Feb 2022 capochallenge two-capos acoustic self-worth love-yourself odd-time-signature
ZeCoop: I wrote this song as part of the capo challenge, using two capos. I had a regular one at the sixth fret and a partial capo at the 8th fret giving a nice open chord sound. I came up with something that (to me) sounded like a simple traditional dance kind of song. Very fun and happy sounding, so I added glockenspiel. Liz had it for a while and worked on another of our songs first
(Oxygen Thief - https://fawm.org/songs/135331/)
When she sent over her parts today, I was struck with how her melody weaved in and around my music in an unexpected and wonderful way. This got me thinking about my song, so I listened to it again. Turns out I had kind of sort of moved between time signatures in various places. I had no idea. I just follow where the song takes me and do what sounds right. It starts in 6/8 and then switches to 9/8 with some 6/8 sprinkled in. Liz figured out how to manage that wonderfully with her vocals and double bass.
Liz made me sob in bed this morning as I listened to the lyrics. That isn't hyperbole - hearing these lyrics, especially when it got to the 'beautiful melody' line just hit my chest - hard and tears were falling. I'm sure people can relate to things many ways, but this hit very close to home, thinking of people very very close to me who deal with self-worth and anxiety about life. It is all too common. Love yourself. Seriously. There is enough crap in this world to make it difficult on you. You are amazing and unique.
I cannot thank Liz enough for bringing all the beauty into the world that she does, but I am even more glad to be friends with her, because she is amazing. :)
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So that I don't forget later, I played:
Tacoma DM912 12 string acoustic
Breedlove Atlas Stage 6 string acoustic
My daughter's old school band glockenspiel. :)
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@fearlessflight:
This song feels like a gift. The truth is I’m not quite there yet,- living the acceptance expressed in that last verse. But it has been an amazing thing to ‘try on’ that sentiment.
When John sent this over I was delighted with the way this track just danced out of the speakers. Yet the unexpected way the rhythmic emphasis shifts felt so confronting and vulnerable and somehow devastatingly human. It was the glockenspiel that really took me back to my childhood and a time when I put so much energy into wanting to be someone else. I wanted the melody to jump around nimbly like the way our imagination does at that age. It flowed pretty naturally, I was especially surprised when the line that takes you to the climactic moment just fell out of the air in one piece. I just wish I’d had time to get a few different voices on those bvs!
Thank you @zecoop! You are special!
I used to dream of another life
Where I could be someone else
I could be tall and be blonde and thin
And win
I could be good as someone else
Somebody else
Then I'd deserve
A place on this earth
Then I’d have worth
I used to crave me a better life
So far from myself
I’d be admired from far and wide
And satisfied
I’d be so good as someone else
Somebody else
Then I’d be free
Then I’d be me
A living breathing melody
I used to long for a better life
Another chance to get it right
I’d do good business and rake it in
And grin
Start again as someone else
Somebody else
Someone with gold
Could that make me whole?
But it cannot be
One life one chance
For the beautiful melody that is me
Now I don’t need any other life
I’ve learned to treasure this old skin
Got my own song and I can sing
Hear it echoing
Hear it echoing
I’m stumbling while I’m blossoming
Radiantly bumbling
Gloriously fumbling
Expectations are crumbling
It’s humbling
@cleanshoes Mar 2022
This is moving and delightful. It's exceptionally sunny, but carries such weight. I love that glockenspiel, and Liz's vocals are just lovely as always (especially those BVs and harmonies!). My goodness.
@kahlo2013 Mar 2022
Yes! I glad how you came around in the ending and love the self confidence and love that comes through! The la la la is lovely. Vocals soar and flow so gorgeously. The Glock with the double capo works brilliantly. This has a Disney like feel in the very best way.
@driftwood1 Mar 2022
Oh this is beautiful, relatable, tragic, hopeful, brilliant. "The beautiful melody that is me" the acceptance we all strive for. You both crushed this one.
@audrey Mar 2022
What a beautiful melody and vocal. Just lovely! I love the warmth of the acoustic guitar. Also love those distant-sounding harmonies. This one had me swaying along. What a winning collaboration. Love it.
