Dave's Lyrics
and stories about the songs
I'm working on this still, but thought I'd tell you musicians tuning in what was used in the CD recording. All songs were recorded on a Tascam DP-01FX digital recorder, using a Shure Beta58, SM57, SM58 and M-Audio Nova condenser mic.
Now, what you were really curious about: the instruments! In no particular order, the guitars I used were my old cannon - a 1971 Martin D-28, my wonderful 2009 Martin D-28 Dan Tyminski and toward the end, a 1967 Martin D-28 that belonged to my dear old friend & music partner of many years - Sean Bohannon, prior to his death in late 2009. I used a 1987 Dobro D60, a Kentucky KM-750 mandolin and Loar LM700 mandolin, a Fender electric bass and my MSA Semi-Classic pedal steel (on Child's Cry).
I'll be adding more as time permits, but in the meantime, here are my lyrics to the title song for my new CD,
"Between the Grey and Blue".
The Southern
moon shone down upon the man and me.
We sang a song
of home and how that’s where we’d like to be.
Our buddies
all joined in on the chorus, too.
And the
harmony rang out between the grey & blue.
At
Mostly common
people, and they all were honest men.
Far away from
home for a cause we thought was right
We said
goodbye to family and headed off to fight.
Last night we
sang a song among the strangers there.
We sang old
songs and new ones like we didn’t have a care.
The other side
joined in on the singing, too.
And the
choruses rang out between the grey & blue.
The evenin’
break became a nightly thing.
When the
cannons stopped their roarin’, we'd gather round
and sing.
The boys from
the other side would start to sing along.
They’d put
aside their muskets and they’d join us in a song.
Then morning
came around and we’d tamp our powder down.
We loaded up
our rifles and we fought another round.
Where last
night we were singing like old friends they often do.
Today the
blood ran red between the grey & blue.
Suddenly his
face was next to mine.
The harmony
was gone as I heard my bullet whine.
He never said
another word nor would.
Surprise died
in his eyes his songs over now for good.
I finished up
my fightin’ and went home.
Some family
left behind with some stranger I’d not known.
They all were
buried there after all of it was through.
And the
memories will linger on between the grey & blue.
Yes the memories will linger long between the grey & blue
This song reflects the occasional reality of Civil War battle lines close enough that the sides would try to outsing each other at night sometimes after the day's battle. But occoasionally, poignantly, someone would start a song speaking to both sides, and the day's slaughter was temporarily put aside by the common language and emotion in music.
Want to see the lyrics to what I think is the best ballad I've ever written? A song from my first CD, Echoes of a Cannon, please visit "Empathy".