🕗Seven Fifty-Five

Laurel Canyon, Americana, Acoustic Ballad, Memorial, Pearl Harbor

+ Show full styles

[🎶 Seven Fifty-Five (The Clock on the Wall)]

[Theme: The moment of eternal interruption; the permanent stillness of the USS Arizona on that awful December 7th, 1941.]

["Seven Fifty-Five" is a simple, sincere tribute to Pearl Harbor. This acoustic ballad pauses on the exact minute the attack began, marking the end of innocence on December 7, 1941. We honor the quiet lives lost, including my Great-Uncle, Paul Shiley (S1C), forever held in the steel of the USS Arizona. The clock stopped that morning, but the memory runs deep. 🕰️⚓️]

[Structure & Notes]

[Intro | (No words) | Simple acoustic guitar (or piano) fingerpicking. Slow, steady, and repetitive—the rhythm is the clock's tick. Use a major key (e.g., G or C) to establish peace.]

[Verse 1 (Setting the Scene: 7:40 AM)]
[Simple, light melody. The volume should be quiet, almost a whisper. Maintain the steady, hypnotic rhythm.]

The coffee was hot,
The radio low,
Another calm Sunday,
With nowhere to go.
The shadow was long,
Across the ship's deck.
The world was still turning,
The air was still. —

(Still. — )

A soft wind from the ocean,
A breeze off the sand,
The day had just,
Woken across the whole............
Land.

[Verse 2 (The Final Minutes: 7:50 AM)]
[The melody starts to build slightly, perhaps adding a low cello or sustained synth pad, creating a subtle, unnamed tension.]

The newspaper sat,
Still folded and neat,
December seventh...
Nineteen forty-one...

A whistle from the barracks,
O'er on the shore...
The sound of slow, shuffling feet.
A quick shave,
A laugh,
A look at the sky...

Nobody dreaming the moment was nigh.
Just another minute,
Less than an hour,
Before the whole morning,
Burst into the power. —

— Of the thunder of engines, —

Staccato of guns, —

Scream of dive-bombers, —

The eternal shattering. —

Of that quiet Sunday Morning.........
(Sunday Morning.....)

Innocence. — 
Lost. — 
Forever........
(Forever........)

[Chorus (The Rupture: 7:55 AM)]
[Instrumentation cuts out sharply. Hit one sustained, dissonant chord -e.g., G minor with a suspended 4th- on the word "fractured." It must be a jarring contrast to the rest of the song.]

Ooo-oo-oooo-oo-ooo........

But the hands were caught,
Locked on seven fifty-five.
That’s when the silence stopped trying to survive.
The second the air broke,
The second they cried.
That’s when the world fractured,
That moment Peace died.
(Peace Died.....)

Ooo-oo-oooo-oo-ooo........

Now the clock is a witness,
A frozen display,
Of the very last second. —

Of the very last. —

— Day.

(Last... Day...)

[Verse 3 (Aftermath)]
[The rhythm returns, but now it is more strained and slower—the beat feels like a tired heart. The melody is melancholic.]

The smell of the smoke,
Where the morning had been,
The ringing and noise,
That would never fade...
For four long years.....
They tried to reset it,
They tried to rewind,
But time is not something,
The frantic can deny.
That small piece of metal,
A dial on the wall,
Holds the quiet before,
And the thunder after it all.
(After it all...)

[Bridge (Reflection & Paul Shiley)]
[The most emotional point. Shift briefly to a minor key (e.g., E minor). The guitar rhythm should slow even further, becoming deliberate and reverent.]

The clock stopped once,
But one great hull stopped forever.
Trapped at that minute,
Holding against the weather.
And down in the dark,
Where the light cannot reach,
A sailor named Paul,
Taught beyond speech.
He holds the minute,
Of the seven fifty-five – 
In the steel of the ship,
Where the heroes still lie.
(Still lie...)

[Outro]
[The instrumentation fades back to just the single, slow, fingerpicked guitar line. On the final line, the rhythm comes to an immediate, complete stop, leaving total silence.]

The hands on the surface,
Started turning again.
But eighty-four years,
Cannot change the 'Amen'.
For Great-Uncle Paul, forever below,
The hands never moved. —

— Not a tick, —

[Ticking of clock]

— Not a flow. —

— In the deep . —

— Below. —

(Below........)

******** <<<•>>> ********
©2025, All Rights Reserved, Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music for an original work. You are free to use this audio/video and its sound for non-commercial purposes such as public worship services, educational purposes, personal enjoyment and home entertainment. Attribution to the creator of the Original Work (Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music) is appreciated but not required. Monetization, commercial use, and distribution of this audio/video or its sound as sound waves, digital files, or notation in any form are not permitted without explicit written permission from the creator (Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music). All rights for personal use, performance, and monetization of this Original Work, are retained by Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music. For permissions, licensing, or further inquiries, please contact us at: azaleaparkemusic@protonmail.com.

