(This is part of a series of posts about releasing some early music via Bandcamp.)
Of all the songs on this album, Send Me out a Sign packs the most emotional punch for me. I wrote it during the heady days of courting my (now) wife. This was a songwriting phase where I was often writing three to four songs every single week, and using a little Tascam recorder to record demos. I first brought Send Me out a Sign to a friend, who played bass, and we did a version of the song. Later, I brought it to a new band I was in — Big Daddy Kiljoy — and when I played it for the band, you could see that everyone recognized it for a good song that we could work with. This version, recorded in a real studio, does a fair job of capturing our version, with a powerful harp solo and a nice easy groove.
There’s a certain feeling you get when you share a song that is close to your heart. On one hand, you don’t want to let it go. It’s so personal that it feels like a child that needs protecting. On the other hand, some songs come out nearly perfect (or so it seems) and the only way to breathe real life into it is to share it. I’ve been fortunate to be in bands where I can bring in songs that we will at least try (and we abandon as many as keep, it seems).
Send Me out a Sign is about waiting for that special person to know that the next stage of a relationship is ready and waiting, and that you are too. There’s a real uncertainty about where a relationship will go, and the song is positive and yet, there is a yearning to it, too. The Romeo/Juliet metaphor of standing under the window, waiting for a sign … that’s universal, right? This song reminds me of the strength of my marriage, and is a musical testament (sap alert) to love.
Peace (in the muse),
Kevin