Story Behind The Song

At the end of this song we brought in additional singers to sing the line "Sing a selfish song". We wanted a lot of people with different ability levels to make it sound almost like a shout chorus in jazz music. So we brought in our friends and we recorded them singing the line. We did it multiple times with different formations of people. We also moved around to various spots in the room to give different timbres to the voices. This is how we got it to sound the way we wanted. In the beginning of the song the vocalist is singing alone with his guitar. The rest of the band all comes in at the beginning of the first chorus. Because of the subject matter, we thought it would be interesting to make the beginning sound isolated. So we squashed the EQ so that there was almost no high and low sound, turned off almost all effects and panned everything dead center. As soon as the band comes in, everything opens up. The EQ explodes upward and downward, everything has effects on it and various parts of the mix are panned left and right so the full horizontal spectrum is covered. If you listen closely you can hear all of these things happening.

Song Description

In the 4-5 years after college we were trying so hard to make drumfish successful and we were doing it at the expense of other areas in our lives. We gave so much time and energy to the band that our other relationships suffered. Some of the people who were closest to us were not always 100% supportive of our efforts, so it often presented a very difficult situation for us. When those people were our girlfriends, it made it even harder. "Selfish Song" is about that kind of relationship, the struggle to play music and be allowed to do what you love and not be made to feel guilty for it. "Why can't I be me and be with you" is one line that points directly to the conflict.

Lyrics

I'm wondering where I'm going
I'm wondering where I'm gonna be
Some people say I'm falling
I'm sorry I tend not to agree

If you wish you can come with me
There's plenty of room in my life
Needless apprehension
Another year of senseless strife

Can't you see I'm happy here
Cant you see it's nothing you need fear
I'm just trying to do what I do
Why can't I be me and be with you

Make a small adjustment
A pocket full of compromise
A selfless perspective
You can't see through my eyes

Run away from me if you must
Think carefully about what it is that you do
Would you have me life with regret
You know I'd never ask that of you

Why do you say it's pointless
Why do you say we cannot live this way
We can be together
Commitments we need not betray

It's not what you say here
It is what you do
And I can't take this
It's eating me alive and I say

Sing a selfish song