there's a pawnshop down in jacksonville that owns about half my guns the title to my boat, my fishing gear and the rights to my first born son they've got my skil saw and my socket set and that black and decker drill i have my cookouts down at the pawnshop 'cause that's where i keep my grill
i spend a lot of time down at a-1 pawn since my wife used my clothes to decorate the lawn i may be only guessin', but i got the firm impression she wanted to see me gone between the pawnshop and that woman i'm giving it all away between the pawnshop and that woman i'll take the pawnshop any day
that woman kept my 4x4 the house and my mobile phone the pawnshop's got so much of everything else it's starting to feel like home one day i'll get back on my feet clear these pawnshop selves take everything back except that woman i'll leave her for someone else
that woman cleaned out the back accounts so i'm hocking what's left for cash she was one of those things in life you can't afford if you have to ask between the pawnshop and that woman i'm giving it all away between the pawnshop and that woman i'll take the pawnshop any day
the pawnshop's been like family i've got a cot and a place to stay so if your woman puts you down, come on around i'll buzz you through the gate between the pawnshop and that woman i'm giving it all away between the pawnshop and that woman i'll take the pawnshop any day
The Band... RealTracks in style: ~539:Bass, Electric, Pop Sw 120 RealTracks in song: 625:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Rascal Sw 075 RealTracks in song: ~959:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryBoogieA-B Sw 140 RealTracks in song: ~975:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountrySwingCleanMuted Sw 140 RealTracks in style: ~1117:Fiddle, Background CountryBoogie Sw 140 RealTracks in song: 617:Pedal Steel, Background Shuffle Sw 136 RealTracks in song: 2165:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm NewOrleansSwinginPop Sw 130 MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2248:Piano, Soloist CountryShuffleJohn Sw 120 RealTracks in song: 1283:Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryShuffleBrent Sw 120 RealTracks in song: 1279:Guitar, Electric, Soloist CountryBoogieBrent Sw 140 RealDrums in style: NashvilleShuffle^01-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride
again a masterpiece. Everything fits. (And there are a lot of RTs that had to be puzzled together). Very entertaining lyrics. I learned two new words (cot and skill saw). And your vocals delivery is spot on. You see me toe tapping while I'm writing this. Most enjoyable.
floyd, Once again you have displayed clever wordsmithing. A very fun and enjoyable listen. Great editing . The mix sounds good and the vocal is on point. Anyone who has spent as much time as I have in pawnshops knows that there is much joy in discovering good deals and much sadness in the stories that surround them. Very interesting places indeed for a number of different reasons. Another keeper in your catalogue of good uns. Tom
In principle I am not the biggest fan of Country music, but I noted some very interesting things in your song : first of all, the orchestration, many instruments and a mix which is very well done ; One other thing that interests me is the voices in the background, is it your voice with reverb or samples?
Deliciously humorous!! Crafty and fun. Everything this type of song should be. When I saw the title, I knew it'd be great but I wasn't sure what type of song it was. The last line of the chorus delivers the humorous blow after a great setup. The master is back in town!! Great work Floyd! Take care. Greg
Count me among the impressed as well. I'm always amazed by the unexpected lyrics you come up with. Not sure how you do it, but I like it. Thanks for sharing this.
That's quite a list of realtracks used here! Man, how do you get these mixes so crispy clear, uhm, yes you already explained once... We are trying to do the same in our recordings, but haven't managed to get this crystal clear audio quality yet. Anyway, another country song very well done!
Rob
We are Rob Meulman and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp from The Netherlands.
But the arrangement and mix were simply stunning - lots of variety, and the licks fit in like they were played just for the part, but never crowded or blocked the lyric.
What a great musical journey! A terrific drive through the countryside of down-to-earth humour. Scenery, laughs and smiles all the way. And a toe-tapping beat to keep the feet actively involved as well. All wrapped up in a first class arrangement, top notch performance and outstanding production. Excellent stuff!
After reading Herb's comment, “That's a true country song.... clever lyrical crafting, with more truth than should be the case”, I nodded my head in agreement. He summed up the lyrics well.
When I first saw the song's title in the forum, I sat looking at it and thinking about it for around 15 minutes. It's one of the most intriguing titles I've ever seen. I was fascinated and I found myself wondering how anyone could use such a title in a song. What theme links a 'pawnshop' to 'that woman'? While vivid images appeared when I thought about either 'pawnshop' or 'that woman', I could not, for the life of me, think of a link between the two that had sufficient potential to create a whole song lyric. I'm envious of your ability to find a song in the most unusual and unexpected places.
