Free Song # 3
Added 2017-02-13 00:59:21 +0000 UTCThis is "Away From The Things Of Man", the 3rd free song you have received for joining our Patreon Fan Club.
This song fulfilled several goals for me.
The first was that I have wanted to write a song for years around the last phrase spoken in Joe Vs The Volcano, which is one of my favorite films. At the very end, after the were spit out of the volcano (I know, spoilers, but you had something like 30 years to see the film!) , as the two drifted away on his ever boyant steamer trunks, Joe says to Patrica, "I wonder where we'll end up?"
"Away from the things of man, my love. Away from the things of man."
That line...like most of the lines from that script...struck me hard, and stuck with me for years. So with this song I've finally been able to sum up my feelings about that concept, and how "right" the world seems to work if you are "away from the things of man".
The other thing I always wanted to do was try my hand at a style of music from Africa called Hilife. African Hilife is a style of arrangement, heavey on hand drums, and typically featuring two guitars that duet in with each other in counter mellody's.
In this song, beleive it or not, there are now guitars at all. Just two layers of me our bouzouki, each with just enough guitar distortion to feel like guitars.
Away From The Things Of Man
Out past the pavement
Out past the cobblestones
Out past the factories
Where we can be all alone
I see the trees, and
I see the waterfalls and
I see the riverbanks
And I want to see it all
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
Out past the rusting cars
Out past the firelines
Out past the traffic lights
When we can forget our times
I see the mountains and
I see the fireflies and
I see the empty space
Where we can forget our lives
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
No one to tell you where to go, where to stand
No one to say what is good and what is bad
The laws never change and the neighbors are clean
The waters are blue and the trees are green
I want to be where I see the whole sky
Where the animals run and the birds can fly
No one would dare try to change the laws
For they'd suffer the wings and the hooves and the paws
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
Away, away away
Away from the things of man
No one to tell you where to go, where to stand
No one to say what is good and what is bad
The laws never change and the neighbors are clean
The waters are blue and the trees are green
I want to be where I see the whole sky
Where the animals run and the birds can fly
No one would dare try to change the laws
For they'd suffer the wings and the hooves and the paws
Comments
Sounds kind of like a Phil Collins song
Joshua Skaug
2020-03-19 23:08:23 +0000 UTCWell... sounds to me like you need to choose an animator and get a kickstarter going. ;)
Lora Friedenthal
2017-02-21 16:03:06 +0000 UTCWhen I was writing this I had a whole story in my head for an animated movie.
Abney Park
2017-02-21 15:58:50 +0000 UTCThis sounds like a Disney song! I mean that as a compliment. There should be an animated short that goes with it! :D
Lora Friedenthal
2017-02-13 15:28:11 +0000 UTCI like the bouzouki...
Gargoyle
2017-02-13 06:38:42 +0000 UTCI love the 'native' jungle feel of this song. You hit the style and atmosphere on the nose. :-)
Paul Kater
2017-02-13 05:11:34 +0000 UTCWe haven't yet, but we've talked about having guitars do one line, and me on bouzouki do the other.
Abney Park
2017-02-13 04:47:27 +0000 UTCNice work. It does sound like guitars. What are you going to do when you perform the song live?
DrWex
2017-02-13 03:15:41 +0000 UTC
