Sunsets and Wine

A song about peace and stillness from far away

Unsurprisingly, I’m inspired—compelled, even—to write music about our experiences abroad. Fortunately, I have Proud Rosa to help me. There are more than a few songs percolating from our time on the continent, but this one, called “Sunsets and Wine,” is the first one I wrote there:

It’s inspired very directly by a particular rooftop. Our flat in Siena had a little rooftop terrace, which affords superb views of the city and surrounding countryside. It’s perfect at certain times of the day:

• In the morning, before the sun gets too high and starts baking your skin

• Just before sunset, when the sun calms down and casts an incredible glow

• At night, when it’s cool and you get closer to the moon, and you can hear the nightlife banging around—the concerts at the fort, young people enjoying nights out, people singing. 

But sunset is the best. Sitting out there, wine in hand, watching the sun droop. Mm. So peaceful. So perfect. Much better with some buddies, and a hundred times better with your partner. 

What I wanted to capture was the stillness, the peace, the warmth, the glorious stasis of it. Nowhere to be, nothing to do. Just…being there in the moment. Enjoying. Reflecting a little. Killing time. 

It’s funny though…even there in that perfect spot, I couldn’t help but think about home. Home is a lot of things to a lot of people. And of course, being with Your People is being home. But place is an important part of it, too. My thoughts drifted to our place in Missouri…

…I used to travel a lot for work. I’ve been to some amazing places. And some less amazing places, like Albuquerque (no offense to the fine folks in the ABQ). But no matter where I went, when I landed at our little regional airport in Missouri and stepped off the plane onto the tarmac, the first thing that would hit me was the smell of grass. 

The airport is rather in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by expanses of rural-ness, so instead of asphalt or oil, the dominating scent is acres upon acres of grass.

It’s so easy to take such a thing for granted. But that smell doesn’t exist in Barcelona, Taipei, or San Francisco…not at all, in some cases. Sure, there are green spaces everywhere you go. But most places I’ve been, there’s nothing compared to that full, rich, almost overwhelming scent of grass and trees and blossoms and all the other green lushness you get in mid-Missouri. 

When I catch that glorious whiff, I know I’m home. 

All the better if it’s a humid summer night. Mm MM.

So. There I am on a rooftop with excellent wine and perfect light, and I’m both completely happy and satisfied and a tiny bit wistful for home. I mean, I could be sipping wine and enjoying one of those famous Midwest sunsets—but from my back porch…

Lyrics

Killing time with sunsets and wine. I can't lie—I've taken quite a shine to this rooftop. I can see for miles. 

But I can't see far enough. Good thing it's you I love in this city. I miss the smell of grass back in Missouri.

But for the moment, this pure enjoyment, baby. There's no other place I'd rather be.

Sweat drips on medieval stones. These bumpy old streets can't take me home to Missouri. But then again, baby, what's the hurry?

Can't take another step to see the sights I ain't seen yet, oh the moonlight… dances on the rooftops of the city.

But for the moment, this pure enjoyment, baby. There's no other place I'd rather be.

The sunsets and wine. Your hand in mine. Let's forget about time and stay here for a while…

Music Nerdery

This was one of those songs that already existed in the ether and just needed a conduit to this plane of existence. I barely remember writing most of it, to be honest. It sorta wrote itself.

I do recall having this idea about the rooftop…more of an image, really, of sitting up there at dusk with wine. I felt drawn to that image. 

Then suddenly I was gently strumming, and the first couple of lines appeared out of nowhere: Killin’ time with sunsets and wine. I can’t lie—I’ve taken quite a shine to this rooftop. I can see for miles and miles. 

The melody note on the word “rooftop” begged for something a little different; instead of a common I-IV chord progression, I used I-iv. (In other words, instead of A - D, it’s A - Dm.) I love a gentle subversion of harmonic expectations.

The rest of it was just kind of in my ear and in my head, and I merely had to find the notes to match: 

Bm7          E7          Bm7         E7 

But for the moment, this pure enjoyment baby…

Then I wanted some rich harmonic movement under the simple melody, so I ended up with:

Bm7         Bm6   E           Dm         A   

There’s no other place I’d rather be.

Then a curious thing happened: I had this long, languid melody in my head following the verse. Typically I’d put words to something like that, but it just didn’t seem to fit this time for some reason. I hummed it through several times to find the right chords. And then…boop, there it ‘twas. 

The chord progression is: F#m - E - A; A - E - F#m - Bm7; F#m - E/G# - Bm7 - Bm6 - E - Dm - A

No words came to me for the melody that goes along with that progression. After tussling with it a while, I accepted that they’d never come—because, I concluded, they weren’t supposed to. Instead, I just whistle it. And I like that. It gives you a second to just…reflect. Feel. Be in the moment. Which jibes precisely with the whole idea of this song.

All the better if everyone else whistles along. 

Here’s the song once again, if you missed it up top.