The chords and melody for this song were originally written for a lyric my brother had sent me about a single mom and her child called "Little While". It was indeed yet another song-inspiring lyric from him and I wrote/recorded it, and yet, it was hard for me to relate to that lyric as the single mom and I also wanted to apply my newly-developed "empty sound" to this song with an alternate lyric I had formulated from the chords that reflected my feelings at the time. This song captures a little bit of the spirit of the very first song that Dr. Pete and I ever wrote, back when I was a teenager, never recorded, a song called Afterdays. Although this song is in an entirely different key, it's still reminds me of that song in places, I hope someday to re-create and record Afterdays, it was quite a hit on the carnival scene back in '77-79, we shall see...
This song could easily appear to be an anthem of suicide: advocating death by "crossing over the line", and yet, it was written by the living, for the living, so, it's not an invite to the grave, but something else...
Written many years after this song, the lyric to Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying really helps to explain where I was going with this. He laments less of the bad and celebrates more of the good in his song, but it's really just like me to a be a bit darker than that, and yet it's the same idea here.
The "piano" sound was achieved on that tiny little "toy" Yamaha keyboard way back when by selecting the "classical guitar" sound, whatever it's label, it sounded the most like a piano to me, so I used it as such. This is another of those songs where I was going for an "empty" sound, ie: a lot less than 11 or 13 tracks. So, it's 2 keyboards, 2 vocals, bass, drums, and one electric guitar, for both lead and rhythm, all of which was rather "empty" by my standards at the time. It's also one of the few songs here where there is only one drum track: mine. On many of the others I have the drum-machine going right along with my own drum fills/embellishments. On this song it's just me alone on the drums, this is my best attempt at being a real drummer.
Additionally, this is one of a couple of songs here where the recording is missing a part, so, the words in bold italic below represent the part that was erased by accident (that accident was me hitting the record button along with the play button on my boom-box in the truck instead of just hitting the play button which was my intention). I am truly sorry, please use your imagination to fill in the blank second, it is unrecoverable now.
(oooh, aaaah, ooohh, aaah, yeah, yeah!)
...and it's a labor...not always of love.
and it's a struggle, keep your head up above.
Some people, still don't understand...
Won't make it, holding on with one hand.
one hand...
So we labor, so we die, under the Sun.
It's a natural part of life, kill with the tongue.
Can't stop it, won't hold back the sea.
There's someone coming, they're looking for me...
for me...
Look ahead to the time when I can cross over the line.
Step ahead in time, into the light.
Healing come, my sight restored, no longer blind.
I'll regain my mind: away from the night.
take the lead
No, I go alone.
feel the line...
I'll take hold.
can't see...don't understand...no fear...(oh no)...you take my hand...
(no fear...)
...and in the undying light of day, don't have to explain.
on the golden altar displayed: all of our pain...
watch closely: fire takes it away...yeah!
and though we want to, no tears come that day...no...no tears...
Look ahead to the time when I can cross over the line.
Step ahead in time, into the light.
Healing come, my sight restored, no longer blind.
I'll regain my mind: away from the night.
take the lead
No, I go alone.
feel the line...
I'll take hold.
can't see...don't understand...no fear...you take my hand...
(no fear...)
words and music copyright (c) 1990 by Craig M. Fields, all rights reserved.