1. WHERE THE CALM COMES. (Copyright Music and lyrics Craig Hood)
SONG ABOUT A PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL
THE WORDS JUST CAME TO ME ONE LINE AT A TIME AND I WOULD SOMETIMES THINK "THAT'S NO GOOD", BUT I WOULD TELL MYSELF "NO, JUST WRITE IT DOWN ANYWAY", THEN MOSTLY IT WOULD END UP NOT ONLY MAKING SENSE, BUT I WOULD BE SURPRISED THAT IT RHYMED TOO. I IMAGINED THIS IS ABOUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE DESERT WHO HAD BEEN TOLD THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT GO ON A JOURNEY EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE DESTINATION. BUT YOU COULD ALSO THINK OF IT AS SYMBOLIC OF THE TIME WHEN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY HOME AND GO OUT AND FEND FOR YOURSELF. I CONSIDERED MAKING AN ANIMATION FOR THIS SONG AND SPENT A BIT OF TIME TRYING OUT ANIMATION SOFTWARE. ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE WITH DIFFERENT GRAPHIC DESIGN TYPE PROGRAMS, I'VE NOT USED ANIMATION PROGRAMS MUCH, SO I WOULD HAVE TO SPEND AGES LEARNING IT JUST FOR A 5 MINUTE VIDEO. THE CHORDS WERE ALL MADE UP BY MYSELF JUST BY MOVING MY FINGERS AROUND AND TRYING STUFF OUT. I LIKE TO CALL THEM CHORDS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN INVENTED YET OR ILLEGAL CHORDS. I KNOW I COULD SUSS OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE CHORDS ARE BY PUTTING THE NOTES INTO A CHORD ANALYSIS PROGRAM, BUT I NEVER HAVE ANY NEED TO KNOW WHAT CHORDS I'M PLAYING, I ONLY REMEMBER THE SHAPES OF CHORDS. SO SIMILAR TO ME WRITING LYRICS WHILE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT, WHEN I MAKE UP CHORDS OR FINGER PICKING PATTERNS OR DRUM RHYTHMS ETC., THE LAST THING ON MY MIND IS WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC IT SHOULD FIT PERFECTLY INTO. THE FIRST CHORD IS PROBABLY WHAT MADE ME MAKE UP THE SONG AS I WOULD HAVE PLAYED THAT AND THOUGHT "THAT SOUNDS GOOD", THEN THE SECOND CHORD IS THE SAME SHAPE MOVED UP THE NECK A BIT. THE OTHER CHORDS WERE PROBABLY MADE UP BY HAVING A ROUGH IDEA OF WHAT NOTES WOULD SOUND OK COMING NEXT AND WORKING OUT HOW TO PLAY THOSE NOTES MOSTLY USING FRETS THAT ARE NEARBY. I THEN MIGHT CHANGE THE FINGERS I USE TO PLAY THOSE NOTES SO IT'S EASIER TO CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS CHORD OR TO THE NEXT CHORD. THIS SONG IS JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE TO SING AS THERE ARE HARDLY ANY GAPS BETWEEN THE WORDS TO TAKE A BREATH. I'VE WRITTEN A DOCUMENT WHICH HAS LARGE VERTICAL LINES IN PLACES WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO TAKE A BREATH, BUT THESE ARE ALL IN THE MIDDLE OF SENTENCES SO IT GOES AGAINST MY NORMAL WAY OF SINGING WHERE I TAKE A BREATH AT THE START OF EACH SENTENCE. THE NOTES ALSO GO FROM PRETTY LOW TO PRETTY HIGH SO IT IS PUSHING MY FULL RANGE A BIT. IN THE ALBUM VERSION I'M PLAYING THE FINGERPICKING ON MY TAYLOR 614CE AND THE STRUMMING ON MY SIMON AND PATRICK 12 STRING. THE ELECTRIC GUITAR SOLO AT THE END IS PLAYED ON MY YAMAHA RGX312. THE DRUMS WERE MIDI PROGRAMMED BY MYSELF IN CAKEWALK. I USUALLY MAKE UP THE MAIN