The Fall (I Picked Tomatoes Yesterday)

http://timeriksenmusic.com/

I wrote this when I was teaching a songwriting class at Amherst College in 2007 as an illustration of the possibility of making a song about just about anything. I asked if anyone had done anything interesting recently and someone said "I picked tomatoes yesterday" so I said I'd be back with a song about that next class. This is what I came up with, although since writing it I've worked on it a lot, and finally feel like it's about ready.

I wrote it late on a cold night out in Wildwood Cemetery behind our old house in Amherst. The first rhythmic figure on the bajo sexto comes from the cicadas, which you can hear a bit in the shot after the song.

I filmed close to an hour of tomatoes at Sunset Farm with my old camera, but it finally stopped working altogether today so you'll have to imagine them (or go get some to hold while listening). The blight pretty much decimated the crop around here this year.

The Fall

Rows and rows of vines in your garden,
and in all the sweetness of the cherry reds,
and in all the flesh of the golden plums,
clean and staked and gleaming in the sounding sun,
and in all this last of summer's sweetness,
the first chill cold bite of the fall.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• tim
• eriksen
• northern
• roots
• alternative
• amherst
• cordelia's
• dad
• bajo
• sexto
• tomatoes

[MrBaluba53]

Tim dąży do doskonałości.Wytycza nowe drogi ameykańskiego folku,no i ten wpleciony mongolian chants.A widoki zapierają dech ! Buty też ma, jak zwykle, fajne, kiedyś miałem podobne.

[blueridger28]

Nice shit kickin boots Tim

[Greyhaeven]

I wish I had a recording of this. so fantastic!

[jeffzentner]

@girlsrule164 You're an idiot.

[girlsrule164]

this sucks

[voiceharp]

I especially like the throat singing in this one. You have amazing talent. Namaste

[MarthaH605]

I hear Indian influences and maybe Mediterranean ones too. Beautiful song.

[pancrack]

stunning composition ! and the songs not bad either! :-)

[robsansonetti]

The words (poetry) behind this piece are outstanding! "What should I write about?" "Tomatoes" someone said.......and a timeless piece of poetic music evolves. You certainly prove your point on this lesson.....well done!

[robsansonetti]

almost sounded like a tin whistle for a minute!