The Awakening from Asphalt Assault by Annimax

=====================================================

Early in my career, it seemed like every song I wrote was either the "rock and party" theme, or some portion of the rise or demise of some romantic relationship. I thought to myself, "There must be SOMETHING ELSE that I can write a song about!" This haunting short story by Edgar Allen Poe was the first thing to pop into my head.

The story behind the narrated quote at the end? I found the right quote to use, rehearsed the timing, practiced the inflections of my voice, was all ready to record it , and...
Walked out of the room, went about my day, and went to sleep for the night.
The next morning, I IMMEDIATELY went to my studio, pressed record, and nailed the narration. Why?
I wanted a low, boomy voice like James Earl Jones or Orson Welles. The closest I come to that is when I first wake up and my vocal cords are relaxed. It's the only time of the day when I can get my voice that low!

Great song for Halloween playlists!

=====================================================

Tracklist

4.	The Awakening	5:33

Lyrics

THE AWAKENING
Darkness closes about my body,
My slumber's dream is set free
Cold, clammy air surrounds my being
In my return to reality

I find myself on a cold, wooden floor,
With a dull ache in my bones
The air about is black as a raven,
The cold is that of a stone

My aching limbs are restrained from their stretch
Manacled, and bound at the jaw
The dismal mist has not yet cleared away,
"Where am I at?" I must try to recall

My eyes are opened wide in their horror,
I throw my hands to the skies
And strike the lid of my eternal home,
And scream the terror I've realized,
I've been buried alive!

"As this awful conviction forced itself, thus, into
the innermost chambers of my soul, I once again
struggled to cry aloud. And in this second endeavor
I succeeded. A long, wild, and continuous shriek,
or yell of agony, resounded through the realms
of the subterranean Night."
- Edgar Allen Poe
"The Premature Burial", 1844

Credits

from Asphalt Assault, released July 7, 2023
music & lyrics by Joel Wiseheart

License