Dorian Gray
by @majordanby
Liner Notes
#acoustic #guywithguitar #piano
I heard a song by @guatecoop which I thought I might be able to come up with something for and was going to use these lyrics but I couldn't make them fit. @karlsburg25 said that he also wanted to use Rob’s track so I sent hm these lyrics in the hope that he'd maybe get them to work but he'd already come up with a melody and had some words so I thought I'd keep them for myself. :-)
I was listening to Thom Yorke play an acoustic version of 'Creep' and noticed it was just a four chord trick which he made interesting with his melodic vocal range. This is my stab at something similar (although not of the standard of Radiohead or Creep!).
The inspiration for the lyrics is a wonderful book by Matt Haig called, 'How to Stop Time'.
It's Dm - Bb - F - C all the way through if you want to strum along.
EDIT: I've mixed this down again as my vocals were very high in the mix so hopefully this'll sound better.
Lyrics
A modern day Dorian Gray, Enters just left of shot, An old wooden door, Defies its tired hinges, And creaks like the floorboards he walks upon, He knows that they’ll chase him away, Accused of still looking the same, He wonders if she will come with him again? Does she love him though? Now that she’s old and bitten by age, She might have to let him go, To spare him from long and drawn out goodbyes, She’d rather just go, Extinguished like so many fires, She won’t forget him though, With him she lived so many lives.
A modern day Dorian Gray, Sits all alone in the dark, Except for a shard of light, He watches the particles float, Reenacting the first days of the universe, And now he thinks back to when they first met, She was just like that beam of light, The way that she’d light up the room, And she’d radiate warmth Like a fireplace, All crackling and dancing in flames, Like beautiful girls on a stage, Spinning each other round and round, He’s so tired; despite his face, Which gives away no passing of time, But this little house where he sits, Is falling apart just like him.
Comments
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I love how you've included both sides of this story. I also especially liked the combination of sensory detail and sense of deeper time in these lines: "He watches the particles float, Reenacting the first days of the universe"
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something about the vocals, guitar/piano and atmosphere reminds me of coldplay and radiohead. you make really, REALLY great lyrics. the 'With him she lived so many lives.' part was beautiful. and the coda at 00:24 too 🥹👍🏼
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That phrase Modern day Dorian Gray is already so fantastic. Like it’s own #palindrome. I like how the place where the voice goes high and stays low at the same time feels like the same person becoming old and staying young. There’s something about the song that makes me think of Eleanor Rigby. Maybe the mix of specific visual scenes and philosophical truths. So tender.
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Really great song, I must say. Some people just have it and you definitely do. This is just simply amazing from the amazing vocals to sublime melodies and tragic lyrics. 10/10! tit4tat
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Reading the lyrics was one thing, hearing them sung and accompanied as you have done is beyond masterful. An awesome handling of complex words, concepts and imagery - I feel as though I am watching - set up by the intriguing "enters just left of shot" and developed through visual detail like watching the particles float. Everything about this is wistful, yearning, intimate - we have been privileged to witness this scene - and to hear this song
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Oooh, that is so descriptive - and so olde-worde - very beautiful, very sad, very intimate. I love the harmonies and the piano playing is fab. This really is something special. #tit4tat
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Your vocals..... they're amazing....
The guitar is fabulous, and great storytelling with the lyrics.
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Stunning song, very moving and memorable. Amazing singing and playing. Lyrics and music are very spiritually connected. Love it ❤️
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Sorry about flooding your page with accolades but my wife just texted me that she still has goosebumps from your song a couple of hours later! She said it gave her shivers just like this one,
Lovely song! Incredibly, scathingly beautifully sung! I love, love, love their vocal styling, melody, selective & perfectly placed harmonies! Instantly addictive from first listen! WOW!
Reminds me of this song... https://open.spotify.com/track/2a1iMaoWQ5MnvLFBDv4qkf?si=OvWXA41RRKiojJ-6tHRFUg
or maybe this acoustic version...
I loved reading the history of this song and I am Very Glad that your early efforts to hand off these lyrics failed! Yes, that's right, I am glad you failed! Because, what you proceeded to do is sheer, absolute genius!
This song is INCREDIBLE! Maybe the best song I have heard all month and one of the best FAWM songs I have ever heard (or written!)
