This has been a labour of love since day 1 To be honest if this is all i had got from Fawm i would have been happy. On day 1 my wife was telling me about 1973 and how it was the best and worst year of her life. - the love of youth and her mother becoming an alcoholic. I took notes and drafted a song! I did a demo and she liked it! She then said it really should be sung by a female! "i wonder if that lovely Marthie would sing it" of course she said she would! I sent her music and she has been working on it for a few days! We had some computer technical compatability issue which we have now overcome so this is only the demo as i had no time for much mixing! My wife absolutely loves it - she was very emotional! thank you @marthie
We were living our youth
From sun up to sun down
Holidays lasting forever
In our little town
We swam all day long
And under the bridge at night
Laughing and joking
Everything seemed oh so right
Ill never forget it
It was the summer of 73
We were Listening to every hit
It was The year i felt free
All our lives before us
So much for us to see
It was The year i felt free
It was the time with friends
We Didn’t want to miss
Fish n chips, new adventures
And of course my first kiss
Riding horses when i could
All through the bush and back
Playing with all the dogs
Nothing did we lack
But Ill still never forget it
It was the summer of 73
We were Listening to every hit
It was The year i felt free
All our lives before us
So much for us to see
It was The year i felt free
Instrumental
B We hoped it would last forever
But by now i was a cynic
Reality was a broken home
And the wrong type of spirit
But Ill still never forget it
It was the summer of 73
We were Listening to every hit
It was The year i felt free
All our lives before us
So much for us to see
It was The year i felt free
@ambroise Mar 2022
That summer sounds like a cool paradise...
@marthie 's voice sounds whole, shiny and relaxed. Like the sun light after a suny afternoon. it feels like she just let go with her voice to be fully in the moment. Witch is what happens when you are happy.
Lovely images the lyrics bring on. I see a film shot with a super-8 camera. The swimming , the laughing, the riding, the kissing... captured on camera and in memories and kept as a treasure until forever after.
@timfatchen Mar 2022
Ye gods, now I'm getting nostalgia (though for me it was 1970. Then it all got serious.) Lovely performance Marthie. Mr N, I'm now going to have to bite the bullet and write 1970 down, not necessarily as a song. So i guess that's a compliment...downloaded!
@nancycunning Mar 2022
What a nice story of the song and an interesting story in the song. The music and the lyrics and singing capture the brightness and the pain. Great collaboration.
@beacon Mar 2022
Wow, @marthie sounds so good here, and the lyrics are so good. Production is top notch, and it's just an amazing song! Kudos!
@bethdesombre Mar 2022
Wow -- you really produced a lot this month. This is absolutely lovely. Such specific memories of a wonderful time . . . and then the implied downfall in the bridge. #tit4tat
@coolparadiso Mar 2022
@majormajormajormajor thx for your comments! It was deliberate, my wife's view was that a lot of healing has occurred over 50 years (perhaps years ago it would have stayed dark) and that she wanted to come back to the positive - we did consider changing the last 3 lines of the last chorus to being the end of being free! but this is more about the good year with a footnote of the end of it. Perhaps i can get the info for the next instalment sometime which may well be a very dark song (in fact I am sure it will be)
@majormajormajormajor Mar 2022
Great foreshadowing in 'the year that I felt free' which implies, however lightly, that despite the focus on all the beautiful parts of that memory that darkness lurks outside, which is finally confirmed in the bridge. But then you go back and confirm the good memories- I mean, I realize it's also a repetition of the chorus, but you could have chosen to change it to reflect the darkness confirmed in the bridge, but instead you return to the light, albeit with that same hint of darkness, now differently understood by the listener. That feels very intentional to me.
@williamjames Mar 2022
Very cool music, arrangement and lyrics. The really compliment each other. The vocals are really cool too, full of emotion and power. Great song! Not surprised it made you wife emotional.
@cicpisces Mar 2022
Lovely song. I feel the warmth from the music and lyrics. Emotion vocal and the melody is delightful.
