The Year of Twelve Songs, Pt 12

Fire and Dreams

This Month’s Song: Fire and Dreams

If I was making an album out of The Year of Twelve Songs, Fire and Dreams would be the title cut. It’s also my latest song, and only a few people have heard it at all before this posting. And they heard an earlier, definitely unfinished version. That was a couple years ago, and the song has evolved quite a bit since then. It’s weird how that happens, but it does.

My messy cockpit. The Alabama sunrise out my window. Tools.

Performance & Production

Over the course of the project, I’ve tried a number of different approaches, and I think this one feels the best for me. I recorded the main guitar part solo (no vocal) to keep my mechanics clean as possible. Once I got a decent take down, I did three takes of the vocals, three takes of the lead guitar and three takes on harmonica. Then I edited out the bad, kept the good, swapped in pieces, mix and match. Like, if I like the vocals on take 1 except for the third chorus, I’ll use the third chorus from take 2 or something. Etcetera. Seems like I get the best results from this workflow. Your mileage may vary.

Lyrics

FIRE AND DREAMS

I wrote these songs in smalltown barrooms

Cheap motels and brokedown cars

On paper napkins and envelopes

Dear John letters and sticky notes

With open chords and easy changes

On old guitars in standard tune

That’s all I know, and all I need

To tell these tales of fire and dreams

Fire and dreams, wind and wonder

Fire and dreams, smoke and fear

Hope and ashes, love like thunder

Fire and dreams, rain and tears

I specialize in sad and lonesome

Minor keys, major confessions

I know the words and the melody

To ease the pain of heartache past

So listen close, these are the hits

You’ve never heard but know so well

Raise a glass and raise your voice

Sing with me of fire and dreams

Sing your sins and ragged scars

Sing your peace and sing your screams

Sing the lies that tell your truth

Sing your heart through fire and dreams, fire and dreams

Fire and dreams, wind and wonder

Fire and dreams, smoke and fear

Hope and ashes, love like thunder

Fire and dreams, rain and tears

INSTRUMENTAL BRIDGE

Fire and dreams, wind and wonder

Fire and dreams, smoke and fear

Hope and ashes, love like thunder

Fire and dreams, rain and tears

Fire and dreams, rain and tears

… ……………… rain and tears

Gear & Software

Guitar: Taylor American Dream AD11e Grand Theater

Harmonica: East Top Lucky 13, key of C

Plug-ins: Waves CLA Vocals; Waves Abbey Road Studio 3

Hardware: MacBook Air 2020, with AOC 27-inch auxiliary monitor.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface

Beyerdynamic DT900 ProX Open-back Headphones

PreSonus E5 Studio Monitors

PreSonus M7 Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Thanks for listening!

This is the last month of The Year of Twelve Songs. I posted the first song on January 31, 2024, so I’m happily amazed to say I finished the project within the time I gave myself. I learned an awful lot and had a lot of fun along the way. And now, on to the next thing, whatever that is! Thanks again and again and again to those of you who bothered to listen, like, comment or especially subscribe!