Song History
The song started from an idea on the rec.music.makers.songwriting (RMMS) newsgroup.
Someone set a challenge to write a song with the title "Strange Familiar World".
About 4 people took up the challenge. This is the last one to be finished about a year after everyone else.
The idea for the lyrics comes from going home after living away for many years and seeing
how things and yourself have changed. I now live about 300 miles from where I was brought up in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Pretty much everytime I go home though, we take a
detour around the seafront and beaches, before heading to my dad's house. The previous Christmas, on the detour,
we stopped at the beaches to find they had a light sprinkling of snow on it, hence the opening verse of the song.
A simple concept and a very simple song.
The song was recorded between the 23rd and 28th of July 2002. The song was mixed October 1st - 3rd 2002.
Pretty much all the parts are first take.
Initially, this was a sort of throw away song, but over the past couple of years I've really grown to love it. Expect a reworking of it at some point.
Lyrics
300 miles to see
Snow lay on the beach
Distace hides the winter sun
Walking hand in hand
Across the frozen shoreline
I used to play here when I was young
My home town changes
With the passsing breeze
Things I knew are once no more
Familiar faces
Replaced by freaks and Strangers
To them I'm another visitor
It's a Strange Familiar World
Such a strangely beautiful World
It's a Strange Familiar World
Strange Familiar World
Spent a lifetime
Trying to leave this place
A lifetime trying for home once more
This strange Familiar
That I once took for granted
Wisdom is it's own reward
It's a strange familiar World
Such a strangely beautiful World
It's a strange familiar
Strangely wonderful
It's a strange familiar World
Can't help but fail to see
Changes in my life
Can't Seem to settle down no more
Faded Hopes and Dreams
but home ain't where my heart is
Stay a while, then leave when bored
It's a strange familiar World
Such a strangely beautiful World
It's a strange familiar
Strangely wonderful
It's a strange familiar World
©2002 Words and Music Chris Rollason