothing's quite what it seems" as the title.

The James Dean mention in the title is what drew me in, and I think most people would be drawn in by that, as well as be able to relate to a pretty boy who is a "bad boy" too. Been there, done that, got the heart scars.

This is a good song, and your voice sounds better than ever! Whatever key you did this in is indeed your sweet spot! You have so many brilliant lines in this. Really great write!

Uhmmm - Many fine lines here!
I like your silky voice and the simplicity.

Ken

Ricki....you really have a very nice voice, nice performance....very folk....I'll bet you can cover, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, etc....with no problem....the music fits perfect with an excellent lyric....well done.....Bob

Hi Charlie,

Thanks for taking time to listen and comment. I know it is common practice to get the title repeated often but with this song, I feel it stands out enough only singing it twice, at the beginning and at the end, but I appreciate your thoughts.

Ricki

Hi Polly,

Thanks for listening, glad you liked it. I have a limited vocal range. I'm told I'm an alto and am not always successful going beyond that. And so it goes...

Ricki

Hi Ken,

Wow! I've never gotten a "silky", but have been called simple before. Thanks!

Ricki

Hi Bob,

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about this one. Joni is my hero but I have never tried to do a cover. I can't even manage to sing along to a recording. Her range is so beyond me, I'm left in the dust. All I can do is listen in awe.

Ricki

Hi Ricki

This is a really enjoyable listen - especially the guitar playing. I like the little scale runs that you are doing here. Nice chords. Nice bad boy story ..... I kept thinking that it would work as a beauty queen story line somehow too. with some lyrical adjustments, of course.....

like...............

The Fragile beauty of a hard life
Bad love, serious strife
Marilyn eyes, a ruby red grin
It's a face that will pull you in


maybe because there's such a sweetness in your melody - I think that the music is more feminine somehow....

But it is all very enchanting and very nice imagery. I like it. jm

I remember the hit song Betty Davis Eyes, so this title attracted me as well.

I listened to a kind of sad voice singing a lyric of what appears to be praise. Am I wrong?

Nice lyrics. The melody is not memorable however.

Stan

Clean, sweet, dark, with great imagery. Just my kinda song. Love it!

Some great writing here, Ricki - my favorite lines are the ones that have already gotten the shout-outs.

I love the melody - particularly in the chorus, which is still bounding around my head as I type. Your vocal is great for this too - its firing on all cylinders for me

Scott

Hi JM,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one. Glad you liked it. The beauty queen story is interesting. I have a song titled Sweet Galahad that starts out:
A real high school queen
She was just seventeen
She had boys on the left, boys on the right
Each eager to show their might
But she wasn't having none
She was waiting for the one
Each night she cried

Where are you
I want you so bad
I'm still waiting for you
Sweet Galahad

Anyway, I've been working on the music for 3 years now and I'm still not happy with it. I guess some songs just aren't meant to be!

Ricki

Hi Stan,

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Are you wrong? Well, that's a relative term. I intended it to be a little bitter, and the descriptors were meant as a warning to others to stay away from a bad guy. I didn't mean to be praising him. If you didn't get that maybe I didn't make it clear enough. Or maybe you were so enchanted with my melody that you weren't paying attention to the lyrics?

Ricki

Very nice, sounding good on both the guitar and vocals. Once FAWM/RPM is over, maybe I can experiment adding instruments to some of your tunes (if you don't mind). Of course, your songs sound full with just you, so I'd have to be careful (me? careful?) I enjoyed this one a lot.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Would I mind if you added instruments to some of my tunes? Are you crazy? Wait! Let me re-phrase that. Why Kevin, I would be honored! Pick a tune, any tune, any day. Thanks for the offer, and glad you liked this one.

Ricki

Hi Kim,

Thanks for listening. Clean, sweet and dark, not terms that are usually used to describe anything related to me, but in this case, I'll take it!

Ricki

Hi Scott,

Thanks for taking time to listen and for the generous comments. Firing on all cylinders, eh? Does that mean I haven't thrown any rods yet? Help! I think I've fallen into a Rickie Lee Jones song and I can't get out!

Ricki