alexspetty + Musician in Warrenton, VA

Motion Track number: 1 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

Motion drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music ** In the Spring of 2009 drumfish reunited. There had been a few failed attempts at reuniting since the breakup in 1999 but none that really took firm root. In that 10 year gap, the four members played music together in various formations and in other separate projects but for whatever reason, the time was right for drumfish to resume their work together in earnest in early 2009. The band got back together with the intention of finally completing the unreleased 3rd CD and doing a reunion concert. When we first began rehearsing for the reunion concert, our focus was brushing up on the older material in preparation for the coming show. However, as rehearsals continued, we began introducing new music. It was invigorating to be writing and arranging this new material and before long we found ourselves in a torrent of creativity. Our rehearsals now centered on writing and arranging new music. One of the songs from this period is Motion . We began to notice that throughout all of the new songs, an underlying message was emerging, a message carrying a call to action for needed change in the world. The new work was filled with images of light and life offset by apocalypse and destruction. The poetic balance of light and dark was flowing through us and finding voice in our music. As this realization began to crystalize, we started to craft the lyrics and melodic themes to line up with an overarching story line, a story involving a protagonist dealing with this call to action. We chose the ten songs that best told this story and went into the studio to work with our good friend and amazing engineer/producer/musician Kevin “131” Gutierrez to record CD #4. “Motion” sets the stage for the story line of the album. It deals with a protagonist’s first inklings that something is not right within and without. He sees that before him lies a journey of self-discovery and a need to make a difference in the world despite the apparent inner and outer turmoil reflected everywhere. “Where is the humanity in the streets?” the protagonist asks himself. “Brothers just don’t love their brothers no more”. The third verse in particular sets the tone for what’s to come, the inner voice emerging from the chaos offering the guidance to “Let your life arise by letting be what is”. It is for this reason that Motion became the first track on Memoirs. ** Lyrics ** City streets like a motion picture Handed down from a holy scripture There's something about you going to believe in all the words I say. You're going to believe this now forevermore Does your mind line up with what you've found Compared to all these words you've written down Do you still believe in all the thoughts of your so called truth and now I say Where is the humanity in the streets? You know that I just don't feel it anymore, don't feel it anymore Brothers just don't love their brothers no more. I am talking about Love Love Love Love Times got this hold on me you know it seems to be a place of great uncertainty I've hidden it away in the center of my circle endlessly If you wait for the moment when everything is perfect then you may never begin Down to the wire we go again We go again Where is the humanity in the streets? You know that I just don't feel it anymore, don't feel it anymore Brothers just don't love their brothers no more. I am talking about Love You can feel it on the inside Love Within you find the brightest light Love Everything you know You dont' know What you know Nothing was ever in your hands Nothing was ever in mine Only love remains when the illusion falls away Let your mind gently hover over the details of your life Let your life arise by letting be what is I am talking about Love You can see it on the inside Love Immerse yourself in higher light Love Everything you know What you know You dont' know You can show All you are is Love Love Love

Without My Light Track number: 2 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs

Without My Light drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music** One night after rehearsal in the summer of 2009, we stayed up very late discussing things like the meaning of life. There were a few glasses of wine and some cigars in the mix. And as the conversation delved deeper, Aaron told the rest of us about a dream he had. He was running on a flat road and he could see very far out into the distance as it faded away. He was incredibly focused on reaching whatever it was out there beyond the horizon. And as he ran, he passed roads that branched off to the side and they all led to hue cities with bright lights, but he maintained focus on reaching the end of whatever he was running towards. Then at the end of the dream he realized he was on a globe, so he was endlessly “running in circles” towards a goal that would never come. A few days later “Without My Light” was written. In the overarching story arc of the CD, this is the song where the protagonist begins to set his journey in motion. He realizes the need for change and focuses on it despite the many distractions and obstacles in the way. He runs towards that goal never knowing if he will reach the end. He is somehow hopeful and aware that from within the darkness there is light. Instinctively he knows that within the light there is something important…..meaning, peace, perhaps even more than this. The light is his inspiration; it is that force deep inside that illuminates the path of life’s difficult journey. The protagonist says, “I will not run without my light. ** Lyrics ** I’m looking forward chase the horizon Running in circles trying to find my life I have run so hard No looking backward just one direction Just focus forward never to turn my head I have run so far But there might be Beside me But I will not run without my light Without a face, without a future Without a choice, without an exit door I must still go on Let out the anger, let out the hate Let out the passion, let out the human fate I will still go on I know there might be Beside me But I will not run without my light Do you hear me Do you fear me Do you want to tell me something I don’t like Whatever you want from me, I will try to be But I will not run without my light I’m looking forward, I’m looking backward I’m looking sideways, I think I’ve been here before A thousand times or more So many choices that I have wasted Just looking forward and never to make it A thousand times or more I know there will be Beside me I will not run without my light I will not run without my light I will not run without my light

