the brief

of karma partners, the karma dance and karma itself on the eternal universal stage — sun tan lotion and all

so there we are on the edge of that never-ending sunset
karma partners about to step out onto the floor
for the dance
the karma dance

says a deep, vaguely cohenesque voice,
the best I can manage

It was the 38th karosong to start channeling, the 5th song in the 3.2 set to start, but it would be the second to finish.

and we don't know how many lifetimes
we'll be lovers or friends or family
how many lives strangers in the night
or even less as we dance with other partners

and we don't know what the lessons will be
until as we proceed
but we can be sure they will be
as needed and as agreed

As the lyrics were coming, their message was familiar, as though I had been writing them my entire life. They encapsulated an understanding that I had been moving towards, particularly in tHe PoEt & i, but never articulating as concisely.

Credit where credit is due. The second verse in its essence came from a many-hour car ride conversation with Leanne in early 2018. Other parts came out of a long text conversation with a woman I once lived with, and created much karma with. That conversation was happening as I was in the very early stages of channeling this song.

and all the while that we sweep our lives across the ages
we are always, always still in that never-ending sunset

no not a moment frozen in time
but always coming, always leaving
never-starting, never-ending
the only moment there ever was

the only moment there will ever be
now
says that same vaguely cohenesque voice

As the song was coming forward, the singing felt different. There was more character in it, an emerging fluidity and resonance, and notes that were held and drawn out longer than I'd ever succeeded at.

It took a few weeks to tune into the change. It was the start of the whole/full karo coming out, which included the (relatively) sudden shifting of my voice from my mouth and upper vocal tract down into my throat and chest. Not all at once. Bit by bit every single recording session across the summer and into the fall of 2020.

and behind it all is the universe playing peek-a-boo
building the stages, creating the roles
then taking them all on but forgetting
that's what it had done

so you & i & he & she & they & we all
are just sparks of the universe
temporarily lost to the light
but working our way back

through the karma dance

Four of the seven songs in the 3.2 set had multiple 'voices' in their lyrics, but Never-ending sunset was the only one that had a guest artist.

As the lyrics came, I found my voice dropping deeper for key words at the end of each verse — "the karma dance", "now," and "karma's a bitch." I couldn't do it very well at the start, but the voice drop was fun on its own. I eventually patterned the voice on Leonard Cohen. Well, as best as I could. Which became part of the routine.

so the next time
you're feeling all forlorn about your fate
take a moment for perspective
and think about the best way to game the karma dance

naw, i'm just kidding, you can't game the dance
but you can gain from its wisdom
even if you don't believe in it, to wit

don't put out what you don't want back
because karma's a bitch

and thank you mr cohen, good of you to drop in

Post-script

Acknowledging the band as well as my unwitting 'collaborator' anytime there was room in the async track has been a karosongs feature since the early second phase.

Those first band acknowledgements had just come, and there didn't seem to be any pattern to how they were derived. However, as the number of asynchronous collaborations increased, I found myself wanting a more systematic method.

This song was the first to use what I think is a new convention acknowledging the band, by using the track's title to shape the acknowledgement.