Darkness of My Heart is the tenth and final song on the album “So That’s How It Ended…” and the fourth song co-written with lyricist Gavin Clifton. It also happens to be one of my favourites and I think a fitting closing statement for the album… so I’ve hacked together a little lyric video for it!

 

Lyrics & Music

The song started with a lyric that Gavin sent me, titled “Do You Have What It Takes”. Its chorus went: “Do you have what it takes to lead me into the light, the light that rarely shines on the darkest corner of my heart”. 

I thought “darkest corner of my heart” was a lot more unique and intriguing as a premise than the title line, so I took that as a starting point and wrote the chorus music around it. I then wrote the rest of music. Once I had the verse and chorus music, song structure and general “vibe” of the song, Gavin and I together rewrote the rest of the lyric almost completely.

The song lyric starts from a place of hurt and darkness, seeking love and light. I strived to give the music a matching bitter-sweet feel, with an uplifting dance beat…

 

Music & Production

There’s a few reasons why this is one of my favourite pieces to date: 

• satisfying and somewhat original chord structures and harmonies, particularly on the chorus (I don’t even know what the chorus chords are!!!),
• a satisfying build to the chorus, with an extra-long hold on the final pre-chorus chord and note, which creates great tension and a satisfying resolution when the chorus finally kicks in,
• cool “oohs” and “aahs” on the intro and final set of choruses – I added these at a very late stage in the production, almost as an afterthought, but I think they’ve become an integral part of why the song works,
• a non-standard structure, with the final set of choruses more of a “reprise”, which actually returns to the verse chord structure instead of the chorus! I can’t think of any other song that does that, and somehow it works.

These are the sounds I’ve used:

• Drums: Battery 4’s “Disco Neu Kit” customised with a Linn Drum kick sample
• Bass: Roland FA-06’s “Acid Bs 6” & “Temple of JV”
• Pads & poly synths: FA-06’s “DLM SUM”, “Bit Poly 8”, “J-Pop Kira 2” & “Syn Brs 5”
• Lead synths: FA-06’s “Temple of JV”, “Tri Lead 1”, and FM8’s “Pacific Percussion”
• Tons of vocal harmonies!

 

Credits

Lyrics: Gavin Clifton & A. Robin

Music: A. Robin

Vocals: SuperCool-Guy

Instruments: SuperCool-Guy

Arrangement, mix and production: SuperCool-Guy

Mastering: Jon Astley

 

Lyrics

Withered and faded

This heart is filled with pain

Lost in a desert, longing for the rain

 

So take me away

To this place I’ve never been

Let love wash away the hurt and suffering

 

Lead me into the light that rarely shines

 

CHORUS:

On the darkest corners of my heart

Lift the darkness off my heart

Oh

Lift the darkness off my heart

 

Feel our hearts beating

Beauty shines from within

Our souls uniting for eternity

 

Lead me into the light that rarely shines

 

CHORUS:

On the darkest corners of my heart

Lift the darkness off my heart

Oh

 

Lead me into the light that rarely shines

 

CHORUS:

On the darkest corners of my heart

Heart… 

Oh

Lift the darkness off my heart

Lift the darkness off my heart

Oh yeah

Lift the darkness off my heart

Let me step into the light

Oh yeah

Lift the darkness off my heart