The Spirit

dajama

Genre: Rock

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Description

This is the song I started writing the day my son was born. It took me a couple of years to finish, and a couple more to record. But here it is. Enjoy.

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Lyrics

The Spirit

There’s a star above you
And a sunrise in your eyes
Everybody loves you
And you’re just spinning through the sky
And honey, I’m inside you
Oh yeah, I’m wrapped around your heart
I’m standing right beside you
And we can never fall apart

And there will always be something going on
And there will always be someone going wrong

But let the spirit take you, let it move and shake you
Let the magic turn your head around
Let the spirit take you, let it move and shake you
And you can turn the whole world upside down

You can take your own road
And you’ll never be alone
Yeah honey, you can wander
But you’d better bring it on back home
And when the day’s behind you
And the darkness starts to fall
Yeah, I will always find me
Yeah I will always hear your call

And there will always be something going wrong
And there will always be someone going on

I look in your eyes and I see that gleam
Yeah, you could be a space age rock star
Follow your heart and remember your dreams
And always be just be who you are

Song Stats

Hits: 1311
Comments: 56
Fans: 18
Plays: 181
Downloads: 90
Votes: 7
Uploaded: Jul 08, 2007 - 11:05:59 PM
Last Updated: Jul 08, 2007 - 11:05:59 PM Last Played: Jun 10, 2009 - 09:16:28 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Song Actions

Comments

	said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Nice Very well done like this a lot..... D-loaded, faved:) Thanks for sharing.

dajama	dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Really glad you liked it, Skean. It's a song that means a lot to me, and I'm happy you found it enjoyable to listen to (and download no less!) as well. I appreciate your comments. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Moviz	Moviz said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Really like your nice clear voice, it always has a 'fresh' feel. The chorus along with the whole sentiment, is brilliant and I love the 'travelling forward' feel of this really nice song. The further into the song I got, the more I liked it great guitar solo too ...and the picture says it all, great' M Check out my latest song called Come Back Billie

dajama	dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Thanks for the kind words about my singing. I wish I had more confidence in it! The straight ahead "traveling forward" feel you mention stems partly from my endeavoring to make the song appealing (and danceable) to my son. He loves bouncing around to this. Thanks again for your comments. I appreciate your taking the time. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

peacepiano	peacepiano said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Listening Sounds like you put a lot of thought into the details. Bass and percussion are smooth and support your vocals well. The guitar solo is a real treat. And is that you harmonizing with your self? Nice. Thanks for sharing. Check out my latest song called I Should Have Known

dajama

dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)

Thanks
for stopping by peacepiano. Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, that is me harmonizing with myself. I actually wish I had played around with the mix on the harmonies a bit more - there are some bits I distinctly remember singing that I can't hear in there (or maybe it was all a dream...) Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it. Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

	said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Love the pic! Great song especially in the context of the picture. I like how the melody gets bent when the chorus comes in and then it drops when the verse comes back, good songwriting!

dajama	dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Glad you like the picture - it's one of my favorites. It's actually a couple of years old, but it fit the song so well, I had to use it. I truly appreciate your kind words about the song and the writing. I am humbled, especially coming from as talented a lyricist as yourself. Many thanks. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

bonnieprincejohnny	bonnieprincejohnny said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Center Good job - yeah. Groove is good. Get that vocal centralized. Be lucky. Check out my latest song called twenty seven

dajama

dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)

Thanks
for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I appreciate it. Glad you like the groove! I'm intrigued by your comment about the vocal, because I actually double-tracked the main vocal and panned it slightly left and right - part of my ongoing effort to achieve a halfway decent sound. I'll have to consider remixing with the vocal dead center. Thanks for the suggestion, and the careful listening! Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Peter Bauckham	Peter Bauckham said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Good that you've got this one recorded finally. Great lyric and tune. Your vocals are excellent on this - those harmony vocals are working really well. Nice, smooth production and fine guitar work too. Thanks for sharing. Peter Check out my latest song called All The Same (CBGB) (Last Chance Challenge)

dajama	dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	Thanks for the kind words, Peter. Glad you think the harmonies work, and thanks also for the comment about the guitar playing. I too am glad I've finally gotten this song recorded for posterity! Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your taking the time. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

	said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)
	REaly good From the start to finish it is well produced and has a great uplifting feel and flow to it. Havin kids is a beautifull thing. I will have a new addition in 4 more months and ya know what I m gonna write that song if it takes me years!!! This is inspiring thanks for sharing!

dajama

dajama said 871 days ago (July 9th, 2007)

