5090 by FAWM: "Casino Avenue"

Casino Avenue

Liner Notes

This summer, going back and forth to a rehearsal studio, I found myself regularly on the P4 bus passing through South London. I kept seeing a street sign for Casino Avenue and, well... the songwriter part of your brain stores it away for a later date, right?

The song's basically about several characters with different stories, but tied together by a sense that life is a bit of a gamble - sometimes the chips fall the right way, sometimes they don't. Deep, I know.

I also managed to crowbar in a little nod to 'Judy', which is an old FAWM song (easily the best one I've written since starting these challenges) 😉

#poprock #horns

Lyrics

Lily used to have a high-flying job in the city
But the hours and the bosses really hollowed her out
Now she makes paper angels, they’re oh so pretty
Sells them to strangers outside her house
Sometimes you gotta gamble, you gotta try something new
Carve your little corner on Casino Avenue

Eddie never figured he’d stick around past thirty
Lived so fast, he was really just a blur
But here he is anyhow, kicking the tyres off sixty
As for fast living? He’s still a connoisseur
Sometimes it’s in the numbers, the dice they roll for you
Beneath the yellow street lights on Casino Avenue

Some days it runs easy
Some days it runs hard
Then one day you find yourself lying naked
On the pavement looking at the stars

Judy took a safety-first approach to living
Nothing left to chance, nothing on the line
Meant she never saw the crazy curveball coming
Tried to pull away, but she didn’t have time
The roulette wheel keeps spinning, no matter what we do
We’re all just punch-drunk gamblers on Casino Avenue

Some days it runs easy
Some days it runs hard
Then one day you find yourself lying naked
On the pavement looking at the stars

Me, I’m just a stranger looking for a story to tell
Not the kind of fella you’d pick out of a crowd
Armed with a notebook and an eye for the detail
Singing my song wherever I can be found
But who am I kidding, I can’t hide, I can’t escape the truth
I’m just another drifter on Casino Avenue

I’m just another drifter on Casino Avenue
Said I’m just another drifter on Casino Avenue

Comments

@jeff9 15h

What a great write this is. Great lines and rhymes ("blur" and "connoisseur" is brilliant) all through it and all the while telling a coherent and relatable story. The groove is rock solid and the occasional pauses keep it super fresh. Fine instrumentation and fabulous singing as always by Mr. Taro. The hits just keep on coming!

@chimpkin 16h

I'm a big fan of songs that the listener to another place and time and paint an intricate picture like this does. Wonderful Beatles and Dylan vibes sprinkled throughout that help make this song sound like a classic that my parents played on long car journeys as a child.

Some sweet organic in there, and this build ups are delicious!

@tjeff 19h

Loved listening to your song David! An infectious groove from the get-go that had me smiling throughout. Great use of the horn section. Love organ break, and then that little stop time section at around 2:31 was really nice. Amazing vocals as usual too!

@billwhite51 1d

the brassy arrangements and production remind me of
Allen Toussaint's work. on Life is a Carnival, from The Band's album Cahoots. I also love that brief organ break, like Garth Hudson barging in on the song.Some of my favorite songs have Avenue in the title, and now I can add another briliant on to the list. Casino Avenue, like the best of them, are places you had to see for yourself before writing the song.

@sbs 1d

Had to go back and listen to Judy - oh, yeah! Love the “kicking the tyres off sixty” line. Clever! Really enjoyed the observations from the characters POV.

@coolparadisoMod 1d

That’s a classic Beatles trick of melding a few stories into one song, I am sure many have done it since! That organ really stars! And a strong guitar line pushes it on! Good hookline

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Casino Avenue

Liner Notes

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