RHYTHM THEN CUT AN PASTE THAT THE LENGTH OF THE SONG. THEN I ADD INDIVIDUAL DRUM FILLS OR BREAKS WHERE NEEDED. I ANALYSE EACH DRUM FILL REPEATEDLY AND CHANGE IT IF IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT OR FIT IN WITH THE FLOW OF THE SONG. IF I RECORDED MYSELF PLAYING THE DRUMS (ON AN ELECTRONIC KIT) I WOULD PLAY DIFFERENT DRUM FILLS AND MAYBE ALSO A DIFFERENT MAIN DRUM RHYTHM, BUT I THINK PROGRAMMING THE DRUMS IS A WAY OF GETTING EXACTLY WHAT I WANT. I'M USING SYNTH SOUNDS FOR THE BASS, VIOLINS AND THE OTHER ATMOSPHERIC TYPE SOUNDS. IF I PLAY THIS SONG JUST WITH ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND VOICE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF VARIETY IN IT AS IT HAS NO MIDDLE 8, BUT THE ALBUM VERSION KEEPS ON BUILDING AND CHANGING AND IT CARRIES ON CHANGING QUITE A BIT EVEN AFTER THE LYRICS END. I THINK THE ENDING HAS A SORT OF MYSTERIOUS UNEASY FEELING WHICH COULD BE SIMILAR TO THE WAY THESE TRAVELLERS FEEL AS THEY CARRY ON THEIR JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN.
I HAD A PARTICULAR PLACE IN MIND WHEN I WROTE THIS SONG WHICH IS NOT FAR FROM DUNKELD SCOTLAND.
IT'S A VERY PEACEFUL QUIET PLACE NEAR THE TOP OF A HILL OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE BY A SMALL RESERVOIR.
THE IMAGES IN THE VIDEO ARE OF LOCH RANNOCH SCOTLAND.
BECAUSE I LIKED THE WAY THE LAST CHORD IN THE CHORUS WENT INTO THE 1ST OF THE VERSE.
THE SONG IS DELIBERATELY CYCLIC IE. VERSE CHORUS VERSE CHORUS WITH NO MIDDLE 8
I MAYBE NOTICED EARLY ON WHILE WRITING THE LYRICS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST WORD IN EACH LINE
SO I CARRIED ON DELIBERATELY WRITING THE REST OF THE LYRICS WITH THAT IN MIND THEN AIMED FOR WHERE, WHEN, WHY AND WHAT.
THIS WORKS VERY WELL IN THE VIDEO I MADE FOR THE SONG AND YOU CAN SEE THE LETTERS W AND H ARE ALWAYS VISIBLE.
WHERE THE BIRDS FLY WHERE I CLIMB THE HILL
WHERE THE QUIET IS WHERE MY MIND IS STILL
WHERE I'VE BEEN TO WHERE I'M GOING TO SEE
WHERE I AM NOW IS WHERE I WANT TO BE
WHEN THE NOISE GROWS
WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS
WHEN THE HATE SHOWS
IS WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO
WHERE THE WINDS BLOW WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS
WHERE THE CALM COMES WHERE THE TENSION GOES
WHERE THE TREES GROW WHERE I'M FEELING FREE
WHERE I AM NOW IS WHERE I WANT TO BE
WHY THE ANGER
WHY THE ATMOSPHERE
WHY THIS HAPPENS
IS WHY I'M SITTING HERE
WHERE THE REEDS BEND WHERE THE SWANS ARE HOME
WHERE THE ROADS END WHERE THE FALLOWS ROAM
WHERE I FEEL GOOD WHERE I FEEL LIKE ME
WHERE I AM NOW IS WHERE I WANT TO BE
WHAT I'M MISSING
WHAT I FEEL I LACK
WHAT I LEARN HERE
IS WHAT WILL BRING ME BACK
WHERE MY MIND CLEARS WHERE I FEEL SERENE
WHERE I CRY TEARS WHERE I WON'T BE SEEN
WHERE I KNOW HOW WHERE I CLEARLY SEE
WHERE I AM NOW IS WHERE I WANT TO BE
2. GOING THROUGH THE WINTER. (Copyright Music and lyrics Craig Hood)
A HAPPY SONG ABOUT DEPRESSION.
IT IS SORT OF ABOUT "SAD" OR SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (NOT SOMETHING I HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF).