Congratulations
on the upcoming addition! Bet you can't wait. Yes, kids are brilliant, and inspiring. When I first looked at my son, I thought of a thousand things I wanted him to know, but when I really thought about it, I realized that the one thing that I hope he gets is that he should follow his heart and do what he feels is right. If the spirit takes you, go with it. Thus the idea for the song. Of course, it took years to finish it after that initial idea! Thanks for your kind words. Glad it connected with you. Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

lavalamp	lavalamp said 871 days ago (July 10th, 2007)
	Very clean Very clean production and all around great job. I especially liked the chrous as far as the vocals go. Sorry to have hit this so late. Good job and keep them coming.Nice theme, too. LL Check out my latest song called Googolplex Times Zero

dajama	dajama said 870 days ago (July 10th, 2007)
	Many thanks Glad you liked the production - it's an area I've been working on. Thanks for the kind words about the chorus, too. I appreciate your taking the time. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

five_extra_arms

five_extra_arms said 870 days ago (July 10th, 2007)

New Dad's Club
Yeah, man. Nice job. I see you gathered together the New Dad's Club to "ooh" and "ahhh". The lyrics really hit home for us and the music/production is wonderful. Your voice is so sweet (in a fatherly way) and that guitar lead is exactly what I needed to hear in this song. Thanks for posting this song for us! I'm downloading and faving it!

PS Hey ego - congrats - didn't know you were expecting. Awesome! Another future macjammer on the way! egobaby!

Check out my latest song called Michael Pool

dajama	dajama said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)
	And what a club we are! Whatever happened to songs about wild nights and blurry days, eh?! Glad you liked it, and thanks a lot for the kind words about the singing and the lead. I'm happy you enjoyed it. Cheers Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

lengold	lengold said 870 days ago (July 10th, 2007)
	Lovely... ...song David - well played, sung and produced. Cheers Len Check out my latest song called Dodgy Doughnut

dajama	dajama said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)
	Thanks a lot Glad you liked it and thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it. Cheers! Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Ed Hannifin

Ed Hannifin said 870 days ago (July 10th, 2007)

People who write songs about and with their kids...
...start out on my "good list"...Family songs, family music, it's all so cool...

You've got a real Jay and The American's meets The Cars bassline going there, and I love that Frippish sustained lead break: it's gorgeous.... The chorus melody is catchy and memorable and I like what I think I hear as some subtle doubling there...

Neat how the strings carry on at the end...

You've got just a whisker of Barenaked Ladies in the singing voice...

AND there's a bit of joy in that photo...

Ed

Check out my latest song called Next Time Around (w/jiguma)

dajama	dajama said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)
	Thanks, brother Glad you liked it. Frippish! What a great adjective - right up there with Bowiesque. High praise - I appreciate it. I'm glad the song appealed, and happy I'm on the "good" list! Thanks for taking the time. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

michael2	michael2 said 869 days ago (July 11th, 2007)
	hey good one, i like the feel of this, but really love when "let the spirit take you" comes in. that's a great change.one of those epic things that just grabs you because you weren't expecting it. good one. Check out my latest song called Behind Enemy Lines (w/Bud and Particle Dots)

dajama

dajama said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)

Appreciate the nice
words about the chorus. Funnily enough, the chorus has been like that forever, but last week, just before posting, I started to have doubts about it. I even played around with a few other ideas, but then I remembered "Hypnotized", a previous post where I changed the chorus at the last minute and I now think it was a bad idea. So I stuck to my guns and went with the original idea - glad you think it worked. I appreciate it. Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Macaudion

Macaudion said 868 days ago (July 12th, 2007)

How...
..Saweet!

Scrumptious!

It had to be like magic for you, just working on this and having it come together so beautifully.

A tune that sounds as if it was just meant to be...

A nice balance of goodness is what strikes me about it.

Aurally, very pleasant to listen to.

But my body liked it most. It just made me feel right!

Makes ya wanna tend more towards mining what's good about this joint. Thanks for doin' that. Sorely needed.

