FAWM : "For Sundown"

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For Sundown

Liner Notes

Not sure where this one came from. Not autobiographical (at least not yet.) Maybe sad? Maybe not as he seems OK with his fate.

#Americana #country #folk #alt_country #firstfruits #aging

Lyrics

For Sundown
February 1, 2023
https://johnstaplesmusic.com/FAWM2023/JohnStaples-ForSundown.mp3

Morning in the country
Childhood memories
Lightning bugs and apple trees
A gentle summer breeze
Thought it would last forever
Glorious sights and sounds
Now I stand here
and I wait
For Sundown

Mid-day with my family
My children young and strong
I tell them all my stories
And I sing them all my songs
They grow up way too quickly
And I cease to be their clown
Now I sit here
and I wait
For Sundown

It was real
I was here
Loved it all
And disappeared

Afternoon to evening
Daylight fading fast
Everything was beautiful
But nothing ever lasts
Surprisingly no sorrow
I smile instead of frown
Now I lie here
and I wait
yes I wait
For Sundown

© 2023 John Staples
JohnStaplesMusic.com

Comments

@daveyboy103 1w

Great emotion in the words and the delivery of the words. The laid back accompaniment is great and suits perfectly. A great theme expertly executed.

@nadine 1w

This is sad and beautiful at the same time. I like the laid back instrumentation and your vocals are ace. The double meaning of the word sundown makes me shiver. A day passing but also a life passing.

@bigmood 1w

The lyrics in this are absolutely beautiful. What a great narrative build, and that melancholy (bittersweet?) turn is so, so nice. I love how you sing it, feels like an old country song.

@ianuarius 1w

Mm I love the feel of this. And that bluesy rotary electric just adds a whole lynyrdy layer on top.
Your vocals have always been strong, but now there's just a deeper presence and I feel like you might be more yourself than ever before. It just feels so natural. Like you're living and breathing your music.
Really great work!

@jessespillane 2w

The interplay between the acoustic guitars panned right and left is really cool. Some of the passing notes in the more syncopated acoustic guitar part gives all these cool thick complex chords. Then you have further textures with the electric guitar on top.

Beautiful lyrics and vocals. Really a song to be proud of.

@odilongreen 2w

I'd already listened to this back when you first posted it, but have revisited it after seeing you identify it as your favorite in the forum. And indeed, it remains utterly glorious, and sad, and real.

@doglatin 2w

Everything in this, the guitars, vocals and lyrics, lay a perfect foundation for this beautiful reflective tune.

@ceilidh 2w

Sad but with that smile of satisfaction. I like the transitions of morning/standing, afternoon/sitting, and evening/lying waiting for sundown. Also at 67 saw my first ever fireflies/lightning bugs and was mesmerized, so a lot of love for that first verse. A moving song, and the guitar works well with the vocals to infuse it with that country feel.

@mikehex 2w

"Everything was beautiful, but nothing ever lasts"
Lovely

@bethdesombre 2w

This is great. I love the "now I sit here/and I wait/for sundown" lines (and how "for sundown" falls rhythmically) that deepen and subtly changes meaning as the song goes on. And that bridge! (including the rising note on disappeared) Also, "surprisingly no sorrow" is such a lovely sentiment.

@muovinen 2w

Really like the two guitars weaving together a web of notes and rhythms. They make the perfect setting for your smooth voice. You even matched the tremolo of the guitar with your voice at a few points!

@dvdshnsmth 2w

This is great guitar . Deep voice , great tone. Classic radio country voice ! Great work.

@robynmackenzieMod 2w

Stunning. There's a soft nostalgia here that whisks me away from where I sit on my couch and into a moonlit countryside. Beautiful work, John!

@hazydave 2w

This is fantastic, sad, and beautiful!

@newukenewyork 2w

There’s something so relaxing about the blend of your vocal tone, guitar, and these timeless lyrics. Very very solid.

@corinnecurcio 2w

Gorgeous lyrics and a beautiful song.

@sbs2018 2w

Stereo guitars are really nice! Lovely voice, as usual, captures that Americana sound and times of yesteryear. Glen Campbell ("Gentle on My Mind"), Bobby Goldsboro come to mind.

@sp4cek4a3n 2w

Gods, your voice is magic on this. Everything breathes so nicely, love how the guitars weave in and out of each other but never step on anything.

