WRITTEN IN 24 HOURS & recorded LIVE on 12.31.08 as part of the New Year's Eve "Fast 'n' Loose:" an "instant" performance project. At 8pm the night before, writers showed up at the Sacred Fools theater in Hollywood to draw two "variables" out of a hat: one noun and one prop. My noun was "3 Lattes" and my prop was a tiara (pictured).

As soon as I got into my car, I started to hear certain guitar voicings in my head, and the first line popped in. I didn't have a lot of time to fish around, I decided to roll with it. By the time I'd made the drive from Hollywood to Venice, I had an idea of where the first verse or two might be going. I love to drive, and Ideas were flowing, so I decided not to go home. I hit the Pacific Coast Highway instead, heading North past Santa Monica, Topanga, Malibu...composing all the way. By the time I reached Oxnard (about an hour later), I'd sketched over half the song, and about then was really wishing I'd had a guitar with me. I could have found some out-ot-the-way B&B even further up the coast and finished the song there, waking to the sound of the ocean against the cliffs in the morning. In fact, had I been able to play guitar and drive at the same time, heck -- I could have gone all the way to San Francisco, stopped at this little crepe joint I used to know, turned around and made it back in time for my 6:40 sound check. Think I might just do that soon. But I digress.

This song is dedicated to anyone who's been lonely, heartbroken, down on their luck or discouraged around the holidays -- or any other time, for that matter. They say it's always darkest before dawn, and there's part of me that's actually starting to believe it. Let's make a deal: I'll keep hope alive if you will.

P.S. - One cool side effect of struggling to remember lyrics and guitar part in performance of a song just hours hold is that sometimes, when you forget a line, you come up with a better one. That's how I got "trapeze-door sigh," which, in my humble opinion, is a gift from heaven.

Special thanks to the incredible, eternal feet-on-the-ground Mr. Aaron Francis for videotaping. The sound you hear came directly from the video camera, which was about 25 feet away, so your patience in that regard is much appreciated. Thanks also to the kind folks at Sacred Fools for throwing down the gauntlet of do-or-die inspiration, and to the amazing audience. Happy New Year to one and all. Hope you like it.

"AFTER MIDNIGHT"
Copyright 2008 Amy Raasch

In a popcorn wasteland
She rose like black coffee
In a carnival gown
Missing her crown

He walked like a cowboy
Who had to shoot his best horse once
In a sitting duck town
That roped his neck round

They met in a café
Drank Ovaltine lattes
Her trapeze-door sigh
Made him feel he could fly

Theres a light in the bigtop tonight
As theyre sweeping the candy floss out of the aisles
You never know whats coming after midnight

Will you hope or just cope when
You meet your dark shadow
In a back alley dance
With the sins of your past

Or will you look for a rumble
On a black motorcycle
Sayin if nothing lasts,
You may as well be fast

Theres a light at the tenement site
While the hobos and bimbos by the trash can fire
Sing, you never know whats coming after midnight

I got a dream in me still
Got a dream in me still

The kids went on screaming
But her body was broken
As she thought of the day
He walked away

Just then her youngest
Showed up with a birds nest
And a smile as true
As robins egg blue

And somewhere in Thailand
He thought of that daughter
And swore a small prayer
On a lock of her hair

By the light of this December sky
Wont you help them forgive what I can never make right
You never know whats coming after midnight
Lord, you never know whats coming after midnight

I got a dream in me still
Got a dream in me still (less info)