@ductapeguy Mar 2022
Hi John and Liz: It's Mr. McGaughey with my grade 8 music class. Here are their comments.
Mr. McG.: This reminds me of the best of 70s pop rock, and with more than a smidgen of Abba influences.
J: I really liked the melody.
H: I liked how it did sound like an ABBA song.
@mikeskliar Feb 2022
wow, this is tuneful and life affirming and moving and checks all the boxes, and just gets better and better as it goes! fantastic write, production and performance by all! incredible stuff!
@mikeb Feb 2022
What a joyful feeling this song brings, it must be the glock! Such a familiar story conveyed in the lyrics, with a happy message.
@tamsnumber4 Feb 2022
Amazing, relatable lyric and an amazing vocal that just is at one with this beautifully produced track, this is so full of life, experience and magic, lovely collaboration!
@jeustan Feb 2022
W o w
@jeustan Feb 2022
Wow I am in love with the whole of this song. Everything here is so elevated I can’t help but soar with it. Wow.
@standup Feb 2022
I hear this, there was always somebody else who seemed to have everything. And, at times, it seemed like I had nothing.
This is beautiful too, the stacked harmonies and LIz's beautiful voice and delivery.
The glockenspiel adds an amazing -- I dunno -- innoocence to this song. Did @zecoop send it off with that already there? Or was it added hearing what the song was about? (I bet it was there from the start...)
Really lovely and brilliant, and I don't mean that in a "nice FAWM comment" kinda way. Thought-provoking and beautiful.
@sheamiejay Feb 2022
Holy fuck! That is the best song I've heard in a while. The message is clear and positive and has such lift with the harmonies and variations. Glock is totally underrated as a legit instrument. Love this song!
@nadine Feb 2022
Two capos on one guitar?! How does that work?!?! How can you even play?! However the tuning sounds cool, and I like the tiny twists given by the time signature shifts. It sounds a bit like a 6/8 waltz but it isn't. Such a happy calming instrumental and Liz vocals are good as always.
@karlsburg25 Feb 2022
oh liz first off those lyrics are so perfect and really fill me with emotion. I've done a lot of that type of expressing this FAWM ,and totally understand. Acceptance is such a huge thing but its definitely what i've been practising for the last 5 years or so, and its true dropping a lot of the ingrained thoughts of who you should be really does set you free. I tried to express it in the last song i did but the way you paint the picture with your words makes me wish i'd come to you. Stunning . And i haven't even listened to the song yet!!! ;-) hang on .........Oh this is gonna be the longest comment ever. John you have really produced a piece of magic here . I adore the way the music goes through different time signatures but more than that , its the way it meshes in so perfectly with liz's vocals and all the call and response harmonies of pure beauty. This is DEFO one of my fav listens for all the above reasons and more this year
@katestantonsings Feb 2022
So beautiful. Relatable. Eyes are watering! Thank you for sharing this with all of us--it's very moving. <3
@guatecoop Feb 2022
This is so doggedly human....willing oneself to wrestle out of the struggle and into the epiphany, the light, and the recognition/validation of oneself. The music also has a very willful determination to be positive and look forward, as well as inward. What a great song! This is definitely a product of the both of you--another great collaboration.
@metalfoot Feb 2022
Magic. You two are magic.
This is such a wonderful song.
All I can say is that I'm running over to the Recommended Songs thread now.
@thedutchwidows Feb 2022
Those acoustics sound great and the glockenspiel gives it a lovely naive feel somehow. Perhaps the simplicity of the sound and the melody. The lyrics are superb and they're so well sung. Really enjoyed this!
@emkaydeebee Feb 2022
Oh this is so special - a perfect partnership a lovely positive message! Well done both for creating this magic.
@adambeiter Feb 2022
The doubling of the guitar has such an awesome natural reverb to it--this reminds me a lot of early-90s production, one of my favorite historical folk "sounds". So many clever suspensions and stylings in both guitar parts, and of course the singing blew me away! So glad I got to hear this masterpiece, it's a truly amazing song!