Beach Town

Phew! Hot off the presses.
For those of you yawning from my previous, more lethargic tunes, this one is a bit more energetic. It builds on a lot of harmonies, and I'm quite proud of it. Hope you like it.

Also, I'd like to ever-so-sincerely thank everyone for supporting this blog and the music. I've received a ton of wonderful comments--I do my best to respond to all of them, but in case I missed anyone, thank you!



Beach Town

On the weekend, we would go out, to the beach and, mess around.
We’d play frisbee, and scope out the girls rubbing sunscreen, and ride our bicycles.

Where are all those Sundays hiding?
Are they still in your back seat lying
Next to my frisbee and sunscreen?

Back in high school, we both thought the same, we just played it cool, never played their game.
Cuz who wrote the rules, made for us to lose, said we couldn’t choose, just a buncha fools.

Where are all those Sundays hiding?
Are they still in your back seat lying
Next to my frisbee and sunscreen?
Where are all those high school days?
Stealing street signs and drinking under age.
That was my favorite phase.

Every weekend, in our beach town, we were best friends, nothing got us down.
If we got bored, you’d grab the surfboard, I’d take the boogie board, we never kept score.

Where are all those Sundays hiding?
Are they still in your back seat lying
Next to my frisbee and sunscreen?
Where are all our high school days?
Stealing street signs and drinking under age.
That was my favorite phase.

In the summer on the weekend we would go to the ocean
In the summer on the weekend we’d be moved by the waves


*Started writing this in Jacksonville and then finished up in California. Hence, Beach Town. =)


Beach Town is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at emeraldelkmusic.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://emeraldelkmusic.blogspot.com/.

Welcome Criticism

Message Regarding: Autobiograffiti

From Liz: "hey you, just heard your latest addition to Emerald Elk and wrote what drew me in the song.
I had one stipulation about it but I didn't think voicing it where you're advertising your songs was an appropriate place - hence fb msg.

The second to last verse is so powerful with images that are personal etc that the last verse seems rather cliche - not the books I've read part but the blood I've bled, tears I've shed... those images I've all heard before. I'm guessing you did this to make it more accessible in imagery for other people - but you've already excluded them with the personalized images that give it so much character (and the plural wives makes you seem like a sleezeball). I guess I don't see how the last verse fits other than fading out of both song and original images to generalized moments to silence.

this may be a completely unwanted criticism - the songs written and recorded - but I wondered what your thoughts are on this verse - since you know I love lyrics.

-- On another note, I am seriously blown away by how amazing the song sounds - It really struck a chord in me and despite anything I said above, I will listen to the song more in the future, for sure."

EE: "Dear Liz,

I really appreciate your feedback, and I find it very pointed, constructive, and thought-provoking. In fact, I'd like to post it as a comment on my blog (as long as you don't object), because i think people might find it interesting. I encourage anyone to comment or criticize anything I have on the blog, because it gives me an indescribable feeling to hear what other people think of or realize about music I've made. It's almost like asking a date to your first prom, or watching the movie Pi for the 3rd time and still not knowing what the hell is going on.

My response has three bullets:
1. First of all, the ending is what I changed a MILLION times with this song; I could never make up my mind with it. It's a change in not only the lyrical theme but also the tempo, so I know it sort of stands out. But I ended up favoring going out with a quicker pace, which sounded more final, so maybe the music was what was driving the lyrics at the end? I'm honestly not sure myself. The contrast in the music, and between personal and general, sort of goes along with all the dichotomous images throughout the song. (at least, that's how i could justify it)

2. I agree some of the imagery is general and cliche. Does it kill the personal nature of the song? Maybe. But I didn't intend for the portion with "wives that I've wed" and "bombs" and "books" and "blood" and "fear" to be about the speaker, or me, or any ONE person; the generality is supposed to tie in every person to the universality of death. But it's saying whatever experiences we've had, good or bad, get buried with us.

3. Ultimately, I WOULD prefer that I end on the next-to-last verse's sentiment of "don't bury me yet." It hits at the core of the themes better. Also, I'm not opposed to alternate versions of songs. So, because of your helpful comments, I've decided to record another version of this song--sans original ending and probably slightly more up-tempo.

Before I do that, I'd like you to choose whether you'd like a video or audio format. Video ends up sounding more "unplugged" and organic. Audio is a higher sound quality, but I have crummy equipment (only a built-in microphone). Meaning, I really have to add reverb and extra tracks for it to sound halfway decent.
You pick."

Liz chose audio format for the better quality. I want to think about other changes to make, so it will probably take me two or three weeks to put this up. But reasonably soon there will be the alternate version of Autobiograffiti.
G'day.

Autobiograffiti

Greetings,
Here's the fourth song update. Audio-only, since it has multiple tracks.
I wrote this one a really long time ago. It has evolved some over the years--I just wish I could put the flute track on it like when I played it with my flautist friend Amanda. Whistling will have to do for now...
I recommend headphones for optimum enjoyment.




