I felt ghost-white too sick to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. Was a colour-coded era. Now I guess it always is. In a nervous grin like an electroplated chain It was survival of the sickest, so I got off of the train. And it never even troubled me to see If that snicker was my future looking back at me. I can't pinpoint the very minute that it changed. Can you pick a favorite color from a thousand shades of grey. In the green East River where no water lilies grow I prayed for hope to spring eternal even if the trickle's slow. And it never even troubled me to see If that snicker was my future looking back at me. We were happy. We were sad. She gave me the only one I'd had. As the helicopters lifted stars into the sky I looked for peace on Staten Island, on the ferries sneaking by. And it never even troubled me to see If the snicker was my future looking back at me. We were happy.... Words and music by Joe Pernice Bony Gap Music (BMI) admin by BUG/BMG
I picked this song to record because I always liked it, and I’m almost positive I have played it live only one or two times tops. It was with my band on the first leg of the tour for out album Discover A Lovelier You. I know I felt really uncomfortable singing it, and in those days I wasn’t the most chilled out with regards to working out the kinks before a paying crowd. I’m sure the decision to scrap it from the setlist was wholly my idea. New songs were cropping up all the time, and “Say Goodnight to The Lady” just slipped out of sight and stayed there. (I can say that I will almost certainly be adding this to a setlist or two when performing live once again becomes a thing.)
I wrote the song in early 2004 in Brooklyn. I had been living there for five years, and my wife and I had decided to move to her native Canada where I have been since 2005. I honestly loved every minute of living in New York. (I especially loved living in New York during the 2004 MLB season.) People who’ve never lived in New York have often asked what it’s like to live there. I’m not sure if it’s still like this, but I described New York like this: You could be standing on a corner next to a complete stranger waiting for the light to change. You make some smalltalk, and by the time you reach the other side of the street, that stranger is on the phone trying to find you a job. (I also once saw a literal rat pull a small duffel bag over the edge of the subway platform at West Fourth Street, so there’s that as well. I remember thinking, That could be me.)
Anyway, I wrote the song when the reality of leaving New York and America really sunk in. I wasn’t too happy about it. And I sure didn’t go easy. In the long run, I was happier having left, but it took a while.
As for this recording, I sang and played live. I used my La Patrie nylon string guitar. I sang and played into two Sure SM58 microphones wired to an Apogee Duet A-to-D converter. No mic pre save for those native to the Apogee. I tracked to two tracks in Logic. Did a quick mix. There’s a bit of EQ, compression, and reverb on the voice. The guitar has EQ, compression and a bit of delay. (I honestly have very little idea what I’m doing. I just turn knobs till I hear something I don’t hate.)
A further general note: After this free song post, I will post one more for free. After that, posts will be available only to paid subscribers. I get it if this sub stack is not for you. No hard feelings. I’ll still be releasing LPs, CDs, etc. via my label and Bandcamp.
Thanks for listening. —JP
Say Goodnight to The Lady