• Happiness, another demo. This one's just a verse and chorus, no vocal or bass yet, but there will be soon.
On the day after I get married, I felt something unusual when I woke up, something not quite right, something downright odd: happiness. And I thought, hmmm, that might be a cool song, a tune about happiness showing up one day, after a long absence.
I batted around the idea in my head over the next week, and gradually a lyric and melody emerged, as my WIFE (yes, it still feels odd to call Catherine that) and I drove down through southern California, lounged in Santa Barbara for a night and then holed up in Palm Springs for an indulgent amount of time.
Normally when we travel (we rarely do anymore, and never by plane if we can help it, thanks to my evil brain, who his hell bent on torturing me for the damage I did to it), I bring my Steinberger, because it's small and pretty much impervious to humidity and hard knocks, but since we were driving, I packed my Gibson 336. Like The Maton (all hail!), my 336 is a semi hollow body, but thinner, so you still get nice acoustic tones, only less bulk. Also, my 336 is pretty new, whereas The Maton (amen!) is from a long time ago, and therefore somewhat delicate.
While I started the song on The Maton (hallowed be thy name!) before we actually hit the road, I finished it on my 336, while sitting on our hotel deck, which overlooked a pool on was on the second story, exposed to the morning and evening breezes (always good at carrying inspiring somethings, I find). Now, me being me, despite my gorgeous surroundings and Catherine's constant presence, I still managed to make the lyrics some how sad, mournful, a little desperate. I've posted them below, but in a nutshell, as I said earlier, the song is about happiness showing up after having been gone awhile, not admitting it's going to stick around, and staying just outside the door, as overtures are made and hints are dropped that it had better goddamn stick around.
HAPPINESS
Written on The Maton and my Gibson 336
Started November 2, 2008, Finished in Palm Springs on the 336, Finished again a little later
Happiness
Won't you come on in?
It's been awhile and you're looking kind of thin
Happiness
Can I get you anything?
Just tell me what you want because in my house you are king
And I have no pride
I will beg, I will borrow, I will cheat, steal and lie
I will not be denied
So happiness, won't you please come inside?
Happiness
I remember you so well
Why were you gone so long, what stories can you tell?
Happiness
I know you're staying for awhile
But where are your things? You've come so many miles
And I have no pride
I will beg, I will borrow, I will cheat, steal and lie
I will not be denied
So happiness, there's nothing to decide,
No excuses to try
So won't you please come inside?
And don't make me guess
Don't make me pass some kind of test
You know just what I want
All you need to say is, "Yes."
Happiness
Don't break my heart
We belong right here
Can't you see
Can't you see
Can't you see we should never be apart?