You Must Build a Fire

A fast and dirty lofi cover of a beautiful song originally by Crooked Fingers that's meant a lot of different things to me at different times in life.

Before the album this tune appeared on was officially released, I helped press some short run CDs for the promo demos that Merge records was shopping around, so I got to hear the song before it was publicly available and fell in love. I remember feeling so cool and lucky that I got an early preview of the songs, this one in particular blew me away.

At one point much later, seeing this song performed live with my exwife played a key role in saving our marriage when it was briefly on the rocks. In the current social/cultural/political climate in the U.S., it feels like the sentiment has a broader resonance, like the kind of love the song's really about looking for now might be a more universal kind of love and compassion than even romantic love, though the song still holds up as one of the loveliest, most emotionally authentic and accessible defenses of romantic feeling I've heard in a long time, too.

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posted by saulgoodman (2 comments total)

Your voice has many different fine, strong, expressive, and classic emotional qualities to it. I like the chord progression of the song, too, especially in that bridge/chorus/refrain, and then how it switches into the next gear around 1:45 when it breaks into the next section. I like the backstory, too. Can you provide the lyrics?
posted by not_on_display at 6:06 PM on February 1, 2017

This may have to come down, depending on how the publisher feels about this, but here are the lyrics:

You Must Build a Fire
Crooked Fingers

Lyrics
Oh, gracious love, you were so kind to me
You only broke my heart
Let my arms and legs stay strong
So I could swim upon the open sea
Searching for another love
Floating along aimlessly
Oh, where are you love?
Tell me where are you love
I will wait for you another night
Cause I know you won't leave me behind
Oh, where are you love?
I had someone, a love I thought was true
But sometimes you just get tired
And you must try not to die
And give your love, though no one may receive
You must build a giant fire
For the whole wide world to see
Oh, where are you love?
Tell me where have you gone
I shall wait for you another night
And you know I won't leave you behind
Oh, where are you love?
So thank you love, you were so good to me
You put hope into my heart
Shined a light so I could see
Those wicked things, the wicked things you do
Well, I pay them no mind
Cause I know you'll be back in time
Oh, where are you love?
Tell me where are you love
I shall wait for you just one more night
Cause I know you won't leave me behind
Oh, where are you love?
Tell me where are you love
(repeat)

Songwriters: Eric Emil Bachmann
You Must Build a Fire lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
posted by saulgoodman at 4:24 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]