EDIT: I've had to reload the video after making some edits to resolution of images in the train window. YouTube: Next Station (reloaded)
In a rare use of AI, mid-last year I asked Copilot AI to give me several ideas for songs with specific instructions it was NOT to give me any lyrics – just the concept. I selected the idea of a man catching a train and the stations reminding him of his past.
The man in this song has caught a train and, in reverse chronological order, each station is a moment of his life that he recalls - some with fondness and some with regret, with his ultimate destination being one of reconciliation, both with himself and those he loves.
Sorry about the length - 5:47.
DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION Style is _THUMB.STY (Thumb Fingerpicking Indie Folk)
RealTracks in style: 5068:Bass, Acoustic, Folk16ths ev16 90 RealTracks in style: 4984:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking ModernFolk16ths ev16 90 RealTracks in style: 4985:Guitar, 6stringBass, Fingerpicking ModernFolk8thsAlternating ev16 90 RealDrums in style:IndieFolkBrushesEv16: a: IndieFolkBrushesEv16b: IndieFolkBrushesEv16
Initially, I was going to use RealTracks 3554:Multi[Thickened=5] String Quartet, Rhythm PopHall Ev 085, but as I’d used that style before on other finger-picking songs, I decided to replace the strings with my own vocal ensemble – feeling this would be more personal. I recorded four part harmony (see notation notes attached) but my top part was 'dodgy' so it became three-part.
For the onboard announcer, I used 'English (British) Graceful Lady’ from English voice Graceful Lady . Sound effect of the train is from Pixabay ‘Inside the old train’ by newlocknew (Freesound) Old train FX
Mixed and recorded in Reaper.
LYRICS I’m being rocked from side to side by the motion of the train It’s been a long time since I’ve travelled this way To tell you the truth, I’m not sure why I’m coming back But I’m lost – I’ve got nowhere else to go
This is where my wife and kids lived after they moved out I couldn’t control my anger, learning not to scream and shout I didn’t see Jane grow up or Jack become a man I reached out several times but it didn’t go to plan If only I could let them know it wasn’t the real me But the damage’s done, there’s too much pain – I have to let them be
And I lost it all, I’m not talking ‘bout the loan That’s just money - it’s the other things I’d blown How did I go from bad to worse, that wasn’t my intent Turning apologies to something she’d resent
This is where Stacey lived when we first met She had a beaming smile that I never could forget I’ve never felt so loved, I told her I loved her as well It wasn’t long and we were walking to those wedding bells Man she was so beautiful in her wedding dress And we set up home and spent our first years in wedded bliss
And I had it all, I didn’t realise I was in it And she loved me – every hour, every minute I tried so very hard to be the man that she deserved But I couldn’t say what’s needed, I was too reserved
My younger brother Bob and I spent summers at the dam Escaping scorching heatwaves, I became a young man Bob liked to take some risks; he did things I’d never do And as the older brother, I felt responsibility too Bob would disappear alone, we never knew to where And the last I saw him at the dam – his body floating there
He was the man that I wanted to be And I loved him – I just wished that it’d been me I tried to be the older brother he’d have looked up to But instead I’m living here missing your half of me
There’s our family home – my parents sacrificed so much My life became my own and I didn’t keep in touch Why do I feel ashamed that I didn’t make them proud And I never thanked them – never said it out aloud I know they wouldn’t have cared about the burdens that I hold They’d just want to see me as they grew old
Something draws me back to resolve what’s unfinished To put a better gloss on the life that’s been diminished My memories anchor me in place - can’t escape the grief and shame As much as I avoid it, it keeps calling out my name
I’ve spent so much time trying to escape these places But here on the platform are the very faces Of Mum and Dad and Bob, my kids and Stacey too This phantom train has brought me here to do what I must do
Last edited by Andrew Dee; 06/14/2609:56 PM. Reason: New video link
Cool song idea, and a wonderful way to turn it into such a fine production. Lyrics are sensational. I like the train sounds you added. [Hey, Andrew, i seem to be following in your footsteps --or in this case your rails. My next one is about trains too.] Man, what a great song for the story of this man's life. I like how you produce the music to fully support the lyrics --the story-- sometimes by simply staying out of the way. Love this!!
