Lyrics:
I can hear it in the distance, coming down the line
Such an overwhelming feeling, hard to deny
People come, drift away
The love they bring is everything
Everything, everything
Don’t you know, don’t you know, don’t you know
There lives a fire in the sky
Fire lives, fire breathes
Resides in these green eyes
Don’t hold back, ride your wave
‘Cause the only thing guaranteed
Is perpetual change, perpetual change
I’ve taken my share of beatings, plenty of times
They only guarantee, I’ll Never stop trying
Guide my steps through mystery
Painful though the changes be
Changes be, changes be
Don’t you know, don’t you know, don’t you know
There lives a fire in the sky
Fire lives, fire breathes
Resides in these green eyes
Don’t hold back, ride your wave
‘Cause the only thing guaranteed
Is perpetual change, perpetual change
Each day we rise is a gift of, unspeakable cost
The only thing guaranteed, is that all’s not lost
People come, drift away
The love they bring is everything
Everything, everything
Don’t you know, don’t you know, don’t you know
There lives a fire in the sky
Fire lives, fire breathes
Resides in these green eyes
Don’t hold back, ride your wave
‘Cause the only thing guaranteed
Is perpetual change, perpetual change
Perpetual change, beautiful strange
Ain’t no denying, feel it inside
From Cadillac Maine, cross windswept pains
Blue Western skies, ver Rocky Mountain high
You are the answer to the question, deep in my mind
The only thing guaranteed, is change has arrived
Music comes, drifts away
The love we bring is everything
Everything, everything
About the Recording Process:
The music from “Perpetual Change” feels like it was written lifetimes ago, that’s because it was. It came from a bunch of instrumental songs I wrote for two projects I called “Spirit Animal Tattoo“ and “Roots Back East”. I arranged them into tow separate albums because of feel and instrumentation. In hindsight, I was just procrastinating writing lyrics. I used to be the worst lyric procrastinator of all time, probably still am depending on who you ask. That’s how I write, music first. Lyrics are the fun part I get to do when the hard part has been completed.
I was a completely different person back then, which is all right. Nothing is static, and this song is called “Perpetual Change”. We evolve regularly, if we don’t continue to grow, it can be a bad thing. Eventually I put a collection of instrumental recordings together and called the project “Black Sheep“, at least then I spent a half year right before the pandemic recording bass. Marco Savoia, a local standout and good friend was good enough to lend me a hand as a hired studio gunslinger. Him and Dave Ondrick (Saxophonists featured on my first album) taught me the joys of recording amazing session musicians.
It really is one of the funnest things to do in the world as a songwriter. I just sit back in my engineering chair and try to control myself (and make sure I don’t scream with joy) because Im such a fanboy. With Marco, I remember just doing a few takes one where he was conservative setting up an in the pocket groove, the other was full on Jaco. What a treat to watch. During the process, I learned how to mic an upright double bass. I’d put my Townsend Sphere on the neck and blend it with the signal from the DI bridge pickup he had on his bass.
Marco is featured on bass on this song, Mike Pritchard is on a Nord Stage 4 set to the “Tiny Transistor“ electric keyboard. I play the guitar parts and the Mellotron.
About the Song:
The premise of “Perpetual Change“ is simple: life is short, don’t waste it. There is so much that is out of our control, we need to focus only on the things that we have tactile control over. This means having absolute and utter faith in ourselves and our actions. Our loved ones in time will pass on, so love them with all you have while there still here on earth. If they’ve already passed, never stop thinking about them. Never stop telling their stories and appreciating what they sacrificed so that you’d live.
Ancestry is powerful, genetics tie us to the natural world. Our ancestors taught us consciously and gave us instinctual gifts in our DNA, those are the tools we need to be successful in life. The world is ever changing and evolving, you can put money on it. Never rest on your laurels, always seek to continuously improve yourself until you die. That all that matters.
It’s fitting that I put footage from dropping off my son at school in the music video for the song. My own life is changing faster than I care it to, my hair is white, my face at 55 far older looking than I feel inside. I’m glad to be at this point in life. writing and performing music with friends and family. My biggest drive, is to record the brilliant musicians I play with regularly while I still can.
Each day we rise is a gift of, unspeakable cost
The only thing guaranteed, is that all’s not lost
People come, drift away
The love they bring is everything
Everything, everything
About the Video:
2024 has been a good year for family and I. The winter months were spent snowboarding in the mountains, writing music, and traveling to Big Sky, MT. As the weather warmed up, we started playing at our favorite local music venues regularly up until mid June, then we hit the road and didn’t stop till the end of August. Most of the footage of the video speak to the travels. We start on the Aegean Sea on the last day of my cruise, heading back to Athens, Greece after a long day of ocean kayaking with the family.
The music video starts and ends with this footage, as I had an experience with God during that sunset, on the deck of that sailboat. What happened is between the creator and I. There’s a bit of an easter egg at the end where I superimposed footage of massive thunderstorms, I videotaped while in the airplane traveling to Key West, FL. While in Montana, I was fortunate enough to have a spectacular view of Lone Peak (11.16K) right out the room window, so I took a time-lapse every time I went back to the room with my iPad. The palm trees and pelicans are native to my hometown, Carlsbad, CA. There’s a transition that goes from B&W footage in Arizona to a sunset in Humboldt, CA which means a lot to me. It was the last dinner I had with my son Ronan before we dropped him off at Cal Poly Humboldt. God I miss that guy.
I had no idea what it would be like dropping my first child (more like a 6’8” ft man) off at college. We’ve done our best to make him independent, that’s all he needs in life, he’s got a good heart, just like my dad and my brother Tommy.
About the Ram
Mark “The Ram” O’Donnell is an independent American composer, producer, filmmaker, multi-instrumental performer, designer, and visual artist based out of Carlsbad, California. He performs original, surf-inspired rock-and-roll music on the West Coast.
For more information about the Ram and his music, go to www.TheRamMusic.com
Song Metadata
Perpetual Change
The Ram
UPC: 198888527709
IRSC: QZTBF2469259
Release date: November 8, 2024
ASCAP Work ID: 926718445
ASCAP Singer Songwriter IPI Number: 375350750
ASCAP Publisher IPI Number: 375351159
More Information
I currently use DistroKid to get everything out to the streaming platforms, Disco for all sync requests, Bands In Town to list live shows, and Substack for just about everything else.