inside nowhere
Words and Music by James Ozenne, April 1993
Recorded and Produced by James Ozenne, November 1998
Song and Recording Notes:
I'm sure it's quite obvious that I was trying to imitate My Bloody Valentine when I wrote this song in 1993. I tried to copy many of the sonic elements of that band's great "loveless" CD (1991 Sire Records) but as I found out, it's not easy. Accept no imitations and buy "loveless" if you haven't done so already.
In my quest to sound like MBV, I attempted to copy the drum style (although with my synth drums), the whammy guitar, the unintelligible lyrics (which I print below against my better judgement), and of course, and the super-rich texture in the recording.
Probably the only element I succeeded in copying was the unintelligibility of the lyrics. In fact, they were so impossible to understand that the first time I recorded the song in 1993, I eventually forgot most of the lyrics and couldn't figure out where I had written them down. When it came time to record the song for the CD in 1998, I ended up having to put an old tape of the song in my car for a week, listening to it over and over again, straining to remember the words until I got them. :)
If my attempt at sounding like MBV fell short, I am still pleased by the original ideas I had for this song. First, the chord progression is unlike any other I've ever used in rock -- the guitars are playing stacked fifths planing up and down in whole-tone increments. On top of that is a diatonic duet of voices singing a haunting (I hope) and dissonant counterpoint. But that's nothing! In the third verse, the choir enters with something that turned out just the way I wanted: triads that gliss smoothly to indeterminate chords, producing an otherworldly sound. Be sure to listen to this song with headphones as the recording is full of panning effects.
The instruments I used were synth drums, electric bass, two electric guitars (one of which is too heavily processed to be distinguishable), a few synth sounds (including a string sound to beef up the vocals), two lead vocal parts, and three part choir.
And so I'm inside of nowhere
You know I am
And I needed you where I can't have . . .
To touch with your mind and you will say
You will surely say
You wanted me there when I was nowhere
And you'll have to hide or I'll find you
I will find you
I know that I can't control your mind
Or you'll make me cry and I will hurt you
I will hurt you
I don't want to hear what you have to say
And so I will try to forget you
Forget that you don't care
And I know that I . . .
Will look back and see that you have left me there
Inside nowhere
And I think of all that I can't have