Cinders of the Night
By Lord Alistair Goldie
Key: G minor
Tempo: ~56 BPM
Duration: ~5 minutes
Instruments: Vocals, acoustic guitar, violin
Mood: Haunting, smoky, slow blues
Chord Progression
• Verse: Gm | Eb | F | Gm (4 beats each, 12-bar blues structure)
• Chorus: Cm | F | Gm | Eb (4 beats each)
• Turnaround: D7 | D7 | Gm | Gm (4 beats each)
Structure
• Intro: 8 bars (Gm | Eb | F | Gm, repeat once) – Acoustic guitar strums gently, violin plays a slow, mournful melody.
• Verse 1: 12 bars (Gm | Eb | F | Gm, repeat)
• Chorus: 8 bars (Cm | F | Gm | Eb)
• Verse 2: 12 bars
• Chorus: 8 bars
• Violin Solo: 12 bars (over verse progression)
• Verse 3: 12 bars
• Chorus: 8 bars
• Outro: 8 bars (Gm | Eb | F | Gm, fade with violin)
Lyrics
Intro (Instrumental)
(Acoustic guitar strums softly in G minor, violin weaves a slow, haunting melody, setting a smoky, reflective mood.)
Verse 1
Cinders fall where the fire once burned,
My heart’s still achin’ for the lessons I learned.
The night’s too quiet, it won’t speak clear,
Just whispers of sorrow that linger here.
Chorus
Oh, the dark, it hides my cries,
Binds my soul where the ember dies.
Every spark, it fades from sight,
Lost in the cinders of the night.
Verse 2
The wind it howls, but it don’t explain,
Why love’s a wound that leaves only pain.
These empty hours, they stretch and crawl,
The cinders glow, but they don’t recall.
Chorus
Oh, the dark, it hides my cries,
Binds my soul where the ember dies.
Every spark, it fades from sight,
Lost in the cinders of the night.
Violin Solo
(Violin plays a haunting, expressive melody over the verse progression, with slow, soaring phrases. Acoustic guitar keeps a steady, sparse rhythm.)
Verse 3
The dawn won’t break, it’s too far gone,
This lonesome road just carries on.
The cinders whisper of what I’ve known,
A heart left wanderin’, forever alone.
Chorus
Oh, the dark, it hides my cries,
Binds my soul where the ember dies.
Every spark, it fades from sight,
Lost in the cinders of the night.
Outro (Instrumental)
(Acoustic guitar repeats Gm | Eb | F | Gm, violin plays a fading, mournful melody. The final Gm chord lingers as the violin trails off into silence.)
Performance Notes
• Vocals: Sing with a soft, emotive tone, slightly breathy to match the smoky vibe. Let phrases linger on words like “cinders” and “night” for emotional weight.
• Acoustic Guitar: Use fingerpicking or gentle strumming, emphasizing the low G string for a deep, resonant sound. Keep dynamics subtle and expressive.
• Violin: Play with long, sustained notes and gentle vibrato, focusing on a warm, mournful tone to enhance the haunting atmosphere.
• Timing: Each verse and chorus takes ~35-40 seconds at 56 BPM, with the violin solo lasting ~45 seconds. The intro and outro add ~30 seconds each, totalling ~5 minutes.
