Soul Song

Template:Infobox song "Soul Song" is the eleventh track on Grey Daze's 1997 sophomore album ...No Sun Today. A remixed version featuring vocals by Jaime Bennington was released as the fourth single from Amends on May 14, 2020.

Background

"Soul Song" was written sometime in late 1996 and recorded live in the studio by David Knauer and Mike Jones during the pre-production session for ...No Sun Today in December. That same month, Knauer was in a bad car accident so he had to move way from the project. The album version was produced by Jones.

About the conception of the song, Sean Dowdell said, "Initially back in the 90s when we wrote that, there was a guitar riff by our guitar player at the time Bobby Benish and we just started rehearsing through it. That was primarily Chester's vocal track lyrically. Primarily wrote that. I helped write some melody stuff on the chorus line, but primarily it was Chester's lyrics. And it's one of my favorite songs because there's the opening line, he says 'I will be waiting with a song in my soul' and I just think it's very prophetic. And it's like my friends talking to me from the other side and that's a very deep and touching song for us."

Amends Version (2020)

Grey Daze included "Soul Song" on their 2020 album Amends, with re-recorded instrumentals and using older takes of Chester's vocals. The song features guests Chris Traynor of Bush, Chester's song, Jaime Bennington, Jean Yves D’Angelo, and Heidi Gadd. It was produced by Esjay Jones and Lucas D'Angelo.

In the Amends track-by-track with Apple Music, Sean said, "Chester's son Jaime sings backing vocals on this, and it's my favourite song on the record. You can hear Jaime singing on the chorus with his dad, and that's something that us as a band were able to give back to Chester. He was never able to record anything with his children, and we were able to do that for him. It's pretty intimidating to go in and sing along with Chester - yeah he's your dad, but he's also Chester Bennington - but Jaime did a great job. I think his dad would be very proud of him."

Amends... Stripped Version (2021)

A stripped-down, full-band acoustic version of "Soul Song" was released on Amends as a Wal-Mart Bonus Track that is focused around piano.

In January 2021, this version of "Soul Song" was released on the Amends... Stripped EP with different production, a different mix, and more elements added in the song. Most notably, the vocals are much more filtered in this version than the acoustic version released as a bonus track in 2020.

In the Amends... Stripped track-by-track with Revolver, Sean said, "One of the strongest lyrics ever written by Chester, that shows a spiritual side to the vocalist. He seems as if he is singing from the beyond to us every time we listen to this track. It is simply awe inspiring and makes us miss him even more. It is a great reminder that although Chester is gone from our physical world, he is still waiting for us on the other side. Cristin does an amazing guitar performance on this track."

Music Video

A music video for the Amends version of "Soul Song" was directed by Jaime Bennington, Chester's son, who also stars in the video and recorded backing vocals for the song. It was released on May 14, 2020. Jaime said, "This music video is about my spiritual connection to the other side and my literal experiences with the elusive and, at times, incomprehensible presence of my father after death. ’Soul Song’ is about the many ways in which we come to enlightenment, into knowledge, and the many ways we fall away from it. This is my personal experience with that."

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Soul Song	...No Sun Today	3:25	1996-1997	May 23, 1997
Soul Song	...No Sun Today		2002		Unreleased. Re-mixed by Sean Dowdell.
Soul Song	"No Sun Today" Pre-Production Live Session		December 03, 1996		Unreleased. Recorded live at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences.
Soul Song	Amends	4:06	2017-2020	June 26, 2020	Featuring Chester's son Jaime Bennington, Chris Traynor of Bush, Jean Yves D’Angelo, and Heidi Gadd. Produced by Esjay Jones and Lucas D'Angelo.
Soul Song	Amends	3:58	2017-2020	June 26, 2020	Acoustic Version Wal-Mart Bonus Track Featuring Jean Yves D'Angelo (uncredited). Produced by Billy Bush.
Soul Song	Amends... Stripped	3:58	2017-2020	January 29, 2021	Different mix and different production than the Wal-Mart Bonus Track.

Live

"Soul Song" was played live throughout 1996 and 1997.

Personnel

Grey Daze

• Guitar: Bobby Benish
• Vocals: Chester Bennington
• Bass: Mace Beyers
• Drums / Backing vocals: Sean Dowdell

Production

• This record was recorded and mixed at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, Tempe, AZ (602) 858-9400
• Produced by Michael Jones and Grey Daze
• Engineered by Michael Jones and Ghery Fimbres
• Assisted by Kelly "????" Gabler
• Mastered by Andrew Garver at A&M Mastering Studios, Hollywood, CA

Lyrics

Album Version

I will be waiting
With a song in my soul
A fortunate weakling
Which I have foretold

He raises his arms tied
Above the oppressed
Singing his sweet song
His melody opens up the sun

Freedom rained
God has come
With the rivers of blood
Pushed back in my veins

She sleeps with her eyes closed
To dream of the past
Her mind has gone blind now
While her memory closes up the sun

Freedom rained
God has come
The rivers of blood
Pushed back in my veins

Ooh...
Yeah, I will be waiting
With a song in my soul
A fortunate weakling
Which I have foretold

Ooh...

Gallery

• 

  ...No Sun Today

• 

  ...No Sun Today pre-production DAT tape

External Links

• Soul Song: Grey Daze
• Soul Song (1997-02-01 Tempe, AZ): Grey Daze
• Soul Song (Music Video): Grey Daze

References