The Lairs Of Lonely Souls

This song was inspired by several singer-songwriter songs I heard on the Soundcloud Weekly list. Couple of those songs were by regular submitters on this showcase forum, I'll let you guess who these two artists are

Lyrical inspiration came from the fact that increasing number of people are living alone nowadays... originally I had an outdoor image on my mind, but somehow it turned more into an indoor state of mind. Once again, BIAB provided perfect instruments to express my idea

Based on the style _HIGHSID.STY (Highside Americana Folk):

RealTracks in style: 2877:Bass, Acoustic, AmericanaSlow16thsByron Ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 3148:Mandola, Rhythm AmericanaFolk16thsAndy ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 3150:Mandola, Background AmericanaFolk16thsAndy ev16 060
RealTracks in style: 3109:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaFolk16thsLowBrent Ev16 060
RealDrums [in style:Folk16thsSlowBrushes^01-a:BRK2, b:BRS

added the following instruments:

RealDrums: SpoonsTradHornpipe
RealTracks:
Electric piano #904
Electric guitar #2879
Acoustic guitar soloist #3321
Fiddle #2008, #2880
Mandolin soloist #3191

Vocals by me
Mixed in Cakewalk by BandLab

Lyrics:

A cold Sunday morning
lost in the mist of solitude
can't see a face of a kindred neighbor
in life's interlude.
No ships in the harbor
importing goods of hope
just a wintery wind of oblivion
shaking broken ropes.

In the lairs of lonely souls
all songs and stories are homespun
longing is inspiration
when the table is set for one.
In the lairs of lonely souls
a heart needs a patient plumber
a self needs a painter
and senses a touch of summer.

An old sad outsider
is hiding in a diner booth
writing notes, thinking "friends for life" was
just a slip of youth.
The meringue lost its sweetness
the facades are grim and gray
the call-center doorman never asks
"How's your health today?"

[Chorus]

A little cell in the beehive
on the floor number twenty-five
The broken heater keeps company
on the birthday of the pessimist
solo dancing on the to-do-list.

The vents howl the absence
the smell of fall in midi coats
a leaking tap drums the shabbiness
tints of time in fridge door quotes.
In the thoughts of the writer
the door is safety locked
the three-layer windows, padded walls
damp if chances knock.

[Chorus]

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Janne

Nice work Janne! I really enjoyed the spoons at the start of the song and throughout. The lyrics tell a good story as well. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, this slid to page two of the forum in half a day - things are happening too fast on page one & there's a bit over blanket bombing with that too.
Found this anyway.
The spoons didn't actually seem to fit with the style of the melody - it seems like it forces a happy major key impression when the theme and melody are sadder.
The double tracked vocals worked well.
Good effort.

Janne,

A very interesting write. A lot of cool imagery.

Also, an interesting mix of instruments. Good mix.
(Like Ray, I thought the spoons were too "jaunty" for the overall feel of the song).

fj

Quite a nice production, Janne.

"In the lairs of lonely souls
all songs and stories are homespun
longing is inspiration
when the table is set for one.
In the lairs of lonely souls
a heart needs a patient plumber
a self needs a painter
and senses a touch of summer."

That is excellent.

We enjoyed everything about the production.

Thanks for the thought provoking 4 minute journey....

J&B

Great imagery and good subject matter. Didn't get too dark, which was good. Your choruses are always interesting. Good work.

Great lyrics. I especially like the lonely image "when the table is set for one." Yes, the BIAB tracks you choose are perfect for this song.

Really cool song!! You always have such interesting melodies! And your lyrics have a unique charm as well! I think the arrangement is perfect for the song, and the vocal emotion is very authentic! Nice job!! Take care. Greg

Hi Janne,

that's really lovely. Nice lyrics, a good composition, a very (!) interesting backing track and good vocals.

Enjoyed the listen.

Cheers,

Stefan

Thanks Steve for your kind feedback Glad you enjoyed the spoons, it is great that BIAB has also such an instrument to get inspired

Janne

Thanks Ray for finding my song and giving nice review Although a lot is happening on this forum, it is very nice to see new and returning old commentators.

The spoons are associated to step dancing in my mind, having happy elements in a sadder song is like a Chaplin's tramp - hardship in life but still he can express inner happiness in his own way.

Janne

Thanks Floyd, I appreciate your positive feedback As I said above, the spoons refer to step dancing and in the lyrics I mention "solo dancing on the to-do-list": without a partner the eccentric person(s) of the story can still (step) dance alone on the birthday, celebrating in his/her own way - silver lining in the gray life.

Janne

Very interesting lyrics...
And a nicely written song...
I enjoyed the listen.

Nice writing! When I listened yesterday I didn't like the spoons, but I think they are growing on me

Good track, enjoyed the listen(s).

Janne

Nice work, good set of lyrics and an interesting chord progression and melody.

Enjoyed it.

Peter

Really nicely done - a fine example of good songwriting, and the lyricism adds a whole other layer. The spoons were an expected and wonderful addition too. All around a solid tune, and I thoroughly enjoyed my listen.

Thanks for sharing

Dear 'jannesan'...

I think The Lair of Lonely Souls is so original in its chordal progression, instrumentation, and subject matter in particular, that it made me feel as though I had just heard something new that no one else had a chance to experience before me!

The spoons in the intro were a startling and inspired instrumental choice. It's a riveting musical effect that was as unexpected as it was exhilarating to hear. That Real Style you used, _HIGHSID.STY (Highside Americana Folk) was a novel band sound that I would have never known existed in Band-in-a-Box. Though it's self-described as a genre of 'folk' music, I'm sure I heard some flatted seventh chords in there -- or did I not??? In a few places, and only briefly, the bands' sound had a mellow, smooth jazz feel.

