In 2007 I had made a decision to be a bit more intentional with my songwriting. Rather than wait on inspiration per se – writing when the mood struck me, I would pick some general themes or stories and write to them on a schedule. Still, “American Dream” sat for awhile longer while I wrote, “South To Mexico”, “Everyday Lies”, and a few other theme – as opposed to inspiration driven – tunes.

Then I picked up a file I keep with scraps of paper with lyric ideas and American Dream was the first scrap that came out.

The song is one of the most simple musically – largely 3 chords. But it is one of the favorites for the band and one that I get a lot of comments on when performing live. People love the middle-of-America, back to basics, universal lesson.

In this version of the recording, Bill Dutcher, an Arizona guitarist, songwriter, and performer added some slide dobro and electric guitar to “flavor” to the song.

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AMERICAN DREAM
Copyright © 2009 – Matthew Moran (Sounds Like Life Music)

An old yellow note read government repo
Just a sign of the times since the factory left town
The windows are dark, lonely, broken, and boarded
I see a half dozen more just a half a block down
And I can recall the tears on mama’s face
When daddy handed her the key
Just three rooms and a garden out back
But it was called the American Dream

I’ve spent half my life chasing prey so elusive
My burning desire is this dream to be free
From East Coast to West, through the soul of the heartland
Though I’m in pursuit I know it’s chasing me
And I’ve seen the look in the older men’s eyes
They shake their heads in disbelief
”Son,” they say, “don’t miss the life that you’re living.”
”Cuz that’s the American Dream”

For 20 long years I’ve been seeking asylum
My dream just a prison, my ambition a chain
Through my sacrifice I leave you this lesson
To save you this sorrow, to save you this pain
It’s love that you need to live for a life that’s worth living
Don’t trade it for some vagabond dream
It’s a heart, not a purse, that you should be filling
Because that’s the American Dream

That is where Decision Road came from.

I am unabashedly open these days about my failures. Particularly in those areas that I deemed most important to me: family, love, relationships. Not that I write a lot about them in a public forum, but with my children and close friends, I have had to eat some large helpings of humble pie.

Humble pie is a sour fare but also seems to feed the soul.

I wrote Decision Road very much top-down. The way it reads is the way it was written. I had the little 4 chord riff a couple days prior to writing the song. I was not, at the time, particularly moody or reflective but the riff seemed to drive a sort of melancholy.

The first verse is very much a feet in the sand, leave me to my own devices, I don’t need your help or criticism, perspective.

Verse two addresses doubt in the most critical area of life for most of us – our love. The relationship that seems to have the most promise and safety.

The bridge is a realization of our weakness; the inability to control much of our life.

And finally, the last verse is a call for forgiveness and help.

Enjoy!

Decision Road
Copyright 2009 © Matthew Moran – Sounds Like Life

VERSE 1
One step forward, two steps back, it seems the way I go
Navigate life’s messy path the only way I know

I don’t seek forgiveness
I don’t pray for my mortal soul
I don’t make excuses
I just keep dragging my bones down Decision Road

VERSE 2
Is love just a warm caress that time turns dark and cold
Is sugar sweet just bitterness at the final curtain call

I just wanted your soft kiss
I just wanted a hand to hold
I just wanted devotion
Now I just want to carry my heart down Decision Road

BRIDGE
& every night I face my demons
Shame & regret I can’t let go
& with the light, life and the living
One more event I can’t control

VERSE 3
With each mistake a lesson learned, I’ve filled my textbook full
With each word I’ve had to eat, I’ve swallowed that crow whole

I’m asking forgiveness
Please pray for my mortal soul
Take my excuses
& help me find me way down Decision Road

I wrote that initial idea on a yellow pad of paper back in 1999 or 2000. The pad of paper was ultimately lost and the song idea sat dormant until 2006 when I finally decided to write a middle-of-America song about pursuing the façade of success at the cost of true success.

While I often joke that my songs are “autobiographical but not necessarily true” – this song may be as true in this regard as anything.

I recorded this song as a completely acoustic piece starting in 2008. In 2009, while recording Girls, Songs, and Other Delusions, I recorded the song on electric guitar with some backing drums.

I liked both versions and decided to combine the two – starting the song acoustically and layering some acoustic lead work over the intro verse and chorus.

To transition the song, I recorded some feedback – put it on its own track – and pretended I was gearing my band up with a shout of “1-2-3”.

Later, Bill Dutcher came over and recorded some additional electric guitar and slide-dobro. I am pretty happy with how it turned out and the parable lesson of the song. . .

AMERICAN DREAM

Copyright © 2009 – Matthew Moran (Sea Gypsy Music)

An old yellow note read government repo
Just a sign of the times since the factory left town
The windows are dark, lonely, broken and boarded
I see a half-dozen more just a half a block down

And I can recall the tears on Mama’s face
When daddy handed her the key
Just three rooms and a garden out back
But it was called the American Dream

I’ve spent half my life chasin’ prey so elusive
My burning desire is this dream to be free
From East coast to West, through the soul of the heartland
Tho’ I’m in pursuit I know it’s chasing me

And I’ve seen the look in the older men’s eyes
They shake their heads in disbelief
Son, they say, don’t miss the life that you’re living
Cuz that’s the American Dream

For 20 long years I’ve been seeking asylum
My dream just a prison, my ambition a chain
Through my sacrifice I pass you this lesson
To save you this sorrow, to save you this pain

It’s love that you need to live for a life that is worth livin’
Don’t trade it for some vagabond dream
It’s a heart not a purse that you should be filling
Cuz that’s the American Dream

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The frustration is that I am typically giving a house band a hand-written chord chart or simply a key. You learn a lot about house bands at that point – sometimes we sounded great – like we had rehearsed. Other times.. well.. not so much so.

I am now formalizing a band project for some recording and future gigging. Details can be found here. If you know of players who might be interested, point them here.

And so, when there is a disagreement, you take it public.

Help me name the new CD project. You can hear demo’s of the respective songs – Where I Belong & Everyday Lies – right here. Plus

I am in the process of re-building my website. The goal is to make it simpler to navigate and quite frankly, less schizophrenic.

Look for an announcement soon in relation to the new CD project..

Where I Belong or ???? – name to be determined