Academia vs Music
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
(Two Versions – Track 2 of Introducing Ruth Nina Welsh & Track 1 of Heartland)
Here is another ‘Story Behind The Song’. This story focuses on my struggle between academia and music and which I should choose to follow. We’re looking at Today I Don’t Care. See which path I chose, and why, below!
It’s 1997. I am in my bedroom, surrounded by papers, articles and notes, studying for a PhD in the area of law and human rights, fighting through all manner of theories. Now I loved studying and learning but my mind was on other things – my dream of singing and playing my own original songs live. I’d been practising and writing songs for about 12 years by now and I dreamed of performing. I longed to hear rapturous audience applause in a stadium venue with an amazing backing band. And I wanted to watch beautiful lights float across a pitch black crowd.
But I was still nowhere near well enough for a Billy Joel style concert. The big band and venue really was an untouchable dream. It was one I didn’t get to fulfill. Strangely enough though, when I recorded Today I Don’t Care at the studio in 2001, I was so focused and engrossed that I saw the crowd and the swaying lights. And because it was recorded in one take it was like a true live performance. So I experienced a tiny piece of that big venue dream after all – an unforgettable feeling.
And as you already know, I did get to fulfil my dream of playing live to an audience, just not in the way I ever imagined. Acoustic Ruth rather than big backing band! It shows we should never, ever, stop hoping and dreaming.
Today I Don’t Care reminds me of the moment I told my PhD supervisor that I wanted to suspend my degree to focus on my music. Understandably, he didn’t like the idea! He looked at me and said, “Finish your PhD, the music will wait, you can do it later.” It turns out he was wrong.
Academia vs Music? I only had strength to focus on one. Music – my heart – would always win.
Following my heart, and recording all the music you’re hearing, was hands down the best decision I ever made. Because it turns out there wasn’t time to do it later as my health deteriorated.
Listen to Today I Don’t Care on my EP Introducing Ruth Nina Welsh. And check out the cool surprise near the end of the song which was my recording engineer – Stephen Pitkethly’s – idea. I loved that.
Here’s a final thought on Today I Don’t Care. I wonder if you caught the connection to Elvis? One of my musical heroes. Remember his song Baby I Don’t Care? I first heard it in the film Jailhouse Rock, which I still love. When I first put pen to paper that is the song I was thinking of:
“I heard a title to a song
Sing it loud sing it strong
Sing baby I don’t care.”
Here are the first words I began in my songbook, with date and time, if you’d like to zoom in and have a look.
And as if the legend that is Elvis is not enough – Today I Don’t Care is also connected to the TV Series Friends! I know, it’s crazy! It’s a bit of fun trickery and I hope you enjoy it – it’s a must watch clip. Click the video below, it’s only 40 seconds long.