I'VE WRITTEN A FEW SONG LYRICS WHERE I HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT THE SONG WOULD BE ABOUT.
I JUST CLEAR MY MIND AND START WRITING ANYTHING AND IT ENDS UP BEING ABOUT WHATEVER COMES OUT.
I'M STILL FAIRLY NEW TO WRITING LYRICS AND I'M OFTEN VERY SURPRISED AT HOW I'VE
JUST CAME OUT WITH A FULL SONG IN ONE GO WHICH SOMETIMES RHYMES AND SOMETIMES EVEN MAKES SENSE.
YOUR EYES LOOK UPWARDS AT THE BLUE SKIES THAT REFLECT IN THEM
THE MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER
ALL THE PROMISES OF BETTER TIMES THAT DIDN'T COME BUT YOU LOOKED FORWARD TO THE
MORNING YOU WOULD WAKEN UP SURROUNDED BY THE FEELING THAT YOU'D
WAITED FOR AND YOU'D HOPE IT WAS GOING TO LAST
TO KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
TO KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
AND MAYBE WHEN THIS DAY WOULD COME YOUR LIFE WOULD FEEL COMPLETE
AND YOU WOULD MANAGE THROUGH THE WINTER
YOU KNOW YOU'D MANAGE THROUGH THE WINTER
IF THE SUN COULD COME AGAIN OUT IT WOULD REALLY CLEAR THE AIR UP
AND THE THOUGHTS OF ALL THE PAST TIMES COULD JUST DRIFT OFF WITH THE CURRENT
IF THE SUN CAME OUT YOU'D GET THE HOPE THAT THINGS WOULD BE MUCH BETTER
AND AFTER ALL THE CLOUDS WERE GONE
THE AIR COULD RISE AND BRING WITH IT THE FEELING THAT YOU'D
WAITED FOR AND YOU'D HOPE IT WAS GOING TO LAST TO KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
TO KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
AND THAT FEELING WOULD MAKE YOU COMPLETE IT WOULD HELP TO MAKE YOU FEEL
THAT YOU COULD MANAGE THROUGH THE WINTER
YOU KNOW YOU'D MANAGE THROUGH THE WINTER
AND DARKNESS COMES SOMETIMES IT CAN BE SO HARD TO FIGHT
BUT YOU MUST KEEP HEAD UP KEEP IT UP ABOVE THE WATER
THE TUNNEL SEEMS SO LONG IT SEEMS TO NEVER END
BUT THEN YOU SEE THE LIGHT COME IT KEEPS ON GETTING BRIGHTER THEN
THE SUN COMES OUT AGAIN AND THE AIR IS FULL OF BIRDSONG
AND THE THOUGHTS OF ALL THE PAST TIMES SEEM TO DRIFT OFF WITH THE CURRENT
WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT IT GUARANTEES THAT THINGS WILL GET MUCH BETTER
AND NOW THAT ALL THE CLOUDS ARE GONE
YOUR SPIRITS RISE AND THEN YOU FEEL THE FEELING THAT YOU'VE
WAITED FOR AND YOU KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO LAST TO KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
IT KEEPS YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
IT'S THE FEELING THAT MAKES YOU COMPLETE IT REALLY MAKES YOU GLOW
IT KEEPS YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
IT KEEPS YOU GOING THROUGH THE WINTER
3. THE TRAVELLERS. (Copyright Music and lyrics Craig Hood)
THIS SONG WAS WRITTEN IN THE SAME WAY AS GOING THROUGH THE WINTER,
SO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT TILL I STARTED WRITING THE LYRICS.
