[adamfarr]

Hi there - missed the competition with this one (though two songs was never going to happen, and anyway always better to ride one horse at a time). Though it also works for Chinese or any other New Year. Wanted to work on my Bond theme but thought it would be a shame to leave this one unfinished. A bit of inspiration from Nathan W. Pyle (this kind of thing https://business.facebook.com/nathanwpyle2/posts/2037433159674670?comment_id=2037592622992057&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D).

I have a few rules for New Years songs:
   1. Must be easy to sing (while drunk)
   2. Must be easy to play (while drunk)
   3. Must accommodate audience participation (foot stomping!!)
   4. Must be slightly morbid
   5. Must not contain the word "auld".

This one almost qualifies. Audience participation courtesy of the other resident Farrs. Was going for a bit of a live and homemade (and not too serious) feel...Cheers!

Once More Around the Star

Once more
Around
The nearest star
Too soon
We'll be
Back where we are
Champagne moments, disappointments
Cookie jars and chocolate bars and
Bumper cars and au revoirs
Once more
Around
The nearest star

The days go by like falling leaves
The calendar's attacked by thieves
Rushing round to get things done
Always circling back to the same spot round the sun
Seconds passing by like rain
Memories fading in the waves
We fight to be forever young
Counting up the times we pass the same spot round the sun

(c) Adam Farr, 2020, All rights reserved

[Bostonfan2]

I enjoyed this!! very clever lyrics! This should be a New Years Standard
Ray

[pompeyjazz]

Very cleverly done @adamfarr and meets all of the stated criteria. Loved how you concentrated on keeping it simple. It worked so well. Glad you guys all enjoyed the party 

[moraamarolaloba]

Hola @adamfarr

Your song is a sample of how things are done, the beginning of a whole based on its simplicity. I love the lyrics that portray the inertia that binds us to life, to the universe and to that sun that leads us tied to its trajectory. I like a lot  the spirit that your voice conveys.

Saludos.

Mora

[MichaelA]

Hi Adam, hang on a minute I thought New Year songs were meant to be optimistic, full of hope and joy?! Mind, I guess I'm glad you have challenged the corny convention and now we have the first ever 'slit yer wrists' New Year anthem! Ha ha!

Liked the countdown, the foot stomping and the merry go round nature of the song's structure. Good that it's simply produced. Well thought out lyrics too. Yes, would make a good singalong in the 'Manic Depressives Nursing Home' when the clock strikes twelve at December's end. Maybe a rowdy crowd singing the final chorus would have been quite funny. All good stuff though, most entertaining. Cheers!

[cowparsleyman]

@adamfarr - Wow, this is fresh and bold and very imaginative, but the thing that I was blown away with is the sound of your 12 string, I've been after that sort of sound for years, To me it's THE Queen Bitch (by Bowie) sound, he used to have a rare of bunch of acoustics, it sounds superb Adam. Send me it and I'll shower you with peacocks and caviar. 

[shadowfax]

You managed a fun song with UN-optimistic lyrics...how'd you do that? super stuff in your usual very own genre Adam..mega!!!

[Jamie]

Hi Adam, lots to like here, a very confident vocal performance, on an essentially simple but effective song. Enjoyed the acoustic guitar sound too!

Nice one!
Cheers
Jamie

[mickyplankton]

Hi Adam.

Like the simple delivery and the thought proking lyrics. This would make a great B side to the Meteor.

If you are open to reworking the edit I would be tempted to cut it dead at 3.19 or fade out from 3.12. cheers Micky

[cowparsleyman]

+1 shadowfax...instantly recognisable as your work Adam

[PaulyX]

Hey Adam, great track, especially 1) the intro, 2) the sound of that guitar (to me it sounds hispanic... maybe some castanets would set it off...), 3) the minimalist home-made percussion (made me think of S&G's "Cecilia" - love the echoey reverb on those footstomps or handclaps).  The sparsity of it gives it a really strong, individual character.

[PaulAds]

Ole.

Yeah...love the guitar...sounds massive...your vocal reminded me of the guy from Depeche Mode in places.

Very inventive and fresh with some great lyrics too.

[Yodasdad]

Well you’ve certainly met your brief on this one Mr Farr.

This for me is a drunken, end of the night song where old and young would join in together. Exactly what you need from a New Year’s Eve sing a long.

Very catchy chorus and the wide stereo acoustics sounds great. Enjoyed the lyrics too, which is unusual for me, particularly the pesky no good advent calendar thief.

Forget **** Lang Syne, I’m singing this next new year.

Yodasdad

[adamfarr]

Thanks for great comments - went down better than I imagined! As I almost was going to say in this song, you are only entitled to find New Year's Eves boring if you think you've got 100 more...

@Bostonfan2 thanks a lot - if all my friends were poets this would be a good singalong!

@pompeyjazz glad you appreciated the simple side - I still somehow managed to put a tongue twister in there though. Many thanks

@moraamarolaloba muchísimas gracias - maybe New Year isn't the time for reality but it does convey how I was thinking!

@MichaelA - I thought this was quite optimistic as it at least allowed for the possibility of a champagne moment or two... But my true nature will always come through. Luckily I quite enjoy it. Thanks for listening (I'm guessing you're not coming to mine this December?)

@cowparsleyman thanks so much - but it's all fake! I have one crappy guitar which is too tinny and one quite nice guitar which is very bassy so this is one track of each, lots of delay and EQ and hard panned, with a third quieter combined track in the centre with roomy reverb on it... (As I know you like that sort of thing - recorded using an AKG C2000 mic which is horrible on vocals but which I love on acoustic guitars)

@shadowfax many thanks Kev - it's nice to be distinctive - I do listen to feedback but with me what you'll definitely get is me!

@Jamie sounds like I met the objective! Thanks a million

@mickyplankton many thanks - too much? I guess that's the problem with having little or no development in the song. I'll have a ponder.

@PaulyX thanks for that - yes I do hear a teeny Spanishy something in there. Some songs really benefit from audience participation (and some definitely don't).

@PaulAds thanks for that - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/24/pet-shop-boys-the-acoustic-guitar-should-be-banned

@Yodasdad great comments indeed - of course in my head I hear everyone enjoying singing and stomping along to this one, but maybe a radio-edit of just the optimistic bits would be more to most people's taste.

[PaulAds]

@adamfarr

Aye... Toys that don't need a battery...