Heartbreak of Dawn

November 16, 2014 10:19 AM

Written and recorded in Cairo, Egypt almost exactly two years ago during a time in my life when I was trying to tune and play an oud just like a guitar. Features strummed and bowed oud, more harmonies than normal, squeaky chair.

She's driving
through Oregon,
she's driving
far away

These mountains
fall away,
I need to hear her again

Tell me 'this could always be love.'

Watching this
Sunrise;
Watching this
Heartbreak of dawn.

That lights you up,
And wakes me up
to you,
Over and above

Now I can't reach out to you.

I know why
I'm amazed by,
I know why
I'm made afraid of you.

You saw me
Without any clothes;
without any of those
obscurities.

Now this will never be love.

posted by Corduroy (10 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite

Aw, this is sad. Well-conveyed, too. Did you have to draw fret lines on the oud? Stringed instruments without frets terrify me.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:33 PM on November 16, 2014


Thanks, Johnny Wallflower. I cheated a bit and bought one that already had the frets painted on as part of the design. It was also very cheap and the thing just does not stay in tune. Luckily it still looks really pretty, and has been relegated to the status of artsy object instead of an instrument for now.
posted by Corduroy at 2:18 PM on November 16, 2014


This is sweet, I really love the layers of vocals. I must admit to not even knowing you could bow an oud.
posted by greenish at 8:47 AM on November 17, 2014


Wow, this really evokes a hazy, woozy, sleepy melancholy. The goud-tar idea creates a familiar/unfamiliar sound that I really like.
posted by umbú at 9:28 AM on November 17, 2014


Thanks umbú and greenish! There's probably something sacrilege about strumming and bowing an oud (let alone tuning it like a guitar), but your encouragement makes me want to pick it up and try again. Staying in tune be damned! [added the goud-tar tag]
posted by Corduroy at 12:14 PM on November 17, 2014 [1 favorite]


Have you ever thought about singing in Arabic?
posted by umbú at 1:56 PM on November 18, 2014


This is fantastic.
Holy. That squeaky chair.
posted by chococat at 8:20 PM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


Actually, I have thought about translating or writing new songs into Arabic for some language practice. I'm worried it would be embarrassing, but I will certainly post it here if I record something!
posted by Corduroy at 3:26 PM on November 19, 2014


I'd love to hear it. My portuguese translations are always a little wonky, but it's fun nonetheless.
posted by umbú at 6:21 PM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]


Lovely! The bowed oud and harmonies really fill out the sound nicely, and givie those single lines a feeling of a chorus without the verbal repetition that "chorus" usually implies.
posted by jaruwaan at 6:43 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


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