FAWM: "Caravan To Buzzantium"

Caravan To Buzzantium

3 days ago by @robheron1

Caravan To Buzzantium

robheron1

00:00

Liner Notes

Fifth song of #morph6

@ccsanders https://fawm.org/songs/320810 @mikehex https://fawm.org/songs/322290 @br0th3rh00d & @debs https://fawm.org/songs/326828 @paulhenry https://fawm.org/songs/327293 @robheron1 This song

Thanks so much for @debs watching these morph's and getting me on this one before the end of days. So much fun. @paulhenry did a fabulous song that had me researching starlings and Ravenna and Byzantium. I took some of his chord movements, and wrote lyrics about Byzantium...but I spelt it wrong by mistake and decided to keep that error. He also mentioned being sad the banjo was gone, so I added a weird single line tenor banjo...an instrument I haven't played for 20 years or more. Tuned it Irish (GDAE). I like the feel of this piece.

#morph

Lyrics

Verses: Am F Am F Chorus: Am F Am D

I ponder at the wonder how I ever got here Smell the dust, the spice on the wind Tomorrow or the next we’ll be rolling in Something ends something begins

Hear the jangle and rumble of the chains and the wheels The animal huff and grunt West is going East and the East coming back The traders eternal hunt

CHORUS On a caravan to Buzzantium Land of spice, gold, and gems Gateway to the ancient lands Clash of Gods and birth of man

Verse: Overhead the murmuration swoops and swings Cypress line the old Roman road Temples and hovels and olive groves The caravan creeps along

Priest says an army’s one day up the road Everyone must hide or flee They’re burning and laying everything to waste See the smoke rise above the trees

CHORUS On a caravan to Buzzantium Land of spice, gold, and gems Gateway to the ancient lands Clash of Gods and birth of man

BANJO SOLO

In the woods we meet a merchant coming from the East He’s heading to Ravenna Loaded with spice and silk and oils From far and mystic Asia

Under the moon they sing to a hypnotic strain I fall into a trance The fire burns high and the drums they sound Slaves glisten as they dance

CHORUS On a caravan to Buzzantium Land of spice, gold, and gems Gateway to the ancient lands Clash of Gods and birth of man

Comments

@jeremykazoo 1d

This has a very old school/outlaw country root but there's a taste of hip hop there. And somehow you've also brought the Eastern flavour of the lyric into.the banjo and lead parts.

It's like Rick Rubin asked Johnny Cash to.try rapping when they did the American records. And they invited Ravi Shankar along to jam.

@paulhenry 2d

It sounds more like an 80/20 morph than a 50/50! But I liked that you took all the imagistic writing of the previous morphs and made a story, and lightened the mood up considerably, and....banjo! (Although there is a hidden bar of banjo in my morph)

@robheron1 5h

I hear yer 80/20 comment. I think you mean its 80% new? In my heart, I was heavy into what you wrote and played. I wasn't allowed to listen to the earlier songs....that's in the morph rules. But also I'm a songwriter. Original is what I do! Do you think a should have used more of your work?