Your gentle, precise guitar playing reminds me of Gilmour at his peak. The songs builds beautifully with more guitar and keys! Then it descends back to quiet beauty at the end! OMFG, this is soooo good!
Your vocals are stellar! Full of emotion! Powerful! Tender! Perfect timing!
And your lyrics (that's where we started this review, right?), your lyrics are simply superb! Every word! Every single word! Perfectly placed and perfectly sung!
I would like to sincerely apologize for my lacking of ability to adequately describe just how utterly wonderful this song is! This is a masterpiece! It should be heard and enjoyed by everyone! And you know what? Thom and company would be somewhere out beyond PROUD to have ever produced a song this good! #tit4tat
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Glad I came this way on #tat4tat. I really love this. The arrangement and vocals really drew me in. Actually I kind of got lost in the story because I kept getting triggered by the specific phrases that overloaded my senses - which may have been your point. Then again, if your reference was Matt Haig's book, this is more about diving through layers anyway.
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This is so tender and vulnerable in all the best ways. I love the guitar and piano, they create the perfect canvas to paint your gorgeous vocals on. The harmonies on "so many lives" and "just like him" give me immediate goosebumps. Stunning. My favorite lyrics are the lines about the fireplace metaphor, so beautiful. #tit4tat
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It’s amazing what you can do with just four chords, especially if you have such poetic, evocative lyrics to work with. I like when the harmonies and the Radiohead-esque falsetto swims into the picture at the end of each verse. The arrangement is nice in its build, and the vocals are great. Nice job! #tit4tat
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actually I beg to differ that it's not at the standard of radiohead and creep, this is an absolute stunner and definitely in a category of it's own! Agree with a lot of the comments about how beautifully poetic the lyrics are, love how they paint a picture. love how your voice is so vulnerable and heartfelt. love the chord sequence too, and as others have said that vocal jump at the end of the verses is delicious! big fan of this song, well done..
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Oh matey, firstly i am weirdly so so happy i didn't have chance to put these to Rob's music, because this is simply stunning. And i am always fascinated by music and when writing songs sometimes get caught up in trying to be interesting with chord movements, often forgetting that its 50/50 melody and chord, and you've utterly nailed this with those awesome words. Bloody good job i nicked Rob's song off ya ;-)
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Beautiful chord choices and sequence. Not familiar with "Creep" but love your phrasing. Instrument choices are perfect. The lyric imagery is quite cinematic, which is lovely!
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Love that guitar, played and recorded so well with just a touch of space. What a nice vocal delivery and melody. The lyrics tell a beautiful story. Love the harmonies that sneak in. This is poetry.
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Your vocal has a tender quality that many other singers would kill for! (Better be careful!) 😀 Your harmonies sound wonderful. I especially like, "He watches the particles float/Reenacting the first days of the universe..." What an imaginative way to say it! I enjoyed your song.
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Beautiful song! You paint a cool picture with this. It should be on the soundtrack to the movie!
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Beautiful! Love the addition of the piano - just perfect!
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This is poetry! Beautiful and thoughtful lyrics. That vocal octave jump at the end of the verse is just gorgeous.
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Better than whiny old (or whiny young) Thom Yorke. Not much to say, just a snapshot of a story turned into a good song. Can you make it downloadable please?
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Stunning! Love the sparseness of the presentation, and the poetry of the lyrics (starting with the opening scene). You have such an impressive way with phrasing -- "bitten by age;" "He watches the particles float/ Reenacting the first days of the universe." And the melody on "so many lives!"
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You mastered a sparse arrangement. There is so much emotion in the vocals. Took me a while to find the piano. The uuh chorus is just great! What an awesome song and production
P.S. I learned Creep some days ago on my guitar... and it's been interesting to demystify this song. I thought he was using weird chords but in the end...
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Got me from the entry of your voice, absolutely brillo... I love the pace, the chords, the melody... those harmonies on "..so many lives" and "...just like him.."gave me goosebumps... a really beautiful song beautifully played and sung.... Thank you so much, truly inspiring... Pearse
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This is brilliant. I love it. OMG. The lyrics are brilliant, such storytelling, so poetic. The chorus just soars. Wow. Like, I could listen to this one on repeat. Kinda sad I am only now checking out your music with only minutes to spare! I am following you on all the things!