HAPPY

maybe you're not just right after all

maybe you're no good for me

but the greatest of loves often don't come predictably

sometimes you've just gotta take a chance

and sometimes you have to let your heart decide

to trust the gift behind the kiss

behind a spark behind a flame 

behind the girl

i can't apologize for being here

i can't explain exactly what it is i fear

but i guess i shouldn't stand so near to you my dear

i get all shaky when you call

i don't remember how to fall gracefully 

or not at all

if there's a road i'll find a way

you call the shots for now and that's okay

for now

are you still waiting

fpr that thing that's gonna set you free

you gotta believe in something

anything

if it makes you happy

your eyes are bluer than the sky

you're swimming in sunshine

you are the ocean breeze

i am the desert sand 

blowing in the trees 

changing like the wind

yeah

are you still waiting 

for that kiss that's gonna set you free

you gotta believe in foolish miracles

are you still waiting

are you still waiting for me

you gotta believe in something

anything

if it makes you happy

music and lyrics: astrid young © SOCAN

vocals: astrid

background vocals: kim koren

guitars: joe gore

acoustic guitar: astrid

guitar solo: sam arion

viola: luca d'alberto

bass: joe gore

drums, percussion and brushed notebook: victor delorenzo

floor tom tom: dawn richardson

studios:

robot recording, san francisco

napier park recording, dundas ontario

engineers:

travis kasperbauer, steve foster

mixed by travis kasperbauer

produced by victor delorenzo

mastered by joao Carvalho

this was a song years in the making. i think i've written the lyrics and melody four or five times, trying to get it just right. 

i even tried to co-write it, thinking maybe some fresh eyes on it ... blah de blah. only to take it back to square one. in the end, it's a mish mash of all the different versions, and even though for the longest time it seemed kind of disjointed to me, i love it now. to clarify, the music part of it, even the order of the parts, and the chords, they never changed. this is one which started with the music, and generally with me, the lyrics come soon after, but this one confounded me for so long. 

it was named by my dear friend, MJ, who never likes to be named or recognized for anything, hence only the initials ... but in the end, it's fitting because it is kind of about him as well. the really ironic thing, i thought it was a stupid name, but after ripping apart the chorus a dozen or so times, i decided to use it to my advantage. 

so it worked out, after all, and no regrets. thanks, MJ. 

in the studio, joe really brought the ethereality into the arrangement. it's so vast, and so minimal at the same time ... we had a visitor in the studio that week, sam arion from toronto, who is a friend of the family, and only about 16 at the time. a budding musical genius, it worked out that he could come and hang with us and sit in on the sessions ... my memories of doing just that when i was his age are still very clear in my mind, so i know how important it was. anyway, we were getting ready for the day's work, and between Joe, Victor and I, we decided maybe we should give Sam a go at the solo. When he arrived at the studio that day, i don't think he knew what hit him, Travis put a guitar in his hands, and started hooking him up. 

we gave him two takes, but we used his first one. it was a keeper.