Today’s episode is a song from my “50 songs in 50 weeks” series called “What Can I Say”. I recorded it in 2012 but it was actually written around 1999 while I was in high school. The lyrics are about expectations and wondering whether you measure up what other people want out of you.
It was influenced by the Sixpence None The Richer song “Kiss Me.” I probably would have been made fun of by my friends back then if I ever admitted that so it was kind of a guilty pleasure at the time.
I started the recording with acoustic and electric guitars with a similar strumming pattern to “Kiss Me” and to fill it out it bit more, I added some organ.
From there, I needed something to drive the beat but I knew I wasn’t going to have drums so I ended up playing shaker and three different tracks of jembe, which is sort of like a bongo drum. I think it gives it a bit of a tribal feel.
It still seemed like it needed something so I felt like the piano would be a nice addition. I played lower notes on my left hand in place of a bass guitar. My right hand played something a little higher up with octaves. It’s a line that compliments the melody of the song.
I saved room for a guitar solo. I used an ebow, which got a fair amount of use in 90s rock. Basically an ebow is a little device that vibrates the strings without touching them. It gives a sort of sustained humming sound similar to a violin bow. They don’t use an ebow in Kiss Me but even so, I think the solo ended up sounding fairly similar.
Lyrics:
When I was told I was one of those, no way, no way
If I only know then I’d tried to meet you some way
And I will grow and be so afraid, afraid
When nothing I can do saves me from myself
I fall away, only today
What can I say
I tried to be someone you only read about
I tried to be someone that you would want
Though I was told I don’t wanna know my fate, my fate
If I only know I would try to meet you some day
And I would grow and be so afraid, afraid
When nothing I can do saves me from myself
I tried to be strong but I only moved on from you
So tell me I’m wrong and I’ll try to move on from you
I fall away, only today
What can I say
I tried to be someone you only read about
I tried to be someone that you would want, you would want
I tried to be strong but I only moved on from you
So tell me I’m wrong and I’ll try to move on from you
I fall away, only today
What can I say
I tried to be someone you only read about
I tried to be someone that you would want, you would want
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