MufkinTass.com - Searchlight

Searchlight

Be welcome and sit down
You should not be afraid
Of what I'm about to ask
It was well worth the wait
Please put your hand to rest
On my craving little shoulder
And give me some comfort
'Cause the nights are getting colder

In the darkness of my mind
I notice that I'm falling
That's why I need a light that shines
In the darkness of my mind
You can help me searchin'
'Cause you're the only light that shines
Shines
My Searchlight

Tried to ask you for a favor
From the day that we first met
To cut this pain out of my heart
Now I'll show you where it's at
And leave me with a hole
That's got to be hell bound
Just hope this will suffice
I'm glad it's you I found

No matter what I do
I know that you will care
Where ever I may roam
I know that you'll be there
No matter where I go
No matter what I am
I know that I've got you
I know I've got a friend

In the darkness of my mind
I notice that I'm falling
That's why I need a light that shines
In the darkness of my mind
You can help me searchin'
'Cause you're the only light that shines
In the darkness of my mind
You can help me searchin'
'Cause you're the only light that shines
Shines
My Searchlight
Shines
My Searchlight

This one might seem like a typical sappy love song ...But it's not. This song is actually about a deep and powerful friendship. It's about even sharing your deepest, darkest emotions and fears with someone you can trust - want to trust - completely.

The mood of the song is loosely based on Johnny Cash' interpretation of "I See A Darkness", which is on his amazing album "Solitary Man". As you look around these pages, you'll find more references to Johnny Cash and his "American"-albums. Truth be told: we drew a lot of inspiration from these albums as we wrote and recorded ours. Written on acoustic guitar, we started with Mark's melody line for the chorus. That led to the major seventh chords. The idea was to make it very small and intimate, so we chose to keep the melody for the verses very low-register. The idea for the lyric was drawn from the word "darkness". When it's dark, you need a light … a searchlight. Someone you can trust to guide you and lead the way. A subject all of us could relate to, at the time.

Mark also drew a lot of inspiration from Johnny Cash when it came down to singing this one. He used to be like everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) had to be perfect. Spot on timing. Perfect pitch. Perfect interpretation.
"The night before I laid down the lead vocal to Searchlight, I bought Johnny Cash' brand new "A Hundred Highways"-album. So far the last (and in my humble opinion the BEST) in the American-series. If Cash' vocal on the opening song "Help Me" doesn't grab you, you should probably check your pulse, 'cause you might be dead. This is not a man singing very well. I doubt if one can actually call it singing. But listen to the man: fragile. Dying. Literally dying. Recorded on his deathbed. It was so real. I actually cried all the way through the album.
It was just then, that I realized that a perfect lead vocal (if there is such a thing) is NOT about timing, pitch, phrasing or whatever. It's about true emotion. Feeling your way through the words and trying to make the listener feel what you're feeling at that very moment.
With all my experience and (classical) technique as a singer, this old, dying guy was kicking my *ss vocally from here to no end. Just because he was REAL!
With all of that in mind, I laid down the vocal for Searchlight the next morning. Trying to put in as much as I could, I got choked up on "And leave me with a hole". Nowhere near perfection, but this is as real as it can get! Here's to you, Mr. Cash! Without a doubt one of the greatest vocalists the ever walked the earth!" Mark