November songwriting challenge: Let Me Out (Mila’s Story) (Bash this Demo)

Bash This Recording
#1

as per this thread----> Anyone up for a November songwriting challenge?

This week I randomly picked a song title “Let Me Out”. I remembered a Youtube clip of Mila, a 2-year-old, describing her first day at preschool….

and came up with this…

Song Challenge 2 Let Me Out (Mila’s Story)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rWFGc9KPRHdalw3roVRwHXZUN3T1F_W6/view?usp=sharing

Yesterday my mommy had some news for me
She signed me up for preschool
I told her I want to go to law school
She said No Mila you’re only two

So we get to the place and I’m shook, I’m shook
The teacher is shady; the kids are insane
Throwing staplers, pooping everywhere
I walk in speechless but I’m still alive

1/2 Chorus
Let me out, let me out
Break; break free
Let me out, let me out
I’m not where I want to be right now
Let me out

I get in my seat and hear the teacher say
Dave, we don’t pee on our friends
So now Dave is triggered and chases her with scissors
I was speechless but I’m still alive

Chorus
Let me out, let me out
Break; break free
Let me out, let me out
I’m not where I want to be
Let me out, let me out
Break; break free
Let me out, let me out
I’m not where I want to be right now
Let me out

It was a mess. I had to do something.
So I yelled nap time
Checkmate!

Chorus
Let me out, let me out
Break; break free
Let me out, let me out
I’m not where I want to be
Let me out, let me out
Break; break free
Let me out, let me out
I’m not where I want to be right now
Let me out

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#2

haha, nice

I like the slight major feel on the first notes of the chorus. Hmm, major6th thrown in somewhere? D major chord

#3

Hi Jon-Jon,

Thanks for the feedback, and posting the challenge.

>Hmm, major6th thrown in somewhere? D major chord

I had to work to try to figure that out, because I was writing it by ear…From my “research”, I think you are hearing an E11 chord.

https://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=5&string4=3&string3=1&string2=0&string1=2&string0=0

Last line of verse chords are…
I F C I E I E7 I

Chorus chords are…
I D E I F#m A D / I

(VS) (CH)
E7_____________D
Let (g#) me (a) out (f#)

It’s where the “a” note is being sung over the E7 chord.

I don’t usually try to make transitions so tricky, but I was having trouble getting a chorus and verse section to fit into one vocal range…one kept being too high, or low to sing until I found this combination.

Thanks again,

James

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#4

I wish youd list ALL of the chords lol

its amazing how hard it is for me to figure out these chords…BECAUSE my main guitar is tuned a whole step down. So the verse (to my ear) is starting on am Aminor chord, but of course my fingers must do a Bm chord since im tuned a step down…and my mind wont do all the math this early in the morning

for me to LOOK at the listed chords for the verse, but actually transpose it a whole step up with my hands is incredibly hard for some reason. It actually pissed me off after I looked at the D chord yet kept playing the wrong chord. It actually pissed me off after about the 3rd time

whats the chord on “law”?

the note that was standing out to me as cool was the F# (let me OUT) over the D chord. Which is the major 6th in the key of A minor, whereas normally in A minor youd have the F note

Essentially, (unless my mind is tricking me), the verse chords are A minor but the chorus chords are A MAJOR chords. Gives it a cool Pink Floyd/Beatles/Cheap Trick vibe

In any case, my ear is definitely tuned to hear changing modes and major to minor stuff because I dont think ive ever done a straightforward chord sequence in my life lol

#5

Wow, regarding the starting video I had no idea what a song from it could be. I’m amazed about how catchy it finally ended.
Very great stuff to me, and the chorus (and/or story) could be interpreted to different ways.
Again, it sounds like you write this every day.
Bravo!

#6

>I wish youd list ALL of the chords lol

Here you go!

Vs
I Am C I G Dm I
I Am C I G Dm I
I F C I Gm I
I F C I E I E7 I

Ch
I D E I F#m A D / I
I D E I F#m B7 I
I D E I F#m A D / I
I D E I F#m F#m7 B7 / I D I

Br
I F I G I Am (Am/G) (D/F#) / I
I F I G I Am riff

whats the chord on “law”?
Gm

>the note that was standing out to me as cool was the F# (let me OUT) over the D chord. Which is the major 6th in the key of A minor, whereas normally in A minor youd have the F note

Nice!

> I dont think ive ever done a straightforward chord sequence in my life lol

:smiley:

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#7

Thanks for the encouragement!

>it sounds like you write this every day.

I had been doing a song-a-week challenge for 7 years, but I stopped 2 years ago to start doctoral studies in Teaching English as a Second language. I still have at least a couple more years of school to do before I finish, but I really miss working on music, so I’m seeing if I can squeeze it back into my life.

Thanks again for the feedback.

#8

Good luck so, but it seems that you nailed your writing skill a bit higher.

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#9

yeah, the Gm was catching me ear as well. Obviously in the key of A minor you normally have a G MAJOR chord and using G Minor there is pretty rare. I remember using it in one of my songs once (no vocals yet) and I was thinking “gee thats cool, I dont think ive ever heard that before”. Then I put on some music to go to sleep and heard the chord change in something from like 1981 lol

I think I have used it more than once now, not sure.

Pretty sure this is the same thing in f#m where it goes to an E MINor chord at around :50 instead of the normal (for the key) E MAJor

in your song its almost a temporary modulation because the chords F,C,Gm are straight out of the key of F whereas the song started in the key of A minor

#10

Pretty sure this is the same thing in f#m where it goes to an E MINor chord at around :50 instead of the normal (for the key) E MAJor

Nice guitars and drum groove. Thanks for sharing.

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