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Brandon Caulfield - Tales From The Heartlands [Album Thread] [All Tracks Posted]
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Online C4AJoh  
#21 Posted : 30 July 2012 02:01:03(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: RoseJapanFan Go to Quoted Post
Bianca: I love this song so much, it reminds me of my father haha. Amazing lyrics as always, you never fail to impress.


Brandon: Why thank you very much Ms. Moretti! That’s pretty much exactly what I hoped it would do, make you think about the people that work hard to take care of their family and perhaps don’t quite get the breaks that they deserve in life, glad that came across in some way. The Italian girl gets it! Haha, thanks again Bianca, it’s very much appreciated!
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RoseJapanFan on 30/07/2012(UTC)
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#22 Posted : 30 July 2012 03:01:26(UTC)
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6) - Seattle Has Never Looked So Beautiful (4:27)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The general pace of the album picks up from here onwards as the rock elements begin to show themselves, the lyrics and theme of the song show the development of more of a storytelling side to Caulfield’s songwriting that he had initially hoped would become evident on this album, the lyrics are written in a way that you’d imagine a poem would be written perhaps, it’s almost like Caulfield is just telling a story to his female companion maybe fifty years after the actual event occurred, (“I remember the way the Seattle skyline looked from where we would sit/Bathed in the beauty of the moonlight and the promise that a broken heart was on the mend/There’s something incredibly healing about that silence in the dead of night/And in the moment when our eyes locked, I never thought that moment was ever gonna end”) its opening verse, setting the image and general tone for the track. It’s one of the more hope-filled songs from the album with the songs catchy chorus giving it more of that hopeful and love-struck nature, light relief from the nature of the earlier songs from the album.

The song begins with the striking of an electric guitar chord, it’s something that happens another three times at the beginning of the song before the opening verse of the song begins and is done with much precision by JR Rhythm, at around twenty seconds into the song you can hear the repetitive pounding of the drums which is provided by Caulfield who shows his multi-instrumentalist ability. The striking of JR Rhythm’s guitar strings are the major element of the songs rock nature and it’s during the chorus when he strikes downwards in three short bursts with much power on the electric guitars strings where the true strength of the song lies, as Caulfield rises his vocals in order to match the ferocity of the guitar as he sings (“Seattle has never looked so beautiful/And the skyline has never looked so bright/The night has never felt more wonderful/With you cradle in my arms tonight.”).
Before the next verse of the song appears, there’s space to maneuver with a slight instrumental breakdown that allows the guitar and drums to have free reign for an extended thirty-five second period which allows the nature of the song to become rather big and epic, a signal of what’s to come throughout the rest of the album, with guitar riffs, pounding drums, anthemic choruses and stories of an intriguing nature.

LYRICS
I remember the way the Seattle skyline looked from where we would sit
Bathed in the beauty of the moonlight and the promise that a broken heart was on the mend
There’s something incredibly healing about that silence in the dead of night
And in the moment when our eyes locked, I never thought that moment was ever gonna end
And then our lips touched and you became more than just a friend
Your body curled perfectly against mine

We spent that night, hand in hand
You were cradled perfectly in my arms
Your body pressed closely up against my own
As you anxiously bit your lip
Just tempting me in

Seattle has never looked so beautiful
And the skyline has never looked so bright
The night has never felt more wonderful
With you cradled in my arms tonight

We awoke in the morning to the brightness of the sun
Still laying side by side on the soft green grass of the hilltop
The songbird’s melodic greeting, welcoming us into the new day ahead
You gently awakened with the soft kiss that I placed upon your beautiful forehead
You turned to me and smiled, a smile that I’d never seen before
And it’s clear to me that your all that I’ve been searching for

Rest your head against my chest
And let the crickets chip their songs
Let the sun bathe down upon our glory
And realise that this is where we both belong

Seattle has never looked so beautiful
And the skyline has never looked so bright
The night has never felt more wonderful
With you cradled in my arms tonight

SIMILAR TO
Blind Pilot; New York
> The backing music, especially the drum beats and kinda similar vocals <




7) - Weather The Storm, Take The Long Walk Home (5:02)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The seventh track from the album finds the mix of slow and thoughtful with powerful and frustrated, it’s theme is that of broken dreams or life not becoming all that you may have envisioned, the song’s lyrics talk of a person that is living in the same town that they were brought up in despite them always having bigger plans and dreams of leaving that just never came to fruition, it’s lyrics sing of the familiarities and the boring routine that happens to be the same each and every day, (“It’s familiar and it’s comfortable/But it’s filled with regret and despair”), Caulfield goes on to sing about the reasons for his dreams not coming true, the fact that there’s just something about his hometown that keeps him there and almost accepting that he’s never really gonna follow his dreams and leave the place that brings so much frustration to him.

