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Playing with the Big Boys

Sounds:

  duration mp3 quality size
excerpts 0:56 96kbps, 24kHz 0.7 Mb
Playing with the Big Boys (lo-fi) 6:04 96kbps, 24kHz 4.4 Mb
Playing with the Big Boys (hi-fi) 6:04 192kbps, 44.1 kHz 8.7 Mb
Early stages 1: themes (1988) 0:50 96kbps, 44.1kHz 0.6 Mb
Early stages 2: themes (1988) 1:47 96kbps, 44.1kHz 1.3 Mb
Early stages 3: themes (1990) 1:30 96kbps, 44.1kHz 1.1 Mb
Early stages 4: demo (1990) 3:37 96kbps, 44.1kHz 2.6 Mb

Notes -  November 2006

This song is made up of three themes that seemed to want to be in the same piece together. I'm very happy with the most recent version, which was completely re-recorded in April '02 but I've worked on it extensively most of this year. Walter and I collaborated on the music and lyrics. Alas, there remains no recorded version of his version of the bridge section, which as I recall had different words and melody.

Early stages:
Diving back into the cassette archives reveals some interesting fragments. I try to do this before finalizing anything in the track, in case there is something worth recapturing - an odd note, a turn of phrase, or something, that was present in the early versions. In this case, I think we got everything we were looking for. These (edited) historical archives are for true fans and paleontologists only.

Instruments:

Lyrics:

I watch them run and jump and play outside my window
I want to go out and join in the fun
Mother tells me no, she says that I'm just too young
They play too rough, and I'll get hurt in the end

  She stops me playing with the big boys
  Playing with the big boys
  Playing with the big boys, is where I want to be

Watch them throw and catch the ball, down in the park
I want to go down, and join in the game
Sometimes is rough, being the smallest kid
When they choose the sides, I'm always left at the end

   I want to play with the big boys
   play with the big boys
   playing with the big boys, is where I want to be

And one day, when I am big and strong
I'll walk through the gate, and feel I belong
And when I get there, will have to be so hard?
the big boys are playing in another back yard

   Playing with the big boys
   to play with the big boys
   playing with the big boys, is where I want to be...

At night, when Mother tucks me into bed
I always dream, of staying up late, instead
In the morning, though I have grown by one day
I'll always be too young, to be a part of their play
 

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© 2001-2006 Colin Nicholls