In the late ’90s I began a collaboration with Yves on a self titled original music project. He was my musical director. We had been playing together since ’94 and had recently started dating. We thought we could make it big. We gave it a pretty good shot.
On our first trip together as a couple we drove out to Montauk in my little red Honda Civic. The thing had no AC and no power steering. It was a bitch to parallel park in NYC. It was just after labor day and we had been working on a song that was nearly complete when we hit the road. It was our first team songwriting endeavor and we felt certain we could complete it at the beach, so my Takamine acoustic was packed into the Honda.
The drive from Manhattan to Montauk is a solid two and a half hours without traffic. The LIE is never without traffic, so we were in for a bit of a drive. Somewhere around exit 62 or so, Yves had the idea for the chords to the chorus that would ultimately complete our opus.
I crawled over the seat to the back where my guitar was stowed. I opened the case, removed the instrument and climbed back into the passenger’s seat. I laid the seat back all the way down so I would have room to play. He called out the chords to me as he drove and I strummed the Takamine so we could hear the structure fall into place. A melody revealed itself to me as I played. The lyrics came quite naturally after that. By the time we made it to the east end, we had Dive completed.
After that we wrote all the time, at his place, at my place and in the studio, but finishing that first song in that tiny Honda was one of the most memorable musical experiences of my life.
Dive
Was I born here?
Is this where I’m from?
Or did I come here
to go where I’m one
of a million faces
in a never ending crowd.
Do you see me?
Is this what I am?
‘Cause they told me
there’s a bigger master plan.
They said treat it as if
you’re like any one of them.
But if I Dive into your sea
Can I swim for the shore?
And when there’s nothing left for me
Can I Dive in for more?
I won’t be the one you look through
(you know it’s the truth)
to read the writing on the wall.
And I won’t be the place you run to
(so don’t go so far)
‘Cause I can’t live this fairy tale.
So I’ll stay here
asleep in these arms.
‘Cause I can’t fight the world
it’s too hard.
It’s taken all that
I ever thought I had.
But if I Dive into your sea
Will I swim for the shore?
And when there’s nothing left of me
Will I Dive in for more?
I won’t be the one you look through
(you know it’s the truth)
to read the writing on the wall.
And I won’t be the place you run to
(so don’t go so far)
‘Cause I can’t live this fairy tale.
I won’t be the one you look through
(you know it’s the truth)
to read the writing on the wall.
And I won’t be the place you run to
(so don’t go so far)
‘Cause I can’t live this fairy tale.