The song begins with a hauntingly beautiful Harmonica introduction which is quickly followed by the slow and melodic tones of Caulfield’s piano playing, it’s emotive and rather beautiful as he quite softly sings the songs opening lyrics in a very storytelling sort of way, as the music continues, the second verse follows suit in a very similar way, the inclusion of the guitars in the second verse are quiet and held back during the songs early stages which makes way perfectly for the song’s lyrics to settle into your minds, although Brandon’s vocals are soft and emotive, there’s a tinge of roughness about them, almost delivering vocals with a beaten and bruised and sense. It’s during the chorus however where the music thunders into action, the piano keys feel more urgent and the soft guitar playing is replaced with a powerful riff as Caulfield’s vocals increase in their general tone, almost like he’s growling the lyrics, (“We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home/No matter how much we want to live/While out hometown takes all that we can give.”), the music continues in this similar fashion throughout the rest of the song as the guitars drive it forward and Caulfield gives a vocal performance to match the sheer velocity of the music that encapsulates the lyrics perfectly.

LYRICS
Each day I walk these same streets
Past the same fountain in the center of town
Past the same places and all the same faces each and every day
I walk on past the liquor store, past the old church and the cemeteries
I wander down the street that’s become so familiar to me
The same car’s parked on the side of the roads, same smell in the air
It’s familiar and it’s comfortable
But It’s filled with regret and despair

I walk up along the driveway
That I must have walked a couple thousand times or more
Just constantly day-dreaming of a new place for all of us to go
It’s a dream that will go unanswered because it’s just never the right time
Getting out of this old town is the hardest mountain to climb
When your roots are down there’s just no pulling them from the ground
There almost cemented in the same place until the end of time, it seems
We’re just destined for this life of unanswered dreams

We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home
The path of such familiarity
The place to start a family
We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home
Just like our fore-fathers did too
Just like I’ll do with you
We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home
No matter how much we want to live
While our hometown takes all that we can give

There’s something in the waters that stops us from leaving
It’s like if we took in other types of air
Maybe we’d stop breathing
Perhaps it was the influence of our family that went before
I remember listening to my father talking about the beauty of the place I was born
He said “Here, you’ll never have to be alone”

He’d say, “Here, you’ll always have a neighbour”
“Here, you’ll always have a friend”
But I don’t want to be stuck in this dead-end
When there’s a life that’s greater in the distance
Just a little too far out of reach for now
But it’s a dream that I keep on having
That I just can’t seem to let go

But we’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home
The path of such familiarity
The streets that look the same to me
The place to start our family
We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home
Just like our fore-fathers did too
For old and new
Just like I’ll do with you
We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home
No matter how much we want to live
While out hometown takes all that we can give
We’ll just weather the storm and take the long walk home

SIMILAR TO
Tom Petty; Southern Accents
> The piano playing and the vocals are similar to those in the first two verses <



OOC: I'm gonna release the album a week earlier (today) and so I'll post all of the tracks today since I'm pretty sure I've had as much interest as it's gonna get lol not much point in dragging it out any longer
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RoseJapanFan on 30/07/2012(UTC)
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#23 Posted : 30 July 2012 03:13:25(UTC)
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8) - What Do You Do When Your Dreams Come True? (4:18)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The next song from the album takes on a slightly similar theme and feeling within its lyrics, “What Do You Do When Your Dreams Come True?” is a song about someone that once had a lot to work towards, someone who had plans and that perhaps started to faded as time went on and they started to grow older and maybe even more comfortable in the averageness of their working lives, it’s opening verse sets the songs tone instantly as Caulfield sings the opening lines, (“You’re a shadow of your former self/You were once on a pedestal/But now you’re on the shelf/Just gathering dust in the winter and rain/Nothing left to live for/Nothing left to gain.”) It’s implied from an early stage of the song that it’s about haunting regrets and dreams that just never came to fruition as the years moved on.

