Deep Dive (Waiata For El)

by Cliff Smith & Pete McCleave

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All sales profits from this charity single go to www.curebraincancer.org.au . You can pay extra at checkout if you want to donate more than the song price to the charity.

In late 2020, my brother Pete told me that his daughter, El, had been diagnosed with a very rare, very fast growing brain cancer. Pete asked me to help him write a song for El. Pete's wife Anne has Maori heritage, which is where the word 'waiata' (song) comes from.

Pete and his family live in Australia, I live in London. Both countries were locked down so we couldn't meet up. I asked Pete to write some words for the song. He gave me a few lines, I added a few, and we had a verse. I had already written music for a full song, but it was a cheerful samba, and totally wrong for the situation (it just came out, as songs tend to do!).

I couldn't get the lyrics to fit the samba, so I wrote the music for a piano ballad, added the verse lyrics and sent it to Pete. I had all the chords, melody and arrangement. He sent me some more lyrics and we got a second verse together. Try as we might, we just couldn't fit any lyrics to my chorus melody.

I spoke to Pete about it, and he asked if I could make the song more cheerful. I knew then that I had to start again!

One Sunday, I printed out all of the messages and lyrics from Pete, along with the lyrics I'd written and laid them out on my desk. Within a couple of hours, I'd written the music and guitar solo for Deep Dive (Waiata for El), and rejigged the lyrics to fit. I recorded a quick demo and sent it to Pete, and thankfully he liked it!

El has since had scans, brain surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The cancer spread to her bowel and soft tissue, and she underwent bowel surgery, more intense chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and has partial hearing loss from the chemotherapy.

Incredibly, El is now cancer free! Still on the chemotherapy at a lower dose, she is recovering.

Pete and I hope that El likes our song!

lyrics

Twenty three; your mind is so free,
With your heart set on a world spending spree.
Drifting, a spirit let loose.
The world’s your oyster; your pleasure, your leisure.

El!
Close your eyes & drift away
In the ocean’s spray.
Lost in the moment. Floating, floating

Twenty four was a t-t-tough year,
We saw a lot of fear in your deep deep dark eyes
You fought the gremlins, gave everything you had.
You’ll never give in - you’ll never give in!

El!
Close your eyes & drift away
In the ocean’s spray.
Lost in the moment. Floating, floating

Twenty five; gotta live live live life
Reset your goals, reset your life
Take a deep dive, hear the dolphins cry -
Move on forwards and enjoy your life.

El!
Close your eyes & drift away
In the ocean’s spray.
Lost in the moment. Floating, floating

Floating, floating,
Floating, floating,
Floating, floating.

credits

released September 1, 2021
Lyrics: Pete McCleave & Cliff Smith
Music, video, recording, mixing, mastering: Cliff Smith
Artwork: Rebecca Chong
Photography: Anne McCleave

Copyright © 2021 Cliff Smith & Pete McCleave

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Cliff Smith Guitar Lessons London, UK

Backing track and YouTube video creator. Online guitar & ukulele lessons.

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