Sink [Left and Lost at Sea]

Today, I'm going to let you in on the creative process.  I scribbled down this new song/poem late last week.  I wanted to write something that was steeped in imagery.  And for whatever reason, the most graphic and visceral image I could conjure, was drowning.  Most of us have lost our breath - either at the swimming pool, or doing something else.  We might not have ever been "drowning," but that short experience of losing one's breath was more than enough to never forget the feeling(s).  Enjoy!

 

Sink [Left and Lost at Sea]
© 2012 Ross Christopher.

It seems like
I've been left
And lost at sea
With water welling up
Inside of me

It fills my lungs
With stinging taste
Of lonely waves, crushing dreams
And breaks silent
Cries of apathy

Can you keep my head up
Can you help me breathe
Can you wash me to land
Or am I going to sink

Not sure how I got here
I woke in drowning slumber
Forced to swim
And tread and breathe

Can you keep my head up
Can you help me breathe
Can you wash me to land
Or am I going to sink

It seems like
I've been left
And lost at sea
With water welling up
Inside of me

Broken Glass

I never know what will bring about lyrics, but yesterday Olive knocked over a glass the kitchen, which shattered on the floor. The idea of broken glass prompted this chorus...

Broken Glass

© 2011 Ross Christopher

We've got broken glass

Razor wire for a lesser class

We've got hidden places

Secret cases

And forgotten faces

Peace,
Ross

Tracking

Kate and the girls are out of town, so last night I got a great deal of studio-work done on a song/riff/idea I've been toying with for almost a year now. I was able to lay down all of the drum tracks, bass, acoustic guitars, and 3 electric guitar tracks. The sounds are SO organic and raw - I'm lovin' it! I also laid down a couple string ideas on the synth, which I'll later replace with a symphony of beauty...that's what I do :-)

The plan (for now) is to play this beast over and over until I'm able to find just the right lyrics for it. I work that way.

Instrumentals and structure first.
Lyrics second. (most of the time anyway)

So now comes the process of reviewing and looking back at years of lyrics. I try and write about 5 songs/poems each week, so I have a dense catalog when it comes time to plug in the text. I already have a couple melodies in mind, so that should help narrow the search.

That's plenty for now, but I'll be showcasing a lot of the studio "happenings" in the weeks and months to come.
Peace!
-Ross

p.s. here's the real rock star of the family...

Blur

Blur
(c) 2010 Ross Christopher Donaldson

Here's a song I wrote this afternoon on some thoughts
that have been rolling around lately. Enjoy!
-Ross

-----------------------------

(VERSE 1)
When everything gets blurred
And you can't define it all
There's uneasy feelings
Because you can't be wrong

You've been taught there's a way
That the world must work
But feelings of late
Are bending and blurring and starting to change


(CHORUS)
Because grace might be bigger
It just might be stronger
And when that begins to blur
You're seeing beauty in it all


(VERSE 2)
A way to think; that's hard to understand
A way to live; breaks unless its love
Because for all of time its us and them
Its how we medicate and mend


(CHORUS)
Because grace might be bigger
It just might be stronger
And when that begins to blur
You're seeing beauty in it all


(BRIDGE)
To blur makes bigger
To blur makes stronger
To blur is chaos
To blur is truth



(CHORUS)
Because grace might be bigger
It just might be stronger
And when that begins to blur
You're seeing beauty in it all

Song Idea Vlog...

So here's how I write (sometimes)...no lyrics yet, just a chord progression, a melody line, and a cute kid to talk to me straight!



Hope you enjoy it,
Ross