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The Long Haul
(Verse 1)
The maps we drew were straight and clean
A simple line, a placid scene
Suez was a promise that we kept
Ninety-seven thousand tons of faith we schlepped
Then came the warning shot across the bow
Didn't see it coming, but I see it now
And I'm staring at the paper in the lamplight's hum
I'm charting courses 'round the silence you've become
(Chorus)
WE'RE TAKING THE LONG HAUL NOW
WE'RE BURNING DAYLIGHT, HEADING SOUTH
PAST THE CAPE OF ALL OUR BROKEN VOWS
Tryna keep this thing from running aground
YEAH, WE'RE TAKING THE LONG HAUL NOW
TEN THOUSAND EXTRA MILES OF DOUBT
I keep the engines screaming, screaming out
Just to move one inch on hollow ground
(Verse 2)
The world won't see the price we pay
They just expect their shit there yesterday
They'll never feel the pitch and roll
How much fuel I burn just to keep this whole
Fragile cargo, this precious freight
From shattering against the gates of fate
I wear this exhaustion like a captain's coat
Steering through the storm you never wrote
(Chorus)
WE'RE TAKING THE LONG HAUL NOW
WE'RE BURNING DAYLIGHT, HEADING SOUTH
PAST THE CAPE OF ALL OUR BROKEN VOWS
Tryna keep this thing from running aground
YEAH, WE'RE TAKING THE LONG HAUL NOW
TEN THOUSAND EXTRA MILES OF DOUBT
I keep the engines screaming, screaming out
Just to move one inch on hollow ground
(Bridge)
I signed a truce inside my head
With all the easy words we never said
They ask 'bout ETA's, I lie and smile
'Another week... another thousand miles...'
Was the shortcut just a dream we had?
Did we mistake the calm for something good, not bad?
(Breakdown)
Just south of nowhere... north of when we're through...
All I see is endless ocean... all I want is you...
(Voice cracks, bare)
Are we... are we... even going the right way?
(Outro Chorus - Explosive, Raw Power)
I'M TAKING THE LONG HAUL NOW!
I'M BURNING MY SOUL OUT HEADING SOUTH!
THIS CAPE OF GOOD HOPE IS FILLING ME WITH DROUGHT!
JUST PRAYING THIS THING DON'T RUN AGROUND!
GOD, WE'RE TAKING THE LONG HAUL NOW!
AND EVERY MILE IS SCREAMING YOUR NAME OUT LOUD!
I'M HOLDING THE WHEEL UNTIL THE STARS BURN OUT!
...just to move one inch... on this hollow ground.
About The Song
"The Long Haul" translates the global economic crisis of cargo ships rerouting around Africa's Cape of Good Hope into a visceral, personal metaphor for a relationship in crisis. The news event—a sudden conflict forcing a massive, costly, and time-consuming detour—serves as the perfect backdrop for exploring what happens when the 'easy way' (the Suez Canal) between two people is suddenly blocked. The song embodies the Active Agency Mandate, casting the protagonist not as a passive victim of circumstance but as the captain of a vessel, actively managing the fallout. They are 'charting courses' and 'burning fuel' to navigate the extended emotional distance, all while trying to keep the 'cargo'—the love they once had—from being lost. The musical style is inspired by the raw, dynamic power of artists like Benson Boone, shifting from a quiet, tense verse to a huge, explosive chorus that captures the monumental effort of simply trying to keep moving forward when the destination seems further away than ever.
Production Notes
Vocals: The song hinges on vocal performance. Verse 1 and 2 should be captured with a close-mic technique (e.g., a Neumann U47-style condenser) to pick up every breath and subtle inflection, creating intimacy. Minimal processing, maybe some light compression. The chorus vocals must be an absolute contrast: multiple takes layered, one clean powerful belt in the center, flanked by two slightly grittier takes panned wide. Add a heavily compressed 'shout' layer tucked underneath for energy. The bridge vocal starts clean and descends into a near-vocal-fry breakdown, raw and unprocessed. The outro chorus should sound like one, unhinged take with audible strain and power.
Arrangement: Start with a simple, slightly melancholic felt piano melody, almost hesitant. Introduce a low, rumbling synth bass pad as the first verse builds. The chorus should explode in: heavy, driving drums (think live room sound, big toms), a distorted, low-tuned electric guitar playing power chords that echo the piano melody, and wide bass guitar holding the root. The bridge strips back down to just the felt piano and a single, sustained synth note to create space and tension before the final chorus explosion. Automate a high-pass filter on the master during the breakdown to make the final chorus hit even harder.
Mix: Maintain a huge dynamic range between verse and chorus. The verse should feel small and personal, the chorus wide and overwhelming. Use sidechain compression on the bass pad in the chorus, keyed to the kick drum, to make the rhythm pump. Use reverb throws on the last word of key lines in the verse ("...hum", "...bow") to let them hang in the air before snapping back to a dry sound.
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