Blanket

written by Imogen Heap and Urban Species

Emotionless the city lies
Cruel it is, it clouds my eyes
The dull... the dark... shades on my day
I live inside this place.

Locked up inside my metal cage
Always tense and filled with rage
Above the concrete fields below
With you I wanna go...

I see only what I wanna see
I'll be only what I wanna be
This is my world... my only world…
My blanket covers me...

[Instrumental Solos]

No gloom no doom
When music fills my room
As sound surrounds
True happiness is found

Alone within myself again
I try to veil away the pain
The dirty grey surrounds me 'round
And now I hear no sound…

You are my living world...
You are my living world...
You are… you are… you are… you are...
My only living world...

I see only what I wanna see
I'll be only what I wanna be
This is my world... my only world…
My blanket covers me...

Rich Coffey: Arrangement, Native American Flute, Trombone, Vocals

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Music

When I first heard this song done by Jeff Beck and Imogen Heap (see links below), I was blown away! What a powerful emotionally-charged musical masterpiece. The connectivity between the musicians on this live performance was magic! Although the tune may sound like a slow dirge about drug dependence¹, it's actually a poetic paean to the healing powers of music. That's certainly a theme I can related to!

From the Daily Guru: Artist:
Urban Species & Imogen Heap's 1998's "Blanket," stands today as one of the most beautifully blissful tracks ever recorded. Imogen Heap sings of the emptiness that can quickly overtake such people in the absence of music. Though it is not an emotion to which all can relate, for those who find safety and solace within music, "Blanket" perfectly defines an idea which has rarely been explored, and it brings a strange comfort to those who truly understand the mood of the song.

The Arrangement
The opening ethereal intro features a wonderful D-50 patch called "Lost Highway" as well as a short snippet of the Quarry View Drum Circle that fades in and out. I've eliminated the rap and added a short 3-part harmony bridge instead. Improv solos feature both the Native American flute and the trombone.

Live Performance Links

• Jeff Beck featuring Imogen Heap - Blanket
  In 2007, Jeff Beck performed a series of concerts at the renowned Ronnie Scott's club in London.
  Personnel: Jeff Beck: electric guitar, Imogen Heap: vocals, Vinnie Colaiuta: drums, Jason Rebello: keyboards, Tal Wilkenfeld: bass
• Imogen Heap with Urban Species - Blanket
  Live on TV 1999

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1 - Although the rap has the lines "I take the needle off the technics and put it in my vein... All my troubles get crushed as the rush hits my brain" - it's actually referring to the needle on a turntable!