FAWM: "Pedestal"

Pedestal

6 days ago by @hbusse

Pedestal

hbusse

00:00

Liner Notes

#girlwithpiano #singersongwriter #needscello

Anyone want to add cello on this? Looking at you @briansmith... :)

Lyrics

What if I told you that the person that you see
Isn’t the statue on that pedestal you’ve built so easily
She doesn’t fit into that mold you’ve made for her
Made of superlatives and medals and the traits that you prefer

What if I told you that she keeps struggling to let go
And that she tries to control what cannot be controlled

And when she falls down from the wall
Where they have put her
She feels so very silly and so small
All the king’s horses and his men
They cannot figure
How to put her pieces together again

What if I told you that the girl you think you know
Is never perfectly secure, her heartstrings tied up in a bow
She doesn’t often show the mess that is inside
All of the doubts and all the hurt and all the tears that she has cried

What if I told you that being good’s like filling up
Gallons of water into an ever-leaking cup

And when she falls down from the wall
Where they have put her
She feels so very silly and so small
All the king’s horses and his men
They cannot figure
How to put her pieces together again

“Where is the love that won’t let go
Where all these shards can be made whole
Where love is not transactional”
Cries out her weary, broken soul

And when she falls down from the wall
Where they have put her
She feels so very silly and so small
All the king’s horses and his men
They cannot figure
How to put her pieces
How to put her pieces
Together again

Comments

@crisp1 2d

A master class in songwriting and performing in 3 1/2 minutes. Whew. Marvelous lyrics that take you behind the facade. Clear musical delineation between verses and chorus, with both being unfailingly melodic. And crystal-clear vocals that pierce the soul. Fantastic!

@kadmad202 3d

This is my second listen, and as I was reading the other comments, I am now hearing a lot of Joni, and some Carol King (Laurel Canyon vibe, as @siasa said). So melodically beautiful, so reflective and confessional. Hannah, you just all the tools, and know how to use them masterfully.

@emilyphillippi 3d

Okay, Sara Bareilles!!!

@dasbinky 3d

I love the extended stories you seem to tell across the bits of your collected works that I know, the women living lives no one sees. Lovely images in here, great hooks. Performance is dauntingly good. Your phrasing (and some of chord choices) are hinting at Alison Krauss. One of my top listens so far this year.

@adforperu 4d

Gaaah, that piano tone is just perfect. Is it a mic'd up real piano or a vst I need to but immediately? Stunning vocal as well, the range in melody really reminds me of Blue-era Joni, and there's no bigger compliment I can think to pay!

@ndavies 5d

This song is pretty pedestal-worthy though. The piano sounds great, the vocal phrasing is just right

@siasa 6d

Lovely, lovely Laurel Canyon vibe to this. Really excellent.

@briansmith 6d

This is so beautiful! I would love to add cello. Send me the chord changes and any ideas you have for lines, and I'll see what I can come up with.

@wynia 6d

I love every bit of this. The chord progressions are just so interesting and of course your vocals kill it as always! I’m not sure how much my better half has been checking in here (life kinda upside down for all of us in science right now), but I have alerted him of the needscello callout! I agree cello would be lovely!

@bradbrubaker 6d

The chord changes on "that you prefer" and "she has cried" as well as on the chorus are the types of moves that make me wish I could play piano. The first and fourth stanza are particularly excellent characterization.

@jonmeta 6d

I love where the harmony goes on 'the traits that you prefer' - pushing the song ahead instead of resolving there. I like the changing bass line over the steady chord as the song does finally resolve in a place of rest.

@jerrypettit 6d

Lovely song and yes--cello would add to it. If you had "Band In A Box", it would take you about 60 seconds to generate a perfect cello accompaniment. You just punch in the chord progression and it generates it for you. About 90% of my musical arrangements are BIAB. Lovely, lovely vocal on this! ❤️

@billwhite51 6d

the way the words unwind along sophisticated melodic lines reminds me of carly simon's song, thats the way ive always heard it should be. although the songs are a different as night from day, they share the kinship of being far above the common run of confessional songs. but just as the person to whom the song is addressed doesnt see the real person behind the facade. neither is the listener privy to the troubles plaguing her. this isnt a bad thing, in fact it adds to the mystique of the song, making us want to know the person inside, just as the singer herself wants to be known.

@steve_poet 6d

wonderful stuff, what a fantastic delicate voice you have, comon someone add a Cello to this I think it would sound even better. Beautiful lyrics too, excellent song

@lmnomusic 6d

beautiful. lyrics. vocals. piano. all of it. beautiful. nicely done.

@davidtaro 6d

Sweet chords. The verse/pre-chorus could comfortably sit in a Disney musical (which I mean in the most complimentary way possible), but then I really enjoyed how that’s slightly subverted by the minor chord chorus. I also love any references to nursery rhymes in songs (check), and the lyrics in the bridge are immense. Such great writing here, Hannah!

@robynmackenzieMod 6d

My goodness this is stunning. Your vocals are so so good and that delicate piano complements them beautifully. I could definitely hear a cello here. Gorgeous!