🎵 Steemit Open Mic Week 65 - “Far Out In Oregon” (Original Song)
"Wind Swept Shore" was the theme of last week's Steemit Open Mic Songwriters Challenge. Preparing for this song, my thoughts flew straight to Cannon Beach, on the Oregon Coast. The resulting song is an ode to Oregon, remembering the people and the places that make that state so special to me.
“Far Out In Oregon”
The Story
The Christmas holiday rushed me away from home, and so I missed the due date in last week's Songwriters Challenge. Sorry about that. This song here is an emotional one for me, looking back and reminiscing. I was born in Oregon, and lived there for a while, returning to visit over the course of many summers. Family members and cherished friends live there still. These people were with me while I wrote this song.
Oregon's natural landscapes are among the world's most wonderful. Vivid green rainforests, sky-high waterfalls, salmon-filled rivers, rocky desert canyons... Even the coastline itself offers a diverse array of environments: sand dunes, volcanic cliffs, forests that disappear into the sea, and yes, windswept shores. The place is otherworldly. These places were with me while I wrote this song.
Yes, these people and places are so very precious to me, and I'm happy they could be with me while I wrote this song. Sadly, there was another dominating memory that drive me into the deeper territory of this song, with its bluesy tone, and the subtly sorrowful lyrics. I remembered a fragile time in my life, when something terrible happened and I had to escape to Oregon, to find myself again.
Skip the next paragraph, if you're not ready for a horror story.
I apologize in advance if this rattles your nerves, but I'll do my best to share a true story in a sensitive light. I heard a woman's scream one night. I shot out of bed and ventured out to see what this was about. I followed another scream to an open garage, where a mother was holding her 15-year-old son, who hung himself with an extension cord. I'll just say about that much for now, although there's so much more to say.
Oregon saved me from the crush of despair, in that moment, because it brought life back into perspective for me. I was living in Montana at the time, and my little brother picked me up and drove straight to the Pacific Ocean, where my little troubles dissolved, in the presence of something so big. Mother Ocean truly soothed me with her immensity, and she washed away my emotional pain. This song, "Far Out In Oregon," encapsulates these feelings and remembrances.
The Lyrics
Behind eyes closed
My heart goes coasting
Over the edge of Oregon
Getting life in motion
Windswept shores
Old growth forests
Cattle guards on country roads
Fields filled with roses
Far out in Oregon
This tornado goes to unwind
Blowing in the breeze to the great big ocean
Gonna ease this little troubled mind
Moving forward
Further inward
My heart remembers
Windy winter blizzards
Reflections on Crater Lake
Listening to meadowlarks
With evening coyotes
Howling in the cedar trees
Far out in Oregon...
My heart advances
To future glances
New songs new dances
Adventures and romances
In Bend in Redmond
In Ashland in Portland
Cannon Beach
With loved ones with me
Far out in Oregon...
Gratefully,
Nice writing @cabelindsay! I'm so happy to see you wrote about Cannon Beach, I LOVE that town. I have passed through it twice, both on band tours. Slept out on the beach in tents one night, got soaked! Keep writing great stuff man, you are an asset to #openmic
Hey, thank you so much. Feels good to be an asset here, as the #openmic has been such a game-changer for me here on Steemit. It's given me a sense of belonging, in a way. You know? I hope you feel that same sense of belonging, and I trust the Steemit platform as a whole will help to cultivate you and your fabulous music.
This is awesome. It touches me to read how people can get so lost in music and how we have such strong emotional responses & meanings behind their own lyrics!
I’m a music lover myself, and I listen to a bunch of different genres. I’m also a researcher in psychoacoustics, which is all about the perception and psychology of hearing and our response to music. It’s great to see the talent that’s around. I didn’t realise how Steemit could actually be such a great platform to showcase musical talent.. My earliest posts on Steemit were all about my music, but I completely gave up hope because they got no views or up votes.. It was really discouraging, so I just began posting more generic blogs about cryptocurrencies etc, whatever was hot on the scene… So, I’m really glad the music side of Steemit is working out for you. Maybe some day I’ll get there too! 😅
Music helps me connect to the world emotionally. It’s really so much more than people think.. It’s a journey, and it’s fun to get lost. Anyway, it’s really nice to read that others appreciate it as much as I do.. Happy New Year, and keep up the good content on Steemit.
What an exceptional reply. Thank you. Yes, I can relate with the discouragement that often comes in the beginning of most people's Steemit journeys. I'd say you'll have ample time to give your music posts another try, once you're really cooking on Steemit. To me, those "passion" posts are where the greatest value comes from – even if there's little financial reward, the greater gift is in the creation itself. And yes, the #openmic is incredible. It's the first place where I invest my energy here, because it gives and gives just as much as I give, and more. It's perfect for me, desiring to express myself creatively and find my voice and exercise my ideation, so I appreciate it as a platform/spotlight/amplifier for expression. Even more rewarding is the connections I've made with other participants in that community. There's a definite feeling of kinship there, and I'm proud to contribute through various roles: songwriter, encourager, appreciator, and brother.
I completely agree. Well done to you and thanks for the encouragement. Its the content and care like this that keeps the community alive! Now to continue my own journey and actually get cooking, as you say! 😊 Happy blogging!
very beautiful song and nice voice
Great Job!. really well written song, love to see someone actually putting meaning into their lyrics. I am not usually into this type of music but I enjoyed this!.
Thank you. The #openmic is such a nurturing environment. A place to practice performing in front of an audience, and engaging with other artists, which is immediately rewarding and also brings benefits for the greater picture of life. I highly recommend jumping in, if you're interested.
Music connects the world and steemers! :)
#truth.
wow, as always @cabelindsay your perspective moves me! I feel the same way about Oregon and haven't ever heard someone capture the magical and unparalled beauty of every part of this state.
I'm not from here but have lived in Portland for 25 years, which is a lot longer than anywhere else. I know that there will be a time (very soon) when I have to return to the east coast for some years to be with my father before he gets too old and while I look forward to his in some ways, leaving this beloved place makes me cry just thinking about it. I will need to listen to your song to help with my homesickness when the time comes!
Ah, wow, your words are so full of tenderness and kindness and richness. Thank you. Trusting the ocean will comfort you while you're with your father. Happy to hear your appreciation for that great state of Oregon too. Wishing you roses galore while you're there in Portland.
I love going to cannon beach! :) I currently live in Oregon, so this really resonates with me! thank you for writing and sharing! :) you are very talented!
Rock on! Place is mesmerizing. One time, I showed up there just North of Cannon Beach at a place called Indian Beach, and I forgot my swim trunks. So I borrowed my girlfriend's "boy shorts" and waded out to some rocks where a bunch of surfers were hanging out, all wearing wetsuits. And they actually clapped for me, after braving those chilly waters. So funny! And then I dove in. Brrr! The ocean shivers stayed with me for days.
Thank you.
Always a pleasure. Thank you for holding the space for us.
hello bro,
Iam from turkey and aldought I have never been a country music listener but likely the music that comes from my self its kind of that style..... I hope to also share my songs as well...thanks for your music.
Yeah, it's true, my style feels like it would fit into the Country music genre. Thanks for your comment. And yes, I greatly look forward to your songs too – the #openmic is open for all of us. I trust you'll appreciate the community, filled with fantastic musicians and open-hearted listeners.
Sweet song! Man, I miss Oregon dearly.