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It's been ten years since Hurricane Katrina. I was there. My life was forever changed.
I could say so much more but ...
I wrote this song in August of 2007 with some lyrical help from a friend I made in my new home in Texas - Bobby Elkins.
[Link no longer valid]
RealTracks: 1827 Bass, Praise and worship Drums,
2448 Guitar, 1581 Guitar, 1582 Guitar, 2534 Guitar, 1000 Guitar,
2503 Piano, 1690 Piano,
382 Slide Guitar (soloist),
1543 Synth Pad, 685 Harmonica, 1756 Pedal Steel (and Reverse 1756 Pedal Steel), 1173 Accordion
A Vessel In A Storm (August 2007)
Lyrics by Lawrence Olivier and Bobby Elkins
I’ve seen twenty-five years in Louisiana
Until she came ashore
She took me away from my city Lord
Can you really blame a man for moving on
I’m a vessel on a vessel in the middle of a storm
I’m like a candle in a hurricane
Sometimes you don’t know what it takes, takes to carry on
You’ve got to find the joy in the pain
I’ve seen the levees brake and bleed her
With the waters from Lake Pontchartrain
A city just can’t take that kind of beating
So can you really blame a man for moving on
Can you feel the streets of Bourbon, and the spirits coming down
Tell me how long will I have to wait
Can you see the virgins praying, and angels that surround
The white laced lady Pontchartrain
It’s been a hard climb, It’s gonna be a hard climb
It’s been a hard time, It’s gonna be a hard time
I’m a vessel on a vessel in the middle of a storm
I’m like a candle in a hurricane
Sometimes you don’t know what it takes, takes to carry on
Did you find the joy in the pain
I’ve seen twenty-five years in Louisiana
Till Hurricane Katrina came ashore
She took me away from my city Lord
So can you really blame a man for moving on
Last edited by Andrew - PG Music; 09/02/20 09:15 AM.
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Nicely done -heartfelt lyrics - hard to imagine here in Australia what it was like.(from a musical perspective the slide fits really well).
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Hello Lawrence, well, there is not much not to like about this song  . Cool vocals as always. A nice rhythmic feel, and like Peter said, the slide guitar fits this song like a glove. Rob & Anne-Marie
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Hi Lawrence,
everything fits perfectly.
And above all I like your vocals.
Very enjoyable listen.
Guenter
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Lawrence, Good song. I can relate. A hurricane changes you forever. We were living right near the coast where Andrew made landfall in '92. Our house was the only one in our neighborhood that still had a roof the next day! Six hours of sheer terror. Afterwards, we didn't have electricity or water for six months. I'll never go camping again!  I hope the song was therapeutic. Regards, Bob p.s. Looks like Erika will be over our area on Tuesday. We have a gig on Tuesday - I think. 
Last edited by 90 dB; 08/28/15 04:41 AM.
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hi Lawrence awesome work love your stuff thanks eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
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Your tunes consistently have very professional sounding production and arrangements. On top of that you are a genuinely talented singer. The song has a bit of Bruce Hornsby thing going, and I can easily imagine hearing this without ever thinking of Band in a Box, or anything other than "cool song, wonder what the album sounds like".
The ten year anniversary of Katrina makes one think about the fragility of life and the resourcefulness and determination of people in the face of it. The song put me in the place of thinking about that, and that's a fine thing.
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I’m a vessel on a vessel in the middle of a storm
I’m like a candle in a hurricane
Sometimes you don’t know what it takes, takes to carry on
You’ve got to find the joy in the pain
That is some great writing!! You never cease to amaze me Lawrence. This is a hit! Should be on a hundred radio stations. Vocal is amazing, arrangement rocks, everything works!!
Take care. Greg
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Nicely done -heartfelt lyrics - hard to imagine here in Australia what it was like.(from a musical perspective the slide fits really well). Thank you Peter. I auditioned several soloists and the slide guitar was the best fit by far. Although I tried to make the tenor sax work because it's a song about New Orleans. Hello Lawrence, well, there is not much not to like about this song . Cool vocals as always. A nice rhythmic feel, and like Peter said, the slide guitar fits this song like a glove. Rob & Anne-Marie Thank you. I enjoy the rhythmic feel of these drums. I would like a bit of control of the kit though. Hi Lawrence,
everything fits perfectly.
And above all I like your vocals.
Very enjoyable listen.
