APRIL DELLER

NEW MUSIC!!!

“STOP DIGGING DOWN” is a song I wrote a few years ago. It deals with various themes: grief, loss of a loved one, working too hard, burnout, self-sabotage, social-media addiction/dependency, perhaps a tinge of survivor’s guilt, and just the general temptation to lose your sanity when life has dealt you a hard blow. A deep, dark hole looks so attractive when you just want to bury yourself and numb the deep sadness, pain, and grief of losing a loved one.

The story of the lyrics is a lesson in trying to communicate across generational divides: the lingo of the young folks is decidedly different in each generation. I approached my collaborator (who wishes to remain anonymous except for his logo) because I wanted to make a song in a genre that is heavier and darker than the music I usually record. I wanted to reach out to a young soul by entering the musical world they were familiar with, so to say. I wanted to record a Heavy Metal song.

My collaborator is both familiar with Heavy Metal and the lingo of the younger generation. He helped me structure the song to include a metal breakdown, contributed strong metal vocals, and helped me re-write the lyrics to include words used by the younger generation. I learned a lot of new vocabulary words such as “deadpan” and “trolling!” My collaborator worked with Jonathan Sambrick at Thornwall Studios in Lancaster, PA, inside the amazing Rock Lititz complex, which is known for its history in the metal genre. The two of them recorded the music entirely independently, and only called me in to record vocals after they were finished.

The young soul at the heart of this song is someone I care a lot about. A few years ago, I could perceive they were struggling, but I found it difficult to express in-person the concern I felt. So, in true bad-communicator-fashion, I wrote a song for them. In the years since, I’ve seen this soul “come out into the light” of their own accord and I’m happy for them. In a general sense, this song is dedicated to anyone who has lost their Dad.

The artwork is by Sam Halterman Art—this is my 4th song she’s created cover art for! Thank you Sam! The logo on the young dog’s T-shirt represents my collaborator—perhaps you can discover who they are?

“STOP DIGGING DOWN”
Lyrics: April Deller & mystery collaborator
Music: April Deller, mystery collaborator, Jonathan Sambrick

VERSE 1
Hey man, don’t look so deadpan
Trolling hard and scheming terrible plans
Hey stop, get off that phone
Lay off that bone
Just a Pavlovian Dog

CHORUS
Get up, get out, get into the world
Don’t lose your mind in a downward swirl
I know that Life threw you into a pit
Don’t dig yourself a grave out of it…

VERSE 2
So now, you’re working twelves, how
Do you stay sane? How, do you not burn yourself out?
Wish you would stop it,
Leave off those bones, quit
Stop digging down, turn it around

CHORUS
Get up, get out, get into the world
Don’t lose your mind in a downward swirl
I know that Life threw you into a pit
Don’t dig yourself a grave out of it…

BRIDGE
You were the Golden Son, look at your hair
You’re just like your Dad, but he’s no longer here
Your Dad’s like the golden sun, shining over this town
He’s with the Gilded One, so please stop digging down
Stop Digging down
Stop Digging down
Stop Digging down

BREAKDOWN
STOP DIGGING DOWN
STOP DIGGING DOWN
SINK YOUR CLAWS RIGHT IN
START DIGGING OUT

CHORUS
Get up, get out, get into the world
Don’t lose yourself in a downward swirl
I know that Life threw you into a pit
But don’t dig yourself a grave out of it…

OUTRO
Ooh, Ahh, ooh, Ahh
(Dogs Bark, Birds Chirp)

https://youtu.be/8LQu_a2HRk4?si=frfLrDGvS7y9Q42A