a perfect preservative

I pretty li'l ditty about jelly, pirates, and (of course) true love. still getting my bearings as far as recording in my new apartment. two guits and a glockenspiel for the win?

words:
he sun sank heavy in the west. we shuffled off our sunday best
and spread our smiles on from ear to ear
then every hour became, to me, a gem of worth and rarity
to covet close so long as you are near
yeah right here

i want to be a perfect preservative
fill me up with sugar and salt
i'll hold everything I love while winter passes by
harmless and without revealing fault
so as not to let one ounce of sweetness be forgot

one day when I have time enough, i'm getting off at every stop
in every little town that boards a train
I'll make friends with the local kids. they'll show me where the treasure's hid:
those sacred spots that no one yet has named
still unclaimed

i want to be a pirate cartographer
seawater and ink inside my veins
to conceal in coded calligraphy
that place where we buried our hearts
so we can dig'em up again
some fine day when it is safe to carry them in our chests

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by es_de_bah (5 comments total)

That glock is very tasteful.

I like how slurry and beaten-down the vocals are.

Man, the more I listen to it, the more I like those vocals. This is really cool.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 3:23 AM on March 20

I agree about the glock -- it does a lot without actually playing very many notes.

This reminds me a little of Bishop Allen (which is a good thing in my opinion) -- something about the sunny sound combined with the somewhat ambivalent words. And the glock.
posted by escabeche at 5:18 PM on March 20

Not sure about the glock. Sounds a bit like your mic was picking up some wind chimes playing outside. Maybe just cut them out until the solo bit, they sound a bit random everywhere else.

Like the lyrics, nice imagery. not sure about the repetition of "still unclaimed".

Plus it ends on an odd note, sounds unresolved.

Sorry to be such a critic. I really do like your song. I'll look out for any do-overs.
posted by robotot at 3:46 PM on March 25

I had to come back and point out one of my favorite parts: the way you add a second syllable to the second "ear" in the first verse (0:29, about). For some reason, man, that one tiny touch is just so great.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 1:13 AM on March 27

Love the first three quarters of a second. The rest too, but it kicks off so oddly, but perfectly.

Love the change from "sweetness be forgot" as written to "this day be forgot" as sung--it's better. Course, maybe it's good the other way too. Shoot, now I can't decide.

awww... and I love the ending. In our chests, indeed. My favourite song of the day.

This song reminds me so much of some other act I love, and I can't put my finger on who...
posted by roombythelake at 9:55 PM on March 30