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Pen Pal

from Floating Away by Sammy Wells

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about

This song wasn't originally going to be here, it was a last minute replacement. It was also the last song I wrote for the record. "Memory of You" was the name of the song that was here initially. That was a more alternative rock sounding track inspired by the stuff I listened to a lot of in Jr. High and still do to this day. When I finished that recording I went back and listened to it and I didn't like how the harmonies and vocals sounded, they weren't up to the same level as the other songs I'd recorded up to this point. My family said the same, so the next day I went to rerecord all the vocals.

Now, at this point my voice was shot from scream/singing the song the day before so I couldn't hit the notes right and was doing an overall worse performance than what was already on the track. I got frustrated and gave up on the song, walked over to my acoustic guitar, and started finger picking in a pinching style, the kind Paul McCartney did on the Beatles' tune, "Her Majesty". That was when I wrote this song in about an hour. I recorded a couple takes of this one that day, but finished recording the next morning.

I was down to a time crunch at this point, I was leaving home for my 2nd semester of college at Texas State the next day and needed to submit the final versions of all the songs from the record to the US copyright office by that weekend for them to be approved by the June release date. I did three takes, again without a click track. The last one is the take you hear on the record.

This is the other "Simple" song on the record, though unlike "Million More Days", this is all done in one take. No overdubs, just me and the guitar. This is one of my favorite songs ever I've written up till now.

I'll probably come back to "Memory of You" at some point because I still like the song, but I'm not too worried about it right now.

lyrics

Pen Pal
Written By: Martin Samuel Wells III

I just wanna hear that you’re doing fine
It’s been a while, and people don’t write letters anymore
I just hope you haven’t moved or changed your name
I know you planned to move to France and holiday in Spain

But now, things have changed
Oh, I hope you met that pretty girl whose mother knows your name
And now, time has gone
Oh, I wonder why it had to slip away

I don’t know if you will ever write me back
Well, I hope you do so we can talk and reminisce the past
And find what went missing many years ago
The snow was falling hard as I left waiting for “Hello”

But now, things have changed
Oh, I hope you taught the world to laugh and sought your claim to fame
And now, where did it go?
Oh, I wonder how the time just slips away

I just wanna hear that you’re doing fine
See, it’s been a while since your last reply
I hope you’re still alright

credits

from Floating Away, released June 4, 2021
Lyrics by: Sammy Wells
Music by: Sammy Wells
Produced by: Sammy Wells

Sammy Wells: Guitar, Vocals

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Sammy Wells San Marcos, Texas

Sammy Wells is an American Singer/Songwriter originally from the Houston area of Texas. He now lives in San Marcos, Texas.

Sammy released his first single “I Don’t Want to Leave” in December of 2020 and the follow-up single "Does It Make You Feel Lonely?" in March 2021. His debut album, Floating Away, was released on June 4, 2021. ... more

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