FAWM: "Champagne"

Champagne

2025 by @brownium

Liner Notes

This was kind of a response to https://write.fawm.org/songs/303937 by @debs and @artie. Not so much on purpose, I just got the idea for this after listing to their song.

I wrote this last weekend, but lost it. Could not find the lyrics for love or money. Finally sat down and rewrote it this morning, and found the original lyrics 10 minute later.

I had in mind to add some brass and whatnot, so I change the key from E minor to D minor - just easier to play brass in D minor, and I don't play brass well. But then I put in this dumb clarinet part - I haven't even touched a clarinet in years, but I ran through 2 takes and kept the least bad bits.

Also, I wrote out the piano part and made MuseScore play for me, because playing piano is hard.

Both sets of lyrics include below, and some scraps of ideas that didn't get in anywhere yet.

Lyrics

A Laugh and smile And stay a while Sleep here, if you please Life is very Ordinary You can be at ease

B Sally landed Sometime last year In her Sunday best Now she’s wearing Something daring Charms the other guests

C Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We’re just trying to hide from the pain

D John was staying In the back room Never was alone All the girls He never married And never walked them home

E Do you remember Last September That guy named Jake the Wall? He’s been gone We carry on And miss no one at all.

F Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We fall, break, and do it again

G If you want to Be my brother Drink a cup with me I’ll still leave you When I need to Every choice is free.

H Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We’re just trying to hide from the pain

Laugh and smile, and stay a while Sleep here if you please Every one is always welcome Anyone can leave

Life is very ordinary In our humble home Just don’t ask to many questions You’ll be left alone

Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We’re just trying to hide from the pain

Sally shows up with her lover Two or three each day Maybe even takes another So she’ll have cash to play

Tommy shows up bruised and broken It’s peace he’s looking for He finds it in a little baggie Sally left on the floor

Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We’re just trying to hide from the pain

If you want to be my brother You can drink with me We will always stick together We will be tight as thieves

Then tomorrow when I wake up My brain will play these tricks I won’t know you are, who cares? Can you give me a fix?

Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We’re just trying to hide from the pain

Tommy’s smoking in a bedroom And laughing when he leaves He always comes back bruised and broken

Swing from rafters and drink the champagne Watch us pour our lives down the drain You might think that we are insane We’re just trying to hide from the pain

Life is very ordinary

Comments

@slusk 2025

+1 for the Tom Waitay style which I think fits this song perfectly. Everything about this fit together: lyrics, vocals, the clarinet. Well done!

@ductapeguyMod 2025

What an amazing cabaret song.

@gregscheer 2025

This has a wonderful "the whole world is burning down, we may as well drink all the booze before our final demise" feel. Which is prescient at this moment in human history.

I'd love to hear this with accordion. Still, the clarinet is a nice touch.

@fearlessflight2014 2025

Sonically I’m getting some lovely Tom Waitsy vibes. I love the clarinet! Is such a wonderful timbre. I’m sad that it is so rarely used outside of trad jazz and classical. I particularly love the singable nature of the chorus.

@ambroise 2025

There is a cabaret mood here that goes through the reverb in the voice, and the clarinet that has something eastern in it (and I don't hear it dum) plus the piano rythm. Meeting the blues in the voice it sounds huge and it made me think of Tom Waits. Well champagne and cabaret make perfect sens together.

@sexybass 2025

Love the bluesy gritty feel. Wonderful lyrics and tune and so well done!

@mdavisto 2025

This isn't the first time you've reminded me of Tom Waits.

Funny thing; this track got stuck buffering, and only played the opening throat clearing, and then long silence. I was like, this is a bit minimalist?

I feel your chorus heavily. My vice isn't booze, but the vibe is similar.

Nice to hear you again, @brownium.

@ltunes 2025

okay this is too cool for school! I want to see the whole musical that this goes in. Well done. I am enjoying the clarinet/piano duet combined with your great voice!