PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Peur de moi

Here's a song about alcoholism.
It's the kind of subject that needs to be treated with modesty, delicacy and objectivity, because the aim is not to judge, let alone condemn, those who are experiencing difficulties, but to show that they are fighting a difficult battle against themselves and this scourge that penalizes them and their loved ones. They need help, not rejection! This song is dedicated to them !
https://soundcloud.com/user-606699438/peur-de-moi
Thanks to Deej for the good advice! I modified the voice (-1.5dB) and equalized the sax a little, so it's less bright. I hope it sounds better
For the past three days, I've been working with another set of headphones with which I'm not yet very familiar (Audio Technica ATH M50) instead of my Beyerdynamics DT770 PRO, which I've been using for years. Very different! But you get used to it as you listen to the old mixes. So it's great if you can give me some advice.
I appreciate

English lyrics below (free translation that doesn't match the music as it is)

AFRAID OF MYSELF

VERSE 1
Sitting by the ocean's edge
Eyes fixed upon the horizon
I see the void, the emptiness
There, on the line of flotation
Suddenly, I think I glimpse
A figure rising from nowhere
As if someone emerged straight from the depths

But I tell myself, "I’ve had too much to drink"
It’s my sin, it’s my poison
My eyes drown in the vastness
Until I lose all reason
I’m haunted by this obsessive image
Of a silhouette drawing me closer
And half-whispering, asking why I’m afraid

CHORUS
Yes, I’m afraid I failed to resist
These demons, these sins
Oh, I’m afraid they’ll see me as less than nothing
That they’ll treat me like a nobody
Yes, I’m afraid I’ve betrayed all my friends
And lost my family
Yes, I’m afraid... afraid of myself

VERSE 2
The day after the accident
It felt like I was in the abyss
No pretense, no illusions
I swore to myself I’d stay clean
But it’s truly not easy
Because life’s no smooth-sailing river
Temptation knocks at my door, like a visitor

A night out with my mates
We hit all the bars in town
I don’t want to play Don Quixote
For just one drink, the one too many
I don’t know how to break my chains
For it’s no longer blood coursing through my veins
And I drown beneath the inquisitive stares

The musicians team:
BD, Driving pop
Bass, 1255
Acoustic GTR, 1581
El Guitar (rhythm), 1687
El GTR (low notes from part B 1st verse)
El GTR SOLO, 2203
EL GTR riffs, 3731
SAX, 1441

Enjoy !

A very powerful song about a growing problem, alcoholism.
Loved the arrangement and the emotion you put into this song.
Loved it.

PS - a few years ago I did a song about a friend whom had a severe alcohol problem and in fact it killed him. If you are interested it is here:
https://soundcloud.com/mario_guitar/demon

Routou:

A good feel to this sound-wise . . . from a production standpoint, I feel like the vocal is a bit too far forward and could sit back just a tad in the mix. The lyrics have a dark edge to them . . . as does the song, which I think fits the theme. The sax is a bit too high end, but that’s a small and subjective nit. All in all, very compelling tune. Nice work . . . and a great vocal!!

Deej

Good song, I like the way it builds. Excellent vocal, very passionate!

Yes, a tough subject for sure. The sadest part is that alcoholism is treated as a self-inflicted wound that the alcoholic can quit if they want to --if they really loved those who care about them. It's not; they can't.

Anyway, enough of that... this is another gem of your creation, Paul. I like how it starts with a single acoustic accompaniment, and build from there. You superb vocal carries the show. The sax sounds perfect as do all of the instruments. Well mixed.

This is a really good song, with passionate vocals and a really nice build, arrangement and production are really, really good.
From what I've heard from you so far, this is by far my favorite

Bravo, Paul ! C'est très émouvant. J'ai perdu mon meilleur ami à cause de l'alcoolisme. Il me manque encore.

On another subject, I'm wondering why you switched from the DT770 Pro headphones. I have two pair of closed 250 ohm 770s that I use for recording, but I use a pair of semi-open 250 ohm DT 880 Pro headphones for mixing (using SoundID Reference). Just curious.

John - an American expat living in Arcachon

Paul,

A very passionate vocal.

Nice clarity to the mix. Easy to her everyone.
The sax seems in the right place now.

fj

Bravo Paul pour avoir aborder ce sujet avec brio. Le mixage m'a l'air très bon.
Laurent

Hi, Paul.

Ignoring the language barrier, a well done song - good mix, well sung.

As floyd jane notes, it's your vocals that really make the song..

Hello, Paul,

Another excellent song from you. There have been two alcoholics in my close family and this song approaches the subject admirably. Your vocals are always so good ... this is the best I've heard from you. A difficult subject to find the right music for, but you did. Excellent mix. I didn't hear it before your changes, bit everything sounds very good to my ears.

Nicely done!

Alan

Your passionate vocal well delivers the thoughtful lyric on a very serious issue.

We much liked the change in intensity of the band during the chorus lyric.
All sounds great … the band, arrangement and mix.

Well done!

