3 posts tagged “uk songwriting festival”

I included the audio for this song in a previous blog, but since the gig quite a few people have remarked on it, so here it is in full, including lyrics. Stevie's original draft of the lyric had the character in his homeland, which had become a war-torn landscape. My only suggestion during the workshops was to bring in the idea of the character being far from home - i.e. to make him a soldier fighting overseas. I think you'll agree that Stevie has used some remarkable imagery to illustrate the song's universal anti-war sentiment. It's also an effective melody that really carries the character's anguish and torment. We added a bagpipe-style open 5th drone using voices from other members of the group, and the final recording was produced and mixed by Chris Blanden. Personally I find the song astonishingly affecting, even after repeated listenings. It's one of those examples of performance, lyric, arrangement and melody lining up prosodically - all the musical elements pushing in the same direction.

Wind won't you carry me
Set my blind spirit free
For I have lost the will to breathe
As comrades fall like dying leaves

Black is the sun
Black is the sun

Rain won't you wash me clean
Such poison I have seen
Visions that will not be gone
For all my life, however long

And in this trench there is a picture
My sweet children smile at me
And in my heart an endless longing
Wherefore art the smiles I see?

Black is the sun
Black is the sun

Snow won't you chill my wounds
Spring she has come too soon
Fires scorch as we retreat
Flesh decays around my feet

Lord won't you bring me home
No strength have I to roam
A thousand miles beneath these boots
More death with every round I shoot

And on this gun there is a number
Tell me what this number means
Is it for the lives I've ended
Or is it for the tears I've screamed?

Black is the sun
Black is the sun

Wind won't you carry me
Set my blind spirit free
For I am broke beyond repair
So to my kin please blow me there

Every day the songwriters played back new material to the group for discussion, and whenever time allowed we developed these basic first performances by getting our in-house producer Chris to work with the artist on some arrangements. So we thought it would be interesting to blog a 'before and after' from the Gathering week. Here's Amy Duncan's original performance and studio recording of Rodger Lyall's lyric, which tells the story of the fishermen of Inverbervie and their struggle to protect the ancient salmon fishing rights granted to them by King David II. This was the first day's task - to write lyrics separately and hand them to another Burnsong writer to add the music. It's not the most common form of collaboration, but an interesting exercise for songwriters; lyric-setting in this way is the preferred method of Elton John & Bernie Taupin and Chris Difford & Glenn Tillbrook (Squeeze).
The song's unusual 6/4 groove, Scots dialect and two-chord 12-string picking pattern seems, for me, to fit perfectly with the poignant and wistful power of this true story.

1.
Oor Rab, the Bruce faced Lanky Shank
Tae`mak us independent
Then sired a son, Aye Dave the same
Tae tak aheed the royal name

2.
Noo Davy wis a cannier chiel
Wha likit Royal Toons
And grantin’ toon folk fishin rights
Tae sport in ony wie they liked

Chorus
Gied fisher rights tae snigger troot
Stopped ithers comin in aboot
Gied burgh rights tae local folk
The Common Good noo just a joke

3.
And now an act of treachery
By Deeside Salmon Fishery
Brings plans tae bring the Stoney whip
Tae stop the Bervie fishin rip 

4.
But they didna’ reckon Ashie Reid
Like Brucie, independent
Sayin’ local folk will manage fine 
Oor Charter’s no rescinded

Chorus
Gied fisher rights tae snigger troot
Stopped ithers comin in aboot
Gied burgh rights tae local folk
The Common Good noo just a joke

So here we are at BBC Glasgow, stealing a blogging moment on one of their foyer PCs. We can't upload pics or audio here, but here for now we've posted our setlist. The ones in italics are new songs, written during the Gathering; we're also going to play through all 12 of the original winning songs. To find out more about the songwriters go to the main Burnsong site.

It's been an amazing week, and the winners have generated a huge amount of high-quality material. We'll be putting the full audio for tonight's gig online here in the next blog. As ever, I've used this experience to learn more about how different songwriters approach their craft, and it's been a privilege (and really good fun) to work with such enthusiastic and hard-working musicians.

Time to tune up!

 

The Gathering setlist

Nov 30th 2007 - BBC Glasgow

Home - Andi Neate

Hell of a Ride - David Ferrard

My Bonnie Red-haired Lassie - Paraig MacNeil

Reverse The Hearse - Tom Murray

The John McGlinchy Bridge - Stevie Palmer

Gowany Banks - Lori Watson and Mairi Campbell

Albasylum - Lisa Paton

Garvock's Ghaist - Rodger Lyall

Stepping Stone - Mary Barclay (Carroll)

 

Too Busy Playing God - Andi Neate

Smile or Cry - Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis

You've Been Leithed - Aly Macrae

Blackbird - Mary Barclay (Carroll)

The Pig & Its Mistress - Rodger Lyall

My Dad - Amy Duncan

Black Is The Sun - Stevie Palmer

Merl - Lori Watson (Lori's on tour in Germany - the song will be sung in her absence by Mairi Campbell)

Hope Inside - Lisa Paton and Amy Duncan

I Can't Believe - Dave Francis

Honours for Fees - Paraig MacNeil (trad tune "Bonnie Dundee")