Says Francis, “In the past I’ve worked with acoustic guitar, bass, drums, B3 organ, but I wanted to bring a modern electronic element into my music. When first speaking with Jeff Trott, I quickly realized he had great musical instincts and that he was getting my tunes. And then, he brought ideas to the table that I hadn’t imagined. I saw a new musical landscape could be created with my songs by working with him.”
The musicians that Trott assembled for the recording sessions helped to create this colorful landscape. Having worked with artists such as Beck, Nine Inch nails, Gnarls Barkley, Willie Nelson, Queens of the Stone Age, Dr. Dre, and Scott Weiland, the musicians (Brian LeBarton, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, John O’Brien, Victor Indrizzo and others) provided an extraordinary musical palette of talent and sensibility.
When asked about the project, Trott says, “It really became apparent to me that Pete was a very creative and colorful song-writer. What I liked was that there was this very good sense of Pete’s personality from happy go lucky to dark and brooding. All these aspects were amazing to work with and the lyrics were very colorful. I think that’s one of the things I really enjoy about Pete’s songs… that it’s sometimes hard to really figure out what the meanings are and I think that’s missing in a lot of music - the mystery of what a song is.”
The opening track, “Glue”, generates a feeling of weightlessness by combining organic instrumentation with futuristic sounds. This song solidly represents what’s to follow on the album’s consistent mix of fresh and classic, electronic and acoustic, known and unknown… Each listen unlocks a new guitar lick, synth riff, bass groove, drum program, live drumbeat or horn swell, and even the sounds of the sparsely used Ethiopian instrument cumbus. Midway through the album, the listener gets catapulted into the up-tempo and joyous revelry of “Love Shakes You Down” a sing-a-long with the familiar bell sounds of Motown combined with a string synth creating a modern and retro sound all at once. The slower, more melodic songs of the album like “St. Paul’s Fair” and “Didn’t Know I Built It” lure the listener into dream-states with rich deep vocals, sampled sounds from a town square in Italy, trance-like Wurlitzer pedaling, and vivid lyrics.
No one would deny that Francis has earned his stripes in the independent music scene. He formed the fiercely independent band Dispatch in 1995 whose uncommonly loyal fan-base bid them farewell at The Last Dispatch concert in 2004 with an attendance of 110,000 people from around the world. Since then, his career has infiltrated many musical worlds including performing his solo music at festivals around the country, reuniting with his Dispatch pals for three sold out nights at Madison Square Garden, having his solo music featured in films and television, and performing in the presence of Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C..
Commenting on his new album and departure from his Dispatch days, Francis says, “It’s good to get out of your comfort zone. I tried to let this motto resonate at every turning point of this record’s evolution.” When asked if there is an overall theme to The Movie We Are In, Francis explains, “I like to leave this up to the listener. Hearing an album is similar to visiting a museum. The listener has to have his or her own conversation with the artwork and create their own interpretations."
Motion
Pete Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How come the shadow is a crutch for the light?
So I come across a lost town in the dark
One man he stands alone in a park
How long?
Motion lives in my soul
I thought I was in control
Motion lives in my soul
Gonna get me out of this hole
Play, play
Are you saving me?
I need you
'Cause these roofs are made of ice
How long?
Motion lives in my soul
For a moment there
I thought I was in control
Motion lives in my soul
Gonna get me out of this hole
The song "Motion" by Pete Francis is a reflective piece that deals with the themes of control, motion, and darkness. The lyrics suggest a contrast between the day and the night, where the day represents control and the night represents a loss of control. The shadow is depicted as a "crutch" for the light, which suggests that there is an interdependence between the two. The singer comes across a lost town in the dark and encounters a man who stands alone in a park. There is a sense of loneliness and isolation in this encounter, which reinforces the feeling of being lost.
The chorus of the song, "Motion lives in my soul," suggests that the singer has an inner drive or energy that propels him forward. The line "For a moment there, I thought I was in control" suggests that the singer has moments of feeling in control but also recognizes that control is fleeting. The song speaks to the idea that we are all moving forward in life, even if we don't always know where we're going.
In the second verse, the singer seeks refuge from the darkness and asks if the act of playing music can save him. He needs something to ground him and keep him from falling into the void. The final line about the roofs being made of ice suggests that the singer is in a precarious position and needs something solid to hold onto.
Overall, "Motion" is a thoughtful and introspective song that delves into the complex emotions of control, uncertainty, and the need for human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Day leaves, night arrives
The shift from day to night occurs.
How come the shadow is a crutch for the light?
Why does darkness always depend on light to exist?
So I come across a lost town in the dark
In the darkness, the singer discovers an unfamiliar town.
One man he stands alone in a park
A solitary man is present in a park.
Motion lives in my soul
The artist feels movement within themself.
For a moment there, I thought I was in control
The singer recently believed they had power over their situation.
Motion lives in my soul
The feeling of being alive and active is present in the singer.
Gonna get me out of this hole
The artist believes that this internal movement will help them escape their current low point.
Are you saving me?
The artist asks if their drive and energy will pull them through.
I need you
The artist requires this inner force to keep them moving forward.
'Cause these roofs are made of ice
The singer compares their surroundings to a slippery and unreliable surface.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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