I can't remember which song it was but, a while back, I recall commenting on how you used the rhyme scheme found in limericks to complement the emotional journey of a serious song. In “Pawnshop”, you've chosen a different path. You've taken the rhyme technique of a limerick (AABBA) and used it to enhance the effect of comedy.
Quote:
i spend a lot of time down at a-1 pawn since my wife used my clothes to decorate the lawn i may be only guessin' but i got the firm impression she wanted to see me gone
While it's a little different in that the meter of the first two lines scans as one foot longer than those found in the traditional limericks, the last three phrases parallel the limerick's design.
After I heard you sing the above sequence of phrases, I burst out laughing. It wasn't until later when I was looking through the lyrics that I saw the format and realised how you made me laugh out loud. That was a very clever touch. If it's possible to be a 'Le Cordon Bleu' songwriter, you are definitely one.
Like with your song's title, I was also intrigued by the song's form. It's a very effective variation of AAA. The song travels along as ABABAB where the B-section is lyrically different each time and tagged with a refrain. The third A-section is an instrumental section. In the greater scheme of song formats, it's possible to group A and B together and simply call the pair a single section. This means that the song is essentially three song-sections: thus my comparison to AAA. I have to say, your use of the ABABAB format gives quite a different feel from the standard form where the B-section of a song is the chorus. I like it.
Having the third A-section as an instrumental is a terrific use of the 'Rule Of Two' that Steve Seskin introduced me to a few years ago. I've mentioned this a couple of times before in other songs. Using standard 'Applied Rule-Of-Two 101', after you've gone through the AB sequence twice, you go somewhere different before coming back to the third B section. It worked for me!
For those who read this and are not familiar with what Seskin means, his theory is that decades of popular songs and centuries of classical music have demonstrated that if one wants to achieve musical contrast without creating boredom for the listener, it's necessary to play a sequence and then to repeat it once. This establishes a feeling of familiarity. Then, after the familiar has been created, the power of contrast kicks in when the music goes somewhere different. Following the contrasting section, the music then returns to the familiar and the familiar section is more strongly emphasised because of the contrasting section. Seskin says that listeners generally feel a sense of satisfaction from this structure.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about the 'Rule Of Two', here's Mozart to help explain what I mean.
Quote:
This is the music performance...
...and this is some public domain sheet music that I've annotated. Simply left-click on the link and the pdf should open in a web page.
By hovering the mouse pointer over the comment boxes (#1) in the pdf, what I've written (#2) becomes visible.
In relation to the first page of music only, if I put the various sections of Rondo Alla Turca into letters, I get the layout pattern...
A A B A' B A' C
(where A' = A-section with slight variation)
That is, by the end of page 1 of the music...
First the A-section is repeated twice (establishing familiarity); then the music moves into a B-section (contrast). The B-section then leads back to the A-section (return to the familiar) with a slight variation to accommodate an ending. This sequence of BA' is then repeated again and establishes the larger pattern of B+A' as the new familiar section. The playing then enters into a C-section (a new contrast).
More succinctly...
A-section twice
The B-section is heard as contrast (Rule Of Two)
The BA'-sections play twice
C-section starts and is heard as a new contrast (Rule Of Two)
This pattern is one of a number of ways that Steve Seskin's 'Rule Of Two' appears in music.
Quote:
Out of interest, and if my analysis is correct, the full performance of Rondo Alla Turca maps the following sequence of musical sections.
A A B A' B A' C C D D E D' E D' C C
...change key...
A A B A' B A' C' C' Ending
Lastly, I liked the way that you ended each song section with a refrain that finished with an open, long vowel sound. The “-ay” sound felt comfortable. If my memory serves me correctly, I'm pretty sure that I've read somewhere that Oscar Hammerstein II (of Rodgers and Hammerstein, “Sound Of Music”, etc.) liked to end the lyric of his song sections on an open vowel wherever he could, too. Seems like you're in good company.
Quote:
In an attempt to verify my above comment, I've just checked out the ultimate syllable of the songs in the "Sound Of Music". Out of 11 songs, 7 of them ended with open vowel sounds, 1 ended with an open vowel sound terminated with 'm' (i.e. "dream" where the 'm' can be musically sustained), and three songs ended with a hard consonant 'd'.
It seems as though my memory wasn't playing tricks on me this time around. That's a relief
Once again, thank you for letting me work my way through your songs. I really enjoy trying to apply what I've picked up from books and seminars. It's through these analyses that I learn such a lot. In so many ways, your works are a terrific resource for understanding the finer points of song craftsmanship.
All in all… an excellent creation, an excellent presentation and a brilliant production. It seems to me that you have definitely discovered how to output the quality of a professional studio. This really doesn't sound like BIAB at all.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
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