I wrote this track after Sarah Palin was nominated as a vice presidential candidate. I was shocked that someone from Wasilla, AK (where I grew up) was suddenly on the national scene...and a little nervous for her. We all know what happened in the end, but I wrote this song towards the beginning imagining what it must have been like to suddenly be on that level of scrutiny and magnification. So scary. And the song morphed into an idea of what it would be like for a musician like me to suddenly be famous. It happens to people quickly and it's chewed up some and spit them out. This is kind of fantasy song with characters and in the end, it's the music that's created that really matters.
lyrics
HIGH HOPES
C WHAT IF YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING THAT YOU Dm WANTED TO THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD
BUT YOU COME FROM A C LITTLE TOWN AND SUDDENLY THE WORLD IS YOUR Dm STAGE
C WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO
SUDDENLY Dm ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU
YOU'RE A C BIG FISH BUT YOU'RE SWIMMING IN A BIGGER Dm POND
F ARE YOU GONNA COME C BACK Dm ALIVE?
F TAKE MY NUMBER HAVE A C BITCHIN' Dm RIDE
THEY HAD C HIGH HOPES FOR Dm SUNSET KID
THEY HAD C HIGH HOPES FOR Dm CARIBOU BILL
I'M TRAVELING, I'M WRITING THESE SONGS AND I'M SINGING THEM HARD CAUSE ALL THAT I KNOW
LIKE A SUNRISE I'M ALWAYS GETTING STUCK IN YOUR HEAD
WITH FUNNY THINS MAKE YOU LAUGH
TAKE A PART OF ME BABY NOT MY AUTOGRAPH
IF I'M A BIG STAR, THEN SOMEONE'S NOT DOING THE MATH
IS HE EVER GONNA WRITE THAT SONG
THE ONE WHERE EVERYBODY SINGS A LONG
PUT A BET DOWN ON CARIBOU BILL
GET A WEEKS PAY ON SUNSET KID
SOLO
THE KID GOT A TIP AND A HELL OF A PITCH FROM A BLACK TELESCOPE
WHO SAID "NEVER QUIT, YOU'RE A STORY, WITH A BIRTH, BEGINNING AND END
JUST PLAY THE MUSIC IN YOUR HEART, MAKE IT LOUD MAKE IT SOFT
MAY YOU NEVER PART WITHOUT KNOWING THAT YOUR VOICE IS INFINITE
AND ONE DAY YOU'RE GONNA HOP THESE RAILS
AND FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL FILL YOUR SAILS
AND A SUNRISE FOR SUNSET KID
AND A HIT SONG FOR CARIBOU BILL
F THERE'S NO COMPETITION HERE
YOU EITHER G LIKE WHAT YOU SAW
OR HATE WHAT YOU HEAR
BUT AT Am LEAST YOU BELIEVE...... Am BELIEVE IN F MUSIC
Tempo: 138 Key: C
credits
from High Hopes,
released November 1, 2013
Hopper - vocals, bass, guitar, piano
Glaves - drums
A slow drip of Tropicália-infused psychedelia from New Orleans rock outfit Blue Basin: balmy one moment, aggressive the next. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 22, 2022