5090 by FAWM: "Cavalcade"

Cavalcade

5 weeks ago by @davidtaro · @greengrassgirl

Liner Notes

Patty sent me these thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics about #contemplatingmortality, which struck me as innately theatrical. So I dusted off my #musicaltheatre hat (it's red with gold tassels) and got to work.

There's definitely tempo changes going on, so I feel like I've ticked off another weekly #challenge. I'm also veering in and out of time signatures. The chorus is a #waltz, but I kind of freestyled the verses so no idea where they ended up! #collab

From Patty:
Not that I'm getting older or anything, but I had these thoughts the other day that, YIKES! One day I won't be here, and isn't that weird? Don't know why it took me this long to really internalize it, but hey! In thinking about it, I pictured us all in a big long parade that comes to our town, and then moves on. TA DA-- Cavalcade! I thought David did a phenomenally good job with this, plus ticking all those boxes for extra #challenge points.
Now I want a matching Musical Theater hat!

Lyrics

V1
As a child, I saw my Grandpa die
Thought he was just asleep
It took awhile to understand
That he was gone for keeps

V2
And today with snowflakes in my hair
I keep my blinders on
It’s hard to get my head around
That someday I’ll be gone

PC
In all our wisdom
We think we’ll beat the system
Some man in 24 B.C.
Probably felt the same as me

Ch
Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on
Life is a cavalcade
We’re here and then we’re gone
We have our moment on the stage
Then the universe turns the page
Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on

V3
As our days roll on from spring to fall
We feel they always will
Then comes the winter much too soon
The other side of the hill

V4
Watching sand flow through the hourglass
My victories and mistakes
I see the bigger picture now
My part in the promenade

PC
In all our wisdom
We think we’ll beat the system
Some man in 24 B.C.
Probably felt the same as me

Ch
Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on
Life is a cavalcade
We’re here and then we’re gone
We have our moment on the stage
Then the universe turns the page
Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on

Br
I hope I’ll be fine when it comes to my time
Everyone reaches the end
One last embrace
I’ll take my place
And my heart will say
Amen

Ch
Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on
Life is a cavalcade
We’re here and then we’re gone
We have our moment on the stage
Then the universe turns the page
Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on

Life is a cavalcade
Always moving on

Comments

@chris_buono 1w

A grand, telling picture told here on the page that's magnificently matched in song! Wonderful images brought to life and convincingly portrayed in this write--difficult not to see while reading--with fab translation into song and performance. Enjoyable all around, and despite its subject matter, beautiful. Nice collab!

@musicsongwriter 1w

Very moving lyrics and music. Relatable and sincere. Very expressive and timeless in its essence. Gorgeous lyrics, music, singing and playing. Love the instrumentation and the tempo changes. I feel like being in a very beautiful theatre watching a wonderful musical about family ties, losses and fond memories, love which is endless and forever. Very interesting genre changes. And the pauses. Every detail is so beautifully moving. Thank you both, Patty and David, very much.

@cola 2w

Wow, love this!! The image of life as a parade that comes to town for a short time is so clever and so poetic, and the music takes that imagery and turns it up to eleven. I particularly love the contrast between the verses and the chorus; that burst of energy as the parade march rhythm kicks in is so powerful and fun all at once. Really enjoyable listen - wonderful work, both of you!

@peterxml 3w

Amen to this. Really enjoy the lyrics and music here. Great job.

@val 3w

Feels like a rock musical. Very cool! Such talent displayed in this. Everything is on point, from the lyrics to twisting and turning in the music. Loads to like. Cavalcade by itself is just a great word, and the theme is universal. Very good stuff y'all!

@gm7 4w

What a great music treatment for patty's lyrics. Wonderful piano playing and ebb and flow of the song. A flashback style. I particularly like the humous play on the piano after the line:
'Some man in 24 B.C.
Probably felt the same as me'...so cool

@danvaillancourt 4w

What a sweet poetic lyric and what a delivery. I can see this on the stage in a musical. Love how it switches back and forth stylistically with the big dynamic shifts between sections. Great production. Such a catchy chorus. Everybody now! Killer ending.

@paul_pedersen 4w

There are a lot of good songs created during 5090, but I think I've found one that's in contention for Best in Show. The lyrics are smooth and accurate, yet displaying sensitivity. The music and performance that David brings underlines everything in the lyrics and adds a sense of the theatric.

WOW!

@nahlej381 4w

Oooofff!!!! I love this taro style. Takes me back to soundtracks of movies I grew up with. The ebbs and flows and nods to Cabaret (right?)

Are you a musical theatre guy?! I love that stuff.

What can’t you do?

That frill around 2.5 mins was just magical. Nice little TA-DA moment.

@gfandme 4w

Wow, this is a great track. Waltz feel and great delivery of instrumentation and vocals. What an awesome collaboration!

@jerrypettit 4w

Covid Schmovid--the Girl is Back!! She can definitely still put those words together.

Yeah--you two need to write a complete musical together. This is just terrific! ❤️

@billwhite51 4w

Brilliantly structured theatrical piece. The first verses preceeding the chorus play like an intro, but as the verses continue, we relize they are not the intro, but the philopopshical meat of the piece, and I love the way you sing them like an actor taking the audience into his confidence.The chorus sweeps upwards, with a nod to Cabaret, but a Cavalcade is is much more attractive and enticing image. with its lines of people in motion than the sterile, depressing hopelessly depressing static of a Cabaret. Patty's lyics are just as inventively structured and as well written as they are well sung.

@sbs 4w

Big fan of songs that change tempo after the intro. Nice stage period piece! I’m waltzing along!

@djtjb 4w

I've been listening to songs before reading liner notes SO I did not see that waltz coming lol. Beautiful and reflective lyrics. And DTs musical theatre persona is a force of nature. This came out top notch!

@coolparadisoMod 4w

I can see that hat, very nice. Love where you took this! Very clever lyric! This almost moves in pythontime! Not sure if it’s serious or not or irreverant. Whatever itsa good listen

@andrea 4w

Yes. what a terrific theatrical treatment! Very thoughtful lyrics punctuated by a splendid performance. The chorus really soars. Wonderful collab!

@yewnorker 4w

Well done! Top notch in so many ways!

@gwynjones 4w

Randy Newman at his finest could not improve on this magnificent performance of the brilliant existential lyrics by @greengrassgirl by @davidtaro
Perfect for film, TV or any Soundtrack…
Utter excellence on every level! 👌

@jeff9 5w

What a magically inventive approach. It would've been so tempting just to go full on sad ballad with the music, but this captures the positive nuance peeking out of the chorus lyrics. Sonically, David's treatment is an absolute tour de force. That chorus will be stuck in my head for days. Fabulous work by both partners here.

@sheslin 5w

The lovely emotive and gentle vocals caress each lyric in the verses- up to the tickling of the ivories telling us - here comes a change! Oh what a change it is - the waltz treatment along with the more assertive vocals changing perspective, and getting real with that fabulous chorus!! Gorgeous keys playing, amazing vocals, artful transitions, and what an incredible musical treatment for Patty's amazing lyrics! I love everything about these lyrics - such a beautiful take on real life. What a collab you two - wow!

@loveonamixtape 5w

Love how you went full "Cabaret" on this, which is particularly brilliant with the "Life is a Cavalcade" line sounding a lot like "Life is a Cabaret." It's also got a bit of Hunky Dory/early Ziggy era Bowie to it, too. Fun stuff!