From the recording Both Sides Of The River
A BETTER DAY
“We could all use a little cheering up now and then, right? Face forward! Hang on!”
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Several years ago, I found myself in a relentlessly dour mood for a week or so. I’ve always been subject to moods, but this time a few too many of life’s ordinary challenges had seemingly “ganged up” on me in a span of a few days. What’s more, I was rather morbidly preoccupied with the loss of one of my life’s most important relationships
( https://youtu.be/3h0TBAAc_eE?si=9amSrvjqeQz7iagf ). The latter contributed a sad hopelessness to what had become a bit of a bleak emotional morass.
For some reason, while in this dark mindset, I had typed the few lines “A better day is coming/Sun is gonna shine/Birds are gonna sing” into a song idea document. I found these lines to be unspeakably corny, pollyanna-ish, and wholly unsatisfying given my psychological state. I didn’t really believe those words at all at that moment. I closed the file and moved on, I suppose to one or another of my more usual sonic mutterings about mortality or betrayal or drinking whiskey or whatever.
Eventually, after “Wood And Wires,” which had been my focus for the longest time, was finished, I scheduled a writing session with myself one night to begin finding out what might be “next.” As part of this, I went back through some old files, found the “better day” fragment, and most of this song, plus one more verse I didn’t use, tumbled out. After a few days of fussing and tweaking, it took on more or less its current form. Still, once again, I put it away and forgot about it. Somehow I rediscovered it in the days leading up to the start of this new record. I thought of “A Better Day” as a sort of a nice little retro 70s JD Souther-like R&B influenced-song. I still had my doubts though, and I was a bit surprised that Spencer thought we should include it on the record. Boy, I’m glad we did. It was stripped down and cool in its own way for the longest time with just acoustic guitar, vocals, bass and drums. But it took on its true character when I added piano late one night.
Ed Skibbe, Cave Creek
August 2023
CREDITS
Ed Skibbe: acoustic guitar, piano, vocal
Spencer Pyne: bass
Brian McClure: drums
NOTES
We recorded basic tracks, bass, drums and reference guitar and vocal at ESP in Colorado. If memory serves, I recorded the lead vocal and a “fresh” acoustic guitar track, as well as the piano in Arizona. After failing to find anyone else interested in tackling the task, I sang a few different harmony vocals, thinking of the Everly Brothers sibling harmony, but none of them sounded right, so I left them out. Mixing and editing was at ESP in Colorado.
Spencer and Brian embraced this one, originally as “an oldie,” sort of Everly Brothers, but it turned out more contemporary than that, I think.
This is one of the simplest songs on the project. Spencer listened to it one night and commented that it would make a great opener. “Good stuff is coming.” LOL I think it makes a great bookend with “Long Way to Go,” the last song on the record.
Lyrics
A BETTER DAY (Skibbe)
© 2022, Coyote Tongue Music (ASCAP)
There’s a devil on my shoulder, a monkey on my back
Somewhere along the line the train done jumped the track
Broken heart inside my chest, crossed wires in my brain
I keep on dancing, but it doesn’t feel the same
A better day is coming
Can you hear the music play?
Sun is gonna shine
Birds are gonna sing
The winter in my soul
Will blossom into spring
A better day
A better day
A better day is coming
Stormy clouds swirling black around your head
Shadows and confusion should be a rainbow instead
I don’t recall the last time I saw you smile
Let’s cut the deck for one more hand, all in and jokers wild
A better day is coming
Can you hear the music play?
Sun is gonna shine
Birds are gonna sing
The winter in your soul
Will blossom into spring
A better day
A better day
A better day is coming
A better day
A better day
Can you hear the music play?
A better day is coming