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Mutlu
by Gary E. Andrews - 04/15/24 07:08 PM
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Leafs
by Gary E. Andrews - 04/05/24 01:49 PM
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Have you ever stood at the top of a tall building and thought, "What if I...?" Click to listen on SoundCloudAll comments and suggestions appreciated. GULP - DON’T SIP(Words & Music by Gavin Sinclair) Is it time to climb the tallest building you know And imagine yourself falling To the pavement far, far, far below? Listen - it’s calling And it’s not that you really want to hit it Brain stain waiting for the rain It’s the thrill of the minute when you’re in it It’s the singing in your veins. Give in to sensation Toes, lips, finger tips Can you taste salvation in damnation? Gulp - don’t sip Do you ever long to pull the trigger Just to see what it does? And when they ask you why that particular guy, You answer, “Just because He kind of reminded me of someone in a way I didn’t like, it might have been a cousin That I never met, but it’s OK. Now he doesn’t Give in to sensation Toes, lips, finger tips Can you taste salvation in damnation? Gulp - don’t sip No tail, no horns , no cloven hoof I won’t tell you what to do I hand you the gun and I lead you to the roof The rest is up to you.
Last edited by Gavin Sinclair; 06/25/20 06:53 PM.
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What an interesting song. You have some imagination, Gavin. Not a cliché in sight and a surprise ending too.
Vic
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What an interesting song. You have some imagination, Gavin. Not a cliché in sight and a surprise ending too.
Vic Thanks Vic. Sometimes I think that just taking a very strong feeling and associating it with an image can be a great starting point for a song. I don't know if others have felt that same mixture of terror and fascination when looking down from a great height, but I suspect they have. That surprise ending was originally going to be towards the end of the harmonica solo, but I felt that it maybe packed too much of a punch there.
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I can't look down from great heights. Makes me dizzy. Even watching it on a screen gives me an uncomfortable feeling. Sometimes my mind wanders and I imagine myself near the edge of a cliff. That brings me wide awake. I hate to fly now too. Can't stand the thought of so little in the miles between me and the ground. Can't remember when I first felt it. I used to fly a lot in the old band days. Maybe on a plane to Dublin in a storm where we were being tossed around a bit. Sitting across from me were two nuns fiddling nervously with their rosary beads.
Vic
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Really like this one Gavin - good conversational tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Right up my street I wasn't sure how the hook would work - "gulp" is such a ghastly word to sing - but you made it work. I'm going to assume you didn't shoot yourself as you are still responding to posts here Hope you're keeping safe Nice work. Paul
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I agree with Vic and Paul, Gavin:
This is original to the max and worthy of a little more experimentation... to my simplistic way of thinking. Maybe its the tempo... maybe its your disarming vocal... but this is a deep, dark and almost forbidden song-topic... LOL!
As always, I enjoy your work so much and I perpetually wonder what is going on in that creative mind you possess? The title is good... and leads to the hook... but "gulp" does not adequately describe the quick swallowing action... IMHO. Wish I had a better suggestion but I'm not even alive this early in the day. My wife was listening in the distance... obviously could not hear the words... and innocently stated... "That sounds a little like Mr. Rogers!" I nearly fell out of my chair then quickly explained how "dark" the subject matter really happens to be.
I'm wondering how much pent up creativity this "shelter at home" request will generate... because we are all bored out of our gourds... and need something to occupy our minds or otherwise distract ourselves? This one is special and I hope you eventually bring it to the point where some big producer or label snatches the score and lyric sheet from your tired hands... and brings you unimagined wealth... and even fleeting fame!
Thanks for sharing and best wishes for success. ----Dave
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I agree with Vic and Paul, Gavin:
This is original to the max and worthy of a little more experimentation... to my simplistic way of thinking. Maybe its the tempo... maybe its your disarming vocal... but this is a deep, dark and almost forbidden song-topic... LOL!
