YOU AND I
- Nov 29, 2023
- 3 min read
-Early Days-
Many years ago when I was in high school, I got an acoustic guitar for Christmas and I had never been more excited. I had only messed around a little with “songwriting”, but within the first few weeks of getting the song it inspired me to try and play something I could sing along to. However, at that point I had no experience with the chord fingerings, so I ended up using the open strings as the basis for my song. Back then, I realize that I didn’t think much about connecting the lyrics to a personal story, but wrote lyrics based on whatever emotions I felt through the limited notes/chord changes. I also at the time only thought about writing “love stories” because “that’s what everybody writes about” (lol), and so almost all the lyrics in the current day version was born (there was also a whole other verse cut from today’s version). I can’t quite remember why I chose the rhythmic way I sing the lyrics, but I think that’s what just felt right to me.
Unfortunately after learning that song (and a sad rendition of Blackbird by The Beatles), I basically put the guitar up for the next few years. Every few months I would play the same things, and then move on with my life. It wasn’t until recent that I met up with two people I met through an org, and we started songwriting. The first day we met, we really just talked and got to share projects we’ve been working on individually. I played them this song, and for some reason me revisiting the lyrics + their reaction to liking it really inspired me to lay down some tracks and bring it to life with new meaning.
-Behind You and I-
My original thoughts behind this song is completely different to its meaning today. When really thinking about what I want the song to be about, I at first thought of death. I had heard a story through my sister that made me think of her relationship with a woman she took care of for many years before recently passing, and I felt that I could connect it to the feeling of loss. However, I can think of many scenarios (including the previous one) that plays into this main idea of bringing the listener into my mind as I’m grappling with the unapologetic passing of time. For people listening, it could also be connected to the loss of:
friendships
Family/Parents/grandparents (in terms of them passing/having to cut ties)
Relationships
I feel like every single person can relate to a similar feeling. You want to hold onto that perfect moment where you and that other person were in moments of bliss during your time together. Whether it ended on good or bad terms, it’s still hard at times to come to terms with the fact that “these things eventually happen in life” with time, because life (whether we try to prevent it or not) is all about change. (Afterthought, not necessarily included in the song: it’s also such a huge reminder on why we can’t just live in the past or present, but to focus on being in the moment).
This song shows those moments of “relapse” in my mind, or post-thoughts after an event like that has occurred, where it’s hard to accept that someone/something that was once so important to me is now essentially gone, or will be gone eventually.
The “windowsill” of the house is like the entrance to my soul/memories, and I’m thinking of the moment where I first met what or who I lost later in life, knowing what’s to come.