2storeytreat #1: paperback romance

So, I promised all you 2sh fans (all 3 of you :P) a treat, and here it is. Over the next few days or weeks, I’ll be posting the lyrics of my songs that will be on my upcoming EP. In addition to the lyrics, I will also be writing about the songs- the stories behind them, and what they mean etc. I know I don’t talk alot during my gigs (that’s a skill I need to work on- interacting with the crowd), so if you’ve been dying to find out what a song is about, this will be your chance 🙂

I’ve checked out a couple of studios, and gonna check out another one next week, and make my decision about where to record the EP. I want to finish recording the EP by the end of March, and then work on the designing/packaging after that. So today, I will be posting the lyrics to Paperback Romance.

Paperback Romance

I can’t dance, though I’d love to dance with you
Melt in your eyes, as I mirror the way you move
Till the end, till the song starts to fade
Envelope you in my arms where I’d like you to stay

I’m not as smooth, as the slender curve of your back
I’m quiet and shy, maybe you like boys like that
I’m a hopeless romantic, I’m a wishful thinker
You’re the reason why my heart beats faster

And I’ll wear my heart on my sleeve
Just for you to see, for you to believe
Me when I tell you, when I tell you
I meant every word, every word I said

I know I can’t write lines to make you smile
But I can try, or fail trying- with style!
I don’t know what you want, or what you need
So I’m trying the locks with all of my keys

Who knows if goodbye lasts forever?
But I do know this fire inside of me,
Won’t burn out, it won’t burn out
Anytime soon

What can I say about this song? I started the song a long time ago when TJ was telling me that he wanted to learn how to salsa (I think it was cos the girl he liked loved doing salsa). Thats how the line ‘I can’t dance, though I’d love to dance with you’ came about.

I didn’t do much with that line till awhile later when I was getting into the groove of songwriting that I decided to do something with that line. I was going after a girl at that time and I didn’t know how to tell her, and so I decided to write the song for the job. Sad thing is, she didn’t get to hear the song when I had a rough version of it- she hooked up with someone else while I was idling. (this is the story of George, Raelene, Win Yew and Samantha btw, if you’ve heard it, you’ll get it haha). I managed to finish it for Raelene, and she wasn’t too impressed with it (haha).

Basically the song lyrics are pretty straightforward and easy to understand- a hopeless guy trying to be smooth as he can, confessing his love to the girl he likes. The only abstract part of the song would be the bridge ‘who knows if goodbye lasts forever..’- basically its about saying goodbye after I dropped her home, and me thinking to myself ‘did I screw up? will I get a next date?’. And ‘the fire inside’ not burning out is me not giving up hope we’d get together.

This song was orginally called ‘3 syllables maimed a heart’- the 3 syllables referring to Sa-man-tha (haha) cos she got together with Win Yew. I only renamed it to Paperback Romance around last year when I recorded the song with James for Silence! The Avenger. This is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, mainly because of the line ‘I’m not as smooth as the slender curve of your back’. I haven’t been able to write another poetic-yet-not-cheesy line of that caliber recently.

So Hani and Ferhan, here are the lyrics for you guys to sing along at the next gig!