Kirby's Generalized Philosophy of Writing Songs

Below are listed some thoughts (not exactly rules) on how and why I write songs.

• Songs are like lifes and life does not fade out, so neither should songs. Sometimes you'll want a song to 'go on forever' but that's folly.


• Lyrics should not be embarrassing to speak out loud, if they make you embarrassed you need to figure out why and either try again or convince yourself you're over-analyzing.


• Melody is important.


• Listen to good songs and then learn the best parts to use in your own songs. Additionally, do not listen to bad songs to avoid using their worst elements, it isn't as useful.


• Music is of a dual nature; it is easy to write and impossible to write. If you ever write a song you'll know what I mean.


• Music is inherent to humans and animals- do not believe people who claim they do not like listening to music.


• When poptimists gush on and on about production and how 'clean' a song sounds it makes me imagine a little kid waking up on Christmas morning and running downstairs and jumping up and down yelling about how pretty the wrapping paper is and how they have beautiful bows and ribbons and perfectly side-chained drums with incredible saturation plug-ins while completly ignoring the present- aka the song itself.
  
  If you can hear the most important parts of your song across different speakers that is all that matters.


• Finally- do your absolute best to play an instrument every day, even if you don't feel like it.

Favorite Songs I found in 2024

YouTube Link to Playlist
Spotify Link to Playlist (not recommended)

1. Golden Years-The Lemon Twigs
2. Yurac Sisa- Intiraymi
3. Rubber Bullets (TOTP version)- 10cc
4. My Stove's on Fire-Robert Lester Folsom
5. About the Movies-Tripping Daisy
6. Genesis 1 Verse 20- Ralph McTell
7. Theme Vision-Bruno Pernadas
8. Mornin'-Al Jarreau
9. Reminiscing-Little River Band
10. Visionary-Genevieve Artadi
11. Scrapbook-Clouds
12. Dreams of a Warrior-Mabisyo
13. Let Me Into Your Life-Paul Collins and The Beat
14. Seikolos Epitaph-YK Band
15. Salmon's Combat Theme- FF7 Rebirth OST

Honorable mentions-

• Don't Bother-T-Shirt & Sweats Link
• Soul Tropical-David Walters Link

Favorite Songs I found in 2023

YouTube Link to Playlist
Spotify Link to Playlist

1. Üdü Ẁüdü- Magma

   My actual favorite song from Magma I found this year is this performance of 'Zess' but since it's 30+minutes I picked the first song I heard by them instead.

2. Can't Let Go-Earth Wind & Fire
3. What Can I Do- Ten Minute Detour
4. Didn't Want to Have to Do It- The Lovin' Spoonful
5. 5 A.M.- The Millennium
6. Raining in My Heart- Buddy Holly
7. Heading For the Light- Traveling Wilburys
8. The Mermaid Hotel- Pram
9. Anyway You Want It- The Dave Clark Five
10. North to Nothing- The Wrens
11. Vengeance- New Model Army
12. End of the Universe- Gooseworx
13. Colour of Anyhow- Beverly Glenn-Copeland
14. It's Time- Cowboy
15. Your Way to Tell Me Go- Plastic Penny
16. Nobody Sees Me Like You Do- Yoko Ono
17. Forester (live)- King and Jester
18. Herb Tree- Daweh Congo
19. It's Trying to Say- The Beach Boys
20. Daddy Mulk (live)- The Ninja Warriors

Honorable mentions-

• Sooner or Later- The Innocents (aka Beathoven) Link
• Marionette- 12 Rods Link
• Turnstile- Blackout Link
• Nearly every single YS song I heard, there are too many to list but my most favorite was probably Water Prison- YS Origin Link
• Overworld I- Breath of Fire 3 Link
• And finally, Somebody Made For Me- Emitt Rhodes Link

Some of my Favorite Video Games

I used to play games as a kid because they were fun, specifically because you could do things in the game you weren't allowed or able to do easily in real life, like fight people, fly, etc. but the older I get the more interested I am in ways video games and my life overlap. I also think video games are unique in that their storytelling can be interactive and able to express ideas and themes difficult to express in other mediums.

The games that I've enjoyed the most are from the Dragon Quest series, the YS series, the Final Fantasy series and other games like Lufia 2, Xenogears, Terranigma, Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Graces f (most Tales of games actually), and Breath of Fire 3 and 5. I also like Starfox 64, pretty much every Zelda game, Kingdom Hearts 1, and Grandia 1.
These are all story-focused games but I also like more gameplay-focused games like the ones from the Donkey Kong series, Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon (which will eventually get its own section along with Maplestory probably), I have an extreme love/hate vibe with the Rayman series but the Tony Hawk series is amazing- and finally Tetris is pretty cool.
All of the games I've mentioned have really good soundtracks and are generally worth playing (you'll have to emulate some of them but it's worth it), they aren't necessarily easy especially if you're new to video games, but overall I'd just like to recommend these games and game series if you're interested in interactive storytelling or good music and art.