SONG: “Rising Like the Sun”. (To download: double right-click & “Save As”)
ARTIST: grant.
SOURCE: Based on “Antidepressants in water cause shrimps to ‘swim towards the light'”, BBC News, 7 July 2010, as used in the post “Prozac Pollution and Shrimp Suicide”.
ABSTRACT: First off, it’s no use denying that the melody for this was pretty much cribbed from “Dead Queen” by Espers (because I couldn’t get it out of my head any other way), but I’m 85% sure they cribbed it from Fairport Convention, who cribbed it from Pentangle, who cribbed it from Jean Redpath, who cribbed it from some schmo in the 1400s, and once you go that far back it’s not cribbing, it’s tradition. So, three chords, some scratchy violins (actually erhu), some boomy organs/accordions (actually synths & fake mellotrons), a tambourine and a crunchy electric guitar. Oh, and the monks of the Delay Lama VSTi. Tradition.
The subject matter sort of dictated the form. This is a dirge. I based the song structure on “Lyke Wake Dirge” (I know the Pentangle version), only it’s not about stages of Purgatory but about a fluoxetine-addled shrimp who went to the light, along with every other member of his school. I very nearly included some gasping breaths for percussion, but enough was enough. All the gloom was lifted. Everything is shining. Instead of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus, it’s couplet-first refrain-couplet-second refrain. It’s supposed to be otherworldly. Enjoy the trip.