Country is The Color of Love

Country is The Color of Love
© Schantell Wharton 2020

This is lyric only. No demo yet. Open to collaboration or rewrite. Open to music to if you want to collaborate.
This is a rough draft of a song that been rolling around in my head for awhile.
Please say more than you need rhymes. How does this lyric make you feel? Do you understand my storytelling?

V1

I remember mama
My country women of color
Strong, true, loving and kind
Mama picked cotton
in the hot summer sun and sand
all day until the work was done
Mama took in laundry so we
could survive and thrive.
We lived in the country
She told me I was country because
Country is The Color of Love

Ch
Country is the color of love
Your just as good as anyone
Remember your color doesn’t
Define you or take from who you are
Country has no color
Country is the color of love
Country is the color of love

V2
My father worked the farm
from dusk to dawn
Hoping the crops would grow
so he feed and clothe us
He worked himself into the grave
making sure we never wanted for nothing
He was laid to rest in the ground he loved so much
He taught lessons I remember to this day
One I pass on to my children
We lived in the country
He told me I was country because
Country is The Color of Love

Bridge:
Mama told me to carry myself with a sense of pride
Don’t let no one look down on who you are
What you become depends on you
I still feel her love telling me
Remember your country is the color of love

Ch–2x fades out
Country is the color of love
Your just as good and anyone
Remember your color doesn’t
Define or take from who you are
Country has no color
Country is the color of love
Country is the color of love–2x fades out

These lyrics make me feel like I am a part of something. The song feels solid and.....foundational.

I'll be curious what kind of music takes it even further.

Nice one @Redlady .
Funny that your alias is about colour too.

A striking part of the lyrics?
Remember your color doesn’t
Define or take from who you are'

Sometimes the most simple things are the best.
And I agree with Leonard (not for the first time too): I am curious where this will take you/your text.
Really really nice.
Kind regards, Gus

Hi LePlongeur & Leonard Scaper

Thank you for your kind comments.  I hope this takes me to Darius Rucker or Jimmie Allen, or Kane Brown sing in this  so I can hear this on the radio.
I am currently working on the music for this and I will post as soon a  vocal and music done.

Thanks for all your encouragement

Hi LePlongeur & Leonard Scaper

Thank you for your kind comments.  I hope this takes me to Darius Rucker or Jimmie Allen, or Kane Brown sing in this  so I can hear this on the radio.
I am currently working on the music for this and I will post as soon a  vocal and music done.

Thanks for all your encouragement

So if you are working on the music are you committed to the lyrics as is? I ask because I believe the mood and spirit of the story could be stronger if the words were pared down a  bit... with an ear toward a more defined rhythm. The chorus achieves this better than the verses...

The story is strong... said more simply would be stronger.

Hi
I understand what you are saying. If you want to be on the lyrics with 50% cowriting credit let me know and we can come up with a written agreement.
Right now I am home sick with an upper respiratory infection. So I will be back when I am well.

Thank you for comments and encouragement.

Sincerely
Schantell

Hi
I understand what you are saying. If you want to be on the lyrics with 50% cowriting credit let me know and we can come up with a written agreement.
Right now I am home sick with an upper respiratory infection. So I will be back when I am well.

Thank you for comments and encouragement.

Sincerely
Schantell

Get better soon @Redlady !

I appreciate and accept your offer... assuming, of course, you like what I’ve done.

I basically did three things: less words ... some rhymes (a little goes a long way) and turned negative statements into positive.

In particular: “ Remember your color doesn’t
Define or take from who you are
Country has no color”

Is now: “ Love who you are
Love your color ”

Your statement is stronger... and you may well be emotionally attached to your mother’s words... but it may also come across as “wordy and preachy.”

It’s a tough call... It could work either way. I only bring it up for the sake of discussion. I’m hoping others in the Kitchen share their thoughts as well.

It will likely need additional tweaks as it is set to music.


REVISED VERSION
V1

I remember mama
My country woman of color
Strong, true, loving and kind
Mama picked cotton in the hot summer sun
Worked all day until the work was done
Mama took in laundry so we could survive
We lived in the country... we loved and we thrived
She told me I was country
Country is The Color of Love

Ch
Country is the color of love
You are as good as anyone
Love who you are
Love your color
Country is the color of love
Country is the color of love

V2
My father worked the farm
He worked from dusk to dawn
Hoping crops would grow
So he feed and clothe us
Made sure we never wanted for nothing
He worked into the grave
Laid to rest in the ground he loved
He taught lessons I remember to this day
I teach my children this way
We lived in the country ... we loved and we played
He told me I was country
Country is The Color of Love

Bridge:
Mama told me carry myself with pride
Don’t let no one look down on you
What you become depends on you
I still feel her love telling me you are Country
Country is the color of love

Ch–2x fades out
Country is the color of love
You are as good as anyone
Love who you are
Love your color
Country is the color of love
Country is the color of love–2x fades out

Hi

The title of the song is still Country is the color of love-- that's not going to change. Let me sit with your revisions and see if I like them . Just woke up coughing took my meds going back to bed. Thanks for your offer to collaborate on the rewrite.
Sincerely
Schantell Wharton

Hi

Another co writer suggested this as a chorus with two line added.

CH
Country is the color of love
You are as good as anyone
Love who you are
I believe we are all sisters and brothers
And good people come in all colors
Country is the color of love

Happy  writing
Sincerely
Schantell