Despite the fact that I don’t think of myself as any kind of musician, I am constantly creating musical pieces in my head. Most of the time, those ideas fade away into a deserved oblivion (because they are bad ideas). Sometimes, they stick.
Recently, I sat down at the out-of-tune piano in our house and played a few chords. I quickly came up with verse and chorus parts, and almost immediately envisioned the complete song in my head.
I wanted to record the parts in GarageBand on my Mac, but was sidelined a few days by a sinus infection. So instead I sketched out the parts in GarageBand on my iPhone to keep the momentum going.
Regarding the musical direction of the song, it is very much influenced by Los Angeles band Lo Moon, who I have been obsessed with for the past year and a half. There’s also a bit of Keane in the choruses.
Once I got the music set and recorded, I quickly wrote some lyrics. Most of them came from improvisation, including the title, but the conflict depicted was initially influenced by an article I was reading about how many of the victims of the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif., were basically defeated by flames, geography and flawed city and emergency planning. That version of the lyrics got real dark real quick, so I adapted the subjects of the song to be a couple in turmoil who rally together to take on less-specific external forces working against them.
I’m not sure if the lyrics are completely set in stone, but they do the job for now. Once those were done, I recorded the vocals. Yeah, I wish they could be better, but I’m not going to spend days perfecting them for a demo.
That said, I’m rather pleased how this all came together. It’s definitely one of the best songs I’ve ever written. Maybe someday I’ll do something with the catalog of songs I’ve written over the past three decades. I still would like to release an EP or full album of my material at some point…if just to check off a bucket list item.
Lyrics:
I see the walls are closing in
and I reach out for your hand
I pull you closer as I try to think
of some kind of plan
We start to run, but then I look at you
and think otherwise
This battle’s not about retreating,
but our will to survive
What must I do to make things right?
What can we do to win this fight?
It’s down to you and me
The world keeps swinging
and it’s landing blows that cut to the heart
With every shot we take it feels as if
we’re pulling apart
I take your hand and beg that you
will be right there by my side
There is no other way to win
no other way to survive
What must I do to make things right?
What can we do to win this fight?
Right here and now
It’s time to take a stand
I’ll fight for you
Hand in hand, we battle together
It’s down to you and me
The walls keep closing in
it seems the world has got us ensnared
But we stand our ground as we defend
this life we have shared
With our resolve, we get ready
to launch a counterattack
To claim our life, our love, our liberty
our dignity back
What must I do to make things right?
What can we do to win this fight?
Right here and now
It’s time to take a stand
I’ll fight for you
Hand in hand, we battle together
Right here and now
We lay it on the line
I’ll fight for you
Stand or fall, we’re in it together
Forever and ever…
It’s you and me against the world
It’s you and me against the world
It’s you and me against the world
It’s you and me against the world
We’re gonna stand our ground
It’s you and me against the world
It’s time to fight, it’s time to lay it all on the line
It’s you and me against the world
We’re gonna take them on, we’re gonna take them down
It’s you and me against the world
Now that we’re united, we’ll never be divided again
It’s you and me against the world
Nothing’s gonna stop us, nothing’s gonna stop us now
It’s you and me against the world
It’s time to fight, it’s time to lay it all on the line
It’s you and me against the world
We’re gonna take them on, we’re gonna take them down
It’s you and me against the world
Nothing’s gonna stop us, nothing’s gonna stop us now
It’s you and me against the world
It’s down to you and me
© 2019 Brian J. Kelley. All rights reserved.
Brian Kelley 