Song Cover Image

Don’t Look at Me

Arboreal Records
Early-1990s grunge-pop with a deceptively sweet, Beatlesque chord progression buried under dirty guitar tone, Moderate tempo around 120 BPM, 4/4, bright major-key movement with a slightly melancholy edge, Verses use clean-to-crunchy electric guitar, simple open chords, melodic bass, and restrained drums with a dry snare, Male vocal should be nasal, weary, intimate and conversational, with imperfect pitch and a detached emotional quality, Chorus becomes louder and rougher without turning heavy, adding thicker distortion, harder cymbal crashes and a more urgent vocal, Keep the melody unusually catchy against the raw production, Short song, compact structure, minimal overdubs, loose live-band feel, small-room ambience, no polished modern rock production, Add a brief scrappy guitar solo that follows the vocal melody rather than showing off, Mood: affectionate, awkward, resentful and vulnerable at once, ABOUT A GIRL
V5.5

Eyes On Me [Intro] (clean guitar, slightly out of tune, bass enters late) (dry snare, room noise left in) [Verse 1] (low, tired vocal) You know my bus, you know my street You know the shoes I wore last week You say my name like it belongs Inside your mouth, inside your songs (guitar gets dirtier on last two lines) You call it sweet, I call it strange You stand too close, you never change You wave like we are old friends now I never told you where or how [Chorus] (full distortion, vocal pushed hard) Don’t look at me like that Don’t make me wear your stare Don’t turn my skin into Something you think is there (crash cymbals, guitars hang on feedback) I’m not your secret sign I’m not your private scene You made me feel observed Before I could be seen [Verse 2] (bass carries melody, guitar reduced to ugly stabs) You save the things I throw away You know what time I leave each day You laugh and say I’m paranoid Like fear is something you enjoy (vocal cracks slightly) You bring me flowers with no card You make politeness feel too hard I lock the door, you call again You say you only want to be friends [Chorus] (drums louder, guitar doubled and ragged) Don’t look at me like that Don’t make me wear your stare Don’t turn my skin into Something you think is there I’m not your secret sign I’m not your private scene You made me feel observed Before I could be seen [Bridge] (drums drop out, bass pulse only, whispered vocal) Maybe you think Silence means yes Maybe you think Fear is a dress (guitar feedback rises) Maybe you think I owe you nice Maybe you need To hear it twice (full-band slam) NO. [Final Chorus] (screamed vocal, cymbals washing out the mix) Don’t look at me like that Don’t wait outside my door Don’t turn my ordinary life Into something you adore I’m not your secret sign I’m not your private scene You made me feel observed Now leave me unseen [Outro] (clean guitar returns, amp hum, vocal nearly spoken) You don’t know me You just watched You don’t know me You just watched (abrupt stop)