May 2019 - Haze

In the Uno De Dos post I claimed that it was the first song I wrote in a long time that kickstarted the flurry of activity through 2020 to today. But actually, there was a song that came before that one, which was written for Mother's Day (May) 2019. It's a song I wrote for Mari which I recorded with the kids (Jordan sang a part and Hugo produced the recording) - sadly that recording is missing. It was very simple, just a strummed ukulele and singing (plus the electronic touches that Hugo added), but the song was pretty much the same as what I ultimately re-recorded as this demo.

I wrote it while we were lazing in the living room - the sun was warm and was streaming in through the window, it was one of those moments when you feel drunk on relaxation and this is the mood I tried to capture in both the somewhat dadaist lyrics and the guitar sound. I liked what came out, especially because it had been a long time since I had written anything at all, but what I liked most of all was the chorus lyric: "weigh the light a little, lost and on the way, a little lost and a little light the way". I like the alliteration, the repetition of little, the double meaning of weigh and way. But I especially loved the idea captured in "a little lost and a little light the way" - it seems like an apt representation of what parenting feels like.

I think the backing vocals were inspired by Dirty Projectors, maybe Hiatus Kaiyote, notwithstanding the old school soul feel of them. And the midi electric piano was meant to be a placeholder, but I liked the sound so left it as is.

Give us some of this lazy day

Walking through the window past the spray

A little lost and a little light the way

My eyes are heavy in this hazy space

And my head, and my thoughts, and my face

The chime is a thread and I look for your embrace

Weigh the light a little

Lost and on the way

A little lost and a little light the way

The bees bear a message, I'm stung

The tips of my fingers and tongue

It's there, but it's not, and I'm done

The leaves they dance for me in my head

My eyes closed, roll over, play dead

You're fleeting and cute with all misread

Weigh the light a little

Lost and on the way

A little lost and a little light the way