"Without You" Recording

I have not had many comments on this blog. I am perfectly OK with that. I am not really publishing this stuff for the world to see. Actually, I don't know who I want to read my songs. I just hope they understand it is a constant process of deciding crap vs good. The line is so fine, and I still can't fully recognize it.

Anyway, one confidence-boosting comment was from my buddy Mike Atwood in regards to my lyrics to Without You, a song I wrote last year. I took an an hour today and roughly recorded Without You. I am fairly new at recording, so bear with me! For a quick listen, please jump over to my MySpace page, Dusty & Plain. It is listen to-able there. Mike, tell me what you think...

Cheers and happy listening? J

Without You

This song has a normal-looking title. Love songs may carry a similar name. This is not a love song. Initially inspired by Mike Mills' documentary Does Your Soul Have a Cold?, Without You is about the medicinal culture in which we Americans live. I have an extremely critical view of our society in regard to prescription drugs, though I have benefited from them in the past. I took Lexapro (also known as Cipralex) to mellow anxiety for almost two years. It kinda did what it was supposed to do, and then I quit taking it, gradually weaning myself off of it. I thought I would never get off of it. I was scared of what would happen when I quit. What a powerful thing to put in your body and soul! I think too many people rely on these hard drugs when they are not necessary. It is culturally ingrained. Who ingrained it? The medicine industry, advertisements, commercials, doctors, blah, blah, blah. Our health has been exploited for profits and our perceptions of what sicknesses warrant pills have changed. It makes me sick. But not sick enough to take crazy medicines.

I've never had the word depression in my vocabulary
But now I do
Thanks to you
It sticks to me like glue

I think I need sanctuary
My soul's got flu
Is it a ruse
Apparently I'm blue

Suddenly its mid-January
In mid-June
Sobriety ruined
I saw it on the tube

And you
Tell me how I'm supposed to feel
Oh yes, you do
But I don't know how I'm supposed to feel
Without you

In the sky I saw stars and luminary
But the stars moved
Dunno where to
Somewhere else, 'cording to you

Now there's a melancholy cemetery
A new breakthrough
Too good to be true
A medicinal fondue

It used to be so unnecessary
We withstood
Our livelihoods
Just as we should

And you
Tell me how I'm supposed to feel
Oh yes, you do
But I don't know how I'm supposed to feel
But I don't know how I'm supposed to feel
But I don't know how I'm supposed to feel
Without you

Brought to you by

I am embarrassed to say that I have actually never seen Does Your Soul Have a Cold?. I just heard the premise from a friend. It is a good theory, so please check it out! I haven't had the chance yet. I rarely play this song, and I have yet to memorize the words completely. Memorization is still a weak area for me, though I am getting more proficient at letting it flow out. Anyway, Without You is lyrically simple, but it takes on a big subject. I hope it doesn't suck... Seriously, I have no idea!

Without You's chords and the pattern I play them, namely C/Am/G/Em/F in the verse and F/G/C/Am/F/G/C/F in the chorus, were inspired by this absolutely awesome song by Antony and the Johnsons (in piano)...

	Antony & The Johnsons - 03 For Today I'm A Boy.mp3
	Found at skreemr.com