The lyrics had been sitting with me for years. Words, phrases, the general gist. The words were about leavings and endings, be they from a job, a relationship, or a life.
When they finally came into focus as verses, a chorus, and a bridge, I had a tone in mind as well. It would be slow and reflective. Mournful even. I even had a singer in mind – Eric Burdon – formerly frontman for The Animals and after, a solo career that was closing in on the end. I thought he would be the perfect instrument for this message of goodbye.
The Edge of Goodbye. I had the words and the tone, but no music or arrangement. But that didn’t stop me. I tried sending the to him anyway with high hope that he would be interested in collaborating.
I never heard back. But that didn’t stop me. I looked at the liner notes to his CDs and found people he co-wrote with, then sent them the lyrics. Well, at least they responded, and positively I must add. One of them even took a swing at the words and came up with a rough demo. But, it never moved forward from there.
It wasn’t until I met up with a local guy, G.T. Albright, a talented musician and songwriter who has been in the business since the 60s, that things began to gel. G.T. really liked the lyrics and went to work creating a song. He stuck with it, too, and came up with a finished song. It was upbeat and bright. Bouncy even. I neglected to mention to him from the onset the tone I was seeking. Oops…
This being my very first song collaboration, I was a bit reluctant to say anything about the tone of the song that didn’t work for me. I didn’t want to be pushy or jeopardize the working relationship I had with G.T.. I was grateful for the work he did, and I didn’t want to be critical. It was only when G.T. asked me for my feedback that I shared my truth: the music did not communicate the tone of the words that I was intending.
I held my breath, but I didn’t need to. Using my feedback, G.T. went back to his office and reworked the song, this time hitting the tone and the vibe I was hoping for. He did a beautiful job and I couldn’t be more grateful and proud.
So, now we have two versions of the same lyrics, with a totally different feel to each. Interestingly and ironically enough, when we do our classroom presentations, G.T. plays both versions for the kids. Then we ask them which version they prefer. Invariably, most choose the more upbeat version. Oh well…
Next week G.T. and players will be in his studio recording Edge of Goodbye. He’ll be recording the second – reflective – version. I look forward to sharing it.
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