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The Extra Mile

Christine Haskins

January 22, 2019

Genre: Country

More by Christine

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Views: 873

Responses: 6




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About This Song


There are givers and takers in life. This song is about a couple who are both givers. They have discovered that by going the extra mile for each other that it makes for a stronger relationship. I used the metaphor of a road trip to describe their happy coexistence. It's an upbeat little song. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening!

Feedback Requested


This being my first studio recorded song, I am sure I have a lot to learn. I would appreciate any constructive criticism from those with more experience.



Thank you,

Christine


6 Responses


Frank Renfordt

Hey Christine,
Thank you for posting this nice tune. Your song is well structured and your catchy chorus stands out.  As you mentioned in your bio, you are dreaming to write a hit song (me too) that is why I try to give you honest feedback. I think your verses doesn’t support your hook/chorus clearly enough. I had to listen a second and a third time to understand the context. Especially in Country we have to communicate very clearly and the message of the song has to come across without having to think about it a lot. I know that is a trap, for you it will be totally clear, but that’s not always the same for your listeners, happens to me all the time.
I like your chorus melody, but all in all the song may sound a bit dated. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad song,  but if you’re going to write a hit song, it has to sound very current. Listen to the Country or Pop charts as often as possible and if you play an instrument, try to cover the songs to get a feel for it. Keep on!

January 22, 2019

Lee Myers

Christine,

Your song has something that a lot of songs today don’t have—- feeling.

I love the feeling in the chorus.

Keep going. 

January 22, 2019

Christine Haskins

Frank,

Thank you for your response.  I really appreciate it coming from such a talented writer!  I am so inspired by your lyrics.
The Extra Mile uses the metaphor of a road trip to describe a couple who do what it takes to keep the spark in the relationship(they go the “Extra Mile”) That may be where I lost you? I am new at this whole songwriting thing. I’ve heard talk about demand for bringing back more of the classic style of country music, so that is what I was going for. Which in turn, may have made it sound a bit dated to you. But you shared some good tips and I will keep at it!

Thanks again!

January 23, 2019

No members have liked this comment.

Christine Haskins

Thank you Lee!

The Extra Mile has a lot of feeling because it is about my relationship with my boyfriend. It is the first time in my life that I have felt truly loved by a man. I have boxes full of love notes from the guy! He does so much for me…with that kind of daily inspiration, I’m sure many more songs are on the way!
Thank you for sharing your encouraging words.

Christine

January 23, 2019

No members have liked this comment.

James Simmons

For a person new to songwriting this is great! Keep it up!
Critical thoughts…
The phrase extra mile refers to being asked to do something, and when you are tired or don’t want to continue, you go the extra mile anyway. It’s about serving when you are out of gas, staying in the relationship when you want to get out. Songwriting is all about spinning a phrase to capture the attention of the listener, but with that as the primary meaning of the phrase, I am not sure that you were able to twist that meaning enough with your verses. The phrase is about tension and perseverance and your song is written using lighthearted phrases that don’t possess tension. That creates a disconnect as the title hook and the feel of the song are not consistent.
It would help to determine what the message is supposed to be then look at each line and ask your self if the chords, lyrics, and melody support the message.
One other thought is to cut out some of the unnecessary words. That creates space in the vocal and makes it feel less rushed.
An example would be changing “When you’re rolling down the road” where you squeeze in the words “When you’re”, to Rolling down the road… It means the same thing but feels cleaner and leaves space.
You are writing great stuff and I am excited to see where your writing goes!

January 23, 2019

No members have liked this comment.

Christine Haskins

Thank you James. Great feedback! I definitely need to work on my story telling. I struggle with fitting what I want to say into 3.5 minutes. Very helpful example on how to do that.  I wanted the song to be lighthearted and happy.  To me it’s about 2 people who have already figured out that if they each go the extra mile for each other, it makes the relationship work very well. Inspired by my current relationship where we’re doing just that! I also enjoy road trips, so I combined the two.  With more experience and people like you mentoring me, I hope to do better next time. Thanks again for your input and positivity!

January 23, 2019

No members have liked this comment.