The song begins with a slow and rather melodic opening guitar riff that sets the general pace of the song, Caulfield’s vocals sound gritty and powerful with a tinge of sadness in the circumstance of the person that he’s singing the song about, the guitar riff from the introduction continues to play melodically throughout the song and the soft piano backing gives the song a certain element of beauty, not something completely uncommon throughout the rest of the song with its attempt at an inspirational pre-chorus (“They say follow your heart/Follow your dreams/Follow the pathway/The in-betweens/Follow your instincts/Because you know that they’re good/Follow your heart, the way that you should.”) which sets the tempo and emotion levels quite well for the songs main lyrical question, (“So where did you go when your dreams came true?/What did you do when they burnt to the ground?/Did you stand back to your feet and give it another try?/Did you come back stronger than ever before?/Or did you let it all die?”) which is repeated as the final part of the song with lyrics changed ever-so slightly in order to end the song on a slightly more inspirational note.

LYRICS
You’re a shadow of your former self
You were once on a pedestal
But now you’re on the shelf
Just gathering dust in the winter and rain
Nothing left to live for
Nothing left to gain

You were destined for great things
You were gonna be a star
Head on down the Jersey turnpike
With a pocket full of dreams and a battered old guitar
Did your life go according to plan?
Or did they falter in the cold and the rain?

What do you do when your dreams come true?
What do you do when they don’t?
What do you do when you fall from grace?
Do you head back home without a trace?
Where do you go when your plans are made?
Where do you go when they’re gone?
Where do you go when your dreams come true?
Where do you go when they don’t?

They say follow your heart
Follow your dreams
Follow the pathway
The in-betweens
Follow your instincts
Because you know that they’re good
Follow your heart the way that you should

So where did you go when your dreams came true?
What did you do when they burnt to the ground?
Did you stand back to your feet and give it another try?
Did you come back stronger than ever before?
Or did you let it all die?

Where do you go when your dreams are gone?
When you’re a shadow of your former self
Do you try to make a change once more?
Or find yourself let of the shelf?
Gathering dust in the winter and rain
Or do you believe that your dreams will come back again?

What do you do when your dreams come true?
Will you fight to keep them alive?
What do you do when your dreams come true?
Will you promise to never let them die?

SIMILAR TO
The Gaslight Anthem; Blue Jeans And White T-Shirts
> The composition, instrumentation and vocals are all similar to this song <




9) - She Carries The Weight Of The World

SONG DESCRIPTION
The next track is another slow and melancholy type of song, it’s soft and almost relaxing despite its lyrical theme being one of a regretful and mournful nature, the lyrics are about a woman who deals with all kinds of disappointment in her relationship with someone who doesn’t treat her the way that she quite clearly deserves and often neglects her, but she stays strong through all of the bad times because she’s still believes in the magnitude of love and still believes that despite the problems that often arise with her husband/boyfriend she knows that there’s a love there, the song is sung from the point of view of the husband/boyfriend who realises his mistakes and promises that he will try to treat her the way that she deserves, Caulfield sings of the graceful and dignified nature of the woman and how much of a wonderful person she is.

The soft emotional piano playing from Caulfield introduces the song and the backing of the acoustic guitars by JR Rhythm and Moe Z give the song it’s ideal musical backdrop that enhances the song. Brandon’s vocals are sang in a way that makes you believe that he’s the character that has treated the woman so negatively and it’s weather worn vocal with a tenderness, as ever it’s not perfectly pitched with high notes but you believe the words that Brandon is singing throughout and even feel like he could break down at any moment, that moment doesn’t happen however but it always appears to be a slight possibility, particularly as Brandon sings latterly in the song, (“I’ve watched you suffer/Yet you never once complained/You’d come pick up my drunken body from the bar/Even when it rained/I’d ask you why stuck around/You said perfection wasn’t what you’re looking for/You told me that if it was, then you would have been long gone out of the door.”) the song ends beautifully with the combination of piano and acoustic guitar.

LYRICS
She has the weight of the world upon her shoulders
She just takes everything on with such a dignity and grace
She can have fun with her friends in a downtown bar
Or philosophise with world leaders and poets
All the while never feeling out of place

She can take everything that you throw at her with a charm like no other
All the while knowing full well that she deserves much better
And yet she still stays, god bless her

Oh, my darling girl
Sorry for treating you so unkind
Sorry for putting you through hell for so long
It kills me to see that you didn’t even mind

All those times that I came home drunk
I’d stumble into bed is what you’d find
You’d still wake early in the morning with breakfast on the table
Darling, you are one of a kind
You should have left me a long time ago
You should have left me behind
You deserved so much better
It’s gonna be much different this time

Our debts would pile up over the winter months
You’d take on an extra hours
You’d work your fingers to their bones
I don’t know where you got your powers

Such a graceful young woman
With the beauty of a princess
Stuck in a life less lived
Stuck in this hopeless mess

Oh, my darling girl
Sorry for treating you so unkind
Sorry for putting you through hell for so long
It kills me to see that you didn’t even mind

