Feb 2022 grunge alternative-rock
Another title taken from something one of my friends said (thanks, Karter!) that went into the old song idea file long enough ago that I do not remember the context of. I had a good grungy progression that fit the 4-chord loop, so I played around with adding/subtracting/building parts and the number of lines/rhythms in the verses. This could probably stand a bit of trimming (hello, me of the recent past), but I kind of think this one should be allowed to breathe and even sprawl a bit.
Every good villain thinks they're the hero of the story, and I suppose that applies to all of us.
Black and white
Voiceover readings of my communications
The actor that reads for you
Doesn't match your inflections very well
There are three
Anachronisms in this costume
Sepia tinted to keep them out of view
But I can tell
And I don’t like this presentation
Conjecture mixed with information
Primary sources filtered through
Too many points of view
Am I vindicated, is this the story of my glory
Or will I become a cautionary tale for ages yet to be
Dreaming in documentaries
Every night I dream in documentary format
What the camera sees is not everything that was
It’s incomplete
But would more detail change the outcome
Is the context as presented enough
Would it add to understanding if we stripped it down some more
Got straight to the point, ripped out the fluff
Which moments matter in the end
Can I dictate my own lore
Just by leaving certain pieces, leaving select sequences
On the cutting room floor, on the cutting room floor
On the cutting room floor
Am I vindicated, is this the story of my glory
Or will I become a cautionary tale for ages yet to be
Dreaming in documentary
Why do I dream in documentary format
Can we rewrite a past that isn’t even past
It isn’t even past, it’s looking me right in the eye
And if I can sell the lies I want to hear
I could let go of the fear before I crack under the weight
And bring the whole thing down
Bring the whole thing down onto our heads
Thank God I found the thread
Thank God I found the narrative thread
The narrative thread
Am I vindicated, is this the story of my glory
Or will I become a cautionary tale for ages yet to be
Dreaming in documentary
Why do I dream in documentary format
@odilongreen Feb 2022
This very much has a grunge / Nirvana feel (even if your vocals are too intelligible to pass for Nirvana :) ). Shaggy and rock-y and full of, well, grunge, this brings me back to my undergraduate days and would've fit right in at my college radio station. And although it is on the longer side, I agree it works here; it gives the track room to seep into the listener and become epic. Nice!
@standup Feb 2022
Great concept for this song.
The actor reading your lines is doing a lousy job... The question of vindication or a cautionary tale.
And the edits, yes, are so important. But do YOU get to make choices about what's on the cutting room floor, or is it the director who may actually be doing a hit job on your life?
So many questions. Enjoyed this.