Was cruising the ccmixter archives for some big guitar in the key of b flat, and remembered Subliminal’s and Edwin’s soaring guitar on “Hornet”.
Built the piano, bass, drums and rhodes around as midi on my phone. Then ready to throw my phone in the river in small screen frustration, I exported into my studio DAW for some better workspace and patches.

So here’s the completed song, a narrative styled ditty about urban gentrification, outrageously high real estate prices and coming back to your old neighbourhood discovering its all changed. The song is about one of the steepest streets in San Fran, but could equally apply to any major city that has been swept up in the move to “gentrify” old working class neighbourhoods displacing the soul of what was once there..

Was going to do it spoken word for the perspective event, but couldn’t help turning up the angst by singing and the spoken word version sounded rather too preachy anyway :)

Vocals are uploaded here

“2nd Street”

Six o’clock in the morning
my ship slides into San Francisco Bay
It came upon me with no warning
that I’m never feeling home when I’m away

Now I’d trade the blisters on my feet
to climb up 22nd Street
say bye Pacific summer heat
I know
feel them cracks in pavement underground
they bleed with California sound
nothing lasts forever
we all know

Hope some friends
they still live up there?
where the Twin Peaks point the city streets from home
I’m waking faster just to get there
for the jokes that I am sure I’ve heard before

And the houses are same
but for the zeros at the ends
I’m the only one not gentrified
don’t drive Mercedes Benz

But I trade the blisters on my feet
to climb up 22nd street
say bye Pacific summer heat
I know
Feel them cracks in pavement underground
they bleed with California sound
nothing lasts forever
we all know

As I reach the top believing
that my neighbourhood remains all just the same
I shed a tear before I’m leaving
with those memories all left
they just remain

Cause the houses are same
but for the zeros at the ends
I’m the only one not gentrified
don’t like Mercedes Benz

But I’d trade the blisters on my feet
to climb up 22nd Street
say bye Pacific summer heat
I know
I feel them cracks in pavement underground
they bleed with California sound
nothing lasts forever
we all know

Cause I’d trade the blisters on my feet
to climb up 22nd Street
say bye to old Pacific heat
I know
I feel them cracks in pavement underground
they bleed with California sound
cause nothing lasts forever
we all know

I’m up on 22nd Street!
Live on 22nd Street
My life on 22nd Street
Feel the ground shake!
Up on 22nd Street

Feel the Earth moving … on 22nd Street
Up on 22nd Street
My life on 22nd Street…

Scomber x 2019