Tonight
"Tonight" is my Valentine's Day gift to my other half. The objective, therefore, is to create the cheesiest song imaginable.
Work began on 2024-10-03, when I laid out the primary chord progression. For extra cheese, I used the minor fourth (Em in B major, the "forever" in the chorus) which worked wonders. On the same day I wrote a poem from which I incorporated lines into the lyrics you hear today.
Two weeks later, on 2024-10-18, I came out of the shower with a melody and accompanied it with arps and synth-ish piano.
Fast forward to 2025. I've always wanted to pull off a truck driver gear shift key change, so I did exactly that, shifting from B major to C# major. Took me dozens of tries to get right. Originally, the shift took eight bars; I then made it in two.
The bassline and piano/guitar fills were inspired by "Lift" by Radiohead. This is my second original song with bass, this time fingerpicked.
When you notice something in the lyrics that's suspiciously like a twenty one pilots reference, it probably is.
Verdict: 🧀🧀🧀
Real or MIDI?
- Drums: MIDI
- Tambourine: MIDI
- Shaker: Real — is a plastic candy container that I filled with rice
- Bass: Real
- Guitar: Trick question! left channel is my bass pitch shifted, and right channel is MIDI.
- Strings, piano, vibraphone: MIDI
Lyrics and chord progression
[Verse 1]
B G#m
Not a single reason to be afraid but I dare not speak
B G#m
You've been reaching out for my heart's extended warranty
B G#m
Where am I now?
B G#m
Where am I now?
[Verse 2]
B G#m
You're a star I'm in your orbit, need velocity
B G#m
To escape but you won't let me go, you're pulling me
[Prechorus 1]
C#m
I feel your tidal forces
D#m
I feel your tidal forces
E
You burst my heart to pieces
F#
You burst my heart to shreds
[Chorus 1]
B F# G#m E
Tonight I'm resting in your arm
B F# G#m E
Tonight I'm right where I belong
B F# E Em
'cause I can't quite define how long is forever
B F# G#m E
But tonight, the moonlight will remember
[Verse 3]
Falling snow, indigo skies that insulate my heart
Need a tear or two, some heat to tear the frost apart
[Prechorus 2]
How am I even living?
How am I even breathing?
I feel me slowly dying
Until you came and told me
[Chorus 2]
Tonight you're resting in my arm
(I'm resting in your arm)
Tonight you're right where you belong
(I'm right where I belong)
'cause I can't quite define how long is forever
But tonight, the moonlight will remember
[Epic Truck Driver Gear Shift Key Change from B major to C# major]
Badd9 F#7 D#sus4 D#
[Chorus 1 but transposed up 2 semitones]
Tonight I'm resting in your arm
(I'm resting in your arm)
Tonight I'm right where I belong
(I'm right where I belong)
'cause I can't quite define how long is forever
But tonight, the moonlight will remember
[Outro]
But tonight, the moonlight will remember
Bass tab
10th fret and higher marked with parentheses for disambiguation. h is a hammer note.
Chorus 2
A |----------------|--------------4-|----------------|----------------|
E |7---7-77-77-797-|2---2-22-22-2---|4---4-44-44-4-2-|0---0-00-00-2-4-|
Repeat 4 bars above
A |----------------|9---9-99-99-9-(11)-|7---7-77-77-6---|(10)---(10)-(10)9-99-9-7-|
E |7---7-77-77-797-|-------------------|--------------7-|-------------------------|
A |6---------------|----------------|------------4---|----------------|
E |--7-7-77-77-797-|2---2-22-22-242-|4-4-4-44-44---4-|0-0-0-00-00-2-4-|
Truck Driver
D |-------------------|------------8--8--(10)8--------|
A |-------------------|(11)--(11)-------------(11)(10)|
E |7--7--9--9--(10)---|-------------------------------|
Chorus 3
First 12 bars is just chorus 2 transposed up 2 semitones.
Last 4 bars:
A |8h98h98--------------|--------------6-|----------------|----------------|
E |--------9-----9(11)9-|4-4-4-44-44-4---|6-6-6-66-66-6-4-|3-----1---------|
Kazoo Police
"Kazoo Police" is a cover of Radiohead's "Karma Police". It is pure shitpost. Recorded in one take in less than ten minutes. Bundled with "Tonight" because it's too low quality to be released alone. Don't worry about it.
Tools Used
- Ardour
- AKAI MPK mini play
- Squier PJ bass
- Ice Breakers candy box with some rice
- Stage Right™ by Monoprice™ kazoo
- Shure SM7B (vocals, shaker)
- Shure SM58 ("Tonight" outro vocals, kazoo)
- Focusrite Scarlett 18i8
- Behringer UMC22
- Audio-Technica ATH-M20x