I’ve had the idea of writing a love song about the tip of the iceberg for years. But FAWM 2025 finally gave me the kick in the bummock I needed to finish it.*
Discerning listeners will note overtones of They Might Be Giants’ “Don’t Let’s Start.” Indeed, TMBG have been a big influence on me. Mostly, it’s just a fun song that I could bang out quickly.
And that’s what FAWM is all about: 14 songs in 28 days. Over the years, FAWM has taught me to write quickly, reserving initial judgment. There’s always a chance to go back and edit a song–or even throw it in the rubbish–but you can’t do anything with a song you haven’t written. Ditto for the recording process. I could spend weeks on each demo I record, but instead I work ten times as quickly as most people and learn ten times as many valuable lessons that I can apply to “real” recordings.
But maybe I’m just trying to validate a kind of stupid idea. Your call.
1. Oh, Valentine, I just can’t hide
all the passion that I have inside me.
It makes me sigh–I don’t know why.
How do you woo me when you don’t even seem to try?
2. Hey, Valentine, I have to confide:
I never thought I’d fall for the brainy type.
We were friends and that was grand
and that is all it was when all of this began.
I wanted love that was firm and lasting
and I didn’t know
if I was being stupid and just typecasting.
And then you showed me that
That was just the tip
of the iceberg.
2. I don’t know, maybe I thought you were cold,
but soon my heart was melting what I thought was frozen.
I don’t want to make the point too fine,
but sometimes it felt you showed me only 12.5
percent of the real you–were you leading me on?
Below the surface there was so much more,
and I loved what I saw.
When you showed me the tip
of the iceberg.
BRIDGE
Oh, Valentine, it was all a surprise.
now that I’ve seen below the surface I’m ready to take a dive.
*Iceberg joke.