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.

 

 

INSIDE NOWHERE

 

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

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