That’s What
Liner Notes
“That’s What” - #fawm 50/90 2024 song 35
Last summer these lyrics were written as a response to the prompt “good/bad parenting advice.” I’ve always loved the advice to think carefully about whether any particular issue is “the hill you want to die on.” Save your no for when you need it.
At the same time, I didn’t want this to be a song that could only be read as parenting advice, so I tried to leave the lyrics open to other possibilities. It could be about a parent and a kid or it could be about adults relating to each other in a number of different situations.
Today I sat down to set it to music, trying to come up with melody for part of it before I added chords. The chorus and bridge came together fairly well in my voicenotes app, and then I pulled out the ukulele and figured out the verses and revised.
15 lyric drafts left to finish from 2023…
All my originals: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6mTUlPL-MmAm45IMVgat1necrh2mGnT6&si=sAdXP581ZNU__9rn
#fuc #acoustic #acousticonetake #ukulele #personwithukulele #onetake #girlwithukulele #singersongwriter #parentingadvice
Lyrics
Whooo-eee, you’re pushing buttons with your energy…
My, my, I might edge right on by…
No way, it’s not the vision I had for today…
They said you get red in your fury, and warm
It’s just me in the middle of all of your storm
And I’m not dying on this hill,
I’m not fighting you at all
I’m gonna roll over, play dead while you sniff at my corpse
️What I won’t do is fall
For your fussing-cussing energy
That’s it, that’s what, that’s all
Hey, kid, I don’t know what you think I did…
Whoa no, I didn’t buy a ticket for this show..
Oh Lord, if you could kill me with a word…
I know where I’ve stepped and I know where I’ve stumbled
I came up on these feet and I’m not gonna crumble
CHORUS
My mama said once — you can love what you don’t like
It’s gonna be fine, we get more than just three strikes, but
I like us too much to lean into this mess, so
I’m saving my “no” and I’m not getting pressed
CHORUS