SHAKE OFF THE GRAVITY - LYRIC JOURNAL
Between you and me, I know most people never
really pay attention to the lyrics. If the groove grabs you, that's usually more
than enough. Hey - that's cool. But if the spirit moves you to read the lyrics
that come with the CD, maybe you'll want to read these more in-depth rantings…
Under a Cloudless Sky
Exiting
a club in Brooklyn, having just seen Patti Smith in concert, inspired beyond words,
I glance up at the sky. Full moon bright no stars not a cloud in sight. Everything
seems so very clear and the first verse of this song just pops into my head. The
rest of it shoots out as soon as I got home and grab my guitar. It's about inspiration
and creativity and clarity and although it was one of the last tunes to be written
for the record, it just had to be first…
Complicated
World
This is my take on the tragic events that transpired on September
11, 2001. Living just outside NYC and witnessing the smoke pouring into the sky
from across the bay near my home, I honestly thought the world was coming to an
end that day. In the weeks that followed, I was struck by how much love New Yorkers
seemed to be spewing forth in every direction. It was like a mass awakening; like
the tremendous hatred that spurred on the attack had the opposite effect…
Unfortunately, much of it didn't last but boy we almost took a major leap in the
spiritual evolution of every human being on this planet. The last verse was inspired
by my friend Carol who told me about a dream she had in which amidst the smoke
and flames all the spirits of those who perished rose into the heavens - as they
did so, the spirits of those who were responsible gazed into the spirits of their
victims and said "I am so very sorry - I didn't realize how beautiful you
are" and the victims looked into the spirits of those responsible and they
said "I am so very sorry - I didn't realize how beautiful you are." And in that moment when we shed our bodies, shed our cultural costumes, and become
pure light, there are no lies to hide behind anymore. There's only love. On September
11, 2004 there was a tribute held in lower Manhattan - two beams of light shone
up into the night sky and all these tiny little moths were flitting around, illuminated
and sparkly and spiraling upwards disappearing into the clouds. It was as if that
third verse was being acted out right in front of me…
Slice
of Life
So stop complaining that you're not being "creative enough" and go pick up your guitar and write some damn songs already! Sheesh! As I was
writing the words to this one, I kept thinking about a friend of mine who had
breast cancer whose optimism and calm in the face of something so frightening
just blew me away. I thought this song could be about that, too - about taking
your power, rising above and grabbing another slice of life…
Hot
'n Nasty
Steve Marriott has always been one of my all-time favorite
singers, and this is one of my all-time favorite songs. For those of you who don't
know, Steve Marriott fronted a band called Humble Pie (he was also in the Small
Faces, another great group). He was a little guy with one of the biggest rock
voices on the planet - one of the things he was best known for was putting down
the microphone and singing over the band. You could hear him from a mile away… Listen for Jane Mangini's incredible keyboard parts - she is a massive Humble
Pie fan, too and between Al Pitrelli, Joe Franco, David Z, and Mark Wood, they
just tear this track up. Oh, and I have a bit of fun with it, too…
Waiting
for the Light to Change
Does she mean the traffic light in the middle
of that stupid busy intersection on Main Street or the infinite subtleties of
day and night, dark and light, and every weather pattern imaginable? Uh oh, this
one's kind of deep.
Shake off the Gravity
Written
for my Mom, but then ultimately encompassing all the loved ones in my life who've
passed. But wait - no groaning and eye-rolling here - this is not a depressing
song! This is about connecting with the spirit of loved ones in dreams and how
truly alive they will always be if their memory is present in your life. Honestly,
in the course of an average day, there are so many handfuls of things that make
her pop into my head. So she's still here then, isn't she? How cool is that?
Nobody's
Fault
Sigh... Steven Tyler - what can I say. Truth be told, I always
wanted to BE Steven Tyler - I wanted to have that swagger, that ooze, that passionate
growl. And he can still hit those notes like nobody's business! "Rocks"
is the best Aerosmith record ever, and "Nobody's Fault" is one of their
best songs. I just had to play with it… Between Al Pitrelli's monstrous guitar
work, Mark Wood's ripping solos, Dave Z's earth-shattering bass, and Joe Franco's
thunderous backbeat, this is a VERY HEAVY TRACK indeed.
Deep
Breath
Ever had one of those nights when you just can't sleep because
it seems like every little tiny thought just won't stop jumping around on your
bed? Me too… This one was written at 3:00 am on of "those nights."
Get on Board
What
a lovely gullible society we've become. It's human nature to want to feel safe
and secure so we suspend our suspicions and hop on whatever mode of transportation
that will take us to Shangri-la. But there's always a price to pay, isn't there?
Better to keep your eyes open, drink that extra cup of coffee and stay awake...
Black
Dog
The third cover tune on this record, this is my "ode to Robert
Plant." But Led Zeppelin already did "Black Dog" better than anyone
else could ever do it so we brought in a string section (Mark), a French horn,
trombone and trumpet to liven up the party. Mark's arrangement will rip your head
off, I promise.
The 2 of Us
I
wrote the lyrics and melody to this song about two months after Mark and I first
started going out and it seemed perfect to re-visit and turn into a duet for Viper
and voice. After so much time has passed the words still resonate just as deeply
as they did when the song was first conceived. It's a testament to something everyone
who's ever been in a long-term (or even not so long term) relationship can relate
to - those first couple of months are such an exciting time of discovery when
you have no idea where it's gonna go nor do you care because i's all just SO VERY
GOOD. Mark's Vipers caress and surround my vocal on this track and we've created
something that turns an intense life-changing experience into a powerful artistic
statement.
IN OTHER JOURNAL-RELATED STUFF:
It's quite an experience to come face to face with your musical
heroes...
Cleveland. First weekend in December 2005. TSO is in town on Friday and Saturday, and Aerosmith is there on Sunday and many of my mutual TSO/Aerosmith industry friends are doing both shows. The stars align, I'm given a backstage pass, and it's an unbelievable night... One friend who has known and worked with Aerosmith for about 35 years was so eloquent and professional when he introduced me that everyone in the band and all the folks behind the scenes made me feel like I was part of their inner circle. It was VERY surreal... When I gave Steven Tyler my CD, the first thing I said (after thanking him profusely for the enormous effect he’s had on me as an artist) was to check out my cover of "Nobody’s Fault" – his eyebrows raised and he said he would.. Excellent. (Truth be told, he probably promptly lost it but it doesn't matter - the act of handing him that CD, sharing MY music with HIM, completed an artistic circle for me...)
I suppose he could also tell from the picture of me on the back of the CD that I’m a bit of a Tyler wannabe! (That photo was taken by the amazing Mark Weiss by the way - not only a great friend of mine who's taken many photos on this site and all the photos on my CD, but Aerosmith's official photographer.) Got to watch the show from right up front, it was kick-ass balls-to-the-wall outrageous (wouldn't have expected any less), and well these guys are just true ROCK GODS on every level. It was a trip in every sense of the word, and I’m still buzzing...
My undying gratitude goes out to my very special friends Mark and Maria for making this happen for me.
