The backing track for this has been hanging around since the early days of FAWM 2022 - now a dim, distant, foggy, past. With a little starting prompt from @adamdale78 I finally got round to deciphering what I was obviously saying when I mumbled the original guide vocal. Then re-recorded it, making it indecipherable once more.
Want to be a silent cipher
Landed in a photograph
And sent to bed a head to lie with
Don’t make me a saviour
And it won’t make do here what you got
A dirty soul
A rich ambition
Not to be the one to fade
You will end up
Drowned in your own waves
Sat on the rock edge
Have I fallen in?
Standing on ladders
Have I fallen in?
Up on the beacon
I open the waves
Even without you
I open the waves
Under the trigger
Down in the sea, comes out, goes in
A single word last night
I dance a bit
You dance a lot
I’m standing in a lazy line
In between a book
And a picture of God
I’d be the one to
Try not to, god no!
That’s me, that’s not
Unable to speak
Unable to see property
Unable to read properly
Unable to be yours
Unable to help me
Help me
And he’ll never see a tear,
he’ll never be in doubt
And he’ll never be danger,
He will never lay back down
And he never went to church,
And he never went to school
I’ll recognise waking up again
When will they be with each other
In our today
In a perfect state
Down in the sea, comes out, goes in
A single word last night
I dance a bit
You dance a lot
I’m standing in a lazy line
In between a book
And a picture of God
I’d be the one to
Try not to god no!
That’s me, that’s not
Unable to speak
Unable to see property
Unable to read properly
Unable to be yours
Unable to help me
Help me
And he’ll never see a tear,
he’ll never be in doubt
And he’ll never be danger,
He will never lay back down
And he never went to church,
And he never went to school
I’ll recognise waking up again
When will they be with each other
In our today
In a perfect state
@smiley Mar 2022
It is like being in a dream. Trying to control yet it is so out of reach. NIce way to capture these feelings and sentiments. Nice imagery. Very meditative. Good work! I love the change towards the end. Lots of movement, way to keep it flowing.
@davidtaro Mar 2022
What an extraordinary closing track. The slow build strings at the start are just jaw dropping. I'd usually take issue with a track that dares to have a 2 minute intro, but this didn't feel like 2 minutes at all, it felt just right. That delicate guitar playing, the piano, the subtle synth layers, I totally lost myself in all that. Beautiful work (and that goes for the whole of FAWM). Well done mate.
@timfatchen Mar 2022
An enfolding opening, gentle waves lapping. Slow lovely development to the ?guitar / pianos figure. The the voice perfectly matched. (shoulder critic daemon: Hmm. This is pretty good). I think keeping the major feel to this works admirably --contrast for me to my natural plunge into minor misery. (shoulder critic daemon: dammit I'll have to listen to this again!) The one-note melody is remarkably good against that lovely hypnotic background and repeated piano pedal note. Then the guitar central backing, and the "And..." sequences--lovely strings. This is just brilliant. (shoulder critic daemon departs, defeated).
@roddy Mar 2022
very moving and beautiful, the change at 1.39 is very effective. The vocals are a perfect match for the music. The guitar part coming in at around 5.00 minutes is really good. Complex but very complete music.
@angelinapowersuit Mar 2022
Well, those are great lines but there are so many others, like, "I danced a bit, You danced a lot," "Unable to Help me, Help Me," and the whole verse about "And he'll never see a tear. . . " You definitely lost it in the mix which is why I'm so glad to read them, what a loss if I couldn't.
@angelinapowersuit Mar 2022
OK, so, having listened for the first time to a song of yours. . . I'm throwing back your own comment of "a melody that helps us feel the highs and the lows," except that this makes me feel more like the high of being low, if that makes any sense, this pulls emotion from me that I didn't know I had. Or did I? Did I just keep it safely hidden until now? Oh, I digress. Anyway, the intro alone even without lyrics did this as did the reading of your lyrics without hearing your voice, and now hearing your voice I am feel somewhat safer and comforted by your calm and steady melody. Phew. Yes, you are a friend of Sufjan, and perhaps even Bon Iver, but you are also known by name :-) Curious though - what was the prompt?
@nadine Mar 2022
The string arrangement and than this cinematic piano. I like that this song goes very slow pace. Vocals could be a bit louder, but this is all I have to complain. I think @katestantonsings comparison to Sigur Ros is valid. This is dreamy and melancholy. Full and not full at the same time.
@katestantonsings Feb 2022
This song takes me to the same place Sigur Ros does in my soul. It hurts my heart, but is uplifting all the way. Truly beautiful piece you’ve created here, Andy. Some perfect touches? The sounds of your strings and vocals. Stunning sympathetic vibrations for your challenge!