Break Out The Tissues!

For some insane reason, there have been a few folks who compare my singing and songwriting to Mary Chapin Carpenter.

What?! C’mon. MCC is one of the high priestesses of Americana. Good gracious, I am NOT worthy! 

But I appreciate the compliment.

Ms. Chapin Carpenter has been one of my favorite singer-songwriters for a long time. Over the years, both my band and I (solo) have covered some of her tunes, and one that I like a whole lot is the ethereal "Only A Dream".

This song is exquisite. The lyrics read like an entry from a journal or diary that just happens to have an alternating AABB/AAAB rhyme scheme. The story of two sisters growing up, then apart, amid family strife is something almost everyone can relate to. And despite the song’s gentle cadence and spare arrangement, it has lyrics that are achingly honest, such as:

But oh how our dreams went bump in the night

And the voices downstairs getting into a fight

And the next day a silence you could cut with a knife

And feel like a blade at your throat

The melody has gentle rises and descents, beautiful little sighs in a lower vocal register, then “lifts” in the pre-chorus and chorus. The chord progression is simple with an occasional brief out-of-sequence chord for a smidge of drama. Yum, yum, yum.

I think one of the most powerful aspects of this song is the arrangement. It is just Mary’s vocals and a piano - that’s IT! That’s all it needs. Anything else would have gotten in the way of the story she is trying to tell. Kudos for the restraint, my dear.

And speaking of the vocals, MCC’s voice is like a downy pillow you can rest your tired head on. So pure, so empty of pretentiousness and artifice. That’s true for all of her songs, but it’s absolutely essential for “Only A Dream.”

[Sigh.] If only I could write a song like that… is it “only a dream”?