The message of this song came to me at two different times; I started writing the song very late at night with "It's 4 am and I still can't sleep, while so many others rest in peace" - a scenario that goes hand in hand with my sleeping patterns of up all night. At that point, the world is still and quiet, thoughts are clear without interference. And I was strongly recognizing that here I am, still a living being within a small percentage of people born on the earth's timeline that currently has life at this given point. More people have come and gone than are currently living today, obviously this can really put the significance of our own existence into perspective.
The second moment I remember; I was stopped at a red light on a busy intersection in Hollywood. The sight in front of me froze like a Polaroid snapshot; the intersections were crowded with people crossing. Some walking fast, standing tall with a place to go, some hunched over, barely moving, some standing in confusion. Almost every human emotion was captured in these people at this exact moment - the human condition "I see the pain and I see the victory."
I co-wrote this song with Guy Erez, my producer. I came in with lyrics and this idea of the world turning around and around and around, we can't stop it from spinning, we can't stop time, we can only make a decision to either jump in and live, or not. One way or another, it's going on with or without us. Another image came to mind; the world as a big factory. What makes the world turn, if you look inside it's all the people pushing the gears, push push push. The rhythm in the chorus came from that visual of turning the gears, marching forward.
Although it's melancholy, there is hope in this song. The hope ties in with the decision to jump in, and keep on going. I particularly love how the guitar solo section of this song builds and Ido Sasson's guitar work. I also love the sound we got on the kick drum, nice and present; Dave Allen gave this song the perfect rhythmic feel. I originally choose "Keeps On Turning" as the title track and title of my album; later this changed but originally this was the thought. Here's what the original album cover looked like:
Below is a YouTube video taken from a live performance of "Keeps On Turning" performed acoustically accompanied by
Ido Sasson at
Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. In addition, if you click on the ASCAP Profile below, you can hear my live interview describing the writing of "Keeps On Turning" and other choice tracks from my debut album. Enjoy!
