The Soul Never Knows

from The TakeAway by Tad Wise

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about

In 2011 I wrote two songs I was extremely excited by. This was on of them. With my drummer Eric Parker on tour I booked his brother Nick (four out of five Parker Brothers are excellent drummers.) Engineer Mark Dann played solid bass while recording and we nailed both tracks in three hours. Yes, this was smack in the middle of the Obama years yet I sensed both a darkness to come AND was buoyed by an exuberance all but unknown to my songwriting. Ten years later, while running old and new material by Tony Levin, I deleted the original bass on this song and half jokingly suggested that Tony "give Paul McCartney a lesson in melodic bass." Then, as so often occurs when Mr. T steps in--a good piece became infinitely better. Except that the track wasn't q-u-i-t-e balanced until I adapted Mark Dann's original bass part to fit beneath Tony's lyric line. And it only took twelve years to get it right!

lyrics

The Soul Never Knows Words & Music by Tad Wise

The Soul never knows how
...but it shows up somehow.
Flows up from down south--
From way down...somehow.
But once it shows up
It just won't shut up.
Plays quite the cut-up.
Non-stop. Bebopalooba!

But don't you take it for granted.
Gather some gold against the frantic
Day clouds come your way
And the panic'd heart
Begs for some magic.

The Soul forgets it lives
As the moon forgets the sun is...
The source of its gorgeousness--
Shining thru the darkness.

So we live double lives.
Profound and contrived--
Buzzing like busy bees in the hive
overlooking the honey.
If it weren't so sad it be funny!

So when the sun finally shines...

No don't you take it for granted.
Gather some gold against the frantic.
Yes be prepared for life's sorrow--
Some of this brimming cup borrow.

And if you think that it's too late...
A prayer on your knees wouldn't hurt, babe,
Ask for the strength to hold on...
How do you think I was given this
--Don't forget it was a---Song!

Grand Adventure Music
BMI 2023

credits

from The TakeAway, released November 18, 2023
Tad Wise: guitar & vocals
Nick Parker: drums
Mark Dann: original bass and recording engineer
Tony Levin: Lyric bass
Mixed & Mastered by Mark Dann
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