So, I hope this little tune makes you chuckle. Or cry - either way. The idea for “Hopes Down” popped into my head as a result of a tiny bit of good news that came my way recently. I work with a songwriting service out of Nashville which “submits” or “pitches” my original songs to films and TV shows, as well as established musical artists for possible use in their projects. I send them demos of finished songs, and then wait to hear back on whether they think the song is good enough to pitch. (So fun, right? Rejection is constantly lurking. Woohoo!) If an artist or producer likes the tune you’ll hear back eventually, that they’re willing to give it a “re-listen” - or even better put it “on hold” to play for the next level of decision maker.
After a butt-load of rejections…(quite common to the business, but still not pleasant) I got an email back to say that two of my songs were “under consideration”. I’m so used to just deleting the rejection emails quickly that I had to stop and read it again. Huh. What? For a tiny moment - a flicker really - I let my imagination float away. For a split second a flash danced through my mind…that maybe one of those songs would finally get picked-up and I’d be on my way! I quickly shook my head, took my tiny pet hope and stuffed it down in my pocket and heard this lyric and melody pop loudly into my head. “Hopes Down - Get your hopes down”. It was like a little warning and it made me laugh. That phrase stuck with me and as I sat down later at the piano this little dance came about in my mind and I wrote “Hopes Down”.
Some good news came my way today.
And I invited her to stay.
We dance around the room awhile.
Then she waltzed out and left my heart there in a pile…
Oh, but I know better
Hopes Down, Get Your Hopes Down.
Don’t let your imagination run and play.
Hopes Down, Get your Hopes Down,
cause if hope goes to floatin’ it might just float away
The verses speak of the games we play with hope…where we are even afraid to entertain the idea that something good might happen lest it quickly disappear. When life has beaten us down, after awhile it’s like we’re afraid to “jinx” the idea… like if we take a minute to be hopeful…hope will hear us and waltz out of the room. If your expectations are zero - you can’t be disappointed right? :) So the tune goes on… (Sorry for the cussing, Mom)
Hope can be a bitch ya’ll, it’s a snitch ya’ll
Whispers secrets she can’t keep
Hope can be a bitch, he’ll scratch your itch ya’ll
But in the end you’ll bleed.
But as I worked through the tune’s cynicism-laden bridge, I asked the question…where’s the good news? (Not all songs have good news, but most do.) That’s when I heard what I call the “Ba Ba’s” section, which goes up into a major key and is produced to sound a bit like bubbles floating upward… because well…hope floats right? It lifts us up. :) As hard as it is for all of us to hold out hope sometimes, it’s essential to our survival. Like my Dad always says “We have to have hope. Hope is the belief that things might get better.”
So the song finishes as the character decides…she can’t quit hope…so she takes another hit of her drug of choice.
I swear I’m gonna quit ya’ll…
I take a hit ya’ll…
cause Hope I can’t quit you.
The tiny glimmers of hope we feel are often from the voice inside that says to keep on going - that in the end things will be OK. It will be worth it. As life goes on, I want to try my best to be “cautiously optimistic”, and to hold on to whatever sliver of hope I can find. And the truth is we all have to do that, because the alternative is a bummer. Speaking of hope - I hope this little metaphor of a song reminds you not to quit. What’re you’re doing matters.
Thanks for listening!
LYRICS: HOPES DOWN
Some good news came my way today
And I invited her to stay
We danced around the room awhile
She waltzed out and left my heart there in a pile
But I know better…
Hopes Down - get your hopes down
Don’t your imagination run and play
Hopes Down - get your hopes down
Cuz’ if hope goes to floatin’ it might just - float away…
Mr. Dream knocked on my door
He held me close - we took a spin across the floor
Then I peeked into his eyes
He kissed my cheek before he left and turned out the lights
Oh… I know better
Hopes Down - get your hopes down
Don’t your imagination run and play
Hopes Down - get your hopes down
Cuz’ if hope goes to floatin’ it might just - float away…
Hope can be a bitch ya’ll, it’s a snitch ya’ll
Whispers secrets she can’t keep
Hope can be a bitch, he’ll scratch your itch ya’ll
But in the end you’ll bleed…
Hopes Down - get your hopes down
Don’t your imagination run and play
Hopes Down - get your hopes down
Cuz’ if hope goes to floatin’ it might just - float away…
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba … I know better
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba … I know better
I swear I’m gonna quit, ya’ll…
I take a hit ya’ll…
‘Cause hope I can’t quit you