I’ve watched you suffer
Yet you never once complained
You’d come pick up my drunken body from the bar
Even when it rained
I’d ask you why you stuck around
You said perfection isn’t what you’re looking for
You told me that if it was, then you would have been long gone out of the door

Everything I’ve done and yet your still laughing and joking
All the hurtful things I’ve done, all the painful words that I’ve spoken
All the hells that I’ve put you through and you stood by my side each time
I swear to god you’re the most incredible young woman
I dunno how your still mine

SIMILAR TO
Ray LaMontagne; Within You
> The general music background is kinda similar <
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RoseJapanFan on 30/07/2012(UTC)
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#24 Posted : 30 July 2012 03:21:03(UTC)
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10) - The Assassination Of My Town (6:41)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The tenth track from the album is a slightly different product from the album, it increases the storytelling nature of Caulfield’s songwriting even further than the previous songs have done, it follows the songwriting style from the opening verse of the earlier track “Seattle Has Never Looked So Beautiful” but it’s imbedded in long flowing verses throughout and the removal of a chorus as such which is something that separates it from previous songs from the album. Lyrically it may be poorer than previous efforts and it may be of an overblown nature but it’s instrumental backdrop is something that enhances it in some way.
It’s a song about a guy that opens fire in a train station and its outcome but it’s the final verse of the song that gives it the deeper meaning that Caulfield may have hoped, in the final verse he sings about the lasting effect that this fatal day will have on his tiny hometown and the unassuming nature of the people that occupy the small and uneventful place, (“My town will forever be known as a tragedy/Forever known for the amount of bodies that hit the floor/My town will never be the same/It will never be the same as it was once before/My town, forever known for this heartless crime/The assassination in my town/Is just a catchphrase that people only whisper about for the rest of time.”)

The song begins in complete silence for a few seconds before the slow and repetitive pounding of the drums from somewhere in the background, throughout the first couple of verses it’s the drum beat and assertive vocals of Brandon Caulfield that are pushed to the forefront as he takes on the role of ‘Storyteller’ during the song, he sings through the long and detailed lyrics with an aggression and an urgency that the lyrics perhaps ask for but it’s the inclusion of two driving guitars that give the song the power that it was lacking early on in the song, it’s guitars push the song further and a twelve second guitar riff mid-way through the song gives the instrumental high point while the drums continue to beat loudly in the background, as the song comes towards the latter stages, Caulfield’s vocal becomes more wary as the lyrics would require and in the final verse of the song he sings with a sadness while it ends with one final giant drum beat.

LYRICS
The train pulls into the station at night and out steps a man all dressed in black
The heel of his boots echo on the platform while the train speeds off down the track
He wanders up through the large staircase and out into the great wide open
He shuffles nervously back and forth, until the large entrance doors fling open
About fifteen cops come walking through and cautiously surround the man in black
But civilians are just too close for the cops to open fire
The plan has fired back

The man in black pulls out a gun and warns the cops that he’ll shoot
Grabbing a civilian from nearby and placing the gun to her head
He yells “Come any close and I swear to god, she’ll end up dead”
The cops timidly surrounding but continue to hold fire
The civilian screams out a heart wrenching noise
It’s a situation far too dire

As the cops edge closer, he bellows; “Get back or I’ll turn this place to hell!”
While all the strangers in the distance are thinking; “There’s no way this ends well”
The cops try to talk to him and convince him to give up the fight
But it’s clear to us all that we may not make it home alive tonight
They try to get him to tell his story of why it has to end this way
But he’s not willing to talk to them, there’s thing that he just won’t say

Mumbling from the cops are heard along with sirens blaring loud outside
He knows that the odds are against him, he’s got nowhere to hide
And suddenly from behind, through the emergency doors
More cops appear, surrounding him ever more
The cards are still somehow in his hands
With so many civilians at risk

They shout out loud “Put your weapon down”
He just shakes his head and whispers in the girl’s ears
It must have been something dark as she broke down in tears
“Please, please just let me go”
But he pulled her closer than before
Suddenly everything stops
You hear one big shot
As her body falls to the floor

Gunfire blazes all around the station hall
The man is running as a bunch of bodies fall
Some are wounded while some are dead
And finally the cops get the killer with five fatal shots to the head
The carnage and the wreckage that surrounds the fortunate that survive
Will haunt us til’ we die

My town will forever be known as a tragedy
Forever known for the amount of bodies that hit the floor
My town will never be the same
It will never be the same as it was once before
My town
Forever known for this heartless crime
The assassination in my town
Is just a catchphrase that people only whisper about for the rest of time