Poetry in Motion Track number: 3 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

Poetry in Motion drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music** One of the greatest things about our history together is the chemistry we have as a group, though it’s sort of a chicken and egg thing. Have we been playing together so long because of the chemistry or do we have the chemistry because we’ve been playing so long. Whichever it is, it manifests itself through the music. One really good example of this is “Poetry in Motion”. The song was written over the course of two rehearsals, but the main harmonic, melodic and most of the lyrical structures were all created spontaneously. Larry began playing the staccato quarter-note piano part and Aaron immediately jumped in with the driving drum part. Then Alex and Larry starting singing together in harmony the exact melodies that are in the finished product. After one verse Neil began playing the contrapuntal bass line and that stuck as a building element in the final product as well. Many of the final lyrics were spontaneously sung in the first playing as Alex has an amazing ability to adlib lyrics. The legato middle section, double chorus and some lyrics were added in the second rehearsal and the song was completed. The most interesting part about this song lyrically is that it is made up almost entirely of our song titles. Each line contains at least one song title and many have two. Some of the songs are older, some are on the current CD and some are future songs. Some of the future songs are already completed and others are in various stages of their creation. We also noticed that the story created by all the song titles is about the way we write songs. So it’s a song we wrote using all of our song titles about the way we write songs. In the “Memoirs” story arc, that is, in the life of the story’s protagonist, each of these song titles represent one of life’s milestones. As song writers, we see each song we create as a kind of marker, a way of memorializing an experience, an idea, and event or a feeling. So in this way, the song titles are a list of life experiences. It is as if our protagonist is collecting himself introspectively, recounting his life….past, present and future….in an effort to embolden himself to take on his inevitable journey, just as anyone might in the face of great change. His life is flashing before his eyes. ** Lyrics ** It's like poetry in motion It's like the back of my hand Here we are in the middle again I don't think I will never understand Don't walk away from the needle For we are already home Do you remember the counting of the days And if you don't how do you ever really know I haven't had the heart to tell you Why I am the way I am today Am I living a life that I can see I took a trip to the church shoppe It was a rainy day I bought a mask to conceal me I want to live my life without shame I went with no hesitation I went disguised in blue I’ve got a new religion in my life And and I don't feel like you want me to I haven't had the heart to tell you Why I am the way I am today Am I living a life that I can see Ignore me if you want I'll be just fine It just don't matter to me Your selfish song will never be forgotten But I still wonder when will you be with me I haven't had the heart to tell you Why I am the way I am today Am I living a life that I can see There was a time we were young and free And we were waiting to be like Phineas Free Am I living a life that I can see

It Just Don't Matter Track number: 4 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

