Built This Way is a dark fantasy introspective, dealing with feelings of uncontrollable malice that force actions without remorse and conceptually was written from the point of view of a serial killer.
I know, right?
We started this one as a joke and from there it blossomed into a rhythmically bouncy, swinging walk through the mind of a dangerous, narcissistic and callous psychopath.
It's fun!
Phil came up with the structure, playing minor chords in a 6/8 swing, switching to major chords to lift us up, and then dropping us back down to the verse.
It was a cool sort of walking feel with a fun scariness to it that, before it even had words, we knew was dark.
So we made it dark.
Lyrically I tried to keep this one pretty much on the nose and leaned in to a murderer's perspective as much as possible with the bridge having him accomplish his goal and move on to strike another day, all peppered with influences from my own life.
That's how we wrote, most of the time, with me writing the first lyrics because it was my phone that I was writing everything on, so it was with me, and I always had the newest version that I just edited.
I'm pointing this out because this caused me to be the one to really know the lyrics, and be able to sing, for the longest time in our writing.
For most of our writing he'd build the house and I'd decorate.
We put a light, mellow bridge near the end to give a sense of peace, tonally, while lyrically being completely nonchalant about its intense evil.
Production went quickly on this track in studio with everything coming together perfectly and this was the first song I considered finished, with it's disturbing yet strangely inviting tone, roiling around a sinister edge.
Vocally I originally wanted to have layers of other voices singing at the same time, alluding to the voices in the head of the singer, but I completely forgot about it until just this moment.
Huh.
Too late now!
This is the only song on the album in 6/8 time, which gives it a unique flavour transition to the more rock leaning part of the album.
It's dark, it's kinda scary and it's fun.
Built This Way
lyrics
When I wake up in the morning and see you lying there on the floor,
I know I must have pulled that trigger the night before.
Oh, why am I built this way?
Oh, how can I live this way?
Oh, where is my sense of my Soul?
So, I slip from this icy room and leave you lying there in your tomb.
It's time to go back to my wife.
It's not evil it's my life.
Oh, why am i built this way?
No, how can I live this way?
Oh, animal shell with no Soul.
Again I wake up in the morning, there's another you by my side.
I can finally be myself again.
Another morning, what's another life?
So, devil will eat today.
No matter how hard you pray.
Oh, I will devour your Soul.
You're different now, but you wear the same face,
and I won't remember your name.
I make sure just you has been left in this place and I walk.
Walk away.
Without a care.
Walk away without a care.
Walk away without a care.
credits
from Let Me Go,
released March 19, 2024
Written by Jean-Pierre Larda & Phil Short
Vocals - Jean-Pierre K. Larda
Drums - Aaron Spink
Guitars - Sean Roberts
Bass - Alex Paris
Produced by Jean-Pierre K. Larda
Additional production by John MacLeod
Recorded at Artist Development Studio, Courtice
Engineered and mixed by Alex Paris
Mastered and additional mixing by John MacLeod at Sweet Daddy Sound, Ajax
Rising Philadelphia band balance oversized pop punk hooks with vivid, intimate lyrics, presenting a raw, honest vision of guitar music. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2022
