Words Falling Slow – Simon Keeper

Words Falling Slow is a twice weekly blog series written by Michael Timmins in which he writes about the writing, recording, history and inspiration behind some of the songs included in the Notes Falling Slow box set. You can pre-order Notes Falling Slow here. You can listen to a new recording from the box set here.

This song was written a few years before the 2008 Financial Crisis that almost bankrupted us all, nevertheless I think it serves as a good allegory for those times. I still find it disturbing that our institutions and attitudes weren’t forever changed by that near miss. I think those in involved and in charge were so freaked out and embarrassed by what happened that instead of using it as a lesson to right our economy and get it back on a more fair and equitable footing, they under-played the crisis and lost a chance to make a short term loss in to a long term gain.

I wrote this song while writing the songs that became the Open album. I wanted to write a character driven song, so I invented Simon Keeper: man of slightly dubious character who falls through the cracks of his own making and loses all that he had built up, or more accurately, accumulated, in his 54 years. By the end of the song he has found God, but not redemption…the God that he has found is one that can be used for personal profit and advancement….see what I mean…a good allegory for our life and times.

Linford Detweiler of Over The Rhine plays organ on this song….a wonderful, spooky part.