FAWM: "Crossing the River"

Crossing the River

3 days ago by @berni1954 · @mikeskliar

Skirmish: Crossing the River by Fee... (@dudachris)

Crossing the River

berni1954 +1

00:00

Liner Notes

I was struck by these lyrics Mike Skliar entered for a recent skirmish. I found myself singing them as I read them - always a good sign - so I asked Mike if I could set the lyrics to music and he agreed.

I would have loved to hear this will a cello underpinning the melody and an orchestra behind. Though the melody has a four chord simplicity, it got into me immediately and is now an earworm.

Instrument: Ortega Guitalele #fuc #guitalele

Lyrics

Intro: (F) (G) (Am)

(Am) Crossing the river by (G) feeling for the stones (F) Trusting the parts of you (E) deep in your bones Some(Am)times the best advice comes (G) while you’re alone (F) Crossing the (G) river by (Am) feeling for the stones

Finding your way home by listening to the wind That slow sensation that starts with the skin The devils disappear as your spirit starts to spin Finding your way home by listening to the wind

Taking a journey of ten thousand miles Till you’re not a stranger, no longer in exile That old familiar feeling, sunshine and smiles Taking a journey of ten thousand miles

Comments

@jorh 3d

Some great lines in here - I really enjoyed how you captured nature and internalised it with senses ‘listen to the wind, deep in your bones’. The circular melody solidifies that ‘10000 mile journey’, and I’m a sucker for folk so always nice to hear it done well. Great collab

@coolparadisoMod 3d

Yup i recall the lyric and this is a really nice delivery of it - love the picking

@billwhite51 3d

i remember reading this a while back. sure is a treat to hear berni picking and singing on them.

@froggymagee 3d

Lovely picking, I am always a folk fan at heart.

@metalfoot 3d

A cello would work; but this stands nicely on its own as a classic folk song feel.

@dudachris 3d

I have to echo the desire for cello and orchestra backing on this. These lyrics are very much the zen I was expecting might be common when I thought up the prompt and this classic folk singer treatment fits and would hit another level with that added string effect 💛

@thwingbill 3d

Feels like classic folk music to me. Not really protest but got a lot of classic images and Metaphors in the lyrics...almost prophetic

@jongoldie 3d

A jaunty shanty and definitely an earworm! I will find myself humming this all day. Nice work music and vocals @berni1954 and awesome lyrics @mikeskliar. Cheers

@beau_mickey 3d

Your voice feels so perfect for these lyrics. Both ominous and calming

@berni1954 3d

Thanks Miquel Bonic - as you'd be named in Catalan. That's a great description of how I was feeling as I sang it. There is both calm (he crosses the river, he gets home, etc) and nerves (slippery stones shudders of the skin, etc) in the lyrics.

@ruby 3d

Note that you mentioned the cello I can’t not hear it. I love this. You have so nailed that classic British folk sound. Great collab, great skirmish.

@berni1954 3d

Thanks Ruby. I used to be a semi-pro "Folkie" in the 1980s. I even sang with a shanty group!

@mikeskliar 3d

@berni1954 --- wow, you hit it out of the park here! this is everything i could have wanted for this lyric (and yeah, would love to hear a cello under there too, tho it feels fine as is)... great work, and thanks!

@berni1954 3d

So glad you liked it.