If Only for a While
If only for a while
Gonna put my feet up
If only for a while
Gonna rest my mind
Cause there's things I've seen
There's things I've done
I still carry through time
Before I walk this road
Gonna sit in sunshine
Before I walk this road
Gonna find a friend
Cause there's those I've loved
There's those I've lost
It all comes back again
Can't stop the river's running
Sun and moon still take their turns
It happens all the time is what we say
Still, the Mississippi ends
Empties into oblivion
Under somebody's last sunset every day
Before I close my eyes
Wanna tell my children
Before I close my eyes
I'll plant it in their minds
"You wield too much light
To fear the dark
Wherever your road winds"
This song almost didn't make the EP. It was written very quickly, and it's a simple song. I guess I didn't take it seriously as a result. When I was considering leaving it off, my wife and others said I had to put it on the EP. I'm glad I listened, as it's probably my favorite track on the record now.
I wrote it after watching the very long but amazing Tom Petty doc Runnin' Down a Dream on Netflix. You need to watch this if you haven't already. I was inspired and annoyed that he is so masterful as a songwriter.
It's funny that without thinking much about what you're singing as you're making up the words, the song can still hold together. This is not how I usually write. Most of the time I labor away at shaping what I want to say and revise, revise, revise. There's a time for that, but sometimes it's best to just get out of the way and let the song out. That is truly a mysterious thing.
When we were recording it, Joe Gilder kept singing Macy Gray in my headphones before takes as I was trying to record guitar. He sounded just like her. After hearing him do this a handful of times, I just busted out laughing. It was like trying not to laugh in church. The result is the laughter at the beginning of the track.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting similar notes about each song on the EP. To make sure you don't miss one, be sure to sign up for my mailing list below.
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