“This Town” - a song about pretend
Story Pairing
This is a song I wrote a few years ago and it' sort of got swept under the rug. I remember writing after a night at the open mic at Uncorked, a wine spot that use to be in downtown Akron. I was sitting in the back and watching as artists came through the door and you could watch them transform. Walking up to the door their faces were hard, sad, neutral, scared, and then as soon as they crossed the threshold I would see them change. They would spot a familiar face and you’d see their eyes light up, a smile catch the edges of their mouth, and they’d stand a bit taller.
That concept of home recently bubbled back up into my conscious as I am settling in from another tour. The more I travel the more I feel a pull to not be in one place too long, like I have to keep moving. It’s really stark when I stay still for more than a few days. That old saying plays in the back of my head “Fish and company are the same, they both smell after three days”. I aspire to be fresh fish.
Last Saturday I added a new shelf to my van, something to store a battery system and some camping gear. Once I finished, I crawled into the bunk in the back and laid there for a good 20 minutes, imagining that I’d be in a different place when I slid the door back open. If that isn’t telling, I am not sure what is.
When you are in a new place you can be whatever you want to be that day. I feel I am typically a constant person, but it’s still a freeing concept. If I am tired one day I don’t have to be as social as normal and no one knows the difference. I can be extra goofy or jovial another day, and again, that’s the normal. The line in this song “pretend that I’m something” is what brought it out of the archive. Originally I wrote it with the idea of an individual pretending to be a big deal in their small home town, and now it means something totally different to me. I love that.
I am missing a few of the pieces for this song (the notebook page, proper voice memo), but felt it was a timely song as I am aching to move and feel like I am pretending to be home.
Song Structure
Chords:
Intro/Outro - Am / F / C
Verse - Am / F / C
Pre-Chorus - G / F
Chorus - Am / F / C / F / G / Am / F / C / Am / F / G / Am lick
Voice Memos
I don’t know if I ever recorded a voice memo, but I do have an old recording from 2020 that I did with an amazing talent, Mat Dunkelburger and a recording demo I did but never pulled the trigger on. Enjoy!
Notebook Page
Nope. Soon.
Lyrics
Just another local lying to this town
Like I don't hate the circles I'm running round
And those ruts, kicking up dust, kicking up bones
A silver lining cage to call our homes
Im breaking down
And the stories that I have are full of shit
Got so far behind I didn't have the guts to quit
And them roads, covered in stones, covered regret
A path I haven't found the heart to travel yet
I'm breaking down, I'm broken down
I walk through the door, I pretend they know my name
And there might be one or two that's glad I came
They all start to hum, when I start picking round
I pretend, that I'm something in this town
The taillights that would linger now are gone
A final flame I had to know which way was wrong
And them dreams, that involved me, now involve none
I cut you cause you stood closer than anyone
I'm breaking down, I'm broken down
I walk through the door, I pretend they know my name
And there might be one or two that's glad I came
They all start to hum, when I start picking round
I pretend, that I'm something
I walk through the door, I pretend they know my name
And there might be one or two that's glad I came
They all start to hum, when I start picking round
I pretend, that I'm something, in this town
I'm breaking down, I'm broken