Some time ago, I wrote a song called 'In Liverpool.' I knew the moment that I had began to write, that it was simply heartbreaking. It brought tears to my eyes as the melancholy chords walked across my heart. The lyrics crashed into my world like the most wonderful, yet devastatingly powerful steam train. Trains are quite appropriate since the seeds of this song were born one beautiful night on a train platform in the city of Liverpool, England.
In the first carriage, the people on the train observe a scene through the frosted glass where a woman picks up confetti from the base of the huge city centre Christmas tree, She smiles, the most fantastic smile of joy and wonder. Anything is possible. The confetti is thrown into the air and it falls like winter snow. All is clear again and the train thunders down the track.
The travellers watching from the second carriage, observe the new scene. "Let Rock 'n' roll caress your ears.' Two lovers are dancing in The Cavern. "Wow, this woman can dance" I hear one of the passengers say. The final chord to 'Twist and Shout' rings out loud and clear then fades. The Cavern club is no more.
From the third carriage the travellers see a man and woman laughing and joking on the platform. The scene stirs the thoughts of an older couple. They smile and hold hands reminiscing over a not dissimilar scene many, many years ago. They both share wisdom and love. They smile and her hand caresses his without the need for words to be spoken. All is well.
The train doesn't stop but why would it? The two are but ghosts celebrating the best of times. The station clock will always read 10:45 pm. The man and and woman will never board the train. They will remain upon the platform forever. As the years go by, she will place a million jelly sweets into his mouth until he cannot speak through his laughter.
The fourth carriage hurtles past and the passengers are warmed by this beautiful winter scene. "It won't last" says the guy who raises his head from the newspaper which, has until this time captivated his attention. Wisdom is such a great gift but not this kind!
The two lovers remain 'beneath the shuffling city groove' , 'Her platform smile will haunt the tracks, In Liverpool. they won't be back.'
I made a sketch of this song and presented it in the WIP section some time ago. It was one of those songs that I couldn't revisit (it was too painful to do so) though I truly believed in it's beauty. About a month ago, I began to produce this quite effortlessly. I then sent it to Andy Cruise and he wrote a beautiful string arrangement. Both were really two stand alone pieces but I decided to let Andy's string arrangement tell it's own story before allowing it to drift gently into the song 'In Liverpool.' I'm not sure if Andy was on the train that raced though Liverpool and was watching the scenes unfold on the platform and many more besides. It was beautiful to hear and yet it filled my heart with sadness as if the emotion evident in his string arrangement was born from the observations of a passenger who had witnessed all of the aforementioned from the train. Perhaps the train ride afforded him an opportunity to observe The Iron Men of Crosby awaiting a beautiful sunset or the the kites flying along the coast line of Formby beach.
https://soundcloud.com/pvasey1/in-liverpool-masteredIn Liverpool
In Liverpool, confetti falls like winter snow.
In Liverpool, we’ll never kiss, we’ll never go.
I recall the best of times
when music played and couplets rhymed.
Where Christmas lights beneath the tree
had made a place for love to be.
In Liverpool, our love will stay, we’ll rue the day
We ever left two lovers there. Do you know where?
The station clocks will never move
beneath the shuffling city groove.
Her platform smile will haunt the tracks.
In Liverpool, we won’t be back.
In Liverpool, Liverpool no more.
Written by Paul Vasey
https://soundcloud.com/pvasey1/in-liverpool-mastered