In the UK, Father’s Day is rapidly approaching so once again, I’m faced with the question – what do you get the person who has everything they want? If you’re stuck for ideas then I really think I’ve found a solution and the Perfect Gift for Father’s Day.

Obviously, there’s things that I would love to get for my husband  – a new car, a holiday abroad, world peace – but for most of us those things just are obtainable!

Which leaves us with the question – what is the perfect gift for Father’s Day?

My usual trick with my husband Mike is to look at what he has already and identify the thing most worn out. I then simply get exactly the same thing in the secure knowledge that he’ll like it. Every time I’ve tried to branch out it’s generally a bit of a flop. He’s just not that into books, he doesn’t want to dress differently, and there’s a reason that he hasn’t bought that variety of olives before.

Overall, Mike’s lack of materialism is a good thing. We don’t really have a big expendable income and it’s nice to just be happy with what we have. Although we have to live within our means… we have a nice life!

This does however make things like Father’s Day and birthdays very difficult. And as usual, for Mike, these events fall within days of each other.

Therefore when Songfinch approached me to work together, offering to write my a song on the topic of my choice…  you can imagine how happy I was about the concept.

Rather than having to find a material gift, this was the opportunity to give something really meaningful in a medium that Mike adores.

By employing professional writers and musicians, Songfinch provides bespoke songs in the genre of your choice. The end result is not only an original song but a gift that really is unbeatable.

The Songfinch process

To begin with I logged on to Songfinch and answered a series of questions. I felt like I was writing this rambling mess;  I explained how Mike and I met, the type of person he is, the things we like, jokes we share – just random tidbits from our lives. In all honesty I had no idea how someone would be able to make a song from this but I just tried to get across who he is and what makes him precious to us.

The next task was to choose a genre music, mood, and whether we wanted a male or female artist – or a surprise! I was torn between Indie Pop or Acoustic as they’re both styles we like. Eventually I opted for acoustic with a male artist as this seemed to fit best with the type of music Mike listens to.

And then we simply had to wait!

Songfinch Gift for Father's Day

The result

I received a few emails over the next few days to say how my song was progressing – but just 5 days later it was finished!

I logged on to my Story Homepage to find the lyrics to my song – entitled ‘This Life We’ve Sculpted’ and a play button.

At first glance through, the lyrics certainly made me smile.  It wasn’t until I had listened to it a few times that I actually realised how much had been incorporated. The artist had taken my ramblings and turned them into something poetic.

The meaning of the lyrics

If you’ve been reading my blog or know me in ‘real’ life – you’ll know that Mike is a sculptor. His work is massively influenced the land around us and our place in history. Symbolism is key to what he does and I love to look at the things he produces and work out what’s going on. I think in many ways this song is similar to that.

The song seemed obvious at first – with lines specifically naming the kids – but actually there are lyrics that mean far more. It’s this that makes this a really special gift. Whilst it may not be a top chart hit, it’s something for us to cherish.

I could explain the song line by line, but actually it would mean very little to you. I initially thought it was a little repetitive given the chorus type verse is repeated three times. But I also think that this gives this section of the song a greater emphasis. It’s also fitting because it’s this set of lyrics that actually embodies who Mike is and what he means to us.

Presentation

Ultimately after talking to Katie she wanted to let him hear the song early rather than waiting for his birthday. I think his first reaction was actually to be a bit stunned. He has loads of questions about how it was written, how they knew to include things, and what the song was for!

I’ve since recorded the song onto a CD for him to listen to in the car and plan to give it to him on his birthday with a wee selection of other experience type things. I’d detail what they are but then I’m afraid he might be reading this and it’s nice to have some surprises!

Gift for Father's Day

I think the only extra thing I’d like is the chord sequence so that I could learn the song on guitar myself. It’s been a few too many years for me to play by ear!

PS. Thanks to Songfinch for supporting Edinburgh Life with Kids – you can start your own song experience here by using the discount code EDINBURGHLIFE to receive $20 off.

PPS. Many many thanks to Joshua Francis Bailey for writing our song and bringing a little more happiness to our lives!

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