Recording and Mixing Dates: Recorded November 2010. Mixed April 6, 2016.

 

 

Genesis: In the fall of 1999, while taking a walk, I came up with the first verse of the song. In late December of that year I came up with the music and wrote six additional verses. On November 11, 2002, I condensed the song to three verses and a bridge.

I spent most of the decade recording and arranging several versions. On November 18, 2010 I thought I had the song nailed: bass, drums, guitar, pedal steel guitar, fiddle. I emailed a rough mix to my friend Paul Rybolt for review. Paul has great musical taste and good ears. He told me that the arrangement was too busy and heavy—the sound detracted from the spirit of the lyrics. He suggested I strip it back to bass, acoustic guitar, and the fiddle. He was right. I added a second acoustic guitar, on which I placed a capo high on the neck. The treble sound is reminiscent of a tenor guitar. The song was lighter and airier; the fiddle part became the emotional center of the song.

I made a rough mix and shared the song on my Bandcamp website. I never went back to do a proper final mix. Last week I realized the bass guitar part could be better, so I replaced it. Then I took the time to make the song sound as good as possible.

 Production: Bass guitar, two acoustic guitars, fiddle.

Lyrics

FEEL MY BURDENS EASE

I woke at daybreak

As the freight train roared

The thunder was calling

The rain just poured

Like ripened apples

Falling from the trees

One by one

I feel my burdens ease

 

Gonna get me a boat

Row it back upstream

That’s where I left her

In a young man’s dream

Don’t care if I find her

Before the winter freeze

I’ll keep searching

As I feel my burdens ease

 

Just like that oak tree in the backyard

So many seasons in the wind

But for all of the changing

It’s the same all over again

 

I wrote this song

Many times before

Gave it a new name

Pushed it out the door

I sang it in Saigon

And in the southern keys

Now I’ll sing it

As I feel my burdens ease

 Copyright 2016 Fred Grittner All Rights Reserved