Water in my Mind
A new folk song about the Bay of Fundy and the tide that's rising in all things.
Today I send another new song out into the world. It’s called “Water in my Mind”, a plucky folk tune about the Bay of Fundy and its bond with the transient shallows of city life.
“Water in my Mind” is sibling to last month’s new song, “The Grey Line”. It speaks to the deeply Canadian experience of living so close to that vast expanse which makes up most of our country, yet still finding ourselves so far away. Maybe it’s the effect of huddling, like so many of us do, to the 49th parallel. Or maybe it’s the way all that space gets mediated by the consumer industry known as the “outdoors”. The song tries to discover if, in the end, there is no “out there” and “in here”. In the end, there’s just “what is”.
It was also my chance to fulfill my long-time desire to use the word, “metaphorize”, in a song.
I wrote “Water in my Mind” on a 24-hour solitary songwriting retreat at a friend’s lovely cottage in a little bay town called Harbourville. The retreat, which is the first of its kind I’ve ever attempted, was an experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if I dedicated a length of time to songwriting. I had a great sense of expectation that it would be special, and it was. The retreat gave so much to the song and what it became (along with about four others).
I had in mind to write by the water, and on the way stopped by a lovely art gallery and met its proprietor, Debbie Greenwood, who was working on a new painting (the gallery was called the Red Herring, it has since moved over to Tides Art Gallery in Kentville). Debbie and I had a nice chat about art. The gallery had a stunning collection of work in conversation with the Bay. I find that Debbie’s own work captures the life of the water in a way that sees into its private meaning.
Full of these images, I went down the beach to see the Bay itself. I had in mind to write about the water, but sitting there, the tide creeping in with unsettling strength and speed (it was also cold!), it became abundantly clear that this song belonged to the Bay, and not the other way around. The “water” is, in the end, “in my mind”, not because it fits there, but because it makes present the more fundamental flow of “What Is”, that tide washing through all and binding all to all.
On my hike back up to the cottage I stopped by to see Debbie again and played her the new song. It was a special moment. Thank you Debbie!
The recording process for “Water in my Mind” followed the same pattern as “The Grey Line”—the core of the song (guitar, banjo, and main vocals) were captured in one take with Tavis Weir out on Vancouver Island, and the harmonies and fiddle were performed by Rachel Kimmelman and recorded here in Halifax. Tavis and Rachel’s performances are wonderful.
I’m really proud of this song and am so glad to share it.
The song can be listened to on most streaming services or purchased on Bandcamp.
It would mean so much to me if you shared this post with a friend. Thanks for reading along, and thanks especially for listening.
I can’t wait to share what’s next!
—Matthew
Are the lyrics online anywhere? Great song!