I know a lot of people who hate this phrase. Shouldn’t it be “same thing” or “no difference”? But I think that’s precisely why I like it. The thought wires are crossed but the meaning isn’t lost. That’s a lot of human communication if you ask me. We can use the same words, but there’s no way to know for sure if we’re sharing the same definitions. It’s imperfect symbolism, a shared faith, despite how different we may be. Language is flawed but it’s the best we’ve got. Our desire to connect fills in the gaps.
I wanted to pull lots of opposites together in this song with that in mind. Even an on-again, off-again relationship has a truth somewhere in the middle, an unspoken agreement. The storyteller in me craves closure, and when that doesn’t play out in the real world, imagination steps in. That’s the road not taken and how it makes all the difference. It’s a thought I’m never over, another song to throw on the pile of dirty laundry. I don’t know if I’ll ever get it all clean, but I can keep sorting through it, reorganizing the chaos until the new order bores me and I’m ready to try again.
For the past month I’ve been taking an online class about synthesis, hoping to learn more about how sound is made and perceived. It’s blown the doors open in an inspiring, overwhelming way. I’m spending more time on song sketches in the process, thinking about sounds more intentionally instead of just grabbing the closest plugins and presets. Last year was all about finishing, but so far 2024 is calling me to slow down and refine.
Of course, that’s not at all what I did with this quick production. The drums are roughed in with Logic drummer, the scratch vocals are uncomfortably raw. I did a try out a few new techniques with the bass and synth, but there’s a lot I want to comb back over before I can call this finished. Still, it makes me feel something, and I felt that was worth sharing. KM
Same Difference
I’ve heard it said opposites attract
It takes the right strike to make a match
I know you’re not romantic like that
I tried looking for a sign
No stars or freckles in your eyes
You said you couldn’t cross that line
Ice blue or fire red
It’s the same difference
Standing on the tallest hill
Or hanging by a thread
I’ll keep waving goodbye
Until the end of time
Til it’s hello again
Same difference
Those words echo in my mind
Keep me company at night
I know you never told a lie
Ice blue or fire red
It’s the same difference
Standing on the tallest hill
Or hanging by a thread
I’ll keep waving goodbye
Until the end of time
Til it’s hello again
Same difference
And someday
They’ll forget our names
If we’re twin flames I’ll be the evil one
I’ll see you in your dreams
And in the afterlife
Ice blue or fire red
It’s the same difference
Standing on the tallest hill
Or hanging by a thread
I’ll keep waving goodbye
Until the end of time
Til it’s hello again
Same difference