When I write songs, I write from a “Local Perspective”. Being in the Trop Rock genre, this is a rare point of perspective. Trop Rock is viewed largely as escapism. While many songwriters write about, say Key West, they are writing about the excitement of coming here or the wild experiences on Duval Street. It's the vacation perspective. That's fantastic, but it's not me. I live here.
When I first looked into Trop Rock I found a genre with massive areas for growth. I always had gravitated to the local songwriters and their songs written about the island. Those who lived on the island. People who were the vibe and pulse of Key West and their roots ran deep into the rock.
Mike McCloud's “Pool Shootin' Woman”, The Survivors “In Cayo Hueso”, Bill Blue's “Pretty Girl, A Cadillac, and Some Money” were songs written from a local perspective, as three examples. It was songs like this which germinated out of the coral that forms these archipelago islands called The Florida Keys and in these three examples, specifically, Key West that the true feeling rose out of. This music was the energy, heart, and soul of Key West and The Florida Keys.
Trop Rock is rooted in escapism, be it Key West, a tropical bar, margaritas, beaches and having fun in a lite atmosphere with a dose of mirth tossed in.
So.... Imagine my surprise when on Facebook I saw someone posted that my song “Yeah, A Harbor” was nominated for the TRMA song of the year!!!!
My jaw dropped and after researching it, sure enough, there it was!
After picking myself up off the floor, dusting myself off and regaining my composure, I started thinking about it. Here was a song that is not about beaches, sand, bars, cocktails, or traveling to a tropical destination from afar. Rather a song that paints a picture of day-to-day life in a harbor/marina, virtually all of which are actual experiences.
It laments on how Land's End once was the shrimp docks. It talks about the unkempt, crusty salty dogs drinking in the bait shop who don't give a hoot. A fishing boat comes in loaded to the gills with dolphin, tuna, and wahoo being filleted on the dock and Captain Marlin Scott Hopp knows how to rock. A big thanks to Captain Marlin Scott for allowing us to showcase a local captain!
Boats that arrive from foreign ports of call and the tails shared both euphoric and tragic shared by all who are at the mercy of the sea.
The song touches on the passing of friends and the heartaches and dockside rituals that go along with it. Then it finalizes with mirth as the protagonist waking up very early one morning on his boat only to find his liveaboard neighbor, Doreen, taking a shower on the bow of her's “... it's a beautiful way to start the day, I'm thinking 'bout now”.
Who would have thought that a song like this would be nominated for the TRMA song of the year???
I am completely honored and humbled. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!
I have doubts that the song will win, mind you. However, a song of this nature being nominated shows that the Trop Rock genre is expanding and that's fantastic!
Voting is open to all TRMA members... Ha Ha! Feel free to vote for it! :-)
Voting is open to all TRMA members... Ha Ha! Feel free to vote for it! :-)
Here's the song: “Yeah A Harbor”
YEAH, A HARBOR
1
SOME OF THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE I SPENT IN HARBORS
BREATHING SALT AIR AND THE FRAGRANCE OF THE SEA
BOATS ROCKING TO THE RHYTHM OF THE TIDES AND BREEZE
YEAH THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A HARBOR
2
LAND'S END USED TO BE THE OLD SHRIMP DOCKS
'ROUND THE CORNER YOU'LL FIND THE BAIT SHOP
AND SOME SALTY DOGS WITH THREE DAY BEARDS DRINKIN' BEER
CAUSE THEY REALLY DON'T GIVE A ...
(bridge)
SOMETHING ABOUT A HARBOR, GATEWAY TO THE SEA,
LEADS TO MORE PORTS OF CALL AND MY BEST MEMORIES
3
SAILBOAT ROLLS IN FROM THE BVI
ST. JOHN'S BEER AND PUSSER'S RUM LAST NIGHT
TALES OF STORMS AND CLOSE CALLS TOO CLOSE TO MEET THE EYE
YOU KNOW WE ALL LAUGHED, BUT THEN WE SIGHED
4
A FISHING BOAT SHE'S LOADED TO THE GILLS
BUSY DAY OUT TRAWLING QUITE A THRILL
DOLPHIN, SNAPPER, AND WAHOO BEING FILLETED ON THE DOCK
YEAH, CAPTAIN MARLIN KNOWS HOW TO ROCK
(coda)
'CAUSE SOME DON'T MAKE IT AND THEY DIE
DAMN GOOD PEOPLE, THE REST OF US CRY
WE HANG OUT AT THE BARNICLE BAR AND TOAST 'EM HIGH
IT'S OUR WAY OF LIFE
5
SUNRISE, I'M UP EARLY IN THE MORNING
NEIGHBOR DOREEN SHE SHOWERS ON HER BOW
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO START THE DAY, I'M THINKIN' 'BOUT NOW
YEAH, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A HARBOR
(bridge)
SOMETHING ABOUT A HARBOR, GATEWAY TO THE SEA,
LEADS TO MORE PORTS OF CALL AND MY BEST MEMORIES
SOMETHING ABOUT A HARBOR, GATEWAY TO THE SEA,
LEADS TO MORE PORTS OF CALL AND MEMORIES
LEADS TO MORE PORTS OF CALL AND MEMORIES
YEAH SOMETHING ABOUT A HARBOR AND ME
© 6/7/2016 by Christopher R. Rehm BMI
The story behind the song: http://keywestmusic.blogspot.com/2016/09/story-behind-song-yeah-harbor.html
The story behind the song: http://keywestmusic.blogspot.com/2016/09/story-behind-song-yeah-harbor.html
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