As always, I enjoy your work so much and I perpetually wonder what is going on in that creative mind you possess? The title is good... and leads to the hook... but "gulp" does not adequately describe the quick swallowing action... IMHO. Wish I had a better suggestion but I'm not even alive this early in the day. My wife was listening in the distance... obviously could not hear the words... and innocently stated... "That sounds a little like Mr. Rogers!" I nearly fell out of my chair then quickly explained how "dark" the subject matter really happens to be.
I'm wondering how much pent up creativity this "shelter at home" request will generate... because we are all bored out of our gourds... and need something to occupy our minds or otherwise distract ourselves? This one is special and I hope you eventually bring it to the point where some big producer or label snatches the score and lyric sheet from your tired hands... and brings you unimagined wealth... and even fleeting fame!
Thanks for sharing and best wishes for success. ----Dave Thanks Dave. I think I'd settle for unimagined wealth and let someone else have the fame LOL. It's weird that your wife thought of Mr. Rogers. Over on another forum I belong to, somebody thought it sounded like Sesame Street! I think that contrasting juxtaposition of style and content actually adds to the song, although I realize most folks would probably have done it differently. That's why I appreciate comments and suggestion s so much. I didn't set out to write a song on a forbidden topic. It's about falling, not about hitting the ground. In fact, it's not even about falling, but the thought of falling and really about that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you peer over the edge or touch the gun. Once I'd written it, though, I did realize that the listener does have a few options as to what he hears in it. Even the" surprise" at the end can mean different things. The gulp refers to gulping down life's sensations rather than a quick swallowing action - in contrast with sipping. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to listen and comment.
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Really like this one Gavin - good conversational tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Right up my street I wasn't sure how the hook would work - "gulp" is such a ghastly word to sing - but you made it work. I'm going to assume you didn't shoot yourself as you are still responding to posts here Hope you're keeping safe Nice work. Paul Thanks Paul. I thought "gulp" was going to be pretty ghastly to sing too, until I tried. It's actually fun to sing - a big, fat, juicy mouthful of a word. The Monty Python folks would have definitely classed it as a "woody" word, in contrast to "sip," which is definitely "tinny." LOL
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Hi Gavin, not really my type of song, but you sure reminded me of the time I worked doing electrical testing at the Ravenscraig flats in Kirkaldy, man it was scary, going out onto the roof to access the pump rooms and lift machinery rooms, I had my back to the walls even though I was three or four yards from the edge,I'm glad I'll never be up there again. all the best,john.
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Gavin,
Morbidly clever! The music contrasts the lyrics, but this is part of the cleverness which allows anyone to listen without getting too disturbed and better captures their attention like good folk music should achieve. Fabulous song art going on hear in all respects. I like the harmonica outro, but do think the first note comes in off key, and maybe you did that on purpose? I do think that outro would feel more seamless if that first harmonica note was on pitch-- music folks may find it slightly disconcerting--JMO, and not a big deal, but it did disconnect me slightly.
steady-eddie
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Hi Gavin, not really my type of song, but you sure reminded me of the time I worked doing electrical testing at the Ravenscraig flats in Kirkaldy, man it was scary, going out onto the roof to access the pump rooms and lift machinery rooms, I had my back to the walls even though I was three or four yards from the edge,I'm glad I'll never be up there again. all the best,john. Yes, the towering skyscrapers that give Kirkcaldy its famous skyline were what I had in mind when I wrote this LOL. The Manhattan of Fife! Hope you are doing well over there. Gavin
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Gavin,
Morbidly clever! The music contrasts the lyrics, but this is part of the cleverness which allows anyone to listen without getting too disturbed and better captures their attention like good folk music achieves. Fabulous song art going on hear in all respects. I like the harmonica outro, but do think the first note comes in off key, and maybe you did that on purpose? I do think that outro would feel more seamless if that first harmonica note was on pitch-- music folks may find it slightly disconcerting--JMO, and not a big deal, but it did disconnect me slightly.
steady-eddie Thanks for the kind words, Eddie. I'll take a close listen to that harmonica note and see if I can hear what you're getting at.
