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March 19, 2007

Song-A-Week 12: What You Know

#12, everyone! Every week that I manage to pull this off makes me very happy. Okay okay. So to preface this one there's three things that strike me about it...
1) It reminds me of a deathcab song
2) I didn't have time to put in the 12-string guitar solos I was thinking of...
3) I like the lyrics, but I feel like it could use some refining to make sure that whatever it is I am trying to say is clear. Right now it feels like there are two competing ideas that I think are related... just needs a little tying everything together. I also want to make sure it isn't overtly religious. At least not the kind of religious they sell in the Christian Book Stores.

What You Know
(C) 2007 Matthew C Good

Broken spines of hymnals,
Piles of empty journals
filled with all the words
you didn't write

weathered looking covers
just like all the others
mass-produced on
an assembly line.

Most of these books
never get a second look
Empty pages narrate an empty life

Still, we keep them nice
For our self-involved lies.
Maybe one day we'll have something to write.

Battered family bibles
or their picture-perfect rivals.
Tell me now which
would you prefer?

Coming off its binding
red threads are unwinding
The weaker book
has the stronger word

Write down what you know
read for what you don't
There's always someone else you haven't learned from

When its time to make your mark
you won't be in the dark
Put your pen to the page and let it run.

------

Shoot I just heard a piano meeble in there that I meant to delete. Oh Well, that's what you get. Quantity, not quality.

No wimpy "strum the last chord real slow and let it ring" ending this time, chase. does that work for ya?

Posted by pedalboy at March 19, 2007 12:31 AM | TrackBack
Comments

By the time you say "Battered family bibles", everybody at the bar has turned around to see who is at the mic; you have their full attention. It's gotta be those background "oooo"'s that pull you into the next phrase. Gotta love 'em.

Hooray piano.

Posted by: dk at March 19, 2007 3:47 AM

"By the time you say "Battered family bibles", everybody at the bar has turned around to see who is at the mic; you have their full attention. It's gotta be those background "oooo"'s that pull you into the next phrase. Gotta love 'em."

I agree. Favorite line: "The weaker book
has the stronger word"

Posted by: Kristina at March 19, 2007 7:27 AM

another thought...a harmonica line might sound pretty good in here.

Posted by: Kristina at March 19, 2007 7:34 AM

This song reminds me of Neil Young for some reason. I think it'd sound good with a little mandolin kind of a sound and maybe even a pipe organ to play up the "broken down chapel" feeling the song has. i'm thinking that maybe you should use some sort of alternative percussion on it instead of straight up drums. and you need a pedal steel guitar on it or something like it.

i really like the way the acoustic sounds in this demo too.

i really like the lyrics too. i think this one's a keeper. and i'm getting the tools as soon as i have a weekend to go get my new computer. and i have a demo of the tools but i'm not sure what that entails.

Posted by: John at March 20, 2007 12:15 AM

Alright this song is officially stuck in my head.

Posted by: dk at March 20, 2007 4:44 AM

i am not too into this one, matty. it didn't make me turn around from the bar, nor did it get stuck in my head. it was too harsh, like you're just pounding away. i like the words a lot though and i think it would be better if it either had much more stuff going on in it (harmonica, etc.) or much less. like a really minimalistic guitar thinger. b/c the piano gets lost behind the guitar and it all blends together on the same level.

Posted by: kate at March 22, 2007 8:25 PM

Does it remind you of "I Will Follow You Into the Dark"? I kind of heard it, but only because you mentioned it.

Anyway, I think this song is okay. I like how you jump to the 4 at the end of the melody of the chorus. It catches me by surprise, which is good. I agree with the need to tweak the lyrics. I had a hard time catching it, but I'm dumber than John. I agree with his assessment of the "broken down chapel" feel. Some gospel choir-esque "ooohs" would be good, but only drunk.

Sorry for the lateness. I've been busy with stupid stuff the past week, and will be again this week. But I'll make an extra effort for you tomorrow.

Posted by: Chase at March 26, 2007 4:44 PM

It DOES sound like I'll follow you into the dark by deathcab... because you use essentially the same chord progression. WEIRD. I like the song but have to agree with Kate in this one. It's kinda harsh for how neat the lyrics are. And I feel like lately that's all you been doing (and I realize these are scratch tracks and very unfinished)... but all that chunka-chunka-chunka stuff with your guitar. Spice it up a bit!

Posted by: katie knows best at April 4, 2007 1:04 PM
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