Georgia Thunderstorms in the Key of Doris Day
What do you do with a 30-year-old poem and the memory of a farting dog?
I found a poem I wrote in 1994. It's about Georgia thunderstorms. And if you’re from my part of the world, you know drizzle. But you don’t know this.
Georgia thunderstorms start with the wind. It whips up, and then come the big drops of rain. You start listening then, because next there may be thunder in the distance, but there might also be sirens. Tornado sirens.
If you hear them, you gather your family, and the dog, and you head for your safest room. Maybe that's the basement, or a bathroom with no windows. You may be there a while.
Hopefully the dog won't fart.
So, what do you do with a thirty-year-old poem and a memory like that?
Well, if you're me, and it's what I'm officially calling a "Suno summer," you decide to turn it into a song. My mission was to give this stormy memory a Doris Day sound—pure, uncomplicated sunshine. But how do you explain "uncomplicated sunshine" to an AI?
This is where I turn to Travis Nicholson. He seems to know the magic words for this stuff. I’ve highlighted his Medium article in the past, but now he has a low-cost PDF on Gumroad. I got that, and with it, I got my uncomplicated sunshine! (links below)
If it was just rain, my kids would pull on swimsuits and run shrieking into the downpour. "Mom, come ON." They never understood why I preferred the doorway.
Looking back, that doorway was more than just a dry spot. For much of ’94, I was the only adult on duty. It was my post, and sometimes it was a lonely one.
Back then I never dreamed I would be able to turn this poem into a song someday using just a computer. I did once dream that someday the tornado warnings would show up on our clock radios. Hm …
I had to rework the old poem into lyrics, which was a clumsy process. I’m not a poet or a lyricist. But it was a welcome distraction for a tired brain.
And if the idea of writing lyrics makes you want to run for the hills, don’t let that stop you. Suno can write them for you (though you might want to give them a once-over). There are also specialized GPTs on ChatGPT designed to help with the whole AI songwriting process. Just do a search for “Suno” or “AI Music.”
So, how did the AI handle it? I’ve uploaded the finished song, "Georgia Thunderstorms” up at the top of the page.
And I’m making a note to write a story for my grandkids, about the times their mom and uncle played outside in the rain in their swimsuits. It will go in the family canon, along with the tale of the farting dog.
LINKS:
I’ve mentioned Nicholson’s Medium article before: https://travisnicholson.medium.com/complete-list-of-prompts-styles-for-suno-ai-music-2024-33ecee85f180
But now he has some low-cost PDFs for sale on Gumroad as well. Yes, I will be his sales person. No, he has no idea who I am. That’s ok. https://tmnicholson.gumroad.com