New Normal

* Song
* Abnormal Mix

## Lyric video

"**New Normal**" is a song by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek from her studio album *Pang*. This is the third track of the album.

The song was written and produced by Polachek and Danny L Harle.

## Background

A lyric booklet video was released on Caroline's YouTube channel on January 3, 2020. The Abnormal Mix version was released on the *Standing at the Gate: Remix Collection* remix album.

Caroline talked about the song on Instagram:

> *“Wrote ’New Normal’ with @dannylharle the same week as Insomnia, July 2017 in LA. Danny played me this midi sequence he’d made, a bass line by itself that changed key with every repeat. I heard the melody over it immediately, this sweet folky thing that modulated with the bassline. We were so psyched on the form of the song, seven verses with no chorus that tumbled and reset like a rubix cube or Escher drawing. We wanted the lyrics to be a string of standalone fragments, starting with the same line every time, but I couldn’t for my life decide what to say with that format; it was too open-ended. Walking back to the studio from a coffee break, a SUV skidded out of control and onto the sidewalk, almost hitting the two of us before crashing into a telephone pole. We were so shaky with adrenaline we could barely get back to work after, but it was clear the crash was a verse of the song. I secretly decided to limit the song to events that the two of us had experienced. A month later I sent Danny the finished lyrics – a surrealist history of our friendship, disjointed vignettes in chronological order: first meeting in at a sake bar in NYC ➰ a manic halloween in LA ➰ camped out in brooklyn to write during a blizzard ➰ performing at a London festival where I tripped over a fog machine and almost fell off the stage ➰ the disappearance of @poppotac ‘s injured robin ➰ the car crash ➰ the moments after. And each verse begins with the “What is this…?” from Parachute.”*
>
> Caroline Polachek, [Instagram]

#### Explanation

Every verse in “New Normal” was written about different scenes that happened while writing this record, Pang. The song tells the specific story of Caroline’s friendship with her producer, Danny L Harle. Polachek also said it was written over a bass loop played by Danny L Harle.

## Trivia

* Polachek and Harle sampled Parachute in this track.

## Official versions

* Album version - 2:34
* Instrumental version - 2:34
* Abnormal mix - 2:41

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Now, what is this?

Feeling I know you from long ago

From deep in the past

I don't know why

Why I trust you completely

Don't question it

The bottle is empty

[Verse 2]

Now, what is this?

Club closing early

The fog machines

And lasers swirling

It's Halloween

I'm sorry for screaming

But I'm afraid

I've scared you completely

[Verse 3]

Now, what is this?

Blizzard in April

I'm underdressed as usual

And we're cheating death

Buying time from the winter

It's house arrest

No stopping for dinner

[Verse 4]

Now, what is this?

Microphone working

Can't hear myself

But cameras are rolling

And there's the cue

My heart, it beats so hard

I look for you and suddenly fall

[Verse 5]

Now, what is this?

Robin you rescued

Its broken wing

Not broken long

We search the room

Someone yells from the garden

The orange cat

Finished what he started

[Verse 6]

Now, what is this?

Skidding of tires

I hold my breath

And you're running fast

As the SUV

Smashes into the sidewalk

And 911

Won't answer the call

[Verse 7]

Now, what is this?

Hollywood ghost town

A shootout scene

No actors at all

Last night I dreamed

You and I were immortal

It's no big deal

This new kind of normal

## Credits

##### Personnel

* **Caroline Polachek** - Vocals
* **Chris Tabron** - Engineer

##### Technical

* Written-By, Producer – **Caroline Polachek**, **Danny L Harle**
* Mastered By – **Mike Bozzi**
* Mixed By – **Geoff Swan**
* Mixed By [Assisted by] – **Nico Battistini**
* Mixed At – **The Nest**
* Mastered At – **Bernie Grundman Mastering**
* Copyright © – **Caroline Polachek LLC**

## References

1. ↑ Instagram:Caroline Polachek

Pang Tour · Videography · Photography

"The Gate"
"Pang"
"**New Normal**
"Hit Me Where It Hurts"
"I Give Up"
"Look At Me Now"
"Insomnia"

"Ocean of Tears"
"Hey Big Eyes"
"Go As a Dream"
"Caroline Shut Up"
"So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings"
"Door"
"Parachute"

Other Tracks
"Breathless"
"Simmer (Remix)"

Caroline Polachek