Wherever You Will Go

I'm not even sure what to write about this song; I find it increasingly hard to explain the thought processes that go on while doing a cover. When it's straight forward, you can write about the lyrics and the tune and how you decided on doing it, but that's all rather academic and no one's really interested in that.

This cover is pretty unique, simply because I may have actually created a song that is too difficult for me to sing. Switching up a song and making it your own is always risky, and more often than not it ends in failure. Trust me, I've listened to this cover at least 50 times since I recorded it and I'm still not sure which category it falls into.

"Wherever You Will Go" is such a classic early 2000's happy song, back from the golden era of alternative rock music. I was told recently that I sometimes do songs that are too similar, and that I tend to favour the moody minor songs. Which is why I thought I'd do this as a cover, and honestly it sounded good until I played a wrong chord, and all of a sudden this haunting, echoing version was born.

While I played it I felt all the happy hopefulness of the original song drain away into this empty, almost desperate alternate version. The promise of 'going wherever you will go' had turned into 'I'm not there, but you will never be able to get rid of me'. A declaration of love had turned into an ominous vow of sorts.

My imagery is heavily biased towards all things dark and shady, I admit. So I'll leave that to you, the listener.

As always, click here for the original, and click here to download the mp3 of the cover.

Peace.

G

Alone

We are all alone.

It has been a tough few days for me (I say that a lot don't I?), both on the home front and the personal front. Of late I've started feeling like everything in my life has just gotten too loud, and I'm unable to find the volume control.

Panic and pressure are nothing new to me, neither is the feeling of having my hands tied. (No I don't mean that in a good way.) Most of my college life, and the year after in which I was quite literally 'lost' with regards to job hunting, I always felt I was under 'too much'. Most of the time I was wrong, at least during my first few years abroad. I was just unable to handle what normal students would call 'exam tension', and as a result I moped instead of mugged, resulting in poor grades and a GPA sink-hole that would affect the next 4 years of my life. Yes, I was an idiot.

I learnt my lesson, and my final years in college went by with more success, even if the pressure and the stakes had now more than quadrupled. I realised that if I didn't show my panic and my worries to the outside world, I felt stronger. This was rather easily achieved; I have never been more alone than that final year in India, where I lodged in a hostel of more than 1000 people, all juniors, and all strangers. Every friend or even aquaintance I had made over the years in my campus had graduated and left, and so I walked between hostel, library and canteen all to myself, my blue headphones firmly clamped on my ears and my trusty Creative mp3 player clamped to my pocket. Yes, I looked like an idiot.

Things have looked up since then. I returned home, back to the comforts of home and family. I bonded with my brother, so much so that his return from school was the only thing that kept me going, especially during the trials that our family went through last year. I made new friends, and I fell in love. I got a job, and I found some form of independance. I spent half my birthday in a hospital. Yeah, that was legendary.

Last night, I couldn't fall asleep, so I got out of bed and switched on my small bedside lamp. That lamp is more than 9 years old, and had been my companion during my entire uni life. I had brought it to my work lodgings only that morning, and as I sat at my desk in that familiar yellow glow, I felt a feeling of deja vu. Late nights, quiet, alone in a large room, the reflection of the yellow beams on the wooden table.

I sat there and I realised that we spend most of our lifetime with ourselves rather than with other people. Whatever time we enjoy with others, whatever fun we have in the company of friends, those are all just benefits not to be taken lightly.

Perhaps when we realise that fact, and accept it instead of cursing the loneliness and complaining about it, perhaps then we can truly be at peace with ourselves, and as a result, acknowledge and appreciate those around us even more for choosing to enter our lives and be a part of it, even if it is only for a short time.

I am alone. I am alright with that.

Burning Bright

Suffering from writer's block. Well, not really; I just don't seem to have the time to formulate my ideas properly.

Or perhaps, I just feel there's no need for conversation.


G

---

I feel like there is no need for conversation
Some questions are better left without a reason
And I would rather reveal myself than my situation
Now and then I consider, my hesitation

The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning, burning bright

I wonder if the things I did were just to be different
To spare myself of the constant shame of my existence
And I would surely redeem myself in my desperation
Here and now I'll express, my situation

[CHORUS]

There's nothing ever wrong but nothing's ever right
Such a cruel contradiction
I know I cross the lines its not easy to define
I'm born to indecision
There's always something new some path I'm supposed to choose
With no particular rhyme or reason

[CHORUS]

I feel like there is no need for conversation

Aerials

Greetings from the Darkside.

Yes, it's that time of month. No, not that time of month. It's time for a headless video.

This cover has been a while in the making, mainly because nowadays it's a lot harder for me to find time to work on these covers. I had toyed with the music a lot, but through experience I've learned to not rush into recording something until I've really got the music down 100%. Confidence in the music gives me more freedom to experiment in the vocals.

Either way, the end result is a bit 'brave' I'd say, and no doubt will draw sharp criticism from all the metal heads and other S.O.A.D. fans out there, but then again this is just an interpretation; nothing more, nothing less. I enjoyed doing the harmonies, but honestly it was such a hassle mixing it all together with my amateur skills.

Enough blabbering though; here is my piano cover of System of a Down's "Aerials". No doubt you are used to the routine by now, but if not - click here for the original, and click here to download the audio mp3 file.

Enjoy!

G

Go Until I Break

Shinedown - Break

Let go of the mystery
And retrace all the steps where you've been
And forget all the history
And start over again

For as you can see
Its up to me
For as you can see
Its all on me

I can't erase it
Because it's with me everyday
The strangest feeling
That never goes away
And I have to face it
Because I can't walk away
And every time I'll
Go until I Break


Let go all confusion
And forget the hate in their eyes
And convince yourself it's illusion
Find a reason to survive

For as you can see
Its up to me
For as you can see
It's all on me

I can't erase it
Because it's with me everyday
The strangest feeling
That never goes away
I have to face it
Because I can't walk away
And every time I'll
Go until I Break

So maybe I can't be you
But I choose not to be
And maybe I don't need you
To show me how to see
What if the sky fell
And time slipped away
If these are my last words
Then here's what i say

I can't erase it
Because it's with me everyday
The strangest feeling
That never goes away


I can't erase it
Because it's with me everyday
The strangest feeling
That never goes away
I have to face it
Because I can't walk away
And every time I'll
Go until I Break

---

It has been a tough few weeks, and I hate writing these posts that remind me how tired I really am. Sadly, this is all I can churn out, so bear with my 'drama' just this once.

Listen to the song, it's one of my favourite Shinedown songs.


Cheers!

G