12/8 is my favorite time signature. Everybody Wants to Rule the World. The Way You Make Me Feel. Hold the Line. I have an Apple Music playlist of all my favorites; finding new songs for it makes me positively giddy. I dare someone to find me a song in 12/8 that doesn’t slap.
That said, I’ve only written a handful of songs in 12/8. Maybe because I have those songs on such a pedestal of greatness. An idea must be jubilant, sparkly, completely infectious in order to be worthy of 12/8.
Oxytocin is the bonding hormone released in lovemaking, childbirth, and nursing. Colloquially it’s known as the cuddle hormone. It’s believed to have a significant role in social learning, perhaps helping to decrease noise in the brain’s auditory system and increase perception of social cues. It can have a calming, even analgesic effect, which may explain why hugging your mother can make you feel relaxed and sleepy. It’s also part of what makes you feel more attracted and connected to a lover over time, and why it can be difficult to leave them, even if you know there’s no good for you. Unfortunately, rationally knowing about oxytocin doesn’t make it any less powerful emotionally.
Oh how I wish it did.
I wrote this chorus sketch to play with instrument textures, trying to make a 12/8 groove that felt as good as the iconic songs on my playlist. I took heavy inspiration from Tears for Fears, even choosing the same key. Later, I think I’ll transpose to a higher key to raise the vocal stakes. I also could stand to rerecord the MIDI instruments on a triplet grid. I recorded this quickly in 4/4 because I was too lazy to do the meter conversion math, which I regretted sorely as I dragged around shaker notes, trying to eyeball triplet eighths. NSAI has me trained to keep forms short and snappy, but I actually might extend the outro so the chorus repeats a couple more times. That feels only right for the groove, and the idea as a whole. KM
Oxytocin
It’s only natural
A chemical reaction starts a passion burning in your bones
Maybe it’s pheromones
That makes you panic like an animal
Now I know I said I’ve never fall like that
Then I fell so fast
And I can’t go back
‘Cause you’re under my skin
I’m itching to touch you again, oh
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
Yeah I know it’s a sin
Said we’d never do it again, oh
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
By oxytocin
Oxytocin
Pulling me in, over the edge
Oxytocin
It’s supernatural
A magical attraction more fantastic than I’ve ever known
We’re too compatible
To shrug it off like something casual
Now I know we said we’d never lose control
Then we got too close
And we can’t let go
‘Cause you’re under my skin
I’m itching to touch you again, oh
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
Yeah I know it’s a sin
Said we’d never do it again, oh
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
By oxytocin
Oxytocin
Pulling me in, over the edge
Oxytocin
Oxytocin
Yeah you’re under my skin
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
Yeah I know it’s a sin
Don’t wanna give in but I need oxytocin
‘Cause you’re under my skin
I’m itching to touch you again, oh
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
Yeah I know it’s a sin
Said we’d never do it again, oh
Don’t wanna give in but I’m intoxicated
By oxytocin
Oxytocin
Pulling me in, over the edge
Oxytocin
I wanna know how it feels if you pull me even closer baby
I wanna feel what you feel when we hold each other close