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Steady As The Rain

from Orphans and Singles by John Pippus

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    Americana with three part harmony
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about

Written and recorded at the 4th Annual Steelbridge Festival in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, June, 2008. (See the track notes for "Better Days" for more on the week of songwriting and musical fun.)

On the day this song was written, I was paired up with Dan Mayhew and Kacy Crowley. Dan was a local, Kacy was up from Austin, Texas. I had the first verse and chorus written. I played what I had and they both agreed it was a good start and a song that was waiting to be finished. By mid-afternoon we had the second verse and bridge written and we had the harmonies and the arrangement worked out.

We recorded it, live off the floor, later that evening. Eric McFadden was one of the in-demand players at SteelBridge that week. He is one of the most amazing players and performers (two different animals) I've ever met. And a nice guy and alpha male all in one. He's played with Eric Burdon, George Clinton's P-Funk and many others, and fronts his own band. On this song, he plays a tasteful mandolin. Kacy sings the second verse. Dan, Kacy and I harmonize on the choruses.

The song was meant to fade out around the 3:15 mark. But this version carries on for over another minute. We just kept singing, digging the vibe and the harmonies, but really it's way too long.

One other note, halfway through writing the tune, Dan pointed out that the verse is in a strange time signature. 7/4 I think it is. The choruses are straight 4/4.

lyrics

You’ll find another
You’ll find another’s friend
You’ll roam the foreign capitals
Sleep late, and remember when
You gave your love so freely
And listened carefully
To some fool pour his heart out
That ‘some fool’ was me

I’m steady as the rain
Constant as the sea
The sea that took my darling
Far away from me

It was wrong
As right as wrong could be
But darling I discovered
Our life, wasn’t meant for me
I stayed inside this circle
Which soon became a wall
I’ll take a life uncertain
Than have no life at all

I’m steady as the rain
Constant as the sea
The sea that took my darling
Far away from me

This is hard
Can’t you see
Love and loss
You and me

I’m steady as the rain…


© 2008 John Pippus, Kacy Crowley, Dan Mayhew

credits

from Orphans and Singles, released October 1, 2010
Words and music: John Pippus, Kacy Crowley,
and Dan Mayhew

Lead vocals: John Pippus and Kacy Crowley
Guitars: Dan Mayhew and John Pippus
Bass: Session player (can't recall his name!)
Mandolin: Eric McFadden
Harmony vocal: Dan Mayhew

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John Pippus Vancouver

"Reminiscent and harkening in spirit, in some ways, to Neil Young’s classic “Harvest,” Pippus and friends have made something much richer in tone and certainly more fitting for 2022.”

-Review of “Hermosa Star”, Great Dark Wonder ... more

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