💝You are warmly invited to share your comments or questions to "CES" (that's me), azaleaparkemusic@protonmail.com (I will NEVER dishonour your trust by violating your privacy!) Let me know you are a fellow songwriter/listener on Suno. 🙏(Blessings and Prayers)🖖(LLAP)

{🕗Seven Fifty-Five (The Clock on the Wall), ℞ 101-08}

5654/7500

******** <<<•>>> ******** "🕗Seven Fifty-Five”, An Original Work; © 2025, All Rights Reserved Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music 'Clifford E. Sarke'/@cliffordesarke Original Work: https://suno.com/song/ ******** <<<•>>> ******** 💝at bottom See "Sarke ♪♫ Songs" Playlist for this and other songs. https://suno.com/playlist/76e09bd6-8a4b-4f22-9b1a-6e8f0bc9b4f4 ******** <<<•>>> ******** [🎶 Seven Fifty-Five (The Clock on the Wall)] [Theme: The moment of eternal interruption; the permanent stillness of the USS Arizona on that awful December 7th, 1941.] ["Seven Fifty-Five" is a simple, sincere tribute to Pearl Harbor. This acoustic ballad pauses on the exact minute the attack began, marking the end of innocence on December 7, 1941. We honor the quiet lives lost, including my Great-Uncle, Paul Shiley (S1C), forever held in the steel of the USS Arizona. The clock stopped that morning, but the memory runs deep. 🕰️⚓️] [Structure & Notes] [Intro | (No words) | Simple acoustic guitar (or piano) fingerpicking. Slow, steady, and repetitive—the rhythm is the clock's tick. Use a major key (e.g., G or C) to establish peace.] [Verse 1 (Setting the Scene: 7:40 AM)] [Simple, light melody. The volume should be quiet, almost a whisper. Maintain the steady, hypnotic rhythm.] The coffee was hot, The radio low, Another calm Sunday, With nowhere to go. The shadow was long, Across the ship's deck. The world was still turning, The air was still. — (Still. — ) A soft wind from the ocean, A breeze off the sand, The day had just, Woken across the whole............ Land. [Verse 2 (The Final Minutes: 7:50 AM)] [The melody starts to build slightly, perhaps adding a low cello or sustained synth pad, creating a subtle, unnamed tension.] The newspaper sat, Still folded and neat, December seventh... Nineteen forty-one... A whistle from the barracks, O'er on the shore... The sound of slow, shuffling feet. A quick shave, A laugh, A look at the sky... Nobody dreaming the moment was nigh. Just another minute, Less than an hour, Before the whole morning, Burst into the power. — — Of the thunder of engines, — Staccato of guns, — Scream of dive-bombers, — The eternal shattering. — Of that quiet Sunday Morning......... (Sunday Morning.....) Innocence. — Lost. — Forever........ (Forever........) [Chorus (The Rupture: 7:55 AM)] [Instrumentation cuts out sharply. Hit one sustained, dissonant chord -e.g., G minor with a suspended 4th- on the word "fractured." It must be a jarring contrast to the rest of the song.] Ooo-oo-oooo-oo-ooo........ But the hands were caught, Locked on seven fifty-five. That’s when the silence stopped trying to survive. The second the air broke, The second they cried. That’s when the world fractured, That moment Peace died. (Peace Died.....) Ooo-oo-oooo-oo-ooo........ Now the clock is a witness, A frozen display, Of the very last second. — Of the very last. — — Day. (Last... Day...) [Verse 3 (Aftermath)] [The rhythm returns, but now it is more strained and slower—the beat feels like a tired heart. The melody is melancholic.] The smell of the smoke, Where the morning had been, The ringing and noise, That would never fade... For four long years..... They tried to reset it, They tried to rewind, But time is not something, The frantic can deny. That small piece of metal, A dial on the wall, Holds the quiet before, And the thunder after it all. (After it all...) [Bridge (Reflection & Paul Shiley)] [The most emotional point. Shift briefly to a minor key (e.g., E minor). The guitar rhythm should slow even further, becoming deliberate and reverent.] The clock stopped once, But one great hull stopped forever. Trapped at that minute, Holding against the weather. And down in the dark, Where the light cannot reach, A sailor named Paul, Taught beyond speech. He holds the minute, Of the seven fifty-five – In the steel of the ship, Where the heroes still lie. (Still lie...) [Outro] [The instrumentation fades back to just the single, slow, fingerpicked guitar line. On the final line, the rhythm comes to an immediate, complete stop, leaving total silence.] The hands on the surface, Started turning again. But eighty-four years, Cannot change the 'Amen'. For Great-Uncle Paul, forever below, The hands never moved. — — Not a tick, — [Ticking of clock] — Not a flow. — — In the deep . — — Below. — (Below........) (Below........) ******** <<<•>>> ******** ©2025, All Rights Reserved, Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music for an original work. You are free to use this audio/video and its sound for non-commercial purposes such as public worship services, educational purposes, personal enjoyment and home entertainment. Attribution to the creator of the Original Work (Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music) is appreciated but not required. Monetization, commercial use, and distribution of this audio/video or its sound as sound waves, digital files, or notation in any form are not permitted without explicit written permission from the creator (Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music). All rights for personal use, performance, and monetization of this Original Work, are retained by Clifford E. Sarke/Azalea Parke Music. For permissions, licensing, or further inquiries, please contact us at: [email protected]. 💝You are warmly invited to share your comments or questions to "CES" (that's me), [email protected] (I will NEVER dishonour your trust by violating your privacy!) Let me know you are a fellow songwriter/listener on Suno. 🙏(Blessings and Prayers)🖖(LLAP) {🕗Seven Fifty-Five (The Clock on the Wall), ℞ 101-08}

0/500