Supermoon

Album: case/lang/veirs (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Laura Veirs originally wrote this song about her little son Oz. When she offered it to Neko Case and k.d. lang, Case completely rewrote the lyrics, making them about venture capitalism and water rights. Veirs embraced them after realizing how good her bandmate's new lyrics were. She recalled to Uncut magazine:

    "I had written the full music and lyrics and melodies and given it to the ladies... And Neko lifted out nearly all the lyrics. She added in all new lyrics and I loved it - she's a brilliant lyricist. So to see her artistry come through my melody and my music was really awesome. I wasn't bummed at all. I think some people who don't write a lot of songs are very precious about them, they feel covetous of them and that's not the case with me."
  • Would you like to start a river?
    Ride it like a painted carousel


    Case told CBC Music she's grateful for Veirs allowing her to latch onto her song and rewrite it. "The lyrics 'ride it like a painted carousel' and the parts about the smile, those parts are so powerful to me, and those are her context and her lyrics there," she explained. "So, you know, she wrote the parts that I find most powerful and yet they have a completely different meaning to me. That's kind of what you do with your songs anyway when you release them."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Desmond Child

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.