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Pop-punk band from Orange County, CA
Song Info
Genre
Author
Marc Morcos / Mario Morcos
Uploaded
May 08, 2020
Track Files
MP3
MP3 17.6 MB • 320 kbps • 7:41
Lossless
WAV 77.6 MB
Story behind the song
Writing this song was a major project. It was not like anything I had ever written before. At the time I sat down to begin Gray Skies, Sunny Smiles, I knew I wanted to write a lengthy sort of epic that would not only go through different stages lyrically, but musically as well. Guns N Roses 'Estranged' served as my inspiration.
Completing it took about 3 weeks - July 15, 2000 to August 9, 2000. I wanted these lyrics to really be powerful with meaning, so I made sure I spent time with them. During the course of the 3 weeks, I brought more and more of the past musical ideas I had reserved for other songs, and put them together to use in this song. I was so surprised at how well everything worked and sounded as one. The changes in tune and melody gave the song a lot more depth and dimension.
When writing the lyrics, I would think about what Id want a certain section to be about, and then Id try to write about that. Since this song had so many parts, I was able to not only write about the specific subject, but also about the viewpoints and aspects of life surrounding that subject. Everything just seemed to fit perfectly into place, giving a unique feel to the whole thing. When I was done, I was surprised I pulled it off. It was not like I thought it was some huge masterpiece or anything, but in my mind, it was a huge challenge. So having the finished product in my hands felt good.
When it came time to record Gray Skies, Sunny Smiles in the studio, another challenge lay ahead. Mario and I looked at the length of the song and wondered how we would ever get through it without giving ourselves ulcers in the process! The stress of recording a regular 3-minute song was bad enough - especially if you were the drummer. You could be on the 5th minute of a 6-minute song, but if you messed up - even missed just one small beat - you would be forced to record the whole song all over again. While picking up where you left off, or punching in a good part over a bad, is fine to do with guitar, bass, vocals, and every other instrument of the world, doing so with drums would sound too noticeable and inaccurate, and in effect, cannot be done. But one thing this song had was lots of short pauses in-between tempo and style changes. So for every pause that I approached and passed successfully, I was relieved to know that if I did happen to mess up, I would at least be able to pick up from after the pause, rather than from the very beginning of the entire song.
I cant remember exactly how the drum recording for Gray Skies, Sunny Smiles played out, but I remember it being a heck of a lot easier than I thought it would be. The entire song may have actually been one take - I cant remember. But I do know that by the time I got to the very end where the song does that instrumental sort of outro as it fades into the wind, my arms were about ready to fall off from playing so hard and being so tense. When it was over though, I rejoiced.
Then it was time for Mario to record his guitar parts, overlapping every guitar track two times for a fuller sound. He first laid down all the rhythm guitars (the basic background guitars), and then recorded all his lead guitar parts. When he finished that, it was then time to record bass.
Before we even stepped foot in the recording studio, we spent about a year just preparing for it. During that time, we practiced a lot and developed all our songs by adding more backgrounds, extra guitars, new parts, etc. However, one thing Mario and I didnt really decide on was how the bass would go during the instrumental ending of Gray Skies, Sunny Smiles. Mario thought the bass should follow the root notes of the guitar, while I thought the bass should do its own thing, and also hold out the same note for several measures as the guitar changed. Since we couldnt agree during the song development pre-studio phase, we decided to just move on to other things and..... [Full story at www.DrowningFish.com] -Marc Morcos
Lyrics
The times were great
The times with you
I had it all
I thought you too
I made you laugh
You made me smile
And since you smiled
I couldn't tell you'd cry
Please don't go away
There's a storm coming
The skies have changed
The night's so very late
And you can't think straight
The tides are stirring
I'll hold you through the night
Till the sun strikes
The biting void
The cold may seep in
But I'll do all I can
To tuck you in tight
It's amazing how
Some people can
Make small things great
Make moments last
When you pushed me in
I took you with me
You picked me a flower
And I stuck it in my hair
Don't throw yourself in
The storm is deadly
And the skies now black
The rain is pounding down
And you're so wet
The winds are wailing
Let me hold you through your night
I won't let you die
Please let me in
Don't you know what you're worth
And how much more life will give
In time, give it time
And maybe
I knew all along
This feeling
I felt something was wrong
Please tell me
Is something on your mind
Don't leave me
Behind tonight
In time, it will be alright
Even stormy skies turn warm and blue again
And forever is a long time
To be away from someone who loves you dear
Cuz if I ever lost you
I would stop to care
Cuz all that I loved so dear
Would have disappeared
I know now the night is dark
And the cold still creeps in
Trust God, and love yourself
The emptiness will disappear
