Hey everyone! I’m back from Paris and everything is groovey. I haven’t had time to post any photos yet or anything, we had visitors last weekend and all of that stuff. It’s coming. More than you want to know, probably.
Anyway….
I think this is song #16, but I could be wrong, since I just tried to save the lyrics and I already have 17 songs in there? This is all getting out of hand. I can’t really keep track. It’s called “Chris” after a guy I knew in high school. I’ve ha this song knocking around for a long time. Chase should be glad to finally hear a demo’d version, since he’s been asking for it for a while now. This is from back in the Dubach House days, and he almost did a demo of it one time, actually. Here it is.
Chris
Copyright 2007 Matthew C Good
Chris
Copyright 2006 Matthew C Good
Chris was a friend whose life met an end.
Well I guess I won’t try to push past it
by saying that his soul wasn’t meant for this world,
that ones like his don’t last.
When I met him, he was playing violin,
well you know he was never too good at it.
When I met him, I was playing at making friends,
well you know I was never too good at it.
Lord, I was selfish then
but I guess I carried on.
His family found out, lit candles in their house,
Smoke signals upwards to Heaven.
But Fate discriminates to no one I know
and fire counts wood and wax even.
It burned to the ground
But everyone got out.
Even the flag that Chris had
Draped over his coffin.
—
Let me know what you think. I did a lot of kinda neat engineering on this demo – EVERYTHING except for the acoustic guitar is running through a distortion pedal or guitar amp at some point. I think the tone on the guitar is pretty good too. And a not bad faked mellotron.
-
Pages
-
Categories
-
Archives
- March 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- July 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- January 2009
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- October 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
7 Comments
Definitely a good faked mellotron.
This “fuller” verse needs some JB slide action a la “You Know Where I’ll Be.”
The chorus needs harmonies. A voice that hits the F# (3rd) on the D chord during the chorus would sound nice as well. I like the melody of “Even the flag that Chris had” a lot, but I think “Drapped over his coffin” needs to be rethought. There’s a better rhythm/melody out there.
I like the extended instrumental, and reprise of verse 2. I think your vocal there needs to be verbed out and sounding far away. In the very least, it needs to sound different than how it has beforehand.
In the final the difference in dynamics from the first part of the verse to the second needs to be more so. I would like maybe some pads too.
I haven’t listened yet, but I just wanted to comment on the lyrics. After the first few lines, I realized what the song is about, but it felt a little cheesy. But then it got kind of self-aware and self-effacing. As I read on, it started to work. I even got goosebumps at the end. I actually heard about that happening a while back when I went to Mass at a church in Elmhurst I don’t normally go to. I think it was his families church. It seemed so sad and ironic that it almost didn’t seem real. Anyway, I’ll listen now.
Yeah when I heard about that whole chain of events I was upset with the universe, if you know what I mean. It was gratuitous, you know? I know when you mean when you call it unreal. Maybe I’m not at the point in my craft where I should be writing about things this real and personal to people, but I was just emotionally sunk when I heard about it… And then I felt guilty, like I’ve heard people do. Like, maybe I should have been a better friend or something like that. But maybe it IS a bad idea to start the song out like it does. That first stanza sorta makes the song selfish – about me. Those personal feelings might be what made me feel like I should write about it in the first place, but it may not be the best way to handle the subject. Last thing I want to do is be selfish in the treatment of someone’s tragedy.
Thanks for that comment, Dan. I’ll definitely be thinking about that when it comes time to tweak the lyrics on song.
Oh, and Chase – I am not really sure what F# in the D chord you are talking about. The chords in the part that I call the chorus are some kind of C#, G#, B flat, or (capo’d at three) B flat, F, G. Is that what you’re talking about?
After listening to the song and rereading the lyrics, I think they work pretty well. Revising is never a bad idea though. It’s definitely something I need to work on improving as a writer. You know, that and actually writing every now and then.
I think the way you looked at this event is very good. We do contextualize things like this in terms of how they affect us, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think you did a good job of tackling a really difficult subject. I also liked how the fact that he died in a war is really only mentioned tangentially in the song.
Matt,
Yeah. You’re right about the chorus. I still mean it needs the 3rd on the (G) chord though. “Lord, I was selfish then” on “then” have the 3rd in a harmony.
I was thinking that your vocal delivery on this song needs a little something more. It’s right between polished, and light, and gruff and depressing. I was thinking it may benefit from being way direction. If light and airy, listen to Jeff Buckley for inspiration…
Um, this is song #18 as well.
I like Dan’s comments too.
i really like the fake mellotron on this song. i like the feel of it too. however, i would change up the way that the electric works in the song. yes, it does have a good tone for the song but it seems just to be filler in this demo and doesn’t add what it could. a little bit more nuance is needed. maybe less strumming and more “parts.” like chase said, a slide would fit nicely. Maybe some guitar harmonies.
You should listen to Midlake’s new record “The Trials of Van Occupanther”. they’ve got a sound similar to your demos and i think you’d like them.