WANNA GO:
Keeping with the order of the tracks on this album. Wanna Go is next up on discovering Chase The Moon. Before we delve in, a crucial part to the creation of these songs was my very first guitar. I bought an acoustic Yamaha guitar at a Sam Ash music store in Richmond while I was attending college. It was one of those "If I buy it, I'll learn how to play it" type of purchases. For $100 I figured I'd make an attempt. At the very least, it would make for a good night on the porch with friends if anyone else knew how to play it. It basically sat in its case only seeing the light of day every now and then until I took writing seriously. In 2015 it was replaced by an electric acoustic Ibanez. I doubt I will ever get rid of my first. It'll make for a nice practice guitar for one of my sons should they decide to learn.
"I'm Off To Somewhere. A Life Exploration..."
Once upon a time I was a single girl living in Richmond, working and attending school. I remember one winter break pausing in the doorway of the kitchen I shared with three other girls. I thought to myself, "What if I just dropped everything, moved out west and pursued music". Music wasn't really the only inspiration for this sudden halt. I craved a change of scenery. I yearned for the challenge of starting over from scratch. I stood there for about five minutes thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Then I thought how I'd never been the type of person to not finish what I started and so I decided to finish school.
Verse one: "I'm off to somewhere. A life exploration. It's time for change". Life happens as life does. We make choices and from those choices we take a new path. In 2014 I found myself once again with a choice and this time I chose to pick up paper, pen and the guitar from my early twenties. Thus began my journey and everything changed.
"We're Like Fireflies In A Jar..."
Wanna Go shares a longing to move and explore.The Chorus: "Wanna go Wanna go away with me. We can chase all our dreams", speaks to the person aching for an adventure and a pursuit of something bigger. On the more personal side the lyrics speak to my desire to grow within my new found passion as an artist, but I don't write just for myself. I'm writing to kindred spirits. I'm asking if you Wanna Go on this journey with me? Do you wanna break away from the known and find yourself in the unknown?
"We're like fireflies in a jar yearning to be free". History tells us that people have always fought oppression. That when held back from going after what makes us happy and free, a fire ignites. Creating music was the spark that fueled each late night. It brought me joy and I yearned to share them.There was so much more to reach for.
"Some People Spend Entire Lives In The Same Situation..."
Go deeper with me. The second verse: "I dreamt I was stuck, couldn't move an inch. What terrible luck". First, let me tell you, I actually do wake up in the middle of the night and can't move a single muscle. It's scary, but happening less and less after I wrote (Daylight), a song all about it (which will be released in the spring of 2019). Aside from my sleep paralysis, these are lyrics with a purpose. I'm speaking to the feeling of being stagnant in life. Sometimes it's boredom, lack of drive or opportunity. Other times it's depression that leads us here. I have had my bouts with depression and so here I conjure those dreadful, desperate and lost feelings of being unable to move and be free.
"Some people spend entire lives in the same situation". I'm challenging you, the listener. Can you relate to the lyrics in this pre chorus? Now that I have young children I hear them repeat the same things I have said when I was a kid. "I can't wait to grow up and do whatever I want". Tell me I'm wrong if you haven't said that very same thing when you were a child. Why is it that when we grow up and and can do whatever we want, we allow ourselves to tow the line and follow societal norms and demands. Are we working to live or living to work? Day in and day out, do we say we want change but nothing does? Why did we think our parents were living their best lives yet they were telling us to enjoy our childhood because one day it will be OVER!! What keeps us from doing the things that make us happy and manage our responsibilities at the same time? Does it have to be all of one thing with no room to spare? Are we happy?
"Gonna Chase It Till It's Mine"
I found joy in something once I allowed myself to go after it. Fear of the unknown and adult responsibilities were my biggest excuses for why I couldn't explore this path. I was happy in my life before taking on this new adventure, but is there a cap on happiness? The bridge: "I'm going after what I want. Gonna chase it till it's mine". This is meant to inspire and empower us go after our best lives because as we all know, life is short. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. We might have our excuses as to why we can't or won't go for that big thing we've always wanted. Sometimes there are legit obstacles that slow us down. If you wanna go after that thing, if you wanna live and enjoy your best life, I hope you go after it. I hope you chase it.