"What It Is" - Jesse Johnson
“What It Is” lyrics
Tearing apart
The world is turning upside down
With no where else to run
Ambivalent, hard to decide
Who to believe and what is right
Craving a vacation
Chorus:
I guess it’s what it is
We’re all in this together as they say
We didn’t choose this poison we drank
Not a fair deal
But neither is the alternative hand
When will this end?
Plans are a bucket made of rubber bands
Falling apart because they can
Another day off gone to thin air
Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather this
Than the other end of this short stick
Still it’s a cross to bear
Praying to wake up from this nightmare (chorus)
Collapsing under the pressure and stress
Challenging how we try to measure success
If there’s one thing we could all take from this
We’re equals, and love is why we exist (chorus 2x)
We need some excitement
Wondering where the year went
Notes:
This song is an emotional outburst inspired by my experience dealing with and observing the challenges of COVID-19. It was a nightmare in many ways for everyone, and it came at everyone from different angles. I wrote this song to somewhat give myself and anyone listening some sense of closure from the experience, that our feelings are heard and understood. There’s something therapeutic about putting pen to paper in the midst of something traumatic.
I love the “hey-oh” harmonies during the bridge and outro. One of my fav moments on the album. I had the idea for those vocals from the moment I recorded the music, so I had to put in the song. They don’t mean anything, they just sound cool haha.
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.
“What It Is” by Jesse Johnson
From the album Tomorrow (2022)
Album artwork by the talented Alex Nguyen.
DM Alex on IG for commissions:
/ alleggsendher