FAWM: "Things I Can Just Barely Control"

Things I Can Just Barely Control

Liner Notes

#wurlitzer #selfawareness #therapy #control #ballad #spontaneous #onetake

Things I Can Just Barely Control 2026-02-03 Steven Wesley Guiels/New Cool Now Music

This song was written using Garageband. I’m NOT a keyboard player by any stretch, but I love that Wurlitzer sound. So I played some simple chords. Then added two chord changes that were different than the intro.

Then I pulled in a drum beat. Then I waited a day, pulled up the track, and just sang over top of it. I’m in the midst of a bunch of things out of control in my life: my shoulder (pain, possible surgery, definitely physical therapy), the world (gestures wildly), loss of my mom. So, with all of that, I know I can’t control those things.

And I can barely control the stuff that I do on a regular basis. Trying to find balance.

These lyrics were sung spontaneously in one take. I just sang and that’s the song. I'm actually pretty stoked how it came out. That is NOT always the result of a spontaneous take.

So, I don’t have any lyrics for it, but I do have this cool sounding track.

Feel free to transcribe if you’d like.

Comments

@gordon 2d

Really liked this and I think some very relatable lyrics for many. Love your vocal delivery which really fits with the words

@metalfoot 2d

This is a cool, honest, and vulnerable song - solid work, my friend.

@troubadette 1w

That keyboard is REALLY cool - very nicely done! I can't quite get my head around these being spontaneous lyrics because they hit hard. An incredibly relatable theme, and you are absolutely on the money - this is a really cool sounding track.

@squirrelhavenstudios 1w

That keyboard part is a sly earworm. And the fact that your lyrics were invented spontaneously is really amazing. The song's message is so relatable and very well handled. Thanks for sharing this.