It Just Don't Matter drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music ** This is the oldest song that found its way onto “Memoirs “. It was written somewhere around 1998 or 1999 and the band played it at shows during that era. It was one of our most well received songs because it is so high energy; especially the drum and percussion break down in the middle. That section was originally quite simple with straight forward hits on downbeats and over time it grew to be more complex. In the studio we went even a little bit further. Aaron got to play around with the section by adding lots of syncopation and various percussion toys. Originally this song was called “People Don’t Matter To Me” and it was about a character named Lyle. We have another song about this guy called “Inaudible Lyle” that was written during our days in college. In both instances the character is kind of a loser and he’s bitter at the world, hence his apathy towards others. However in recent times we felt these lyrics were not very provocative and they did not represent the kinds of ideas that were important to us. When we were gathering the ten songs we wanted to put on “Memoirs” we felt like this song had merit despite the less than ideal lyrics. In particular new bassist James pushed for it to be included. So in keeping with our current theme and overarching story idea for the record, it was redone and written about The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Many of the lyrics in the song come directly out of the Book of Revelations in the Bible. The white rider seeming “out of time out of place and without a face”, a black rider who wanted “ a quart of wheat” in exchange for “three days wages” and the “seven signs, seven seals, seven angels”….all comes almost word for word from the story of the Four Horseman and the Seven Signs of the Apocalypse. It is not meant to be particularly religious, it is just meant to convey the weight of biblical proportions. In the story arc, this is where some of the most difficult obstacles are facing the protagonist. Apocalyptic forces are facing him, causing pain and destruction in his world and creating a sense of urgency for his journey. Throughout the song it is the Four Horsemen stating “It just don’t matter to me” referring to humanity in its condition of self-destruction. But in an ironic twist, it’s the protagonist himself playing with this thought in the final verse in which he realizes it is precisely this self-doubt which has acted to create a space around his habitual “sense of self” leading to an opening through which his higher sense of self is able to arise. He realizes that that the direction of his journey lies down the road of letting go, by letting it all matter less. He recognizes the imperative to live more lightly in the space of his own mind. ** Lyrics ** A white horse appeared at the end of the day The rider seemed out of time out of place and without a face Armed with a bow and his head with a crown His voice bellowed down with a thunder sound Next to appear was a rider in red In place of a bow he had a sword instead He came to the earth to rid of us peace He said "It just don't matter to me" It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me A rider on black wanted oil and wine A quart of wheat for three days wages of mine He made me the deal and I offered him half But he laughed, laughed, laughed, laughed, laughed, laughed, laughed One final visit from a rider named Death On a pale horse he came to destroy all the earth I said "We don't want you, please let us be" He said "It just don't matter to me" It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me Seven signs, seven seals, seven angels were revealed I have to assume they were real But maybe it's all in my head just a dream Or maybe "It just don't matter to me" It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me It just don’t matter to me

Flood Track number: 5 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

Flood drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music** One of the most interesting parts about the song “Flood” is the odd metered choruses. At first none of us were exactly sure what the meter was but after counting it out, it turns out to be in 11/4 time, or you could maybe say that it alternates between 5/4 and 6/4. Though there is an 11 beat pattern played 4 times for a total of 44 beats. 90% of all “popular” music will be in 4/4 time, the other 10% is in 3/4 or some variation of that like 6/4 or 12/4. Very rarely will you see anything else unless you’re listening to Frank Zappa. “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel is in 7/4 as it “Money” by Pink Floyd. There are occasionally songs in 5/4 as well. But we’re not sure of anything that is in 11/4 (please bring it to our attention if you do know of anything). Alex played the song this way instinctively and brought it to the table when we were gathering material for “Memoirs”. Each of us added our parts to it but the most interesting part is Aaron’s drum pattern. He plays in 4/4 time while the rest of the band is staying in 11/4. It’s similar to what Jon Bonham did in the Led Zeppelin song “Kashmir”. He played in 4/4 while the rest of the band was in 3/4. And contrary to popular belief, this was intentional. It’s not that Aaron can’t count. Lyrically the song is full of water imagery. It breathes of the idea that within us there is some kind of well. And that at some point, when one is ready, the waters of this well stir a higher instinct, an inexplicable compulsion to seek a further understanding and to reconsider one’s personal situation and the general human condition. “The rest is up to me” the song states numerous times realizing that despite the numerous and onerous obstacles in his way he must do something. The protagonist in our “Memoirs” story has finally turned a corner in his journey. There is even a “shout-out” to Nikola Tesla in the song. In the middle section the line goes “On the rocks with Tesla’s boxes”. This is a tribute to Alex’s work with energy physics and his admiration of Tesla. Alex’s work incorporates new theories on math and their relationship to spirituality and physics. The rest of us have embraced his theories and have used it as part of the decision making process for the sequencing of the songs. Each number, zero through 9, has a particular meaning and we lined up the track numbers of the songs to match. For more on this see the B-sides to “No Hesitation” and “Already Home”. For a lot more on this see his blog http://www.alexpetty.com/. ** Lyrics ** All our lives appear for us; We fly, we feel, we fall, we die and it seems to be that we've done this all before. The rest is up to me Tell the story, let it unfold Be the bedrock, break the mold What’s gone before will come again Then we can know the end Born to the light The sea within the sea shell Vanished have I Carry me there From within the flood Half a world away we are Following the thunder call Roaming to find the source of the sound of many waters, depth of ground Life leads one adrift, afloat Tattered tales and sinking boat Miss the mark, a blood red tide The rest is up to me Where will I be Fixtures of existence What will I see Inside of me From within the flood Time we have and time we don’t Storm the castle and drain the moat The towers tall The broken wall The world has been for years Love is light, it leaves you longing For the sight of shrouded dawning On the rocks with Tesla's boxes The rest is up to me Born to the light The sea within the sea shell Vanished have I Carry me there From within the flood Where will I be Fixtures of existence What will I see Inside of me From within the flood

