FAWM: "Under the Overpass"

Under the Overpass

Skirmish: Robin's random titles: Ch... (@robinleaf)

Liner Notes

I walk to work under an overpass everyday and the imagery in this song is an amalgamation.of the things I've seen there, stories I've heard and the weight I've seen carried.

This title jumped out at me.
#skirmish #robinsrandomtitles #acoustic #acousticguitar

Lyrics

I'm carrying a weight
Bigger than my grocery
cart can contain

The years slipped away
Now no one
Cared where I've been.

Under the overpass
You walk under and
I sit over as you pass
Under the overpass
You step over
I fall under and you pass

Trimmed my beard today
Got a warm winter coat
But that didn't make anything better
Can I bum a smoke

Shuffle my way downtown
Wheeling my world along
Sea of angry eyes
Who want me to leave them alone

Under the overpass
You walk under and
I sit over as you pass
Under the overpass
You step over
I fall under and you pass

I need somewhere sheltered to cook
My food then my fix
I'm tired and cold
Don't wanna be in this mess
They say it's a system
But I ain't a machine
All I know is I'm lonely
And I think I'm dying.

Under the overpass
You’d walk under and
I’d sit over as you pass
Under the overpass
You step over
I fall under and I passed

Comments

@aftertheflood 1w

Love the lil swoops up on the guitar! Very cool feel to the 6/8 time signature - gives it a relentless feeling that supports these bleak, but poetic, lyrics. Love that switch at the end to "I passed", perfectly caps it off.

@thwingbill 1w

Been there done that. Good way to get out of the rain, etc. but still dangerous

@chrisgray 2w

Oh, man, love the driving energy right out of the gate! For me, the two verses starting "Trimmed my beard....thru...leave them alone" are esp. awesome. Also love the shift in tone in the "I need somewhere sheltered...." section. And I got chills when you sang "And I think I'm dying." I thought the song was over then, and I'd stop it right there. Whatever you decide, I like this a lot!!

@tjeff 2w

An important topic - glad you chose this to write about. It's interesting how a list of song titles can bring up something that perhaps you weren't focused on? The gritty energy helps amplify the subject matter. Living in NYC I do see a fair number of folks who are "under the overpass" so I enjoy hearing a perspective that is meaningful.

@robinleaf 2w

This is so deep and real. I really like the chorus, and I like @raspberry33's suggestion to switch it around the second time.

@raspberry33 2w

That 6/8 rhythm is quite catchy - would love to hear this with drums/percussion and bass added. Let's not forget the people living under the overpass. Suggestion - maybe switch around the second chorus so the characters going under and over are now going over and under, emphasizing that things change and our positions in life are mutable.

@alyxanderjames 2w

The opening stanza here is such a great hook into the song, it paints such a clear picture. The whole thing is an honest and compassionate character study - really nicely done!

@tseaver 2w

Good write! Captures the gritty details of life on the streets, with an empathy and clarity rare to find. The play with "over" and "under" works well.

The percussive guitar underlines the anxiety and anger of the narrator: the shift to a quieter accompaniment in the last chorus sent a shiver down my back, even before I had read the lyric to the end.

@racheleve 2w

Sad song and comes across as very compassionate toward the protagonist in the story. I love "I'm carrying a weight Bigger than my grocery cart can contain." Love the grungy feel to the music as well.