about
I had this song knocking around for about 4 years now but it was a real mess - there was something there but I couldn’t sort it out. It took working with Adam Pardey (Caro) to turn it into a song, he basically got in there and said ‘that bit’s the chorus, that bit isn’t worth keeping’ and made this thing make sense to people outside of my brain. The intro track is a part that I couldn’t get into the song but that I still wanted to work with.
It was probably the first track I’ve ever worked on where I took the sounds themselves seriously right off the bat and most of what’s on the demo is still there in the finished track. In the past I’ve tended to let songwriting feel more important than production but I tried equally hard on both sides with this one.
The song itself is about getting older and realising that everyone wasn't waiting with baited breath for you - I think especially people that are my age grew up being told we were special and I think we’re all still sort
of coming to terms with the fact that that isn’t true. But to paraphrase Pixar’s The Incredibles© : if everyone’s special, no one can be.
Musically, I really wanted to do something percussive and unrelenting (rhythmically) with this one. I think this may have been one of the first tracks in which I attempted to write using hockets (dictionary definition
- a mediaeval singing technique in which two or three voice parts are given notes or short phrases in rapid alternation, producing an erratic, hiccuping effect.). I remember seeing a video of the backing vocalists of
the Dirty Projectors doing some incredible hocketing but I never had anyone to try it with. I realised it was something I could just do by myself when I was watching a Tune-Yards live video and now it’s my favourite thing to do.
I made a very last minute music video for this one with a single camera and projector in a room in about 3 days. One of our pals in The Vanity Project described it as a ‘collapsing Mondrian’ which I will treasure
always. That can be found here:
youtu.be/QP5aQp0yhhc lyrics
God we used to take so many pictures but all of yours were full of sky
God I thought I was destined for greatness back when I was your golden child
Heartbreak and take out it's a quarter past nine
Oh where did the day get away to?
Double take is this how I pictured my life
But I don’t mind it's fine I don't mind
God we used to take so many pictures but all of yours were full of sky
People always said I would be someone, platitudes make good lullabies
God we used to take so many pictures but all of yours were full of sky
God I used to swim strong with the current, stronger than I had realised
Timid and dumb singing songs in the schoolyard
So sure that I'd change the world somehow
Little did I know that deep waters run slow
And big fish seem small in an ocean
God we used to take so many pictures back when I knew how to have fun
God I wanna take comfort in knowing 9 in 10 dentists can't be wrong
Shoulda coulda woulda washed up before I found out this ducklings not a swan
And I know if I could shout the loudest you'd be compelled to sing along
When my legs were bare, and my hair was full of life
When I didn’t care, I had so much so much time
I was younger then, I look older when I try
When my legs were bare, and my hair was full of life
And my hair was full of life
I don’t know what you think, I don’t know what you think
I don’t know what you think, I don’t know what you think
God we used to take so many pictures but all of yours were full of sky
God I wanna want thunder and lightning - something to strike behind the eyes
God we used to take so many pictures but all of yours were full of sky
People always said I could be someone, platitudes make good lullabies
God we used to take so many pictures but all of yours were full of sky
And getting older takes some of the shine off knowing you were a golden child
I still go through hell on a regular basis
Go through hell on a regular basis
I sleep much sounder with your hands around my neck
I sleep much sounder with your hands around my neck
credits
from
Tantrum,
track released May 13, 2022
Vocals, Percussion, Synths, Sequencing + Drums: Francesca Pidgeon
Bass Synth, Bass + Percussion: Adam Pardey
Additional Drums: Jack Mee
Production: Francesca Pidgeon + Adam Pardey
Mixing: Adam Pardey + Richard Formby
license
all rights reserved
