![]() But we embraced the new joint, and it wasn't long after we moved in, in September of 2009, that the band set up shop in the basement. I had a family now, and with that came responsibilites. I spent almost my whole adult life there up to that point. That place was my sanctuary and I absolutely loved it! I spent countless hours in there, jamming, recording, and writing. We moved to Verona because it was a nice place for families there was way more room in that house and we finally had our own driveway! In order to afford the move there, I had to give up the studio that I had been renting in Passaic, NJ, for 15 years. Before moving into that house, I was living with my future wife, Lauren, and my son, Elliot, in Union City, NJ. This song was born out of some jams that I had with the Brothers Purcell (Martin and John), that took place in the basement of a house I was renting in Verona, NJ. Does it carry through into the song? Will it be enough to make it a good one? You tell me. Because, maybe, the story behind the song warranted finishing it. And therefore, being happy takes hard work! Who would've thought? You gotta work hard if you wanna be happy! This was an epiphany for me, so maybe that's why I struggled so hard to get through this song, rather than give up the Ghost. ![]() So, it takes hard work to break these habits. But I've always been amazed at how people stay in abusive relationships the explantion being that people seek familiarity over happiness that they take refuge in the abuse, because it is all they know from when they were very young, and that this will serve as a blueprint for all of their future relationships. This is another unique aspect of this song, since most of them are based on personal history or viewpoints. It's not an actual experience that I've had. Although, up into my teen years, my father was very tough for me to deal with, he never abused me in the sense that is implied in this song. There's some mention of my father in here, which, to say the least, doesn't exactly portray him as a candidate for father-of-the-year. One final note on this song before I start going through the history of it's writing and recording sessions. If I could create my own genre, I would put it in the 'Mellow Metal' or 'Groovy Metal' category. Maybe it's because, stylistically, it's a departure for us. Yet, it really sapped the life out of me. It has your basic Rock & Roll instrumentation- bass, vocals, guitars and drums. There's not a ton of overdubs, and this is the first song we've done in a long time that doesn't have a superabundance of vocal harmonies. I think I feel this way because it took so long to complete, and it shouldn't have. Although every recording presents certain obstacles and provides some unpleasant moments, this one was particularly brutal. I honestly can't say the same about 'It Don't Mean That Much To Me'. ![]() Even if a panel of songwriting experts and A&R people told me that those songs sucked, I'd still be proud of them. I feel this way about 'I Only Wanna' and 'The Things That We Do', for example. Other times, you just love it, and you're gonna love it no matter what anyone else says. Sometimes, you get a feeling about a tune, and you just know it's gonna be awesome, and it is. ![]() So, what's the purpose of that manifesto in the paragraph above? Simply this - I have no idea whether or not this is a good song. Usually, you will know, after playing the song out in public a few times, whether it is good or not. So, when all is said and done, when your day of reckoning comes, when that dreaded moment finally descends upon you like a dark omen, you will be forced to deal with the most base, cruel and terrifying of all questions - is this any good, or does this song suck? Should I just abort this mission, or do I have too much invested in this to stop? Ultimately, other people will tell you if it's good or not. It's cliche' and egocentric, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. This is why you may have heard an artist refer to their songs as their 'babies'. The idea that all of those countless hours of hard work, energy, and unconditional love may never amount to anything at all - it's just mind-boggling, not to mention unfair. From the moment that inspiration hits you, and an embryo of a song is conceived, to the moment that, after all of your care and grooming, you've finally decided that it's ready to be released into the world, years can pass (at least, this seems to be especially true in the universe of Rainbow Fresh). Almost always, recording a song is a monumental task.
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