Earthworms Track number: 6 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

Earthworms drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music ** Just as with Poetry in Motion, this is a song that was written while the band was in rehearsal. Between songs Neil began playing his bass and he was doing that main line that leads off the song. The rest of us took an immediate liking to it and we ended up with another spontaneous creation. ...Aaron started playing his (intentionally obnoxious- it's that "elephant in the room" everyone knows is there but no one wants to talk about) drum part with the open splashy hi hats and monotonous kick and snare while Larry started playing the piano chords. Then as if planned, the entire quartet dropped in volume as Alex and Larry began singing. At the same time Aaron stopped playing his ride and settled in the verse groove. The vocal harmonies were written on the spot and much of the final lyrics were ad-lib’d in that first playing including the chorus. The final lyrics were solidified over the course of 3 or 4 rehearsals. We were able to listen back to Alex’s ad-lib’d lyrics because he records every rehearsal and then cuts down the tape into songs or manageable segments. He then places the clips on the web in an archive so we can go back and listen. So after a few runs of the song we had a sampling of ideas. We took the recordings and crafted the verses by taking the best lines from each and organizing them in the most poetic way. Again they were centered around our major theme running through all the songs. In this song our protagonist is making the first steps towards completing his journey. He has accepted that the journey is difficult. He notices many things around him in the world that are leading to a potentially apocalyptic ending…. “Hell fire in the mother’s breast”, “Lightning in the distance”, “Thunder in the middle sky”…. He feels like an “Earthworm in the eagle’s nest” meaning that the challenge facing him seems overwhelming and seemingly unbeatable. He is a tiny person in a vast world. He mentally challenges himself by facetiously saying, “You are listening to me, watching as the whole world dies”. Yet he summons his courage and “Puts one foot in front of the other”….he takes his first step. ** Lyrics ** Always under hill Outside looking in Hell fire in the mother's breast Earthworms in the eagle's nest One foot in front of the other Tell me what it is we want from each other Tell me what it is you have discovered Lightning in the distance Thunder in the middle skies You are listening to me Watching as the whole world dies One foot in front of the other Tell me what it is we want from each other Tell me what it is you have discovered One foot in front of the other Tell me what it is we want from each other Tell me what it is you have discovered Earthworms in the eagle's nest

No Hesitation Track number: 7 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

