Gonna Pack My Bags and Go

10 weeks ago by @edwardsmusic

Liner Notes

This is the second of two songs I wrote in a session with Damian Cowell, the lead singer of TISM (This is Serious Mum). TISM are one of my favourite Australian bands, so of course it was very exciting to work with him.

At the time of writing this, Damian was my mentor at my course Wild at Heart Community Arts. In May and June 2024 he was coming in to do songwriting workshops with them, since he was looking for work.

This song came about during the final workshop that Damian held on the 26th of June.

We used the "Chinese whispers" method. The class was given sheets of paper and each sheet had a single line on it. Then we were tasked to come up with a rhyming line of our own (which also made sense, following the ABAB pattern), and pass our work to the next person. The cycle would continue until we had multiple verses to work with.

The song was completed on the 26th of June. I recorded this on my phone in the small office at Sol Green Community Centre in South Melbourne (where the Wild at Heart classes are held).

Since I sang most of the previous song "Hard Ship to Sail" while Damian sang harmonies, I asked if we could switch roles for this one. As such, Damian sings lead for the majority of the song; I sing lead on the first bridge.

Damian Cowell - lead vocals, djembe
Edward Roussac - co-lead vocals, electric piano

#collab #duet #rock #pop #piano #percussion #favourite #tism

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Gonna pack my bags and go
Play rock and roll music
In Miami, you know
Think I'm gonna lose it

And just go hammy
My hands are so clammy
My neck sweats bullets
I think I'm the pits

[Verse 2]
A funny thing happened today
But I don't know how to say it
Instead I started to play
Making sense bit by bit

To find the answers
We all try to make it work
Taking a trip to Kansas
I don't think it's supposed to hurt

[Chorus]
Gonna pack my bags and go
La-la-la-la-la
Gonna pack my bags and go
La-la-la-la-la

[Bridge]
If I was your friend
I'd tell you how I feel
About life, art and music
Breaking up with you and trying to steal

[solo]

[repeat bridge]
If I was your friend
I'd tell you how I feel
About life, art and music
Breaking up with you and trying to steal

[Verse 3]
A funny thing happened today
I thought I saw you by the river
I'd been seeing in mind at play
And I know you're a giver

Sometimes I kid myself
I wish we could talk
Why did you put me on a shelf?
I'm breaking like a piece of chalk

[Chorus]
Gonna pack my bags and go
La-la-la-la-la
Gonna pack my bags and go
La-la-la-la-la

Gonna pack my bags and go
La-la-la-la-la
Gonna pack my bags, gonna pack my bags
Gonna pack my bags and go

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