Track 6: A Million Miles Away

This is another song that came from my "situation drama" approach of considering a circumstance and then imagining how it would play out. In this case, I wanted to write a song about long-distance relationships, so I threw my narrator into that situation, even though I hadn't been in that situation myself.

This song actually introduced me to home recording many years ago. I'd recorded in studios a number of times, but I'd never had the chance to try out any of the portable four-track machines that had come onto the market. Then my friend Dave invited me to try out his, and we did this song together. The tracks fell into place nicely, but then we realized that we needed a drum track – and neither of us played the drums. I faked it, resulting in a song with lots of energy at the start that thudded after the drums kicked in. Regardless, I was hooked and bought my first four-track machine only a few months later.

This production is very different from the one Dave and I did, most notably because I've learned at least a little bit about percussion since then. I was going for emotional tension here, hence the interplay between the rhythm keyboard, the sharp guitar, and the percolating counterpoint synth.

A MILLION MILES AWAY

Music and Lyrics by Lou Aronica

The days are moving slowly.

Always do when you're not here.

And waking up each morning isn't bringing me much cheer.

I know you could energize me in a moment, maybe less.

But the knowledge of that fact, girl, just illuminates my feelings of distress.

'Cause you're a million miles away

And I've gotta say

I don't know why.

You're a million miles away

And I want you here to stay