Kina Grannis
patreon
Top secret improv song (and a story)
🕑 Added 2019-04-13 01:55:56 +0000 UTCIn case this is the only sentence you read before listening--THIS IS NOT A REAL SONG I MADE IT UP ONE NIGHT WHEN I WAS IN A SILLY MOOD OH GOSH I HOPE YOU READ THIS BEFORE YOU LISTEN.
So sommmmetimes, when I'm in a very silly mood, I pick up one of my guitars and start making up a (very silly, very bad) song on the spot for Jesse. Most of these creations are forgotten, never to be heard again (probably for the best). But sommmmmetimes, Jesse gets to a phone in time and starts recording. This was one of those times.
Here's the backstory:
Traveling between two shows last month, Jesse and I took a day off in Sonoma up in Califonia's wine country. We walked to dinner on a perfect soft-sunsetted evening, and along the way we came across some ducks. Most of them were normal mallards--males with their bright forest green heads and the females all in grey. But there was this one duck amidst all of them that was so different and so beautiful. It was two-toned, cream and taupe, two colors that fill my paternal grandmother's home and wardrobe and always make me think of her. We call her Dandoo btw--she is one of the best, most artistic, wisest, silliest, wittiest, smartest, warmest humans on the planet.
Anyway. Walking back home from dinner, said duck was gone. So, too, was an adorable pair of ducks we'd spotted sitting in the mud earlier.
Fast forward--we've arrived back at our Airbnb, I'm giddy on sunset and trees and birdsongs, I pick up my guitar, and then this song happened.
It is very important that I acknowledge that the way I sing "stomping" in the first verse pretty much makes me want to throw up and I almost just edited that word out but I think it would've killed the vibe to have a gaping silence in there. That is not a normal voice I go to, even in my weirdest moments, and I apologize in advance for subjecting you to it! If I had to do my best to explain what was happening in that moment, it was perhaps a combination of panic about what word should come next, and maybe also channeling a strange cartoon duck persona against my will. I hope you can forgive me.
Also, I've wanted to sprinkle a lot of those cry/laughing emojis throughout this whole message but they're not pasting correctly. So just imagine they are everywhere and know that none of this is to be taken seriously.
I am not quite sure what compelled me to share this song (or any of this) with you. Perhaps I wanted to let you in on yet another level. Up until this point, no one has ever heard one of my strange improv songs except Jesse and maybe my sisters. You've heard my iPhone demos of REAL songs, but you've yet to hear the iPhone recordings of me being a total weirdo. So, here you go. Today is a big day.
Ok, without further ado, here is:
"Where's The Duck"
Where's the duck with the nice colors
Ones that Dandoo loves
Stomping in the puddles
He is gone
With his friends in tow
Where we'll never know
No, we'll never know
Oh, wait
They're in the lake
They're in the lake
Where's the duck
There was a lighter duck
With a darker duck
Sitting in the muck
Where'd they go?
We scared them away and so
They walked away from us
They walked away from us
Oh, wait
They're in the lake
They're in the lake
----
p.s. I promise, in addition to making very weird improv songs, I've also been working on so much new music for you all. Thank you for making this possible <3
xo
Kina
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Comments
I love you being you. It inspires me to be the same. :)
Kina! I just joined your Patreon and I've never been happier to hear all of your fun "spunky" thoughts hahaha you're always an inspiration, even with songs like this. Much love from Hawaii! <3
This was so cute! Thank you for sharing this with us. It put the biggest smile on my face. :)
Aaron
Ducks are my favorite animals and mallards are my favorites. This is so sweet!
Okay so Lieven and I have been obsessed with this song for days now and sing it to each other whenever we get the chance.
Marissa Henry
Kina, this is REALLY GOOD. You never need to apologize to us for sharing a fun silly song! If we are here, we want to hear your fun silly songs! I don't know if you know the kids' song Little Ducky Duddle but it was one of my faves as a kid and this reminds me of it but in this wonderful lovely forlorn nostalgic way, like a sort of grown up retrospective on kids' songs about ducks and how that level of purity and joy is unattainable now. Honestly I find the line "Oh wait they're in the lake" rather powerful and inspiring and hopeful. Anyway you're the best!
This is lovely and thank you for sharing 😊
Joe Jones
LOL this is why I love you Kina ❤️
Loving it
So sweet! ❤️
❤️🦆
Question: When you half-laughed after "Stomping in the puddles" was it because of the way you said 'stomping'? Because, I agree with you, that baby voice isn't you. But there must have been a reason you said it that way. Now I'm curious. What were you visualizing when you said stomping? Were there little kids around? Was it because ducks are just cute and little? Anyway, cute song and yes, thanks so much for letting us in on another level or depth of you. Always a pleasure.