@danvaillancourt Mar 2022
Great vocals and melody. Love all the memories. Great write with all the details. Chorus is wonderful. The twist/change in vocal tone and delivery really conveys the good and the bad.
@fourzeroes Mar 2022
Feels like a lost classic.
@elesimo Mar 2022
This is so beautiful, and what an amazing collaboration. The lyric captures the feeling of being free and young so well, a feeling I wish everyone would feel at least once in their lives — even if not everything is perfect. And the music is just gorgeous, Marthie is has such a beautiful voice that makes justice to the song!
@wacha Mar 2022
This is a truly beautiful and moving song, especially knowing the backstory. The lyrics and arrangement are perfection as are the vocals. Well done to both of you!
@karlsburg25 Mar 2022
Well how wonderfuly fortunate that on day 1 of listening i found the fav song forum. This is such a treat to hear this utter beautiful heartfelt and pure song. And i get to hear Marthi's wonderful vocal. Beautifully constructed and the magnificence of this is in the simplicity of the song but everything works so dam well. Woohoo
@rayboneor Mar 2022
This has such a warm feel, and Marthie's voice is as rich and strong as ever. The nostalgia is powerful here, though the sweet is mixed with the bitter. I like the little details: the first kiss, the fish and chips, the little things that can have profound meaning. That's a heck of a memorable chorus, too
@nadine Mar 2022
@marthie can sing. I believe every word she sings. It's so full of emotion, you can be very proud @coolparadiso . These lyrics are very great. Some magic happening here cause you composed a great arrangement. #tit4tat
@cleanshoes Feb 2022
This is an easy listening hit that packs a real punch. Marthie's voice is so strong and beautiful, and by the time we get to the last verse, the emotional weight of the song becomes clear. "The wrong type of spirit" is a wonderful, telling line.
@richaaaay Feb 2022
Wonderfully written lyrics and a great tribute to your wife's fond memories. My favorite line: Fish n chips, new adventures
And of course my first kiss. Made me smile to put those words together. Nice internal rhyme, chips and miss from the line before too. Just a nice feel and sentiment. Beautiful vocal performance by Marthie too. Outstanding!
@n24 Feb 2022
What a beautiful backstory for a song. Marthie’s vocals are perfect for this track, so clean and so much character and longing in the delivery. I love this mix, it’s right on point and feels very whole and polished. That bridge is very powerful, really well written and subtle allusion to a to a very tricky topic, I think you handled this year incredibly well as a song! Really glad your wife liked it :) as well she might!
@writeandwrong Feb 2022
Aw, when I saw Marthie was on here, I knew I had to hear it! Love your vocals! Beautiful! The lyric and performance truly unite into something magical here. I saw a video playing along with this one. Nice visuals and flow. Fantastic collaboration!!! A+++ #tit4tat5
@andrea Feb 2022
Wow, your voice is stunning. Love this feel-good song reminiscing the best of times. Easy to connect to the feelings through the scenes. The music and performance heighten the emotions even more. It's a beautiful song and collab!
@siebass Feb 2022
Lovely warm progression and great vocal on this, well selected backing guitars and piano. Song feels like a warm summer day that has started to cool into the night, where you might want to get a sweater. Captured the bittersweet.
@panch Feb 2022
This one really hits the mark. It's a really powerful ballad beautifully written and performed.
You've banged out some crackers this FAWM and this one is right up there.
@brisk Feb 2022
This is really lovely. It has a confident, deliberate pace to it, and a lovely lyric and melody. Really nice performance too. Wonderful bit of work.
@grayland Feb 2022
This song is outstanding! The lyrics really speak to me and I'm sure many more.. Marthie, your voice is stunning!!! I'm so glad I found this gem!!! Great collab folks!
@jayjay Feb 2022
Wonderful storytelling. Love this collaboration.
Beautiful lyrics and vocals supported by a sensitive and supportive musical track. #tit4tat