Day 8
RAMMIN’ JAMMIN’ TUMBLEWEEDS
Day Eight is here! Once again, many many thanks for coming along on this ride with us.
The concept of playing “the hero” has, indeed, changed over time. (And how). The “black hat” versus “white hat” scenario, while effectively ageless and timeless, has, too, evolved.
Without question, the “good” and the “bad,” as we define them in our world, can prove quite subjective… Yet the idea of standing one’s ground, regardless of what is being “stood up for,” has pretty much remained consistent.
“Be resolute!” “Stay firm!” “Don’t Give up on what you believe!” These things still mean something.
Additionally, a delicious context can help reinforce the passion behind this show of determination. Yes, indeed…we all have our tumbleweeds, waddies, hoosegows and varmints to deal with.
OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF MAKERS
Before we take you to today’s showdown, dig this… Sometimes, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the insatiable drive to capture a musical idea. (This song was just such an instance). When that happens, it must somehow be preserved before it is forgotten. In those instances where the needed instrument is not available, we find alternative methods of expression:
THE MUSIC (SONG 8) – “TWELVE O’CLOCK RUNNING”
“Just take it in hand and raise it to the sky and drink to me one more glass of wine“
Written by Andrew Roman and Robert Steel
Produced by Elm Treason
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Realm Tones Music
A guitar-driven gallop that rolls with its musical boots on. A bit of the Old west? Check. A bit of hard rock? Check. Riffs? Harmonies? A driving rhythm? A kickin’ solo? Check times four. The train is arriving right on time. Time to stand up, keep firm and check this one out:
“TWELVE O’CLOCK RUNNING”
(Listen now. Roll with it!)
LYRICS
The twelve o’ clock keeps running, gunning along the line. Oh, rain, shine, right on time.
Her wheels stop for nothing. How many here will show? Oh, sun sets, it’s me, alone.
And should it be it’s them instead of me, just take it in hand and raise it to the sky
and drink to me one more glass of wine.
The twelve o’ clock is coming among the willows, ride. Oh, could be it is my time.
She’s here, bold and stunning, my two feet on the ground. Oh, there ain’t no backing down.
And should it be it’s them instead of me, just take it in hand and raise it to the sky
and drink to me one more glass of wine.
Caught between the clock and a hard place, but like the clock, I’ve got time on my hands
and I can’t lose face. I can’t lose face.
And should it be it’s them instead of me, just take it in hand and raise it to the sky
and drink to me one more glass of wine.
EXTRA EXTRA BONUS CONTENT
Bobby gives an example of how one idea spurs another.
Andy elaborates on the “various rhthyms” of this song.
Copyright 2021 Realm Tones Music, LLC
Outstanding! The lyric is killing me. Between a clock and a hard place. I can’t lose face. Love that. It has the feel of the old 50s rock and roll western instrumentals. Like the Link Wray and Dick Dale stuff. Only cooler
Hi Ruth! Anytime – and we mean ANY TIME – you can be mentioned in the same paragraph with the likes Of Dick Dale and Link Wray, it is an AMAZINGLY GOOD day! This song, for us, has a similar pedigree to EYE TO EYE (the song from Day 3) in that we constructed a final piece from separate indivdual song ideas. And while the final track may be somewhat “constructed” (for the wat of a better phrase), each segment was truly inspired.. That’s why we went out of our way to pour all this energy into “gluing them together” in such a way as to make one cohesive jam. THis is truly one of our favorites. It is so GREAT that you are digging this one so much. Thank you, Ruth!
I want the 10 days to go on forever
We LOVE YOU for saying that. You have just warmed our hearts beyond the capability of measurement. Truly. Thank you so much for saying that, Ruth.
The very first thing I thought at opening of this tune was, someone call Quentin Terrintino. It sounds like an intro to a modern day gunslinger novella, brought to life, on the big screen. That music has a certain flare, not sure what it’s called, but this song, belongs in that group. Kind of a dark, mysterious, dreadful aheadful, kinda feeling, awaiting in the next lines, around the second riff, on the corner of that verse, at the intersection of that chorus, comes the twelve o’clock running. Catchy, y’all. Loud love, in the middle of a thaw, and muddy as hell over here, from central Missouri. ✌❤🤘
The trick here, as we saw it, was to make sure we weren’t creating a “novelty” song. It does, intentionally, have a kind of gunslinger vibe to it, but a comedy record or a genre record we did NOT wish to do…. yet, our love of that style could not be denied. So how to do it? Knowing that its sound would harken to a Western vibe pretty much no matter what we did, we created sections that were decidedly NOT so… like taking an old Jewish melody and modifying it to metal…. or the pun section being pretty straight forward rock…. Suddenly, you have a song with a clear Tumbleweed vibe that is NOT coming across as a novelty tune…..and let’s face it, the twelve o clock will just KEEP coming in spite of us, however it is defined. Thank you, again, for your time and efforts. We LOVE your comments.
What a song! One of my favorites not just on this album, but any album. And so multicultural… My mandolin riff in the fast “chase scene” part was inspired by a sword dance from Derbyshire, England, the intro is sort of Good Bad & Ugly Native American and western cowboy, the chorus sculpted from a Jewish Mediterranean style song, Del Shannon, metal……who knew we could cram and jam all that STUFF in there and make it sound so NATURAL like it just BELONGS there? For that bridge section, I woke up one early Saturday morning with that melody and lyrics in my head complete (rarely happens). I ran right down to the basement and recorded it around 6 in the morning and sent it over to Andy. I told him that I could do another take if he wanted…but he ended up using that exact FIRST recording i did in the early Saturday morning. I must have been in the zone. Clint Eastwood would be proud. E PLURIBUS ULMUS!
