Although you may only hear some added vocal harmonies, I tried many things to improve on the song at its core.
I started by trying a B7 in the first verse section, two different ways. While I think both worked, I ultimately still liked the vi-V-IV-vi progression, best. I also tried this section ending with the I chord. It worked too, but to my ear, it just fit better as it was.
I also tried a few descending line bridges, especially to include the I chord. While it kind of worked a couple of ways, it felt like the release was too much of a happy ending. Although the song ends with a somewhat hopeful acknowledgement to the inevitable end to the state of mind, the I chord just didn't seem to fit the overall vibe.
There was a ii-iii-IV-V progression I used in one version of a bridge that even included a vamping "just keep telling myself... just keep holding on..." to lead into the last vocal section. I almost recorded it as an alternate, but felt like I was rehashing an idea from a song last year and ultimately started running out of time to record.
At the end of the recording process, I finally heard some other vocal melody ideas that may suit a couple of sections better, but stabbing at several ideas just kept changing the vibe so I stopped while I was ahead and of course, am moments from the deadline. :)
I worked on some other lyric rewriting as well, but again, liked what I had best to start with.
I still plan to work on this song some more in the future and will continue to play it live. I think the production ideas will really bring it to life later on.
lyrics
"Fall Into the Ocean"
Fall... Fall ... Fall... Fall ...
What do you do When you can't let go
But there's nothing, no there's nothing to hold on to
you only wish for a piece of rope, a ray of hope
to beam down and take it all away
as you watch it all slip between your fingers
Fall into the ocean, the deepest of the blues
Disappearing skyline, in the rising plumes
Watch it all go down, sinking deeper still
No escaping truth here, oil has been spilled
Fall... Fall ... Fall... Fall ...
Fall into the ocean, the deepest of the blues
Muscles getting tired and, no shore to swim to
Waiting in the water, vessel just appear
Take me far away to, anywhere but here
Fall... the ticking of the clock
Fall... the spinning never stops
Fall... reason under siege
Fall... just remember, breathe
I know that I will be fine
Just give it some time
Inside I'm losing my mind
Just give me some time
I know that I will be fine
Just give it some time
Inside I feel like I'm dying
Just give me some time
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