Almost Lost You

Had never thought about what a chord progression actually is before this assignment. Like, if a chord shows up more than once in a four-chord progression, is it still a four-chord progression? Can you have a four-chord progression where those chords show up in different places in two subsequent cycles?

Anyhow, my progression is below. Note: the chord names look more expensive than the chords actually are. I’m just pedaling an inverted D major up top and then changing the bass note (plus one other note on the third chord). The cycles are the same length, but in the second cycle, I go back to the G for the third chord and then the Bm to A turnaround is half the length that it is in the first cycle.

Gmaj7sus2 | A6sus4 | Bm7sharp5 | A7sus4

Gmaj7sus2 | A6sus4 | Gmaj7sus2 | Bm | A7sus4

Anyhow. Did I break the rules? Tough to say. My take is that it doesn’t matter, because I tried to follow both the rules and what the song wanted. And I think that’s the whole dang purpose of this great big NCBC experiment.

The thing I appreciated most about this assignment was the challenge of writing such distinct melodies. I think it led to one of my strongest choruses maybe ever? Also—kind of interesting that “no effects” started feeling like an intentional style as I was working on this. Made me hear my voice differently and think about group singing differently. @zoya on background vox!

Almost Lost You

I climbed the wall inside you,

fell off and into the yard.

Landed in the cuttings

you cast off.

You caught me on the corner,

drawing and erasing a line.

Asked if I could do both

at the same time.

And I won’t lie

I almost took that chance–

To run and hide

and wait it out.

And I know I

I almost lost you then.

But always knew

I’d turn around.

Alone in the early morning,

walking the winding path.

Circling my own place

in your past.

Feel like I open sideways,

a little always falling to the ground.

Picking up the names

of what I’ve found.

• Acoustic
• Americana
• Folk
• Indie