@marvsmooth 6w

I love the acoustic guitar in this one, with that beautiful rhythm, and when the electric guitar kicks in at those moments it just adds a whole other level to the whole song itself.

I love the emotion in the vocal performance, that matches those incredibly poignant lyrics so much. I was almost teary that one, John.

@mandolinda 6w

Feeling this one. Fine work.

@tukayandryan 6w

This is really poignant and authentic. Lovely guitar and your voice sits so well above it. Great imagery in your lyrics.

@sveinae79 6w

I create both Americana and metal inspired music with Not The Band and Moonshot Minions together with @bithprod. Today I have heard many metal songs at Fawm. This calmed me down again. Great song and Nice performance.

@wistpotion 6w

Oh wow, I love the chord progression, it never really resolves and always keeps the song in an almost floating state. Great work!

@cleanshoes 6w

That's some true Americana there, John. Not sad so much as nostalgic and bittersweet (though more sweet than bitter). Love the alt-country flavor the electric guitar brings to the song.

@paulmilne 6w

Poignant and heartfelt, thank you.

@aesthetic72 6w

A very poignant piece, John. Touching and expertly performed as usual. :)

@mk2021 6w

Really good track. Love when the electric guitar comes in with the acoustic. Vocals are well delivered and the lyrical imagery of 'stand' then 'sit' then 'lie here' works.

@lorilasswell 6w

Stunning!

@intoyourlight 6w

Love the stereo guitars. Wonderfully written! „They grow up way to quickly and I cease to be their clown“ somehow is my favorite line in this song. Really beautiful to listen to, especially with the raindrops on my terrace right now.

@jorh 6w

Great use of imagery in the first 4 lines to bring the listener in - I like the bittersweet last verse too, it’s a nice switch up. The stripped back arrangement worked a treat for this one, it really allowed your voice and words to shine!

@chinacat 6w

Really enjoyed it, the "space" the guitars create is wonderful (even sounds great on my MacBook Air speaker although I switched over to the big speakers to fully enjoy it).

@oneslowtyper 6w

Thanks for still being here John! I've missed hearing so many of my friends showing off their wonderful talents. I'm really going to try this year to get involved in all the fun. This is such a powerful start to your month, can't wait to hear more.
Cheers,
John

@ponygal1961 6w

Classic Staples. Poignant, reflective and real. Bravo, John.

@schnowd 6w

Just beautiful. The guitars compliment each other and your vocals fit the vibe perfectly. Wonderful start to FAWM 2023! Well done!

@whispermouse 6w

Wow. This one is done - just put it on the album. Lovely metaphor in the lyrics, well-sung, and beautiful tremolo guitar.

@racheleve 6w

Love the imagery and metaphor in this one - beautiful song!

@cindyrella 6w

This is so vivid, real, and memorable! Yet an another amazing masterpiece!

@writeandwrong 6w

You always paint beautiful visions in your words, things that bring each of us our own set of memories. "They grow up way too quickly and I cease to be their clown." Oh... that kinda put a tear in my eye because... I know exactly what you mean... Phew... Heavy with life's memories! Amazing write and great way to start 2023!!! Superb song!

@kr521 6w

Really nice. You could release this right now. Guitars sound phenomenal and very tastefully played.

@martindavies 6w

Life mate.Feeling it.Good to see you here again John

@beacon 6w

Does feel like I'm driving with the top down on a warm summer's night. Beautiful playing, lyrics, and singing. You got the whole package here.

@sapient 6w

Cascades of acoustic guitar like that make me think of summer evening light. Which is a really nice image to have on a cold, dark February evening just as I get back from a trip to the dentist... ;)
This is a beautiful start, John.
I'm with you on that stoop, cracking a cold one and sighing a deep sigh of contentment.

@arthurrossi 6w

What a lovely, tender song where the words and the music make a perfect marriage... I love that feel of nostalgia you convey here... Great imagery here like "Lightning bugs and apple trees
A gentle summer breeze". Beautiful...

@fatboyjamz 6w

Magical! Has a calming effect. Nice.

@dannyk1 6w

This kinda reminds me of the times I spend in the orchard with the smell of apple blossoms in the air. Masterful as always and the lyric... Been a long time since I've seen a lightning bug. At least 5 years.

