This song came on thick and fast. The ingredients collected on a street corner without me completely realising it was happening. Into the song cauldron went:
Dolphins
Sunshine
Sandy beaches
Deja vu
Days Ahead is a big game of Chinese Whispers. A decade long mix up.
It came directly from a conversation with a guy I hadn’t seen in over ten years. This guy loved Florida, used to talk about it so much that when we lost touch myself and others just assumed he’d gone to Florida. Our chat literally picked up from a decade ago as if it were yesterday. Same old. We talked about our plans for the future, only that future was now. This all took place on a street corner around midday in 2009.
I’m easily sucked into the past. Deja vu and I are pretty tight. Glued to the piano bench that night with our surprise meeting still ringing in my ears I started this thing coming from nowhere. Memories of piano practice and naughty substance experimentation came flooding in.
The verse parts came first. Then the chorus, where I could hear the word Florida in the melody. Years ago he called me from Miami and gushed about the architecture and dolphins. We talked about this on the street. I decided this song needed two bridges, one for dolphins. So he never moved to Florida, he was under our noses the whole time. The song was completed quite quickly, within two days.
Vicariously the writing process of Days Ahead helped me through some lingering teenage angst. I used to have it in for dolphins, don’t you know. Because for a while they were like a fashion accessory, they were everywhere, which annoyed angsty young me. Can you believe that? Really, how can anyone have it in for dolphins?
So Days Ahead is properly high in vitamin D. Which is unusual for someone who can’t stand the sun. Some things will never change.
-Sky
LYRICS
DAYS AHEAD
I remember when we first met
You were the joker
And I played the fool
How were we to know
This was years ahead
I ran into you
Heard you moved to Florida
By the sea with dolphins
They smile at this girl
Who runs away from
Love, this is our place
This is our time
We’re in days ahead
In the back of our minds
Still in days ahead
Used to do many, many drugs
‘cause we couldn’t say no
Then you’d do my homework
While I played piano
Gee it’s nice to see you here again
Same place and time in days ahead
Heard you moved from Florida
Bring those dolphins back
They still smile at this girl
Who runs away from
Love, this is our place..
Heard you down the phone
On Australian soil
Woke then
Sometimes I think the sea
Will never be half full enough
For dolphins
You say you don’t have to worry
‘Cause you’re among friends here
“You’re safe here with me and my boys”
Safe now
Just me and my boys
And I heard you
I never moved to Florida
But I learned well how to smile back at
Love, this is our place this is our time..
I’m still in my daze here with you