Write an ‘idol’ song

Even when given the chance of a lifetime, Perry Smith wouldn’t trade his law practice for a career as a musician.

Smith, of Costa Mesa, is one of the 20 finalists who remain out of a pool of thousands in the American Idol Songwriting Competition. But if he won the competition and all the fame and guaranteed royalty money that comes along with it, he said he wouldn’t quit his day job.

“I don’t have the patience to be a really good musician, but I do like the songwriting aspect of it,” Smith said. “If this competition opens any doors for me I would like to spend a little less time at the office and a little more time writing songs, but it’s more fun because it doesn’t really matter.”

Voting for the contest closes Wednesday night, and if Smith’s rock ballad, “You Believed in Me,” captures the most votes it will be the first hit single on the 2008 American Idol’s album. Smith looks at this honor as both a blessing and a curse.

“You have to have a thick skin to put yourself out there for this competition. The winner of this competition will be absolutely destroyed on countless blogs throughout the Internet,” he said. “Their song will be called cliched and unoriginal.”

Smith said the nature of the competition lends itself to overused themes, which is obvious when looking at the song titles of the 20 finalists. Along with Smith’s “You Believed in Me,” there are songs called “You Believe in Me,” “You Can Do Anything,” and “When You Come from Nothing,” all about struggling to achieve a goal and having someone there to support you.

This theme resonates with Smith, who had a difficult childhood and relied a lot on support from his church, the Costa Mesa Church of Latter-day Saints, and mentors from around the community.

He credits his stepfather, Larry Smith, as the one who taught him chords and songwriting techniques, but said other role models like retired Costa Mesa Police Capt. Jim Watson, and community members Warren Inyoue and Jim Faulkner influenced him.

Writing songs is just a hobby for Smith, who decided to enter American Idol only 10 days before the submission deadline. He said his wife is not ecstatic about his music, but she is tolerant.

“When I made it to the finals my wife said, ‘If you win you’re not quitting your job are you?’” Smith said. “I write mostly country music, and she just hates it. Any time I start playing she puts her iPod on and puts her earphones in.”

Smith graduated from Estancia High School in 1989 and embarked on a path that would eventually lead him to law school in Georgia. But when he finished his legal education, he decided to move back to the same neighborhood where he lived in high school, the “State Streets.”

Fresh out of school he went to work for the law firm of Payne and Fears, but the name was too much to take and he left, starting his own practice, he said.

Smith doesn’t want to make a career of music. He likes the stability of law, the lifestyle it provides his family and the ability to work in a comfortable pair of blue jeans in his living room, but he wouldn’t mind being the writer of the next American Idol hit single.

To listen to Smith’s songs, go to www.perrysmith.com. There’s also a link to the official American Idol Songwriting Competition voting on the website if you want to cast a ballot. Smith has already cast his.

“I gave myself a 10 and everyone else a one,” he said.

LYRICS TO “YOU BELIEVED IN ME

Life can have so many ups and downs

There were times I was so low

I reached up to touch the ground

But you were there for me

And now I can see

The struggles of my yesterdays, the work, the tears and the scars along the way we’re meant to be As I live this dream and move ahead, I promise you I won’t forget that You believed in me You believed in me

You may not be where you hoped to be

Sometimes it seems impossible

To ever achieve your dreams

But I know you’ll find the way

And someday you will say

The struggles of my yesterdays, the work, the tears and the scars along the way we’re meant to be As I live this dream and move ahead, I promise you I won’t forget that You believed in me

When I was down you lifted me, you wiped my tears, helped me to see Without you I could never make my dreams come true

I don’t know just where my future lies

But I know that I’ll have lows

And I’ll hit my highest highs

I will give my everything

Now that I can see

The struggles of my yesterdays, the work, the tears and the scars along the way we’re meant to be As I live this dream and move ahead, I promise you I won’t forget that You believed in me

You believed in me

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.