[adamfarr]

Hi all - my quickest song ever (still took several weeks!)...

Perhaps you've seen the Craigslist "Missed Connections" story that came out earlier this month: "I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972, the same day I resolved to kill myself": http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/craigslist-missed-connection_56177218e4b0dbb8000df6d4

(Summary: Vietnam veteran finds returning home too hard to handle and contemplates suicide; trudges around Boston in the rain; finds another uphappy, soaked person in a ballgown; they share coffee and chat but she disappears; this meeting gives him the will to keep living; years later he posts a piece online describing what happened, thanking her and wondering whether she's still out there.)

Whether or not it's genuine, it's hard to be unmoved and there is so much song material here. But for a twist - and to avoid cheese - I thought what about writing it from the lady's point of view... (This is one of my "favourite things" to do - if curious, see here http://www.songexpresso.com/maria my response to "How to do you solve a problem like Maria".)

Problem here is that this story may be totally forgotten soon so the pressure is on to get the song done (hate that! - but maybe actually helps me to cut through the constant doubts and get it done already).

At the top of the page I wrote down "77bpm - cinematic!" - but it has a melody and progression which are not necessarily that way at all... I'd be interested to get any initial reactions...

Rescued by the Rain

V1
Whiskey gave way to coffee and pie
I found someone whose troubles I could wash away
For an hour did I make you the richest man in town?
Your smoke giving way to my rain

V2
But I also moved between patient and nurse
All we had to do was keep each other alive
Forget what we've done and see what's still to do
Two boxers with petrified eyes

CH
Who gave who
the greatest gift?
To wonder at life's colours again
Who saved who?
That day when life loved us
And we were both rescued by the rain

V3
Some of us are born to serve
With honour I returned to face my own wars
Dutifully sending more good hearts out into the world
No discharge and almost no remorse

M8
Enough now
When you're someone like me
You make do with an hour of escape
Go now
Your escape was complete
But we'll both still give thanks for the rain

(c) Adam Farr, 2015

[EpiphoneEpiphany]

hi

interesting read, good that you wrote it from the woman's point of view
I'd probably name the song "Rescued by the Rain", nothing wrong with long titles though

EE

[Vintage54]

    Hey Adam,
        Just read the story. I can't recall words that touched me so deeply, the last paragraph was too much for my eyes, thanks for sharing. I must say, it's courageous of you to even attempt to put it into rhyme, i couldn't do it. But having said that, i think you've done a pretty good job my friend. Love the title, and the second and third verses in particular. The chorus is good, and would sing well, and the m8 finish rounds off a bloody good write. Thanks again for pointing me in the direction of the story, it made my day. Bring on the music.

                            Respect, and best wishes
                                     Vintage54

[Reece!]

Hey,

I totally agree with changing the song title, perhaps too long. I really enjoyed reading this, it's very different which makes me like it even more. The chorus is very poignant. I've recently posted a song; Keyboard Gangster, if you wouldn't mind reviewing that?

All the best,

Reece. 

[adamfarr]

Thanks all - yes, the real title will be "Rescued by the Rain". Though I did love the title that he gave it (and how he charges that writing with emotion is something to behold).

I like to believe it's a true story (apparently there is a bit of skepticism around this). But no matter, it's actually a gift - I could probably write about three songs just with this material.

Now to do it justice...

[PaulAds]

sorry i'm late to this one...i'm up to my ass in home improvements!

this is fantastic, Adam...really top drawer stuff...it'll be fab, I'm sure 

[hardtwistmusic]

It's an impossibly complex story to tell in a song.  Without your explanation, it would have never quite gotten there.   That means it's good for a theatrical purpose where you can provide the necessary context to tell THIS STORY. 

BUT.... all alone without the explanation, it's about a different story (whichever the listener finds) but it's still a story worth hearing in a song. 

Very difficult task you set for yourself, and you did phenomenally well at bringing it to life. 

One nit.... knowing the "backstory" the third verse seemed to shift back to "him" and away from "her." 

Might (or might not be) a good idea to feminize it a little.  It actually works well just like you have  it, if I don't know the backstory. 

[adamfarr]

Hi Paul - many thanks - good luck with sorting out the home - as someone once said, "my life is like IKEA furniture without the instructions - I'll get there but it'll never feel quite right". (Not saying your house is furnished by IKEA of course!)

Hi Verlon - good points all round - without the background no-one will understand the precise story; but it might not matter if it conveys some story which still makes some sense. The third verse was definitely meant still to be her, but borrowing the military imagery - helpful to know that this might be ambiguous. I might make it "we" to imply how they are united in their separate lives. Food for thought...

Thanks to all - sometime in November hopefully you'll get something to hear...

[Paulski]

I liked this one Adam.
My only sugg would be remove all the "both" s from it (unless of course you need them for your melody)
Nice work
Paul