Haven't Gone Astray

Album: Red Light, Green Light (2022)
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Songfacts®:

  • Vonda Shepard told Songfacts that this heartfelt piano tune is about being a mom. "As my son is two years away from college, the early years are slipping away, and I feel a great need to capture the vignettes forever in songs," she said. "'Heaven is here, on this shore my dear... chasing the tides.' The chorus is about the fact that in this moment in time, you're here and you're on track and doing fine: 'Haven't gone astray today... and summertime, summertime is on the way.'"
  • Red Light, Green Light, Shepard's ninth studio album, was produced by her husband, Mitchell Froom. Although she's been in the business for a long time, the singer-songwriter is still trying new things, including a bass-note solo on this track. She recalled: "We recorded this with just piano and vocal. There is a lovely bass-note solo... I've never done that before. Mitchell helped me with that beautiful arrangement. We just took the melody, simplified it, and put it in the bass clef."
  • Motherhood is a theme that runs throughout the album, with "Shine Your Light" and "Made Of Rain" also touching on the experience of raising her son.

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