Thanks, David. Macca

Check out my latest song called 123 iGetU

Macaudion	Macaudion said 868 days ago (July 12th, 2007)
	Also... I wanted to mention, that this tune is a true gift! Thanks, again! --- I just love music! Check out my latest song called 123 iGetU

dajama

dajama said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)

Thank you, thank you
What praise! If it sounds like it's the way it's meant to be, then that's alright with me. Yes, it was fun putting this together, especially playing parts of it for my son as it evolved. He knows the words by heart, and he's even developed a special dance routine to go with it. Now that's what I call praise. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment (twice!) I really appreciate it. Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

thetiler	thetiler said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)
	Like the flow especially when the thump, thump.... started to kick in, especially when it started with that dramatic change! Nice singing, like those descending electric arpeggios as your singing. "Let the Spirit take you" with that guitar !! Nice soft rock. Like Check out my latest song called Little Drummer Boy Variations

dajama	dajama said 867 days ago (July 13th, 2007)
	Cheers! From a player like yourself, any compliment on my guitar playing is most welcome indeed! Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Feter	Feter said 866 days ago (July 14th, 2007)
	The Spirit ahh ...its not just nice its special cos its honest ..welldone ...! p.s its an awesome pic ..thnx for sharing !! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

dajama	dajama said 866 days ago (July 14th, 2007)
	Too kind I appreciate your kind words. I shared them with my son (including the comment about the picture) and he was very impressed! Glad you enjoyed it. It's special to me, too. Many thanks. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

jiguma

jiguma said 866 days ago (July 14th, 2007)

Understated but powerful
Good song David, and well played and produced. The Cars was the influence I noted - a very good thing from my point of view. This is a "rolling song" in that there's something in the rotational chord sequence that evokes feelings of movement and growth. I'm an affiliated member of the new dads club (grandparent division) and like Ed, think writing about family things is a very appropriate thing to do. I'd have liked a little harmony in the chorus because it's the way I'd have done this, but that's not a criticism - a really good song, very well played and recorded.
Neil

Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)

dajama

dajama said 865 days ago (July 15th, 2007)

Hey there
Thanks for the kind words. I like the idea of movement and growth (can't think why that makes me think of a five-year-old...) and the sense of "rolling". Interesting comment about the harmonies on the chorus - there are actually harmonies there, but I mixed them very low (for some reason) and they're almost inaudible. I may revisit the mix some time in the future. By the way, I tried to put some of your suggestions about fiddling with the bass sound (I believe that's the technical term...) from your comment on my last song into this one, and i think it really helped make the bass stand out in the mix (or at least have more ooomph) so thanks for that. I appreciate your comments and careful listening as always. Cheers.

P.S. Nice new avatar, by the way. Love the pic.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

guitapick	guitapick said 860 days ago (July 20th, 2007)
	Cool tune, 'jama... ...made cooler knowing it's for you kid... I love the heavy distorted guit in the background and the chorus is to die for. Nice solos, too. What's the pedal or program? Sounds great... Check out my latest song called Outside the Corral

dajama

dajama said 859 days ago (July 21st, 2007)

Cheers, dude
Glad you enjoyed it. Especially, thanks for the kind words about the guitar playing - high praise. I plug my guitar straight into my Eurorack UB502, where it goes through my FCA202 Firewire Audio Interface, and on into the heart of the machine. The effects are just from GB. For this one I did some Amp Simulation (started with British Gain and fiddled about a bit), added some Track Echo, Reverb, and messed around with the EQ, and I got this. Have no idea what I'm doing. I just putz around until it sounds something like what I have in my head, and I stop there! Glad you liked the sound, and thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your taking the time. Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Doadars Uncle	Doadars Uncle said 859 days ago (July 21st, 2007)
	Hey Dave The pic is great! I really enjoyed it! Roxy feel. Looks like you were moved. I don't have to ask, I was moved by my girls, too! Best to you, Doug Check out my latest song called Capitalist's Drag

dajama	dajama said 856 days ago (July 24th, 2007)
	I can tell you know the feeling. Hard to put it in words, but sometimes in music...Thanks for the kind words - Roxy, eh? Hadn't thought of that - makes me think. Second song in as many months to draw that comparison. Interesting (strokes imaginary goatee...) Thanks again, brother. I appreciate your taking the time. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Taruga	Taruga said 856 days ago (July 24th, 2007)
	Very good very nice sound. Good work Check out my latest song called TarugaBlues

dajama	dajama said 856 days ago (July 24th, 2007)
	Glad you like the sound and thanks for stopping by and taking the time to listen. I look forward to hearing some of your work. Welcome to MacJams - I think you'll like it here. Peace. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Roxylee	Roxylee said 855 days ago (July 25th, 2007)
	Right up there with Forever Young. Great message and I like your voice a lot! Instrumentation is great, too. Thanks for posting this for us! Check out my latest song called Sweet Grace

dajama	dajama said 855 days ago (July 25th, 2007)
	Glad you liked it and happy to hear you find my voice bearable! Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment. I'll be by to check out your stuff soon. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

bud	bud said 855 days ago (July 25th, 2007)
	Excellent tune and production the lyrics go straight to my heart - being the dad of two teens. Your voice sounds great and the whole feel is wonderful - very eighties but not cliched. Faved and DL'd. Check out my latest song called try not to think

