Stardust Lighthouse - old friends Jam best
Old friendships—the kind that reach all the way back to childhood and teens—become a lighthouse as you enter the mysterious and complicated mid-life years.
The spaces between the breath are just as needed as the breath itself. Just like the notes are made up by the spaces between them. That is the lighthouse my friends brought me.
Starless Stardust Night (Live Acoustic Jam With Philip Austin Taylor)
I have many friends, but there is something about those that knew you when you were young; before the time had it's way with you, before marriages and divorces, a thousand dashed dreams. Those friends: they hold something special that not all friends can acquire. They hold a perspective.
Though I moved all over the universe as a child and barely remember anyone; I do have close friends that knew me well in my mid-teen years. We all went our own way after 'life' set in, but that is something else special about these youth-connecting friends; I find that we just pick up where we left off no matter how many years have gone between our last meeting.
That's the case with this video and live studio jam of a new song 'Starless Stardust Night'. I went across town to my friend's new studio area, his brother was there, Philip Taylor, Philip and me go way back.
In our youth, we were in several bands together. Our first band was signed to a significant development deal. Things went wrong, 'rock-n-roll' style — 'wrong'. We tried a few band formations after that first endeavor, but over time, we both found we were growing in different directions musically.
Years would pass between seeing each other—as is the case with this jam session. But, still, when we play music together, there are no 'learning chords' or song arrangements, no thoughts of getting it 'right'; we just play the song and it seems to work from the first try, as is what you're watching here. I even enjoy the little flubs here and there, because when you're in a 'space' with another musician, you can feel them playing not only with your chords but your energy.. it's a cool sensation.
I'm not the jamming type. I'm the consummate perfectionist. But my early days were nothing but jamming. These days, to 'jam', seems like such a waste of time. And I guess that's the lighthouse effect of this meeting. This song has nothing to do with the new album or other projects I'm working on right now, and that is what was nice about this evening... it had nothing to do with anything.
That's one of that 'mid-life' hang-ups that I needed to be jostled free from, from time to time. That feeling of my time being parceled out like a lot of land; Needing every event to somehow tie to the bigger picture. That is a recipe for the 'bigger picture' crashing and burning along with my mental health (in my experience).
The spaces between the breath are just as needed as the breath itself. Just like the notes are made up by the spaces between them. That is the lighthouse my friends brought me. I'd been so uptight lately; too many things to do, an endless horizon of unfinished work ahead. Very un 'dude-like'.
We just played some music. And I felt very refreshed. New ideas spawned new perspectives on an upcoming project. It was nice.
Starless Stardust Night by Ezra Vancil
This is a new song that is in a more traditional folk direction I've been exploring in my songwriting. I don't really ever set out to write a song about anything particular. There are a few stories behind this lyric, but I'll spare you. I always say 'the song writes itself, and my job is to stay out of the way.' Yet, never the less, I do find when the song 'comes out' of the birthing process, it has a lot to say to me. That's why I try to stay out of what it is or is not about. I need the songs to speak to me... like an iChing divination tool, the songs divine parts of my consciousness that are not outwardly accessible; in that way, they are of most use to me. And, of course, I'm also always glad when someone else finds their own heart better defined in them.
Music & Lyrics
She's a young mother
you can tell by the dress
stardust in her eyes
I gave her my chair
and I stood with the rest
on this westbound train tonight
why are you crying?
I thought to confide
but, I'm not so brave a man
so i stood beside her
and watched her dry
that stardust with her hand
You can go ahead and cry
sometimes the best place you could hide
is in a crowd on this westbound train through a city
that no one ever dares
stardust in their eyes
She's a young Christian
you can tell by the cross
she fondles at her side
maybe she wandered too far
and got lost
in this wayward city light
are you missing someone?
I thought to confide
but, I'm not so brave a man
for she's a young woman
and we're strangers, us all
in this wayward Christian land
go ahead and cry
sometimes the best
place you could hide
is in a crowd
on this west
bound train through a city
where no one dares
stardust in their eyes
She's a young mother
you can tell by the dress
the kind young mothers buy
her hand on a passenger
no one has met
on this starless stardust night
Thanks for reading. I'm ezra vancil a Texas Americana & Folk artist. If you'd like to check out some music, I'm on spotify follow me there, or you can hear a preview of my new album on pre-release bandcamp.
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