NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT.
Musically, this song is what happens whey you consciously try to write and record something that fights against all your self-perceived tendencies. Over the years, I've written and recorded around 250 songs, and--given that I'm completely self-taught and don't know any music theory at all--I'm very conscious of trying not to repeat myself while, at the same time, having a limited musical knowledge to draw from. As I was writing the music for this one, I started to have conversations with myself like "man, this particular chord progression wants to resolve with a 'G', but haven't I done that before?.....", and so I made a very-conscious effort on this one to try to write chord progressions, etc. that DON'T sound like what I've done before (at least, as best as I can remember it....). The challenge was to try to make sure I was doing something really new, without having some of those musical decisions be gratuitous......in other words, whatever I came up with had to "work" musically.
The problem with this is I went so against my instincts all through this song that I'm not sure I like it :-) I fear it comes dangerously close (musically, not lyrically) to two genres of music which I really don't like.......theater music, and religous hymns.
I went so far as to use effects in the studio that I rarely have ever used. I chose a "cathedral" reverb for everything, and the lead vocal is running through an effect that duplicates my voice 6x over. And then there's the electric bass solo, in a song that otherwise doesn't have any bass in it.
And so it may be that I've completely lost perspective on this one......you guys will have to be the judge.
Lyrically, it seems I'm writing more and more apocalyptic love songs. Gee, I wonder why.......?
This Late Gift
(© 2025 Walter Ehresman)
From left field comes the heart’s grace;
Just past the end of hope;
Her eyes, with sparkle toward me;
Her open book, my rope.
I’d ceased to think it possible
to find each other here;
Cast away on endless seas……
these endless stretching years.
[chorus #1]
(I will accept) this late gift;
(So thankful for) this late gift;
(My heart soars with) this late gift.
As the world all chooses darkness,
and the last sands run on down;
All that’s left is holding tighter
to this last love I’ve found.
We’ll give each other comfort,
and create moments of joy;
Then hold hands at the last sunset
as greed and hate destroy………….everything.
[chorus #2]
(Still waiting for) that late gift;
(Still reaching for) that late gift;
(Still aching for) that late gift.
Walter Ehresman: vocals & vocoder vocals; keyboards; 5-string electric bass; sequencing.
For official releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/
p. 2025 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records.
