Sixty Two by Oldrottenhead (Live in the living room)

[Oldrottenhead]

Mrs Rottenhead bought me a new ukelele and a new mic for crimbo. Haven't had much time to spend with my new toys, am on a heavy learning curve, this was a bugger to record. I had the chord progression and the words bouncing around for a week or so and had plans to do a big production but then i thought, fuck it let's see what happens if i just hit record.

It is what it is.

One is a number on it's own
Two is the number after one
Three is the sum of two plus one
Four is the four of us
Five is the dog
Six is the guy next door
Seven's my lucky number
And eight is just so wrong
Nine is the one
Before ten
Eleven sounds just like seven
Twelve is imperial
Thirteen unlucky for some
At fourteen we all go nuts
Fifteen we know it all
Sixteen we're all grown up
Seventeen's Janis Ian
Eighteen's down the pub
At nineteen we go to war
Twenty we get a job
Twenty one the key to the door
Twenty two say I do
Twenty three twenty four
Is just a blur
And now I'm sixty two
How the hell did I get here

Sixty Two

W/M

by
Oldrottenhead
Vocals
Alvarez ukelelele
recorded via
Rode NT1a mic
plugged into a
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface, 3rd Gen
into my MacBook
and recorded in GarageBand

[SE]

Sometimes hitting  record is the best thing to do.
Nice chrimbo pressies from the Mrs. Nice retrospective take on what is all happening to all of us, cool in the room recording, excellent  stuff.

[Redler]

Nice story by using numbers/years. I like the warm and moving performance!

[Zoltan]

The last line(s) really hammer the message thru. Before that i was swirling in numbers and trying to make do with counting my fingers Great full story told in short lines!

The "just hit record" -method it great. You can always revisit and polish further the song idea if needed. This one works as is. For me this is the kind of track that has lyrics that are meant to be listened and digested so too much stuff around can only water down the weight of the words.

[StephenM]

a really lovely song that last night became a lullabye as I listened to this drifting off to sleep.  Love the vocal sounds.
I can totally relate on the 62... here and doing that

[Blooby]

The way the tune sped up was a bit of planned or unplanned brilliance. The stark nature of the recording really drives it home. I am not sure a full production would benefit this.

And at 55, we start yelling at clouds.

Blooby

[guitarron]

I can totally relate on the 62... here and doing that

Same here. This weekend in fact.
Brilliant lyrics.

[Farrell Jackson]

The one and done style of recording worked well for you! The Xmas gifts (Uke and NT1A mic) also served you well. Your history is captured well by using the numbers as a reference, all the way to 62. Sixty two must be a defining moment ie. "How the hell did I get here". I wrote my 62 blues when I hit that same age. Well done Jim!

[alfstone]

Great story and idea, James!

Alfredo

[Mike_S]

Yes lovely idea and it's great to hear the real moment unfiltered and as it happened. Great stuff.

Mike