Story Behind The Song
Strange as it may seem this song began life as a Rush-style rocker. It began with a fast Lifeson-esque riff and you might have noticed the young rebel protagonist a-la Tom Sawyer or New World Man. Sung the original way the lyrics are also written in the Neil Peart's almost iambic poetic style.
It was my writing partner Dave who suggested tapping my island roots and fusing the rock to a reggae/world groove. The next challenge was finding the right singer in Atlanta Georgia! As luck would have it I remembered seeing a group of "white urban kids" at the landmark Fuzzy's place, totally rip into a reggae/ska set with perfect authenticity. I had asked the singer Caleb Ford, a blond haired Detroit native for his contact info. To sum up; he agreed to sing the track if he liked it which he did along with two other songs (Slice and Living in a Carnival) we created for the occasion.
Song Description
PERSONAL MESSAGE OF HOPE THAT PERSISTENCE WILL ACHIEVE THE DREAM. FREEDOM MEANS TAKING A GAMBLE
| Song Length |
3:55 |
Genre |
World - Reggae/Caribbean, Rock - Ska |
| Tempo |
Medium Fast (131 - 150) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Poignant, Exultant |
Subject |
Existence, Hope |
| Similar Artists |
The Police, Phish |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
I CLOSED MY EYES TODAY I SAW THE LIGHT
A QUIET FILLED MY MIND MY SENSES CAME TO LIFE
A WORD SOFT LIKE A DREAM LIT UP THE NIGHT
WISDOM SHINED LIKE A BEAM ON THE EDGE OF A KNIFE
THERE AIN'T NO WAY I'M GOIN UNDER
CAUSE THE DREAM AIN'T GONNA DIE
IF I'M FALLIN FROM MY CLOUD THEN I'LL RIDE THE THUNDER
CAUSE I'M FREE AND I'M ALIVE
CHORUS
CAUSE I'M FREE - FREE TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS
I'VE GOT MY CONVICTIONS AND IF I'M WRONG
THEN I'LL PAY THE PRICE - CAUSE I ROLLED THE DICE
YEAH I'LL PAY THE PRICE - AND YOU CAN KEEP THE CHANGE
PT 2
I'LL PIN MY DREAMS ON A SONG - PURE LIGHT
I'LL GAMBLE THAT YOU'RE WRONG - AND I'M RIGHT
I'M BURNING BRIDGES BEHIND ME TOO LATE TO TURN BACK NOW
AND EVEN IF I FALL AT LEAST I DIDN'T BOW
I'M LIVING, I'M DYING, I'M FAILING, BUT I'M TRYING
TO FIND MY PLACE IN THIS WORLD
I'M BREATHIN, I'M SIGHIN, I'M FALLIN, BUT I'M FLYIN
BEFORE I LEAVE THIS WORLD
CAUSE I'M FREE - FREE TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS
I'VE GOT MY CONVICTIONS AND IF I'M WRONG
THEN I'LL PAY THE PRICE - CAUSE I ROLLED THE DICE
YEAH I'LL PAY THE PRICE - AND YOU CAN KEEP THE CHANGE
INSTRUMENTAL
CAUSE I'M FREE - FREE TO MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS
I'VE GOT MY CONVICTIONS AND IF I'M WRONG
THEN I'LL PAY THE PRICE - CAUSE I ROLLED THE DICE
YEAH I'LL PAY THE PRICE - AND YOU CAN KEEP THE CHANGE