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#844358 02/27/25 02:13 PM
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Link: Can't Get To The Other Side

I have a lot of unused lyrics from my last song that were useless because even though they were in the right mood,
they were less about losing someone and more about being trapped somewhere, like trapped in a state of mind, or Idaho.
And contrary to what the song title might suggest, no, it's not about pedestrian problems in downtown New York.

As I already had some leftovers from other songs about this situation, it was obvious to rework them and make another song out of them.
Another sad song.
Even sadder than the last one.
Because I'm in that mood right now...

Things you don't want to know but I'll tell them anyway:
  • I spend most of my time with the drums and have tried (almost) all the real drums I own. Nothing worked.
    Even programming my own drums didn't help, so I removed them completely.
  • I LOVE creating contrast and dynamics with distorted guitars, but no matter what I tried, it only made things worse.
    After a while I remembered the words of music philosopher Guitarhacker who says: "Add nothing that adds nothing to the music".
    Wise man!
    So, no loud guitars either.
    Who am I to force a song to be something it doesn't want to be?
  • For the mood I was going for, I used some electric instruments that are _that_ old that they sound modern again.
    The kids will think it's the latest sh:t smile
  • In the bridge, I came up with the chord progression Dm Db Csus4 G/B, which sounds amazing to my uneducated ear, but what is it?
    Db is not in Dm (according to some research I did), and I've heard of "borrowed chords", but it's not in D either.
    Since (as usual) I have mostly no idea what I'm doing, I'd appreciate some nerdy feedback from someone who has
    a bit more music theory under his belt.


As always, a big thank you to Marty for the lyrical and emotional support.

Feedback (the good, the bad and the ugly) is, as always, highly appreciated.

Some technical information:
Style: PJONPBA.STY

The band:
Bass: 701, me
Guitars: 522, 2666
E-Piano: 4315, me
Synths: me
Violin: 2338 (re-amped with Guitar Rig)
Vocals: You know who

You can find the lyrics in the next post.

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Title: "Can't Get To The Other Side"

(Intro)
Eerie whispers call my name
A windless storm inside my head
Memories are buried in the dark
What have I become?
Insane

(Verse)
Caught in the reverb of the past
A hollow voice, a voice of pain
A fading light behind blue eyes
A fading light that will not last

(Chorus)
I can hear the storm inside
Raging winds that scream my name
A shadow caught between two worlds
Who can't get to the other side

(Verse)
Every wound has left a scar
And every scar's a mark
I don't know if I still want to feel
When feelings are so dark

(Pre-Chorus)
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
A candle fading in the dark
Drowning in the endless depths of the sea

(Chorus)
I can hear the storm inside
Raging winds that scream my name
A shadow caught between two worlds
Who can't get to the other side

(Bridge)
I fought for so long, but what was the use?
Every battle ends the same
Maybe I was born to break
Maybe I was born to lose

(Chorus)
I can hear the storm inside
Raging winds that scream my name
A shadow caught between two worlds
Who can't get to the other side

(Outro)
The shadows whisper, they fade away
There's no more path to choose
There's nothing left to lose

Last edited by B.D.Thomas; 02/28/25 12:34 AM. Reason: Lyrics added
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B.D., lovely composition, arrangement and production. Very shimmery and evocative. Sure it's sad, but it's gloriously sad. And that ain't nuthin'. Nicely done.

Can't answer your chord question from a music theory perspective, but I agree the progression sounds great. I use all of these chord colors myself, and think of the C# as providing tension leading to the Csus4 and that cool pedal on the F note. It just sounds so nice, and that's sometimes enough. smile

Last edited by DC Ron; 02/28/25 01:09 PM.

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Man! I absolutely love this. One my second listen as I type. Perfect instrumentation! And great job on the production also.

Can't help with the question about the chord progression, I know nothing about theory. I'm with Ron, if it sounds good then it's right! wink

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Like a mood painting—music, lyrics all guiding the listener down that mystical, wondering, uncertain path. Really enjoyed it.thanks for posting.

Regarding the chord progression: sounds like it supports a bass line descending by half tones—the ear hears this and likes it, even if not understanding the theory.


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Very nice... Yeah it ended up perfect for the song. When you listen to what the song is telling you, and do those things, the song ends up being the best it can be, and this is a great example of that.

A philosopher..... I'll take that.

Good job.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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B.D.

Impressive.
Gorgeous.

Your synth work is quite impressive.
Killer bass.

An Outstanding production.

