Song #12: Amphetamine

The character in this song seems to have climatized to a life of loss. Like any of us, of course he doesn't desire brokenness but his attitudes and beliefs attract it time and again. And time and again, instead of dealing with these things head on, he tends to default to two coping mechanisms: self-medication and running away. "Amphetamine" is a dark song about a shell of a man, hardly someone worth admiring. And yet there's sympathy there, knowing that we all deal with loss and difficulty in our own variations of these ways. Part of me wants to scream at him - "it's worth the risk" - but he'll either toughen up and figure that on his own... or he won't.

On a production note, this is the first song so far that I've directly worked with another individual in the creation process. Music college friend, writing partner and excellent songwriter/performer Joe Aielli had the piano intro and idea for this song years ago. We've worked it on and off for a while but I knew when I began this love-themed writing project, this song would have to be revisited and finished.

Oh, and please swing by Joe's page and become a fan of his well-crafted music: www.facebook.com/joeaielli

PLAY:

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LYRICS:

she called me in and said I'm leaving
just like so many girls before
and once again I think that love, it ain't the answer
'cause what's united can be torn

friends and lovers, ya who needs 'em?
it just hurts too much to say goodbye anymore
well i've got all the ways I need to ease the pain
and they come out to play when it begins to storm

I think love is an amphetamine running through my head
just a high that becomes tomorrow's tears
I think love is an amphetamine,
so now I'm on my way until it all just disappears

as the dust blows up behind me
I can't think about all the people I left behind
what you call love I call the thing that trips me up
I'd rather move ahead alone and undefined

yes, I think love is an amphetamine running through my head
just a high that becomes tomorrow's tears
I think love is an amphetamine,
so now I'm on my way until it all just disappears

and when I take the pill I'm standing on top of the world
unconscious to the crowd below
but without fail, in time, I always come crashing down
it lifts me up and leaves me low

will i always think love is an amphetamine?
will i ever let anyone draw near?
see I think love is an amphetamine
so now I'm on my way until it all just disappears
you may live in love, but I live in fear
so I'll get the hell on out of here

Comments

[Sarah]

I like this one. It may be my favorite so far. Nice job conveying the darkness and fear without overplaying the pain/sympathy angle. Really good!

[Katie]

Heavy stuff...but so good. Love the chorus and the piano.

[Janet]

Great...lost many people due to drugs, they may still be alive but the are not here with us! Thanks

[MJS]

Love the layers in this one...the background vocals kind of in the distance, the scratchy record needle sound, the overlaying melodies. Very nice.

[TC]

Awesome piano intro. Like MJS said, I love the layers here, and also your vocal delivery... again, very nice harmonies.

How does working on such a dark song affect you emotionally, and spiritually? Perhaps one day you can let us know how you are influenced by the mood of the song for the week and what you do to be able to move on and not get "stuck" in a certain funk. I'd, personally, like to know a bit more about how these songs are born, and what the initial moments or thoughts were that gave them life.

[Trevor]

Sarah/Katie/Janet/MJS/TC -

Wasn't sure how this was going to be received, so thank you -

Yes, TC, it does affect me emotionally/spiritually. In order to flesh it out I have to 'take on the character' a little which causes me to experience some darkness, for sure. How do I not get stuck there? Well in part because it's a character and I can just back out, but I'm sure there's some residue that sticks around for a while. Good question!

[JonnieBug]

Trev,

Thank you for this song. With all the recent changes in my life, the road blocks, the barricades, and the loss of love.....I find myself here listening to this song a lot. It reminds me that we all know about loss and we all seek an escape at times whether that escape comes in a pill form, a love affair, a church, staying bed with the covers over our heads or just crying. I really like this song and it means a lot to me.

[Stacy]

Not sure how I missed this song. I really enjoyed the piano throughout the entire song-not just the intro/closing. It was easy to get lost in the song without necessarily listening to the lyrics; just hearing the words and enjoying the music. Definitely a song to listen to over and over again.

(Please excuse if this posted as a duplicate. Experiencing some computer problems these days.)