Lying by Omission lyrical themes
My favorite part of songwriting is the music. Lyrics almost always come last in the process, mainly because I don’t always find it easy to be “poetic.” In fact, “Lying by Omission” (the new EP from Tidal Ear, my solo project) was 95% finished except for a small section of one song I’d held open for additional lyrics but procrastinated until the last moment of the project. I kept putting it off until I realized, “I can’t finish this album until I figure out what to do with this section.” More on that in a minute…
I’ll save the deep dive into the musical side of the songwriting process for another time. For now, here’s a little background on the lyrical themes for the songs from the EP and what strange ideas were knocking around in my head as I was writing them. Link to all the tracks at www.tidalear.com.
* Until I Find You – There are standard love songs and there are how-could-you-leave-me-I’ll-do-anything-to-get-you-back love songs. This track probably falls into the latter category, at least on the surface. In my mind this was a story told by someone going through a lot of mental anguish, not able to let go. Past events keep replaying in their head, and they keep hoping for another chance to go back and try again. But on a more metaphorical level, I was thinking about the times when someone might be right in front of you but feels distant. Is it possible to “find” them again, to rekindle something that’s lost?
* You’re the Fire – This song started somewhat randomly with the first two lines of the chorus and grew from there. Who (or what) is the fire, and why do they want it so much if it’s going to burn? The first verse alludes to a decision to leave this “thing” behind. But the rest of the song grapples with the admission that it still has an insatiable pull. Pursuing this passion isn’t really healthy in the long run, but who cares? There’s often pleasure in the pain. I don’t think the lyrics are advocating self-destructive behavior, but it acknowledges that we sometimes want something (someone, perhaps) too much for our own good.
* One and Only – It’s so easy to take the good things for granted, especially someone who’s always there for you. But every now and then we catch a glimpse of how short life is. Are we making time for the important things? For me the answer is often “no,” but I’m trying. I wrote this song really as a reminder to be present and to celebrate the love and the relationships that matter the most in my life. This is the song I mentioned earlier where I needed to figure out the missing piece, which was in the bridge. I wanted the last lyrics to really drive the point home that sometimes in life you have to go full bore – “run it straight to the wall.”
* Sunday Best – This is the “angry” song of the bunch. Self-righteous bullies really piss me off. I’m not sure why I’m still shocked by the fear, hate and cruelty that too often comes from people who claim Christianity as their central ideology, but I am. I wanted to write a song that represented the malignance of these vile people who cloak themselves in faith. The album title, “Lying by Omission,” is borrowed from the lyrics.
* Crossing the River – The ancient saying that “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man” really resonates with me. The more I witness, the more I understand that nothing stays the same. You can’t go backwards. Based on several of the songs I’ve written, it seems I keep coming back to a similar theme: a love-hate relationship with nostalgia. Is there any benefit to looking back when being present seems like a better use of time? Guess I’ll keep writing songs until I figure it out…
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