By Jenny Biddle.
Where do I start with this beast of a song? I mean… it’s 8 minutes long…
Today I’d like to honour Winter Sun, Track 10 from my “Hero in Me” album, because it feels like a great celebration to have this album and this song out in the world for 10 years.
My year of 2009 included deaths of three loved ones, a relationship break up, a friendship breakdown, a messy split from my music management team, struggles with an eating disorder, and a bunch of dysfunctional ways to try and cope with the grief, loss, depression and loneliness. This song came out of the year I’d rather forget, and composing became an incredible tool for healing. It’s still uncomfortable to recollect and write about, even 14 years later, but the song steered me in the direction of hope, as I came up with one of my most favourite lyrics to date: “I found all these little treasures… in pockets I forgot to check”.
What does thing song sing for you?
Have you had one of those years?
Does it help to have someone sing about hard times, to validate and share in the hard times, or does it make it worse?
Guitar Talk:
For “Winter Sun” I use one of my favourite alternate guitar tuning: CGCGCD (Capo 6). It’s the same tuning I use for “Billie Jean”, “Chest of Drawers”, “RSI” and others. I think John Butler has a similar tuning for “Ocean”, but his is CGCGCE with the top string tuned differently. I like using the D on that high note, because you’re aren’t fixed to major or minor, you can jump between the two in the same song or have a different feel for the next song you play. I particularly love the low bass drone that frees you up to noodle around with melody. If you want to experiment and improvise, I can recommend finding melody in frets 0, 2, 4 and 5 for a major sound, and 0, 3, 5 for a minor/bluesy sound.
This song promotes noodling around. I guess there were only so many lyrics I could use to try and say what I needed to say, but in the end words couldn’t express what I was going through, so I let the music, my explorations on the guitar, to do the talking. Perhaps I went overboard, as the song length can be up 8 minutes, but solo varies when I play it live, depending on my current mood and reflection, and I really enjoy that about this song.
Jason Walker played pedal steel throughout this track. I like how it meanders in the background, like it’s telling its own story alongside mine.
There are two different versions of "Winter Sun" to listen to:
Studio Version: open.spotify.com/track
Acoustic version: open.spotify.com/track
Lyrics:
In the winter sun
A cuppa tea to warm my palms
Cos I don’t smoke to fill my lungs
But we all need something to pull us through
Don’t you?
I’ve been thinking about addiction
All the things we feel we need
But what if I gave up my dirty deeds
Would I still know who to be?
Would you still find love for me?
It’s been a long hard year
I’ve been out for a while
Searching for something we just can’t buy
Until I find it, is it so bad that I do
All the things that I do…
If it pulls me through
It seems like such a waste
I’ve given too much time to this dark space
What if I found new ways to escape?
Would I still need something to blame?
Would I still hold on to this piece of pain?
It’s been a long hard year
I’ve been out for a while
Searching for something we just can’t buy
Until I find it, is it so bad that I do
All the things that I do…
If it pulls me through
I found all these little treasures
In pockets I forgot to check
I’ll be sure to hold on to them
But I’m wondering what I’ve been missing
And I’m wondering what is coming
It’s been a long hard year
I’ve been out for a while
Searching for something we just can’t buy
Until I find it, is it so bad that I do
All the things that I do…
If it pulls me through
In the winter sun
Here I’ll wait for what is to come…
Credits:
Song by Jenny Biddle
Recorded & Mixed & Produced by Sean Carey at Trackdown Studios, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
Mastering by Don Bartley, Blaxland, NSW, Australia
Album Art by Katrina Leighton
Jenny Biddle: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
Sean Carey: bass
Michael Quigley: drums
Jason Walker: pedal steel
Read more from Jenny...
Track 1 - Hero In Me
Track 2 - Across The Nullarbor
Track 3 - Pockets
Track 4 - Running Out Of Lies
Track 5 - Chasing Stars
Track 6 - Somebody To Love
Track 7 - Big Bad World www.thesoundcafe.com/post/jenny-biddle-hero-in-me-the-story-behind-the-songs-track-7-big-bad-world
Track 8 - The Finish Line
www.thesoundcafe.com/post/jenny-biddle-hero-in-me-the-story-behind-the-songs-track-8-the-finish-line
Track 9 - A Place In The Sky
Jenny Biddle is an Australian, Folk, Blues & Roots musician, she is a well seasoned guitarist, witty storyteller, poignant songwriter and winner of the Blues & Roots Radio International Song Contest 2020. Jenny fashions an infectious mix of down to earth modern folk for the wandering soul. Her 8th album 'Hoping For A Hero' is out now.