No Hesitation drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music** One of the lines in the first verse says, “I am what I am, zero to nine”. What exactly does it mean to be “zero to nine”? Alex does a lot of work with numerology as it relates to physics and spirituality. And much of the numerological work settles around new theories on math involving onl...y the single digit numbers (one through nine). Those numbers are represented on a circle and through those representations many theories and deeper calculations can be made. On the circle, nine is also in the same place as zero. So when the protagonist in our story says this line, it is referring to all parts of himself, beginning to end. This is the song where our protagonist has begun to fully make a change. He says, “I have already gone, no hesitation”. Yet he still struggles with himself by following that up saying, “I have long way to run, have some patience”. He has internalized the need for spiritual re-emergence but is battling himself. It is a battle against his ego which all of us are destined to one day dispel. It could be said that life itself is a struggle to defeat this inner adversary. This struggle is represented through the vocal lines in the song. It begins with one solo voice which grows to two and then three with each successive verse. Each of the voices in the verses represent a different part of the inner monologue of our protagonist. The lead line is his general outward focus and thoughts. The second line that is introduced in the second verse is his conscious talking back to him. If you listen closely you will hear that this line is making a commentary on the lead line’s thoughts. The third line is the negative line inside him that is still lingering. Each are in counterpoint with each other and sung at the same time. The lines are distinct yet somehow work together in the same way the various parts of his inner monologue work together. Similarly the choruses grow in numbers until at the end there are 8 vocals singing 4 parts. This may represent the growing momentum of his journey. As he begins not only does he pick up steam but he inspires others to come along with him. He is not just making a change within himself but also affecting others as he does so. ** Lyrics ** All around me moves I must be going Convey to them the news Bounded by nothing I am what I am Zero to nine So what is the truth The truth's been lying And sometimes I see it clear I am me Change my sight despite my fear And once upon a time it was You are me I changed my mind up just because I could see more clearly then before Who are we I golden wealth in place of poor I can see what I must do to be the truth Who are we I will do this thing I am already gone There's no control No hesitation Here the darkness reigns I have long way to run A long way to go Have some patience Remembering the light I am not meant to be I have hid it here So confined to Time to make it right I will always be me For whats been given No where to run to And sometimes I see it clear I am me Change my sight despite my fear And once upon a time it was You are me I changed my mind up just because I could see more clearly then before Who are we I golden wealth in place of poor I can see what I must do to be the truth Who are we I am already gone All around me moves No hesitation I must be going Long long way to run Convey to them the news must have some patience Bounded by nothing I'm not meant to be Remembering the light So confined to I have it hid here I'll always be me Time to make it right No where to run to For what's been given And sometimes I see it clear I am me Change my sight despite my fear And once upon a time it was You are me I changed my mind up just because I could see more clearly then before Who are we I golden wealth in place of poor I can see what I must do to be the truth Who are we Time and time again you know I am me It seems to me I haven't shown Falling through the atmosphere You are me Haven't tried to make it clear And I know and I know and I know Who are we What I am I can see Its falling down this clarity Who are we I can see what I must do to be the truth

All For You Track number: 8 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

