Fever
by @wynia · @briansmith · @dmelbygibbons · @bearwith · @jmpoet
Liner Notes
Our world seems like it has a building fever, and that's how this song is composed. If you want to hear all the instruments added in to build that feverish tension, you need to listen all the way through!
Performed by our band @bearwith and the Wynia-Smith household symphony orchestra
Credits: @jmpoet lyrics
@wynia songwriting, lead vocals, #trumpet , keys
@briansmith #cello , bass guitar, electronic drums, audio mixing and production
@dmelbygibbons electric guitar, vocals
Special thanks to J.D.S. for the #viola
Lyrics
INTRO
Verse 1 A fever’s going on in the streets Of many cities, my friends, And the country this winter, Can’t be cured by any madness Coming from those who won’t And can’t even pretend To care for the common folk Dying on the streets, to what end?
CHORUS If you would hold a sign, I would hold your hand, I would hold that heart that beats For our country to heal again.
VERSE 2 Each day bleeds to the next These days are stretching on, And sounds of whistles, they beckon For the light to take them home We can read about it all with the hope that today marks a turn when innocent people don’t have to fear
CHORUS If you would hold a sign, I would hold your hand, I would hold that heart that beats For our country to heal again
INSTRUMENTAL SOLO BRIDGE _ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
VERSE 3 Uneasiness abounds, It’s felt by many these days, It’s coming for our town too, That’s what I’ve heard some say. Don’t wait, my friends, Our cities, they breathe, they will Survive for it is far and it is near.
CHORUS (x2) If you would hold a sign, I would hold your hand, I would hold that heart that beats For our country to heal again
Comments
I really enjoyed the addition of instruments and layers of sound. Amen to your message!
I really like how you've created an upbeat tune that also speaks to the incredibly difficult world we are facing now. The build in this song is FANTASTIC - I love the layering of the instruments and the harmonies. I also love the way you've used repetition in your chorus (the repeated use of "hold") - it's really effective!
Love this collab anthem! I hear a big crowd singing it! It keeps growing with hope! Yes yes yes!
I enjoyed this one. So sad that we even have to think of writing songs like this, but it has the feel of optimism that we need these days. It would be a great full band, sundown at a festival number - definitely a keeper!
Thanks for kind comments on my song. This is really sophistucated, both in terms of lyrics and arrangement. Lovetheway itbuilds.
Wonderful lyrics and really enjoying those harmonies too. I like the way the instrumentation develops and builds. Good stuff
I'm getting some strong Elton John vibes in the beginning. And that build is just amazing. Add the message and this song just rocks!
Oh my. This is fantastic! Yes the vibe and groove are perfect for the content of the words and the context if the times. Bravo i say.
What an anthem! I was just watching a bit of YouTube on the Beatles' Day in the Life and yeah the build at the end reminded of it, but also of something from Broadway in the 70s, too! There are some incredible chord progressions here, and a wonderful collaborative spirit, which is what the world needs right now. Great job all!
I does sound like an artefact from the 1960s that you discover on an old LP and think those hippies wrote some great songs
Poignant lyrics for these times. Vocals are good and the solo section takes it to new places. Good work!
Has an almost ominous start! Drums in then a nice jump into the guitar! nice to follow the build and the way its layered. Strong vocal performance bring it all togetether well. Ah heres to a whole world that heals.
Ahhh, love the layers and especially the crunchy sounds! (synths? Guitars? I don't know, I just know it's delicious the way they start sneaking in!) Fabulously anthemic lyrics too.
Really nice production and heartfelt lyrics.
Hi, thanks for your comment on my song Love, Life & Everything. I've listened to the various tracks that you have been part of. Very impressive. In particular, I love the sound and the sentiment of Fever.
Beautiful & just what we need right now! The harmonies are gorgeous. The lyrics are fantastic & intense in all the right ways. The build-up is so so good and carries the message even further. I love the chorus so much <3 Really lovely work!!!