@thedutchwidows 6w

The love the guitar tones - the mellow acoustic and the biting electric - they've got such depth to them. An archetypal sound. Lovely voice delivering great lyrics. (that auto-corrected to "Lovely voice devouring great lyrics", which is more poetic!). Super start!

@bhaile 6w

Hey John, is this your first song for this year’s Fawm? What a great way to kick it off!!!

@max 6w

It's a touching song and performance, at the same time it brings joy to the listener. That's what we call a well crafted song. Even though it's not autobiographical, it sure feels like it's real. Bravo!

@sheilerk 6w

After a life well lived, this sounds like someone who knows his life is nearing its end, and he’s looking back with no regrets. Wistful, but not sad. I wish this for all of us somewhere down the road a piece.
My first listen this year, and I sure picked a good one!

@wistah 6w

There's an earnestness mixed with a sense of nostalgia in this song, wisdom learned through experience. These are the feelings I get. I love the acoustic and electric guitar tones. Very well done!

@shadywilbury 6w

Love the layers to this, John.

The bridge is especially beautiful.

@czep 6w

This is lovely. There is a sense of the inevitable, but there is grace to it.

@grayland 6w

I loved this tune John!!! The story is so relatable, especially for me. I loved the way you used the sundown metaphor and the how the song builds to the bridge. But what I love the most is your vocal. SO spot-on and so heartfelt (and that IS the trick, eh?) You touched my soul, what else could I ask for? What a stellar start to FAWM!!!!

@nancycunning 6w

Wow, John. This is beautiful. Your sense that the singer is comfortable with what's coming really comes through in the way you sing it. I like the subtle way you move the time along with that changing verb stand, sit, lie...I also like how the music hovers between country and rock. Great start. Can't wait for the next one.

@robhowell 6w

Thanks for sharing this, this is a lovely tune :)

The lyrics & vocal melody are both great, and I really like the blend of the guitars!

@odilongreen 6w

Spectacular start! So evocative and soothing and just painterly. I want to close my eyes and listen again (and again).

@klaus 6w

Just lovely. Passionate vocals and wonderful country or country rock feel to the whole. I especially like the big scope of the lyrics, the mention of childhood and then in the second verse children builds a long arch. Great start, John.

@oddbod 6w

I like the gentle interplay between the two picked acoustics and the heavy tremolo on the electric works really well too. If you're thinking of adding anything in later, some vocal harmonies would be just the ticket.

@sheslin 6w

I could just listen to that intro for days - those layered guitars - gorgeous! Using the time frame of a day to illustrate a life works so well. I love your vocal melody over the guitars. The space you put after "I wait" is perfection - and then how you come in on "for sundown" has all the feels. Your chorus gives me the chills. Beautiful song!

@mikeb 6w

An intimate melancholy song with great melody and instrumentation. The progression 'through the day' in the lyrics is very well done.

@coolparadiso 6w

great with the phones on! great to hear that voice again! openly a fan! poignant yup melancholy yup sad maybe - very good

@jacobeverettwallace 6w

Gorgeous piece, John! I love that melody and picking combo. Also loved the chord phrasings you used. I related to the story as well, excellently delivered! I think you've got a winner here. Wonderful start!

@musicsongwriter 6w

Beautiful song, John. Melodious, wishful, nostalgic, with a touch of sadness. Loving your singing and playing. Inspiring and well crafted song.

@brisk 6w

Yes! Love the pastoral/outdoorsy vibe, natural imagery. And melancholy acceptance too, feels very nice. The crispness of the production is lovely too, so well balanced and recorded. Also tonally your performance just seems to suit the material to a tee. Very pretty. The bridge I feel deserves special notice - really brief, but very effective - that ascending feel works really well and gives the song a subtle lift.
Instrumentation-wise I especially enjoyed the bendy, phased? tremolo-ed? electric guitar in the left ear. Had a grungy, 1990s feel.
What a lovely first number. Can't wait to hear more.

@mattwdunn 6w

I love the country feel. I’m also getting a quieter Pearl jam vibe. What a great start!!

‘They grow up way too quickly and I cease to be their clown’ is such a great lyric. My 2 are getting older and this lyric really hits home. Great stuff

@billwhite51 6w

the sound reminds me of country jam sundays at shakerag tennnessee. i can almost see a random group of pickers surrounding the singer as the beers are passed around. fine job of setting the song in a natural setting that fits it to perfection.

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