Without a doubt, simply one of the best memories I (Andy) have of our collaborative history. So proud of this one.
Feel like some spaghetti……westerns?
Fantastico!
I really dig this one!
Loving this journey guys!
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
It’s almost like you can hear the spurs rattle on the gravel… LOLOL. Thanks for the thumbs up, brother. There are so many flavors in this track, it’s kind of like a United Nations of Vibes. Gracias, amigo. SO VERY GLAD the journey has been a thumbs up for ya! We’ve had a blast taking you there.
I may be a small town Gal, but this makes me want to put my Boots on 😉
Love the western feel without the “horsesh?t & twang”! Don’t get me wrong, I love all genres of music, but this Great song didn’t need any artifice to put it across.
Another Winner! *Raising a glass of Wine to you Guys! 🍷*
Take it in hand and raise it to the sky! This one is for YOU, Nancy! Yeah, we wren’t looking for twang – just pure feel. It had to be hinest. We couldn’t let it be a cartoon. That would have been unfair to us and to YOU. Rock onward, Nancy. So pleased you liked this one. It definitely has a speacil place in our collective hearts. 🙂
Well I have nothing to say on this one. Liked it a lot. Top marks. 5 stars. Short sharp and sweet. la – la – ing is when you know you have made it.
Kerry, awesome as always to hear from you. Love the “short and sweet” approach. Brevity and all that. THANK YOU for the 5 stars on this one.
Love this track,such a cool vibe, you guys should be writting movie sound tracks too.
This album is the best.
Hi Shirley! GREAT to hear from you, as always. REALLY am excited to hear you like this track. It fuses a LOT of what Bobby and I (Andy) do.. and we hope we are doing it without taking ourselves too seriously. The melodies are what matter. The song may be presented in a given way or style, but it still must be accessible, if you get what I mean. THANK YOU! Hope you’ve been loving your journey!
I closed my eyes as I always do when I listen to you two, and the video that ran through my head made me smile. I saw vivid as hell, Shaggy and Scooby dressed like Sherlock and Watson in search of clues on a mystery train… Go figure!!! Another masterpiece my Brothers!
LOLOL!! THAT is some kind of imagery….Can’t even begin to pull the right superlatives from the reaction hat, but I (Andy) love that. YOu definitely have a WAY, brother. So glad you dig this one.
Interesting. Nice flow. The mixing of strings…weaves well within. On a personal note, did we just synch?? Lol. A ‘stood my ground moment’ today. How cool is that!! Peace y’all
A “STOOD MY GROUND MOMENT,” Really? Don’t wish to pry, so I (Andy) will just say, “GOOD FOR YOU!” 🙂 We didn’t want it to be TOO cartoonish, replicating a “Western” type song, but there is some of that in there, hopefully, to the point of still being “legit” as opposed to novelty. Like “Eye to Eye” back on Day 3, we combined different elements to create the final track. So appreciate your feedback, Rancine. Always!
That A sharp haunts me, makes me thirsty. Makes me feel like someone’s getting chased by the law, and they brought a rope. It’s such a surreal 70’s western vibe, if it could have been played in the 1880’s!! Your harmonizing during the posse chase in my head reminds me of how the Bolivian singers harmonized as Butch Cassidy and the Sudance Kid were robbing the gold miners on the Mountain…
YOU’VE GOT ME TIME TRAVELIN’ AND COMMITTING FELINIES HERE!!!
Yeah it’s my favorite Elm Treason song I’ve ever heard… And thanks for that!!
Ahh, yes…that half step up from the A Minor, allowing the background harmonies to splash all over the main melody…We worked hard on that one! 🙂 Bobby beautiful took the various elements (as you alluded to) – like the galloping horses, for instance – and created musical parts for them. I (Andy) am SO PLEASED you dig this one so much… It’s amazing to us that it actually came together as well as it did considering it was such a hidge podge when the idea was born. THANK YOU!
Freakin’ castanets. You had me at castanets. The perfectly placed percussion, the melody, the lyrics. The dominant guitar lick. The spare but perfectly placed bass. The flawless musicianship…Damn! AND the flawless production. And this may not even be the best song. No desire to skip tracks on this album. It’s been a long time since I could say that.
Truly hope you enjoyed the journey, Bill. 🙂
I can’t believe this journey is almost coming to an end. I have enjoyed this everynight. Again to me the comedy and sarcasm of some of the lyrics is reminiscent of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Can’t think of a higher praise to give you guys
This is LITERALLY one of the best compliments ever. I (Andy) have no other way to put it outside of that. I have always loved their lyrics, so to be mentioned in the same breath with THOSE monsters is almost surreal. THANK YOU, man. So VERY VERY much.
Never enough train songs! I had to laugh when Bobby said that being how I have been working on a train song myself….lol
LOLOL! Yes! NEVER ENOUGH train songs… ever…Maybe an entire BOXED SET’S worth! 🙂 There was actually a THIRD TRAIN SONG we recorded during these sessions. LOL. A blues number.
Absolutely awesome gentleman
You make our day, Chris! Thank you for the terrific support!