"Red Chair" - Original by Ted

[Ted]

"Red Chair"

© 1990, 2025 Ted Johnson
Ted: Lood Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, MBR drum sequencing, Vocals
Recorded on Boss Micro BR
Trimming and high-pass filter in Audacity

Well, she bought a red chair for her brand new house,
For her beautiful two children and her catch of a spouse.
She was beautiful herself. She was 24.
She had everything she'd ever prayed for.
She sat in the chair before the panorama
High on a hill in suburbia

Where you could see forever.
And she thought it would last forever.
She thought it would last forever.
Oh the poor, poor girl.

I'm never gonna say forever.
I'm never gonna say forever.
I'm never gonna say forever.
What kind of fool do you think I am?

When your chances are better than two-in-three
That you'll end up broken and bitter.
And you'll limp around like an amputee.
I've seen it. I feel it. I believe it. I mean it.

You can't fool me, you old red chair.
It's a thin disguise of upholstery you wear.
You're where my mom and my sister cried
As I came in from a tricycle ride.
If only we were so easily recovered.
It's wisdom or scars but I can't say forever.

I'm never gonna say forever.
I'm never gonna say forever.
I'm never gonna say forever.
What kind of fool do you think I am?

I'm never gonna say forever.
I'm never gonna say forever.
I'm never gonna say forever.
How cruel do you think I am?

I wrote this in 1990-ish and never recorded it. At most, I recorded it with a portable cassette recorder. It's a time capsule showing where my head was 35 years ago – particularly listening to a lot of South African music, although I'd never set foot in Africa. Plus, I've changed my tune about never getting married – I'm even on my second marriage. (I've said forever twice and proved my younger self right.)

Maybe a month ago I thought I could knock this out. It's been in my head all these years. Well, I couldn't play the guitar part at full speed. I planned on cheating (recording at 2/3 speed and speeding it up). After practicing to record it at slow speed, and actually recording it at the slow speed, I realized I'd been... practicing. And I could play it at full speed after all. So this is the real deal.

Since this is a forum about songwriting, there was an interesting aspect to this: It was like collaborating with my younger self. There was a middle verse. It not only made the song nearly 5 minutes long, it revealed some specifics about the story or the red chair. I convinced my younger self that the song was better without that verse; that the listener could do more of the work.

[Zoltan]

Ted! This was certainly worth the wait. This is proper gem of a song.

Now that you're on the roll i hope you'll keep them coming.

Clever songwriting, great storytelling and vibey vocals.

[SE]

 Cool song, certainly has that Paul Simon vibe, loving the opening riff, excellent listen!!
Cool drums on the mbr remember it driving me crazy at the time, br80 drums are so much easier.
Well done, great listen!

[thetworegs]

Yeah I get that Paul Simon vibe on this excellent arrangement and production love it!!

[StephenM]

damn Ted!  I knew you were doing something!  this is gonna take alot of listens to get my head around... not that that is possible though.
yeah... I totally understand about practicing and all of a sudden you can play those faster paces...

this song seems like multiple songs.  overall I would say the song seems to try and bring me down but it only serves to make me jump about and dance! 
amputee?  i get examples often in the week about people that keep going on regardless... I work part time in the fitness center at the Y local here and we have many older people that have a real hard time and they come anyway and do their very best...and there is a man in his 40's that is in fact an amputee with 1 leg.. and he comes in positive and battles hard... and he got mad at me early on, when I first met him because I did not remember his name... I learned his name and we are great friends now...and I really try and learn all the regulars names... why am i talking about all this? 
likely because this song loosened up the keyboard strokes.

but the song... first off I love the way it bounces... and I get the Paul Simon ref (I loved his lyrics and singing more than his music but it all fit)... on this though I actually thought more of Talking Heads... and even REM. 

but none of that matters.. this is all you.

the bass work is great and nice sounds... the drums work really well... the guitars are so darned good... but the real star is the vocals... you have a really clever delivery! 
and I suppose the lyrics... yes... star.

[Farrell Jackson]

This is a great song Ted...catchy as all get out! I'm glad you brought it to life to share with us. Your younger and older self collab. well together. I like the dynamics of the quiet and louder sections. Real fine words and vocals. It does have a South African coolness to it...good songwriting!

[DarrenG / The Devil's Toupee]

I'm getting a Paul Simon " call me Al" vibe too. Love the guitars, bass lines are great. Really nice vocals and lyrics. Great production. It's good job you still had this song from all those years.

[Pete C]

As soon as the track started, and before I read any of the other comments I was getting that Paul Simon/African feel to the song. Great performance all round and great production.

Pete

[godinqc]

Cool song, I agree there are hints of Paul Simon in there ..
Great guitar works and I really liked the chord change .. Very good production.
Excellent work.

[hardlock]

A very well done production and performance. Vocals are spot on and dig the chorus. Enjoyable listen!