2026
Theory of Relativity
Lyrics
How long is a minute? Try holding your breath.
How long is an hour? When you've lost sight of the shore and the water's at your neck
How long is a day? When your bags are all checked when you've said your last goodbyes
How long is a lifetime? When youth has been reduced to but a glimmer. It's just a sliver.
How heavy is the hand? That helps you off the floor
How heavy is the arm? Draped about your shoulders at a Saturday matinee
How heavy is the body? Lain across your breast breathing steam against your neck
How heavy is the burden? When hard times turn toward the grimmer. It's just a sliver.
What would you do with an eternity? Be an exploding sun
Or a wave fleeting crashing into shore or the rocks it's dashed upon turned into cobble stone
Illuminated by gas lamps and stars two pairs of leather soles
One is a creature of the night and the other one's a sinner. It's just a sliver
The Prompt
Song prompt: Glimmer
Background
This one started with randomly putting the capo on 5 and strumming a C shape (F major). The first line bubblec up through the fog: "How long is a minute? Try holding your breath." The rest of the first verse came easy ofter that, expanding on the length of time and the mutable nature of what time means in contex. Weight seemed a logical progression from time. And mirrors the first verse nicely in my ear. Verse three was the problem child here. I don't want to go into what it means to me, because I think it ruins some of what it could mean to you. I only assure you that it's not nonsense. It's just a sliver.
Recording
- Yamaha FS5
- Ibanez AS73
- 8oz Mason Jar
- Warm Audio WA87 R2
- Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
I had been playing harmonica for all of about 15 minutes when I recorded this. It's a C harp which makes this "12th position?" I don't even know what that means. I play it much better now, but I love how raw and broken it sounds here. So I'm keeping it. Also, I wanted a slide guitar, but I don't have a slide. Thus, the mason jar.