Star

[WarpCanada]

I started out with a bunch of lyrical phrases I wanted to put into a song, like the clearly-stolen-from-U2-who-clearly-stole-it-from-someone-else line about getting out of your own way.

Then it turned into a song written from a parent to a child.      I hoped that I might find a way to make it both oddly specific in some ways, and oddly general enough that lots of people could fit their love for their parents, or their children, into the lyrics.

Musically this is a mash up of whatever I felt like, drums, piano, orchestral library (UVI Orchestral Suite), and a bit of synth bass, and it's me working on buildup.  The first time I uploaded the end was totally a mess. (Something bad in the mixdown, and the automation during the track's final fade out.)  Hope that V2 has a better sounding ending.   

Star

You get yourself a brand new lifetime
I tried to give you a compass and a map
Nothing in life feels so good as your learner's permit
Something that makes you so happy
Maybe it shouldn't be allowed
You're wearing those Tom Cruise shades
And you're Learning how to Fly
You're Learning how to fly

            
First you crawl and then you walk
Then you're ready to blast off.
Soon you'll be walking on the moon
Darling you'll go far, maybe even to the stars,
Did you learn anything from all the things I said?
Feel like It's a miracle that life exists
A tragedy when it's gone too soon...

What if Kindness is all we have left?
What if Mercy is our only treasure?
To be held in the heart of a friend is worth more than you can measure.

You're the only obstacle.
So get out of your own way.
If you're gonna grow up a little bit --
Then it Might as well be today.

In between the known and the unknown
In between the living and the and the dead
If you look long enough into the darkness
You might see a tiny golden thread,
Love is not just an idea.
You can't just live inside your head.
Today you're alive,
but some day you'll be dead.

Darling, please don't take this life for granted.
Don't forget to give it away.
It's only what we give that matters
All the gold on the earth will some day turn to lead.
Every golden thing will someday turn to lead.

Give me a well lived lifetime
Give me the oldest best friends
Give me Joy to balance misfortunes
Give me love that never ends
I'm wearing my Tom Cruise shades
As I'm learning how to live.
Someday that means
learning how to die.

[Jean Pierre]

Nice composition Warren..I like the synth bass and the orchestration...what is the UVI Orchestral Suite?

[WarpCanada]

UVI orchestral suite is a nice library from UVI that works in their UVI workstation (free) and UVI falcon (paid) plugins.

https://www.uvi.net/en/orchestral

I think I spent $99 US on it.  Gets a LOT of use now.  This piece has strings, a full orchestra tremolo sound, and a sampled male choir singing the chords of the song.

[StephenM]

first off Warren I like the music alot...

but then those lyrics are so inspired....wow... I generally don't care that much about the lyrics but since I have been on SC I care more...a lot more... they are important...but not everything ...the whole song matters...

what I really like about the lyrics is they speak alot of hard to admit truth...that we all face but coupled with that is the simple things of life that make such a huge difference to us...like wearing Tom Cruise shades...ha!

and I am big on kindness and mercy so you got me there... then there is the permit thing...

I would also mention I like your singing on here...it's soft and lovely and full of feeling...great song (and the little thing at the end with your child is touching)

[BerryPatch]

Great sound, but as StephenM put, the lyrics are the real star here. Those words are very captivating, just the right balance between sadness and hope. Reminds of Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips and how he writes lyrics. Beautiful track.

[WarpCanada]

Thanks folks.  I listened to my mix on a less-full-range set of speakers (the car test) and this mix is a HOT mess.  And the ending is musically unsatisfying to me, but I am very pleased with the lyrics which were composed in two hours of sitting at the microphone singing and then editing, and singing it and then saying "no, wrong", and changing stuff.

I will remix this one and may re-record the vocals, but the vocals here have a sadness in them that I like, so maybe not.

[Mike_S]

I am with Stephen on the enjoying lyrics more because of Songcrafters thing. Not sure why, maybe it's even because often we have more to say - real life stories - than label acts. I get what you are saying about being hesitant about doing the vocals again. If hard to "create" feeling at will. If you truly felt the song and the full meaning during this take, maybe this is the one!

Yeah, full of feeling and great lyrics... a nice ethereal vibe too.

Mike

[Ray Brookes]

Lovely atmospheric sound with that orchestration, nice softly presented vocals and the lyrics are superb.

[Bluesberry]

Superb song....picking up on what Keith (Berrypatch) said...Wayne Coyne....if you put some electric guitar and bass on here it would sound like a sorta Flaming Lips song.....its a monster song lurking under the hood it seems like to me.....I would add some more to it if it was me.....electric guitar and bass and maybe a bit more dynamic drums.....just a suggestion...but that is what I hear when listening...all in all, a very strong song

[WarpCanada]

Thanks. I am considering a recording with some absolutely scorching guitar, and then when you didn't expect it do the string and choir thing.