Autobiograffiti

i shave away the old days and put on a new face
i install new eyes to see our old place
are there no more surprises with all these reprises
take me off-guard, take me en-garde

oh bury me, bury me in the churchyard that I don't believe in
oh bury me, bury me in the classroom that I learned to perceive in
oh bury me, bury me in Yellowstone beneath Old Faithful
oh don't bury me, freeze my body as something Beautiful

autobiograffiti
you make it seem so easy
your words can say anything
autobiograffiti

there's not a New World left on this Earth
we'll have to go there and make new kinds of air
will we have grown up drinking whisky from our sippy cups
I hope I'm buried there within the newest air

oh bury me, bury me in the garden, so I might grow into a Tree
oh bury me, bury me in England, where I have never been
oh bury me, at the peak of Mount Everest, so close to Heaven
oh don't bury me, fly me out on a kite into a strong east wind

autobiograffiti

oh bury me, bury me in Andersonville among my Forefathers
oh bury me, cast me out to sea and watch me sink into the murky waters
oh bury me, bury me to free me of this Worldly worry
oh don't bury me, bring me back to life with new Technology
oh don't bury me, because I want to see the Future that awaits me
oh don't bury me, because I want to breathe
oh don't bury me, because I want to be

oh bury me, bury me with all the books that I've read
and the blood that I've bled
and the tears that I've shed
and lives that I’ve lead
and the wives I’ve wed
and the lies that I spread
and the fear that I’ve fled
and the bombs that spread death
and the skeletons trapped in my head

and the fear that I’ve fled
and the fear that I’ve fled
when I’m out of breath
bury me.



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Lyric notes: Andersonville, Georgia is really where some of my ancestors are buried. It was the site of a Civil War military prison.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andersonville_National_Historic_Site

For this song, I focused a lot on contrasting images. Life and Death, Future and Past, Nature and Technology, conflicting desires, etc. Autobiograffiti means what you think it does. ;-]

Autobiograffiti is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at emeraldelkmusic.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://emeraldelkmusic.blogspot.com/.
<!--[endif]-->

Eskew (Just a Scientist song)

Welcome to the next installment of Emerald Elk's blog! I have a video that I wanted to add to Youtube, but Youtube has blocked submissions from Korea due to some legal crap (ironically laws are mentioned in this song). So I just uploaded direct to blogspot.

This was actually the last song written by Just a Scientist (band I was previously in), but it never got recorded. Although it was much better with the rest of the band, it deserves to be shared. Hopefully you'll enjoy this unplugged version at least one-fourth as much.





Lyrics:

Trapped in this compound
My car’s in the impound
I just can’t hear the sound
Of loved ones coming to
Rescue me, to rescue me.

There’s only one way down
My life’s running aground
I just can’t hear the sound
Of heroes flying to
Rescue me, to rescue me
To the rescue… Wanted to ask you…

Your laws are lies
I’m getting bored of this disguise
I’m trading you a world of truth for vice
I’m giving you a sacrifice.
We’re on the rise
There will be nowhere to hide
When we live above the skies
Playing harps for the rest of our lives

There’s only one way down
My life’s running aground
I just can’t hear the sound
Of heroes flying to
Rescue me, to rescue me.
It’s such a long way down
But time is running out
We only have to shout
Just come to our
Rescue, rescue…
To the rescue… I wanted to eskew…

Our laws are lies
Forcing on a disguise we despise
We wear them for our whole lives
We’re on the rise
Soon we’ll grow wings and fly
And we’ll live above the skies for the rest of our lives

------------------------------------
PS: The real words in English are eschew and askew, but I combined the two. I know that "eskew" is not an English word.


Eskew by Emerald Elk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.blogger.com/emeraldelk@gmail.com.

Green Sea-sun

As promised, here's the first Sunday update! (and you thought it would be next Sunday right? no way! it's NOW)

This is a seven-minute epic of a song. I started working on it about 2 years ago, so it has been through a lot. So, kick your shoes off, put some headphones on (highly recommended), and please enjoy:

Green Seasun



Lyrics:

While the leaves were falling, red and gold,
You were calling on the phone.
Where did I go?
I was sinking into the beach.
Staring out at the ocean,
Just out of reach.
The surface reflects my emotion.

Calm and cold
Calm and cold

Now that it’s spring
Everything’s growing.
New leaves are green.
Lawns need mowing.
And just like the sea
We keep coming and going,
Waving and waving,
But never knowing why

We will become
Calm and cold
Just like the sea we’ll grow
Blue and old
Calm and cold
Blue and old

So while our blood is red and warm,
Sunlight’s gold before the storm.
While the flood is kept at bay,
Sniff the air before the rain.
While our love is fresh champagne,
Sip it slowly bubbles away.

Drizzles tickles drizzles tickles

Everything is pleasing in this season.
Everyone is singing in this season.
Everything is greener in this season.
Everything is pleasing in this season.

While our blood is red and warm,
Sunlight’s gold before the storm.
While the flood is kept at bay,
Smell the air before the rain.
While our love is fresh champagne,
Sip it slowly bubbles away.

Everything is pleasing in this sea.
Everything is pleasing in this sun.
Everything is pleasing in this
Green
Sea
Sun


---------------------------
Hope your ears are happier now. If you're curious, the only instruments in this song are vocals, acoustic guitar and a harmonica, recorded with Apple Garageband. (So that synth-y sound is just effected harm.) I wish the quality could have been a bit better, since I'm stuck using my damn internal mic; but someday I'll be able to afford a decent mic and USB input.


Green Sea-sun by Emerald Elk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://emeraldelkmusic.blogspot.com/.

New Eulogy

Lyrics:

Tell me the words slowly once again,
So I can savor them.

Time flies like an arrow through the wind.
It will pierce your heart in the end.

Tell me the words so I’ll remember them,
So I can recite them,
When I’m standing over your grave
I will say:

We are all made of particles, as are all things in the universe.
So whether we breathe or decay, it doesn’t make much difference.
Since we’re all made of tiny quarks, as are all things in the universe.
When we say we have met death, we’re just moving on to what’s next.

Part of us goes in the ground, and part of us reaches the sky.
Parts of us are always in the dark, while parts of us are always in the light.

Really, all of us are always in the light. All of us are always in the light.



New Eulogy by Emerald Elk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.blogger.com/emeraldelk@gmail.com.