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VS 1
We're topping off the tank
Cause we're going the extra mile
We're gettin' outta this town
Baby, it's been a while

VS 2
We've got the windows down
The honeysuckle on the breeze
Reminds me of the day we met
Ooh...sweet memories

Pre-chorus
So honey, kick off your shoes
Put your feet up on the dash
We're takin' the scenic route
Cause we want this ride to last

Chorus
We've got that kinda love, we've got that kinda love
We've got that kinda love, we wanna make each other smile
We've got that kinda love and it's a sweet, sweet love
We've got that kinda love, yeah, we're goin' the extra mile

VS 3
We'll get a fresh cup of coffee
Somewhere along the way
We'll pull off the road
And watch the sunset... on the bay

VS 4
We're livin' in the moment
Letting all our worries go
Where this road will take us
Ooh... God only knows

Pre-chorus
So honey, kick off your shoes
Put your feet up on the dash
We're takin' the scenic route
Cause we want this ride to last

Chorus
We've got that kinda love, we've got that kinda love
We've got that kinda love, yeah, we're keepin' the flame alive
We've got that kinda love and it's a sweet, sweet love
We've got that kinda love, come on baby, let's drive

Bridge
When you're rollin' down the road
Sometimes it's fun to get lost
You've gotta unload, yeah, and kick off the moss
I'm looking out the window...checking out the view
I see your face in the reflection. Whoa, I put that smile on you!

Chorus
We've got that kinda love, we've got that kinda love,
We've got that kinda love, just can't keep it all inside
We've got that kinda love and it's a sweet, sweet love
We've got that kinda love, it's such a beautiful ride

We've got that kinda love, we've got that kinda love
We've got that kinda love, yeah we're keepin' the flame alive
We've got that kinda love and it's a sweet, sweet love
We've got that kinda love, what a beautiful ride
Come on baby let's drive!
Yeah, we're goin' the extra mile.....

1

Frank Renfordt

Hey Christine,
Thank you for posting this nice tune. Your song is well structured and your catchy chorus stands out.  As you mentioned in your bio, you are dreaming to write a hit song (me too) that is why I try to give you honest feedback. I think your verses doesn’t support your hook/chorus clearly enough. I had to listen a second and a third time to understand the context. Especially in Country we have to communicate very clearly and the message of the song has to come across without having to think about it a lot. I know that is a trap, for you it will be totally clear, but that’s not always the same for your listeners, happens to me all the time.
I like your chorus melody, but all in all the song may sound a bit dated. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad song,  but if you’re going to write a hit song, it has to sound very current. Listen to the Country or Pop charts as often as possible and if you play an instrument, try to cover the songs to get a feel for it. Keep on!

January 22, 2019

1

Lee Myers

Christine,

Your song has something that a lot of songs today don’t have—- feeling.

I love the feeling in the chorus.

Keep going. 

January 22, 2019

0

Christine Haskins

Frank,

Thank you for your response.  I really appreciate it coming from such a talented writer!  I am so inspired by your lyrics.
The Extra Mile uses the metaphor of a road trip to describe a couple who do what it takes to keep the spark in the relationship(they go the “Extra Mile”) That may be where I lost you? I am new at this whole songwriting thing. I’ve heard talk about demand for bringing back more of the classic style of country music, so that is what I was going for. Which in turn, may have made it sound a bit dated to you. But you shared some good tips and I will keep at it!

Thanks again!

January 23, 2019

0

Christine Haskins

Thank you Lee!

The Extra Mile has a lot of feeling because it is about my relationship with my boyfriend. It is the first time in my life that I have felt truly loved by a man. I have boxes full of love notes from the guy! He does so much for me…with that kind of daily inspiration, I’m sure many more songs are on the way!
Thank you for sharing your encouraging words.

Christine

January 23, 2019

0

James Simmons

For a person new to songwriting this is great! Keep it up!
Critical thoughts…
The phrase extra mile refers to being asked to do something, and when you are tired or don’t want to continue, you go the extra mile anyway. It’s about serving when you are out of gas, staying in the relationship when you want to get out. Songwriting is all about spinning a phrase to capture the attention of the listener, but with that as the primary meaning of the phrase, I am not sure that you were able to twist that meaning enough with your verses. The phrase is about tension and perseverance and your song is written using lighthearted phrases that don’t possess tension. That creates a disconnect as the title hook and the feel of the song are not consistent.
It would help to determine what the message is supposed to be then look at each line and ask your self if the chords, lyrics, and melody support the message.
One other thought is to cut out some of the unnecessary words. That creates space in the vocal and makes it feel less rushed.
An example would be changing “When you’re rolling down the road” where you squeeze in the words “When you’re”, to Rolling down the road… It means the same thing but feels cleaner and leaves space.
You are writing great stuff and I am excited to see where your writing goes!

January 23, 2019

0

Christine Haskins

Thank you James. Great feedback! I definitely need to work on my story telling. I struggle with fitting what I want to say into 3.5 minutes. Very helpful example on how to do that.  I wanted the song to be lighthearted and happy.  To me it’s about 2 people who have already figured out that if they each go the extra mile for each other, it makes the relationship work very well. Inspired by my current relationship where we’re doing just that! I also enjoy road trips, so I combined the two.  With more experience and people like you mentoring me, I hope to do better next time. Thanks again for your input and positivity!

January 23, 2019


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