“Play” - a song about staying present
Another tune written for the songwriting group I am a part of. The monthly prompt was “Habit”
Story Pairing
I wrote this in August, and have had the video done for a while, but I didn’t feel like I had the right things to say in explaining this song. It’s a little personal and at the same time not at all. I had written it at a time when a good friend lost a parent, so it’s inspired by someone else’s loss. That said, I found myself writing from a very personal space and this song became so hard to sing because I was starting to picture faces I knew and faces I’ve lost over the years. I didn’t want to share a song that felt so foreboding.
Then two things happened that made me sort of rethink the message in this song and why it decided to come visit me when I was searching for a tune.
The first moment was as I was playing a show while a football game was on. If you like sports, good on ya, personally they make no sense to me. Also they are sort of the nemesis of a musician playing in a place with TV’s. There is always some sort of game going on and we always are on the losing end of that battle. Sports is such a machine that a little indie artist doesn’t stand a chance… that said, I was playing tunes and there was a family at the table in front of me mostly watching the game. The team that table was rooting for was losing, and I made a couple little jokes about it… well the dad wasn’t having it. He didn’t think it was funny at all and as the game progressed he was getting visibly angry that his team wasn’t doing better. There were three kids at the table and the oldest one (maybe 10ish), was the only one who was listening to the music. The only thing that would pull his attention back to the game was when something big was happening. The thing was he wouldn’t look at the TV when he heard the hullabaloo of some big play, he would look at his dad to see his reaction. He’d realized that “their” football was playing poorly, so he was seeing how mad his dad would get. As the dad got madder the rest of the table started talking less and less to him, and then less and less to each other. It continued until the table was held hostage by a fuming sports dad. Watching from the outside, it was a crazy thing. They were in a fun place, with music and food and family, and instead of being in that moment, he was hundreds of miles away in some stadium and becoming physically frustrated by the way a group of humans was playing a game. It made me pretty sad for that kid and made me wonder how many times that happens. It certainly doesn’t do much to change my opinion on sports. Anyway, that was item number one that made me think of this song differently. Instead of fixating on the sad part of the story, I was thinking about how the character in the song kept making space for fun, and positive memories, regardless of the situation. That felt like an important part of the tune and a good reason to share it.
The second thing that happened that solidifying sharing this song now, is the holiday upcoming. I’m aware that Christmas is a pretty standard thing and it’s not really a “random moment”, but it was more of the stepping into this season. I see all these people rushing around in stores, buying things for kids and their family, and often putting themselves in debt or running themselves ragged just to give their kids that “perfect Christmas” complete with all the gifts and material goods they asked for or even hinted at. I’m getting a little bit of a different perspective of what it takes to make holidays and events a reality when you’ve got a kid. I don’t have any, but I’ve been watching my sister and brother-in-law completely knock it out of the park with my nephew. They prioritize time with him and encourage his aunts and uncles and grandparents to come play and spend time with him, and it’s cool to see a kid so surrounded by people that love him. We buy him way too much stuff, but my favorite part is how we all seem to put experiences and time shared above the things. Being from a big family, I think we all look back at the time we spent together with more fondness than any physical gift we ever got. I can’t speak for my siblings, but for me, my best childhood memories with my parents are the ones where we did things together (of which we are continuing to do), and I really can’t even name many of the physical gifts they bought me through the years. I think of days spent in the kitchen with my mom and her showing me how to make an omelette for the first time, or the time I changed the brakes on my first vehicle with my dad showing me every step of the way, or the time they showed up and took me out of school early to go on a weekend trip to a state park. The list is long, but it was the time we spent together that stuck and continues to stick. I know there were hard times through the years, and I have to imagine every family has more than their fair share. I guess I just hope that at least one person hears this song and decides to spend some extra time with their people instead of just buying something for them and continuing on their way.
This year of constant travel has made me grow really distant from some and closer to others. It’s also made me realize that it’s not about being surrounded by good things, but good people that make the day. Maybe a redundant message during this season, but I don’t think it hurts to hear it again. Writing this all makes me feel pretty lucky to know you and everyone that I do. I hope to keep making a habit of being in the moment, and it’s one I can always get better at. Enjoy the song, and thanks for reading my ramblings.
Song Structure
Chords:
Verse - F / C / F / C / F / C / G
Pre Chorus - F / C / G / F / C
Chorus - F / C / F / C / G / F / G / C
Bridge - Am / F / C / Am / F / C / G
Voice Memos
Notebook Page
Aug 2024
Lyrics
Theres a hook up the side door
Where daddy hangs his hat
They know when he’s home safe, As easy as that
Below it muddy red wings
Cannot hide the fact
They belong to a man used to breaking his back
Washing hands in the mudroom
Anxious children in the hallway
They been waiting all day
For Daddy to come and play
He comes out like a dragon, Hungry for a princess
Says his giggling daughter will have to do
Tells the knights in armor, to fight him on the doorstep
Of the castle made of blankets in the living room
It’s a habit that he’s holding
Gonna keep those tired eyes on the moment
Colored bills are on the table
Shouting that their late
Don’t have much interest in a light dinner plate
Only holds half a serving
To give the critters more
Nothing he hasn’t stomached before
Doing dishes in the kitchen
Anxious children in the hallway
They been waiting all day
For Daddy to come and play
Comes out like a pirate, who buried hidden treasure
Sails his crew around the house, stops at every couch he sees
The quarters that he hid there, are jingling in their pockets
For a moment they’re as rich as any king or queen
It’s a habit that he’s holding
Gonna keep those tired eyes on the moment
His royalty keeps growing,soaking up his lessons
Taking steps into a hard world but their not alone
They’re storming all the walls, living out their legends
Then they get the message, won’t you please come home
Now he’s talking with the doctor
Anxious children in the hallway
They been waiting all day
For Daddy to come and play
He comes out like an angel, wrapped in shining linen
Flashes them a smile, says it will be ok
Says that he can feel them, soon these wings will be a showing
But for now, let’s enjoy the day
It’s a habit that he’s holding
Gonna keep those tired eyes on the moment