Episode #219: I’ve Loved Life (Song starts at 6:52)
On this episode, I’ve featured a song which is track number 2 on the album 'River Walking', which I’ve written and recorded with Paul Dredge.
The gist of the meaning of I’ve Loved Life is: there’s lots of ups and downs - that’s the way it is. But we’ve got the choice to try to enjoy ourselves along the way. I think we might as well. The rough bits are going be there anyway. The world seems to reflect back what put out there.
You take the ups with the downs, the smiles with the frowns.
I’ve loved life and it’s loved me...
I relate a relate a couple of anecdotes, which I found in an old diary entry, which I’d written around the time I wrote I’ve Loved Life. The ups and downs of being an Artist …
I've been so lost. And still I've found lots of hurt but much love all around
I been under the stars, worries run rife
There’s what I think is a misconception / misunderstanding that you have to be poor and starving to produce serious art and music. I don’t think you do. I do think you need to live honestly, be true to yourself, etc - but you don’t need to be broke ( I think perhaps that idea has contributed to the idea art and music doesn’t really have financial worth…..streaming, anyone? Anyhow…
I’ve had Money and I’ve gone broke
I’ve loved life, song #664, was fun to write. The Lyrics came quickly, (I enjoy analysing the lyrics) the music pretty much wrote itself - it’s a very ‘up’ happy country rock song. I think you can hear this in the finished track, which I’m very pleased about. It sounds like a live band having fun.
There’s an art to getting to this point, when you’re starting with piano vocal and click track..
I’ve included a snippet of the demo I sent to Paul (in New Zealand) so you can hear how the arrangement came together: Paul did his thing, sent back drums, bass, guitar and harmonica.
I re-recorded the piano, sang it again and there it was, finished in no time.
The recording sounds like a live band having fun. Which is great. This was the plan.
I’ve performed this song a few times live since it wrote it, this gave me a chance to work on the phrasing of the lyrics, which is a good thing.
If you’d like to read more about this song after you’ve listened to this episode, visit www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com (my blog - search I've Loved Life). I’m going to feature a few songs off the album here.
The album 'River Walking' can be found on all the usual platforms (It’s under my artist name Pete Pascoe on Spotify and Bandcamp, Apple music etc..) We are stoked with the album. Released under the folk rock genre, it encompasses country rock, rock - a fair bit of variety…
Enjoy!
I’ve loved life,. Rollin’!