| The Alan Parsons Project – Oh Life (There Must Be More) Lyrics | 2 years ago |
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@[JohnathanGregoryStone:38173] Not true. It is a song about despair. From the songwriter David Pack, of Ambrosia fame: “People often tell me that "Oh Life" is one of their favorite songs. I performed it live once with my dear friend & co-writer Alan Parsons at The Greek Theatre benefit for "Children of Bosnia," and someday I intend to release that powerful version (Simon Phillips on drums!). The lyrics were based on a true story and didn't come to me until I was in England in the '90s to work on Alan's final Arista L.P. Try Anything Once. I was riding on an English train when in a flash, I remembered a story in the local South Bay of L.A. papers. It was about an woman who was so heartbroken after her husband had died that she decided to drive herself and her two children off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro —one of the saddest stories I'd ever heard. So I began imagining and feeling her total despondence when I wrote the Chorus: "In the docks the boats are harboured Where the water's cold and still "Oh life, "she cries, "I've lost the will… From the bridge she sees a lifetime, being washed upon the shore, oh life she cries there must be more" And this progresses to the next chorus: "From the docks the boats are leaving As she cries into the dawn "Oh life, I'm barely holding on" And she sees her future falling 'Til it finds the ocean floor "Oh life," she cries, "There must be more" Alan told me at the press release party in N.Y. that Clive Davis, music's most legendary impresario, had decided to read my entire lyrics of the song to the press and attendees; Alan said it was just an extraordinary reaction, with several in tears. Little did anyone but me know that only ten years prior, Clive pushed back on bringing me to his label because he said my lyrics needed "more depth" (really Clive?). In his 20 years with Arista, Alan said he'd never seen Clive personally read the entire lyrics to press & media as he did with "Oh Life." God has a way of evening things up! One day I hope to record an unplugged version of this. I thought you might like to know a little of the back-story, as it may help someone who needs to hear this song & lyric today. The important thing is…in this song, the woman never jumps! But you get the impression she has.” |
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