Here’s the lyric for the next song on the forthcoming record Spellbound. This is another one of “my” songs, with the lyric and arrangement mainly by me, as well as the singing on the original track. This one is basically a power ballad, which is a style I don’t really write in anymore. I don’t remember much about writing it, other than not being totally satisfied with either the lyric or the chord progression at the time. Listening back now, I think both hold up quite well. Thematically, it’s about longing and yearning for the future, like alot of the songs on the record. Musically I seem to recall trying to work in some jazz chords but never really finding a place for them. There’s a pretty cool lift from G major to E7 in the middle that made the final cut.
…
Sandcastle KingdomPassing time
But somehow I don’t seem to mind
As if I had some time to spare
Never a day left to share
With you but why then don’t I care I’m getting left behind?
Once long ago
Although now you’d never know
I held the flame that burned so bright
It lit the sky up in the night
But then somehow I lost the light I wonder where’d it go?
[guitar solo]
Loose your dreams
It’s not as painful as it seems
Imagination all dried up
Fought the fight and gave it up
Waiting for a change of luck to open some new streams
Well they might have been castles I built inside my head
Seemed real enough when I lay dreaming in their bed
But as a change of the tide will wash old sands away
The time to build new ones comes with a new day
Gone a year
But now I feel the time is here
Don’t wanna put my faith in fate
You know there’s not much more I’ll wait
Because tonight is growing late tomorrow’s drawing near
— John Szinger 1990