Tomorrow Can't Wait

© Oct 2010 Fort Creek Songs

I think this song is the first one where I "discovered" my present 

dominant technique of song writing. I don't write all my songs using 

this method but many of them follow this way. 

So here it is:  Sometimes when I am in that transition phase of 

awake and sleep, (I believe the term for that is the hypnagogic 

state), a melody begins to play in my head.  I will rouse myself 

(the most difficult part - missed some melodies 'cause I didn't 

wake), grab my digital camera on my nightstand 

(placed there for just such an occasion), set the camera for video 

and hum the melody into the camera microphone.  Good thing

Laura is a very sound sleeper! The next day I go back and listen 

to what I've been given. It's usually a strong enough melody to 

build a song around.  

As for lyrics, I remember more than one musician (Mick Jagger 

and Tom Waits are two I can specifically remember) mentioning in 

interviews that the best songs they write are ones where they just 

flow out of them and take very little time to write.  I also take 

inspiration from the fact that Neil Young has something like 400 

songs - many great ones but plenty of stinkers.  When I used to 

try and write songs I would be paralyzed with fear that my song 

would suck.  I wanted to write the BEST SONG EVER and with that 

looming over me it's no wonder I would never even start. 

So taking the two points above what I do now is: 

1) try to write the lyrics as fast as possible without editing anything 

that comes into my head and 

2) don't beat myself up if the lyrics aren't great. 

"It's just a song" is my songwriting motto now and it has allowed 

me to produce a whole bunch of material (good quality and 

not-so-good quality).

So on to "just" this song.  I'm not a big fan of the lyrics on this 

one but que sera sera.  It's just a song.

John said the melody to this one sounds like a commercial jingle 

and Jay compared it to a Leon Redbone-type song. It is very 

catchy and gets a very good crowd response when we play it 

live (which we don't do very often). This one gets neglected 

in Porter for some reason but I can't figure out why. It has a 

freakin' Kazoo solo people! Jay also solos on the mandolin too. 

I alternate between playing guitar and banjo on this song 

depending on mood (but I think the banjo suits it better). 

Wow - what a pre-amble!  Anyway, here's the song:

Bb          Cm

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 

F                Bb

Ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha  

I ain't gonna wait for tomorrow
It's already late

Awoke from a dream I was having
It was half past 8
Hit the shower, shoes and the sidewalk
And I'm off on my way
There's a bright sun shining in the sky today

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

ha ha ha ha ha 

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha  

The longer I wait for tomorrow

The shorter it gets
Mechanical lines in the alley

Feed into the jest.
Walkin' back and forth on the pavement
setting shoes alight
Man I wish the stars were out tonight

Bb Cm F Bb

Kazoo solo

Mandolin solo

 
         D#   Dm  Cm  Bb   Cm 
Cause I've had all this time

       D# Dm Cm   Bb   F

And I made up my mind
I ain't waisting no more time

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha  

 
Cause I've had all this time
And I made up my mind
I ain't waisting no more time