New Album, “I Will Be There” Available on Randm Records!
Imagine a house.
Just a house.
It’s black outside.
Night.
You see a figure walk into the house.
You see two flashes.
You see a figure walk out of the house.
It’s black outside.
That’s a poem I just wrote about how bad-ass I feel this song is. It’s intense. It’s got a story. Something’s going on, and we’re not sure what, but it doesn’t feel good. Today is the last day of my “Behind the Music” for the new record, and I couldn’t think of a cooler way to end it.
The Story
I’ve always wanted to be in a rock band. It’s never really worked out, and I probably have a lot of guitar practice ahead of me before that would happen, but if I was in a rock band, I can tell you who we’d sound like… Little Hurricane. There’s not a doubt in my mind. I first saw Little Hurricane a few years ago and the Voodoo Stage at the House of Blues and my jaw dropped. They had a swarm of people at the show, and I was blown away by the songwriting, musicianship, and showmanship.
They play a type of blues/rock that just makes every song sound badass. Even songs that are sweet and about old ladies just sound hard core when Tone is singing and Cici is slamming the drums.
The night that I saw them play, I walked up to them after the show and said, “Hey… if there is anything I can ever do to help you guys get anywhere, I’m in… I’ll learn bass… just say the word.” I’ve been friends with them ever since. (And thank GOD they haven’t asked me to play bass yet… I’d be done with my career in a second and part of their band quicker than you could say, “Please.”
I went home after the show and wrote a song. I don’t remember it, but I sent it to Tone and said, “You guys inspired this.” and he was super cool about that. I dunno how I’d react if some dude saw me at a show and then wrote a song and sent it to me after my show, but Tone played it wicked cool.
When I lived in LA. I had a terrible time. At one particular moment, I was living in Sherman Oaks, and had just been told that I didn’t qualify for the San Diego Music Awards because I wasn’t a “San Diego Artist”. Tone and Cici were living about 10 miles north of me and had just been nominated for a couple awards, and we all laughed about how unfair that was… but when you’re THAT good, people will make exceptions…
Tone invited me over to write a song, and he said, “Every hook you write is like a Disney song… How are you so catchy?” I’ll never forget that. I think it’s a compliment. We wrote a song, and I don’t think any of us loved it, but it’s probably my fault for trying to add an, “OOOOO Baby….” But it was another one of the couple memories that I loved about LA.
Finally… I accidentally wrote a riff. It became the opening riff to the song, and the song took off from there. I had the idea of a baddass, gunslinger- Clint Eastwood type, who was just riding around on his horse and shooting down people for no reason. And that’s where it came from.
I immediately sent it to Tone. “Dude”, the e-mail read…”You guys HAVE to record this song with me!!!” Unfortunately, they were on tour, and it didn’t work out, but I guarantee that this song wouldn’t have happened without their style of rock and friendship with me. When I sent Tone the album, he replied with, “…real cold killers don’t look back…” You can’t measure the satisfaction that an artist receives when an artist he appreciates digs his stuff.
When I showed it to my producer, Mike Butler. He dug it. We had started recording it like a blues rock tune, but somewhere, it turned a little more Louisiana swamplands sounding. Kinda like the first season of True Detective. I dug it. We kept it. Put a little Dennis Kaplinger on the banjo in there and game on!
The Lyrics
I don’t know how I got here, or how I grew bad
But I’m running from the law with crosshairs on my back (I love the idea of running from the cops… I probably wouldn’t do it, but It’s so fun! haha!)
If you see me out your window, you better just run
No sweet talking lawyer could reason with my gun (Sweet talking lawyer? Talking with my gun? BWAHAHAH… that line is a classic Josey Wales kinda line.)
I said, “Something inside of me just snapped.”
I said, “Real cold killers don’t look back
Real cold killers we don’t look back.” (The imagery of killing without it even affecting you, is nuts. It’s not who I am, but that’s mostly cause I’ve got terrible aim with a rifle…)
Now, I can’t face the carnage I’ve caused
I’m on every “wanted” poster from here to Arkansas (I’ve never tried to rhyme a word with Arkansas… that was kinda fun. I think that the word “Applesauce” would be another good rhyme…)
Nobody move, nobody scream
Don’t be a hero, get shot on the scene(I always think about this… Why would anyone try to stop a gunman? Just let him go… He’s not interested in you… goober.)
I said, “Every part of me is bad.”
I said, “Real cold killers don’t look back
Real cold killers, don’t look back”
That’s pretty much the gist of it. 🙂
For those of you who are anti-violence, I really hope this doesn’t offend you. As a story teller/songwriter I like to venture outside of my own realm and write things like this. I don’t promote gun violence. I’m not even a huge fan of guns! (And my family is about as Republican as it gets!) All I can say is when you let your imagination go, cool things happen, and I believe this song is one of them.
Conclusion
I hope that you enjoyed the last two weeks of hearing about the songs! Please feel free to share these tracks and stories! I had a fantastic time writing these and still have a few more that DIDN’T make the album that I can’t wait to show you. The next “big step” is the music video that will be coming out around November for the single, “Just Give Me A Call”. I hope that you like the story written for the video in that as well!
Thanks for reading. Here’s your final track.
-j
Cold Killers
Written by Josh Damigo
©2013 Damigo Publishing
I don’t know how I got here, or how I grew bad
But I’m running from the law with crosshairs on my back
If you see me out your window, you better just run
No sweet talking lawyer could reason with my gun
I said, “Something inside of me just snapped.”
I said, “Real cold killers don’t look back
Real cold killers we don’t look back.”
Now, I can’t face the carnage I’ve caused
I’m on every “wanted” poster from here to Arkansas
Nobody move, nobody scream
Don’t be a hero, get shot on the scene
I said, “Every part of me is bad.”
I said, “Real cold killers don’t look back
Real cold killers, don’t look back”
I don’t know how I got here, or how I grew bad
I’m still running from the law with crosshairs on my back
If you see me out your window, you better just run
No sweet talking lawyer could reason with my gun
I said, “Something inside of me just snapped.”
I said, “Real cold killers don’t look back,
Real cold killers we don’t look back.”
I said, “Real cold killers don’t look back
Real cold killers, we don’t look back
Real cold killers, we don’t look back
Real cold killers, we don’t look back.”
joshdamigo.wordpress.com 