FAWM: "Shake"

Shake

Liner Notes

I had my drum machine on my lap, and pressed the button to turn it on once the timer struck "Midnight." This dark heavy percussive thing started, with a bubbly synth sound "calling out"... and then I added little notes with my guitar to the left and right side and strings. A lot of fun to make something this dramatic.

As I heard that chorus wall of sound, I kept hearing the word "Shake" in my head. And despite the dark nature of the music, I wanted to share a bit about myself and my struggle to "shake" my fear off, live my life, and embrace hope.

A few years ago I went to the hospital for suicidal ideation, I'm much better now but I know I'm not alone and that others are out there like me. Let's all hope together, and keep on keeping on. We have songs to share. :)

#hope #fear #life e #experimental #strings #heavy #depression

Lyrics

Can you feel that? Is it hope?
It’s awake, in your bones
You feel it in your mind
You need it all the time

It stirs you
It fuels your life
When you’re feeling alive

It stirs in you
It stirs in you, tonight

As you feel yourself shake
You’re alive
Can’t you feel yourself shake?
It’ll all be alright
Can’t you feel yourself

Wake
Did you dream that? Is it gone?
All a lie, all along?
You feel it all the time
The fear controls your mind

No, no
I’m gonna resist it now
I’m gonna resist the fear right now
I’m gonna make the best of my hand
I’m gonna take it all in my hands
I’m gonna feel a love again
I’m gonna live my life again

I remember I said
“I’m better off dead”
I take those words
And I throw them ahead
“But I ain’t there yet”

Oooh feel yourself shake
We’re alive
Can’t you feel yourself shake?
We’ll all be alright
Can’t you feel yourself

Shake
There’s a savior inside
Hold on, hold on,
Hold on to life

Hope with me tonight
And feel your hope
wake

Comments

@aaronplaystunes 2w

I needed this nine years ago when I hit rock bottom. You captured the spirit of the subject matter beautifully!

@mahtowin 2w

Wow! This is an invitation to life! So powerful and strong!
l love the whole composition - all those noises! The harp!
Fantastic!

@prsongsmith 2w

Oh, wow. You’ve shared some heavy truth in this, but it also has the bones of a dance hit in it. Love the way you’ve woven the musical elements together to support your lyrics. “I remember I said/“I’m better off dead”” are lines that are going to stick with me. ❤️

@virallode 2w

Getting some excellent Downward Spiral/Depeche Mode feelings here. Very dramatic and glad to hear you're doing better

@wobbiewobbit 2w

magnificent work! very whole and cohesive across all the really interesting elements going on. the pitch of it, hitting the idea right, is spot on. Great lyrics in light of the style. raw hope, love it!

@chill4matt 2w

I love that you're dishing out hope in a time when hope is needed. Things are tough and this song makes it feel 'accessible'. Nice work!

@yam655 2w

I was first actively suicidal some 40 years ago when I was just 8. The thing you need to be mindful of is that having found that an acceptable option once, it's like that tool has been set aside but not actually thrown out. It's far easier to reach for it again.

The last time it came around, I opted to lean in to emotionally terrifying creative endeavors. (I remember thinking, "What was it going to do if it went wrong, kill me? Hahaha!") I see it as leaning into little deaths as a way to avoid the bigger death. Of course, to make time for these new creative endeavors I also had to come to terms with letting go of how I had previously been using my time -- something I'd previously invested a big chunk of my identity in to.

Back to your song, though. I think pairing the lyrics with the general sound and ambiance of the piece works splendidly. If you're talking about a light in the darkness, that's pretty meaningless if everything is sunshine and roses. You needed something darker to provide contrast and to let the light shine brighter.

Nicely done.

@jorh 2w

This lyric is really great - I can feel the emotion and resistance to letting it take over, with the short lines and affirmative statements. It says a lot without been wordy - you make the most of each word. I especially liked the change in pace and flow in the breakdown in the middle section

@sophielynette 3w

Nice production quality. I like how it builds up in layers, someone mentioned the textures, that’s the perfect word for it. Moody and yet hopeful.

@mctown 3w

Wow, dark and desperate....but truth beckons us all to the light and to the dark...man, cool stuff... bringing it into the light..

@guatecoop 3w

Wow man, this has a darkness and humanity at the same time. Loads of tension and emotion. You did a great job with the dynamics and the parts coming in and out just at the right times. Great work!

@coolparadisoMod 3w

I like how this happened that’s such fun! That percussion is cool, has a really intense feel to it right through! The vocal and instrumentation is spot on!

@nadine 3w

A quite dramatic and unique song that surprises me. First off the percussion around 0:30. And then when the strings come in.

@jeff9 3w

A beguiling combination of fairly avant garde music with lots of tension/release
and dissonance/resolution against introspective lyrics that gradually move toward something energetically cathartic and self-actualized. Really powerful stuff.

@tcelliott 3w

The vocal is great. The texture to this is wonderful.. I guess that's the arrangement, but the choices are inspired. There's a great feel to it.

@sycophant 3w

This is amazing! Love your voice and the moodiness of the song. Great job capturing of the allure of depression with the lyrics. Really enjoyed the rallying, upbeat final phase… very cool

@thwingbill 3w

Thanks for your good words on my skirmish song "Behold". Much appreciated. Got a lot of stuff going on in your song "Shake". You are a studio magician! Subtle,.. yet in your face!

@namjunerobot 3w

This is really great. There's air for the mood to breathe and the instrumentation puncuates the lyrics well, if you know what I mean.. like gives it power and balance where it needs it. Knowing a bit of your life story, that you shared, adds to my respect.

@johnstaples 3w

Such a beautiful song! No, this is much more than a song! It is an auditory sculpture. An aggregation of dissimilar musical bits and pieces that sound as though they were always meant to be together! 💖 And that, that right there would have been more than enough. But you infused this masterpiece with HOPE! Tangible, relatable HOPE! I...LOVE...THIS!

@abudabard12514 3w

The drops on the shakes tho! This is killer, man. The vibe and the textures are doin exactly what they need to do

@makers8 3w

“But I ain’t there yet” amen. January was a long month, I think you speak for all of us. If you want my hope you got it.

Cheers

@nancycunning 3w

I like the idea that the timer striking Midnight literally combined with your experience of such a dark time in the past combined to give you permission to write this. To me there’s a kind of hopeful feeling of hanging on in the storm - recognizing the darkness but choosing to keep going.

@bootlegger 3w

ooh this is so cool! those vocals are really moody. OH MAN those low strings when it comes in are awesome! this has got a really nice NIN vibe going on. But also different. It's its own thing.

Also really great lyrics to go along with it. This is great!

New to FAWM?

Current Challenge

Help / Collab Guidelines / Skirmishes / Donate / Terms of Service / Privacy / Copyright / AI Statement

© 2025 FAWM, LLC.
Made with in PGH / PDX / MIA.
All lyrics & song content remain © the fawmers who wrote them. See terms of service!

Instagram YouTube Bluesky Mastodon Bandcamp

Command Center