[She Ain't Never Coming Back]

My friend Bob Pickens, a great guy from Athens, Georgia, and I wrote this song about 8 years ago. I recently redid it in BIAB and it sounds so much better. I wrote the lyric and Bob and I worked on the music together. It has kind of a Country-Folk-Rock sound. Thanks in advance for the listens and any comments you might choose to leave.

File:She Ain't Ever Coming Back - BG Trax 1.SGU
Key=D , Tempo 91, Length (m:s)=3:30
Style is _FOLKROK.STY (Slow Even 16ths Folk Rock )

RealTracks in style: ~701:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 1758:Banjo, Rhythm, Pop16ths Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 1766:Mandolin, Rhythm Pop16Sync Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~1029:Guitar, 12-String Electric, Fingerpicking Ev 085
RealDrums in style: RockModernSyncEv16^1-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride




She Ain’t Never Coming Back
© 2008 Alan D. David, BMI / Robert Pickens

The taillights on that Chevy disappeared from sight
As it pulled out of the driveway just before sunlight
She had lived next door to him for all his seven years
Waving through the morning mist he couldn’t stop the tears

Her daddy got new job up in Hackensack
He knew it was their last goodbye
She won’t be coming back
No she won’t be back
She won’t be coming back
She ain’t never coming back

Then he met Diana his first year in high school
She was the cutest girl in class, she was way too cool
She was his steady girlfriend till that new boy came to town
When she gave him back his ring silence was the only sound

When she walked away from him he knew it for a fact
He knew it was their last goodbye
She won’t be coming back
No she won’t be back
She won’t be coming back
She ain’t never coming back

As he walked her down the aisle he beamed a father’s pride
From pre-school on to college and now she was a bride
But deep inside he felt just like that seven-year-old boy
As he gave away his only one, his lovely pride and joy

Everything in life we love isn’t promised us forever
It may be gone tomorrow, perhaps returning never.

As she lay there on the bed she tried to speak to him
He could barely understand the words, her voice was weak and thin
She said I’ll wait on the other side and then she closed her eyes
And when her hand slipped from his that’s when he realized

Her body lay there in the bed but Heaven’s where she’s at
She had said her last goodbye
She won’t be coming back
No she won’t be back
She won’t be coming back
She ain’t never coming back
No she won’t back
She won’t be coming back
No she won’t be back
She won’t be coming back
She ain’t never coming back

Alan

An interesting juxtaposition of a happy sounding backing with some serious and interesting lyrics. I liked it.
Also a pretty catchy chorus. Nice work.

Peter

Alan,

A very cool story song with a country feel - great vocal and mix as well.

Bob

First of all I love a song that tells a story, and your write here is a wonderful example of that. A sad ending, but that makes it more real.

Lots of great lines, a couple I really like:

"Everything in life we love isn’t promised us forever
It may be gone tomorrow, perhaps returning never"

and:

"Her body lay there in the bed but Heaven’s where she’s at
She had said her last goodbye
She won’t be coming back"

Really good song!

A classic Country write, Alan... a lot of sad in that!

I like how you used the banjo in the production. Enjoy hearing you sing these...

fj

Yes very sad lyric Vocal was excellent Love the way you can switch genres with such ease . Like being fluent in different languages . Well done

Peter,

Thanks a bunch. I tried several more somber backing tracks and they all made it sound like a dirj. I was messing around on my acoustic 6-string looking for a new approach and this beat sounded pretty good, so I grabbed this style in BIAB and filled it out. Glad you liked it. Thanks!

Alan & Di

HI Bob,

Always great to hear from you. I wasn't sure whether to call it Country, Folk or Rock, so I guess it's a little of all that. Glad you liked the song. Thanks again!

ALan & Di

HI Dave. Great to hear from you. Thanks for the listen.

I tend to like "life-progression" lyrics and I thought this one qualified pretty good. Glad you agree!

This was one of the easier lyrics for me to write., It all fell in place pretty good within the first couple of hours. I massaged it off and on for a day or two and this is where it ended up. The melody was a bit more of a challenge. Bob and I played around witrh that for a couple of weeks. The original was just Bob singing with an acoustic. Decided to flush it out and this is what we got.

Thanks again ... glad you enjoyed those lines.

Alan & Di (And Bob)

Hi Floyd,

Yeah, it is kind of sad. But, unfortunately, some folks have a life that's more dominated by sadness than joy. And some of us just choose to dwell on the bad rather than the good.

The banjo was a late addition I originally had just the mandolin and 12-string electric for the rhythm tracks. But I tried the banjo on a whim and it sounded pretty good, so I kept it.

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it!

Alan & Di (And Bob)

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the visit, listen and feedback ... much appreciated.

Funny you commented that switching genres is a lot like being fluent in different languages. In addition to English, I also speak fairly good German, French and Spanish. (Lived in germany 12 years). I've found that music, languages and math all have one very important thing in common ... they have a rather specific syntax. Once you learn that syntax, the rest falls into place much easier.

Thanks again for the listen and wonderful comments. Sure do appreciate it!

Alan & Di (Bob, too)

What a tune, Al-David! You consistently bring that great sounding old school country - I particularly like how it tells like a story. Gives a very interesting vibe, on top of having interesting lyrics. Thanks for sharing!

Nice well-written song Al!! I really like the way you worked the title into the different life experiences-crafty writing! Enjoyed this! Take care. Greg

Hi Deryk,

Great to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed it., And thanks for the very nice comments. Wishing you and the entire PG Music team the very best.