Enjoy whatever happens! marty
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 12, EZDrummer
That's an incredibly cool concept for a song, and it's so easy to relate to. Whenever I visit my old hometown, countless memories come flooding back at every "station" I pass. Fortunately, in my case, they’re all happy memories.
You really did a great job of turning that idea into song lyrics and a song, and it's so interesting that the 5 minutes and 47 seconds just flew by. Great work, Andrew
Really great concept, tying life events to a train journey and the stops along the way. It has that constant reflective rhythm and I love the way you’ve tied in the train rhythm to the song rhythm. Great choice of style and instruments, the fingerpicking especially creates a feeling of inward reflection. This has been written and handled with great sensitivity, one of your best IMHO. Only nit-pick with the video, the train windows I assume were meant to contain images, they were barely visible. No biggie, for me it’s all about the audio not the video anyway.
Hi all! As K-Dub Ya pointed out, the images on the video in the train window didn't come up clearly, so I've adjusted the video and reloaded to YouTube. Here is the new link: YouTube: Next Station (reloaded) . The link in the OP has also been amended. Andrew
Great lyrics. Very cool harmonies. I also like your band. Excellent vocal and mix. Very clear & punchy. Another great song!
Thanks Bob! I'm glad you liked the harmonies - probably the part of the song that I agonised over most. I think I've peaked with lyrics on this song, so it's all going to be downhill from here! Coming from you - our 'lyricist supremo' - I'm very grateful of your comments. You've taught this non-lyricist that maybe words do matter.
Originally Posted by BabuMusic
Cool song idea, and a wonderful way to turn it into such a fine production. Lyrics are sensational. I like the train sounds you added. [Hey, Andrew, i seem to be following in your footsteps --or in this case your rails. My next one is about trains too.] Man, what a great song for the story of this man's life. I like how you produce the music to fully support the lyrics --the story-- sometimes by simply staying out of the way. Love this!!
Thanks Marty! I would have much preferred the idea to have been my own, but I took AI's one sentence description and ran with it. Copilot also suggested a song title 'Van life' that I am still working on. It's going to a dark place which I am unsure of, so I'm letting that stew for a time. Mix-wise, I had wondered if I should have the vocal sitting back more, but being more upfront and the focus suited the 'confessional' nature of the narrative. Thank you for your comment on YouTube - unfortunately I had to replace the video due to poor image editing on my part. I have my ticket booked for your train song!
Originally Posted by Guitarhacker
That's a long one. Suitable for a song about a train ride. I like the concept you employed as stated in your OP. Good mix.
Thanks Herb! Copilot suggested "A character is on a late-night train journey that takes them through various memories, reflecting on missed opportunities, lost loves, and pivotal moments in their life." As soon as I read it, my own ideas came flooding forth - in fact, I had two other verse ideas that I didn't use because I already knew from the BIAB MGU it was going to be long.
Originally Posted by B.D.Thomas
That's an incredibly cool concept for a song, and it's so easy to relate to. Whenever I visit my old hometown, countless memories come flooding back at every "station" I pass. Fortunately, in my case, they’re all happy memories. You really did a great job of turning that idea into song lyrics and a song, and it's so interesting that the 5 minutes and 47 seconds just flew by. Great work, Andrew
Thanks B.D.! I was a bit worried about the length but did hope that the story of the song would keep everyone glued for the duration. Interesting to hear about your own train recollections. I'm mainly a bus traveller locally, and I find it very therapeutic to be alone with my own thoughts while the scenery passes by. This makes me think I should increase my antenna to look for everyday situations that can be used as a literal or metaphorical basis for a song.
Originally Posted by K-Dub Ya
Really great concept, tying life events to a train journey and the stops along the way. It has that constant reflective rhythm and I love the way you’ve tied in the train rhythm to the song rhythm. Great choice of style and instruments, the fingerpicking especially creates a feeling of inward reflection. This has been written and handled with great sensitivity, one of your best IMHO. Only nit-pick with the video, the train windows I assume were meant to contain images, they were barely visible. No biggie, for me it’s all about the audio not the video anyway. Great work Andrew
Hi Lee! I'm glad you commented on the video quality. It was fine in Clipchamp but when I viewed it last night on my iPad, I had trouble viewing the window content, but wondered if it was just my device. I've adjusted it and reloaded.