SIMILAR TO
Bruce Springsteen; Outlaw Pete
> The instrumentation and vocals are all similar to this song <




11) – Those Cold And Haunted Eyes (4:29)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The song is a continuation of the darker themes of the album and more notably the previous track both lyrically and musically, it’s a song about the darker side of a relationship or indeed a marriage as Caulfield sings of a painful silence that seems to remain between the couple, night after night. He sings of the regret that his companion may have and attempts to understand why she seems so ‘Cold and Haunted’, it’s a tender song that has been crafted and it’s the simplicity of the lyrics throughout that gives the song its main power, as it’s something that could be instantly relatable to many in a similar situation (“I’ve played the loving husband/You’ve tried to play the caring wife/But when I look in your eyes/It just ain’t no surprise/You’re not happy in this life.”) are the words that remain in your thoughts as Caulfield sings as someone trying his hardest to understand and ultimately fix what appears to be broken in the final verse, (“So just tell me what I can do/To turn this grey sky to blue/And make this pain go away/I’ll work forever and a day/To make all of your dreams come true”) that ends the song on an emotional note despite its somewhat hokey and perhaps even cheesy lyric.

“Those Cold And Haunted Eyes” opens with a soft and tender piano introduction that the songs general theme and lyrical direction would dictate, the piano instrumentation sets the scene perfectly and is played quite beautifully by Brandon Caulfield and is quickly backed by the soft twang of an acoustic guitar that enhances the beauty of the composition, Caulfield’s voice is that of someone who has gone through many hard-ship and the almost weather worn and gruff Tom Waits-esque murmuring into the microphone give the song a much more real feeling of the situation and how it has ultimately effected not only the wife but the husband too, it’s evident that there plans and dreams that they made in the past aren’t quite as they would have both imagine and hoped they would appear and the darker side to love and marriage is shown fully in this soft four minute piece of tender heart tugging music.

LYRICS
The rain beats down over the old orchard tree
Where we shared our dreams as children
When it was just you and me
Your eyes would gleam so bright
In that soft summer sun
When the rain would start
You’d take my hand and run

But thirty years on
Did our hope filled dreams come true
We’re still together, we’re married with children
But girl, when I look at you
I look deep in your eyes and there’s just nothing there
It’s like you’re still breathing
But you just don’t care

I’ve played the loving husband
You’ve tried to play the caring wife
But when I look in your eyes
It just ain’t no surprise
You’re not happy in this life

If I could part the clouds
And let the sun shine so bright
I’d take your hand and we’d walk deep into the night
Just like we did back then
We’d remember the good times that passed
But in the back of your mind
I’d know you’d be thinking
“Those good times don’t last”

So do we just settle for this silence
Every single night
Our kids are wrapped up in bed
They’re wrapped up real tight
But you just sit there motionless
Across the room from me
And darling I can’t fix this mess
If you won’t open up to me

Can’t you see what we have
This is what we dreamt of back then
But maybe your dreams come and go
And maybe they’ll come back around again

I just don’t know what to do
When I look in your eyes
You seem cold and haunted
It’s like you’re living a compromise

So just tell me what can I do
To turn this grey sky to blue
And make this pain go away
I’ll work forever and a day
To make all of your dreams come true

SIMILAR TO
Ryan Bingham; The Weary Kind
> The composition, instrumentation, theme and vocal style are all similar to this song <
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RoseJapanFan on 30/07/2012(UTC)
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#25 Posted : 30 July 2012 03:36:32(UTC)
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12) - Set Me Free (5:02)

SONG DESCRIPTION
As the album begins to draw to a close it’s the raucous rock nature that are pushed forward in two of the final three tracks from the album, “Set Me Free” and “Better Days Ahead” are the most obvious indications of the albums rock credentials with its emphasis on power and force. The theme of this song in particular ties in with the vast majority of the whole album, it’s a song about a man that is questioning all that he’s working for and working towards even. As Caulfield sings, (“I’m tired of working hard/When it seems to amount to nothing/I’m tired of singing the songs/That only the broken hearted sing/I’m tired of seeing the image of what my life could be/I’m tired of living like this/I need someone to set me free”) It’s lyrics are matched not with a tender and emotional vocal but instead one with huge power and aggression, as Caulfield shows that he doesn’t always need to sing with his inside voice and instead he fire’s out the lyrics with a certain venom and velocity that has been rare from the singer in the past.

