"Wash It All Away" : FAWM

Wash It All Away

7 hours ago by @jeff9

Liner Notes

#firstfruits #singersongwriter #acousticonetake

Finally off the schneid with one for this round. This refrain/chorus just wouldn't get out of my head so I let it run and more or less watched what it could turn into. As it unfolded, I realized I was sort of writing to a lyric challenge that @donna recently kicked off on the Muse Songwriters site where one objective is to have the narrative go "from micro to macro".

And if anyone is interested, the strange tuning on the guitar is E-B-B-F#-B-Eb, something I stole from a real guitarist, the astonishing Yvette Young.

Lyrics

Wash It All Away Jeff Walker

V1 A dream that took my breath and left me shaking In the morning Light flickers through the blinds as I am waking Like a warning

PC Relief as it reveals itself to be The glow of day

CH Wash it all away Wash it all away Banish it from memory Make it vanish from my brain Like the rain Wash it all away

V2 In the golden sunlight the char of black and gray An abomination California on any given day The jewel of a nation

V3 Dry wind and a megadose of hell Paid a visit The furnace blast of a devil dragon’s yell That came with it

PC May all these ashes be swept into the sea For this I pray

CH A rain to wash it all away Wash it all away Wash it all away Wash it all away Banish it to history Make it vanish down the drain Pray for rain To wash it all away Wash it all away Into that underwater canyon In the bay of Monterrey Wash it all away Wash it all away

V4 Sometimes its hard to find redemption In anything When the result of having good intentions Is suffering

V5 Man’s inhumanity to man is stark Our default setting Maybe God will have someone build an ark With an astral heading

PC Leave it all to the fires and cleansing rain Come what may

CH A rain to wash it all away Wash it all away Wash it all away Wash it all away Banish it to history Make it vanish into space Without a trace Wash it all away Wash it all away And be just another rock In the boundless Milky Way Wash it all away Wash it all away

Comments

@billwhite51 6h

that is a fantastic tuning, and perfect for the lyrical drone th expands in different directions thoughout the song. reminds me of how van morrison can repeat a line so many times until its potential meaning truly sinks in. i was surprised and delighted when you referenced the monterey canyon at the point where the song was no longer about praying for rain to put out the fires in southern california, but wishing for another great flood to wash the hole planet into extinction. at least that was my interpretation, and i am often wrong since i sometimes ring too much of myself into another persons song and end up missing the point the writer was making.

@jeff9 6h

You've pretty much nailed it, Bill. Thank you for the generous listen and kind words.

@richaaaay 7h

Wonderful song Jeff. Love the sound of that tuning. Heartfelt lyrics and smooth vocals, per the usual. A great listen all around. So nice to hear this stripped down version of a song. It's worthy and you do it justice...

@jeff9 6h

Very kind of you, Rich. Thanks so much for taking a listen and for such heartwarming comments.