This a quick live recording of a new song I'm working on that describes the paradox I find myself in when it comes to Time and it's passing and it's impact on our lives, and of course it's mostly about my recent separation, (who knew?, heh). On the one hand, Time takes away things I don't want to lose (familiarity breeds contempt), and on the other hand, it takes away things that I'd rather not keep (even I can mature, given enough Time).
If I divide this song up by stanzas, the first is about my childhood and then my teen years, first the good, then the bad. The second stanza is about me falling in love and starting a family, all under the watchful eye of Father Time. The third stanza is about how things play out nearly 30 years down the road. The "trailer" at the end is about how I've always felt that you can't take away the years of marriage we had (good and bad), even if that marriage ends in divorce, and also about how I defy Time (and/or death) to take me away (yes, I stab at thee, great white whale).
Words (below) in parenthesis indicate places where the lyric was either suggested but not sung, or sung too low to be as audible as the rest (intentional). I experimented a bit with "close to the mic" type stuff on this song, and in a radical departure for me, there's no reverb or delay effects on the vocal, just my Yamaha keyboard and the vocal going through my VoiceTone Correct, I ended up liking the song anyway, so here it is. I think it's the perceived intimacy it seems to convey that draws me in.
Can't stop you Time from passing, but must you change every thing?
(So) please excuse me for asking, but there's days I'd like to see again.
Like when I was a child...you took that away, you took it away...
and then, when I was wild...yeah you took that away, traded for shades of gray.
Couldn't stop myself from falling, but you followed me there.
When the little ones came calling, you were still in the air.
Ideals, so mighty and high, oh you took 'em away, all away.
It's surreal, observing it now, you never did say just how.
We began to climb the mountain, spending our years.
Little did we know that fountain was fed with our tears.
The ties, they were so tight, but you made 'em to fray, then you took 'em away.
I want (it back), I whisper at night: bring back the day, bring back those days.
(the years) can't take 'em away.
yeah, yeah, yeah, (all the years) can't take 'em away (no you can't).
I know you want to: you can't take me away.
All the years, (you) won't take 'em away.
I know you want to: you won't take me away.
I know you want to: you won't take me away...
Can't stop this Time from passing, but must you change every thing?
words and music copyright (c) 2009 by Craig M. Fields, all rights reserved.