From the recording Handbook For The Recently Chaotic
TRACK NOTES
BEEN DOWN SO LONG
Drums – Jeff Asselin
Bass – Mat Falvai
Hammond organ – Rod Fotheringham
Baritone saxophone – Ray Murray
Percussion – Bruce Cawdron
Guitar/vocals/slapstick – Greg Paul Stone
Backing vocals – Anouk Gregoire/Bethan Nodwell
Handclaps – Jason Jaknunas/Greg Paul Stone
Ray Murray from Soul Jazz Orchestra is guesting on baritone sax here and he tore it up! I remember the session well. When it came time to put some solos on the song we let Ray blow through a few times to find a path and get warmed up. He sounded incredible. I remember asking him to try a pass that was more chaotic and less “inside” the harmony. I believe I asked for “more wrong notes”. Well, Ray tore the roof off on the next take and that is what you hear on the record.
The same situation played out with Rod and the Hammond organ part that battles with Ray in the solo sections. Rod took several solid passes to get warmed up and then we start pushing for more chaos. More wrong notes! I remember that Rod was initially a little surprised at the direction we were going in but he took the challenge and ran with it and I love the result. The two players ducking and weaving around each other in a musical battle creates a foil to the simple vocal chant. “Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!”
Lyrics
LYRICS
BEEN DOWN SO LONG
We got the venom and the steam
We got permission to be mean.
You want a river of love.
You got the trickle to the stream.
We got the mark upon our soul.
The best kiss you ever stole.
We've been down so long we can't see nothing but the hole.
We got the devil in a bind.
He made his mark upon the line.
You said, “I'll see you around.” but I'd rather go blind.
We are the manic and the bold.
The biggest lie you ever told.
We've been down so long we can't see nothing but the hole.
So it's whiskey in my water and that's ok.
Weren't enough to fill the hole anyway.
Jump for the lip like a toad in clay but it's
back to the hole and it's back to stay.
We got the fingers in the pie.
We got the what, the where, the why.
You said you wanna get down.
I'd rather get high.
We are the dirty and the cold.
We hit the ground and broke the mould.
We've been down so long we can't see nothing but the hole.
So it's whiskey in my water and that's ok.
Weren't enough to fill the hole anyway.
Jump for the lip like a toad in clay but it's
back to the hole and it's back to stay.
Here comes the thunder and the strife.
Here comes the sharp end of the knife.
If you're running away please take my wife!
We got the stocking with the coal.
We got the snake eyes on the roll.
We've been down so long we can't see nothing but the hole.