The power of high cogitation

It's been some time since last I wrote. I feel its a combination of the holidays (there's my easy excuse) and just a lack of inspiration (the cold reality). So what's a songwriter to do? Answer... reclusion. That's right, I go into to hiding. I search for some sort of clarity with which to view the world. I tend to lean toward Thoreau to redirect me onto the right path.

So as I sat in front of my laptop reading through walden pond (pausing only briefly to make myself some mac & cheese) I stumbled onto a passage that would inevitably inspire my next project. Thoreau writes, "...a man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone." Considering I have not much nor need much, those words fell pleasingly (probably not a word) onto my ears. (and yes, I was reading out loud to myself)(try it some time, you'll find you're a much worse reader than you thought). My next task was how do I apply this to my art and in turn to my life. (because music is art and art is life, blah blah blah).

I was asked to write a theme song to a TV series a friend of mine is filming. Its a show about hiking. Now before prejudging this as lame, please note, I would not be a part of something that I didn't feel was at a minimum of 92 and three quarters percent awesome. What would fill in the other 7 and a quarter percent? I'm glad you asked! That's where my song comes in. So I began thinking about all the reasons why I enjoy hiking. I considered all the activities that take place on the trail. I mulled over the act of setting up camp. I pondered the elements involved in bear bagging. I thought about the scenery. I meditated on how my lungs reacted to different altitudes. I even reflected on how to pack my backpack. You could say I spent a significant amount of time involved in cogitation (there's your word for the day. Look it up). Ultimately I arrived at my opening line for the song. I wrote, "I keep my boots on the ground, I leave no foot print behind. I carry nothing but will, I go to war with my mind." Its somewhat metaphorical but at the same time practical. "I keep my boots on the ground" can be taken literally or can be interpreted to mean keeping your head on straight and having your wits about you. "I leave no footprint behind" should be every one's philosophy (i.e. pick up your trash!!!). "I carry nothing but will" means pack light and bring your determination; climbing mountains is never easy. "I go to war with my mind." For anyone who's ever done an overnight backpacking trip you know it's a mental battle the whole way. You have to find pride in attaining small milestones, and your mantra is without exception "just take one more step."

So I peered over my work thus far (and saw that it was good) and said, "these are all things other hikers can relate to but what makes this personal for me?" So I thought about who I am and why I choose to go hiking. I like to be out in nature. It clears my head. The exercise isn't bad either. But what I really enjoy is the challenge. Who will win, me or mother nature. Will I climb her mountain or will she make the journey too tiresome and force me back. This tube of thought led me to my next phrase. "I dig in my heels, my path is less traveled on. My burdens fall by the way, day tripping I'm gone." These words can easily be applied to hiking but I chose them because they speak on other levels as well. I elude that I am stubborn and I don't do things the way everyone else does. Most importantly though, everything that bothers me disappears while backpacking. Now... here's the coup de grace, the title of the show is 'Day Trippers', so my last line had to include those words. I wrote, "day tripping I'm gone." Now I know what you're thinking, and please fear not, you who are smarter than the pinheads I meet on a regular basis, I am aware that the show's title and my written line also work on a couple different levels (including my blessed drugs) and I touch on those in verse two. But I can't reveal all my secrets at once. You'll have to wait till I record a version of the song this next week to hear how it all comes together. I promise it will be worth the wait.

For those of you who know me, I don't usually brag much about my work. I like to let my game do the talking. I am, however, going to part ways with that philosophy for this song and say, "I've written some good stuff in the past but this one takes the old chocolate covered cherry cake!" This one rocks and there's no two ways about it. Your face will be melted and your life will be changed. Simple as that. And finally for you guitar heads out there who couldn't give two shits what the lyrics say, you'll enjoy trying to figure these rifts out. Musically this song steps up to a new level. So please stay tuned to my sites (myspace/facebook/etc.) so I can alert you when I have recorded and posted this song.

One last loose end, if you are an astute reader you'll still be wondering how the Thoreau quote works into my song. Well, just to let you know, it works in beautifully; but in verse two. So like I said stay tuned...