Stories Behind the Songs: “What Am I?”
This was my second try at a ballad to fill this slot in the opera; the first one didn’t quite capture the feeling I wanted. Queen was certainly an influence in what ultimately came out; I love ballads like “Love of My Life” and “Lily of the Valley”, and in my head I heard Freddie Mercury singing this one. I can’t remember exactly when I decided to add the theme to “The Curse” as the coda, but to me it evokes the shadow of shame that still falls across Jack’s soul. I had an idea that John could possibly play the melody on the violin, but I ended up playing it on slide guitar instead.
The song was written in March 2005. I performed the first verse and chorus at the Swannanoa Gathering in Black Mountain, NC in a singing class led by Siobhan Quinn. This was in July 2006, more than a year before the album was released. John actually re-recorded the entire piano part in one of the last sessions for the album, as the original piano sound was not very authentic-sounding.