The song begins with an eerie Harmonica introduction that lasts about eleven seconds and is quickly replaced by powerful guitar riff that plays heavily in the background alongside the giant echoes of the drum beats that set the general tone of the song from an early stage. The opening verse from Brandon sets the picture almost instantaneously, making it quite clear that this is a song about trying to find some sort of freedom away from the constraints of a life less lived. It also has an element of loneliness in its lyrics during the second verse (“I work hard all day but I’m wondering what it all builds up to/When I come home it’s just empty and dark/it’s not the same here without you.”) But it’s an element of the song that isn’t the primary focus, that is of course something which become clear during the chorus and it’s follow-up (“Free from the walls that are closing in/Free from the lies that a broken promise brings/Free from the over-complication of such simple ideas/Free from all of my deepest and darkest fears/Free from the crowds that look at me in that way/Free from the same old places that I don’t want to stay/Free from the burden of expectation on me/I need someone to set me free”). As the song moves towards it’s latter stages it’s the guitars that drive the song forward and the strike of a final chord signals the end of the song.

LYRICS
I used to dream instead of living
Before life took away all that I had to cling to
Now I’m living instead of dreaming
I’m just trying to find the wall that I can break through

The walls are closing in on me and the rain is piling up outside
The wind is blowing wild and free but there’s nowhere left to hide
I work hard all day but I’m wondering what it all builds up to
When I come home it’s just empty and dark
It’s not the same here without you

I used to have dreams
But they soon faded away
They just faded into the abyss
And they ain’t coming back someday
I used to have hopes of what our life could be
But now I’m just here in this empty space we once shared
Feeling all kinds of misery

I’m tired of working hard
When it seems to amount to nothing
I’m tired of singing the songs
That only the broken hearted sing
I’m tired of seeing the image of what my life could be
I’m tired of living like this
I need someone to set me free

Free from the walls that are closing in
Free from the lies that a broken promise brings
Free from the over-complication of such simple ideas
Free from all of my deepest and darkest fears
Free from the crowds that look at me in that way
Free from the same old places that I don’t want to stay
Free from the burden of expectation on me
I need someone to set me free

I’m working hard for money, but I no longer care
Money don’t mean a thing when you’ve got no one to share
They say ‘Poor man wanna be rich’
‘Rich man wanna be king’
And ‘A king ain’t satisfied till’ he rules everything’
But those words don’t ring true to me
Because I just wanna be set free

Free from the walls that are closing in
Free from the lies that a broken promise brings
Free from the over-complication of such simple ideas
Free from all of my deepest and darkest fears
Free from the crowds that look at me in that way
Free from the same old that I don’t want to stay
Free from the burden of expectation on me
I just need someone to set me free

Cos’ I’m tired of working hard
When it seems to amount to nothing
I’m tired of singing the songs
That only the broken hearted sing
I’m tired of seeing the image of what my life could be
I’m tired of living like this
I need someone to set me free

SIMILAR TO
Mumford & Sons; Thistle & Weeds
> The angry vocal style and that urgent sounding instrumental music towards the end of this song are similar to “Set Me Free” <




13) – Fireflies & Bedouins (5:16)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The song opens up with a powerful drum beat which is quickly added to by the inclusion of a harmonica introduction by Brandon, his first use of the instrument of any real note which leads into the song and as the harmonica introduction ends, he strikes the strings of his electric guitar three times, pauses for a brief moment before striking his guitar three times again, somewhat reminiscent to the quick-fire chords on Baba O’Riley by The Who, the guitars then begin to blend into the background of the song a little more as an almost dreamy like piano introduction is played by Sarah Jade Harrison, pushing the emphasis and melody of the song more to the forefront as the rest of the instruments serve more as a backing sound for the piano which becomes the most dominant instrument throughout the track, giving an almost dreamy like feel which matches the lyrics and the vocals from Brandon as he sings softly, “As these beautiful fireflies pass before my dreaming eyes/I gaze across this field of green and wonder what might have been/If my life had passed by the way that I planned/Maybe I’d never have conquered this promised land/I’ll close my eyes as I feel a tear drop/And think to myself ‘It’s lonely at the top”

The music progresses more dramatically as the song moves away from the dreamy and more into an urgent feel, Brandon’s vocals now sound increased in volume ever so slightly, feeling the urgency of the lyrics as he sings, “While some fathers return home to the smile of their children and wives/I’ll lay on the cold and empty floor thinking, ‘what happened to my nine lives’/I’ll wake in the morning with the sun as my only friend/I’ll set out on my day ahead and hope that this is all pretend” The main combination during the final stages of the song is the twinkly keys of the piano which almost serve as a metaphor for the hope and belief felt by the main character and the pounding drums which add to the intensity of the characters situation almost like the soundtrack to the fighting, matched by Caulfield’s vocals which are able to switch almost seamlessly between hope filled and beaten and bruised but it’s almost a haunted and regretful feel as he sings the final line of the song ” When I close my eyes, all that I can see are fireflies, you and me”

