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Life On The Trapeze

from Life On The Trapeze by Neil Porter

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about

This is about getting off my backside and writing something new, although you're unlikely to pick that up from the lyrics :)

I watched "I'm Not There" (the Dylan film) again the other night, and soon realised there were great lyric lines coming at me from everywhere. At this point I grabbed a pen and started writing them down for future reference.

The next day I found the incredibly complex chord sequence (yes folks, there are TWO chords in the whole song, and they are separated by one semitone on one string), and the verses fell together without much thought at all. I then realised that I was writing about aspects of my life over the last few years. It all makes sense to me, although I doubt it will to anyone else. What I like most about the words though is the way they sound, and I guess that's what I like most about Dylan's words too - "the ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face" is still one of my favourite song lines ever.

Musically, it's just me - acoustic and electric guitars, bass, midi drums (the basic loops were played in on my keyboard and then modified throughout the song with my trusty midi pencil) and midi percs.

SongArt by Max Papart (1911-1994)

lyrics

Life On The Trapeze
©2011 Neil Porter

I don’t do no competition
And I don’t do “how you bin?”
But I’m watching as you tally up my score
Well I feel like some outrider
Like some satellite provider
It’s gonna take a resurrection
To get me off the floor
Off the floor
Off the floor
Off the floor
Off the floor

I got strange face in the mirror
I got honey in my comb
I don’t think I’ll get to heaven
I don’t want to die alone
Well you know that sleep’s for dreamers
And you know how dreams are real
You say I have to sing with feeling
But I don’t know what to feel
What to feel
What to feel
What to feel
What to feel

Chaos never bothered me
And I never bothered him
When I get him in my headlights
I lock him in
You can take away my meaning
You can nail me to the floor
I’m wary of enthusiasm
But I cross the street for love
Street for love
Street for love
Street for love
Street for love

As I get myself together
As I warm up to the cure
I feel like some imposter
That’s for sure
I have no recollection
Of my life on the trapeze
You’re gonna need a rhythm section
If you want to shake my tree
Shake my tree
Shake my tree
Shake my tree
Shake my tree

credits

from Life On The Trapeze, released December 12, 2012
Neil Porter: guitars, bass, drums, percs, vocals

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Neil Porter Pambula Beach, Australia

Singer songwriter from Pambula Beach in Australia.

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