For a long time, I’ve been on a rock kick; specifically, sacred rock (I know, sounds like an oxymoron). But a couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in my man-cave/home studio, plucking away at my guitar when I came up with a simple riff. The riff turned into a song that I decided to track so I could capture the idea, and it sat for about a week. Then this past weekend, I started writing the lyrics. For some reason, the song reminded me of an aged woman at the end of her days, reminiscing on the people she has outlived.
Yeah, it’s a pretty sad theme, but I wanted to capture more than just the bitterness. I wanted to capture the longing and the pride she has for the life she’s led.
Guitar/Amp: Slash L Guitars “Katie May” straight into my 1958 Fender Champ (so, so jangly 🙂 ).
Keyboard: Fender-Rhodes Software Model
Bass: Ibanez G10
Here’s the song:
Closing the Door
Verse 1
In a room of her memories
musty with age
she can see her life’s history,
the joy and rage.
The floors and the tables,
mementos are laid
with a blanket of dust hiding
the price she has paid…
Verse 2
I’ve survived all my children
how can that be?
And the love of my life
has been taken from me
Yet here I am standing
this world I must brave
to carry my torch awaiting
till I’m in the grave…
Chorus 1
It’s not that this life
has been unkind to me
Yet why am I left
just with my memories?
I grew up thinking
this life I would share
and not end these days
with nobody there…
Verse 3
So she dusts off the figures
which brings on a smile
happy with the mem’ries
at least for awhile
She holds each one gently
to feel the embrace
of the love she remembers
from another time and space
Chorus 2
She won’t shed the tears
that are her right to cry
Or raise up her fist
to a life she’s defied
And all of her mem’ries
she’ll hold close to her heart
Believing one day
she’ll get a new start
Verse 4
She crosses the room
and walks to the door
glancing back longingly
as if there were more
She knows that she saw
all there was to see
So she locks up the door
and loses the key…
Guitar Gear 
Nice song man. Particularly poignant today Goofy. A good friend of ours is in the later stages on terminal cancer (same age as me; 53). Today we learned that she just had a stroke. Thanks for posting your song. It’s got a lovely feel to it despite the subject matter. Can I suggest adding some fretless bass? I reckon that would sound great! Take care man.
Fretless would work absolutely perfect with this. When I get to recording it for real, a fretless bass will be the bass instrument for sure! Glad you liked the song!
Really liked your words too. It’s great to hear the basic tracks you put down and I’m looking forward to you posting the “final” version.
Thanks, Mackem! I actually re-recorded the bass track tonight and added a light pad synth and cleaned up song quite a bit. I don’t have a fretless, so hopefully I can get my band’s bassist to lay that down.