“In The Depths”

notes

“I’d originally written this song for an old friend who suffered from depression; I’d tried to understand- in metaphor- to understand how that might feel- submerged beneath an ocean, staring up at the surface above.

As metaphor, that’s not too far away from grief either- submergence, minimal light filtering to the ocean floor. So it works (for me) on two levels- one, a salute to an old friend; two, a tip of the hat to grief (grief is like a friend who not leave until acknowledged).

Red had heard the demos of this track- happily the slide guitar parts were pulled from the original demos (recorded in 2010), so they serve as a little energetic link between then and now”

...warming up for a take... — …warming up for a take…
photo ©2018 niall parker

lyrics

We’re deep in the ocean
In a world of dark-blue and grey
Waves flicker making shadows
Window to the world above
We’re heading for the surface
On a collision course
With the heat of the sun

Who knows what lives
Down in this depth?
There’s things that hate the light
Sunlight or truth or honesty
They ‘re one and the same
We’re fixing to return to the surface to see
What the light will bring

Living in a lightless world
It’s been a long time since the hatches were opened
Air wouldn’t taste so sweet
To see the sky would break your heart
Such a high value for a lighter blue

Dreams are no longer lies to fear

...setting up for the drum take... — …setting up for the drum take…
photo ©2018 niall parker

credits

from the album Red, released March 8, 2020
Music & Lyrics by Niall Parker

equipment

Tokai ES335
Fender Twin amplifiers
Fender 1974 Jazz fretless bass
Ludwig Amber Vistalite Bonham reissue kit
Paiste 2002 cymbals