Track 11: "End All Be All"
Welcome to I Owe You an Explication, I’m your host, Sean Della Croce and today we’re discussing the song "End All Be All".
Stream Illuminations here: https://ffm.to/qqk1jjd
Cover Image by Alex Crawford
All songs written and recorded by Sean Della Croce
Produced by Alan Deremo
(c) Della Croce 2021
What this Song is About
"End All Be All" is like Rebecca Henry's introverted little sibling. The songs walk a very similar path, but instead of seeing an unfolding journey in front of her, End All Be All just sees conclusions before even taking the first step. This song doesn't even attempt to persuade the listener. It's a foregone conclusion. I mean the opening line of the song is, "First, I'm sorry. This is the way it is." It is a total diary entry, and honestly it was intended to stay like that, until I felt the spontaneous urge to record it while we were making Illuminations in 2017.
The Lyrical Crux
I must admit that I love the warm inviting rhyme scheme at the core of End All Be All. It's a relatively easy one, and it feels appropriately indulgent. All, fall, want. It's very round and familiar and then it gets a little edgier and turns into a sibilant, iss sort of rhyme. My Favorite line in the song is: "But the question is this: are we built for permanence or is something always missing in our love?" It speaks to the rhetorical question at the center of the song—what if? Honestly, it's a lot like that final scene in Love Actually where the friend pretends to be a caroler and professes his love via cue-cards, but in this case it's just an acoustic folk song for an unrequited love. The lyrics themselves are stripped bare, and so is the production.
Music Notes
"End All Be All" was originally recorded as a one-off acoustic track that I released on Valentine's Day. Alan Deremo and I were in the process of making Illuminations and I asked him if I could do a stripped down additional track with just my guitar and voice. And that's what we did. If I recall correctly we tracked the guitar and vocal separately, but they were each done in one take. It's a very simple song and I love the sparse, spontaneous recording that captures it. When we released Illuminations earlier this year, it felt like the perfect bonus track to close out the record.
Closing Reflections
When I really think about it, "End All Be All" emerged from an anxiety and by the end that resolves into confession. One of the creeping dangers of love is the reality that it can't last forever in form in which we currently know it. This creates a lingering worry for many people or a diffuse sense of dread that can disrupt an otherwise healthy dynamic between people. "End All Be All" is really a love song that I had to get out of my system for a person who will never hear it. And I think that's the way it's supposed to be. It's a latecomer to the dinner party that is Illuminations but I think it's a welcome addition. Like the brand new friend that you can't wait to see again.
Liner Notes
"End All Be All" was written by me, Sean Della Croce, produced by Alan Deremo and recorded at Back Forty Studios, Leucadia, CA
I play acoustic guitar
"End All Be All" was mixed by Richard Bredice at Woodland-Bredice Studios and mastered by Brent Lambert at Kitchen Mastering.
