Behind the Song: Ode to a Friend
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
So maybe you've heard, I got hitched this summer. Thortis and I are so excited for our honeymoon. In fact, we're scoping out amazing places right now on Airbnb. We're doing Edinburgh! We are planning to wander the cobblestone streets of Old Town, walk the royal mile up to Edinburgh Castle, and hike up Arthur's seat for that incredible view over the city. Staying in a home booked on Airbnb. Means that I'll get to experience the local gems of the neighborhood. And we also love staying somewhere that actually feels like home. A place to come back to at the end of the day, kick off our shoes, make a cup of tea, and figure out what adventure we're going to go on next. Knowing we'll be on the road yet again, it's another opportunity to list our home on Airbnb and give someone else a chance to follow.
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I'm Jan Arden. I'm here with Sarah Burke. And this is a segment that we like to call Behind a Song. And it really is behind the song. We do a deep dive on one of the tracks that I've written over the years, and I've written hundreds of songs, so this is gonna be a very long series if we keep it up. This week we're going back to nineteen ninety-seven, which blows my mind, 'cause it's twenty almost twenty twenty-seven. So almost thirty years. Yeah, I can't I just cannot do the math. This is another track off of my third album, The Happy Question Mark. And the song we're gonna be talking about today is Ode to a Friend. And this is one of the few times in the studio, I'll just say this right off the bat, that I actually started crying.
Like I was singing it through and I just kinda got upset. And I don't know, I just was thinking about what the song was. It's exactly what the title means, Ode to a Friend. Which doesn't appear anywhere. That's that title is not a line in the song.
Let me back it up a little bit here. I said, What song do you feel like talking about today? And you know, we're we're mid September right now and you said owed to a friend. Is there anything that was making you think of this? And then I wanna know who the friend was back in the day too, obviously.
You know, I don't listen to my music all that often. And um You know, certainly uh once in a while I will. I'll put on a on a record in the car, certainly when I'm driving, and just kind of go through. And honestly, I'm always so surprised by, oh my God, yeah, that song. I oh I remember that. Like I really a lot of these songs I don't perform very often, if ever. Oh, to a friend I have done over the years on a few tours. But listening to that, I just thought, oh gosh, what a beautiful production. Ed Cherney once again was my producer on this album. He also produced uh the Living Under June album, which was very successful for me and certainly launched. me on a more international trajectory. But yeah, Ode to a Friend was one of the last songs that we recorded on the Happy Record.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–8:52
2
What is the story behind Jann’s song “Ode to a Friend” and why does it matter?
8:52–10:53
3
How did the studio session and the emotional moment shape the recording?
10:53–14:58
4
What inspired the main guitar riff and how does Sting’s “Fields of Gold” relate?
14:58–19:21
5
Who was the special guest drummer on the track and what was his impact?
19:21–22:34
6
How did producer Ed Cherney influence the song’s arrangement and feel?
22:34–25:25
7
Why was “Ode to a Friend” nominated for a 1998 Juno Songwriter award?
25:25–28:50