FAWM: "Dreamer"

Dreamer

6 days ago by @davidtaro · @coolparadisoMod

Liner Notes

David says: When @coolparadiso sent me these lovely lyrics, I asked him whether our intention was to actively TRY and invite legal action from the Beatles?! He suggested that would actually be pretty cool, for the publicity it would generate 😂 . And so we present...

Listening back, I'm not sure it's got anything more than a passing #beatlesque vibe to it. With, of course, some knowing lyrical nods. If anything, I think I've borrowed more literally from Somewhere Over The Rainbow, in terms of the melody on the opening line of the verse (but, for me, Somewhere Over The Rainbow is the Greatest Song Ever Written, so if you're going to steal, I guess it may as well be from the best...).

To get this to work, I had to chop and change the original verse rhyming pattern a bit. My thanks to John for being so easy-going about that part of the process. I also did a little voice note demo for him, which I quite liked for its simplicity. So to record this version, I decided to limit myself to only an acoustic guitar (and a small string section 😉 ).

John says

I wrote about 2 lines of this and thought David. It certainly had some Beatle influence and more so Lennon but i actively kept it from going to close. I try not to hassle my collaborators to much I think I have thrown 4 at him overa few years, this being the 3rd he has picked up. I try when collabing not to over influence the music creator and I didnt here but this is all I could have imagined

#acoustic #strings #dreamy #collab

Lyrics

I woke up to the pouring rain
As it splashed across my window pane
I read the news, it said the sky has fallen in
The streets are full of faces I don’t know
A thousand stories in the shadows
I turned the volume up, let the music begin

It’s a day in the life of a dreamer
Floating on the edge of time
A day in the life of a seeker
Lost in a world that’s yours and mine
Oh, the colors start to bleed
As I close my eyes and breathe
A day in the life of a dreamer
A day in the life of me

In the park where children used to play
Their laughter carried me away
I met a man whose eyes were deep and wise
And as the sky turned gold and red
He turned to me and softly said
"The world keeps spinning round, but the soul never dies"

It’s a day in the life of a dreamer
Floating on the edge of time
A day in the life of a seeker
Lost in a world that’s yours and mine
Oh, the colors start to bleed
As I close my eyes and breathe
A day in the life of a dreamer
A day in the life of me

And then the night came crashing in
A thousand stars began to spin
I heard a voice inside my head
"Are you alive or dead, are you alive or dead”

A day in the life of a dreamer
Floating on the edge of time
A day in the life of a seeker
Lost in a world that’s yours and mine
Oh, the colors start to bleed
As I close my eyes and breathe
A day in the life of a dreamer
A day in the life of me

Comments

@greengrassgirl 9h

I love this! Once I inhale all the loveliness of the lyric, I like to analyze the rhyme scheme and why it’s so effective. This aabccb rhyme scheme in the V’s is perfectly suited to this message. Of course, John’s words are captivating, and David’s music and delivery are perfect for the message. What a beautiful and satisfying song!

@cloudboy 1d

Beautiful collab! The lyrics and music soar together so well. I can hear the Beatles in it but it doesn't matter as this is it's own unique powerful song.

@zecoopMod 1d

Wow! Everything about this is just perfect. I love how you’ve crafted these witty and wonderful lyrics, with just enough nods to bring be a bunch of smiles. Then put to life by David and it just soars. Amazing instrumentation and performance. The blend of your skills is inspiring. You two have really brought something special to us. The strings gave me actual goosebumps. So good

@karlsburg25 2d

Oh my guys, this has to be one of my fav FAWM songs this year. BLoody awesome lyrics and the emotion combined with the catchiness of the music simply makes this a song that is totally insync with my musical bones. Isn't it intersting how we hear a classic song and immediately want to compare to the beatles or whoever. FOr me, this has such a beautfiul classic chord progression but is totally original in what has been produced. Also you know what this sounds like a BBC unplugged special of a song from a previous album that was massive full on everything production. OK stop talking now theres too much to gush over

@crisp1 4d

Fantastic lyrics, John, and David has more than done them justice. Rather than the Beatles this made me think at first of Oasis (of course, has a band ever been more influenced by the Beatles than Oasis?). But it is really its own thing, combining the best of both of your talents. The strings are amazing. The Beatles (and Oasis) would be proud to have influenced you, and you both should be proud of this song.

@squirrelhavenstudios 4d

The thing about doing this with just a voice and a guitar (and the strings) is that it exposes the elements that are there in a way that they never would be in a fuller production. And I just kept thinking to myself, "Wow, that guitar sounds amazing. How did he record that?" The vocals sound equally crystal clear and strong. You've got a great melody and I really enjoyed the few parts where your voice rose higher (I guess that's the Somewhere Over the Rainbow influence). Really great work on this. And @coolparadiso excellent lyrics. You can see the Lennon influence, but there are some other touches that seem all you. I really like the line about the sky turning gold and red, and then, later, the colors starting to bleed. Top notch work.

