Oil Spill

Mittal Steel Mill, Cleveland, OH

Oil Spill - MP3

Lyrics

until you're pinned and beat to bits
you keep it tucked and secret
you never pleaded innocent
you never once admitted it
you never will

words haven't failed you oil spill
wet slate and shale the river mill
produces sheets of bitterness
between your teeth reiterates
you'll never win

mind your man and mend your pale
your layered garments tip the scale
you never bled your rust away
you never pled enough to sway
you broken piece

Music

I don't know what the chords are, really. I sort of made it up as I go along.

structure

V C V CC B V CC

notes

after listening to "starlight" by muse too many times, i thought up this falsetto-y chorus melody. it's been in my head for the last few weeks, and i was going to go nuts if i didn't do something with it. so i just decided to just make a demo and let the chips fall where they may. i didn't have any lyrics going into it, or even an idea about what the song's about, so just tried to follow the melody and not overthink it. i had been waiting for a chance to use "oil spill" as an insult in a song for a couple years, so i threw that into the mix. i don't really know what this song is about. guilt? the rust belt? something!

i reserve the right to make something decent out of some of these ideas some day.

OK, and i totally didn't mean to steal the riff from Three To Waltz, but i now realize that i pretty much did. whoops! sorry, Robert! it's just that good.

comments

1. This is a tight little song, great words
2. I like the way you rhyme the last 2 or 3 words in each line, impressive and very satisfying
3. I like three syllables for "sec-er-et". It sounds playful, like you're making the word your own.
4. "words haven't failed you oil spill / wet slate and shale the river mil", "produces sheets of bitterness", "you never bled your rust away", I think these are particularly good lines
5. The verse progression is very nice, I'm a sucker for those two note chords, you use them well here
6. The re-verb and "ahs" work well
7. The instrumental break between the 2nd and 3rd verse is surprising and refreshing

Conorl 06:16, 7 May 2008 (PDT)