New demo
I have a new demo at soundclick. Not really happy with it yet, but I put it out there to motivate myself to finish it properly. One of those songs where I was really excited by how good I thought it, but during revision and recording, I'm struggling a bit.
What do you think?
It's called A Nation of One (or maybe No Common Trade.) I wrote it by combining some personal experiences and feelings with some "found dialog" on the 'net regarding the Global Nomad/Third Culture Kid experience.
Lyrics:
Although accustomed as he was to the freedom of traveling
Over the ocean, miles in the air
Across the horizon, between home and home
Jesse felt neither here nor there.
He had a home for the summer and a home for the school year
And more than an ocean divided the two
Jesse made a success at separating himself
Never thinking that he'd want to choose
Chorus:
Between the shores
From which his two parents came
Jess grew up a trickster, he took everything lightly
And he chuckled his way through secondary school
It was his way of keeping the world at arm's distance
Underneath he was guarded, confused
Two places at once, Jesse couldn't see how to be
Stuck on the outside, A nation of one
Two many voices, the illusion of choices
Jesse took off to wander around
Chorus:
And Jesse swore
He'd take no common trade
Jesse succeeded with customs and creeds
He'd take on or shed friends like a coat that he wore
He'd blend in so well, that friends couldn't tell
Until Jesse didn't live there anymore
But love caught Jesse the way that it often does
He staggered himself, when he bought her a ring
She loved him sincerely bought told him forget about
That international thing
Chorus:
But Jesse'd sworn
He'd take no common trade
They moved to Manhattan to be close to the world
On the eve of September 2001
A trade high up amidst steel, glass, and space
It helped Jesse to feel settled down
Jesse joked he could see from the top of the tower
The coast of that country that beckoned him home
Limbo he recognized then as his legacy
Suspended in air between homes
What does it take for a man to feel settled down
Does self-understanding bring freedom and peace
Does the moment of death ensure an epiphany
Do only the lucky gain insight before release
Jesse doesn't live here anymore
Click here for the direct play.
Here for lo-fi.
Here for MP3 download.
posted by Borderliner at 10:49 AM
3 Comments:
Love the lyrics and the rythm. I wonder about the tone or pitch, not being very musical I'm not sure. It seems to me that you sing it in a higher pitch than you seem comfortable in for a length of time.
Just a thought.
Yes. I have to retake the vocals. I hate comping vocals from bits and pieces, so I like to record in longer patches. However, that means I end up doing a lot of (longer) takes.
It's interesting that in the (frustratingly sporadic) recording process, the one thing I thought I could take for granted--my voice--is the most inconsistent thing.
I also don't have the guitars and base all in sync on the downbeat. I can retake parts, or just fix it in Cubase. Ah, the joys of the digital world.
It's not the inconsistency of it, it's more like you sound like you're singing in a falsetto almost. Not "Bee Gee's Staying Alive" Falsetto, but higher than your natural tone.
I think you'd be better singing it in longer takes so it sounds more like you singing it.
Did you take it off the site by the way? I wnet back to listen to it again and it was gone.
Post a Comment
<< Home