@jerrypettit 5d

As an attorney and Beatles SuperFan you are hereby to take notice: Great song!

And I'll admit to having stolen a chord progression or two from The Beatles over the years. Can't say any of that came out as well as this terrific song from you guys. Great collaboration! ❤️

@djtjb 6d

You guys melted my little heart with this one. That chorus is lyrically gorgeous and DT with that run on seeker might have made me achieve some level of enlightenment. Really love the bridge too, perfect change up before coming home to this fantastic chorus one last time. Undeniably fantastic teamwork

@richaaaay 6d

It's a stripped back production but there's anything lacking. The acoustic is recorded well and the strings provided nice dynamics to fill out the sound.
The wonderful vocal performance rounds it all out. It all compliments John's top quality and artfully crafted lyrics.

@ayais 6d

Just good to listen to. And the invitation to the inner world is appreciated.

@drivebylovefest 6d

These lyrics are perfection and the musician has done a bang-on job of interpreting.

@ayeahmur 6d

What a simply beautiful song. Those are lovely words, John. Gentle, contemplative and emotional. And David's musical setting is very special. Love the swelling strings too. Beautiful work guys. (No I'm fine, I just have something in my eye...)

@gwynjones 6d

I read the news today, oh boy!
So, I needed something to clear my head and this marvellous song has done the trick...
@coolparadiso writes so well and @davidtaro is the consummate interpreter with sublime vocal and musical skills that are always a total pleasure to hear...
Also...now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall...so all good! 😉

@chill4matt 6d

This is especially sweet! Cool lyrics. I love the flow, from the backing track to the melodic singing. Good stuff and excellent collaboration!

@ltunes 6d

Lovely. Great collaboration and celebration of the Beatles vibe. Your falsetto is gorgeous!

@billwhite51 6d

the acoustic guitar sounds more like the beatles than the melodies. but it seems like the song was written in a land that is a cross between strawberry fields and oz. i dont hear much of somewhere over the rainbow here, but i can imagine it more probable for judy garland to sing it rather than john lennon. i dont think the song could have been written had the beatles and the wizard of oz not existed. it straddles those two fantasy worlds, in both image and sound. ive never heard david sing so prettily before, but that doesnt stop his voice from soaring when the occasion calls for it. fine job by john in writing these lyrics that could well (but are most certainly not) about john lennon being lost in the emerald city.

@mctown 6d

Does have a feel of the Beatles... McCartney, anyway... Nice job, guys.

@rogerhammond 6d

So nice. I just turned off my mind, relaxed and floated downstream... loved the strings, your voice and the spacious production... and the whole vibe was like a warm bath. Lovely.

@alyxanderjames 6d

This is some fantastic collab work. The stripped back arrangement works really well to give the lyrics space to breathe.

@cmharwood89 6d

Beatles-esque, perhaps, but lacking nothing in its own creative value. This is great! @coolparadiso 's always-excellent lyrics shine - it ain't the Beatles, but could stand toe to toe with their work. Big fan of the spare, tasteful arrangement and superb vocals.

@philkmills 6d

Nice arrangement and delivery, approaching anthemic. The introspection is at least Lennon-esque and produces a mood I enjoy. (I'm also an ELO fan. 😀 )

@jackketch 6d

This is no more of a Beatles rip off than a lot of Oasis songs - in fact it’s a hell of a lot better than many of them! I really enjoyed this, everything was great, lyrics, melody, the performance. Great collaboration.

@jeff9 6d

The stripped down arrangement in the first half still has a really spacious feel and then when the strings come in, everything just soars to the moon. Incredible production values, David. Your vocal is tremendous--it's just soaked in the pathos the well-crafted lyrics call for and has both power and vulnerability for days. I think the melody is terrifically tasty, regardless of what homage it might subconsciously be paying--all the better, in fact, if it happens to be one as nice as SOTR. Beautiful job, guys.

@sbs 6d

Love it! Especially when you sing “Edge.” It’s the Beatles meets the Rainbow.”

@dhiatt 6d

Really enjoyed this. There's a wonderfully dreamy quality shared between the vocals and the lyrics that amplify the effect.
Would be interesting to have something a bit more dramatic to happen after the line "I turned the volume up, let the music begin," e.g., have the strings creep in then.
Love the rhythmic phrasing and interesting vocal melodies.
The bridge doesn't feel quite there to me. Not in the same way as the verse/chorus.
Great stuff!

@sheslin 6d

I am with you on Somewhere Over The Rainbow. These lyrics are so beautiful I get chills just by reading them. I concur that John is so open to edits when the music needs it and is wonderful to collab with. This is such a gorgeous musical interpretation, done with such tenderness and wistfulness. This is the kind of song that just takes you away into the music. Love the emotive vocals and all your musical choices David! Great collab guys.

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