Strung Tight (The Road To Rocktoberfest #1) - Ann Lister Page 0,84
say hello to who I assumed were the choir members. He waved his hand at us, and we stopped playing to allow for introductions.
“We loved your sound right away,” Henry, the leader of the group said to us. “We’ve been singing your song ever since Dagger sent us the demo tape and can’t wait to show you the composition we came up with to accompany it.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Dagger said with a huge grin on his face. “Okay, Fletcher. Get your guys ready.”
We took our positions again with our acoustic guitars strapped around our necks and Mike with his drum pads. He tapped out our intro as I leaned into my microphone and began to hum a bit before the lyrics for “Strung Tight” rolled from my mouth.
You stoke the fire that burns inside.
Flames so bright they light the sky.
You took me for a long, empty ride.
So many broken promises. I wish I’d let you drive on by.
Your love fades while mine still blooms.
Dying rose, the fragrance gone too soon.
The petals crumble and float to the floor.
Dust motes in sunbeams seep through a crack in the door.
Chorus:
I’m strung tight, so damn tight.
I stagger through the darkness to find the light.
Strung tight and feeling used.
There’s nothing left here of me and you.
I don’t want to lose you, but I won’t take the fall.
You can go away and leave me, you don’t care at all.
Blistering heat, the sun burns my face.
Wash away the ugliness, you’re nothing but a fake.
You pull on my strings like a puppet master.
You turned something beautiful into an epic disaster.
From the prick of your thorn, my love bleeds out on the floor.
Don’t clean it up, you will only cause more.
Chorus:
I’m strung tight, so damn tight.
I stagger through the darkness to find the light.
Strung tight and feeling used.
There’s nothing left here of me and you.
Empty rooms that have no view.
Your long list of lies is nothing new.
Broken mirrors still reflect your truth.
You’re ugly inside and you stole my youth.
Your knife cuts through my thick armor.
You spill hateful words, like an ice cold charmer.
Lay the blame at my feet and I don’t care.
Go ahead and turn away from my angry glare.
Chorus:
I’m strung tight, so damn tight.
I stagger through the darkness to find the light.
Strung tight and feeling used.
There’s nothing left here of me and you.
Strung tight. I’m fucking … strung tight.
I’m strung out, strung up, and … strung tight.
Let me see your fists, because I’m ready to fight.
You rise in the morning but never see the light.
I was about three-quarters of the way through the song when I started to hear the choir making ooh sounds together in perfect harmony. They swayed in time as they walked toward us and then moved in behind us.
I belted out another verse, and that’s when the authentic sound of their bluesy Baptist Church roots kicked in, and the room was flooded with a soulful, old-time choir vibe that synced perfectly with our rocker sound. I was blown away with the power of their voices, and all the fine hairs on my arms lifted.
As I was finishing up the final verse of the song, the female singers did a beautiful run of notes around my voice. We hit the last few chords and let them hang while the choir’s final note faded away. As soon as we finished, we all applauded. It was our first run through the song with them, and it already sounded so kick-ass. I looked at my guys, and we all nodded together. After an hour of practice, we knew this was going to be a killer way to end our set tomorrow.
We continued to play to smooth out the rough edges of a couple of the transitions and then sang another full run-through of the piece. I couldn’t wait to play this plugged in and on stage. After we finished practicing, Dagger had us all take seats.
“I think it’s safe to say by the enormous smiles on your faces that you like this addition to your song.” He was spot on with our opinion of the choir, and I didn’t even have to ask my band what they thought. I could feel the excitement rolling off them in waves of energy.
“Let’s bang this out on stage for the soundcheck,” I suggested, and Dagger broke out in laughter.
“I love your enthusiasm, Fletcher. You’re always willing to try something new, which makes for a great musician,” Dagger explained. “Let’s talk production for a minute.”