Niagara Falls

from The TakeAway by Tad Wise

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about

The truth comes out. I'm a sucker for 'ole Tin Pan Alley tunes rescued from long-forgotten musicals, complete with rarely performed introductions. Not that I considered "Niagara Falls" a candidate for such treatment because the song was already fully arranged in my head. But then Covid struck and the Woodstock Times--for which I wrote--closed. So I accepted a job writing about local musicians for Lizzie Vann, the rescuing angel of Albert Grossman's dilapidated Bearsville empire.
Soon tragedies befell millions all over the world, but Covid was good to two reclusive lovers ensconced in a cozy cabin. I composed a musical diary entitled, "For The Record," and we felt like Roger & Anita Radcliffe, the songwriter and his lady in the garret apartment soon to adopt "A Hundred and One Dalmatians." So suddenly it seemed perfectly natural to resort to an olde style intro beginning with: "The worse it gets out there/ the better I love it/ alone in this one room with you."
The only problem being I'd now switched from four distinct musical styles to five, so I ended up writing an orchestral drum score (though I can't write music or play drums) soon marvelously performed by Dan Hickey. Yes and I'd eventually grab a single passage from Tony's bass line as a recurring motif. The rest depended on five different guitar tracks and my memories of Bryan Ferry's imitation of crooners of yore.

lyrics

Niagara Falls Words and Music by Tad Wise

The worse it gets out there
The better I love it
Alone in this one room with you.

I send in my words
Obeying commands to
Abandon my own point of view.

But it perseveres
When you dream of it too...

Niagara Falls...
Why not us too?
The thunder under
Love's tender tune.

The vaulted halls...
The velvet walls...
The roaring calling of...
Niagara Falls.

The honeymoon...
At last is here.
The wrenching joy of...
mist-mingling tears.

Niagara calls...
It's vaulted halls...
The velvet walls of...
Niagara Falls.

At last I'm ready to take the plunge.
Never been scared or so thrilled
Never had such fun.

Solo

Niagara Falls...
Why not us too?
The thunder under
Love's tender tune.

The vaulted halls...
The velvet walls...
The roaring calling of it all...
Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls.

Grand Adventure Music
BMI 2023

credits

from The TakeAway, released November 18, 2023
Tad Wise: guitars, vocals, drum arrangement
Dan Hickey: drums
Tony Levin: bass
Original guitar & vocals recorded by Ariel Sharif at Dreamland Studio
Mixed and Mastered by Mark Dann at Mark Dann Studio
Produced by Tad Wise

license

about

Tad Wise Woodstock, New York

Tad Wise started writing songs at ten, while raking Bob Dylan’s leaves. He was discovered by John Hall in 2000 who promptly produced Wise’s first CD. Twenty years later Wise returned. First with "For The Record," with Tony Levin & Jerry Marotta. Then with "Mind's Eye." In 2023 he'll release
"The TakeAway," starting with the title track...right now. ... more