These songs are influenced by images from the poem Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold. I’m not sure how this poem came to me, I’m not a big reader of poetry, but there is is. I used several images from the poem to name the songs, as well.

The Tide is Full

The Light Gleams And Is Gone

I broke a leg bone (femur) in May of 2022. I wrote the song as I lay in a hospital bed and sedated with a mild dose of morphine. About a week after the operation, a physio nurse had come into my room to go over some exercises. To be honest, she was quite pretty and she seemed a bit suggestive with respect to "if I would be up for some exercise".  Probably just the morphine but it got the lyrical part of my brain turning and from that came most of the verses.  I managed to type them into an email on my phone and send it to myself. I had to make some alterations but this is gave me a solid start.  The music came later, as did the final changes to the verses. The outro just came as an inspiration during the recording.  It might have sounded better if I had done the 3 parts about a dozen times but I left it the way it was on the first takes. 

There were a lot of small events which gave the final direction to this song, including an interesting road sign just south of High River, AB.

Rough Road  (a.k.a. The Broken Femur Blues)
==========

[INTRO]

Ya  it's a shame, too late in the game
To find any thunder in this lightning bolt.
It'd be a nice surprise, but by the look in your eyes
That’d be all she wrote.  Ya, it’s a long, rough road.

Still I remember . . . lying there in pain,
Unable to stand, my face in the dirt.
I just couldn't decide , was it really my pride
Or my hip that was hurt.   Ya, it’s a long, rough road.

[SOLO]

[BRIDGE]
They say there's no gain
Without a little pain
The plan was never to gain a lot.
Just sing me a song and then move on and be happy with what I got. [End Bridge]

So I ended up . . . in an ambulance ride
And a surgeon ready to cut in.
Some x-rays pics and sister morphine doing her tricks
A lag bolt and steel pin . . . Ya, it’s a long, rough road.

I walked with 4 wheels then I walked with a cane (asking myself)
Will I ever be the same again?
Well it took me seven months to stand on my own.
If life was easy, it wouldn’t be such a long, rough road.

[OUTRO]
Without the pain . . . without the pain
Without the pain, it wouldn’t be such a long, rough road.

Words and Music copyright Rick Engler
Photo and Reproduction copyright Rick Engler
Mixed in Cuckos Reaper on a PC
Audio Input using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd gen)
Vocals and Harmonica: Shure SM58
Acoustic Guitar: direct input using amp modelling VST
Keyboards: Casio with Addictive Keys VST

Rough Road

Rough Road (Original)

M No John WickN /Sounds SicKN /But/  The Way That It Is

Full album "THE MYSTIC OPERA II" available on:
- Apple music.apple.com/it/album/the-myst…era-ii/1617105476
- Spotify open.spotify.com/album/50S1unYxcj0SDWPmQPnBDV
- Amazon Music music.amazon.it/albums/B09X11CB13
- Bandcamp davideangelini.bandcamp.com/album/the-m…-album-2022
- You Tube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4SKFz1XBRp6F_JVCduNAQNELo-fOfE0K

Title: JADE GREEN
Written, arranged and produced by Davide Angelini
Album: THE MYSTIC OPERA II
Publishing: 2022
(p)&(c) 2022 Davide Angelini

THE MYSTIC OPERA II

JADE GREEN

JADE GREEN - (instrumental)

track created for the soundtrack of a game projet : Feel
https://youtu.be/uAa7-CWINuo

Feel - Peacefull Ending

⁂Dreaming While Awake/DWA/Espen Skaar
See track: https://soundcloud.com/dreamingwhileawakemusic/tik-tok

M No John WickN /Sounds SicKN /But/ The Way That It Is

Walkin' in Pa's Footsteps