Song #2 - March

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I started out thinking that these songs would be loosely autobiographical. Each one would cover some formative event from the last 30 years. Some of them will be like that, but this one is not. When you listen, you'll understand why I wanted to clear that up immediately. You know how sometimes you get a slightly devious or naughty idea and for some reason you just keep making it more devious and more naughty just for kicks? That's kind of how this song got started.

Coldplay had a secret song on the end of their first album called, "Life is for Living." Coldplay isn't one of my favorites, but they're just fine and I'm surprised by their level of success since people tend to like absolute shit. Anyway, I always thought that song was beautiful, but a little too short. One day, I was trying to think of extra verses and I began to wonder what the lyrics might be like if Chris Martin weren't rich, handsome, adored by millions, and married to a pretty actress. Courtney Love was once asked how she felt about Liz Phair (I'm name-checking a weird cast of characters today). Love said something like, "I like Liz, but I wonder if Liz has ever had a bad day like the rest of us?" That's kind of how I feel about Chris Martin.

That's not to say that I've had too many bad days either, but Martin's lyrics always seem to be so consciously striving for that awwwww factor. I mean, "look at the stars, look how they shine for you." C'mon, are you kidding me? Has the man never been jilted? So I guess this song is my way of imagining what might happen if Coldplay replaced Martin with someone a little darker.

This song came together really quickly. I put the tracks down in two days and cut the mix right away. Normally, I would sit on the mix for a while and fiddle with things, making minor adjustments for days and days. It's always difficult for me to finally decide when a song is finished. I'm not a perfectionist, but I definitely subject myself to harsh scrutiny. So I often re-record tracks incessantly. It's a good thing I was born in the digital age or else I would have burned through miles of magnetic tape.

This time I just decided that it was going to sound a little rough. If there were vocal imperfections, they were just part of the vibe. If something was a little off the beat, then it was meant to be. It just didn't seem right to go for any sheen and polish here.