Here are a couple of versions of “Up Into The Blue” off of ‘Midnight Door’. The first is the album version, and the second is a rare demo cut.

Up Into The Blue is yet another song where the imagery of my Catholic upraising plays a prominent role… this idea of absolution for our wrongs in an almost whimsical way, of waiting for the holy parade pervades this song. In some sense I feel like this song is about my older brother. We were inseparable growing up, and the last verse of the song especially reflects my strong memories of being best friends, and perhaps the extend rumination at the end of the song is a meditation on the things that have changed since then… not in a bad way, just the pulse of life gets quicker, things get more confusing as you grow up. Obviously this is a fairly emotional song!

I like how the demo gives a version of the song that is a bit more whimsical and a quicker tempo. It is a very different perspective

Lyrics are below:

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Reservoirs of shooting stars
fall between your eyes
hundred mile shy smile
begging you to try
Thundercloud, tall and proud
petulant and snide,
Don’t know how, even now
to say goodbye.

Wait for the truth to come,
be enthralled.
Hold your head up
Don’t resist.

Everyone will be absolved!
Hold your hands out – get a piece of it!

Everywhere, in the air
only thing I saw
Last chance, happenstance,
drawing of the straws
Maybe wow, somehow
it’ll disappear
Don’t know how, even now,
to shed a tear.

Stay up all night –
hear the words…
Finally.

Everyone will be absolved!
Hold your hands out
take it quietly.

Forgot back then
played pretend
glimmer in your eyes.
Perfect light
clear and bright
brilliantly alive.
Everywhere you would be
I would be too
Perfect sky
learned to fly
up into the Blue.