I was feeling sorry for myself (again) one evening (a couple of decades ago now). I was musing as to how my lot in life might have turned out had I been more disciplined, or more aware of what really mattered when it really mattered, or simply had had more common sense when I was younger, or had I not been one of those "know it all" teenagers and given more credence to what my parents warned me about, etc... I was sitting there imagining what life would be like if I just jumped in the car and took off for points unknown, never to return. I had to forget this kind of thing and I needed to do some self-reasoning to get there, this song is the result of me talking myself out of it.
Anyway, the feeling persisted, so I went down to the basement, turned off all the lights, lit a candle, and wrote this song in the dark, of course, recording took a while longer ;). The guitars were done with my cheapie strat copy, single-coil pickups, a time before Seymour's pickup went into the bridge position, but not before I poured mortar mix into the cavity under the pick guard to boost natural sustain, and then spray-painted the entire mess gloss-white, body, neck, headstock, everything, inspiration: Jeff Beck Wired. That snow-white strat-copy was inspiring to play, if not necessarily much of a hum-bucker.
This song has one of my strongest bottom-ends, ie: bass and drums, so, once again, try to find some decent cans (headphones) and give it a listen with those. This is one of those songs where I went back and added the bass guitar after the fact, since I did not own one when it was originally recorded. In my own opinion this is one of my best bass performances, along with Better Times. Perhaps because the bass was shiny and new, or perhaps due to the song's key/chords, or maybe both, anyway, be sure to listen to the bottom as you go, I really like it.
If you'd like to hear a "live" version of this song, meaning: one guitar, one vocal (I think my best vocal ever) recorded at the same time "live", then click here.
(ah, don't you, don't you go away...you know, don't you, don't you, go away...)
...sit alone in the dark by a candle...wishing again for the things that might have been.
Hearing that voice it whispers the same thing: "you coulda had it all, you coulda had everything".
You know what I mean?
You know don't you? it won't go away. It won't go away 'til you're thankful for today.
You know don't you? it won't go away. It won't go away 'til you're thankful for today.
You made some mistakes, a long time ago (it seems).
That's all it takes sometimes to put you on a different road.
You gotta care when the time comes, you gotta be aware...
There's no one now to hold your hand, there's fools everywhere.
ah, you know what I mean?
You know don't you? it won't go away. It won't go away 'til you're thankful for today.
You know don't you? you know the score: you know what the days and the months and the years are for.
How dare you?
How dare you think of anything else?
You fool do you really wanna be someone else? No!
Look around, there's plenty here, oh no, not outside, look inside...
More often now your spirit breaks free.
You smile as you think of what is, and what could be.
Loosen the chains, lighten your load.
Now you're sailing away, on a different road.
You know what I mean? ah, you know what I said...
You know don't you? it won't go away. You know the way, now you're thankful for today.
You know don't you? You know the score: you know what the days and the months and the years are for.
you know...