Lee Barry Composition (And Photo) Diary

 The rhythmic and melodic seed is based on a childhood taunt. [ more ]  

*** Score:  *** Seed: 

  Robert Adams, Pikes Peak Park, Colorado Springs, 1969 Ideally, what you want from a set of lyrics is a” package” of some kind, where the original spark creates the ultimate shape of the lyric, combined with various other things that you wouldn't have imagined in the beginning (including images). The original spark was the word “tumbledown”, a term that's used in auto design (or "tumblehome"). But it gathered other meanings along the way because of the rhymes: “tumbleweed”, “humble town”, and "Levittown", which makes the lyric veer off in interesting directions. In the end, what it seems to be about is American Suburbia (and American culture overall) and how it's declined since the 1950s. The bouncy country music setting is ironic considering where the country is now.   ***  Down here Tumbledown Here we are in humble town Postwar Goin' 'round Cookie-cutter Levittowns Big sky Border town People tunnel underground Tumbleweed Blowin' 'round...

The first storytelling from 5000 years ago, just when it started to come out of its talking head phase of utilitarian use, now being "sung" by a machine. This passage in isolation isn't very musical so I am using only part of it. This is actually art song material, not to be used as a verse in a pop song, but AI could never compose an art song, but I suppose it could if its data set was art songs.  

  Ideal Diner, Perth Amboy, New Jersey (George Tice) Would-be silhouette The shadow he could get One of the characters is dreaming I think it's the girl in the diner Civil rights activist Now she's on a list One of the characters is dreaming I think it's the girl in the diner Sussing out the blue key In Mulholland Drive One of the characters is dreaming I think it's the girl in the diner  Copyright 2026 Lee Barry, Rights in lyrics reserved Two Blues and a Pop:

 Rhythmic seed  for "NFT, the new Model T"    

What does architecture have to do with early-70s blues rock? Nothing. If you were just starting to play in the 70s, you probably listened to stuff like this. Decade Highways reminds me of Wishbone Ash, That Means A Lot sounds like Cream. especially the bass.

  Attempted Arrest of the Five Members ---Charles West Cope    

 With AI music you can pull out the stops on wordplay, and have it sung--so you can use words like "synecdoche" and use portmanteaux.  AI-generation of art and music is a real thing now and will continue to evolve as we adapt. I'm trying to find niche uses for it instead of churning out country music.  [Mysteronomy: Mystery+Astronomy] Mysteronomy Weaving webs through history In veils of anonymity Lost in a sea of subjectivity We still mistake freedom for free A synecdoche  Weaving threads through you and me A way towards relativity Lost in a maze of free activity We still mistake the I for the Me Mysteronomy It's the end of our uncertainty The truth of our cosmology Lost is a space of subjectivity We still mistake freedom for free Copyright 2022 Lee Barry. Rights in lyrics reserved.  The original version. AI music can't come close to harmonic complexity beyond what's in the training sets, and even if Thelonious Monk is in there it would never sound right....

A "steal" from the outro of an AI-Generated song, Burn-In,  So I'm the "human in the loop".