Meta Americana Songwriting
Roger Jermyn's vocal and songwriting style reminds me a little bit of Bruce Springsteen's acoustic works, though with very different lyrical content. This piece is a very "meta" bit of songwriting, not really about anything other than Jermyn's quest (in real time) to write a song of meaning. It's a curious twist that his discussion of this search, in some ways, keeps his song from ever really having any meaning, though there's a certain sense in which this is the most authentic meaning of all. He doesn't seem to want the song, and is in fact, trying to give it away (give it back to you) as fast as he can as if it were a ticking time bomb, or perhaps simply he is trying to impress the song's recipient with a personalized piece that he is afraid will turn out sub-par. Been there before.
These chords, I been messing with for a while
Can't do much, but play them as I smile
I need some lyrics, powerful and true
So I can give this song back to you.
Words been spinning, round and round in my head
Means I've done things I may have said
Said with force and power, but not true
Please can I give this song to you?
Simply try to be the best that we can
That is all that's asked of every man
Failure lies like a snake in the grass
Slashes out each time I pass.
But I need are words both powerful and true
So I can give this song back to you.
All I need are words both powerful and true,
So I can give this song back to you.
So I can give this song back to you.