All For You drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music ** All For You is another song that was pulled from the older repertoire. It was written around 2000-2001 after the band had broken up. Alex and Larry were playing together again and as always when that happens new material gets written. The title “All For You” has always been the sam...e but the lyrics were redone leading up to the recording of “Memoirs”. In this song our protagonist is experiencing the intense psychological pressures that can accompany inner transformation. Still all around him in the world there are things that he cannot change and an inner sense of self-doubt and so he falls into acute despair even contemplating suicide. He goes from questioning in the first verse, to angry in the second, to slightly insane in the third and finally he’s suicidal in the final tag section of the song. As we’ll see in the next song, “Already Home”, he makes his way through this desperate state and emerges from this intensely negative state transformed with true realization of the nature of self, like a dreamer waking from a nightmare. The end of the song was originally a separate song called “Broken” and Aaron had the idea of bringing the two songs together. This worked well with the lyrical idea but it was in A-minor while “All For You” is in G-major. So we lowered the key of “Broken” from A-minor to G-minor which allowed us to pull off an interesting segue. It happens slowly throughout the song with the first inklings of key change in the third verse. You can hear the violin playing short, staccato stops with a flat 6th in it, a note borrowed from G-minor rather than the major 6th you’d hear in G-major. By the very end of the song, after the “You are my reason to be” section, you can hear the minor elements layering in more and more until it finally resolves fully in G-minor and we’re into the tag, “Broken.” Over top of this you can hear more violin work, beautifully played by our friend Frank Sullivan. He also played violin on “Flood”, “Poetry in Motion” and “Already Home” and he played mandolin on “No Hesitation”. He is an incredible musician and we were very happy to have him play with us on the record. ** Lyrics ** What you've said I can't believe it For you cover my word so that no can read it And even though you treat me this way "Do what I say, do it my way" I will still remain I followed you through all of these things I wandered around caught by your sound They'll think it was me tying your hand wont understand it was your plan When it all began I don't see your mind It is with me for all time I did it all for you When is it I get my return For I know what I am what I want and you cannot say that is fair That it is fair I was here from the start I did my part gave you my heart I did it every day We had everything But your selfish needs, your fame and your greed made me bleed And I got thrown into confusion I cannot feel I cannot say I cannot love And I don't see your mind It is with me for all time I did it all for you Tonight may be the night I walk into the light I did it all for you What is this loathing I've under my skin crawling around for the way I am Thousands of them, I can not get away. I must go to the end. And I don't see your mind It is with me for all time I did it all for you Tonight may be the night I walk into the light I did it all for you -- You will never be my God again I will never be your friend again You have forced me to desert you Even though I don't want to Why Do I Even try I'm more than frightened I'm broken I think I'm ready to die I'm broken Tonight I think may be the night I'm broken Ready to walk into the light

Already Home Track number: 9 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

All For You drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the Music ** When we were going through our song list to decide on which songs to use on “Memoirs” a number of factors came into play. A lot of it had to do with the lyrical content and how the 10 songs would fit together to make a cohesive work. Some of it had to do with the style of the song and some ...of it was just our opinion of which songs were the best. Once we narrowed down to about 15 songs we started making mock lineups to see how the songs would work together including segues and the overall flow. Track ordering became an important factor. We began to notice some patterns emerging in the way the key signatures of the songs and mimicked some of the predominant harmonic structures heard in the individual tracks. One of the main harmonic themes on the record is to start in the home key and then move to the 6th scale degree. We do this in 4 or 5 different ways on the record but you can hear this happening over and over. We began to align the songs in an order such that the keys of the songs would line up in the same way. The record starts in D for the first two songs and then the third song is in B-flat minor….again 1 to 6. In fact if you line up the keys for the entire record, it makes a progression very similar to what a lot of the individual songs are doing. It even goes full circle and arrives back at D for the last song, “Remember”. Another pattern that we saw emerging was that a lot of the songs aligned very closely with Alex’s numerology work (for more on this see the back stories for “Flood” and “No Hesitation”). The numbers 1 through 9 can be place on a circle moving around clockwise. 9 is just to the left of 1 and could also be represented with a 0. The number 9 in this way represents returning back to the beginning or back home, the starting point. And so this track “Already Home” became track 9. Other songs on the record have similar stories about placement due to the track numbering. In addition to the song keys and numerical meanings, the songs were placed in order for lyrical reasons as well. In “Already Home” our protagonist has just gone through a very difficult emotional experience in “All For You”. He has passed through his long journey of transformation and has emerged changed. Through a moment of acceptance forced upon him by the nightmarish intensity reached in “All For You”, he realizes that what he searched for throughout his journey was already within himself the whole time and in this way he has connected with the source of his own life. He now understands that he is “Already Home”. ** Lyrics ** What you've said I can't believe it For you cover my word so that no can read it And even though you treat me this way "Do what I say, do it my way" I will still remain I followed you through all of these things I wandered around caught by your sound They'll think it was me tying your hand wont understand it was your plan When it all began I don't see your mind It is with me for all time I did it all for you When is it I get my return For I know what I am what I want and you cannot say that is fair That it is fair I was here from the start I did my part gave you my heart I did it every day We had everything But your selfish needs, your fame and your greed made me bleed And I got thrown into confusion I cannot feel I cannot say I cannot love And I don't see your mind It is with me for all time I did it all for you Tonight may be the night I walk into the light I did it all for you What is this loathing I've under my skin crawling around for the way I am Thousands of them, I can not get away. I must go to the end. And I don't see your mind It is with me for all time I did it all for you Tonight may be the night I walk into the light I did it all for you -- You will never be my God again I will never be your friend again You have forced me to desert you Even though I don't want to Why Do I Even try I'm more than frightened I'm broken I think I'm ready to die I'm broken Tonight I think may be the night I'm broken Ready to walk into the light

