Ascent by Vom Vorton
linerzI'm acutely aware how many of my songs are about being sad lately, and I apologise. Believe me, I wish it wasn't the first thing on my mind most weeks!

For this title and the end of this run of songs I wanted to try to write about climbing out of those lows and trying to find a way to feel better - I do also live on a steep hill, and another influence here is the video game Celeste, which I've been playing lately - it's about a young woman coming to terms with her problems by climbing a mountain, with the help / hindrance of another part of her personality that she had been trying to suppress. It's very good. I died 1473 times getting to the ending.

I’ve been falling down a lot lately
why do I live on top of a hill?
if the cramp don’t get you, don’t let it upset you
the sweat surely will
every walk back home
seems to become an epic quest
a trip out to the shops, bringing bags back to the top
feels like attempting Everest

but I guess I’ll keep on climbing
no matter what the doubting voices say
I don’t think that I’m accounting for the steepness of the mountain
but I’ll keep on anyway

I’ve been talking to myself a lot lately
how much should it worry me
that my main reservation with this one way conversation
is that I’m pretty good company
life inside an echo chamber
I recognise the absurdity
is it a sign of madness to navigate the sadness
by singing my own harmonies

I guess I’ll keep on going
no matter what the voices say
I don’t think that I’m accounting for the steepness of the mountain
but I’ll keep on anyway
and I’ll keep on climbing
no matter what the voices say
I don’t think that I’m accounting for the steepness of the mountain
but I’ll keep on anyway

I’d always been a optimist, until recently…
I can’t deny the last few years have knocked it out of me
but now the sun is shining, and baby I declare
I think I sense a scent of possibility in the air