Genesis of "Pause but don't Stop"

This song is one of the most frustrating I have ever written. It just took a long, great while for me to put it over the edge, you know?

It actually began quite a few months ago with the verse drum groove, bass line, and the intro keyboard part. That's it. That got me excited!

Then I started singing line after line after idea and got nothing.
So, I went through the vault and realized this one melody and lyric line I wrote as a joke over a friend's instrumental actually REALLY worked. That got me excited.

Until...
I couldn't come up with a chorus. Tried idea after chord after melody and just. got. nothing.

Until...
I went back to the vault and discovered that the chord change and chorus (of which I ALWAYS loved) from a very old song worked here. And, that got me excited.

Until...
The lyrics to each section were, initially, very different. It took months of me trying ideas, and putting it away; trying ideas and putting it away. I would question, debate with myself and at one point wondered whether it would ever work.

But, I wouldn't give up. I really liked the pieces and hoped the sum would be as gratifying.

Then, I started working on the bridge section and went for a very middle eastern trip. The first draft of it was twice as long, so it made it easy to trim the fat. I enjoyed the complete change of pace that I thought the guitar melody brought (originally written with me just whistling one day).

And then something clicked. Until now, the meaning of the song had eluded me. But, while laying down a part I realized something and wrote down on my lyric sheet, scribbling it quickly:
"THIS SONG IS ABOUT LIFE." I circled it and kept working.

That's what made it work. "You" in the chorus is not about a girl; it's about life.

Musically, the completion of this song was finalized when, during that same bridge composing weekend, I played the chorus in the key of E and realized it would work at the end.

I was finally happy with the song. Well, you know as happy as I can get anyway.

Now, I bet some of you thought songs just dropped out of heaven, all wrapped in a bow and ready for mass consumption? Well, some do; I will admit that.

Just not this one. ;)