August – Coat Tails

I always marvel at how immutable things feel at times. Like they will never change. The ‘maybe this is it then’ feeling. My few years of experience as a human has taught me that things eventually shift, nothing really ever stays the same. Even still, at that moment when life feels so solidly the way it is, and it’s almost impossible to imagine the break, the movement, it’s hard to remain convinced the change is coming.

This song is written for a dear friend, and dedicated to anyone who has suffered or suffers from depression. Try as you may to bring around the change early, even though it feels like it’ll never come, sometimes there’s nothing to do but wait it out; stop forcing one foot in front of the other, fall into the wake of the incessant motion around you and be pulled forward until you find your strength again. We’ll carry you for a bit. We’ve all been carried before. And just up ahead, we can see it, trust us; the change is coming.

Once again, a big thank to everyone involved in making this tune, it’s very close to my heart. Thanks also to The Push song-writers mentoring group, especially its tireless Captain, Charles Jenkins. The Push has been a fantastic source of support and feedback. This was one of the songs that had the benefit of The Push songs workshop process, and came out an improved product at the end. It’s yet another example of the vibrant and endlessly inspiring community of musicians in Melbourne for which I am thankful to be part of at the moment.

“Coat Tails”, by Jane McArthur

listen

 

Coat Tails (C&P Jane McArthur, 2015)

Sitting on a blanket of pepperberry, soft pink fading to dust.

Your words might melt some other girls ice-cream heart

But cause the wounds in this steel heart to rust.

It’s been 12 thick months since love packed up, and quit this city like a breeze.

The past loses it’s form just as soon as it’s born

But love’s shape still whispered by the leaves.

 

But it’s all you can do, just to hold on to

The coat tails of time as it hurries on.

 

Talking about the time we drove out west, chasing the sun across to Perth.

I think we thought we were happy with all that we had, at least we’d hoped so,

For all that it’s worth.

We’d never seen so much sky all at once meet the flat land with nothing in between,

But couldn’t see what was told in the silence unfolding around us-

Like madness in a dream.

 

But it was all we could do, just to hold on to

The coat tails of time as it hurried on.

 

You still catch yourself crying, it happens at strange times,

Not Sunday afternoons or Monday nights.

You still catch yourself crying, you never see where it’s coming
from.

They say what doesn’t kill you… but you don’t feel strong.

So for now, just carry on.

 

Now the sun’s sinking low as you can trust it to, about this time of day this time of year.

And your eyes betray all the things you’ll never say, building pressure

Like a storm between your ears.

It’s a lonely point of view just the weather and you, like you’ll never feel the sun on your skin.

But stop caressing the past, keep one ear pressed to your heart, you’ll hear the rumble

Of the warm front rolling in.

 

All you need to do is just hold on to

The coat tails of time as it hurries on.

—————–

Written and sung by: Jane McArthur

Acoustic guitar: Jane McArthur

Electric guitars: Jane McArthur, Luke Plumb

Bass: Ben Franz

Drums: Yen Nguyen

Rhodes: Luke Plumb

Engineered: Luke Plumb (Luke Plumb)

Mixed: Yen Nguyen (10 Kinds Of Handsome)

Mastered: Adam Dempsey (Jack The Bear Deluxe Mastering)