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The Boy with the Bread
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take me away…
please?
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such a classic <3
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beautiful
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“it didn’t take too long to realize that it’s probably the cheeriest, toe-tappin’ song we’ve ever written. i’m excited about that! every musician has a type of music that is challenging for them to write and for us, it’s “happy.” not to say that our songs are terribly sad or grouchy sounding… but even when there’s lightheartedness in the music, usually the lyrics aim in a more serious direction.
”next to me” is the first song i’ve ever written fully on the instrument, the “mcnally strummstick.” (pictured below) my wife got one for me right at the tail end of making our “storyboards” album last year and it only made a very small appearance on that record (it’s on “unmade”) - it’s a super fun instrument to play around with, as it’s tuned to a scale and technically there are no “wrong” notes. (but i have to admit, the strummstick isn’t half as fun as the ukulele. fyi.)
i wrote the main chords of the song and decided that, rather than spending time figuring out a vocal melody, or even an arrangement for the parts, i’ll just record the strummstick and see where it goes from there. so, i spent a little time heading down that road, and piled instruments on top of it to see where it would lead; mellotron vibes, harp, tons o’ background vocals, you name it. after the heap was recorded, it was all about the process of elimination.. going through each piece and seeing what works and what doesn’t and editing it down accordingly.
so, when gathering up the song possibilities for “october,” dan and i decided that “next to me” would be a fun addition to our first EP. so, we took a closer look at the song and finalized the arrangement of parts (verse, chorus, etc.)
eventually, the vocal melody started to appear. then dan wrote some piano chords which filled it out really nicely and then in my usual get-really-close-to-the-deadline fashion, i began writing lyrics…
certain songs are very welcoming to words and seem to fit with singing just about anything… and some are not so warm and welcoming and require a lot of tweaking to get words and their shapes to fit correctly. fortunately, “next to me” was the kind and generous sort, and almost immediately the lyrics worked. within minutes of writing, i had a pretty good idea as to what i want the song to be about. in fact, writing lyrics “next to me” was one of the easiest songs i’ve ever encountered! things just worked and new ideas flooded out all over. i probably finished 85% of the words within an hour or two (which is crazy fast for me..) BUT that last 15% was completely uncooperative and took me nearly a week to finish. literally just for a few lines. so, the process was too good to be true. it’s okay though, it gives a sense of accomplishment to finish it with a struggle!
i recently got married (last march) to the love of my life, cayt. so, the lyric direction for this song naturally tied into the lovey-dovey hearts that have been hovering since the wedding. i wanted to write a love song for my wife! and rather than “umbrellas” which is certainly a love song, but it’s more of a prayer for my future family and a promise/reminder to do my best as a future father, husband, etc. “next to me” is a straight up love song… no obstacles to overcome. it’s a love song, inside the theme of childhood and the pure carelessness that can/should be a part of it. when we grow up, our worlds become much more intense and complicated. and at any age, when you fall in love - it feels a bit like reconnecting to how it felt to be a kid again… to have feelings, trust and emotions run so deeply, that force caution to take a backseat. so, this song was written from that place.
when i recording my vocals for this song, in between takes i cracked opened an old photo album from my childhood (which, thanks to my amazing mom, my childhood was wonderful!) as well as my recent wedding pictures. it’s easy to get stuck focusing in singing a good take, rather than remembering what you’re singing about. so those pictures helped a lot.
the main downbeat rhythm you’re hearing (sounds like a kick drum) is actually my foot. so this song is literally a toe-tapper! i laid a mic on the ground and stomped away.
dan came up with the very cool piano parts that are soaked with delay in the chorus parts.. it’s got a nice rhythmic pulse, but still very pretty and melodic.
and dan’s bass line for this song is one of my favorites. it gives the song a bounce that I like a lot.
the duo tremolo violins throughout were played by me, which is pretty much the extent of my violin skills.
dan played the tambourine and the maraca. not ‘maracas’ mind you, but a single maraca. in fact, it’s a special maraca… i bought it earlier this year in walt disney world! in the “mexico” pavilion at EPCOT. so, if you thought to yourself, “gosh, I feel like there’s a disney flavor in this song…” - that’s why.
once the song was near finished, i felt like it would be a nice fit for a female background vocal, so we asked the incredibly gifted, stacy dupree (of eisley) to be our guest and lend us her voice. she kindly accepted and soon after, we exchanged recordings via email. she sent over what she come up with and it sounded even better than we had imagined! such a lovely fit. she was even gracious enough to record the 3 part choir section that i had in mind for her as well, to combine with my existing choir. (you can hear our little 6-part choir in several different sections - the intro, middle verse and towards the end of the song) she did such an amazing job. a huge thanks to her for such a lovely contribution to the song!” - [Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Merry Christmas :)
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First off, I just want to thank you all so much for your encouraging emails, messages, and comments over the past few days…the support for this song has been overwhelming, and I’m truly humbled that God can use a simple song like this to make such a powerful impact on people’s lives. Many of you have asked that I post the lyrics and explain the song in greater detail, so here goes.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a couple who my girlfriend refers to as her “American grandparents.” Having known this couple for a few years now, I can say that John and Carol are two of the warmest people I have ever met. Their marriage is the epitome of what I hope my marriage with my wife will look like one day.
Recently, we were told that Carol had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and that her condition had progressively worsened over the past few months. When we visited John and Carol, it was immediately apparent that things were not the same. Their house felt eerily sterile and cold, and Carol was not herself at all. All of our attempts to carry on a normal conversation with them proved futile. It was evident that John was having enormous difficulty accepting the reality of what had become of his wife and his marriage.
On the car ride home, my heart broke for John. I began wondering what it would be like if the love of my life suddenly forgot who I was. How on earth could I muster the strength to keep loving her? When I first started writing the song, my original intention was to capture the heart of a man struggling to love his wife. One problem was that I could not relate with John at all. Everything I wrote seemed disingenuous and contrived. I decided to scrap the concept altogether and write the song from Carol’s perspective. I realized that the story was very different when looked at through her eyes. A woman basically wakes up every morning and sees a stranger loving her in the most selfless way. The wedding picture on the living room table confirms that she might have loved this man once, but for now, she has no recollection of this love. And yet, though the woman cannot even remember this man’s name, she desperately wants him to stay with her.
I have to admit that I’ve never cried so much while writing a song. Perhaps it’s because the story of this couple reminds me so much of my relationship with God. As much as I would like to think that I’m John in the story, I know that I’m actually a lot more like Carol. I think all Christians, at some point in their walks, experience a form of spiritual Alzheimer’s. We forget what God looks like, what He’s done in our lives, and the price He paid for our sins. We shun Him and cheapen His grace to the point where He becomes a complete stranger. And yet, for those of us who have ever experienced the goodness of God’s love, there will always be a part of our being that pleads with Him to stay near to us even in our most rebellious state. Praise God that we have a Savior who is relentless in His pursuit of sinners like us.
The Man and His Wife
How do you put on my coat every morning
When I don’t know your name
You rake the leaves while I am sleeping
When I don’t know your nameI don’t know who you are but
Please don’t leave me alone here
‘Cause I’m coming undone
Oh, tell me you’ll stay
When I don’t even know your nameI know you tried to be quiet
But I heard you weeping for me
You wear a smile, act like it’s nothing
But I know there’s moreYou, I don’t know who you are but
There’s a picture
In the middle of the living room table in black and white
The scene looks familiar
but I just don’t remember this man and his wifeSo will you play your guitar
And sing me a love song
When I don’t know your name
When I don’t know your name
