Ok so this one time I tagged along with my best friend Sarah to a symphony practice, and they had this guest harpist who was so great. Graceful, funny, played beautifully.
After the practice Sarah and I were walking out into the beautiful night, high from our lovely evening. We ran into the harpist in the parking lot, wheeling her harp to her van with a dolly, and we told her how much we loved her performance. She thanked us and asked if either of us play music. I enthusiastically told her that I was a singer songwriter.
She said, let me give you a piece of advice: Don’t do it. Quit now. It’s not worth it. She said she works 5 jobs and wish she had chosen something else.
We were quite stunned by that interaction, and it inspired me to write this song about the event.
I recorded my voice and guitar and sent it to my pal Aemyn Connolly who added the amazing instrumentation.
Music & lyrics by Erin Brown
Backing instrumentation, vocals, & production by Aemyn Connolly
Copyright 2018 Erin Brown
Watch your step, love
There in the distance
Is a lady with a big instrument
She’s got a dolly
She’s wheeling it to her van
She’s got a fucking van
She’s not messing
She seems approachable
Her music’s graceful
She’s all joking about her sticky-ass pedals
Watch your step, love
Here comes your misstep
When she asks if you play music and you say, “yes”
She’s gonna offer you some unsolicited advice
That will serve you well for the rest of your life:
Not to follow your dreams cuz you’re on thin ice
And you’re gonna fail, so don’t even try
Watch your step love
This lady’s jaded
And she doesn’t wanna hear what you’re saying
Her point is more monologued than debated
Doesn’t care about your niche, bitch, so don’t even say it
You’ve harped on by a harpist
You’ve been harped on by a harpist
Harped on by a harpist
Watch your step love
There by the parked cars
Is a lady wrestling a fucking huge harp
Got a harp sized chip on her shoulder
Wishing someone woulda told her to play something more portable
Erin Brown 