In the same way an actor adopts a role not necessarily reflective of their identity, on occasion I draw inspiration by writing from an imagined perspective. This song emerged from using this technique and, as such, is not autobiographical. That being said, the idea encapsulated in the chorus of someone finding themselves entangled in a familiar circumstance, while at the same time possessing the self-awareness to recognize that the pattern will likely be repeated does resonate with me. I also like the idea that the individual’s heart led them astray, rather than their conscious choices. In this way, it is unregulated emotion that is driving the cycle.
As you can hear in the demo, the main song was basically complete at birth. I added the piano line at a later date, elaborated a lyrical bridge, and then spent the rest of my time resisting the urge to add more. Keeping the song relatively sparse was a considerable challenge. Generally, when working on a song, I constantly hear new parts. My inclination is toward harmony. This song was no different and it took considerable discipline to avoid mixing in the additional tracks I developed. This song was unusual, in that, it resisted all attempts at ornamentation. Even the bass line, arguably the anchor of the song, threw everything out of balance when played on an actual bass. The finished version benefited significantly, in terms of sound quality, from the studio upgrades I've made in recent months.