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.



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!
It seems you saved the best for last ... or, perhaps, you've improved instrumentally and otherwise. It is possible for two things to be true at once. I'll go with that.