SAL DONATO – Quarantine SONG “STANDING AWAY”

“Social distancing is medically necessary but also takes an emotional toll,” said Sal Donato. “That was the first line I jotted down. But it wasn’t good for a lyric. I mean, lots of things rhyme with ‘toll’ — there’s ‘bowl,’ ‘mole,’ ‘remote control.’ I guess it could have worked. Still, I thought I needed a more personal approach, so I wrote down another few line: ‘You are standing away from me / Do you have something to say to me?’

“That suggested a story, a couple or a couple of friends who couldn’t get closer because the time we’re living in wouldn’t allow it. The song grew from there. For the melody, I thought back to a time when I felt completely connected to others. Back around 1979, I bought myself a cowboy hat and started going to cowboy bars. It was a big deal then: mechanical bulls, big belt buckles. There was a movie that came out right around then called Urban Cowboy. I don’t know if young people know it. It chronicled that scene.

“The movie had a soundtrack, and the soundtrack had a song called ‘Look What You’ve Done to Me’ by Boz Scaggs. It’s always been in the back of my mind and when I was thinking of distance and the distance between us, it slid a little further toward the front. It’s a sad time, but also one where hope is beginning to flower.”

We present Sal’s new song, “Standing Away” —

Song by Luciano Salvatore, lyrics by Boyce Day

Lyrics:

You are standing away from me
do you have something to say to me
I know you, we are the best of friends
but distancing pays dividends

I am standing away from you
I can’t come and stay with you
our hearts are strong, but now the rules should be stronger
they say we don’t belong together

CHORUS
At the park, the drugstore, the bank, the grocer
don’t come any closer
6 feet away, all through the day,
and night
It passes, it takes its shift
when will this prohibition lift

You are standing away from me
do you still have something to say to me
we are told
this practice protects our existence
I call from across the distance

CHORUS
At the park, the drugstore, the bank, the grocer
don’t come any closer
six feet away, all through the day,
we are soldiers in this crisis fight
against this microscopic blight

Yes we’re standing away from us
these days
that’s just how it goes
I feel a certain comfort
as the interval between us grows