Here's one we've been working on for a couple of weeks and just finished an hour ago. Late 1980s Country - ala George Strait (don't we wish!). Although I (Alan) played lead guitar in a country band for 40+ years, my voice is definitely *NOT* suited for country. But this is my best effort of about 7 or 8 cuts. We think it's a pretty good song and would sound nice with the right singer. Thanks for listening!


Key=F , Tempo 85, Length (m:s)=3:51
44 bar intro, 36 bar chorus, from bar 45 to bar 80. Repeat x1 chorus
Melody has 389 notes, Melody harmony is < no harmony >(0)
Soloist track has 494 notes, Soloist harmony is < no harmony >(0)
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Volume Changes,

Style is _FIDSOLG.STY (Slow Country Ballad )

RealTracks in style: ~518:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~365:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~362:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 085
RealTracks in song: ~409:Fiddle, Background George Ev 085
RealTracks in song: ~363:Pedal Steel, Background Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2691:Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryBalladBrentSimple Ev 085
RealDrums in style: NashvilleEven8^2-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat

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A Heart In Full Retreat


A Heart In Full Retreat
© 2017 Alan D. David, BMI / Diana Randall, BMI

(v1)
If it’s true time mends a broken heart
I guess I just forgot
To change the page on my calendar
Or wind all my clocks
Each day goes on forever
In this dungeon where I’m locked
Hostage to a ship that just won’t dock

CHORUS
My heart can’t find the courage
To take another beat
Good times rolling down my cheek
From a heart in full retreat
No defense against the wounds
Or the clash where memories meet
The battle of a heart in full retreat

8 Bar Instrumental

(v2)
I’ve heard it said that looking back
Just helps the struggle last
But there’s no other way for me
My future’s in my past
A fight without an end in sight
Don’t know how to gauge the task
A ship without a rudder and no mast

Repeat Chorus

Tag
A Battle waged by a heart in full retreat

A wonderful song! So well written!

And I couldn't think of anyone else to sing it better!

Thank you so much, Lawrence. You are much too kind. But we sure do appreciate your kindness to our song. Wishing you a great week ahead.

Alan & Di

Alan,

This is a great song - I completely hear the 80's country vibe in this one. Outstanding production.

By the way, your voice is excellent on this - no complaints here!

Bob

Al & Di, this is an amazing song. An instant classic. Al, you did a great job on the vocals and the guitar.

I really enjoy starting my day off listening to such a wonderful performance.

Charlie

I'm a big time George Strait fan

and this has all the classic chord changes

very well done

Charlie Fogle did a classic country, now you do this

great country song, I'm gonna have to come up with

a Hank Williams type song !

enjoyed this!

Kenny

Excellent tune Alan and Di. Love the way you so smoothly move from one genre to another. An excellent talent to have. Well done

Alan,

Well done! You captured that sound perfectly. It actually brought Gene Watson to mind for me... true classic Country...

Your vocal is perfect for this...

Nice mix. That guitar solo works!

Great title! (Country as all get-out)

"If it’s true time mends a broken heart
I guess I just forgot
To change the page on my calendar
Or wind all my clocks"

Such an opening! Again, truly classic...

"A Battle waged by a heart in full retreat". Nice...

fj

Alan,

The title is an attention grabber and those opening lines are simply brilliant.
Everything works well on the arrangement and as you can tell from the responses here, your vocal needs no replacement!
Very enjoyable.

Robert

Hi Bob,

Thank you very much. We're delighted you like this one. We appreciate your nice comments. Best to you,

Alan & Di

Charlie,

You humble us with you kind comments. Thank you so much. You put a smile on our faces!

Alan & Di

Hey Kenny!

You got us smiling with those kind words! We like the song quite a bit, but still would like a "real" country singer to but a vocal on it. And yeah, we'd love to hear a country song from you! We enjoy your work a lot.

Again, thanks a bunch!

Alan & Di

Hello Scott!

Thank you very much. Glad you liked the song. As far as migrating between genres, Di and I both have done that forever. Although I made a crapload of money playing country music, I've always enjoyed most genres of music. A friend of mine once said, many years ago, that there's not a lot of bad music, just a lot of good music performed poorly.

My voice just doesn't sound country and but there are a few country songs on which I sound half-way decent. Here's a link to a video, if you're interested, of Di and me singing a cover of an old country classic:

http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/watchandlisten/play/ae5f6669a

Uh, she's the pretty one! We were both 66 years old when we recorded this.

Again, thank you for your encouragement and kindness.

Alan & Di

Hi Floyd,

Thank you so very much for all of that! And we think you're right - Gene Watson would have been great for this one. I changed that first verse just twenty minutes before I recorded it. It's totally different than what we originally wrote. I guess it was a good idea! That was the best way I could think of to have the subject of the song refuse to move on.

Di and I are more than humbled by your kind words. Wishing you the very best.

