ABOUT 36 months ago, I left the shores of South Africa to attend the Future Music Forum in Barcelona, Spain. Thinking back on it all, I am both humbled and awed.
Finally, I am seeing the fruit of those initial thoughts. The new RCB track ‘Open Air’ was scribed on the top bunk of a backpackers in central Barcelona, late in the evening. I remember the joy of being in a new city, soaking up the sights, the sounds and the smells. I loved seeing the way of life, enjoying the Mediterranean food. I remember missing my wife.
The lyric idea behind ‘Open Air’ began as a romantic idea… as though Tammy and I were in the city, on this new adventure. At that point in my own personal life, the notion that the world is your oyster – that spontaneity was just a choice away – was a very refreshing novelty for me. At that stage we were parents of two, and I was working long corporate hours. Bustling around Barca, miles away from anything familiar, gave wonderfully fresh perspective on my existence.
I think the idea of young love comes through strongly in the lyric. But part of the idea in the lyric was also about crossing relational divides. Within the lyrics, I think that (along with the lyrical idea of something new) there’s also reference to healing, reconciliation and a second chance.
That’s my vision for this song. That across relational and cultural divides, there’s an exciting new world waiting to be explored.
