She's A Fine Looking Woman

An Experiment with UDIO.COM, Music AI, using my lyrics.

I wrote a country-ish song and my daughter recurited a California singer over the internet to sing it. He based his version on my melody and lyrics, and presumably my harmony.

The song is a narrative about temptation and fidelity. Not an uncommon thing for many, although maybe I should have said infidelity.

Experimenting with the AI program UDIO.COM this week, I worked with the tool to see how it would handle my lyrics.

Currently, there seems to be little control over many of the musically relevant aspects in the tool, and a lot of what comes out is pretty random. Also, there seems to be no real way to specify that choruses have the same melody and phrasing, and ditto for verses. I guess things are “through composed.¹”

The results are interesting, but musically odd, and sometimes in my opinion overwrought. Despite that, the music takes interesting twists. These are not what I would have come up with. The accompaniment, the melody, the drums, the accompaniment, the harmony are all created by the AI.

The song lyrics are country, and as in all things musical, may not be to everyone’s taste. However, I am pleased with them. Below I give the California singer’s rendition, and three different versions done with UDIO.COM.

To complement the tune, I had an AI create the picture below. It represents the central theme, and the hook.

Mary-Jean Tending Bar at the Legion

Here is the song as sung by a singer recruited online.

I am sorry but I have lost the singer’s name. You don’t want to hear me sing it either. This is an understated performance, by someone who learned the tune well enough to sing it.

Here is a first version using UDIO

Here is a second version using UDIO

Here is a third version using UDIO

Here is the lead sheet:

Click on the horizontal bars to download

She's A Fine Looking Woman 2023 09 17 9 09 Pm

18.2KB ∙ PDF file

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Here is a CHATGPT 3.5 take on the lyrics:

Note: Not an unreasonable description of the song, with some musical recommendations to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Story and Development of the Lyrics

Introduction

The lyrics begin with an instrumental introduction, setting the scene for a story rooted in nostalgia, temptation, and the struggle between past desires and present responsibilities.

First Verse

The narrator drives his truck to the local Legion to meet his friends, indicating a small-town setting where community gatherings are central. He sees Mary-Jean, a significant figure from his past, tending bar. Mary-Jean has married Jack, who is noted for playing the steel guitar, adding a musical element to the backstory and suggesting a history of shared interests or circles.

Second Verse

The narrator and Mary-Jean were once romantically involved for a couple of years. Their relationship ended when the narrator went to college, and Mary-Jean felt she had waited long enough, leading her to marry Jack. This establishes a sense of lost love and the passage of time, marking a pivotal moment where their paths diverged.

Pre-Chorus

The pre-chorus reflects on the mystery of Mary-Jean's life decisions, particularly why she left Jack. It emphasizes her guarded nature, suggesting complexities in her emotional history that the narrator and perhaps others do not fully understand.

Chorus

The chorus introduces the narrator’s current life. He acknowledges Mary-Jean’s attractiveness but contrasts his past freedom with his present responsibilities: a wife, a farm, and two children. The imagery of not wanting to roam "like no ol' alley cat" underscores his commitment to his family and the consequences of infidelity—sleeping alone.

Third Verse

In a chance encounter at Walmart, the narrator and Mary-Jean reconnect and reminisce over coffee. This meeting reawakens old feelings, and the narrator feels tempted, indicating that despite his current life, the past still holds power over him.

Second Pre-Chorus

This pre-chorus serves as a moral reflection. The narrator acknowledges that temptation is always present, but giving in is seen by some as a sin, reinforcing the internal conflict between desire and duty.

Repeated Chorus

The chorus is repeated, reaffirming the narrator's resolution not to jeopardize his family despite recognizing Mary-Jean’s allure. The repetition reinforces his commitment and the potential consequences of failing to uphold it.

Fourth Verse

The narrator reflects philosophically, stating that the good Lord gives people the power to choose. Succumbing to temptation results in a significant loss, emphasizing the stakes involved in his decision-making.

Tag

The tag reiterates Mary-Jean's attractiveness, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of her impact on the narrator. Despite his resolve, the admission that "she is a fine lookin' woman" highlights the persistent tension between his past and present.

Emotive Handling of the Text

Nostalgia and Regret

The lyrics evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, especially when the narrator reminisces about his past relationship with Mary-Jean. This can be conveyed emotively through a wistful, reflective tone, possibly with a soft, slow musical arrangement during these sections.

Temptation and Conflict

The moments of temptation and internal conflict are central to the narrative. These can be expressed through a more intense, perhaps faster-paced musical accompaniment, reflecting the emotional turmoil and the stakes of the situation.

Resolution and Determination

Through-composed refers to a musical composition that is continuous and non-repetitive, where new music is introduced throughout the piece rather than having repeated sections like verses or choruses.

Underlying Attraction

Despite his resolve, the narrator’s repeated acknowledgment of Mary-Jean's attractiveness introduces a layer of unresolved tension. This can be subtly underscored by a recurring melodic theme or a particular instrumental flourish that signals her enduring impact on him.

In summary, the lyrics tell a story of past love, present temptation, and the strength needed to uphold personal values and commitments. Emotively, this can be handled by contrasting reflective, nostalgic elements with more intense, conflicted sections, and reinforcing the narrator’s resolution with confident, steady musical choices.

1. Through-composed refers to a musical composition that is continuous and non-repetitive, where new music is introduced throughout the piece rather than having repeated sections like verses or choruses.