“Imagination” is a song I wrote and recorded in December 2019 as part of the “Song Spark Collective”.
The challenge was to write a song that mixed two different styles of music, and the styles I originally chose were hip hop and disco… disc hop anyone? Not sure it quite came out this way, but the end result was an interesting tune that I hope you enjoy.
💬 Behind the song:
This song was actually based on a beat and bass riff I used in a recent tutorial video about the new “bass amp boutique” pack in GarageBand. I liked the groove so much I wrote a couple of verses or lyrics, and then the “Imagination” hook just worked it’s way in as the chorus.
I needed a way to build and crescendo the song and it just seemed natural to build in to the 70s rock inspired final chorus/outro, using the heavy metal organ and distorted guitars.
The song was recorded using all virtual instruments and loops, even the guitars, which was an interesting challenge for me. Vocals were recorded using the Audio Technica AT2020, however what was unique is that I went handheld (not advisable with a condenser mic!) plugged in to the Steinberg UR22C and recording on my iPhone XS. Final mix was done my my “new” (second hand) iPad Pro 12.9″ (1st gen) and the mastering was done using AudioMaster – the first time I’ve used this app for a final master.
The lyrics of the song are quite self-explanatory and tell the story of me discovering that not every thought that I have can be trusted. The phrasing and rhyming borrowed a lot from some of my favourite hip hop artists such as the Beastie Boys, Hilltop Hoods and Butterfingers.
🎼 Lyrics:
Sometimes I sit around wonder
How it is I got here, and if I’m going under
All the complications of my life
All the times when I couldn’t reach the knife in my
Back to the days when I was little kid
Always worried ’bout the things I never did
Always thinking ’bout the next big problem
Even when it’s someone that’s on the
Hook me in, line and sinker
Ever wonder what’s it’s like to be an over
Thinker tinker with all my little thoughts
Maybe it was just the way that I was taught to
Just believe that I was right
And when I lay in bed at night
The thoughts still going round and round and round and round in my head
Don’t always believe
The things in your head
Sometimes it’s just imagi-
Nations warring, everything is burning
Kinda surprised that the world keeps turning
Mather nature kicking our arse
And never seem to learn the lessons of our past
Instead of happiness we’re chasing money
And I think that’s kinda funny
Not hard to use an indicator
To tell us your direction or even estimate the
Way some haters are really just tryna
Help us appreciate the finer
Points to the ones who are keeping score
(I think I’m about 40 love down)
Up in my head yes one more time
Never seem to find a way to un
Winding up and never winding down
Down in the park like a clown James Brown
Don’t always believe
The things in your head
Sometimes it’s just imagination
Imagination
Imagination
Imagination
Imagination
Imagination
Imagination
Imagination
Imagination
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