"Truth" - Jesse Johnson
“Truth” lyrics
A piece of cake
That’s what everybody said
What an embellishment of truth
What a mistake
I won’t take their advice again
I’ll take my chances
I’ve got nothing to prove
But is that enough?
Chorus:
I went about my life
Pretending not to want you
If I could only overcome
These feelings I’ve suppressed are true
At the crossroads
I didn’t realize the weight
Of the decision that lay ahead
Making the most
When it’s clear I was dodging fate
What an illusion I believed before we met
But that’s not enough (chorus)
This road has brought me to its end
And I’ve got nothing much to show
Unless I just try to pretend
That I’m ok without you
Although my heart amounts to
Nothing at all (chorus)
Notes:
This is one of my personal favorites, and it came out of thin air after a bit of experimenting. If I could have one song showcase much of what I hope to accomplish as an artist along with the creative lens I like to look through, this is it. It has it all: adrenaline, speed, complex harmonies, ambiguous theory/musical modes, time signature change-ups, and good old rock ‘n roll.
I remember in the beginning of writing this song, I did something I rarely do and intentionally forced myself to turn off my rigid “music theory brain” and rather followed only my gut. I wanted to follow the energy only, regardless of where it took me or if the result even followed the technical “rules.” The result was straight up skate punk with some dark undertones and a driving sense of purpose.
I went Thom Yorke on the bridge section also and switched to 7/4 for the first time ever in one of my recorded songs. The overall result was, I think, magical, and it all flowed somehow. Enjoy!
Software: Logic Pro X
Microphone: Apogee MiC
Drums: GetGood Drums (Invasion pack)
Guitar: Charvel DK24
Bass: YAMAHA RBX460
Plugins: Waves CLA everything (fyi, bass tone is CLA bass’s default setting), Toontrack EZmix, FabFilter Pro-L 2 (for mastering), and numerous Waves plugins for random things.
“Truth” by Jesse Johnson
From the album Tomorrow (2022)
Album artwork by the talented Alex Nguyen.
DM Alex on IG for commissions:
/ alleggsendher