Today’s song is a little different than anything I’ve posted so far, and it’s also a first for me. It’s my first foreign language song. It truly belongs in French, and it couldn’t exist any other way.

It began musically, while I was mucking about with Week Two’s Modal Challenge (a mode means that you’re using an array of notes that basically using an array of notes that doesn’t fit the traditional major or minor scales). As it turns out, it’s not completely modal, nevertheless out of all the songs I’ve written, it’s probably the closest to my heart and one that I can listen to over and over. I hope it communicates to you.

With thanks to Alina for correcting the lyrics and coaching me on pronunciation, here is Sur Le Vent. The gist, in English, is at the bottom of the page.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sur Le Vent

J’ai connu un homme
Quand j’étais au loin
Avec un seul baiser
On s’est en volé
On s’est enlacés
pour nous soutenir
dans le ciel

Mais un vent très fort
Il est arrivé
Il a donné chase
aux nuages brisés
et il m’a lâchée
Et je suis tombée
du ciel

si j’avais dit les mots d’amour
peut-être serais-je encore dans ses bras
peut-être

J’ai fait escale
J’ai trouvée ma voix
Je l’ai appellé
les joues mouillés
Il n’a rien ecouté
Parce qu’il est monté
sur le vent

si j’avais dit les mots d’amour
peut-être serais-je encore dans ses bras
peut-être

si j’avais dit les mots d’amour
peut-être m’aurait-il laissée tomber plus tôt
peut-être

English Translation:

I met a man when I was far away and with a single kiss we rose, entwined to keep ourselves steady in the sky. A strong wind came and I fell, crying for him, but he heard nothing; he was riding the wind.

If only I had told him my true feelings, perhaps I would still be in his arms.

If only I had told him my true feelings, perhaps he might have dropped me sooner.

Comments (11) Feb 25 2008

For my non-Ontarian friends, this one requires a bit of a story. Last October, the new provincial government of Ontario made good on their election promise to create a new statutory holiday in February. Though I love a paid day off, every time I hear about Family Day, the only thing I giggle morbidly at how it mocks people with no families.

On my Half Birthday Ontario’s first Annual Family Day, I hereby present an incredibly off-kilter bonus song in its honour. It features Judy Chung (who has a penchant for anything spy) as the female CIA agent, and myself as the male agent. You see, I’m continuing a tradition of cross-singing on at least one song each February.

The alarm clock sound came from the Free Sound Project. The song on the radio is called Tapes on Book and it was written by Scott O Clamp, another participant in February Album Writing Month. Sampling the music of other participants has become all the rage on the FAWM site, and has come to be known as it’s own genre: Crucio. I was Crucio’d earlier this week, and so I must pass it on or risk being cursed forever! If you’d like to hear more of Autoclamp, Scott’s duo, you can check out their website here.

Enjoy your Family Day!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Comments (5) Feb 18 2008

This week’s song is a collaboration between myself and a friend, D.J. Sylvis, whose weekly writing project, Monkey, Monster, or Spaceman inspired me to do something similar with music.

A few days ago, he was lamenting the fact that he had no ideas for the upcoming week, which his readers had voted was going to be a monster week. I remembered a dare that our mutual friend Chagall had posted on the FAWM boards, challenging someone to write a song based on these ridiculous monsters. I suggested it to Deej, who incidentally happens to be a DnD geek, and he sent me the lyrics the next day.

The Beastmaster’s Cry (A Familiar Refrain) features the heroic vocal stylings of Errol Elumir, also featured in Snow Day. The epic battle sequence comes with vocal help from Judy Chung (+ the Matrix?), Susan Sergeant, and Alina (my mom), with additional editing by Chris Johnson. See if you can pick each of us out! Thanks go to my dad for letting me borrow his flute so I could attempt to revive my mad skills.

D.J.’s original lyrics can be found here, and if you stop by, you can also vote on what he will write about next week!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Comments (5) Feb 18 2008

The inspiration for this one is definitely a strange flukes. I was getting ready to leave work on Monday night and talking to one of the regulars who had had a particularly tough day, with one eye toward the strange February rain falling down onto the snow. As he was leaving he said “I’m going to take a shower and wash away the day.” I’m always on the prowl for cool words and phrases, especially this month, so instantly I replied with “wow! That’s beautiful! Umm…could I use that?”

