Punch-Up Music

A music site featuring Chicago based musician Lorin M Klugman.

Cover Art for Song: Phantom Sails Through

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Phantom Sails Through -- Feb 11, 2021

Song is an homage to first nation drum circle rhythms, combined with a reference to the novel "The Phantom Ship". The Phantom Ship (1839) is a Gothic novel by Frederick Marryat which explores the legend of the Flying Dutchman.

For musical composition, I typically use an iterative process. For this song, I did something different. I composed the rhythm of the vocals early on. I had concepts for the verses, but no specific words. I waited until all the other musical parts (E.G. guitats, bass, drums) were not only written, but recorded. I then started a process to compose the full lyrics.

My process was, ad lib words for a single verse. Adjust the words to fit the rhythm ( and what I could ennunciate). After a few verses, I decided on a verse structure. Each verse contains 2 sections. The first section describes what is going on in the physical world. The second second describes what is going on mentally and emotionally.

There is no vocal chorus for this song. There is a chorus, but it's instrumental.

 
Recording
All software used is Free and Open Source (FOSS).
 
Lyrics

Wind pounds drum'in, follow the moon
Take whats given, what's given to you
A final formation, a call to the truth
A bell rang somewhere, a bell rang thru
------
No river was empty, no river was cold
No water fell under, no water was lost


Wild life running, run all the way
Bare feet on the soil, heart pushing us on
The sense of danger, was never too far
Sky drew lightning, she raised her arms
------
Seven truth wonder, was signaling on
Runner was past you, runner drew on


That tree stood ages, the roots in the ground
A leaf felt empty, it fell to the ground
There never was silence, there never was sound
No silence was empty, no silence was found
------
The river was calm, the river was true
And near the trees, a phantom sailed thru