Tag: Spellbound

This is the first song of the Spellbound project that was mainly written by Martin. In fact when we recorded it, it was just him singing and strumming along on guitar with no other instruments. My new version follows that arrangement. The feel is a sad and beautiful folk ballad, although played on an electric guitar. Very stark. The subject is about how winter is a kind of death of the world, maybe even a gateway to another realm, told from the point of view of a guiding spirit offering a choice of returning. This was probably the first song Martin wrote to completion and worked up to perform. His writing was full of deep and surprising imagery from the beginning.

…

The Silent Hour

Hello, I’m glad you made it here tonight
With your creased and folded paper body
And eyes still shining bright
Relax, you’re one of us now
Join us in this inner circle embrace the silent hour

And you see how the wind can blow at night
Opens your eyes to the dreaming silver starry sight
And now you know why the winter comes our way
Giving freedom to the souls too tired from the day

Away, you’re time is rushing by
Like freezing water thru your fingers
Or softness from the sky
I know, the child has gone away
But if your heart can’t bear to follow I will let you stay

And now you know that pain can make you cry
Smiling eyes and sadness in you for all of us must die
And now you see what makes the winter cold
All those payin’ must leave the fold
A goal to make them old

Arise, the leaving time is near
To take it from this fading world
The wish that brought you here
Goodbye, the story now is told
Lay your head upon the snow and let your body fold

And now you see the pains you used to fear
Closes your eyes to the dreaming leaving with the year
And you know you’re one us now
Listen to the world sleeping listen and embrace
Listen to the world sleeping listen and embrace the silent hour

— Martin Szinger, 1990

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 Kingdom

Passing 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