Robyn Landis: Listen

This song spilled out 99% complete at a co-writing session in a cabin in Big Sur, January 2008.  David was fooling around with some sounds in DADGAD and I started free vocalizing to this very modal, lonesome sound. He said something appreciative about an interesting "note of complaint" in my voice. Upon the word "complaint," a cascade of images tumbled in unbidden. I saw this woman, and I knew her story. It's a story that has been universal since time immemorial, only this one happens to take place in a sepia-toned Appalachian mountain town cabin in the 1800s. I don't know how I knew that. Usually when songwriters say "I don't write the songs, they come through me," I'm a bit like "uh-huh."  I understand inspiration, but I happen to think *I* actually pretty much *write* most of my songs. But this one...I just grabbed my pen and channeled. And David let me. Very cool.