J&B

Wow, these vocals are GREAT! Like the mix a lot, especially in the more open sections. Others will disagree, but the guitar and saxophone soloing behind the vocalist don't fit under the melody lines being sung, at least to my ears. Some heavy guitars or organ may build the dynamic lift I think you're looking for better.

Very brave topic, and very skillfully put together. Wish I understood French, it's lovely sounding language.

Hi Mario,
Your friend's story is a sad one. The damage done by alcohol seems irreversible, as you point out on your SC. Alcohol is like cigarettes, drugs, gambling and sexual depravity; never touch it! AND, if anyone ever succumbs to temptation, quit as soon as possible, before it's too late..

Hi Deej, Thanks again for your comment and helpful observations

Hi Dave,Thank you for your kind comment. As I said before, it's great to have musicians of the calibre of those involved in this BIAB adventure “on hand”! What's more, their rates are quite reasonable and they can be disturbed at any time of the day or night.

Hi Marty, You're absolutely right, we don't talk enough about the pain suffered by loved ones, especially those who, having no other choice, have to put up with the presence of someone sinking into alcoholism. There are also those who drink badly and become violent; they are the worst, because they inflict extreme moral and sometimes physical depreciation on their loved ones and themselves...

Hi B.D. Thomas
Thank you so much for your kind comment. You'll laugh, but before choosing the right tone, I did a few tests, like a semitone lower or higher. Well, the song (arrangements and also the voice) sound curiously different. Which just goes to show that this parameter (tonality) has to be taken into account, as well as any fluctuations due to the choice of tempo! Thanks once again

Hi John,
Arcachon? Beautiful region. Very sad for your friend and for you. Losing a friend is heartbreaking, but in such circumstances, it's cruel...
Why AT vs DT770 headphones? The DT is definitely dead (broken due to falls and mistreatment!). So I read some very positive reviews in Audiofanzine and Zikinf, among others. As I have, among others, an AudiTechnica microphone, the 4033, I thought that this headset had to be of high quality. And it is. Nice, accurate bass. Good full-spectrum reproduction and beautiful stereo. The only problem is that the headband is a little too tight, which makes my ears ache a little!. Thanks again for your kind comment.

Hi Floyd,
Thank you very much for your appreciation. I try to do my best to encourage interpretation rather than technical singing, even though this may not be useless. I really like strong societal themes and this plague is one of them. Thanks again for your kind words.

Merci Laurent pour le compliment. Il est vrai que ce genre de sujet est à aborder "avec des pincettes". C'est pour cela que les figures de rhétorique sont venues à mon secours. Aussi, il ne nous appartient pas de juger ceux qui se noient dans l'alcool mais j'ai l'intime conviction que ceratains voudraient cesser de boire mais n'en sont pas (plus) capables tant l'alcool coule dans leurs veines. Triste réalité mais c'est bien l'un des maux du siècle.

Hi David, It's true that this is the kind of song where the voice has to be present in terms of interpretation, because there's certainly sadness and disbelief, but also restrained anger and a sense of shame. It's the kind of song I like because it carries a strong, universal message. Thanks for your appreciation.

Hi Alan,
Thanks for your great comment. I appréciate.
I believe that many families have been or are affected by this scourge. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's incurable, but it's obviously hard to escape! Even with the help of family or friends, or even collectives, relapse almost always seems inevitable. It starts with a drink and ends with an ocean... The temptation is there, sometimes even in adolescence or later (parties, events). Some people fall after a misfortune or an ordeal. I don't think there's a direct father-son connection, but it's not an implausible hypothesis. Well, I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing, but a high moral standard helps to avoid falling into the trap. The same goes for cigarettes and drugs. You could write songs about that too...

What can I say? Many thanks for your kind words. It means a lot to me! And I can't say enough about how grateful I am to the BIAB designers, who make it possible for us musicians to create superb arrangements. All you have to do is slalom around the site to find nuggets, pearls...including yours Janice & Bud. You do a great job, very clean and sung with all your soul. That's part of the point. Thanks again, Janice.

Thank you very much DC Ron. NO! I won't change the saxophone. Do you know how much the musician cost me? Just kidding. Organ? Why not, I don't know. I'll take a look at it. Yes, the French language sounds good, let's say from a euphonic point of view, especially since most French-speaking lyricists have always confined themselves to “chanson française” or “variété française”. However, it has to be admitted that French sounds good on typically Anglo-Saxon rhythms such as rock, blues, country, and so on. It's time to move beyond clichés.

Bonjour Routou,

This is spectacular!
You've got a brilliant sound happening that's showcased by a first-class production.
I really, really enjoyed listening.
Your arrangement skills and performance skills are top-notch.
Everything about this sounds professional.

--Noel

Great instrumentation and build up. Really excellent rock and a great use of samples in the entire mix.

Excellent, Paul, I really liked the dynamics in the production. Those guitars were wonderful. Wish my seven years of French classes hadn't faded so badly over the years, but it was a great listen nonetheless.