Post number two of song stories from ‘Beauty Survives’ is about the song I’ll Keep You There.

I don’t mind saying, but I love this song!  I love singing it, I love feeling it.  As I’ve already mentioned with You Lie, so many of these songs are like our lives, a combination of good things and bad things, all mixed up together.  I love how this song sounds so sweet and tranquil, the opening line (you’ll get to hear how I really like opening lyrics to songs) “Oh how careless I look, wind in my hair”.  The song sounds careless, carefree and wistful, but the next line takes care of reminding me that this wasn’t the case when writing this song – “I could fake a smile, fake a smile for you”.

‘I’ll Keep You There’ again, like ‘You Lie’ was written at two separate times, in fact, a lot of the songs were.  Like many, started being written with one particular person in mind, but was able to be finished thanks to the presence of another person later on.  I usually introduce this song live by saying it’s about having to have people in your life you don’t always want to be there, but for one reason or another you can’t physically remove them (although you’d like to).  Perhaps think along the lines of Mother-in-law?!!  Enough time has passed (well nearly) for me to share who those people were for me.  The song was inspired by a really wacky boss I had when I lived in Canada, and it was finished with the help of the sister of a partner who was a foul-mouthed, very mean individual!  I am a self-confessed procrastinator, over-thinker, daydreamer and when others can swear at someone and tell them exactly what they think of them and brush a bad situation off, I can’t.  I’m always thinking I wonder why that happened, is it me or is it them?

My boss and my partner’s sister were both very similar in the sense that if they were unhappy with someone or something, they just said it, right there and then.  They didn’t care about who heard them, what other people thought or the hurt or chaos they caused, for them their “honesty” was more important.  They would pick at things until they got their own way and laugh at other people’s misfortune which was a personal bugbear of mine.  Strangely enough though, the whole time I worked for that particular employee I kept thinking I’m learning all the ways I never want to be towards people.  All the stupid things she did, I never wanted to repeat them.  And my partner’s sister was so very proud if she came off better in an argument, she was what I can only describe as vicious; I would hear her bragging about her latest victim.  Until I became one.  I am quiet, but forthright.  At that moment when I became her target because she’d probably run out of people to fight with, that’s when I found the way of being able to brush it off, not let it affect me.  I was ready, I was like – give me all you got, I’m prepared for this!  It won’t get to my core, you won’t break me, I’ll process it, but I’ll keep it in a part of my mind that I only need to reference if this kind of things ever happens again.  But the whole time I kept thinking whenever I say things I do really mean them, so there a lyric came out “truth can’t be hidden once laid bare”.

So I had actually started writing the song on a streetcar in Toronto, Canada.  It was summer, I had the window open as it was sticky hot.  The wind was blowing my hair and I was staring at all the people walking by thinking they probably think I don’t have a care in the world.  And I probably think the same about them.

Oh how careless I look, wind in my hair.  I could fake a smile, fake a smile for you.

I do indeed keep those women somewhere deep in the back of my mind, as long as they don’t disturb my meditation I’m fine!  I thank them; I am braver, wittier, sharper and I promised they wouldn’t make me jaded and bitter.  If you have had similar people you perhaps still can’t remove from your world, I’d love to hear about it!  Check out the song on the media or shop page of my website here and read the full lyrics below.

I’ll Keep You There

Oh how careless I look, wind in my hair

I could fake a smile, fake a smile for you

I’m creating chapters, compartments in my mind

To recall memories when I don’t want to

To accompany every distant stare

I’ll Keep You There

And when a tree falls and it has no fruits to bear

You can’t, you can’t just let it be

And the careless wind it turns to rain, you won’t turn a blind eye

And you judge, you judge everyone you meet

At moments I ask should I care?

I’ll keep you there

I’ll keep you everywhere that doubt lies in my mind

You’re preoccupied with life

I’ll keep you only in my memory for those days

When I feel that I regret, things that I should say

I won’t let you stand in my way

Oh how careless I look, breezing through this place

Well I’ll take this journey and it’ll lead me home

Truth can’t be hidden once laid bare

I’ll keep you there

And from now on I’ll be prepared

I’ll keep you there

I’ll keep you there