And, now, on to your lyrics. I feel that I heard them in particularly sharp relief, because your chord prgoressions (to my ears, at least) had a somewhat a brighter tone that contrasted interestingly with the theme of alienation and aloneness in your song. I would have expected a more minor key treatment.

There is sensitive, powerful poetry in your lyrics, too. The song is loaded with them -- I won't excerpt anything, simply because I cannot make up my mind which line, or lines, are more representative of the overall inventiveness you applied that heightened the telling of the story.

This is a song that took a different path through my mind and heart, and that enabled me to 'see' and feel its subject through a set of impressions that were entirely individual and unique.

LOREN

Thanks edshaw for your listening and positive comment

Janne

Thanks Janice and Bud for your kind feedback I'm glad to have made something you have enjoyed

Janne

Thanks TuneMonger for your kind words

Janne

Janne,
Funny,hearing those spoons I thought of Chaplin too- so, yup, they work for me in the whole skip-through-your-troubles feeling I got.
Some amazing, original, wise and humorous images in the lyrics- way too many to quote, and deserving of another listen as they tumble by quickly.
Your melodies often take an unexpected turn that simply works-the chorus here is a good example.
The doubled vocal works well.

Robert

Hi Janne,

I seem to be in the minority here, but I actually liked the percussion (inclusive the spoons)... I also enjoyed the strings... cool track!


Will

I really enjoyed how use utilized the mandolas. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for commenting Ezekiel's Storm, I'm glad you liked my lyrics And BIAB is a great tool to choose perfect instruments

Janne

Thanks Greg for your rewarding feedback Your words really encourage me to continue on my musical path

Janne

Thanks Stefan for your very kind words, I really appreciate how your feedback is always sunny and positive

Janne

Pretty song Janne!! I always know when I listen to a song of yours that its going to have an interesting melodic twist to it! You have a very high sense and feel for original melody in your songs! Great sound on this...keep up your good work!! Thanks, Torrey

Hi Janne,

I listened a few times to your nice song. At first I had to get used to it. I thought you were singing out of tune somewhere in the beginning, or the melody wasn't 'flowing'.
Then I listened again and saw I was wrong that first time. Then I heard how much happens in your song, starting with those spoon everyone mentioned before me, but endig with the violin or fiddle I think.
Then listened once more and began to see what you did with this song. It's a complicated song, but very clever put together. And your singing was hypnotizing. The combination of this all made it a nice and interesting song, very creative!

So, it took me some time to understand your song, but at last it got me!
Hans

Thanks Jim for listening, enjoying and writing a nice review

Janne

Thanks Dave for your positive feedback I'm glad to hear the spoons are growing on you, I know using swing track among even tracks may be disturbing. I think I might have (unconsciously) got inspiration for the spoons from Prefab Sprout song called The Wedding March - it uses nicely a percussion to express steps of dancing.

Janne

Thanks Peter for your kind and positive words

Janne

Cool lyric Janne. Super vocal and backtrack. Well done

Thanks Deryk for your very rewarding feedback

Janne

Thank you Loren, your review is really pleasure to read I especially like when you write "something new", because at the time of writing the song I was wondering should I write simple, more easily accessible songs with commercial appeal, something people are already familiar with… but I decided to continue on my own path. And your comment convince me that I did the right thing

I hadn't heard about 'flatted seventh chord' concept before, but always nice to learn something new I'm surely used it before, but not knowing the name for it. The key of this song is A so I guess 7th chord would be G. Here I have used G/A chord in the chorus and Gmaj/B chord in the bridge, so I guess those qualify as 'flatted seventh chord'.

I'm also glad you accepted that the chord progression was more upbeat than the lyrics. I'd like to add that in the chorus there are two parts, the first part is slightly upbeat lyrics and upwards going melody (and more major chording) and then the second part more downbeat story and downwards going melody (and more minor chording).

Janne

Thanks Robert for your kind and uplifting review I'm glad to read that you are on the same wavelength when you mention Chaplin. You are one of those songwriters that inspired me to start writing this song by selecting a songwriter like style in BIAB and also your song Pendulum inspired me to try something contrasting rhythmical element with those spoons.

And thanks for mentioning my lyrics and melody in such a positive light, lighting my way during these dark autumn days.

Janne

Thanks Will for your kind feedback, I'm glad you joined the minority and liked the spoons

Janne

Thanks Ember for your kind words And thanks PG Music for providing the mandolas, they were in the style so they automatically joined my orchestra

Janne

Thanks Torrey for your uplifting comment Your words really encourage me to continue on my songwriting path to unknown places

Janne

Thanks Hans, wow so many listenings and then positive words from you I have heard before that my songs require several listenings, so I'm really glad and flattered that you tried to understand what was going on - and finally it opened to you, that's the best possible feedback a songwriter can get

Janne

Thanks Scott, I appreciate your positive words

Janne

Hi Janne,

What I really like about all your musical creations is that you are never afraid to experiment. Your imagination and your creativity constantly amaze me.

I love the metaphor "wintry wind of oblivion shaking the broken ropes" -- to me, these words meant 'hopelessness' and I have never ever heard it described any better than this.

I never know what I'll get when I head over to Soundcloud to listen to one of your songs. What I do know, though, is that I will enjoy it. You always create interesting and memorable musical journeys.

This is a fine addition to your already outstanding collection! I liked it

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Noel, I truly appreciate your heartwarming words They really comfort when I'm feeling my music is not worth much… I'm really glad that there is a forum like this where I'm always welcomed by kind fellow artists like you

Janne