Worth several listens.

fj

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Simply wonderful in every respect.

To use contranyms, which I very seldom do, this song is painfully beautiful. But that's one of the many beauties of music - opposites can be used to describe the same emotion/feeling. And accomplished that so perfectly in this song. The theme of the lyric is full of pain, yet the music envelopes it so beautifully. This is a truly striking composition.

I think any kind of percussion would have been an intrusion on the fragility of the song. Good choice not to use them. Your work with the synth voices is outstanding.

By the way, I liked the song a lot!

Alan


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Originally Posted by DC Ron
B.D., lovely composition, arrangement and production. Very shimmery and evocative. Sure it's sad, but it's gloriously sad. And that ain't nuthin'. Nicely done.

Can't answer your chord question from a music theory perspective, but I agree the progression sounds great. I use all of these chord colors myself, and think of the C# as providing tension leading to the Csus4 and that cool pedal on the F note. It just sounds so nice, and that's sometimes enough. smile
Thank you, Ron, for your _really_ nice words.
Makes me a little less sad [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

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Originally Posted by BlueAttitude
Man! I absolutely love this. One my second listen as I type. Perfect instrumentation! And great job on the production also.

Can't help with the question about the chord progression, I know nothing about theory. I'm with Ron, if it sounds good then it's right! wink
Thank you so much for your nice feedback both here and on YouTube, Dave.
Mucho appreciated.
And I agree, when it sounds good, it IS right.
That's also how I approach mixing, no matter what the pros say smile

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Dm-Db-Csus4-G/B
If you look at the chords the bass line is D-Db-C-B a chromatically descending line. The notes above the bass are F-F-F-G. The top notes of the triads are A-Ab-G-D, again notice the descending first three notes. Generally chord progressions like this (descending lines and common notes - the F-F-F) sound great, think Lay Lady Lay, I Fooled Around and Fell in Love, etc.

Regardless of that this is one outstanding song and your best to date IMHO. I love songs like this and man you took it to a whole new level. Everything about this is outstanding, a true masterpiece.

Loved it.

PS - although this song did not need drums if you run into problems in the future Steve Slate's SSD-5 has a feature where you drag in an audio file and it will try to match it with drum possibilities. I have tried it and it works really well.

Last edited by MarioD; 02/28/25 06:34 PM.

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It's called the Heineken Maneuver.

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Originally Posted by Tano Music
Like a mood painting—music, lyrics all guiding the listener down that mystical, wondering, uncertain path. Really enjoyed it.thanks for posting.

Regarding the chord progression: sounds like it supports a bass line descending by half tones—the ear hears this and likes it, even if not understanding the theory.
Mood painting - I've never heard of that, but yeah, that describes the song very well.
Thank you Tano [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

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B. D.,

Beautiful and wonderfully produced. You are making some great music these days...

Loved it.

Bob

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Originally Posted by Guitarhacker
Very nice... Yeah it ended up perfect for the song. When you listen to what the song is telling you, and do those things, the song ends up being the best it can be, and this is a great example of that.

A philosopher..... I'll take that.

Good job.
Thanks, Herb, especially for the good advice in your signature smile

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That's quite a composition creatively speaking, but for me it's a bit too much 'music to jump off a cliff to'! laugh


Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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BDT, your productions are always so well done but this one rises above. The sad write is complimented elegantly by the impressive instrumentation. It all sounds beautiful. I laughed out loud several times while reading your introduction. Nicely executed.

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Hello. Beautiful melancholic production
For me the progression is in Dm: Dm DmMaj7 Dm7 Dm6 and A (Vth degree) for the DmMaj7 Dm7 Dm6, the 7th and 6th is played on the bass Db C B .
Laurent

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Originally Posted by floyd jane
B.D.

Impressive.
Gorgeous.

Your synth work is quite impressive.
Killer bass.

An Outstanding production.

Worth several listens.

fj
Thanks Floyd for your nice feedback.
Mucho appreciated [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

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B.D.

Beautiful video!
It's always inspiring to see someone go back to something they temporarily discarded (lyrics) and the turn dust into diamonds!
I know what you mean about the realdrums! I love the sound of BIAB's realdrums, but sometimes they just won't fit our vision for a tune and have to be replaced with something else!
A very nice effort once again from you!

Take care, TB

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Brain, this is fabulous, dude. Your lyrics are always so darn good. I love this without drums (I, too, am a drum fanatic). The vocals are outstanding, both in projection and production. The song is very well mixed and very engaging.


Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

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