A Song A Day: #4

I didn’t leave things as late today. After yesterday I wanted to write something more substantial, and after 3 piano-driven songs I thought it might help if I wrote on the guitar. The problem, however, with my writing songs on the guitar is that I tend to spend the whole time finding voicings that sound nice rather than focusing on the song itself. This was certainly the case today, and I ended up with this big, powerful chord progression that didn’t really leave any room for a melody.

So, to help me think about melody I opened the first book I could find - which happened to be a book of Leonard Cohen’s poetry on my desk - and tried to sing one of the poems along to the chords. The poem I chose is called ‘Need the Speed’ and it’s written in short two-stress lines, eg:

need the speed
need the wine
need the pleasure
in my spine

I liked the idea of writing similarly short lines, and this pushed me towards abstract, cod-mystical territory. This kind of writing seems to come naturally to Cohen, but it demands a gravitas that I feel I don’t really have - and when it’s done badly it can be the worst kind of tosh (eg Oasis). Still, I had a crack at a first verse: “Take a step / Above yourself / And try to reach / A higher shelf”. I didn’t quite know what this meant, but decided that rather than use the “higher shelf” image as a rather cheap throwaway metaphor I should build the whole song around it.

So I came up with a little fable: there are two people who want all these wondrous, mysterious spiritual goods that are kept on a high shelf. One of them’s light enough to climb the ladder, but not strong enough to lift the things down. The other is strong enough, but too heavy to climb the ladder without breaking it. Deep stuff, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Anyway, I’m pleased with the lyrics (I’ve included them in full below). I wasn’t happy with the music, though, so I went crawling back to my old friend the piano, where I came up with a much better tune and chord pattern that sounded like an old hymn. I then timed it, found it came in at under 2 minutes, so took the 1st verse and used it as a repeated refrain every 2 verses (for padding - but also giving it a bit more cohesion).

All in all, a classic case of 'change the handle, then change the blade'. And you know what, I like it.

HIGHER SHELF

Take a step
Above yourself
And try to reach
A higher shelf

There you will find
The hidden hoard
Where higher forms
Of truth are stored

Things cumbersome
And so profound
You cannot lift them
To the ground

And as you climb
To greater grace
I’ll hold the ladder
At the base

And as you climb
Back to the floor
I’ll ask you all
The things you saw

For you alone
Are swift and light
So I can never
Reach that height

And I alone
Could lift that freight
But these old rungs
Can’t take my weight

Take a step
Above yourself
And try to reach
A higher shelf