Remember Track number: 10 Year: 2010 Album: Memoirs Genre: Alternative

Remember drumfish, ©2010 ** Behind the music ** Throughout the history of the band we have had many songs that toy around with key changing, in particular we like the interplay between major and minor. In “Remember” that idea is taken to a new extreme. The first moments of the song are definitely in D-minor but then slowly elements are bro...ught in to change it. Alex sings an F# in the verse which is the major third. By the time the chorus hits, we’re all playing a full D-major chord instead of D-minor. At the end of the chorus, on the lines “remain, always”, we’re in both major and minor simultaneously. The instrumentation has switched back to D-minor but the vocals are in D-major. You can hear the tension between the F# in the vocals and the F-natural in the guitar. Another interesting musical element to this song is the section that comes right after each chorus. Similar to the polytonality of the harmonic structure, we have a polyrhythm when Aaron continues playing in 4/4 time while the rest of the instrumentation is playing in 5/4. In the story arc, this song is a reflection of our protagonist’s journey. In it he is “remembering”, the steps of his path to the attainment of inner peace having realized that he was “already home”. This return home is also reflected by a return to the original key from the first song on the record (“Motion” was also in D). He says “life is but a dream” in his understanding that this human life is not the absolute level of reality but only relatively true. He knows now that the physical world we experience as human beings is a merely a construct of mind fortified by senses, a beautiful illusion manifested for the benefit of the collective consciousness, so that the Universe, through us, can experience love as self. The protagonist, having experientially realized this is no longer questioning. He says, “I can guide you by the hand; I can make you realize how you and I remain, always”. This certainty comes from having passed through his journey and living now in the state of clarity which accompanies attunement to higher vibrations of consciousness. At the very end of the song, if you let it play for about 10 seconds you’ll hear one last tag for the record. It was spontaneously recorded as Alex was tracking his acoustic guitar part in “Earthworms”. Our engineer/producer Kevin “131” Gutierrez tracked it and kept it as part of the recording. Alex is playing the guitar by himself and singing, “I am trying to make a difference with everything I do and say.” As we were listening to playbacks of “Earthworms” during the recording process we all really took to it. We decided that it was the perfect tag line to the CD, a simple yet profound statement that summarizes the entire work. ** Lyrics ** There are days when I’d rather not be Anything at all, when I can not remember what I am And in this dream I can see what is real to me now We are in different worlds you and I You are me, this I know Oh and I can not take on more and more No and I can not remember what it was No I can't remember I don't remember lies I don't remember sacrifice I know I belong I can leave I can show I concede I've been wrong And if you want I can make you understand And if you want I can make you realize And if you want I can guide you by the hand And if you want I can make you realize how you and I remain, remain always Row this boat gently and merrily For this dream you won’t remember once it’s gone You ask where is it written down these things that I say It's written everywhere in everything You are me, you must know Oh and you must not take this on all alone No you can not remember what it was No you can't remember I don’t remember lies I don’t remember sacrifice I know I belong I can leave I can show I concede I am wrong And if you want I cant make you understand And if you want I can make you realize And if you want I can guide you by the hand And if you want I can make you realize how you and I remain, remain always

Mask

Waterfalling

Selfish Song

Silleon and Giddeon

Feel Like You Want Me To

Sebastian

Such a Fine Time

Restless World Genre: Acoustic

Shame Genre: Acoustic