About the songs...

"Daric Paul's 'signature quality' is sincerity. His songs are instantly recognizable by their guilelessness." –Stëv Skye (Producer)

The title track It’s You I Wanna Be Near delves into the subject of relationships and fearing the very thing you want. It’s easy to become distracted and disillusioned in relationships. Sometimes gaining perspective from a different point of view helps us see beyond temporary disenchantment, allowing us to intentionally focus on change we would like to see happen, increasing the fulfillment from any relationship.

At some point everyone goes through difficult times in life. Hold On is about the daily struggle and questioning that can take place, and the clarity found after having such an experience. Sometimes believing in a better day which awaits us is the only way to get us through.

Intended as an audience participation song, Sha-La-La originated with friends whose daughters enjoyed listening, singing and dancing with a different song that included sha-la-la’s. With this song, I look at various stages of my life and into the future. So, whether driving in your car or listening to a live performance, ‘please why don’t you sing along’.

Penned before the birth of our son, both 0ne Day At A Time and Soon You’ll See Me Again, were intentionally written for my child to always have as a reminder of the anticipation and excitement of his arrival into this world and a relaxing lullaby with guided imagery.

In life, it’s not uncommon to feel uncertain or lost along the way. Then, there are other times we can all identify with being at Home - a place we feel content, free to be ourselves. Home changes given the time and stage of life we’re in. The journey often shapes our idea of home, but we always know inside when we’ve arrived.

Anyone who associates a change in time with particular sights, sounds or smells will relate to Seasons Change (a.k.a. Tom’s Song). I tried to create a picture for the listener to identify with. It doesn’t matter how old I am, the change of summer into fall takes me back to memories of football games, small towns and time with the boys.

Besides the chorus, It’s Apparent was a complete re-write during the recording process. After receiving feedback on the original song’s lack of direction and focus I went back to the writing pad. I am happy with the final result and message of hope the song carries. It seemed as though this song gained momentum as each instrumental track was mixed together.

Driving Song, truly made for fun, was inspired by a scenic three-hour drive through back country on the way to visit my wife on weekends when she had to work in a different city. It wasn’t exactly the love song she anticipated, but when I started writing, this is what came out!

Appreciating the tranquil nature of Soon You’ll See Me Again, for the last track on the album we elected to have an instrumental rendition of the song titled 1st Lullaby. We decided to add this version at the end as a way to let down the energy before the conclusion of the CD.

Enjoy,
Daric