I had this song idea in primitive form when we undertook our story telling songwriting challenge but decided I was not going to complete that exercise with something I'd already started. So, it sat there half-finished until I got 'Lottery' and 'Omaha' done. Regarding the old train sound effect, it was quicker than the song tempo, so in Reaper, I slowed the effect speed until I could visually match the wave forms of the drums and the train effect - there was about six trial and error attempts until it worked out, and then I slid the stem into position to match the clatter with the start of a bar. Then, I copied it to each 'station'.
To be frank, when I was writing the verse about his brother Bob, I got a bit emotional when writing the lines ... 'He was the man that I wanted to be And I loved him – I just wished that it’d been me' I could easily see how this could happen to a person.
… Super vocals and vox FX: The gentle doubling(?) is quite effective. The low BGVs are a neat effect as well. The sync of the train sound with the music, whether intentional or a happy accident, is very cool, too. A delicious detail. Well done!
Hi Ron! Yes, most of my recent songs double the main vocal - in this one, the double is about -12db and 20% left. I use stretch markers in Reaper to align the odd syllable on the double here and there because I can’t reproduce the main vocal accurately. Regarding the train effect, I imported it onto the song then realised there was a conflict in rhythm so I slowed the speed until it matched, then aligned. Worked out well in the end. Thanks for listening and commenting! Andrew
Andrew, what a fantastic song. What a story set to music; what a brilliant concept. Loved your backing band, they fit perfectly to your lyrics. Outstanding vocal and mix. 5:47 flew by very rapidly here as I was fascinated with the entire production. Loved it
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
… 5:47 flew by very rapidly here as I was fascinated with the entire production. Loved it
Thank you Mario! It appears my concerns about the length were ill-founded. My hope was that listeners would be keen to hear where his narrative goes. Thanks for listening and commenting! Andrew
I love the concept of the train sounds between verses. When I was a DJ I used to play harmonica train songs and segue them with actual train sounds as you've done here. Singing is pretty good and the song itself isn't bad at all. The prosody of the piece is a tad off to my ears. (This was also true of your Omaha song). You're so talented with chords, I'm sure it will all come together in time.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
I love the concept of the train sounds between verses. When I was a DJ I used to play harmonica train songs and segue them with actual train sounds as you've done here. Singing is pretty good and the song itself isn't bad at all. The prosody of the piece is a tad off to my ears. (This was also true of your Omaha song). You're so talented with chords, I'm sure it will all come together in time.
Hi Rob! Yes, I like the train effects as well. With the song being long and four verses to boot, the effects act as a break between each.
Regarding the prosody of this song and also Omaha, and given that the term can describe the relationship between the lyrics and music (if I understand it correctly?) and therefore can manifested in different ways, I am interested in what you are hearing. I ask this genuinely and not being defensive, because sometimes one can’t see one’s own blind spots and I am keen to improve. I hope you can point out a few examples? Good critique can be just as useful as encouraging praise to help songwriters with their development - so thank you for mentioning!
Hi Andrew. I like the instrumental section, but for me, there are too many words struggling, regimentally to fit in. Also there is, to my mind, too much tell and not enough show. Leave some imagination for the listener to interpret. Just an example here to keep or sweep: "This is where my wife and kids lived after they moved out," lines, could be: "That's the place they're living.(breath) Nicely kept no doubt. I remember all the anger. How easy it came out". Could be delivered in a less regimented way. I'm not suggesting you use those exact words. I'm just trying to demonstrate that my lines introduce a little space and mystery for the listener to wonder what's coming next. Then the next lines make a little path to the next revelation. Does that make sense?
GREAT SONG Andrew, fabulous set up with the train & the train folley stuff. Sometimes I was a little uncomfortable with the vocal note choices but that's just me. Wonderful song of regret but, man, the line "This phantom train has brought me here to do what I must do" is DARK.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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