Feb 2022 electronica blues spoken-word guy-with-guitar swiss-german
This might be a FAWM first, a song in Swiss-German :)
Been working on this one for quite a while.
It started with two lovely skitter-and-step drum-kits that are randomized, so every export is one of a kind!
Added some guitar, background voice aaahs, a bouncy bass and published it as an instrumental called «Same old (lately not so bad)».
Then I wrote a poem called «Är secklet» (He runs) about a middle aged, slightly chubby man (it's me, I'm the slightly chubby, middle aged man), who starts jogging again after a long break.
I was looking for an instrumental to accompany it and thought this was an acceptable fit, so I started to record through my crappy laptop mic (again, please excuse the quality).
There's a hook/chorus missing that goes like:
«Är secklet für ds Läbe gärn,
in und rund um d Stadt Bärn!»
(He loves to run, loves the burn
in and around all of Bern)
but I ran (pun intended) out of time to record it.
Still waiting to get a better mic and will re-record everything, including the hook, some time later.
There are some timing erros as well, but I'm too lazy to correct them right now. :)
The original is Swiss-German (probably fairly hard to understand even for a native German speaker), so not that easy to translate...
Är secklet, am Afang no lächelnd,
zwöi bis drü Teschtkilometer, bestächend
schiint sini Form z si, entsprächend
isch d Motivation widerhärgsteut!
Är secklet - u nur no dr Wäg zeut!
"Dasch doch verreckt, wie dä Hächu das aschteut!"
Ja scho rächnet är fescht mitem nächste Podeschtrang
am Proschtatachräbs-Benefiz-Budefescht-Run.
Är secklet, hü emau, z Grächtem dry!
Meter um Meter u gly emau fächleter
sich mitem Dächli vom Chäppli chli Luft zue
nid wiu är schwächelet, eifach wius guet tuet.
Är secklet, dr Schweiss louft i Bäch
vo sim Äcke zur Ritze, uf Biege u Bräche
kämpft är sech dür d Hitz, ihm isch schlächt,
är wär gärn ä Bitz fitter, itz ersch rächt - o wenn d Bei scho chli zittere
Är secklet, je lenger je hächelnder,
berschtendi Lunge, ir Syte es Stäche
D Schritte sy schwär, wär ja lächerlech,
ufzgäh, dänkter, am Wägrand erbrächend.
Är secklet _ itz nüm - nei är göögget
sech d Seeu usem Körper
u uf eim Ohr ghörter
wie irgende Köter irgendwo möögget.
Es stört ne - Unerhört!
Är louft die letschte paar Schtrasse zum Huus
u gheit schwär ufe Rase, dr Blues
het ne packt, är isch masslos enttüscht
u si Rücktritt durchuus e Option.
Ja, dr Spass isch vrby!
Weisch, drby hetim d Mueter daheime no gseit:
Nid z gäi dry am Afang, süsch geits
dr de schnäu emau leid.
Gäu, Bueb, luegsch dr guet!
-----------
He runs, at the beginning still smiling
two or three test kilometers
compelling seems to be his form
correspondingly, his motivation is restored.
He runs, and only the journey counts!
"Just crazy how this [disgruntled man, maybe grouch?] is able to do that!"
Yes, he's already firmly expecting the next podium rank
at the prostate-cancer awareness charity company party fun run
[inspired by Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure]
He runs, but now really goes for it!
Meter by meter and soon enough, he starts fanning
himself with the brim of his hat.
Not because he's weakening, just because it feels good!
He runs, his sweat runs in rivers from [the] back
of his neck to his [a**] crack, by hook or by crook
he fights through the heat, getting sick
he would like to be fitter.
But now more than ever (his legs slightly shivering)!
[The longer] he runs, he is huffing
bursting lungs, and a sting in his sides
Steps getting heavy, how ridiculous would it be
to give up now, he thinks, while puking at the roadside.
He's not running anymore. Nope, he's puking
his soul out [of] his body
and in one ear he hears barking, a doggy,
somewhere. He's bothered. Outraged, really!
He walks the last couple [of] streets towards the house
and falls heavily onto the lawn, the blues
got him good, he is massively disappointed
and his resignation might be an option
Yeah, the fun times are over.
As well, his mother told him at home [before he left]
don't go too hard at the beginning,
otherwise you'll be out in no time
Right?! Look after yourself, [my] boy!
@headfirstonly Mar 2022
Fun story (who goes running in a *hat*?) and I'm digging the randomised drum track, but for me the star of this is that languid surf guitar playing along in the background. Lovely stuff.
@humantornado Feb 2022
I really liked the dreamy quality of this despite not being able to understand it. Reading the English lyrics made me laugh though so I dig that it sounds like it would be a serious and kind of dark song, but ends up actually being a song about a slightly chubby guy having a run and throwing up afterwards.