http://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter's Blog On Digital Rodeo.com60http://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter/blog/906<b>6/11/2008 1:00 PM</b><br /><br /> Country Cruisin'<BR /><BR />Baby, grab your two-piece for a river rendervous<BR />And let's go country cruisin' on my private innertube<BR />Meet me underneath the trestle, at our secret hideaway<BR />A three-day weekend's fadin' fast, but there's still time to play<BR /><BR />We can lay out on the riverbank, our first port o' call<BR />Maybe do some skinny dippin' underneath the falls<BR /><BR />Country cruisin'<BR />On a lazy river ride<BR />Country cruisin'<BR />Floatin' side by side<BR />No house to clean; no kids to feed; no bills to pay<BR />Just kickin' off our shoes, 'n'<BR />Country cruisin' all day<BR /><BR />Tonight, we'll build a campfire, and make a little spark<BR />Then lean back on a log, and tell ghost stories in the dark<BR />When the full moon says it's midnight, we'll hit the grand buffet<BR />For sun tea in a jar, and catfish on a paper plate<BR /><BR />While the world is fast asleep and lightning bugs are playing tag<BR />We'll be playing footsie, girl, inside my ...http://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter6/11/2008 1:00:00 PMhttp://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter/blog/676<b>4/21/2008 10:00 AM</b><br /><br /> How to Avoid a Song Shark<BR /><BR /><BR />1. Do not sell your song outright.<BR /><BR />2. Never pay any sort of submission fees, review fees, service fees, filing fees, etc...<BR /><BR />3. Never pay to have your song pulished.<BR /><BR />4. Do not pay a company to pair you with a collaborater.<BR /><BR />5. Never pay to have your lyric or poem set to music.<BR /><BR />6. Avoid "pay to play" CD compilation deals.<BR /><BR />7. Avoid songpluggers who offer to shop your song for an upfront fee or retainer.<BR /><BR />8. Avoid paying upfront to have a publisher make a demo of your song.<BR /><BR />9. No record company should ask you to pay them or an assosiated company to make a demo.<BR /><BR />10. Before entering any songwriting contest, read the rules carefully.<BR /><BR />11. Verify any situation about an individual or company if you have any doubts at all ( Contact the companies Performing Rights Society - ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN, the better business bureau in the company's town, ...http://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter4/21/2008 10:00:00 AMhttp://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter/blog/675<b>4/21/2008 10:00 AM</b><br /><br /> The following list, taken from a Songrwiter's Guild of America publication, enumerates the basic features of an acceptable songwriting contract:<BR /><BR />1. WORK FOR HIRE. When you recieve a single song contract, the phrases "employment for hire," and "exclusive writer agreement" are NOT included. Also, there should be no options for future songs.<BR /><BR />2. PERFORMING RIGHTS AFFILIATION; all performance royalties must be recieved directly by you from your performing rights organization (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). THis should be wrriten into your contract.<BR /><BR />3. REVERSION CLAUSE. The contract should include a provision that if the publisher does not secure a release of a commercial sound recording within a specified time (one year, two years, etc...), the contract can be terminated by you.<BR /><BR />4. CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION. If the contract includes a provision that the publisher can change the title, lyric, or music, this should be ammended so that only with your consent c...http://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter4/21/2008 10:00:00 AMhttp://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter/blog/630<b>4/15/2008 3:00 PM</b><br /><br /> American Soldier<BR /><BR />An American soldier in a foreign land<BR />He's kneeling down on one knee with a rifle in his hand<BR />Asking the Good Lord to stay by his side<BR />He's cold and he's tired, and he ain't ready to die<BR /><BR />He's an American soldier<BR />An American soldier<BR />American soldier on the line<BR /><BR />No, he don't wanna be there, but he's not afraid to fight<BR />He's just one mortal man, trying best as he can<BR />To do the thing he knows is right<BR />Standing up for his country, and his American way of life<BR />He'll be back home, he knows, now, in no time at all<BR />If he can just make it through the night<BR /><BR />He's got a wife, back in Houston, and a little boy that just turned one<BR />And what he wants the most, right now, is just to hold his son<BR />He wasn't there to see his first steps<BR />His wife's home, alone, raising him all by herself<BR />Without her...<BR /><BR />American soldier<BR />Her American soldier<BR />American soldier ...http://www.digitalrodeo.com/rjsongwriter4/15/2008 3:00:00 PM