FIRST CAME THE DAY THEIR FORTUNES WERE TOLD
THEY WERE LED OUT TO MEET WITH THE REST OF THE CHOSEN ONES
SHOWN TO THEIR PATH THEY WENT ON THEIR WAY
AT THE START OF THE ROAD THAT WOULD LEAD TO THEIR DESTINY
LEAVING THEIR PAST IDEALS FAR BEHIND
THEY WERE LEFT TO WORK OUT IF IT'S PEACE THAT THEY'RE HEADING FOR
SOME NEEDED HELP AND SOME ACTED STRONG
AND THEY HOPED IN THEIR HEADS THAT THEIR HEARTS WOULD NOT FAIL ON THEM
WHEN CAME THE NIGHT THEY STOPPED OFF TO REST
AND THE HEAT FROM THE FIRE KEPT THEM WARM IN THEIR HEART'S PURPOSE
ALL SLEEPING NEAR IT HELPED EASE THE FEAR
AND THEY HOPED WHEN THEY SLEPT THAT THEIR DREAMS WOULD BE GUIDING THEM
SO TO THE END TOGETHER THEY STAY
AND THEIR DRIVE AND DESIRE KEEPS THEM WARM IN THEIR HEART'S PURPOSE
STILL TO THIS DAY THEY KEEP MOVING ON
THOUGH THEY'VE NEVER BEEN SEEN THEY WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON THEIR DREAM
4. HOW ARE THEY TO KNOW. (Copyright Music and lyrics Craig Hood)
SONG ABOUT A LONG TERM PATIENT IN WHAT USED TO BE CALLED A MENTAL ASYLUM
ANOTHER SONG WRITTEN WITH NO PREDETERMINED IDEA OF SUBJECT MATTER.
BEFORE WRITING THE LYRICS I LISTENED TO THE GUITAR WITH MY EYES CLOSED
AND TRIED TO THINK WHAT SORT OF FEELING THE SONG GAVE ME.
I IMAGINED BEING IN AN EMPTY CORRIDOR IN A PLACE
THAT I DEFINITELY DIDN'T WANT TO BE, BUT DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE.
THE PATIENT IS ALSO A DEAF MUTE WHICH COULD BE SYMBOLIC OF HOW
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN CARE HAVE NO SAY OVER THE WAY THEY ARE TREATED
OH I LIKE THE WAY THE SUN
CASTS THE SHADOWS OF MY BARS ACROSS MY BED SHEETS
IN THE MORNING AS I RISE UP
RUB MY EYES
AND THE NURSE RETURNS ONCE MORE
GENTLY PLACES DOWN MY FOOD TRAY THEN SHE LOOKS UP WITH A SMILE AND WALKS OUT BACKWARDS
LOCKS THE DOOR
AND THE HALLWAY'S ALWAYS BARE
PEOPLE STARING AT EACH OTHER OR THE FLOORBOARDS
WALKING IN A LINE TO THE COBBLESTONE COURTYARD
WHERE OUR DUTIES FOR THE DAY WILL GIVE US PURPOSE
WILL IT HELP US WILL THEY KNOW
HOW LONG NOW
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG I CAN'T REMEMBER
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER
MY MOTHER BROUGHT SOME PRESENTS FOR THE CHRISTMAS DO
THAT WAS WHEN I GOT MY FIRST BIKE
I COULDN'T REALLY USE IT IN THE COURTYARD
THE NURSES LET ME SIT ON IT AT BREAKFAST TIME
AS THEY FED ME AND THE GROWNUPS WITH A SPOON
AND ANOTHER DAY BEGINS
AND THE NURSES AND THE PATIENTS DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE TOLD TO BY THE ONES WHO KNOW
OR WHO THINK THEY DO
AND THE HALLWAY'S ALWAYS BARE
PEOPLE STARING AT EACH OTHER OR THE FLOORBOARDS
WALKING IN A LINE TO THE COBBLESTONE COURTYARD
WHERE OUR DUTIES FOR THE DAY WILL GIVE US PURPOSE
WILL IT HELP US DO THEY CARE
AND MOTHER VISITS ME
SHE BRINGS ME FLOWERS AND SHE STAYS FOR TEA
BUT THE NURSES ONLY BOTHER ME, AND SHE CAN'T STAY FOR VERY LONG
AND I WISH THAT I COULD STAY WITH YOU
I CAN'T TALK TO YOU OR HEAR YOU
BUT BY SIMPLY BEING NEAR YOU
I CAN START TO FEEL AT EASE
AND AS THE YEARS PASS
I SIT AND LOOK OUT AT THE LONG GRASS
AND THEY KEEP THINKING THAT THEY'RE HELPING ME
BUT HOW ARE THEY TO KNOW
AND I WISH THAT I COULD STAY WITH YOU
I CAN'T TALK TO YOU OR HEAR YOU
BUT BY SIMPLY BEING NEAR YOU
I CAN START TO FEEL AT EASE
