Feb 2022 lo-fi piano-ballad mom-rock
I wanted to play our new upright for this, which meant taking advantage of a rare moment when everyone else was out of the house to record it, so the quality is pretty lo-fi and a little blippy, but I wouldn't have added anything to this, arrangement-wise, I don't think anyway, so the recording just is what it is for now; I think the mom-playing-in-an-empty-house-at-a-piano thing works for this, at least. The rhythm is a bit rushed in places and it probably wouldn't have hurt to try another vocal take, but I was, quite literally, a bit rushed to try and get this recorded. And I don't know when the next time I'll have the house to myself will be for re-recording piano, so on to the next one for now!
Anyway, this is for my daughter who is 6 mo old today. :sob:
I pushed for two whole hours
While "Station to Station" and "Steve McQueen" played in the background
I'd never done anything so tough
I'd never wanted anything so much
When you came into the world, you cried
The same way we all do
Whether in proclamation or protest
Is anyone guess
And I'd never wanted kids before
But I wanted you
Funny how things can change
Funny how they always seem to
So here's looking at you, kid
Ingrid
Here's watching the world open up
Like a flower for you in your hands
And whether you watch it bloom
Or squeeze it for every last drop of juice that it has
Is up to you, kid
Ingrid
Is up to you
Here's to the sleepless nights
Trying to soothe you
While crying with you in the dark
Awed and terrified by the fragile weight of your life
And the mistakes I'm bound to make
If I ever hurt you
Break my heart into a million pieces
And make a mosaic of promises
And if I ever let you down
Let me take your disappointment and drown it
In apologies and new memories
And I have no expectations for you
I'm a child myself, in a sense
Watching with wide-eyed wonder
Your precious innocence
Grow into hopes of your own, kid
Ingrid
While I'm watching the world open up
Like a flower for you in your hands
And whether you watch it bloom
Or squeeze it for every last drop of juice that it has
Is up to you, kid
Ingrid
Is up to you
Is up to you
So here's looking at you, kid
Ingrid
Here's watching the world open up
Like a flower for you in your hands
And whether you watch it bloom
Or squeeze it for every last drop of juice that it has
Is up to you, kid
Ingrid
@tamsnumber4 Feb 2022
While crying with you in the dark
Bonding and loving, I miss those times, even though they were tough. So happy you had some mommy alone time, totally needed and I never had to do FAWM through three babies, so I am in awe of your accomplishments. Children make us see the world in a whole new way and I am so happy for you and this is all relatable to other moms and it is personal, raw and real and I love it! What a lucky baby.
@susyblue Feb 2022
You sound very energetic for a new Mum! Love the honesty in the lyrics. Super catchy chorus, love the lil internal rhyme on kid/Ingrid (beautiful name!) and the high bits :)) We all wanna spend more time but so good to get the whole song out in one go. Lovely lovely
@jsini Feb 2022
Lovely. I just love your voice. This is well written and expresses the sentiment perfectly. Keeper for sure.
@lifewithtomcat Feb 2022
sweetness
@sheilerk Feb 2022
What a gift for your sweet Ingrid, when she's old enough to understand.
This brings back so much. The immediacy of sitting down at your piano and just putting it out there. Really beautiful.
@rubberbandage Feb 2022
What a thoughtful and beautiful piece to write! I know exactly what you mean for all these lines (I have three kids), and I especially love “Awed and terrified by the fragile weight of your life”.
I also know what you mean about scrambling to record a piano, having just gone through the same thing :-D
@majormajormajormajor Feb 2022
Wonderful! I remember the wonder and helplessness of those early days well. You are going to be so glad for having written this when she's a teenager :)
Chorus is great, especially the melody there, which reminds me a little of Joni Mitchell. Your voice is lovely and has an immediacy I really like. Oh, and I also like what I think is C->Cm- I'm a sucker for that kind of cadence, but get that thing tuned lol, it's halfway to a B!
eta: just kidding about the piano. I know it's not easy, and we use what we have!
@danvaillancourt Feb 2022
I. Love. This. Beautiful ode to being a parent. Too relatable. I like the lofi and push and pull of the tempo. Everything fits and really enjoyed it.
@rayboneor Feb 2022
Oh my, you're going to make me cry. This is gorgeous. I love the looseness of it--it makes it real, honest. Your vocals are always a treat. I love the line about being a child yourself, in a sense. I still feel that way myself. I was dragged into fatherhood...and it was the best thing ever to happen to me. Now I'm getting ready to write some of those songs about my kid leaving the nest. Sniff
@skylermf Feb 2022
Ingrid is such a beautiful name. I love that line about not wanting to have kids but wanting her, along with that flower metaphor in the chorus. Beautiful ending as well
@owl Feb 2022
Ahhh this is so beautiful and so moving! I love how your voice goes higher along with the change in the piano rhythm on “I’d never wanted kids before…” The lyrics are so powerful with the honesty of your love and all the beautiful phrases—especially struck by the image of the world as a flower or a fruit in your child’s hands, and your acceptance of how she will want to go out into it once she grows up. Gorgeous.
@zecoop Feb 2022
Sobs openly with memories of young children… so well done. This is beautiful. I love your phrasing and the floating melody. Gorgeous memories in lyric. What a tremendous song and a wonderful gift to your daughter.
@tseaver Feb 2022
Lovely write: the play on here name is charming, and the hopeful wishes are perfect, along with the everymom fears.
@jimdgreen Feb 2022
might be lo-fi, but lo-fi is working for you on this track
@adforperu Feb 2022
Well firstly, Ingrid and my nephew have the same birth date, fact fans! The piano sound is lovely and nostalgic, and I really like that rhythm you're playing. It's just generally - lovely - OK?! Jeez.
@vomvorton Feb 2022
What a beautiful song, you've really nailed the mom-rock vibes here :)
Love the lyrics and the live piano sound, some perfect chord choices in there!
Are you a Lucy Dacus fan? She also references "here's looking at you kid" in her song Brando and for some reason it took until that link for me to notice that your songwriting styles are a little similar (which hopefully comes across as the compliment I mean it to, she made my favourite album of 2021!)
@johnstaples Feb 2022
What a wonderful, lovely song! Your lyrics lay it all out there! Makes me remember when my kids were babies. You put it all in this song so beautifully (and accurately)! The piano to accompany your pretty vocals seems perfect to me! What an awesome song for your daughter!
One last thought...savor every single moment. Enjoy the highs and work quickly through the lows. This amazing time goes by in the blink of an eye!
@cseversin Feb 2022
Really beautiful song. I definitely agree this works best as "mom-playing-in-an-empty-house-at-a-piano" haha. It just adds to the intimacy so much more. Love it.