Some friends and I have formed a “song circle.” A song circle is where a bunch of songwriters get together and demo new material for each other in order to get feedback, help with writer’s block, etc.

Occassionally, there’s homework. About a week ago the assignment was to write a song with the word “green.” It didn’t have to be the theme of the song — it just had to use the word “green” somewhere.

Now, I tried really, really hard to avoid the obvious association with nature — trees, grass, Thoreau, etc. — but of course the moment I had the thought I couldn’t shake it. So I put off working on the song as long as possible (just like real homework!) until about two days before it was due when a chorus dropped out of the sky and onto my head:

you know it’s never enough for me
I just wanna drown myself
in all of that green

Thing is, I am kind of a nature freak. Not the gung-ho hiking-camping-bouldering type, but the type who’s easily distracted by birds and bugs and things that live under rocks. A nature walk with me will take a half-hour longer than you planned because I won’t stop interrupting you to point out another squirrel or something.

So I started thinking about the song as a one-sided dialogue, with me trying to convince someone to back away slowly from the internet and get outside. And with that in mind, I wrote the rest of the song the night before, and revised the lyrics in my head during lunch the day of.

There are some weak spots. I certainly phoned in a few rhymes, and I paraphrased a few lines of Robert Frost to clinch the third lift — I always knew that English degree would come in handy someday! — but I’ll probably have to change it out in any subsequent recording.

Here’s a bare-bones demo with rough guitar and scratch harmonies. Lyrics after the jump.

Song containing the word “green”

Download MP3 (free, login required)

  Share this song on Twitter

Let’s go walking outdoors
trade these linoleum floors
for some sky and some water
meet me out at the gate
the television can wait
it ain’t got nothing to offer

Let’s strike out on our own
we’ll leave the cell phones at home
and the house unattended
we’re not here everyday
so put those headphones away
see how the sun has ascended

So come on, let’s be nowhere to be found
Come on, let’s roll these windows down

‘Cause you know it’s never enough for me
just wanna drown myself
in all of that green
and surround myself
’til everything in the world
ceases to be…

Why you walking so fast?
don’t you want this to last?
don’t you know what you’re missing?
Cast a glance at the sky
you know you should try it sometime
put an ear up and listen

So come on, let the city disappear
Come on, I think I know the way from here

‘Cause you know it’s never enough for me
just wanna drown myself
in all of that green
and surround myself
’til everything in the world
cease to be…

And they say, every green begins as gold
and it’s the hardest hue to hold…

‘Cause you know it’s never enough for me
just wanna drown myself
in all of that green
and surround myself
’til everything in the world
cease to be…

Yeah you know it’s never enough for me
I just wanna pull you down
into all of that green
yeah surround ourselves
with something I can believe
just you and me