dajama	dajama said 854 days ago (July 26th, 2007)
	Thank you, friend Glad you liked it and happy the sentiment struck home. I'll take an eighties vibe. I never think about the "sound" of a track at all when I'm recording, and i'm often surprised at how it turns out - this is one of those times! Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment. I appreciate it. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

ktb	ktb said 855 days ago (July 25th, 2007)
	solid its got such an infectious vibe to it. The guitar work is really stellar. Its got a radio friendly feel but its still very edgy. I like it! Have more kids, write more songs :-) Check out my latest song called Texas stump

ktb	ktb said 855 days ago (July 25th, 2007)
	Brian Ferry yes, thats who i kept think of while listening. You've got a great voice Check out my latest song called Texas stump

dajama

dajama said 853 days ago (July 27th, 2007)

Ferry, eh?
I've heard similar comparisons recently from a couple of people and it's really made me think. Thank you for the kind comments about the guitar and vocals. I really appreciate it. As for having more kids and writing more songs, I think I'll probably just write more songs about the ones I already have!! Thanks for taking the time. Cheers.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Warren Smith

Warren Smith said 854 days ago (July 26th, 2007)

Bringing it all back home
Some songs practically write themselves. Others are stubborn and take their time to get finished - no matter how much you push and pull on 'em. This one has taken its time to come into being - but it was worth the wait. Your work keeps improving with each new effort.

If you hadn't told us, we wouldn't know you struggled to bring this into being, because the vocals, the beat, the guitars and the synths all are working together as a team. It really feels organic.

I think the double-tracking solves your vocal problems (in earlier productions). It strengthens the sound of your voice so it can be easily heard, and it also brings out the nuances of your delivery. You have a fine singing voice - and it's great to hear it like this!

Check out my latest song called Pushing and Pulling

dajama

dajama said 852 days ago (July 28th, 2007)

Thank you so much
for your kind and considered comments. I guess it's true that a tortuous birth is not always apparent in the final work, and it's probably also true that this is a good thing! "Organic" is a fine word to apply to a song, and I am flattered by your use of it here. I'm grateful also for your comment about my work improving overall. This is what I aim for, and i am happy you perceive it. Many thanks. Peace.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Leon

Leon said 851 days ago (July 29th, 2007)

Brian Ferry indeed
I couldn't quite specify who you sounded like in all your songs... I just knew it has that familiar soothing sentimental feel... and now that somebody mentioned Brian Ferry, it was like BAM! Yeah, indeed! Your music is the kind that I wouldn't mind playing in a loop on a long travel. It just has that flowing, relaxing sound that kinda massages your ears and mind in a really gentle way.

Check out my latest song called The Nightingale (music and lyrics by Oceans)

dajama	dajama said 851 days ago (July 29th, 2007)
	Hey, dude Haven't heard anything from you in a while. When can we expect to hear some new music from you? Thanks for your kind words. Glad you liked the ear massage! Peace. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

Heightened	Heightened said 718 days ago (December 9th, 2007)
	The Spirits THis one stands out very well. Great song! Check out my latest song called A Journey Through Starburst Galaxy M82

dajama	dajama said 717 days ago (December 10th, 2007)
	Thank you very much I appreciate your taking the time to stop by and comment. Glad it stands out! Peace. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

racerat	racerat said 714 days ago (December 13th, 2007)
	guitars very cool warm drivin' rocker. I wish the guitars were louder. Your vox are way up front, but I think the guitars should offer some competition when they are present, it will give the song some contrast between the passages. Great mix, the bass is so smooth! Kinda Brian Ferry-ish, which is a good thing. P Check out my latest song called Frank's Song

dajama	dajama said 698 days ago (December 29th, 2007)
	Bryan Ferry? I'll take that! Thanks, man. I appreciate your kind words. The guitars up? I think you may be right. It's on my list for songs to be revisited (I do it every now and then, and i always find things to change - I don't know how people put out CDs that they then can't go back and change!) Thanks again. I appreciate it. Peace. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

	said 686 days ago (January 10th, 2008)
	Good Song! A very good song worth waiting for. Keep up the good work. Music is all about feelings and moode. You expres it very well here. It comes from deep inside which one of the most important things. By the way you have a very good voice. /C.

dajama	dajama said 685 days ago (January 11th, 2008)
	Thank you, man Glad you liked it. Thanks for going back into the archive and checking this one out! Yeah, it's gotta have soul, or else what's the point? Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it. Peace. Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)