From the Distance

It was March 2020 and by then most people had forgotten about New Year’s resolutions. My manager called me into his office, “Are we all set to work from home?” Of course we were — I was the one who had set everything up years ago! But now we were going to put it into practice. The whole business world would put working from home into practice. There was talk about social distancing and wearing masks, but none of it seemed real. It was happening somewhere else, “not in New York.” My manager then told me that starting the next day, we would all be working form home for a few weeks. There was a serious look on his face that I had never seen before. He ended the conversation by asking me to make sure our team gathered everything we would need. I went back to my desk, addressed the team, then packed what I thought I would need for a few weeks. Little did I know that it would be over a year until I stepped foot in the office again.

From the Distance

by Paul Andrews

Release date: 2022

Available now on:

At first, the novelty of working from home kept the mood light for my husband and me. Zoom meetings became second nature and our dogs were loving that we were now with them all day long. We started planning meals and took walks in the evenings. But while we were cocooned in our home, the world around us was shutting down. Businesses started closing, people lost their jobs, grocery stores had no supplies, and the roads were practically empty. Then, news of friends getting sick started to fill my social media pages. There were stories of family members in hospital, requests for prayers for relatives, and the endless notices of people who had died. Slowly, the darkness of our new world took over our minds. It was an odd feeling to know there was so much sickness and death around us when the skies outside were so beautiful. I realized that this situation wasn’t going to end anytime soon, so I made a commitment to myself to work on my next album. I couldn’t come out of this period without having constructively used the time I was given at home. At first, the idea was to collect some random songs ideas I already had, finish writing them, then release them as a compilation. But as I was finishing older ideas, the need for writing new material took over. I wrote all kinds of songs, experimenting with different styles and ideas. As I continued, certain songs seemed to be pulling towards each other. I realized that a sonic theme was developing. My slower and moodier songs didn’t feel right among the other songs. Mentally, the pandemic was weighing heavily on me, so my therapy was to write, to push forward, and not to incorporate too many negative aspects of the pandemic in my music. The album had to represent movement, the need to continue with our lives and not stop and wade in a pool of depression. Each song had to have a beat. One change I made in creating this new album was to use a professional mixer so I could concentrate on writing and recording, leaving the technical engineering aspects to someone else. I had been friends with Andy Bradfield for a while on Facebook, so I decided to reach out to him about mixing the album. He agreed. I wish I had the right words to say how happy I am with the results. Not only did his work blow me away, but I made a great new friend in the process. This new album is different from my first album, but still very me. I hope you enjoy it.

The lyrics of From the Distance

Into Existence

words from pages still unseen
written in abandoned diaries
amongst the faded dreams

ideas in journals tucked away
saved for desert spells or rainy days
never gazed upon again

thought that never came to be
reaching out to me
coming from the greats
beyond my reality

tuning into song
from another plane
coming from the distance
pulling sound into existence

turning alpha wave
into frequencies
changing in an instant
pulling sound into existence

getting lost in reverie
seems from time to time, this frame of mind
gives me everything i need

as my feet sink in the sand
i sense major ninths with clever rhymes
from a distant land

on shores of deep infinity
what appears immense
beyond my senses
now are possibilities

symphonies in silence
with a muse to guide us
through the interference
pulling sound into existence

setting plans in motion
from within an ocean of dreams
where the flow is endless
pulling sound into existence

designs already made
the things that we create
are just borrowed from another state
beyond our mortal bounds
a thought we transfer into song
intangible, yet stays with us
beyond the sound

Dream State

the drama, the scheming
relentless competing
(i’m feeling so lost, completely lost)

there’s nothing appealing
i’m constantly feeling down
(constantly feeling down)

the endless desires
the need to conspire
(feeling so lost, completely lost)

the greed and the gambit
i don’t understand it at all
(i don’t understand it at all)

please let me dream
don’t want to wake up
i’m happy now
i’ve drifted off
to the sound of songs
the world of stories
a gentle lullaby

living wide awake
in a dream state

in a reverie
that i create

set expectations
filled with limitations
(feeling so lost, completely lost)

rewarding behavior
that constantly favors the meek

detailed instructions
creative disruptions
(feeling so lost, completely lost)

the ongoing opposing
that keep us from holding on
and letting go

please let me dream
don’t want to wake up
i’m happy now
i’ve drifted off
to the tide of my breath
and an old clock ticking away
the seconds of my life

