8 weeks blues sad country-folk
Artist Favorite Liner Notes
This is an important song for me. I had resisted writing about this subject as it's a tough and personal one, involving serious illness of family members. (Sadly, this now involves both sets of parents in our household). Although the writing of this was fairly quick, I think the thoughts were germinating inside for a while.
A note about a word I used that may not be familiar to many.. 'kinahora' is a yiddish word that involves the concepts of the 'evil eye' and more specifically, old folk wisdom tales to 'not name the evil too specifically, lest it hit' or something like that. It's an expression both my wife and I heard from older relatives at various times, and while I'm not from that traditional world at all, the concept seemed to fit here in the song.
Recorded simply, on the iPhone. The morning before I wrote this, I had been listening to a recording of an old 1970 James Taylor concert, which you can tell by my choice of chord voiceings in the song, I think. Maybe the first time James Taylor and yiddish/jewish expressions have been put together in one set of liner notes. Anyway, give a listen....
Lyrics
I always thought there would be more time
Just another illusion in my mind
Beginnings are easy, endings unforeseen
I need to appreciate the days in between
Time is a dirty rotten thief
The thought you won’t be here is beyond belief
I’ve read the statistics, studied the medical arts
The brain can absorb it, but not the heart
Some things I can’t even say out loud, would be a kinahora
Like opening a box that belonged to pandora
Is the road ahead, paved with only pain and grief?
The thought you won’t be here is beyond belief
Going thru those stages, denial anger bargaining depression
I have none of the answers, not even sure of the question
Where does somebody go, when they’re in your DNA
Are they ever really gone, or does part of them stay?
Nice thought to hold on to, but its just not enough
Cause that journey thru hell is going to be rough
Why does the goddamn tree of life have to shed this particular leaf?
The thought you won’t be here is beyond belief
(c) M. Skliar 2021
@emkaydeebee 6 weeks
So, I lost my father just over a year ago, and all of this resonates so deeply for me. I love the dna lines, and the deep truth of the brain taking in the stats but not the heart. Your delivery is so heartfelt, I imagine it was hard to sing. Wishing for you a peaceful transition ahead for everything you have yet to deal with.
@robs 7 weeks
Sad, and also beautiful. I hope singing about it provided some relief.
@wolfkier 7 weeks
Damn that guitar sounds fine! What a thuoght inspiring song of time, love and living lost. Grief is one of the particular things music can be a soothing balm for. You caught that here. Enjoyed my listen.
To get the ball rolling for you here's #tit4tat1 with me... I can only go to 7, but look forward to it if you're interested.
I hope my answer to your questions on the #tit4tat forum page were clear, if not, please feel free to ask more. I hope you get many happy listeners and listens from it. Thanks for participating.
@janeg 7 weeks
I hope it was cathartic to write this song. An amazing tribute to how important this person was to you. The second-last line really got me - so many references out there to the tree of life but I never thought about the falling leaves that way.
@hmstreetteam 7 weeks
The struggle for meaning leads, in these lines of lyrics, to one myth or authority after another. This intellectual grasping for answers, even if none serve, provides a highly effective means of conveying the depth of emotion that probably couldn’t be stated much more directly. Then of course the sinking melody adds its own weight to the emotion. This song delivers really well on its core message.
@zeekle1998 7 weeks
A beautiful song about a sad an troubling part of life. Superbly performed.
@ajna1960 8 weeks
The vocal defo fits the Cohen brief, as do the lyrics !! I see what you mean.
I love this line "Time is a dirty rotten thief", so true and so lyrically put.
The whole subject is a very tough one, but this does do it justice. Thanks for linking it to the Cohen skirmish.
@berni1954 8 weeks
"Beginnings are easy, endings unforeseen
I need to appreciate the days in between" 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
- that comes under the category "The Wisdom of the Ages"
A really moving song that almost everybody could identify with, especially those who have lost close loved ones. I especially like the idea that through DNA part of them is still with us. I lost my Dad in 2005, but as I get nearer the age he was back then I find myself looking in the mirror and seeing him, or else makiing a gesture that I know was more him than me, or laughing at somethign I never found funny before, but he would have loved.
I can only hope that the passing of your relatives will not be as painful as my Dad's final fortnight, which I describe in a song that helped me get over the anger I felt at the manner of his parting. It was very cathartic. If you get a moment, please give it a listen. It's written from my Dad's POV. That last fortnight I was with him every moment. The most harrowing time of my life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYZQcs9Mook
@trolls2 8 weeks
glad you tackled this. 'dirty thief' has a bob dylan feel to me in your vocals. I didn't know the word 'kinahora' i have russian and austrian jewish roots but I only know 'kvetch'....will have to look it up!! "I have answers not even sure of the ?' where does someone go when theyre in your DNA?? like the 'tree of life kaballah reference.
@andygetch 8 weeks
Well done sir. Kudos for tackling this tough to write about subject and addressing it and I'm in that same difficult process with both parents as well so I feel for ya. Can hear a bit of the JT influence in the music and that is a good thing.
@gbg2016 8 weeks
Great lyrics with some terrific rhymes. I especially like the way you repeat the tag line but rhyme it differently each verse..and the rhyme with pandora! (a great mingling of cultural references). Also nice chords and playing and a heartfelt vocal delivery.
@coolparadiso 8 weeks
I can why you like what you did here! Its a real story of real life. A life i have some understanding of. Well said and well played!
@stephenwordsmith 8 weeks
Your plain-talking style lends itself well to this one, Mike. The line 'Why does the goddamn tree of life have to shed this particular leaf?' absolutely kills me. My heart got a bit arrhythmic at the stages of grief bridge, as things got altogether more furious. A beautiful piece that gives these two souls the dignity they deserve. Thank you for sharing.
@acousticmaddie 8 weeks
Oh I am sorry for the pain but happy that you let it out. It became heartbreakingly beautiful when your vunerability shines trough in The performance.
@sunnymae 8 weeks
Oh...I feel you on this one brother. You asked all the questions we all ask. You laid out this process from soup to nuts with great artistry and personal revelations.
"Where does somebody go, when they’re in your DNA"
"The thought you won't be here is beyond belief."
Those are thoughts I have pondered endlessly, even years afterwards.
Thank you for writing this amazing piece. xoxos
@karlsburg25 8 weeks
Its so important to release songwriting about topics that may be hard, but as this proves it really produces the magic. A really touching beautiful song with such delicate guitaring. And this is with an iphone!!! Wow i am blown away
@cindyrella 8 weeks
A wonderful song if sad. I hope it helps. It always does me. 💓
@nancyrost 8 weeks
So glad you did this song. The straightforward music lets the lyric tell the story in your own personality. You found a good way to say it. I like the rhymes! And that idea, beyond belief, says so much
I am typing on my phone. Dunno if Skype works on it. If not will touch base later.
@rshakesp 8 weeks
This is a great treatment of a difficult subject - hopefully for you a cathartic process. The playing is lovely and the recording great gor a through the air iphone job - your performance comes across strong.