It's been a minute since I composed a new piece—over six years as a matter of fact. Intervening was a call to political activism followed by a relocation to a new continent during a global pandemic. And because I had sold every bit of electronic equipment before the move to Finland, I was resigned to embark on no further recording or production work. Then in September 2024, I was struck with an idea to create a new novelty piece culled from a collection of my silly aphorisms and taglines. I had barely begun penning a stanza or two when I received a midnight visitation from The Muse, who generously gifted me with a memorable melody to match my title sentence. It was a solemn minor key, however, so I shifted lyrics away from my trademark wordplay toward a more somber composition. It soon evolved into a Latin rhythm but still sounded so melancholy, I decided I should make a point of ending my sad lyrics on an upbeat note. I had no wish to bring down anyone's spirits—including my own!—one solitary scintilla beyond wherever they landed at year's end. Plus after the election results for US, I was especially glad for that hopeful, major chord ending on I'm Friday's Child (IFC).
Since I no longer owned any synth equipment, I presumed new music production, if ever I returned to it, must rely on a collaborator for additional instrumentation and possibly for vocals as well. So after I had a rough guitar and voice part set for IFC, I immediately contacted my Nice friend, Damien Riba, for a piano habanera part. Monsieur Riba came through—brilliantly as ever!—with a habanera piano part in a delightful orchestration for me to use and post here, courtesy of Mangalyan Records. His arrangement accompanying my vocal includes piano, accordion, violin and percussion. Merci, Damien! [Check him out at www.damienriba.com and www.cinelovers.fr ]
To hear my own orchestration w/vocal: https://soundcloud.com/kat330/im-fridays-child Unfortunately, I have otherwise run out of free time to post anything further whatsoever at SC. So for my own purely instrumental version of IFC, please find it at freemusicarchive.org/music/Kathleen_Martin or at my Bandcamp "Kathleen Martin" account.
Last but never least, multiple thanks to JT Lindroos for his great partnership in using the library's Mac software—I had only recorded vocals and synth parts in the past with a PC using Reaper software—and, as always, for his cover art contribution (photo of li'l Kat at 4 used). How appropriate then to release IFC to the world on January 4, 2025, which marks our Silver 25th wedding anniversary! 😊
😽 XXXOOO 🤗
Kat (a Friday's Child)
I'M FRIDAY'S CHILD
I'm Friday's Child living in a Wednesday world,
A world full of woe for me and any girl,
Who's loving and giving at the time of birth
And stays that way all her days on Earth.
I'm Friday's child living in a Wednesday world.
A Wednesday world can break a Friday heart.
This world of woe can tear that heart apart.
There was a time I seized the days,
They struggled free and slapped my face.
I'm Friday's child living in a Wednesday world.
A Wednesday world can crush a Friday's Child.
Can make her meek, and woe can drive her wild
With walls of pain built brick by brick,
A pincushion pierced prick after prick,
When a Friday's child living in a Wednesday world.
All Friday folk, let's forge a Friday world.
Each woman, man, all boys and every girl,
Who are loving and giving at the time of birth
And stay that way through their days on Earth,
Come Friday folk and make it a Friday world.
Yes, Friday folk can make this a Friday world!
--Kathleen Martin © 2024