And that's precisely what Perrone's music is. It's his life -- his worst days, his hopes, and the fears and loves that have come with experience and insight. For Perrone, songwriting is a way of sorting through the thoughts in his mind, capturing a moment or an emotion, and setting that to melody. The result is the sound of a singer-songwriter completely opening himself to whatever may come.
"When I write, it's no holds barred. I don't censor myself," Perrone says. "So many of the songs are just me, picking myself apart."
Perrone has spent more than eight years earning the reputation of an artist who brings audience emotions right to the surface, establishing himself as a noted voice in the Boston music scene. Through residencies at intimate local hideaways and nights before sold-out crowds at Boston's famed Paradise Rock Club and Avalon, Perrone has fused bonds with audiences, honed his craft -- and picked up a 2005 Boston Music Award nomination for Best Local Male Vocal along the way.
But his approach to musicianship is one that begins away from any stage. Perrone is more songwriter-singer than the other way around, seeking the honesty and clarity in music that can otherwise seem difficult to find.
"Writing a song is all the best parts of music," Perrone says. "You catch onto something and it's new, it's fresh, it's exciting. And when you're able to piece a song together, play it from start to finish for the first time, it's amazing. I want to run out and grab someone, get them to listen."
A collection of 13 songs came together in a recording studio last year to form "Used To Dream," Perrone's debut solo effort. A collaboration with musician Steve Belleville, musician/producer Dennis Carroll (6Media Group) and guest appearances from 10 local music talents, the songs flourished in an organic recording process focused more on the feeling of a take than glossy production.
"Glen Phillips, Ray LaMontagne, Griffin House, Joseph Arthur, Ryan Adams, Damien Rice -- when you listen to their songs, they just feel completely honest," he says. "I'm not listening to the technical details, the recording process. I get lost in the feeling of the song. I feel a connection to it. There's something alive about it."
Perrone discovered that the imperfections that arise in the recording process can actually feel perfect for a song, capturing the emotion and intent he imagined when he first set the words to paper.
With that in mind, Perrone was free to explore the possibilities inherent in each song."Used To Dream" features both a return to the basics -- including Perrone's return to the percussion skills he first learned as a youth -- and the ability for seasoned musicians to introduce new elements -- mandolin, banjo and slide guitar, among them -- into songs.
A songwriter brought up on and well-versed in pop rock, Perrone stretched "A Soundtrack (For the Happier Times)" into a languid torch song that drips with the blues and soul as it examines jealousy and circumstance.
The haunting harmonies that soar through "What Comes Up Through the Floor" proves to defy conventional song structure entirely. It's a song without a chorus, but a deceptive one -- lush and menacingly dark.
"I like the fact that it's a dark and creepy song. It's one of the most different songs I've written," Perrone says, "but one that completely summed up what I wanted it to say."
Perrone balances the dark introspection with a charm listeners have long come to know -- saucy, sweet and self-conscious all at the same time. In "Somewhere Beside Me," he sings of a love that lingers through snapshots from his past, noting with a hint of pop-backed self-deprecation that "you're more than a picture I still try to flirt with."
"Lie," likewise, highlights the backwards glance one casts at the end of a relationship, one that needs to end with deception in order to spare both parties involved. The frustrated lyrics, however, are cast against bright instrumentation -- demonstrating Perrone's ability to create multi-layered listening experiences.
At album's close, he brings it back to the basics -- guitar, voice, thoughts -- for "Like Riding a Bike," his most personal, vulnerable song to date.
"I don't want to be here in ten years, living off handouts and hand-me-down dreams," he quietly sings. "If I left for California tomorrow, could you say that I left you with anything, honestly?"
Somewhere along the way, an album of songs that needed to come out became the album to mark a new stage of Perrone's career.
Audiences in live settings throughout the Northeast are already feeling the connection, demonstrated through strong word-of-mouth support and an avid on-line community dedicated to sharing the music. The fans that approach the musician to share their thoughts and appreciation serve as a testament to his musical longevity -- they are new listeners and those who have been there since Perrone's first concert in March 1998.
