FAWM: "On This Lonely Night"

On This Lonely Night

5 days ago by @hanley

Liner Notes

#waltz #schmaltz #country #folk #acoustic

I'd just about abandoned this song, after struggling to move forward after several attempts.
Glad I persisted as last night it all came together pretty quickly.

After a bit of a heat wave here in Aus about a week or so ago
(30+ degrees celsius for over a week) we got a cool change which seems to have settled in. Last night I noticed one lonely moth trying to fly through a closed window and realised that a few months back there would've been hundreds hanging around trying to get in.
So this song is for the widowed moth. Apparently they can hibernate during the colder months to live a longer life, but the males die shortly after mating.

Lyrics

My best friend you've done and gone,
your spirit has flown away,
left me here, all alone,
the cold is here to stay,

I'll keep searching for you my dear,
Find you in the light,
I'll keep dreaming that you were here,
On this lonely night

Flowers wilt and leaves will fall
Even stars must die,
what we built, might seem so small
but soon your children will fly

I'll keep searching for you my dear,
Find you in the light,
I'll keep dreaming that you were here,
On this lonely night
I'll keep dreaming that you were here,
On this lonely night

Comments

@blindkiwi 2d

Very nice, sweet story, sweet song. The waltz timing and slide solo work so well. Definitely glad you didn't abandon it. 😎

@afterschoolclub 4d

This is really lovely Mike. The vocal harmonies are a particular highlight in this one, as is that slide guitar. The lyrics are great too - relatable in the sense that I imagine people will apply them to a myriad of different situations. Get what Ad is saying about FJM - I'm getting those vibes too. Really nice.

@communitykickabout 4d

The doubled vocals work a treat here. The chorus lyrics are just perfect, and lovely the very tasteful guitar solo. The banjo(?) picked in the background is a great addition.

@leepat 4d

definitely an exit song for a film, warm and bittersweet and life, or should I say love-affirming… well done!

@leavesong 4d

Hey, this is gorgeous. Congrats on an awesome song. So good I'm on my third listen. So, how on earth do you get this sound? Is there a button I can press? :)

@philnorman 4d

Oh how this blossoms. The tender way you sing this, and the way the harmonies embrace, is just the right performance for the lyric. This is stunning, a concert finale or album closer that leaves the audience slack-jawed and grateful.

@guatecoop 4d

Oh MAN! Holy smokes this is so smooth and beautiful right from the first strum and THEN the silky doubled vocals….BUT WAIT, the slide?!? Banjo! 3, 4, 5 part harmonies? Good lord this is spectacular! I’m so happy for you that it came together easily after some struggle. This is a keeper. Very well done.

@davidtaro 4d

I was composing a comment in my head… “glad you persevered… thanks to the moth… the message of renewal and cycles in the second verse is great…” and then that outro hit and wowzers… that’s some of the most gloriously beautiful passages of music I’ve heard in a long while! Great song, mind-blowingly great outro :)

@adforperu 4d

Poor little moth :( i hope you let the fecker in.

This is a stunner. Reminds me a bit of Father John Misty when he's not in full schtick-mode. I really like it when the song opens up and your vocal matches the slide guitar. You got me swaying. The fade out is the perfect touch; a lot of people think fade-outs are cop-outs, but I'm a big fan of them.. they give the impression that the music is going on forever, you've just moved away from it.

@fearlessflight2014 5d

I can’t believe something so beautifully heartfelt originated in this way. This is just so lovely. Now I want to run away and write an old time waltz. The change to those oohs at the end is next level!

@richaaaay 5d

So glad you stuck with this. Such a glorious song. Love the instrumentation and vocals. The solo slide work is spot on. The banjo, such a great addition. The harmonies and percussion as well…You nailed it!!!

@mikedebenham 5d

I like this one a lot. Wonderful harmonies. The little flecks of banjo add a lovely texture and that bendy solo's great. Top stuff.

@seb 5d

What a beautiful tune! Execution is pro.
Acoustic strumming is perfect (doubled & paned sounds great)
Great sounding voice, and great harmonies.
The small details, intro, mandolin, synth, perfect.
Love the Lyrics
I'll keep searching for you my dear,
Find you in the light,
I'll keep dreaming that you were here,
On this lonely night