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Zoe Gray - Old Lovers' Bridge

from SpinTunes #15 Round 3 by Spintunes

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about

Written for Spintunes #15 Round 3: Write a pastiche (a song in the style) of a band or artist whose style is appreciably different from your own.

I chose to emulate the style of Hank Williams, working with an acoustic, a bass, a dobro slide, and a fiddle. The subject matter seems simple, but is actually centered around the story of Odysseus and his long adventures homeward– alluded to in lines about "the wine-dark sea", "half-blind" men, "the ghosts of my long-lost friends", and "fellers tried to take [Penelope] while I'm gone".

This song was a joy to work on, with the help of a new MIDI keyboard, a fascination with Hank Williams's vocals, and my recent studies of The Odyssey and Ulysses (and, of course, O Brother Where Art Thou).

lyrics

i been a-walking for miles along the river bank
with a sack on my shoulder and too much time to think
i been away, away, away too long by far
all i got of her is this old guitar

and i walk through the valleys
and i walk over the ridge
i been a-walkin home to meet my baby by the old lovers bridge

and we had only just started when i had to go
i said goodbye to my baby just as soon as we’d said hello
i had to fight my demons cross the wine-dark sea
but i always sang for her knowin she played for me

and i walk through the valleys
and i walk over the ridge
i been a-walkin home to meet my baby by the old lovers bridge

and i know that there’s been fellers tried to take her while i’m gone
and the road is full of dangers but she helps me carry on
and i know that i’ve been trouble, trouble all my days
but my baby bought my troubled heart, and her love’s the price she pays

i saw my fair share of men, heart-broken, half-blind
i saw the ghosts of my long lost friends i never thought i would find
i been away, away, away, away too long
but i always played my lady’s song

and i walk through the valleys
and i walk over the ridge
i been a-walkin home to meet my baby by the old lovers bridge

and i walk through the valleys
and i walk over the ridge
i been a-walkin home to meet my baby by the old lovers bridge

credits

from SpinTunes #15 Round 3, released December 2, 2018

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