http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gojYoEAoBq4
A reworking of the traditional Aubade form. A lullaby for just before dawn. My version is about comforting yourself and sending yourself back to peaceful sleep.
I’ve known about the Aubade form for a long time, since I heard the lovely song Waiting For The Lark by June Tabor. It’s an old form — here is the Wikipedia description – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubade
I also knew Larkin’s poem about waking early and experiencing crippling fear of death. It’s a pretty harrowing read. Poor man. You can read the poem here. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178058
I’m certain that being alongside the person you love whilst they die takes away your own fear of death. It did for me. I’m glad because I spent years waking early, fearing death and fearing life, and now I don’t do it. I comfort myself, I parent myself, and send myself back to sleep.
So I thought that an Aubade sung to yourself, not to a lover, or to a child, would work. I like the result. It’s simple and lullaby-ish but with huge concepts within the pretty melody.
I wrote the song yesterday and recorded this morning, whilst still waking up. Which seems right. I’m getting a little bored of the fixed shots of these postings, and the fact that you are looking at the side of my head. But these are a record of the songs, not really performances. I hope that’s alright. I’ll make home demos of these songs next, but until then you can distract yourself by looking at my washing machine if the side of my head is tedious.
Aubade
Go back to sleep — it’s not dawn yet
Three deep breaths — it’s not dawn yet
I comfort myself at 4am
Sooth the panic, face the failure
Reject the Devil
I smile to myself cos I’m not afraid of dying
Which because it’s dark
And because I’m alone
That smile is never seen
But is there
Go back to sleep — it’s not dawn yet
Three deep breaths — it’s not dawn yet
I comfort myself at 5am
All those years I couldn’t do that, woken by misery
I do it now because I couldn’t then
I sing to myself
Me then, me now, me when
When it comes
Go back to sleep — it’s not dawn yet
Three deep breaths — it’s not dawn yet
Some mornings I wake, Find a message from the night
Scribbled before dawn
So important it was sent from the dark to the light
Profound wisdom, pure clarity
Distilled, prodigal, illegible
written and performed by Christopher Green published by MCPS
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