“Leah” by Belle Shea – A Song Feature

 

     The theremin and bagpipes share only one attribute – namely, most Rock fans find it challenging to identify an appealing song that features one of these instruments. For bagpipes, the most notable answer is probably AC/DC’s “It's a Long Way to the Top.” And for the theremin, Belle Shea just reduced the level of difficulty with the release of “Leah.”  Shea describes her song as “a defiantly buoyant breakup song about the importance of staying soft.” 
 
     For anyone unfamiliar with the theremin, it is a rare instrument played without physically touching the instrument. A cover of "The Great Gig in the Sky" (including Clare Torry’s vocal solo) by Pink Floyd is included at the bottom of this post.
 
     “Leah” does not follow the standard composition formula of including an instrumental intro. Instead, Belle Shea leads with a reference to her ex’s baby photo. She prefers to return it, rather than burn it. The instrumentation is minimalist until the discussion of baby photos is completed, when the percussion and guitar propel the song forwardly. There is a hint of the theremin, but it remains in a backseat until the lyrics state, “And you go and play me like a theremin.” The instrument is featured during the explosive bridge that begins at the 1:52 mark.
 
     Belle Shea is based in Brooklyn, NY, but is originally from South Florida. She wrote “Leah” and contributes the vocals and guitar. The credits note that Julian Dobson and Jason Sill also provide guitar for the song. The bass is from Eric Messihi and drummers are Morgan Parker and Ben Thomas. Laura Zawarski contributes violin. “Leah” was mixed by Melina Duterte (Jay Som).
 
     Joni Mitchell is found among the lyrical influences identified in Shea’s bio. This was interesting to us, since Shea and Joni Mitchell both reference Manhattan’s Bleeker Street. As a non-New Yorker, it is not a street we hear about often. In “Leah,” the protagonist takes a job at a “dive bar down off of Bowery and Bleecker,” while in Mitchell’s 1976 “Song for Sharon,” Mitchell pays someone down on Bleeker street to light a candle for her love luck, “and 18 bucks went up in smoke.”  
 
     “Leah” by Belle Shea

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Lyrics of “Leah” by Belle Shea
I put your baby photo in the stuff you asked me to return
When all was said and done
I couldn't stand to see it burn
 
I got invited to see a couple friends of yours play in a show
After all you did
I can't believe they'd think I'd wanna go
 
And I couldn't erase you even if I tried
With all your witty little criticisms ringing out through my mind
And it broke my heart when Benny took your side
He said, if I didn't want it, why did I make you mine?
 
I took a job at a dive bar down off of Bowery and Bleecker
Saw a girl there, she looked just like you
I hid in the bathroom
Cause I couldn't meet her
 
And lately I've been wondering if I'll ever feel like the same
I had to leave the synagogue
I couldn't bear to hear your name
 
And you go and play me like a theremin
It's like you're making these old wounds sing
It doesn't matter where I go
It's where I think you've been
I gave you my best
You wanted my everything
 
And ok, I believe you
You're doing what you need to
But I would never be cruel like you
I could but I refuse to
 
Ok, babe, be honest
You're doing what you promised
You say you don't know anyone soft like me
Well now I see why