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Love th title and the song. Very unique lyric and wonderfully done. Particularly liked the harmonica. I am a sucker for some good harp.
Well done.
Dave
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Love th title and the song. Very unique lyric and wonderfully done. Particularly liked the harmonica. I am a sucker for some good harp.
Well done.
Dave Thanks for the kind words, Dave. Yes, harmonica can be very atmospheric, I think.
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Heights bother me Gavin, I'm OK now with flying but it took about 50 flights to get to this point. Ladders roofs etc are strictly off and out of bounds.. Another unusual even bizarre write but I like these excursions into the surreal.. Well put together, great song which I've played more than once Regards. John
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde
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Thanks for the kind words, John. If you like the bizarre stuff, then the one I'm working on at the moment should be right up your alley LOL.
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Ah The rest is up to you LOL Enjoyed this one Gavin I never liked heights but ended up firstly being a Fireman (Not a good idea if you don't like heights LOL) and later worked in the Fall Arrest Business. I learned early never look down as in if you are swaying about on the top of a 100ft Turntable Ladder look at the view not the concrete. Thanks for the memories.
Stay Safe,
Gerry
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Hi Gavin & fellow participants:
Words... elusive simple thought processes we use in the structure of our lyrics... are never there, it seems, when you want them.
The word I sought was "SLURP!"
It may not solve or resolve the enigma, Gavin... but it was the expression I believe most represents what the lyric needs. Be my guest by either using or flinging it back into ethereal space. LOL!
Instant recall would be a wonderful gift.
All my best, ----Dave
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Love it cool song and lyrics!
Ckiphen
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Thanks for the suggestion, Dave. "Slurp" is a fun word to sing, although with my tendency towards sibilance, it could be problematic, especially when followed by "sip." I normally love alliteration, but all those "s" sounds...not so sure Also, to me slurping is more something that happens with lips and mouth or maybe a straw. Gulp is more swallowing as much and as hard as you can, which is the meaning here.
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Ah The rest is up to you LOL Enjoyed this one Gavin I never liked heights but ended up firstly being a Fireman (Not a good idea if you don't like heights LOL) and later worked in the Fall Arrest Business. I learned early never look down as in if you are swaying about on the top of a 100ft Turntable Ladder look at the view not the concrete. Thanks for the memories.
Stay Safe,
Gerry Thanks Gerry, glad you enjoyed it. Hope I didn't make you dizzy
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Morose Gavin. When I saw the title I assumed that it was going to be a Donny Trump parody about drinking Lysol.
Brain stain waiting for the rain? When I was in college at UT they had to close the Tower because people kept jumping off. People said that it sounded like a car wreck when they hit.and they did leave stains. Grizzly memory.
Whatever floats your boat. You have an entertaining wit.
Martin
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There was an old medieval tower in the ruins of the cathedral where I went to university that they had to close at final exam time for the same reason.
It's not meant to be morose. The song isn't about suicide. It's about intense sensations, like the feeling in your stomach from the thought of falling through the air, not about hitting the ground, as I said to Dave above. It's hard to get that across, I guess. It's Baudelaire, Camus, but mostly the great Transylvanian philosopher Dr. Frank N. Furter, as he urges Brad and Janet, "Don't dream it - Be it."
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This is a cultish kind of LYRIC...I like the poppiness of the tune married with some dark lyrics
No tail, no horns, no cloven hoof I won’t tell you what to do I hand you the gun and I lead you to the roof Then it’s up to you
Such a bright & DARK song at the same time...I love it
This could be in a Rock Opera or a play scene ALL DAY LONG...
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Thanks for the kind words, Steve. Interesting that you mention a rock opera or play. I had pictures playing in my head while working on it and ended up making a video. http://mysteriousbeings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Gulp-4-1.m4v
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