Fit To Fight song meanings part 1

I’ve been writing music now for over 20years. Not even kidding. I’ve kept the lyrics for over 400 songs that I’ve written / half composed. I’ve recorded two EP’s now with my band Static Era, and we are just about to release our first album. It’s pretty exciting. But it’s also terrifying. Why? Because every song I have ever written is an up-close, intimate snapshot of my life – a window into the life that is Emma G – and by sharing that music with the public either online or on an album is literally giving the world a piece of my soul.

I love it.

As I was going over the lyrics for the album yesterday, I couldn’t help but chuckle a wee bit at the wonder of it all. This album is the culmination of hours of frustration, hard work, tears, laughter, foolishness, idiocy, smiles, success and creative word vomit. So I thought I’d give you an insight to the behind the scenes of some of our songs on the album…

Start

It’s pretty obviously a frustrated love song (I’ve written a few of those haha) – about a comedian I briefly dated actually. When I wrote this song, Dave (drummer) told me two things: 1. I say too much, and 2. I’m too blunt. Both are pretty accurate statements, really. But while I’ve always reveled in being a straight shooter, it WAS a wee bit awkward when he (the comedian, I mean), finally heard the song… ah well. Perks of dating a creative, I guess.

So Sore

I actually wrote this song when I was 15. With the incredible support of my music teacher at the time (whom I’m lucky to still have as a friend these days), I wrote out a lot of my teenage angst in songs. I was processing quite a bit in So Sore; strange relationships, drug addictions that I wanted to leave behind, the societal pressures of religion (or being told I needed religion), and, believe it or not, the racial pressures of having gang expectations – for lack of a better term haha – placed on me. It was a particularly strange period of my life. Though, life is pretty strange.

Nobody’s Toy

Originally, this song was called Walk Away, but as a band we decided to completely rewrite it, and it became this little rebel of a thing telling you to not walk away from life’s problems, but telling those problems to essentially fuck right off. Filming the video for Nobody’s Toy was incredible too, because subconsciously I was able to harness the lyrics from the song, and work up the courage to leave an abusive relationship…. but that’s another story.

Fire Away

Chris (guitarist and one of my best friends) and I actually wrote this song together. We wanted to acknowledge the number of obstacles that people are faced with on a day to day basis, and essentially giving them/us/me the permission or ability to say “bring it on! I’m stronger than you!”.

I find a lot of what I write is for me. My lyrics are there to spur me on and give me courage, hope and strength. If they can also help others… well, that’s an epic bonus.

One of the only times I’ve actually written for someone else though, is with our new song “Dear Me”. Inspired by one of my students, I wanted to give her a ticket of hope when she was feeling suicidal herself. So I wrote her a letter of song; reminding her to hold on and think about the potential for tomorrow’s.

I’m excited about the album release, and about sharing my life with you.