• From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Topic: "Famine or Feast"

Way back when I had more hormones than sense I had some very intense but lousy relationships.  This little waltz is about such ill-fated pairings.

Famine or FeastJames McCormick, October 2, 2007


6/8 time, a waltz of bitterness




Our [G]drama is real like [C]stink on your shoe


Are we [G]up, are we down, are we starting or [D]through?


Are you [G]darling or demon, are you [C]kitten or beast?


Is it [G]passion or penance, is it [D]famine or [G]feast?


[F]Famine or [C]feast, [G]famine or feast


If there [F]ever was [C]love, it [G]must be deceased


[F]Famine or [C]feast, [G]famine or feast


It's [F]gettin' to [C]where I [D]don't care in the [G]least . .[D7]




It [G]feels like I'm strapped in a [C]big scary ride


Where the [G]wheels are all loose and I'll crash off the [D]side


Fall [G]kicking and screaming in-[C]to the abyss


This is [G]romantic hell, not [D]domestic [G]bliss


[F]Famine or [C]feast, [G]famine or feast



If there [F]ever was [C]love, it [G]must be deceased


[F]Famine or [C]feast, [G]famine or feast


It's [F]gettin' to [C]where I [D]don't care in the [G]least . .[D7]


[G]Maybe to together we [C]are a bad mix


Like a [G]recipe that should never get [D]fixed


Like [G]frosting on pizza, like [C]anchovy cake


Let's [G]call it all off, we [D]are a mis-[G]take


[F]Famine or [C]feast, [G]famine or feast


If there [F]ever was [C]love, it [G]must be deceased


[F]Famine or [C]feast, [G]famine or feast


It's [F]gettin' to [C]where I [D]don't care in the [G]least . .[D7]


Our [G]drama is real like [C]stink on your shoe


Are we [G]up, are we down, are we starting or [D]through?


Are you [G]darling or demon, are you [C]kitten or beast?


Is it [G]passion or penance, is it [D]famine or [G]feast?


"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,204

Re: "Famine or Feast"

Well James,

What better way to start the morning than to have a waltz to fingerpick to and I am afraid that I too have had a relationship or two like this in the past. All part of the rich tapestry of life. It plays well and is easy to follow so I hope there will shortly be a recording to follow, well done.

Thank you,

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "Famine or Feast"

Thank you Roger and jasonhague321!  As far as rich tapestry of life goes - I'm glad I eventually learned that love should be based on mutual respect and simple joys rather than constant emotional drama.

I just played it through and realized I had left out a chord in the second verse - oops - I've now corrected that mistake.

I do intend to record this one soon, but would really like it if Emmylou Harris would just drop by and help me on the chorus . . . but that probably won't happen.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: derbyshire
  • Registered: 2007-05-17
  • Posts: 2,844

Re: "Famine or Feast"

hi james a few memories of old ,hope they did'nt have any lasting effects,stay cool...

love is life ,life is for love,keep a true heart and live life to the full....stay cool

daddycool's Website

  • selso
  • selso
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: El Paso, TX
  • Registered: 2007-07-18
  • Posts: 994

Re: "Famine or Feast"

this ones a keeper,james! great lyrical content. im not that great at waltzes so this will be great pratice. any tips on maintaining 6/8?

Everything is bad including me
But being bad is good policy
Reverend Horton Heat
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "Famine or Feast"

Hi selso - glad you like this one!

Here is a tip I got from somebody else on chordie's forum (wish I could remember who) - 6/8 time is "Apricots Oranges".  Say that over and over with the main emphasis on the 'A' of apricots and a lesser emphasis on the 'O' of oranges.  Get the feel of that into your bones (it helps me to sway back and forth a bit).

Hope this helps . . . waltz-time stuff is really fun and well worth the effort to break the old 4/4 habit.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • selso
  • selso
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: El Paso, TX
  • Registered: 2007-07-18
  • Posts: 994

Re: "Famine or Feast"

thanks again, james. as always your advice is really apperiated(sorry i cant spell!)

Everything is bad including me
But being bad is good policy
Reverend Horton Heat
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "Famine or Feast"

Hi all - I've just posted a recording of "Famine or Feast" to my MySpace Music page.
See the website link to the left under my forum avatar to get there and give it a listen.

Can't really say I'm getting any better at recording - but I am getting better at not worrying about trying to make it perfect!

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,204

Re: "Famine or Feast"

Nice recording James,

Well done, you are certainly getting better at it.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: "Famine or Feast"

This is [G]romantic hell, not [D]domestic [G]bliss

There's always one line in a song that sticks out to me, and this was the one for this song. I think there was a lot of thought behind this song, and that it says more than what at first meets the eye.... impressive smile

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: "Famine or Feast"

Hi last_rebel - glad you like that line.  My favorite is the "like frosting on pizza, like anchovy cake".  The idea for this song came from a piece of folded up paper that somehow ended up in a little-used pocket of a briefcase I carry sometimes.

Scribbled on the paper was 'famine or feast'.  I have no memory of writing it down, but after finding the paper I decided to ponder the phrase and use it.

This song is mostly about one particularly fiery relationship many years ago.  It was a tumultuous, exciting, never-boring, and ultimately unsustainable pairing.  When it finally ended for the last time, I was tremendously relieved - together, we were truly like 'frosting on pizza or anchovy cake'.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website