LYRICS
As these beautiful fireflies pass before my dreaming eyes
I gaze across this field of green and wonder what might have been
If my life had passed by the way that I planned
Maybe I’d never have conquered this promised land
I’ll close my eyes as I feel a tear drop
And think to myself ‘It’s lonely at the top’

And I’ll lead my men into battle as the Bedouins back down
And the fire that we caused will slowly rise upon this humble town
I’ll just close my eyes for the element of surprise
Yeah, I’ll close my eyes for the element of surprise

So this war will be won, the damage will be done
Our land is ours once more my friend
But let’s not be blind sighted, let’s not pretend
That everything is perfect, when nothing ever feels right
We’re lonely and we know it, we need love to save us tonight

While some fathers return home to the smile of their children and wives
I’ll lay on the cold and empty floor thinking, ‘what happened to my nine lives’
I’ll wake in the morning with the sun as my only friend
I’ll set out on my day ahead and hope that this is all pretend

As the beautiful fireflies fade and the Bedouins make their way
This scene turns from a blue sky and it’s turning into grey
But the sun is now replaced with the beating of the rain
As we face our battle and face a whole world of pain

I’ll lead my men into battle as the Bedouins back down
And the fire that we caused will slowly rise upon this humble town
I’ll just close my eyes for the element of surprise
Yeah, I’ll close my eyes for the element of surprise

So it looks like the end is nigh and there’s nothing left to do
I could put my weapons down again but I remember I’m still fighting for you
A spark will ignite in my empty soul and the thought of you will be enough to break my fall
So I won’t back down until the very end and I may be alone now
But I know that our love will transcend

Suddenly there was silence and the scene was empty and dark
It seems like enough was done and I thank you for igniting that spark
I know I’ll never see you again when my memory of you is all that remains
No matter how much I try to move on, it feels like your pulling the reigns

And now all that I see, are fireflies, you and me
And I’ll still close my eyes for the element of surprise
I’ll still close my eyes for the element of surprise
When I close my eyes, all that I can see are fireflies, you and me

SIMILAR TO
Ray LaMontagne; Lesson Learned
> The instrumentation is similar to this song<
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RoseJapanFan on 30/07/2012(UTC)
Online C4AJoh  
#26 Posted : 30 July 2012 03:42:10(UTC)
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14) - Better Days Ahead (2:58)

SONG DESCRIPTION
The final track from the album is a song that places its main focus in a slightly more positive direction, as an album closer it’s appearance is essentially to give a slightly more hopeful feel in comparison to the somewhat frustrating and disappointing nature of most of the albums themes, it serves as the silver lining in order to show that there can indeed be better days ahead despite the difficulties that you go through and that belief is something to hold onto very much because sometimes that’s all we have. Many have seen this song as the perfect way to end the album and in an interview with Caulfield he stated, “I think it ties together a lot of the music from the album, I’ve sung about struggling relationships, abandonment and the difficulties to provide for your family but I feel like there has to be a positive element at some point and I think that this track tied together a lot of the songs from the album”

The song begins with a repetitive drum beat and is quickly followed by an electric guitar riff that drives the song forward and gives an underlying power to the song’s lyrics, Brandon’s vocals are powerful and sung with an assertiveness which is a relatively rare element, his vocals match the instrumental power during the song and it’s even more evident during the songs anthemic rock chorus as Brandon repetitively sings of better days ahead, the instrumental music doesn’t let up either and Brandon continues to sing with that powerful rock voice during the final verse as he sings about keeping faith and belief in things and that everything will find it’s right path and to quote the songs title, there will be ‘Better Days Ahead’

LYRICS
Well that dark cloud that covered everything that we once knew
Has started to clear our vision, that much is true
We’ll take the world on and everything that it has to throw
We ain’t hiding
From life no more
No longer are we waiting for a break to come
We’re standing strong
We’re fighting on
Cos’ we weren’t born to run

We got tired of sitting in fear
Watching the whole world pass us by
Afraid to take our chances
Afraid to even try
But the dark cloud has cleared
And our worries have washed away
We ain’t afraid to believe once more
And this is what I’ll say