As strange as it sounds to listen to your own song, this one’s been getting some play lately as I tackle some darker subjects. Over at FAWM, this was the third song I posted, and although I really enjoy it lyrically (it affirms my new view that it’s better to keep something short than to force lyrics), I was surprised at how many people said it was their favourite of what I’ve posted there so far.

Song #6 is called Lullaby for the Bruised, and it’s an Acapella piece. For those who’re interested, there are 7 different vocal tracks. You’ll have lots of luck picking them out if you listen in stereo. I hope all of you enjoy this one as much as I do!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Lullaby for the Bruised

(Drip, drip…)
Listen to the rain
Spilling from the skies
Mist upon the grass
Helping life arise

And rain will wash away the day

Feel the brush of tears
Slipping from your eyes
Salt upon your lips
In their kiss goodbye

And tears will wash away the day
And tears will wash away the day

Comments (13) Feb 11 2008

Last night, or actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had a dream. I found myself in a hanger with ships belonging to various space-going characters that I know very well.  For no apparent reason, I wondered over to one of the corners and found a grand piano sitting there.  There was a chair too, and both were stuck in this concrete block (I’m working on the assumption that this was to keep them from being smashed against a wall due to the thrust of the large ships leaving and landing. See, my dreams make sense).   Having nothing better to do, I sat down at the piano and started to bang out a few notes, and was shocked when the piano “started” and hovered. I recall being a nervous flyer, so the only thing I managed to do before I woke up was to maneuver out of the hanger and fly in a straight line over some trees, maybe 50 feet off the ground. 

I lamented over the fact that I wasn’t a better piano player in the dream, because then I would have been able to make it do all sorts of airborne acrobatics. And so I give you Piano Ship, my way of compensation for my lack of innate flying abilities. It features my brother David playing the Ocarina (yes, the kind in Zelda, they actually exist in real life and you can read about them here). I never realized that they were so difficult to play, thanks, Dave! I also added in some wacky synths (called “Cloud Break”) at the last minute to make it feel more like a dreamscape.  I’m posting the lyrics too, tell me if you like that idea.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Piano Ship

In a night forest of stretching trees,
with bright green caterpillars reclining on purple leaves
My feather fingers itched and led me on
And I, discombobulated*, followed
And tripped upon a baby grand
Standing stoic in a glade of swishy grass

And I shall be the captain of this, my piano ship
And I shall be the captain of this, my piano ship

Perched upon a newly coagulated chintz chair
Wound about our legs with tangled vines
My fingers floated onto the keys,and pressed them down
My baby grand, she shivered at the sound,
shook herself out of her slumbered haze
And at one, perfect note, she began to rise

And I shall be the captain of this, my piano ship
And I shall be the captain of this, my piano ship

We hovered there in wake of my surprise,
as she stretched her strings and yawned
And with a higher trill of notes, my hammer-wings,
she kissed the tips of grass goodbye,and we were skybound

Into Crespuscularisms**
Random notes and twists and bounds
Mozart made us summersault
and Beethoven spun us upside down
Every formation, until I heard the dawn
and my piano ship and I descended…
…to that same forest of stretching trees,
and as the caterpillars watched us from perch their purple leaves
We descended into that same glade,and at the lowest note,
she gently clunked back down
I caught my breath and sadly disenaged
and walked awake

*my friend Susie, who was online as I wrote the first verse, gave me this word
**crepuscular is one of my favourite words.  The word “crepuscularisms” doesn’t actually exist.

Comments (5) Feb 04 2008

Before I get to the music, I’d like to mention the new header image that my mother, Alina, drew, and that Chris (who is also my web host) photoshopped. It looks beautiful guys, and I’m so grateful!

Susie: You should write a song based on the fact that you have a Snow Day today!
Deb: Wow, that’s hilarious.  Because I’m in the middle of doing just that!

Last night, I was all disgruntled because I was going to get a late start on February Album Writing Month having to work not only on February 1st, but on February 2nd as well. As I was heading out to work, my boss called and voila, a Snow Day!! After going into work very briefly to make some phone calls and some excessive dancing around the house, I sat down and did this all today, in celebration and commemoration! One day is a speed record for me, but everything is easier with FAWM because I know that music is my main priority this month.

This week’s song (or rather, a stand -in for last Monday’s) is called Snow Day (bet you didn’t see that one coming) and features my friend and fellow NaNo participant Errol singing the roll of my boss! Errol was the one who wrote the parody version of A Whole New World that we recorded in December.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Comments (15) Feb 01 2008