©2021 Tom Arnold / Deadbeat Music
When I see those bright eyes
Shining in the light
Of the pale Moonlight
Take that as my omen
Outstretched wings
In headlong flight
Bodies hurling through the sky
Singing songs
In joyous cries
Take that as my omen
Let those songs
Fill my heart
Free me from my earthbound plight
Take those songs into my heart
Let my spirit soar tonight
Birds fly from darkness to the light
(Sparrows flying set me free)
Sparrows flying set me free
Sparrows flying set me free
SPARROWS FLY THROUGH THE HALL
ON A WINTER’S NIGHT
THEN HURL THEMSELVES INTO THE DARK
THEN ONCE AGAIN INTO BRIGHT LIGHT
THEN FLY ONCE MORE
TO UNKNOWN DARK
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
When I see those bright eyes
Shining in the light
Of the pale Moonlight
I take that as my omen
Outstretched wings
In headlong flight
Daring freckles in the sky
(Spar————-rows)
My eye is on the
(fly——-)
Sparrow, high
(—-ing)
(Set me)
I take that as my omen
(Free———)
He caught my eye
(eeeeeeeee)
And set me free
Freed me from my earthbound plight
I took those songs into my heart
I let my spirit soar tonight
Birds fly from darkness to the light
(Sparrows flying set me free)
Sparrows flying set me free
Sparrows flying set me free
Sparrows flying set me free
I saw The South African band Johnny Clegg & Savuka live and was exhilarated. I wanted to capture some of the magic of Clegg’s curious combination of potent rock, traditional Zulu music and Irish folk influences.
My bandmates and sound engineer for this recording gave me a great deal of help in realizing my pean to Johnny Clegg. Singer Ellen Whyte suggested musical changes in two sections of the song that greatly strengthened the melody and the impact of each of those sections on the listener. Drummer Jeramy Burchett provided me beats used in East African popular music. As well as drums ancillary to his main kit that provided very potent points of emphasis to particular sections of the song. Engineer Dean Baskerville masterfully EQ’d the drums in those sections for maximum effect.
I wanted a song that used sparrows metaphorically in the sense of animism and as a source of inspiration in living most fully
released August 27, 2021
Tom Arnold, vocal, guitar, synthesizer, bass
Ellen Whyte, vocals
Jeramy Burchett, Drums
Dean Baskerville, Baskerville Recording, Sound Engineer
jacques-le-henaff/Unsplash, cover photo
