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The Black Flag by TomFairnie [Email]
Genre: Folk-Rock

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 903
Comments: 8
Votes: 7
Plays: 209
Last Played: Mar 20, 2008 - 11:53:12 AM
Downloads: 43
Fans: 1
Uploaded: Sep 18, 2006 - 04:06:11 AM
Last Updated: Sep 18, 2006 - 04:06:11 AM
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Description:
Without sounding too pretentious I wrote this song basing it on the temptation of Christ and how we all have to face our demons. Instead of a Judean wilderness I've set it in the deserts of Arizona.

Lyrics:
The Black Flag

I saw the stars on that black flag, flying over me
I was barefoot in this desert, cold sand under my feet
I was swearing at no-one, and turning my rosary
I was trying to understand what was happening to me
I’ve been thirstier than this, in the heart of a bar
I’ve been colder and colder, and colder by far
I’ve walked alone but I’ve never, never been afraid
But I can’t say why it feels like nothing gets heard
Then I saw the lightning up yonder, like a white sign
Saying beloved take care, I’ve got fire on my side
You wanna try and betray me, well I’m gonna find out
Confession and redemption that’s what this is all about
But all I know in this world, is that there’s truth and there’s lies
And we’re all dwelling right here, on the borderline
And if it’s the black flag of heaven, flying over this Hell
Then a sinner like me can be saved as well
I heard a wild dog howling, raging at the moon
Like it was guarding something, more precious than stones
But there’s nothing here that anyone, would want to keep
Just a promise that somewhere else there’s an innocent sleep
But I’ll be cursed from here, to my dying day
‘Cause I believed the Devil, and what he had to say
That faith was a rock, and if I walked a barefoot mile
I could find it again, that I’d be reconciled
Now I’m left standing here, on the bloodstained ground
I’ve got a smile as thin as twilight, and sand in my wounds
There’s blood like water, but nothing’s gonna grow
‘Cause no-one here is ever gonna reap, what they sow
And if the flag hung heavy, and the stars all fell
There’d be nothing new under heaven, or over Hell
And if we’re all lost, well some of us are free
The black flag, the desert, the dog and me
The black flag, the desert, the dog and me
The black flag, the desert, the dog and me
The black flag
© The Black Flag words & music by Tom Fairnie 31st January 2002

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very powerful &mdash 09/18/06 - 05:28:53 AM
whilst not sharing your faith, this still struck me as a very powerful song. It's got a great build up and I like the way you introduce instumentation and voices in layers to build the dynamic. My only suggestion would be that maybe the chord structure needs to change about 3/4 way through to something less strident, then wham! bring it all back in for the final part of the song. Good work, sounds like something you would definitely hear on the radio.

[ Reply to This ]
useful comment! &mdash 09/18/06 - 05:49:54 AM
Hi there! Thanks for the comment, this isn't meant as a faith song, rather it's showing how we all have to confront things we'd rather not! I think you're probably right about chord changes - wish I'd thought of that before the recording. It's the first track on my album and I thought it made for a pretty powerful opening. Tom

[ Reply to This ]
good opener &mdash 09/18/06 - 06:10:22 AM
That would make a great opening track. Good luck with your record.

---
Smokey Bacon Jnr - useless like his father

[ Reply to This ]
Nice &mdash 09/18/06 - 11:53:03 AM
I like the sound of your vocals. It compliments the music and style very
well. Very strong lyrics tool. They are good at conveying an image and
a message, which can be a hard thing to do well. The only thing that
bothers me ever so slightly is the oooohs that come in later on the
song. I lke all the other backing vocals but these just don't seem fitting
to me. But that's a minor gripe for a really good song.

[ Reply to This ]
The Black Flag &mdash 09/19/06 - 03:54:01 AM
awesome .... Tom ...such feeling here ..
o ye ..Black Flag ... you always so successfull
on pickin the right words .. but electric guitar ?
this farily new . imressive though ... I realy enjoyed
the hrmonies alot ..! the rethym and beat ... so
good and joyable .. well done ..!! another super hit !

[ Reply to This ]
Just a Great Song &mdash 09/19/06 - 11:05:59 AM
You have a great way with words and there's a poignancy in the feeling of
abandondment expressed in the song.

'And if we%u2019re all lost, well some of us are free'

Great lines, well done.

[ Reply to This ]
I liked . . . &mdash 09/23/06 - 02:55:52 PM
the feel of this song, but my personal feeling is that the tune is a bit
over produced. I liked the vocals, but the synth bass line -- or amped
up bass line? -- struck as over-powering the acoustic guitar and
vocals.

Good song, but I wish I could hear it with more of a Johnny Cash or
early Bob Dylan production style, more minimalistic, I think.

Cheers,
g

[ Reply to This ]
Slow build &mdash 10/05/06 - 08:35:53 AM
I like the slow build, the "over" production, I think it adds to the sense of
experiences layered on each other, growing inside. I'd keep adding them
on so that your last chorus would be even bigger; as is, the ending kind
of disappoints my ears' expectations. Solid balance, perfectly rounded.

[ Reply to This ]
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