There’s better days ahead, baby
Just take it all in stride
There’s better days ahead, baby
With me standing by your side
There’s better days ahead
No more fear or doubt
There’s better days ahead
We can’t go without

Just keep your cross hangin’ round your neck
And darling, you’ll be alright
Keep your faith close to your heart
And we’ll make it through the night
Hard times come and hard times go
But we’ll keep marchin’ on through
Don’t look back into the past
Just look at me standing here
Forever standing right beside you

There’s better days ahead, baby
There’s no use in looking back
Cos’ there’s better days ahead, baby
Just forget about the things that we may lack
There’s better days ahead, baby
Just believe what I say to be true
There’s better days ahead, baby
I’ll forever be waiting here for you

SIMILAR TO
Ryan Adams; Chin Up, Cheer Up
> The general theme of the song is similar, the vocals and instrumentation has a more aggressive rock feel to it though <



OOC: That's the whole album finished :)

Edited by user 30 July 2012 03:44:23(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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RoseJapanFan on 30/07/2012(UTC)
Offline RoseJapanFan  
#27 Posted : 30 July 2012 03:52:13(UTC)
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OOC: Great job on the album RP, another amazing RP on here and I always love your lyrics :)
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C4AJoh on 30/07/2012(UTC)
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#28 Posted : 30 July 2012 05:48:33(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: RoseJapanFan Go to Quoted Post
OOC: Great job on the album RP, another amazing RP on here and I always love your lyrics :)


OOC: Thank youuuu, I'm glad that you like it :)
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Offline GirlSpice  
#29 Posted : 30 July 2012 06:47:29(UTC)
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Glamazon: This is a truly outstanding record, Brandon, definitely your best to date. You know I'm a huge fan of your music, so that probably comes as no surprise to you. As always, the lyrics are some of the best I've ever read, and it's music like this that makes me want to better myself as an artist. Fabulous!
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C4AJoh on 31/07/2012(UTC)
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#30 Posted : 31 July 2012 02:09:09(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: GirlSpice Go to Quoted Post
Glamazon: This is a truly outstanding record, Brandon, definitely your best to date. You know I'm a huge fan of your music, so that probably comes as no surprise to you. As always, the lyrics are some of the best I've ever read, and it's music like this that makes me want to better myself as an artist. Fabulous!


Brandon: Wow, that’s a pretty huge compliment, thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed the album and I appreciate it greatly, I don’t think I ever expected the music I made to inspire someone to wanna better themselves, it’s rather nice to hear that though, thank you once again for the high praise, It's always appreciated.
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#31 Posted : 31 July 2012 03:35:46(UTC)
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Ryan: It took me a while to get into a record like this because I'm an old school fan of this type of sounds and genres. When I think of folk rock, I don't think anyone does it better than Dylan. When I think of american rock music the first name that pops into my head is Bruce Springsteen. So I am learning to appreciate these sounds in 2012 because it's the direction I've taken with my own music. I enjoy this record because it's not something you hear in 2012 from someone who is successful and signed to a major label. It's the kind of music that moves you without being shoved down your throat. I think the influences here are clear and I respect anyone who is not dumbing down their music just for the sake of success or to get those quote "radio songs." I think this is a great record and it should be looked as such.
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C4AJoh on 31/07/2012(UTC)
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#32 Posted : 31 July 2012 06:16:42(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: PANIC! Go to Quoted Post
Ryan: It took me a while to get into a record like this because I'm an old school fan of this type of sounds and genres. When I think of folk rock, I don't think anyone does it better than Dylan. When I think of american rock music the first name that pops into my head is Bruce Springsteen. So I am learning to appreciate these sounds in 2012 because it's the direction I've taken with my own music. I enjoy this record because it's not something you hear in 2012 from someone who is successful and signed to a major label. It's the kind of music that moves you without being shoved down your throat. I think the influences here are clear and I respect anyone who is not dumbing down their music just for the sake of success or to get those quote "radio songs." I think this is a great record and it should be looked as such.


Brandon: That’s entirely understandable that you’d be somewhat wary of this type of music in the present, it’s the sort of music that perhaps doesn’t quite find a place in the industry as it did way back when, and I couldn’t agree more that those two are the god-like figures of those respective genres, they’re both without doubt the two single biggest influences on my own work. Thank you, I’m pleased that it comes across as something a little unexpected, there’s certainly always a worry when you become signed to a major label that their first reaction is “Where’s the hit singles?” but thankfully I’ve not had that question directed at me and instead have been allowed to create the album that I had hoped to create. I thank you once again for the positive reaction, it is very much appreciated.
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