Forlorn Land ~ The Story Behind The Song
Forlorn Land was a product of February 2013's FAWM challenge. FAWM is an online community of people who take up the challenge to write an album in the month of February. 'Febuary Album Writing Month'. It's a great way to challenge yourself as a writer, to try and write to demand or to a specific subject, time signature or influence.
This song was intended to be a battle cry. I looped my voice over and over to create the sound of many voices calling out for the land together.
“Calm down, calm down
Peace be upon your land
Hold on, hold on
Eyes to the hour hand”
I wrote it with the vision of a bloodied battle ground vivid in my mind. A vast field which seems to have no edges or end in any direction in which you look. Men, sprawled and knelt in the bloody grass crying out for the damaged land and the souls lost on it.
I decided on a rolling, monotonous guitar piece and kept simple so as to carry the song along but also to leave room for the voices to ride above the sound.
The song talks of the injustice of young men going to war:
“So hold your gun young laddie dear
, you've no right here to be
But you must fight for the death of nigh t
will soon upon you be”.
It talks of the anticipation felt by a young lad who holds his gun awkwardly by his side knowing he must use it to survive but if he does not, it will turn to ashes, the ashes that could've saved him.
“When war is gone and the land forlorn
will tired and desperate be
and in your hand remains the ashes
that can set you free”.
A haunting song with a depth to it that scares even me... but on a lighter note, a great use of the live looper.
To find out more about this song or song or the rest of the album click here for 'Bare Foot Folk'.
Posted by Ange Hardy on February 28th 2014
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