Page 55 of Harrison's Wedding

“No pressure,” Hayden adds.

Sebastian yanks the door open behind Gabriel and says, “Okay, let’s fucking go, then.”

We follow Gabriel down to the studio, with Sebastian grumbling the whole way about being woken up. None of us buy into it, and we just let him have his complaints. All the lights in the studio are on already, and it’s obvious that Gabriel was down here before he came to get us.

“Okay, so my dream was about a mirror world. So, I’m thinking the song will be about reflections and opposites. Also about the faces we put on for the world and whether they reflect reality.”

Sebastian has collapsed onto an armchair at the side of the studio. He has his head resting against the back of it with his eyes closed. “You go ahead and write the song. I’ll be here if you need me.”

Gabriel heads to the piano and starts playing some random notes. “I can’t figure out a melody or anything, but most of the lyrics are done.”

I head over and sit down on the piano bench next to him, “Show me the lyrics.”

He grabs some pages from where they’re sitting on top of the piano and hands them to me. I read through the lyrics, and they’re good. I can see the theme and feel the mood of the music. I get Sebastian’s guitar and start playing a melody that comes to my head.

“It needs to be in a minor key,” Gabriel says.

I nod and make the switch, playing a similar melody, but it’s a lot more melancholy now.

“Yes, that,” Gabriel agrees.

He finds the notes on the piano and plays along while singing the lyrics. Hayden gets staff paper and starts writing down the notes.

“Okay, give me my guitar,” Sebastian says from behind me and I jump a mile as adrenaline rushes through my body.

I stop playing and say, “Holy shit, you scared me.”

“Sorry. I have an idea for the chorus,” he laughs.

“You haven’t even read the lyrics”—Gabriel grins at him—“and I thought you were pissed at me for waking you up.”

I hand Sebastian the guitar as he says, “I’ve heard enough to know what I want to do with the chorus, and Iampissed at you for waking me up. I like this song, though.”

I head over to the blue bass guitar in the corner of the room and smile as I pick it up. I really love this thing. I’ve been using it for these recording sessions and it’s as amazing as I thought it was going to be. I do have some feedback to send through, but I want to collect it all and send it in November when we’re finished recording the album.

They’ve reached the end of the first verse, and Gabriel stops playing the piano but finds the melody Sebastian is playing as he continues singing into the chorus.

“Maybe try going up on the third line, instead of down,” Hayden says when they finish the chorus. “Otherwise, that’s good.”

They try it with Hayden’s suggested change and it does sound better. I add in a bass line, and Hayden gets on the drums.

After we finish the first verse and chorus again, Sebastian muses, "It's all about the games we play with the world."

“I like that as a lyric, actually,” Hayden says with his eyebrows raised at Sebastian.

We play for hours, working on different aspects of the song and changing some of the lyrics. We work Sebastian’s line into the bridge, and change a line in the chorus to the phrase ‘games we play’. Ultimately, by the time we head back to bed near dawn, we’ve decided to call the song itself “Games We Play.”

“I like it as a theme for the album, actually. It works with the other songs. Maybe that’s why you had the dream, Gabriel. The other songs are a bit along the line of playing games and wearing masks, too,” Hayden says as we’re walking upstairs to go back to bed, ending his words on a yawn.

Gabriel nods. “I can see that. The song is good, and I agree, it definitely fits with the theme of the other songs.”

It’s so late in the morning that Heather might even be awake, but I decide against calling her, just in case she’s still sleeping. I’m also wrecked. Heather’s coming out to Galena this weekend, and I can’t wait. We agreed that she wouldn’t visit last weekend, so that we could focus on writing songs, but I miss her. I collapse into bed, close my eyes, and picture Heather in my mind as I drift off to sleep.

* * *

We’rein the studio on Friday afternoon, working on a song that plays into the theme of games. It’s about rules, what they are, why they’re there, and when they should be broken.

“So, what if we—”

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