Original song by John Denver
New lyrics by Marie, with AlanMy bag is packed, I’m ready to go
I’m standing here by the door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breaking, it’s early morn
The bus is waiting, it’s blowing its horn
Already I’m so bored that I could crySo kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll bake for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leaving to go to high school
Don’t know if I’ll be back again
Oh, Mom, I hate to goIt’s been so long since I went there
I feel excited, but I’m scared
I really wish that I could just stay home
I’ll wear a mask, I’ll wash my hands
Six feet apart is where I’ll stand
I hope through all of this that I will growSo don’t kiss me, but smile for me
Tell me that you’ll cook for me
You can’t hold me like, but never let me go
‘Cause I’m leaving to go to high school
Don’t know if I’ll be back again
Oh, Mom, I don’t want to goHigh school’s just one big charade
An awkward, insecure parade
Everybody finding their own way
Friends will come, and friends will go
But no one wants to be alone
But now I face another lonely daySo kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll pray for me
Hold me, and never let me go
‘Cause I’m leaving to go to high school
Don’t know if I’ll be back again
Oh, Mom, I hate to go
‘Cause I’m leaving to go to high school
Don’t know if I’ll be back again
Oh, Mom, I don’t want to goMarie: vocals, guitar
Alan: guitar, mandolin, bass, recording, mixing, mastering
Marie’s Production Notes
Writing this song was both a pleasure and a pain. Before school started, I was playing some songs on the guitar, and “Leaving, on a Jet Plane” struck me because Mum hates it, but it is one of the easier songs to play. So I set out to write new lyrics for it. Writing was hard. I had to go back and reread some of my journals from last year to get the feel for school. My first lyrics were picked apart and rewritten by Dad and myself, and now sound so much better. Recording this song was fun. Dad is super easy and funny to record with. I almost cried recording it, and Mom cried a bunch of times hearing it. So a success all around.
Alan’s Production Notes
I am very pleased to announce Marie’s debut on Sanderson.band!
This song is just dripping with authentic teenage angst, like most of my early songs were, but none of mine were half as sweet as this piece is. I grew up singing along with my dad while he played John Denver songs on the guitar, so collaborating with my daughter on this really took me to a happy place.
This song was recorded using Ardour 5.12 on Linux Mint, with a 2nd generation Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface. The LV2 plugins used on the project were Dragonfly Room Reverb, the stereo compressor and limiter from x42-plugins, and the 5-band EQ from Calf Studio Gear.
Sanderson 