So, back on December 13, 2013 I wrote a song called “grown up”. I was sick that day with a bad cold, but not sick enough to be confined to bed, and in my head fog and slight stupor, I picked up my guitar and strummed, then started a congested hum, and then suddenly this little ditty came out. (Was it the medication or inspiration? No one will ever know.) Right after I wrote it I decided to do a rough recording on Garageband so that I wouldn’t forget the tune (a common problem), and then after I finished recording it I thought, “I know! I’ll just post it on Youtube and Facebook because… zzzz.” And so that’s what I did.
My friend Ian Cromwell heard it and immediately messaged me and was all like, “Steph! I can totally add some strings to that!” So he did. And I posted that beautiful version on this here blog a few months ago. You can find it here.
Around that same time, my friend Anelda, who owns a recording studio in Nashville and works there as a sound engineer, messaged me and said she loved the song and would enjoy getting her hands on it when she had some down-time.
I’m ALWAYS up for people helping me with my songs. I mean, after all, I’m writing and recording with a limited knowledge of… well… almost everything! So when the professionals want to swoop in and help, I absolutely don’t say no. (Unless it’s a professional assassin or something. Then I say no.)
Several months later, when I finally remembered to email the files to her, and when she finally had a free afternoon, Anelda sat down with my song, which originally was just a guitar and a vocal track, sprinkled her sound engineering magic and some good ol’ fashioned hard work all over it, and sent me back this song – the one I posted at the top.
So much thanks to Anelda Spence, her husband Sean Spence, and the crew at Blue Grotto Sound in Nashville, Tennessee for taking on this little song, and helping bring it to life… free of charge! I am so thankful for your gift to me, and I love how it turned out.
You can check out more of their fabulous work by clicking here.
Lyrics to “grown up”:
what’s in a face
i follow the trace of a tear from a crack
in my heart to the place where we plant
to the place i call dibs on you
there’s so many ways
so many names that i could have worn
could have born could have sworn
that i lost you long ago
(chorus)
but as it is
and as it will be
we’re more than a means to an end
we’re an end to a start
and as it is
and as it will be
we’re all grown up now
except for the hope in our hearts
i’ve held on real tight
my knuckles are white as the flag i have flown
i have sown, i have covered the dead
and prayed for life again
but we’ve got what it takes
though i know the stakes are high and we try
and ask why as we fall but i see
it in your face
________________
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