Sink Or Swim

jiguma

I’ve been giving my Telecaster a fair workout lately, trying to get my head around some more complicated things than playing chords (which was quite complicated enough for a while there!). I want to learn how to play better, and a style I like (and am comfortable with) is included here.

Its a simple chord progression with lyrics based on watching two different adventure shows on TV - one on a rafting expedition in Bhutan, and the other “The Long Way Down” with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.

There are two rhythm tracks, a lead track, bass and drums (midi of course) as well as 3 vocal tracks. My first outing for 2009.

Hope you enjoy it - a little volume helps lift the dynamics, but take care of your ears.

Happy 2009!
Neil

Lyrics:
Sink or Swim
© 2008 Neil Porter

Standing next to that big brown river
A river without end
Smooth as glass/wild and angry
Is it an enemy or just a long lost friend?
Bad weather, keep moving
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been
You jump in thinking
“I wonder if I’ll sink or swim?”

Miles of sand on a wild, wild highway
You can’t believe the state you’re in
Sudan, might be Tuesday
You don’t know if you’d do this again
Bad weather, keep moving
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been
You jump in thinking
“I wonder if I’ll sink or swim?”

Life’s a big, big river
Life’s a long, long highway
You might float you might flounder
You won’t know unless you jump right in
Sink or Swim
Sink or Swim
Sink or Swim
You won’t know unless you jump right in

Just in time for another lesson
Paradise around the bend
River’s running, motor’s humming
Worse thing is it’s going to end
Bad weather, keep moving
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been
You just jump in thinking
“I wonder if I’ll sink or swim?”

Bad weather, keep moving
It doesn’t matter where you’ve been
You jump in thinking
“I wonder if I’ll sink or swim?”

Life’s a big, big river
Life’s a long, long highway
You might float you might flounder
You won’t know unless you jump right in
Sink or Swim
Sink or Swim
Sink or Swim
You won’t know unless you jump right in

Hardware:
Fender Telecaster
Fender Precision Bass
Rode NT3 mic
Behringer UB802 mixer/preamp
iMac G5
almost forgot, my yellow tambourine

Software:
Logic Studio