Joe enlisted the help of Mike Aquino. Mike is Vana's guitar teacher and was playing on Joe's demos in addition to writing a lot of material with Joe. Joe then approached Jim Peterik with his idea of doing an album. Peterik agreed to produce, at minimum, the tracks he co-wrote with Vana. Project Voyager was moving forward.
Joe contacted friend Fergie Frederiksen to join the mix. "I've always seen myself as a ballad and finesse type of singer," says Vana. "I wanted Fergie to sing the harder-edged numbers I had earmarked for the album." After meeting with Fergie and the investment group, they informed the project's co-producer Jim Peterik that Fergie was in. Project Voyager was moving even faster.
Vana met with Jim and they discussed the game plan of who else and where? Where to record the album and who to bring into the band. Joe wanted David Hungate, the legendary bass player of Toto and about every other hit song in the '80s. Jim previously worked with Hungate in Nashville on a song written with producer Joe Thomas and Ides bandmate Larry Millas. The song "That's Why God Made Radio" was coincidentally the first song Joe ever sang with Jim Peterik. Joe contacted David by email (what a wonderful thing) and asked his availability. David agreed. Next JP placed a call to Hungate. David Hungate informed JP that Shannon Forrest had to be the drummer. Shannon was an unknown musician to Vana and Peterik. But if Hungate recommends him, who are we to question? Boy, were they glad they didn't! Jimmy Nichols was next to join Mecca's line-up. Nichols played on JP's debut World Stage album and has been a longtime friend of JP's. The studio? The Sound Kitchen in Nashville based on its remarkable capabilities and drum rooms.
During this time Joe was finishing up vocals for an album on the Long Hill Entertainment label. Soon afterwards Peterik and Vana started writing more intently and Jim laid out the beginnings of a song called "Mecca." Joe loved it and they worked together to finish the song within a two-hour timeframe. Songs entitled "Silence of the Heart" and "Without You" soon followed. Vana adds, "Songwriting with Jim Peterik is so easy. He is open to ideas and different arrangements. I thought it would be hard to get the arrangements on certain songs the way I envisioned them. But Jim was real open to change. I am a sucker for breakdowns and wanted a lot of them. We got 'em." Vana further explains, "Jim also helped on songs I wrote with Jason Deroche about a year prior. I wrote those during a trying period. But Jim helped me lyrically pull the emotion through these songs. And his musical ideas and arrangements were breathtaking." Peterik and Vana discussed calling the band Mecca instead of Project Voyager. It was done. With Jim now producing the whole album and the band's team mates established, the recording process was right around the corner.
Look out Nashville, here comes Mecca...
Falling Down
Mecca Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How did our light fade away
I'm waking up I'm falling down
Can't catch my breath I hit the ground
I try to walk away but I lost my feet
I try to say goodbye but I just can't speak
And look you in the eye and say I'm done
I just Won't give you up I can move on
I'm falling down and I'm empty
God only knows how far I'll go when I'm falling down
Lost in a fog I slipped away
All my regrets are here to stay
I'm breaking up I"m falling down
I'm screaming out without a sound
I'm falling down
I try to walk away but I lost my feet
I try to say goodbye but I just can't speak
and look you in the eye and say I'm done
I just won't give you up I can move on
(falling down)falling down
(falling down)falling down
I try to walk away but i lost my feet
I try to say goodbye but i just can't speak
I'm falling down your all that i can see
I'm falling down and I'm empty
I'm falling down your all that's left of me
I'm falling down and I'm empty
God only knows how far I'll go
Mecca's song "Falling Down" is an emotional ballad that deals with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics express a sense of regret and longing for what was lost, as the singer reflects on the past and struggles to let go.
The song opens with the singer asking themselves what happened to yesterday and how their relationship fell apart. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm falling down" to express a sense of emotional freefall, as the singer feels lost and unable to move on. They try to walk away and say goodbye, but they are unable to do so, confessing that they still love the other person and can't let go. The bridge of the song expresses a sense of despair and desperation, as the singer feels like they are screaming out without making a sound.
Overall, the song is a powerful and relatable expression of the pain of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on from a failed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
What did I do with yesterday
Reflecting on past actions and decisions, questioning how they led to the current situation
How did our light fade away
Wondering how the closeness and intimacy once shared with another person disappeared
I'm waking up I'm falling down
Realizing the gravity of the situation and the emotional pain it's causing
Can't catch my breath I hit the ground
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with the emotions
I try to walk away but I lost my feet
Attempting to move on, but feelings are too strong and immobilizing
I try to say goodbye but I just can't speak
Struggling to let go of the person and express emotions due to fear of loss
And look you in the eye and say I'm done
Wanting to end the relationship, but lacking the courage to confront the other person
I just Won't give you up I can move on
Desiring to let go of the person, yet finding it difficult to do so
I'm falling down your all that I can see
Feeling consumed and overwhelmed by thoughts of the person, unable to let go
I'm falling down and I'm empty
Experiencing emotional emptiness and loss without the person
God only knows how far I'll go when I'm falling down
Uncertain of what the future holds and how deeply the emotions will affect the person
Lost in a fog I slipped away
Feeling disconnected and separated from oneself due to emotional distress
All my regrets are here to stay
Feeling a sense of remorse and wishing to change past actions, but unable to do so
I'm breaking up I'm falling down
Experiencing emotional turmoil and difficulty dealing with the end of the relationship
I'm screaming out without a sound
Feeling unheard and alone in processing and dealing with the emotions
I'm falling down
Feeling consumed and overwhelmed by emotions and thoughts of the person
I'm falling down your all that I can see
Feeling consumed and overwhelmed by thoughts of the person, unable to let go
I'm falling down and I'm empty
Experiencing emotional emptiness and loss without the person
I'm falling down your all that's left of me
Feeling as if the person is a defining part of oneself and unable to move on without them
I'm falling down and I'm empty
Experiencing emotional emptiness and loss without the person
God only knows how far I'll go
Uncertain of what the future holds and how deeply the emotions will affect the person
Contributed by Jeremiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Akers-Vana
I am glad Fergie loved it....This was the song that started Mecca....my buddy Peterik cowrote it after hearing my demo and the rest is history!!! Lots of love...jV
Julius Monrey
"That's the best song we made in this album" said Fergie in an interview. I think he was absolutely right it's the best song of the album! AOR Melodic Rock is the best!
Ivar Hole Aksnes
A great album, I thank all the Mecca guys!
Melissa Oden
Wish this could be purchased on iTunes!
Julius Monrey
Hey jV Thank you for all the music you've done I have to say that I can't wait for your next music project you'll make. I hope it will rock! (When it's done from you then it has to...:) I have just one small bit: would you make the music from this album on Youtube? Because I can't buy it eighter at Ebay or Amazon... It would be nice but when you can't just give a short answer like sry no way or something like that. Thank you and all your friends (also great thanks to Fergie^^) for your music.
Ivar Hole Aksnes
@Melodicrockisthebest I second that; Falling Down the best with Can't Stop Love a close second in my ears!
Julius Monrey
Melodicrockisthebest