Tragic Chemistry

Background Info*

About male-female relationships, and the seemingly innate problems with them. Written long before I met Elizabeth. However, I think there is still a lot of truth in the song. the title is from the greek myth in which Zeus tries to woo Leda in the form of a swan (he also picked up dames as a shower of gold—see first verse lyric—among other absurd guises). the lyrics follow the couple (to be played by Leia and me) from the “spreading of plumage” during courtship to the ultimate failure of the relationship because of the differences in men and women’s expectations. I had a professor in college who contended that monogamy was evolutionarily contrary to man’s nature and innate to woman’s. from a darwinian standpoint, man was programmed to “spread his seed” as far and wide as possible, while woman was wired to rear the progeny, and to this end to try to keep man close by to provide for them. This leads to an irreconcilable discord most of the time. The song is best summed up by the lyrics from the last chorus: he says, “you are black” (evil for trying to control him), she says “i am blue” (sad for being misunderstood and not appreciated) and the whole thing ends up looking like a big bruise. Musically this one should swing. All the production elements should dance around the vocals as the doomed courtship runs its course.

Technical Notes

The watery phaser effect is created using a Moogerfooger 12-stage phaser. One of both Jorgenson and O’tooles’ favorite tones on the record, it had to be mixed farther back than either would have like because of the significant background noise that the 70’s era electronics generated.

Lyrics

a shower of gold
or feathers bold
a diamond ring
a song to sing
to lure you to my waiting hold

i know your name
i've played this game
i have a mind to leave you behind
but you've cast a spell on me

i am here
you are there
i fell into
my snare
as we play
leda and the swan

the moons expire
we walk the wire
the things we ask
are difficult tasks
for each other and we tire

it’s time to go
but you say no
because this pain
is part of the game
i didn't know these were the rules

you are black
i am blue
we are one
but really two
and neither of us knows what to do

two came from one
so we could thrive beneath the sun
but with time it all unwinds
what once was pure
what was the cure
is now unsure