James Kennedy - Wicker Man

'Wicker Man' is an Acoustic Pop Rock song & is the 1st song on the 2013 James Kennedy album 'The National Health Service'. The words, music & production are by James Kennedy.

Like much of the album, the upbeat A Minor based 'Wicker Man' has sparse instrumentation consisting of just Acoustic Guitar, percussion & vocals. The song features a rhythmic, syncopated acoustic guitar riff with a wide intervalic slide & many variations throughout. The song follows a traditional song format & includes the lyrical hook 'Its only a choice', which is a line Kennedy has used on several songs in different contexts in order to reinforce his view that many of our problems, whether personal or political, can be challenged & changed.

Lyrically, the song is exploring the mindset of a self limiting person, a negative person whose self limiting worldview has been built out of fear, maintained by cowardice & is the source of all of their other problems in life. This shows a departure from the political commentary of Kennedy's previous work - a departure in to personal themes that Kennedy explored much further over his next 3 releases.

LYRICS

Life Inside a Snail Shell Believing you’re a Prophet living in Hell A cynical Wicker Man Always got a better plan

But try and find him if you can

When the walls that saved you locked you inside alone With the ricochet of the words you throw like Sticks and stones Drifting through your days in a blinding cloud of rage at the sun Turning all your windows into Microscopes It’s only a choice

Life inside his frightened mind Filled with all the negatives he can find To save him from saying yes And risk disproving he’s the best

But no actions will ever speak louder than his words

When the walls that saved you locked you inside alone With the ricochet of the words you throw like Sticks and stones Drifting through your days in a blinding cloud of rage at the sun Turning all your windows into Microscopes It’s only a choice

It’s only a choice It’s only a choice

And he’s scared of the world ‘cos he thinks the worlds like him

When the walls that saved you locked you inside alone With the ricochet of the words you throw like Sticks and stones Drifting through your days in a blinding cloud of rage at the sun Turning all your windows into Microscopes It’s only a choice