Borrowed Time

moments of bliss are hard to find
running against this race of time
seems like this spell is taking too much from me
thought what i had was always mine

losing again i wonder why
it’s taken right in front of me
the scabs will start to bleed again
yet in all this sorrow
i’ll grab what i can borrow

living in brief existence
(love on borrowed, love on borrowed time)
a window within waking distance
(love on borrowed, love on borrowed time)

pushing ahead and watching time
wearing away the glue that binds
seems like this spell is taking too much from me
the end of the string starts to unwind

afraid of the fray
i wonder if the thoughts of those in front of me
are weaving around into a knot
yet in all this sorrow
i’ll grab what i can borrow

a lifetime between finger and thumb
dwell on the concept that we borrow from
move along with time to ease my perception
the debt we owe, forgiven, by what we bestow

no guaranteed tomorrow
there’s no time that i can borrow now

who can loan me time?

Versailles

a boy of nine in line to take the throne
in his teens was commonly seen en faveur des hommes
brought to a nearby village for the game
then chose this place to build the famous grounds where he would reign

he took a spanish princess as his queen
it appeared she was a beard
for he had alway been a king who flourished in the company of gentlemen
for years, endeared to those in sympathy

grand priors to entice
minions of lovers sworn to each other
evidence of italian vice to those with discerning eyes
love at versailles

no heed to advice
running with scissors down a hall of mirrors
it was best kept out of site to those with religious minds
love at versailles

there was love philosophy abound with joie de vivre et jalousie
and the noble curiosity both sexual and intellectual
a brotherhood of holy mysteries
with ordinance that went against quotidian society
part of an underground fraternity of loyalty and ecstasy

there was a sense of intrigue moving like spies in disguise
satisfying any tendency that seemed to arise
this estate of affairs would thrive
yet outside of these walls men were burned alive
so many would live a lie just to survive

staring into another’s eyes
knowing it could lead to their demise

a place for longing and for loving
some hidden, some out in the open
a sense of duty to provide to those who would never compromise
how many sadly lost their lives?
love at versailles
love at versailles

Reach the Stars

we came to conquer
had our dream
our plans were made
ran out of options
but the hope has still remained

‘cause their road didn’t take us far
left abandoned with no one to follow
decided to close our eyes
and listen to that voice inside

we’ll reach the stars together
won’t give up our ambition
we’ll find our own way to them
with passion and conviction

we’ll reach the stars together
we’ll journey to the heavens
we’ll find our own way to them
on the road our hearts will show us

searching for answers
looking for another clue
our destination was beyond our clouded view

’cause our minds came before our hearts
never veering away from reason
learned after each mistake
we have our own path to take

cause their road wasn’t ours to take
someone else’s dream people follow
the heavens are open wide
search and you’ll find your place in the sky

Words to Sorrow

outside of your window
this side of your pane
i’m watching you hold back
and try to maintain

with too much to handle
you shut down the lines
the flurry of feelings
can’t be set aside

no way around this agony
(just keep on going)
your emotions need to breathe
(they just can’t take it anymore)

giving words to sorrow
(bringing pain to light)
feeling every bit of life
(every bit of life)

the weight on your chest
and the hole in your heart
the rising despair
(fear of falling apart)

this road isn’t easy
can’t navigate the pain
stand out in the storm
and just let it rain

give into the vulnerability
(no need to control it)
we undergo overwhelming grief
(because of how deeply we love)

a single sound for what you feel
what you’re dealing with inside
a single word can cause a landslide
breaking you open wide

remembering how it used to be
(one day you’ll discover)
the comfort in all those memories
(because of how deeply you loved)

let ’em be heard, let ’em be heard
let ’em be heard, every single word
let ‘em be heard, giving words to all your sorrow
letting out your pain, giving words to sorrow

