“Till We Have Faces Again” is one of the rare compositions I wrote during the pandemic that I have some affection for and feel like I’ll still want to play after all of the quarantining and masking are long in the rearview mirror.
The pandemic had the unfortunate effect of making all songs written prior to it feel somewhat alien, like relics from a bygone era when you went places and interacted with people. At the same time songs about the pandemic felt like they would have a limited shelf life, or at the very least be a bit depressing to revisit. That, and it was that much harder to write in general. At some point during the whole ordeal, though, this one sprung out of me and it strikes me as a good entry point into the set of songs that's become the album “Alien from an Alternate Earth.”
The song title and verses allude to C.S. Lewis’ retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche — a story I found myself thinking about in the context of the the whole shutdown mishegas. Psyche’s situation — its strangeness and her isolation — seemed to resonate. Ultimately, despite somewhat tongue-in-cheek asserting not much has actually changed because of quarantine, it's a hopeful song, confident we will in fact "have faces" again.
— E.G. Phillips
lyrics
Saw you bop’n down the block
Winds flirt’n with your skirt
Your naked eyes flashed a smile at me
In a way that’s bound to hurt
Till we have faces again
Till we have faces again
Kidnapped to a castle
High up in the clouds
You only visit when you’re invisible
That’s all the gods will allow
Till we have faces again
Till we have faces again
Raucous echoes down below
Guess my neighbors are do’in fine
It’s my bad luck the pandemic struck
With no prospects on the line
Been homebound most my days
Quarantine’s hardly changed my ways
Love’s illusory at the best of times
Snuck into your bedroom
Lit a candle to catch a glimpse
Spilt hot wax by accident
Now you’ve vanished to the wind
Till we have faces again
Till we have faces again
Till we have faces again…
credits
from Alien from an Alternate Earth,
track released December 10, 2021
vocals - E.G. Phillips
flute - Daniel Casares
flugelhorn - Rich Armstrong
keys - Kevin Seal
guitar - Jeffrey Burr
upright bass - Paul Eastburn
percussion - Chris McGrew
Recorded at Wally's HydeOut, Hyde Street Studio C
in San Francisco, Sept 5th-8th, 10th and Oct 3rd 2021
Recording Engineers: Desmond Shea, Liam Craddock
Mixed by Chris McGrew
Mastered by Gary Hobish, A. Hammer Mastering
Produced by Chris McGrew
Artwork by Mario M. Noche
Written by E.G. Phillips (ASCAP)
(c) 2021 Ducks With Pants Music
E.G. Phillips is a San Francisco based songwriter who creates lyric driven songs with his own special blend of whimsy and cinematic imagery which he uses to give a wry take on dealing with the longings of the heart and the madness of existence.
Portland singer/songwriter delivers a gorgeous Christmas EP, fashioned in the lush style of classics by Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 23, 2020
Bright and skipping songs that foreground the sound of the banjo and fingerstyle guitar in music that feels timeless. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2020
Two collaborations between Irish singer-songwriter J. Cowhie aka Goodtime John and Will Oldham are mildly psychedelic in atmosphere. Bandcamp New & Notable May 12, 2022
The latest from UK artist MF Tomlinson sets sharp lyrics amidst a backdrop of acoustic guitar, lush keys, and soft percussion. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 12, 2021
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018