Words and music by Monte Amende
ALBUM: July (Working title) - 2009

Another song I began working on when I lived in Mitchell, probably in 1998 when my band Flood Romeo was still stumbling along. At that time all I had was the chorus. I only played with it three times and two of those were in the car coming or going to band practice in Sioux Falls. At some point, I forgot the musical line on the chorus. Usually when that happens it's a clear indicator that the song isn't very good. Ever couple years, though, the lyrics to the chorus would pop into my head and I'd toy with the idea of trying to stir up the music. That's what happened a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to add a seventh song to the July album project (seventh month - seven songs). The lyrics popped in and this time they brought the music. I don't know if that means it's a good song, but I'm liking it.

When I began sequencing I fess up, I borrowed a little too heavily from the song Starlight by Muse. I've revisited the drums and many other things to minimize that. Even though the grinding bass is really the most similar element I just can't part with it... too awesome.  Fuzz aside the bass line actually feels more like When I look at the World by U2. Anyhow, I'm being honest about the inspiration for the instrumentation and I strongly encourage everyone to purchase the album Black Holes and Revelations by Muse.

The mix here doesn't have the melody line. I thinking about placing this song after Misfortune's Sister, as they both share a short theme. In Misfortune's Sister, the theme is played by the searing electric guitar. In Also Ran it's set in the tear drop piano and echoed by the some spacing bell chimes. Again, a long ways to go on this, but I hope you enjoy and stay tuned.

VERSE I

Steps into play
Brags as he’s
Taking a rocking horse down

Asks her to stay
Comes across
Needy and flittering

Pulls the strings
Waving back
He marvels at his restraint

Closing in
Something has changed
But nothing feels different

PRECHORUS

Filling up on empty notions
By full moon he philosophized

The shear folly, star crossed lovers
dreamers and their filthy minds

So no wonder thrice rejected
scheming now, and laying mines

False and fateful, blows his leg off
Reckoning the pitch refined

CHORUS

So hold your breath this time
The planets sway inline
When destiny is at hand
God bless the also ran

VERSE II

The gathering gray
The clouds roll in and
Lightening seems targeted

Claims she's afraid
And once he said
She could do anything

Now dropping blame
and drops that names

Shakey and lame
As she goes
like he could let her remain

PRECHORUS

Did you ever hear the story
The Boy who could not count to four?

How his cohorts love to tell it
And he laughs along since he can't keep score.

A year slips by a storm still lingers
Veterans return, alone and blind

Out of nowhere,
Here's to hubris
He gave up, but she resigned

CHORUS