Beautifully produced with so many layers to it. Powerful instrumentals as backing and solo with great vocals and lyrics. Really liked listening to this.
Has a very propulsive drive, elegant late 60's/early 70's style chamber pop, always a sucker for strings and brass, nice release with the fuzz guitar solo
Wow, this is some seriously epic wonderfulness! I just LOVE how you build this from quiet to LOUD! So many instruments all melding together perfectly! Your vocals and harmonies are superb as well! And the message in your words is beautiful! Here in the Divided Fascist States of America things are pretty awful and potentially going to get a lot worse. Songs like this help in lifting spirits and offering hope! So Thank You for this!
What an epic collab! Builds to something HUGE too!! I agree with the Beatles comparisons in the comments!
Cool harmonies and I dig the overall laid back aesthetic. That strummy electric solo is killer too! So many nice details.
This is great! Its got such a great truckin' groove to it! The entire solo section is so good and that Beatles-y ending rules. Excellent collab!
The tension in the ostinato piano part and colorful chords helps drive this forward and the build of instruments is cathartic! I hope we can all go back to feeling like we can write songs that aren’t about the horrors of the world at some point.
what a great production/collaboration between you all! Really impressed with this - very uplifting and inspiring.
What a great song! Solid lyrics, and I love the arrangement, the vocals, the harmonies and the entire production. And kudos to the collaborators. That ascending guitar solo coming in at 1:22 is wonderful, and the pulsating strings drive the whole thing. One of my favorite FAWM songs so far in '26.
This is so cool, and a great message too! I love the guitar on the bridge and the buildup of the strings.
Love the subtle crescendo - at first I thought the strings were a little bit low in the mix, but then they just built up the tension perfectly to the end.
Yes! Love the arrangement and overall dynamic. The way the bass notes push and pull between leading and resolve makes the overall fever theme felt. Live the diverse instrumentation and cinematic feel. 🙌🎶
Love how this builds and the overall hopeful tones. Most of the songs in this style go the other way, which makes this just a very refreshing take on it all.
It’s so refreshing to hear an upbeat popish song on this subject that gives hope for a better future
You are rocking the 70s vibe lately. I'm diggin' that! I love how the song begins somewhat understated and has that dramatic build at the end.
Loving the rhythm in the verse melody/vocal performance in the verses and how well it contrasts with the smooth chorus. This isn't the most involved arrangement but it sounds so dang great. That high harmony is delicious, too. The guitars and the strings together are amazing!
Very quality stuff. Lyrics capture the current climate but have some hopefulness too. The instrumentation is super. Love the gradual build up. Really smoothly done.
Oh it's a whole production!! Love the vocal layers in the verses & that alarm sample is everything
Really interesting results from the family symphony. Very well put together and integrated. Nice veiled protest lyrics. You should definitely publish this!
This is just wonderful. A blend of incredibly diverse styles all coming together, forged into a single entity by that epic chord progression. Wouldn't be out of place on any of my favourite 70s prog albums. I hope healing happens soon for you all xx
i like the way the arrangement builds and explodes after the second chorus
Once again my friends, you’ve breathed such great life and soul into my words! Such a pleasure to witness and hear!
I really feel like I'm listening to a band with a lot of musicians. Great collaborative work, the orchestral aspect really adds something extra. I really like the electric guitar, which contrasts with the rest.
Timely song that captures the feelings that many of us share. Great guitar and rhythm. The interplay of instrumental layers works really well. Awesome vocals.
Ben folds meets yo la tengo in some kind of make a wish project for me personally! I love this.
This feels like it comes from another time in such a great way! There's something very 1960's about the groove and the chords, with a modern twist. Love when the guitar solo drops. Serious topic, but an uplifting song!
The added chords are a nice touch; this is jazzy and wintry, great stuff!
This healed me. There’s a wonderful build to it. It feels like a vintage-y (as in the sound palette, mostly) radical optimism, which we could definitely use more of. We shall overcome! I love all the elements, but particularly like the rushing feel when that refrain comes in. Wynia nailed it on vox, too