Alan & Di

Robert,

Aw, thanks so much! In Floyd's post, immediately after yours, I explained the origin of that first verse to him. We are so pleased everyone seems to think it's a good write. We appreciate your input and very nice comments! Thanks again.

Alan & Di

That's a great write y'all!

"My future’s in my past
A fight without an end in sight"

Gotta love that...a song of ours expresses a similar sentiment in a couple of lines... It's interesting how you expressed it in a stone country song and we used a blues rock tune. That's what we like about music. If it has soul and is heartfelt the genre is NOT the most important part - OK pardon the ramble.

The first verse is so strong. Just like you read about songwriting. Grab 'em from the get-go. Love the clock and calendar lines.

Without parsing further we'll simply say this is a wonderful arrangement, melody and lyric and irrespective of your comments about your vocal it is delivered in a manner that makes the song simply sound genuine.

As a friend once said about a great country tune...it's stronger than a garlic milkshake!"

Kudos!

J&B

Only someone who has spent a lifetime in the genre would be able to write the changes, melody, and lyrics found in this Real country song. Great use of modulation in the guitar break. Good job on the vocal. It's Real! Loved It all. Very well done and country to the bone! Tom

Great Country music! This is a song George Strait would take to number 1. Very good sound also! Thanks, Torrey

Fantastic write!! Great title, great lyric. Everything works. I don't know the genre that well but this is a GREAT song!! Enjoyed much!! Take care. Greg

Love the style and the lyrics.

"Good times rolling down my cheek
From a heart in full retreat"

Would love to hear Freddy Fender do this one.
Cheers.

Thank you so very much. We are, indeed, humbled by your comments. That first verse was literally a last minute revision of the lyric. Your comments are so encouraging and mean a lot to us. This is the music I grew up with and still hold it near dear to my heart. Again, many thanks!

Alan & Di

Tom,

The response to this song is so much better than I'd anticipated, particularly the vocal. I do think it's a pretty decent song, just needs a more professional vocal, I still believe.

Thank you so much. I'm glad my many years in the music biz is evident in this song. Your kind words only add to our encouragement and sense of accomplishment. Again, we appreciate you so much!

Alan & Di

Torrey,

Manny thanks, friend! We're delighted you enjoyed it and that you were so kind with your comments. And yes - we would be happy if George took it to #1! Man y thanks!

Alan & Di

Howdy Rich!

Aw, thanks a big ole bunch! And if Freddy Fender (Baldimar Huerta, real name) I'm sure he'd do a fine job of singing this. Thank you very much for your ver5y nice comments.

Alan & Di

Hello, Alan & Di

This is a very beautiful country ballad.
The melody is very familiar to Japanese listeners.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the country singers like John Denver, Dolly Parton, Lynn Anderson, etc. has been unusually introduced to Japan, though Japanese radio is never sending country tunes now.
I felt the same feeling of the songs at that time very much.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Shigeki,

Thank you very much. You seem well-versed on Country music of that era! We appreciate your very nice words.

I was in Japan in 1967 (wounded in Vietnam and sent to the US hospital at Camp Zama. After getting well, I enjoyed my time in Japan. It is a very pretty country. I've been to Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto and Sapporo.

Thank you again for your very nice comments!

Alan & Di

Al & Di

Really nice country song and deserves all the previous accolades.
I also enjoyed your vocal on this.
Peter

Thank you very much, Peter. Your comments put a smile on our faces!

Alan & Di

Alan and Di,



Right from the intro, I was there in the song all the way. These are some of the best lyrics I've come across on the forum. Your chorus is spectacular. You've taken the concept of a battle and applied it to a wounded heart incredibly well! I'd sincerely love to be able to write lyrics like these but I haven't yet found out how to do it! I'm so very impressed.

Despite what you say about not being a country singer, I think you have the honesty and sincerity in your voice that makes singing any genre possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this journey.

All the best to you both,
Noel

P.S. I apologise for taking so long to discover this wonderful musical gem.

Hi Noel!

Thank you so very much for all those kind words! Sure do appreciate it. I see the sales of large-size hats increasing in my community!

My vocal attempts are, indeed, sincere. I have to work very hard at singing as it is not a natural skill I have. Di simply opens her mouth and it sounds as though an angelic choir is in the room. I appreciate your appreciation of my efforts!

And never worry about when you get to one of our songs. It's near impossible to get to every posted song promptly. We simply appreciate you stopping in whenever you do get a free moment.

Thanks again, my friend!

Alan & Di

Wow Al-David - what a great rendition of the classic country song! Everything about this tune is ear and eye catching. On point lyrics, on point delivery, and the sort of song title that makes you want to listen to it! The guitar solo in there was fantastic as well. Great job I'll definitely be listening to this one again!

Really beautiful song. I liked a lot the chord line and vocal.
Your song is not so far from pro country songs.

Surely a great production and very nice listening.

Sergio