Rose of Jericho

I distinctly remember when I was around 7 or 8 years old being outside at school recess time, standing on the sports field in the tiny little Illinois farm town I lived in at the time. The wind was blowing strong, and I had the very intense feeling that any words I whispered into it would be blown to the other side of the world, perhaps directly into the ear of some unsuspecting person.

That memory ignited other childhood memories, and then sparked this song.

https://mby8.bandcamp.com/track/rose-of-jericho

Rose of Jericho

In a little town in the middle of nowhere

Where the fields of yellow-brown stretch as far as you see

Never reckoned what was the reason to go there

Some things you tell the kids only to a degree

All he knew was that the devil's in the details

All he wanted was peace of mind

Stuck in the middle and forever one step behind


Every now and then when the wind hit the window

He'd be wishing once again it could carry his voice

There's a certain sense in the skin and the marrow

That would leave him in suspense, and he hadn't a choice

He'd turn his head in the direction that it came from

He'd try to hear what he wanted to find

A child's logic that wasn't so well-defined


Winds blow, away they go

Never notice where they fade away

Each Rose of Jericho

Falls apart a little every day

But that's okay

There may be a summer rain

To help the seeds grow on

Comments

  • Yeah the wind hits the window, and that's OK, and your words get carried...and a kid's memories and...the way you sing the story falls like summer rain...love the groove...and the rose of Jericho...

  • Lovely song Matt, beautiful story nicely told throughout the song. It does pick you up and transport you there which I like.

    Lovely final section to round it off too!

    Well done, enjoyed that.

    Sid

  • schmalex
    schmalex United States

    This is a cool song. For some reason it made me think of “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” by The Beatles.

    I do kind of wish there was more of the chorus earlier in the song, as the verses are pretty lengthy to start the song.

  • @schmalex - I know what you mean. I debated starting with the chorus, but just didn't like it better than starting with the first verse. Then I tried putting it between the verses and it didn't feel right. So then it got placed at the end and that was that. There's probably a better solution, but I didn't have the patience to find it!
  • @mattyoung Rose of Jericho is a solid composition with a good arrangement, vocals, and music. The song's atmosphere has a strong 60s vibe. I enjoyed listening. Nice work!

    Cheers,

    Joseph

  • I enjoyed it a lot, wonderful song and story!!! So nice vocals and smooth arrangement.

  • Yes, a strong 60's vibe. Really good vocals and lyrics. Some nice progressions here. I'm liking the piano in particular. Very nice.😀

  • Absolutely mesmerizing: I grew up in the 'middle of nowhere.' Not the exact "middle" but close enough that you could see if from our back porch. I was instantly hooked by that "middle of nowhere" line, and the "hook" never let up from beginning to end. Wonderful lyric. Wonderful instrumental accompaniment.

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