Enjoy “OUT OF MY MIND” on Youtube!
In the early months of 1975 I started a new song on my piano titled “Let It Ride”! Let It Ride was a popular phrase at that time that refers to just letting go of a situation you can’t change. The song it is a story about a guy who failed at love and how painful the memories are when he sees his former girlfriend on the street!
Verse 1 has stayed pretty much the same over the years.
I SAW YOU THE OTHER DAY AND
THOSE OLD FEELINGS OF LOVE RETURNED
I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED THE OTHER WAY
TO REMEMBER THE LESSON I LEARNED
BUT AGAIN I LET THE THOUGHT OF YOU
TEARS ME TO SHREADS INSIDE
I JUST CAN’T LET IT RIDE NO
I JUST CAN’T LET IT RIDE
Verse 2 has gone through many changes over the years but basically had this form until recently
IT WAS COLD THAT EARLY FALL
WHEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU
IT SEEMED AS THOUGH WE HAD IT ALL
TILL YOU LEFT WITHOUT LEAVING A CLUE
IT WAS MY MISTAKE TO THINK YOU LOVED ME
WHEN I KNEW THE TRUTH INSIDE
I JUST CAN’T LET IT RIDE NO
I JUST CAN’T LET IT RIDE
Originally there was only a musical bridge with no words.
In 1989, I presented the song for critique when I took a songwriting semester taught by the late legendary songwriter, Jack Segal! In fact he recommended the line “TILL YOU LEFT WITHOUT LEAVING A CLUE”! I honestly can’t remember what was there before but I am sure it probably was more cliché’ – a bad songwriting habit I had at that time. Jack liked the song but felt it still needed some work so I put it on the back burner.
Over the years I made several attempts to fix the song like changing the title to “Let It Slide” but there are 2 lines in Verse 2 that I have never been happy with:
“IT WAS MY MISTAKE TO THINK YOU LOVED ME WHEN I KNEW THE TRUTH INSIDE” – the phrasing never seemed right to me so I would set it on the back shelf again.
Very often, for some reason, lyrics come to me when I am in the shower!! Last week, as I was singing the song, out of my mouth came two new lines for that section!
“I THOUGHT I FOUND SOMEONE WHO WOULD ALWAYS LOVE ME – NOW LONELINESS IS ALL I CAN FIND” With a new last rhyme from INSIDE to FIND – it now occurred to me a new title was needed and within minutes I replaced “I JUST CAN’T LET IT RIDE” with “I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND”!! I GOT SO EXCITED! I also decided to put some hope into the lyric by adding 2 lines where my musical bridge had been “ONE DAY SOON I WILL BE HAPPY AGAIN”!
The song was finally finished after 41 long years!!
I’ve been told that I am a persistent person – I guess believing in this song for 41 years proves that I am!
Enjoy “OUT OF MY MIND” on Youtube! https://youtu.be/BxBat8mkOWE
Dave
OUT OF MY MIND
© 2016 by Dave Colvin – Arnybarn Music (BMI)
Final lyric : VERSE 1
I SAW YOU THE OTHER DAY AND
THOSE OLD FEELINGS FOR YOU RETURNED
I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED THE OTHER WAY
TO REMEMBER THE LESSON I LEARNED
BUT AGAIN I LET THE THOUGHT OF YOU
TEAR ME TO SHREDS INSIDE NOW
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND, NO
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND
VERSE 2
IT WAS COLD THAT EARLY FALL
WHEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU
IT SEEMED AS THOUGH WE HAD IT ALL
TILL YOU LEFT WITHOUT LEAVING A CLUE
THOUGHT I FOUND SOMEONE WHO WOULD ALWAYS LOVE ME
NOW LONELINESS IS ALL I CAN FIND
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND, NO
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND
BRIDGE
ONE DAY SOON
I WILL BE HAPPY AGAIN
½ VERSE 3
BUT FOR NOW I’M LETTING THE THOUGHT OF YOU
TEAR ME TO SHREDS INSIDE CAUSE
I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY
SOMETINES I THINK THAT I’M LOSING MY
GOT TO GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND
OUT OF MY MIND
A Songwriter's Journey 