12-year old Chinese virtuoso pianist Zhao Muzi took the opportunity to play an FT tune and share it with Frozen Taco. What an honor, huh? Maybe we can request a full instrumental version of Chorus of Echoes transcribed for piano. Or maybe we can have a few piano tracks on a new FT release sometime. Anyway, here’s “A Small Life” on piano (with the pianist singing along as well) for you to enjoy:
For me, cranking out various kinds of sheet music is a great way to relax. Here’s the latest from the Chorus of Echoes album, “The Walk”. You can see a list of currently available sheet music on the album’s site.
On February 27, 2011,
in Songs,
by admin
The sixth and final song on the “Chorus of Echoes” album is called “The Walk”. It was first created during Christmas vaction 2008 although the middle section wasn’t finalized until the summer of 2009. The final recording was made during Christmas 2010. The song also roughly follows roughly in the style of “Living in the Now” and “A Small Life” and features a simple structure of two verses, a middle instrumental section, and two final verses. Like “A Small Life”, it’s another somber song that’s written in a major key. The verse features a section of two measures of 3/4, giving a sense of urgency to the lyrics.
“The Walk” features the most personal lyrics that Matthew has ever written. He sang this song almost daily for three years before recording it.
The WalkLyrics:
I think I’ll walk alone tonight
I’m in no hurry to get home
I wish I’d worn my coat, but still
I think I’ll walk alone tonight
My breath seeps from my mouth as steam
powering this tiny train
towards its destination
with rhythmic puffs of steam
I think I’ll walk alone tonight
I’ve always had you by my side
But now I feel the distance
I think I’ll walk alone tonight
I understand I’ve walked too far
To make it back to what was home
I’ll stop to rest when morning comes
By night, again I’ll walk too far
On February 26, 2011,
in Songs,
by admin
The fifth song on the new album is called “Nothing to See” and is one of the shortest FT songs of all time. “Nothing to See” was created very quickly, in just a couple of hours. Though it was ultimately inspired from a song by Ralph Vaughn Williams’ song cycle “On Wenlock Edge” titled, “From Far, From Eve And Morning”, it bears no resemblance it. It’s raw and unpolished. The final recording was made back in the summer of 2009 along with “Don’t Let it End”, and has since topped Matthew’s “Top 25 Most Played” list on iPod for months.
Lyrics:
Flip a switch
Off goes the light
It all disappears
There’s nothing to see
You told me
to flip a switch
so I did
And now there’s nothing to see
What came before
Starts to blur
At the edges
‘til there’s nothing to see
the room is dark
the room is empty
can’t find the switch
there’s nothing but me
On February 25, 2011,
in Songs,
by admin
The fourth offering on the new album is called “Change if my Guest” and is, surprisingly, the first guitar finger-picking song. This song took longer than the other songs to create in one sitting. It’s also the only song on the album that’s in a minor key. Following the nature of the lyrics, each verse and chorus introduces more change from the last, with the culmination in the completely shuffled final verse.
Matthew didn’t write the lyrics to “Change is My Guest” with the intention of ever singing them. It was just a poem in a notebook.
Change is my GuestLyrics:
The door that was locked
Is open again
With a hand raised to knock
He asks to come in
Change is my guest
I’d ask him to leave
But he whispers of wonders
And I want to believe
And so…
He sits down beside me
Change is my guest
He holds out his hands
And he asks me to choose
It seems so unfair
When there’s so much to lose
We’ve been here before
I sent him away
But he keeps coming back
And he threatens to stay
And so…
I play the game
Change is my guest
Can I ignore him?
Can I pretend he’s not here?
I’m gonna try.
Watch how I try.
An unfurnished room
Under the stairs.
If I’d known he was here,
I’d have been more prepared.
A shake of his head,
He mumbles hello.
His bags are unpacked,
And now I know.
I say goodnight.
Change is my guest
On February 24, 2011,
in Songs,
by admin
Starting with the third song, “Elegant Fiction”, the remaining songs on the album were created in old-school FT style – Matthew presented the lyrics to Theron and the duo then immediately worked through several ideas before settling on the direction of the song. “Elegant Fiction” is similar to Relic’s “The Hawk’s Well”. The songs are in the same key and both the chorus and the verse follow similar patterns. “Elegant Fiction” is more upbeat and is likewise a simpler song. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that each verse features slightly different chord progressions.
The first half of the “Elegant Fiction” lyrics were written three years ago; the second half, just before the final recording. Like “Don’t Let it End,” the song originally had one meaning, and it was a challenge to stay true to the original intention of the lyrics. It’s an observation of the lives we live in cyberspace.
Elegant FictionLyrics:
Convince myself of an elegant fiction
Crossed a boundary, embracing a lie.
The pain is real, the joy an addiction.
I’m taken by an imitation of life.
Funny how I play at living;
Reflections of me.
Making choices, taking chances
From behind a screen.
Convince myself of an elegant fiction
Crossed a boundary, embracing a lie.
The pain is real, the joy an addiction.
I’m taken by an imitation of life.
Why should I care if I win or lose,
It’s just a game I play.
Why should I care, no purpose, no meaning.
It’s just a means of escape.
An elegant fiction.
From a distance, my existence
rests in the palm of my hand.
Yes it’s lonely, my imitation.
This I understand.
I hope you understand.
Please understand.
Convince myself of an elegant fiction
Crossed a boundary, embracing a lie.
The pain is real, the joy an addiction.
I’m taken by an imitation of life.