Friday, March 07, 2014

Living For The Process




FORTY YEARS  
part one 

The Back Story of the Title song, Forty Years.
By Bruce Hibbard






Creating music ideas and songs has always been a part of my life. Since my late teens I've had a drive to make music. Most of the time it's a labor of love without too much monetary gain from my efforts. But that's OK, I consider making music an art. As with most artistic
individuals, the creation process is where I thrive. After the process, the release of emotion and sense of accomplishment is the payoff.  Most artists come up short when promoting their own art. This would be true for me as an artist as well!  With that being said, the story begins.

The creation of Forty Years

The project started with a song that had its bones designed back in 2002. Forty Years was bought into existence and roughly crafted just after the world-changing 911 tragedy. The lyrical concept for Forty Years was conceived, mapped, and brought to fruition by this underlying truth - as dark and hopeless our world may sometimes appear, at our core we long for love, healing and wholeness. At one time or another, most of us have been able to relate to the Moses experience. Moses thought he was heading for the promise land when he left Egypt. Instead, he wandered around in the desert for forty years and died without ever realizing his promise. Forty Years borrows this biblical story and applies it to our current life. It reveals one man's frustration pursuing these high held values and goals, and how the pursuit can be an endless circle of disappointment and futility . The silver lining in the song is the hope that we will one day stand together as one, without the hatred and division that keeps our world torn apart.






Musically, Forty Years was no less of a journey. It laid in a dormant demo form until 2009 when I dug it up and discovered its potential.

John Willis originally played guitar, and most of his work remains an integral part of the song. Bass additional guitar parts as well as keyboards were recorded by Bruce Hibbard.  Brandon Fields lays down some amazing soprano sax parts. Lenny Allen returns on this album as percussionist.

Forty Years
Word and Music Bruce Hibbard
Copyright 2014 Vizor Music


Sitting here upon this rock
Contemplating waves of sand
Drinking from a silver cup
Should I go, or should I stand
I swear by the moon
And all the stars that hang so elegantly
I won’t be my father’s fool
Blood stains the city walls
Where bricks once were made from clay
Could have been my destiny
Would have been if I had stayed
Buildings rise, and subways break the silence of night
I feel like Moses in the modern world

Endlessly, round and round in circles
Chasing my sanity, this might take forty years
Endlessly, searching for that enigmatic fantasy
This might just take forty years

Evening falls, time won’t wait
Moonlight paints the desert night
Planning out my big escape
Reminiscent of an ancient night
Crazy thing how just one moment can become
The defining moment of a man’s life

Endlessly, round and round in circles
Chasing my sanity, this might take forty years
Endlessly, searching for that enigmatic fantasy
This might just take forty years

Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going
It’s so hard to see, and when you get there
It’s not always what you thought it would be
Somewhere there’s an answer to our prayers
An end to all the struggle, of war and enmity
One day, we’ll walk together through that door
And when we emerge, we’ll be side by side

Endlessly, round and round in circles
Chasing my sanity, this might take 40 years
Endlessly, searching for that enigmatic fantasy
This might just take 40 Years