I sat down to record an acoustic track – with vocals no less – but wanted to warm up my fingers with some improv first. That’s when the rhythm to “Peace Bus” appeared.
I have over 30 years of improv recordings. Hours and hours and hours. Sitting down with a guitar, restless fingers, and no ideas is one of my favorite pastimes. Of course, the vast bulk of this “music” (maybe all of it) is of no interest to anyone but the musician. I sometimes reach back into, like a bag of musical tricks but it’s mostly just small talk between me and the air.
Every once in a while, however, the stars align and something almost whole comes out one of those sessions.
Sometimes the original magic can never be captured and what results is kind of a still life drawing of the beautiful bird you saw for a moment there. Other times, however, you can coax that bird to flutter around and cohabitate with you some.
“Peace Bus,” is one such coaxed bird. The vast majority just grew out of itself as I sat there with my guitar in my lap. When I got stuck, my wife came by, listened and said: “repeat it. I wanna hear that part again right here.”
Thank you, dear.
Peace Bus (aint comin’ back)
As I played began to play the main riff over the rhythm, the words “Peace Bus aint comin’ back” chanted along with it in my head to the notes.
Hey, it’s 2020.
Covid-19 is running rampant across communities and economies. Violent (and peaceful) protests against racism rock the world, yet the codified repression, maiming, and killing of minorities of any stripe continues, unabated. We’re destroying our environment – and that of most other current organisms on the planet. As if that’s not enough, we elected a mutant ape with delusions of grandeur as President of the United States, fer chrissakes.
In my mind, the goddamn Peace Bus is not just long gone, that mother fucker aint EVER coming back.
So, yes. That’s where the title came from – and BEFORE I added the descending bass line. Heh.
All drum programming, samples, bass, and guitar by CAE
