Believe:Deceive (2021 Version)

Robert James

This was written in April of 2014. Most of the songs from that month were duds, but this one was okay. I trimmed a little fat and even at this funeral dirge tempo it’s a lot faster than the original. It still clocks in at over five minutes though. The prog fan in me wants every song to be between eight and 20 minutes. The punk fan in me thinks anything over 2:20 is way too long. This one just seems weird.

Lead vocals by Peter Brady. I don’t know if it was the weather or if I was catching a cold or some weird winter allergy, but my voice was cracking like crazy. I think the first chorus took me 200000000 takes and it still sounds ridiculous. At least I could still hit the high notes… sort of.

The sound effect at the beginning and end was there on the original demo. I don’t remember why, but I just couldn’t bare taking it out now. I’m sentimental like that.

My final thought: I should have found a better name for this.

All of the guitars are my Gibson ES-335. Every take was through two amps, a Vox AC15 and a Fender Bassbreaker 15. Every take also used a Klon KTR overdrive pedal. The rhythm also used a Mooer E-Lady flanger. The leads used a Keeley D&M Drive and occasionally a Wampler Faux Tape Echo.

verse 1 + 3
I hear it come around again and again
I can’t fight the change I can’t just pretend
I want to hit the road and hide away
I want to bury my head another day

Verse 2
If this is how it is I can’t go on
I can’t imagine how I was ever so wrong
So what do I do now with these new facts
I can’t figure out how I’m ‘sposed to act

Chorus
You stay strong
right or wrong
You believe
You decieve