Alan

Greg,

You are too kind. But I like it! This one pretty much wrote itself, as far as the lyric is concerned. Everything pretty much fell into place. Thanks for the listen and kind comments.

Alan & Di (Bob, too)

Alan, good write and a very good vocal. The banjo is perfect and the arrangement is spot on. A very enjoyable listen. Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks a bunch for those words of encouragement and kindness. I appreciate them very much. Best to you,

Alan & Di (Bob, too)

man, that banjo shines on this!

nice writing, catchy

nice vocals, just a cool song Al

Kenny

Hi Kenny ...

And that's a pretty cool review! Thank you very much. Glad it works for you. Thanks for the kindness and encouragement. Best to you.

Alan & Di (Bob, too)

floyd said "a lot of sad in that. " He's right - there is, and for us old school country fans (and bluegrass) sad songs were once the staple of the set list. We performed many sad songs for many years in our bluegrass bands. What many folks don't realize is that they are not easy to write w/o becoming overly maudlin. Songs by the Stanley Brothers come to mind in particular as examples of great sad songs. And Bill Monroe was the master of what he called "true life" songs. Your tune is right square in this wheelhouse. Sad things happen, hope springs eternal and you well expressed those sentiments with the write and heartfelt vocal.

Interestingly the arrangement captures the feel of both older and more modern country. Something a fellow forum member has called Appalachian Honky Tonk with the addition of the banjo.

Well done Mr David!

J&B

Hi J&B,

You are so very kind with your words. Your analogies certainly humbled us. I always liked the Stanley Brothers (Carter & Ralph) and the Clinch Mountain Boys. But Bill Monroe was a little tougher for me. Actually, I loved his songs but something about his voice just didn't sit well in my ears. Nonetheless, he was a master of the genre and had some of the very best songs.

The Stanley Brothers, particularly Carter's original writes, were the epitome of saying a lot with just enough words. Their gospel songs were excellent, too - particularly "I Hear My Savior Calling".

I smiled at your comment regarding the mix of traditional and more modern sounds. I told Di a couple of days ago that if I removed the drums from the mix and used an acoustic bass, this would be very similar to traditional Bluegrass.

Again, thank you so much for you very kind words. I am humbled and I know Bob would be, too. Wishing you both the very best,

Alan & Di (Bob too)

As PeterF noted, sad lyrics framed with happy, jangling banjo. Nice contrast.

Because of the use of pronouns, it took me a minute figure out that each verse introduced a different character. Not that I'm suggesting a rewrite it needed - just that I'm a bit slow-witted as a listener if it's not spelled out for me.

I enjoyed the listen, which seems a bit odd to say about a downer of a song.

I really like the song. Great mix and arrangement. Enjoyed my listen a lot.


Charlie

Hi Alan! I was just thinking of you and Di the other day, remembering the visit we shared at your home! I know you've been through some rough times since then, but I hope you are doing well at present.

Regarding this song: I like the way you applied the hook to various situations in the main character's life. The sound you've achieved here is hard to fit neatly into a genre cubbyhole, but I can imagine hearing it at the kind of music festival where country, americana and bluegrass are all played. I'm going to call it Americana.

Good hearing from you again, and I hope you keep writing songs. You also write books, don't you? I remember thinking that you are a man of many talents!

Hi Alan,

A really nice song and really good lyrics.
That's life, we use to say (or as the French say: "cést la vie")
The banjo is great.
It's a sad ending, but... somehow the music doesn't correspond to that atmosphere, at least that's how I feel it.
But... that's just a small nit.
All in all it's a very good song

Anne-Marie

Hi David,

Thanks for the listen and comments. And yeah, it's the life cycle of the sad losses of people close to you. The contrast in lyric and backing tracks is to suggest that although we lose loved ones in way or another, life also has a positive theme and that's what we need to keep everything balanced.

Thanks so much for the review. Glad you enjoyed it.

Alan & Di

Hi Charlie,

Always good to hear from you. We're delighted this works for you and that you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for letting us know ... we appreciate it. Best to you.

Alan & Di

Hi Pat!

Di and I were just discussing you, too! First we often talk about what a great time we had on your visit. It was a real pleasure having you.

Di's health continues to be a major issue. But we deal with the best we can. I'm doing fine. I've had four scans since my chemo and all have come back negative.

Maybe Americana is, indeed, the best niche for this one. Bob and I gave this a little thought before we actually put it yo paper and guitar strings. We wanted to capture the sadness of how we lose loved ones in various ways throughout the cycle of our lives. We tried several slower, more somber backing tracks, but as we mentioned earlier to another reviewer, it sounded like a dirj rather than a "real" song. So, we decided to use the more spirited backing track as the metaphor that there are upbeat happenings to offset the loss and create more positive experiences. We hope the listener might catch that.

Thanks again. A big smile crossed our faces when we saw you had come on and commented on a few songs.

And yes, I write novels. i have two on Amazon at the moment. I'll have another one coming out next month and one more by year's end. Music and writing are very cathartic


Wishing you the very best.

Alan & Di

Hi Rob ^ Anne-Marie.

Thank you very much for taking a listen and commenting. We sure do appreciate that.

As we mentioned in a couple of earlier replies, the music is more upbeat as an intentional contrast ... to make folks aware that with all the losses in our lives, there's also the other side of life. One where the experiences are positive and pleasant. The music represents that facet of the life cycle.

Thanks again for the listen and nice comments. Best top both of you.

Alan & Di

That's amazing. i would love to more about this syntax thing you are suggesting.

I love the truth and the reality in the lyrics. It brings forth some interesting questions. What in life really is forever? Loved it. Very thought provoking!