I’d Like To See You (Stand Up And Fight)
The new release from The Mosh Petals, I’d Like To See You (Stand Up And Fight), is a collaboration between longtime friends Chris Hales, James Johnson, and yours truly. It began in a somewhat unusual place for the birth of a rock and roll song, the Yale Badminton Club. Chris overheard James and I talking about songs that we were working on in the studio. He said that he played guitar and had some song ideas. Excited to hear what he had been working on, we invited him over. We liked his writing style and riffs so much that we started laying down tracks to write with.
That’s how I’d Like To See You came to be. I fell in love with the guitar intro instantly. Chris brought it together with a chord progression that he thought could be used for the chorus.
James and I started working on drums and the arrangement. He also programmed in an amazing synth bass part that I, more or less, copied on live bass for the actual recording being released today. James’ contributions also include some sick sampled parts that, especially when listened to with the headphones on, add layers and texture under the chorus.
The song was taking shape nicely. I liked the chords that Chris presented for the chorus, but I felt like they were leading me to somewhere else. So, using them as the pre-chorus, I launched the song into the high-energy, heavy chorus that you hear now.
Dropping back down to the melancholy verse chords after the first chorus, I decided to go with a Blues-ier guitar solo to stay with the vibe.
Lyrically, the song isn’t really based on any one person in particular, but rather feelings from past situations involving band mates, or girlfriends, or even society at times. Have you ever found yourself in a setting with a person that never lifted a finger to help, or to be a real part, paralyzed for whatever reason, and just went along for the ride? It seemed to me that the only time I saw any sort of backbone was when said person finally stood up and raged, “I QUIT!” Or “I’m Leaving!” My feelings were always, “oh sure, now you have strength. There’s that backbone! Where was it when I really could have used your help to make something of this?!”
You know, I realize that the lyrics came from a place of frustration. But I absolutely love this song and everyone that was part of the process that brought it to life. And if you are inspired, please do what you can to share and post and add to playlists wherever possible. The Mosh Petals is a project still taking off, so if you please, be a part of promoting it. Be a Petal! -John