Alien

In 2005 I got engaged and moved from central Toronto to a small town 1.5 hours away, to live with my betrothed.

I’ve never felt comfortable in rural areas, and this time was no different. I agreed to move, and own that responsibility. However, the impact was much harder than I’d expected; instead of a relaxed life, I felt unsafe, unwelcome, pretty much un-everything. I couldn’t find a single person or activity in the town that suited me. Even my spouse seemed happy to disappear, leaving me lonely in this quiet empty space.

Still, ever the optimist (haha), I focused on my writing. Alien pretty much epitomizes that stage of my life.


Alien

A foreign street
A promise kept
So out of place
So out of time

Alien space
I’ve come for you
So out of play
So out of mind

Unfriendly air
Is closing in
To choke me down
I’ll somehow win

Endurance run
I would repeat
I do for you
Do what you need

Don’t see the pain
This way we win
I’d lie for you
My only sin

My life for you
In foreign land
Give up my home
To hold your hand

As an aside, this song also worked as a fun experiment. I took the vocal tracks (with no music whatsoever), copied them to a CD, and handed them to a group called Electric Colony. My only comment was that it was recorded at 80beats/minute and the chord changes were Aminor, Fmajor, Cmajor, Gmajor.

As they had never heard my versions, what came back was an entirely different being. I really love that music can be interpreted so individually…
Both are available on this blog’s player. Mine is ‘Alien’, and EC’s is the "Elecolonized Remix."