babyboomers

Kev in reflective mood backstage in Berlin....

This entry originally appeared in my blog Mooremusic yesterday, but, as it involves a collaboration with our very own illustrious Cafe Cremer Susan, I wanted to put here in Cafe Crem, or more specifically, inaugurate our new music room here, the delightfully-named

Ca’ Puccini!

So, finally the day has arrived when my first completed song leaves The Indalo Cave! I’m pleased to say this one is credited thus: Music by Kev Moore, Words by Susan Cornelis and Kev Moore.

Following a post in Susan’s blog,  I was inspired to use an evocative paragraph she wrote as the springboard for a new song, and instantly wrote a “stream-of-consciousness” lyric to accompany it, with a view to using Susan’s words as the chorus. I set myself some limitations, in order to have the lyric “force ” the song structure. By that I mean, I wanted to make the fewest changes possible to the original text, and see where it took me. You can see in the lyrics below where I’ve changed or added pieces where it was absolutely necessary. All changes are in red, words I had to edit out are in brackets. The eagle-eared (?) among you may notice in the chorus I’ve replaced “to” with “and”, simply because it scans better when singing. I’ve also tried to sprinkle in a little 60’s imagery, chiefly with screaming crowds, Timothy Leary soundbites, and some eastern flavour on the fade. Initially, I had a completely different idea for the feel of the music. I was going to opt for a Steely Dan sort of vibe, but my renewed involvement with Christie inspired me to go more in the direction of the classic Christie Country rock feel. (Bob, apropos a discussion on your blog, the Steely idea is tucked away for later use!)  I’m very happy with this, the first song out of the new studio, and happy too, with the collaboration with our dear friend. Hope you like it Susan! And to the rest of you, I hope it gives an insight into how I (sometimes) work.  Just click on the title to hear the song.

babyboomers

Oh my! What would they say
To that Boomer in me, who is ever ready
To get up and go to take that magical mystery tour?
Mom and Grandma, want to come along?

It was the high sixties
Boy, was it hot that day
We slid through the decade
On a doobie and a prayer

Feelin our way
Throwin’ away the rules
Made up new ones as we went along
A whole new constitution in a poem and a song
Ohio, Vietnam,
The Electric Kool-Aid acid test
Ken Kesey’s Merry pranksters want to
(a hundred new ways for us to)
stick it to the man

Oh my! What would they say
To that Boomer in me, who is ever ready
To get up and go to take that magical mystery tour?
Mom and Grandma, want to come along?

I take those rose coloured glasses from the dresser by the door
Look back with fondness to the freak I was before
Am I the same?, hey you’d better believe it sister
Just older and wiser, if not a little bit bitter

But I hang on to that ethos like a drowning man a straw
Cruise in Janis’s Mercedes- Dance to Sly’s four on the floor
But hey Ray, I don’t need no J to recall our optimism from 40 years away
So I’ll pray so hard
Just wait and see
to whatever God you throw at me,
That all this peace and love will keep recurring throughout history
And all and all that’s meant to be will fall and be at one with me
The sense and sensitivity the flower child that’s within me
…remains
…remains

Oh my! What would they say
To that Boomer in me, who is ever ready
To get up and go to take that magical mystery tour?
Mom and Grandma, want to come along?

© Copyright Kev Moore and Susan Cornelis 2008