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Description
Written in response to our Christmas/New Year holiday period and the prospect of becoming grandparents looming large after our daughter’s visit. “Up To You” touches on helplessness, love, getting older (and the passing of time), song writing, as well as the more immediate problem of a huge bushfire burning across the bay near friends’ houses. It’s about my feelings of sadness as I consider the world we’re leaving for our children’s children, and about the temporary nature of our lives in “the big picture”. It reflects my developing interest in Bob Dylan – reading his autobiography, watching the Scorcese film and listening to his music again after many years. Most of all it’s about the urgent need for all of us to “look after the planet” – it’s UP TO YOU!
At the same time, I think it’s a fairly positive song musically - there are 3 guitar tracks: strummed rhythm left and picked rhythm right, with the lead break centre. There are two vox tracks (with echo on the lead) with no other effects – second take on both. Playing the bass track on this was a blast, and I’ve left in some artefacts of my enthusiasm (no quantising here!). Hammond organ courtesy of Yamaha and Logic – I must learn to play keys properly one day! Finally, the drums and tambourine (for Ed!) rounded it all off. The song is longer than intended, but to me at least (and my darling daughter Mardi) the groove makes that OK!
Song art - Black & white detail from Picasso's Guernica, 1937. The painting is a response to the bombing of a Basque town during the Spanish civil war. (This poster features in Jim Mann's book Peace Signs).
As with all of my songs, Dr Jiguma suggests that you PLAY IT LOUD for best results!
At the same time, I think it’s a fairly positive song musically - there are 3 guitar tracks: strummed rhythm left and picked rhythm right, with the lead break centre. There are two vox tracks (with echo on the lead) with no other effects – second take on both. Playing the bass track on this was a blast, and I’ve left in some artefacts of my enthusiasm (no quantising here!). Hammond organ courtesy of Yamaha and Logic – I must learn to play keys properly one day! Finally, the drums and tambourine (for Ed!) rounded it all off. The song is longer than intended, but to me at least (and my darling daughter Mardi) the groove makes that OK!
Song art - Black & white detail from Picasso's Guernica, 1937. The painting is a response to the bombing of a Basque town during the Spanish civil war. (This poster features in Jim Mann's book Peace Signs).
As with all of my songs, Dr Jiguma suggests that you PLAY IT LOUD for best results!
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Lyrics
Up To You
© Neil Porter 2005
The new year turns, I think of
How our lives are written in the sand
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Bushfire burns across the bay
Sometimes things happen that aren’t planned
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
The earth keeps spinning
As we make our lonely way around the sun
As each new day goes by
I think of all the crazy things I’ve done
Maybe I’m living in the past
Maybe my memory’s finally gone
As each new day goes by
I think of all the crazy things I’ve done
Broken things make me ill at ease
That clock that’s waiting on the wall
These times have got me on the run
Dylan said “a song is like a dream”
This is my first dream of the year
I’ll simply smile when it is done
INSTRUMENTAL
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
I saw King Kong this afternoon
It made things strangely seem so clear
As each new day goes by
I find the time to shed another tear
This world I’m living in just isn’t how I
Thought the world would be
As each new day goes by
I shed a tear for many things I see
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
Broken things make me ill at ease
That clock that’s waiting on the wall
These times have got me on the run
Dylan said “a song is like a dream”
This is my first dream of the year
I’ll simply smile when it is done
The new year turns, I think of
How our lives are written in the sand
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Bushfire burns across the bay
Sometimes things happen that aren’t planned
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
© Neil Porter 2005
The new year turns, I think of
How our lives are written in the sand
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Bushfire burns across the bay
Sometimes things happen that aren’t planned
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
The earth keeps spinning
As we make our lonely way around the sun
As each new day goes by
I think of all the crazy things I’ve done
Maybe I’m living in the past
Maybe my memory’s finally gone
As each new day goes by
I think of all the crazy things I’ve done
Broken things make me ill at ease
That clock that’s waiting on the wall
These times have got me on the run
Dylan said “a song is like a dream”
This is my first dream of the year
I’ll simply smile when it is done
INSTRUMENTAL
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
I saw King Kong this afternoon
It made things strangely seem so clear
As each new day goes by
I find the time to shed another tear
This world I’m living in just isn’t how I
Thought the world would be
As each new day goes by
I shed a tear for many things I see
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
Broken things make me ill at ease
That clock that’s waiting on the wall
These times have got me on the run
Dylan said “a song is like a dream”
This is my first dream of the year
I’ll simply smile when it is done
The new year turns, I think of
How our lives are written in the sand
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Bushfire burns across the bay
Sometimes things happen that aren’t planned
As each new day goes by
I try my very best to understand
Ch
What can you do?
Go with the flow
It’s up to you
Which way you go
World needs some help right now
It’s really up to you
Rebsie
A lovely expression of a dark and urgent message in your usual sunny
Aussie style. That contrast really heightens it.
The harmony vocals aren't quite tight in a few places, but as you say,
this song is more about enthusiasm than technical perfection. I love
the way the lines 'Dylan said “a song is like a dream”/This is my
first dream of the year/I’ll simply smile when it is done' flow straight
into each other without a pause.
The lead break is just the right volume, I think!