Guenter Thank you again for stopping in for a listen. I'm glad you liked it. Lawrence, Good song. I can relate. A hurricane changes you forever. We were living right near the coast where Andrew made landfall in '92. Our house was the only one in our neighborhood that still had a roof the next day! Six hours of sheer terror. Afterwards, we didn't have electricity or water for six months. I'll never go camping again! I hope the song was therapeutic. Regards, Bob p.s. Looks like Erika will be over our area on Tuesday. We have a gig on Tuesday - I think. I just read that Erika has weakened. I'm happy your sake. I only had 5 weeks of no services. Eating MRE's that we would pick up from the National Guard in the parking lot of a closed down grocery store. That and Ice were what we lived on. My Condo was undamaged though many around me were either flooded or lost the roof. hi Lawrence awesome work love your stuff thanks eric
Thank you again Eric. Your tunes consistently have very professional sounding production and arrangements. On top of that you are a genuinely talented singer. The song has a bit of Bruce Hornsby thing going, and I can easily imagine hearing this without ever thinking of Band in a Box, or anything other than "cool song, wonder what the album sounds like".
The ten year anniversary of Katrina makes one think about the fragility of life and the resourcefulness and determination of people in the face of it. The song put me in the place of thinking about that, and that's a fine thing.
Thanks for taking time to stop by and comment and for the kind words. Fragile indeed. Nothing is promised most of all tomorrow. I’m a vessel on a vessel in the middle of a storm
I’m like a candle in a hurricane
Sometimes you don’t know what it takes, takes to carry on
You’ve got to find the joy in the pain
That is some great writing!! You never cease to amaze me Lawrence. This is a hit! Should be on a hundred radio stations. Vocal is amazing, arrangement rocks, everything works!!
Take care. Greg That is very generous of you Greg. Thank you for that.
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I took over the "front page".
I'm not above that. lol
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Awesome song, I love the sound of the slide guitar, it fits so well in the mix.
Kenny
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Great song from a seasoned musician.
Rob
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As usual, excellent work. The vocals are great, as I have come to expect from you. I grew up outside of Houston, and have seen my share of hurricanes. Katrina was a real mess. So many lost so much. Glad you survived. Enjoyed the song.
Steve
Steve Young Music"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
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Lawrence, What an awful event! You and Bobby have collaborated for a beautiful song Sometimes you don’t know what it takes, takes to carry on
You’ve got to find the joy in the pain As others have said, all fits perfectly a good, but sad, listen Alyn
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A touching story. I have nearly 40 years on the east coast where I lived and shared similar stories with folks encountering natural disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, floods and tornadoes as a insurance claims adjuster. Working along side an adjuster who had his own home destroyed but out helping others suffering the same fate. Meeting people who had to be rescued from tree tops, roof tops or cars being swept away by floodwaters.
Nature can be hard to reckon with.
Good song, excellent vocals and production.
Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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I like everything about this one, Lawrence.
Terrific arrangement and mix. Spectacular vocals - as always!
(We just dogged a bullet here... had a flight back in last night... so I was concerned for a while..)
floyd
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Awesome song, I love the sound of the slide guitar, it fits so well in the mix.
Kenny Thank you Kenny. I spent a lot of time lately studying the left-right-center panning technique like it sounds like you used on "Miracle Mile". I'm staring to dig it and plan to use it on my next recording. Great song from a seasoned musician.
Rob Thanks for stopping in for a listen. As usual, excellent work. The vocals are great, as I have come to expect from you. I grew up outside of Houston, and have seen my share of hurricanes. Katrina was a real mess. So many lost so much. Glad you survived. Enjoyed the song.
Steve
Steve, thanks for listening. And yes Katrina was a mess. Lawrence, What an awful event! You and Bobby have collaborated for a beautiful song Sometimes you don’t know what it takes, takes to carry on
You’ve got to find the joy in the pain As others have said, all fits perfectly a good, but sad, listen Alyn Ayln thank you for listening. It was sad indeed. A touching story. I have nearly 40 years on the east coast where I lived and shared similar stories with folks encountering natural disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, floods and tornadoes as a insurance claims adjuster. Working along side an adjuster who had his own home destroyed but out helping others suffering the same fate. Meeting people who had to be rescued from tree tops, roof tops or cars being swept away by floodwaters.
Nature can be hard to reckon with.
Good song, excellent vocals and production.
Charlie Thank you Charlie. Nature will let you know just who is really in charge. I like everything about this one, Lawrence.
Terrific arrangement and mix. Spectacular vocals - as always!
(We just dogged a bullet here... had a flight back in last night... so I was concerned for a while..)
floyd I was keeping track of that storm too. Glad you liked the song.
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Great song, strong production, awesome vocal.
It's interesting that you mentioned you'd auditioned the tenor sax instead of the slide. I'd always associated the trumpet with New Orleans.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Hello,
I really like this song.
great mixing of sounds, very soft and enjoyable.
Great voice too.
Hello.
Sergio.
Sergio
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