To Belong

innocence, i’m always wondering why
(why you stay with me)
even with all this disappointment, i
(i still want to believe)

you insist on keeping a focused eye
(past the boundaries)
showing me all the evidence that i’m not alone in this dream

i’m not about to hide
won’t try to fit in or compromise
i’m longing to belong
belong to a world where i can belong as me

memories of letting others decide
(where to draw the line)
out of fear, choosing what to sacrifice
(so that i could survive)

over time, reclaiming what i buried inside
(all that i denied)
now in a place, stuck between their wrongs and my rights
it’s an endless fight

those with a voice (on a mission)
will interfere (each decision leads)
making a choice (to division)
on how to steer opinion

stoking the flames (prey on weakness)
of irrational fear (what will keep us sane)
my hope remains
for this all to disappear

i feel the turn of the tide
a sense of hope taking over
a shift from being divided
this world is getting closer

What’cha Givin’ Away

deep in a state of vegetation
scrolling by your presence on a screen
throughout the day taken away by pics and memes
pull-to-refresh that hit of dopamine

phone to face late in the night
dry eyes addicted to the light
false alarms from phantom vibrations
now conditioned to your notifications

what’cha giving away tonight?
what’cha hopin’ to find on that device?
what’cha giving away tonight?
tonight, tonight, again tonight?

so engaging, entertaining
gotta keep up with all the hype
but whatever you offer up is taken
they gather information for a price

stillness make you feel deprived
keep the fear of missing out alive
You are the x in their equation
And now you’re a part of the algorithm nation

what are they talking from you tonight ?
who’s buying all the details of your life
what’cha giving away tonight?
tonight, tonight, again tonight

remember when the sky was filled with stars
and the world was full of meaning?
how we would sit in awe for hours
and feel the magic of the evening

and now i yearn to see your eyes
looking at me when we’re together
wondering if you know just how much they take
how much we’ve lost

Coming Home

back when love was enough to keep me going
when every thought i had was clear as day
a broad stroke of color always found within my stories
now i wade in pools of gray
not much to say

this cloud of gloom has taken the view i’ve always known
i sit still and reawaken like before
i’m coming home

i’m coming home
i’m coming home

desensitized to the devastating
the plans i made before i soon forget
such simple things now seem so overwhelming
debate, procrastinate
and sleep instead

then memories returning like echoes in a dream
lighting a beacon, showing me the way
i’m on my way

Masquerade (the brave will rise again)

shallow breathing
barely speaking
veiled in this fabric that’s guarding life

out of business
needing assistance
this masquerade, a heavy price

we panic facing empty shelves trying to survive
a coward in the chaos who will never apologize

once fallen the brave will rise again
(we’ll find the strength, find hope in a sunrise)
once fallen the brave will rise again
(we’ll find the strength, find hope in a sunrise)

streets of silence
the world out of balance
cramming a boundless life into a home

then in an instant
saved by our distance
but leaving aching heats to grieve alone

and the numbers keep rising day after day, after day
the pages overflow with so many names

still seeing the smiles in each other’s eyes
showing our respect to the saints who sacrifice
shooting the breeze from our balconies
an era observing the best and the worst of humanity

caught in between an endless routine and managing life
suspended in time with hope in our eyes
watching the sunrise

the day is dawning, moving on
this masquerade will soon be gone

Shady Pines

the coffee’s going
a sweater morning
i brush back the drapes
the sounds of dawn underway
as the dogs are stretching by the fireplace

ever inviting
i step outside to take in the scene
still kept in awe by the trees
the color of the leaves
the crisp air that i long to breathe

then cuddled on the sofa
some movies and mimosas
our perfect getaway for only you and me

full of life
full of love
yours and mine
shady pines

gentle breeze
hills and trees
rain or shine
shady pines

starry nights
morning light
simple times
at shady pines

memories
of being free
let’s spend another weekend here together

nature providing stunning horizons
of purple and blue
while the sun ambers through
just as it is setting out of view

then in the dark
welcoming stars that shy from bright city lights
feeling a sense of belonging
and loving that i share this all with you

a little wine with pasta
and i’ll put on some basia
a perfect ending to our ordinary day

the beauty here is because you’re near
my greatest pleasure is when we’re together

all the starry nights
and the morning light
enjoying simple time

all these memories
of you and me
sharing something beautiful together