Perrone describes the response as "an amazing, wonderful thing" for someone who, as a young boy, was often found belting out songs to imaginary crowds in his living room.
"That's the thing that amazes me," he says. "Back then, that was such a dream of mine. And there are time it's just such a surreal experience, I almost think I'm going to realize I'm still dreaming."
Blinded
Chad Perrone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel warm and alarmed
I've lived so long under the shade
of a comfortable cloudy sky
and now I'm ready to throw it all away
I tripped over all the things I've said
and now I'm suddenly indebted
I thought it more than it ever was
Was it ever really there
Will it ever stick around for longer than this
Was it ever really there
(I woke up crying / at the thought of us smiling)
I've been fooled like this before
Now I'm doubting in anything more
It always starts out just the same
so how do you believe in anything enough to know that it'll never change
Was it ever really there
Will it ever stick around for longer than this
Was it ever really there
I woke up crying
at the thought of us smiling
I've grown tired of us lying to ourselves that this is all there is
but with that said love
I'm scared to death of
messing this whole thing up
besides I'm not sure of anything
If I could just hold you one more time tonight
It might help me with what I'm trying to decide
and I'll pretend that I'll be different
with the hopes that I'll be different
because it'll always be different this time.
I woke up crying
at the thought of us smiling
I've grown tired of this lying to you
but with that said love
I'm scared to death of
messing this whole thing up
besides I'm not anything (oh)
The lyrics of Chad Perrone's song Blinded convey the emotional turmoil of someone struggling with doubts in a relationship. The first stanza describes feeling both overwhelmed and frightened by the warmth and brightness of the sun, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the intensity of emotions that the singer is experiencing. The second stanza delves deeper into the singer's sense of uncertainty and regret, as they reflect on past mistakes and the difficulty of maintaining a meaningful connection with another person.
The chorus raises the question of whether the love the singer feels is real and lasting, or just a fleeting illusion. Despite their doubts, the singer is reluctant to let go of the relationship and is fearful of making things worse by trying to change the current dynamic. The final stanza expresses a desire to try again and do things differently, but with the acknowledgement that past patterns are hard to break.
Overall, the lyrics of Blinded explore the complex emotions that come with the vulnerability of being in love and the fear of losing that connection. The song captures the frustration, doubt, and longing that many people experience in relationships, and offers a relatable representation of the struggles that come with falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel blinded by the sun
I feel overwhelmed and confused
I feel warm and alarmed
I feel comfort and anxiety at the same time
I've lived so long under the shade of a comfortable cloudy sky
I have been playing it safe for too long
and now I'm ready to throw it all away
now I'm willing to take risks
I tripped over all the things I've said
I realized that my words have consequences
and now I'm suddenly indebted
now I feel responsible for my actions
I thought it more than it ever was
I overhyped it in my mind
and I gave it everything which wasn't much more than anything at all
I tried my best but it wasn't enough
Was it ever really there
did it ever exist in the first place
Will it ever stick around for longer than this
will it last or just fade away
(I woke up crying / at the thought of us smiling)
remembering our happy moments makes me emotional
I've been fooled like this before
I've made the same mistakes in the past
Now I'm doubting in anything more
now I'm skeptical of everything
It always starts out just the same
it always seems promising at the beginning but ends up disappointing
so how do you believe in anything enough to know that it'll never change
how can you trust that things won't go wrong again
I woke up crying
I'm feeling emotional
besides I'm not sure of anything
I'm uncertain about everything
If I could just hold you one more time tonight
if I could just feel your warmth and comfort one more time
It might help me with what I'm trying to decide
it might give me clarity about what to do next
and I'll pretend that I'll be different
I'll try to convince myself that I'll change
with the hopes that I'll be different
with the expectation that things will turn out different
because it'll always be different this time.
because I believe that this time things will work out
I've grown tired of this lying to you
I'm tired of not being honest with you
but with that said love
nevertheless, my dear
I'm scared to death of
I'm extremely afraid of
messing this whole thing up
ruining our relationship
besides I'm not anything (oh)
besides, I'm not sure of anything
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.