Written in the early parts of the first decade of the 21st Century,
A Wedding Dance is a dream of life, love, and all that comes with the dance of material human existence.
A dream of simple joy.
The process of recording A Wedding Dance, indeed the entirety of the Banji Mashide EP, was a long one. Long before the record began, A Wedding Dance was composed in an entirely different mood to the one permeating its eventual production. A decade would pass, and Jimmy himself would pass through heartbreak, failure, the death of loved ones, physical and emotional pain, and eventually, a time of healing.
It was at that time he contacted Govinda Doyle, having decided that a song he once considered an anthem of grief, should be what it was originally conceived to be - an anthem of joy. Having worked with Govinda previously, Jimmy knew him to be the right producer to create the sound he was looking for. Once seated in Govinda's presence, the thought of recording A Wedding Dance as some final hurrah, a singular offering of joy, evaporated, replaced by an even greater feeling of hope. They discussed instrumentation, ideas for the future of the song, and suddenly Jimmy was compelled to record a second, accompanying track. Then, working on the theme of family, the idea of honouring his own closest influences, and the recording of a song for each of them, was born. Lastly, Govinda suggested that it could end there, or, given Jimmy was now writing a musical story, they could finish the tale with additional pieces. From that position, 6 songs entered the playlist, and thanks to A Wedding Dance, Banji Mashide was born.
The trumpeting of Tara Nielsen lends fitting fanfare to the opening track of the EP, complemented by the string arrangements of Cye Wood. Naturally, the production ethos as well as drumming and bass work of Govinda Doyle feature through the song, and indeed are a constant across Banji Mashide as a whole.
lyrics
This is a wedding dance,
This is romance,
This is our song.
This is the sound of children's cries,
And bonfire nights,
Of birthdays and love.
This is what traps a man,
This is what makes a man,
It's why I'm alive,
It's that one cold moonlit night
I stepped inside the embers of your heart and soul,
Standing on some gravesite, I took your lily-white hand in mine,
And called you my betrothed
We've been through everything,
Each little painful sin,
And still we belong.
Living in little flats,
Wearing those little hats,
We were hand in hand alone.
Fighting the biggest crowd,
Having to do without,
I'd do it all again.
For that one cold moonlit night
I stepped inside the embers of your heart and soul,
Standing on some gravesite, I took your lily-white hand in mine,
And called you my betrothed
So may I have this dance,
Give me another chance,
A moment here with you.
We'll kiss like it's Valentine,
Like it's just been made a crime,
Like we're drunk on the dance floor.
This is a fallen star,
This is our Noah's Ark,
This is our song.
It's that one cold moonlit night
I stepped inside the embers of your heart and soul,
Standing on some gravesite, I took your lily-white hand in mine,
And called you my betrothed
This is a wedding dance,
This is romance,
This is our song.
credits
from Banji Mashide,
track released October 31, 2022
Words and Music: Jimmy Sky
Vocals: Jimmy Sky
Guitar: Jimmy Sky
Bass: Govinda Doyle
Drums: Govinda Doyle
Strings; Cye Wood
Trumpet: Tara Neilsen
Recorded at Studio 55
Produced, engineered and mixed by Govinda Doyle at Studio 55
Mastered by John Davis at Metropolis Studios
Copyright James T Sky (Jimmy Sky)2018
All Rights Reserved
Grizzly Bear’s classic debut gets a 15th anniversary vinyl reissue, with a digital companion featuring a bevy of remixes. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 12, 2020
Newcastle, Australia's e4444e instills his airy indie pop with baroque flair and swooning psychedelic swells for a fluid, infectious affair. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 19, 2020
