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I​.​O​.​U.

from Foo Bar Baz by Common Lisp

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about

This song is my SpinTunes 4 round 3 entry. For this round, I took 3 days off work to record, like I did for my round 1 song. This version has actually been updated from the contest version - I fixed a problem in one of the tracks that was causing the bass to distort a bit. I changed up the mastering settings slightly as well, for a more natural, less "brassy" tone.

The challenge was interesting: "Choose seven letters of the Roman alphabet. Now write a song using ONLY words that begin with those seven letters. No exceptions will be made for minor parts of speech or vamping at the beginning of the song or the end."

Oh, also, this seems to be a love song to my wife of ten years, Grace. I am not a very romantic guy and I did not set out to write a love song. My idea of a love song is Gang of Four's "Anthrax." So imagine my surprise when THIS came out!

You can find a complete "song biography" on my blog here:

geekversusguitar.blogspot.com/2012/02/iou.html

I made a home movie video for this song and you can find it here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kEYxrLkLYQ

UPDATE: it seems I screwed up. On paper, and in my original scratch vocal, I had a line reading "I offer you my lullabye." But when I recorded the final version of the vocals, I accidentally changed the line to "I offer you this lullabye." That gave me an extra letter, so I was eliminated from the SpinTunes round 3 for failing to meet the challenge. Oops.

lyrics

My seven letters are I, O, Y, M, L, A, and W

I owe you my life, my love
All I am and all I own is yours

When we met long years ago, you
Welcomed me with love and laughter

My incandescent love I owe you
Another year's improvisation

I'll melt with willing obligation
I offer you my lullabye

I owe you my life, my love
All I am and all I own is yours

Adieu, my lady love
I owe you my life

credits

from Foo Bar Baz, released February 2, 2010
Paul R. Potts: Steinberger Synapse 5-string fretless bass, Peavey Firenza P-90 electric guitar (with Ernie Ball Slinky 11s), Ovation Applause tenor ukulele, plastic cottage cheese container, steel meat skewer, steel measuring spoons, paper, finger cymbals, light bulb, steel beater, triangle, rasps, sleighbells. Oktava MK-319 condenser microphone, Radial JDV direct box, Apogee Ensemble audio interface, Apple Logic, Izotope Ozone.

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Common Lisp Ann Arbor, Michigan

Common Lisp is Paul R. Potts, an amateur musician living in Saginaw, Michigan.

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