Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#359595 08/05/16 02:18 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
tommyad Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
I wrote this last week after I had to put down my dog. My constant daily companion for 12 years suddenly gone. Lots of tears. Music is my medicine. A cool technique I discovered is to take held piano chords and underpin them with held pedal steel pads. The result is a bell like sustain.


Vocals, Tom Adams


RealTracks in style: ~2503:Piano, Acoustic, HeldChords 085
RealTracks in style: ~362:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 838:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopBalladClean Ev 085
RealTracks in song: ~363:Pedal Steel, Background Ev Held 085
RealTracks in song: ~2051:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev Simple 085
Royalty Free Loops
Recorded in Logic ProX, Alloy2, Nectar2, Ozone6, Scuffam Amps S-Gear.



https://soundcloud.com/tommyad/Send-A-Sign


http://tommyadamsmusic.com/music


http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=13427543



Send A Sign

We became the very best of friends
You always knew when I was feeling bad
you’ve left me here and in the end
I can’t let go of what we had

An empty house, an empty heart
and I can’t find a way to fill this hole

I’ll keep a light on every night maybe it will help you see
Are you OK please send a sign cause that is what I really need


We saw the world through different eyes
Everyday we took our walks
it goes so fast The years fly by
I sure am going to miss those talks

An empty house, an empty heart
and I can’t find a way to fill this hole

I’ll keep a light on every night maybe it will help you see
Are you OK please send a sign cause that is what I really need

I’ll keep a light on every night maybe it will help you see
Are you OK please send a sign cause that is what I really need

©2016 Thomas Adams

tommyad #359599 08/05/16 02:46 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,857
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,857
A fitting and touching song. Anyone who has ever loved a dog will understand.

Unfortunately, dogs live much too short. But they pack a lot of living into those years. They love us unconditionally while they're here and a part of our lives. They touch the deepest part of our soul and heart. And they leave a big empty place in our hearts and lives when they leave.

Give yourself a bit of time to grieve the loss of your furry friend, then, as they say, the cure for a heart broken by the death of a beloved dog is a new puppy.

The death of a dog can be as traumatic as the death of a family member because that's exactly what they are.... family.

The song is nicely done, and a fitting tribute to man's best friend and unwavering, four-legged companion.


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.
tommyad #359607 08/05/16 03:40 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Sorry for your loss, Tommy. This is a fitting tribute.


Regards,

Bob

tommyad #359613 08/05/16 04:33 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Hi Tommy,

a fitting tribute. I can relate as I had a dog for 17 years.
I especially like the vocals and the
beautiful background vocals.

Guenter

tommyad #359616 08/05/16 04:44 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Hi Tommy,
it's always a treat to see a new Tommy Adams song on the showcase... I hate that this time it's a song of grieving.

The lyrics are cleverly written... I'm guessing it's intentional that they could be interpreted very widely and applied to the end of any relationship. That probably wouldn't have occurred to me, but in retrospect, it seems like a creative decision that would increase the appeal of the song.

I really liked the way the guitar echoes the fiddle. Must have taken a bit of work to make that happen, but wow! What a payoff!

Your backing vocals are so seamless I had to listen a few times before I noticed them. I like the fact that they have their own mini melody, not just the usual simple ooohs and aaahs across a single chord.

Thanks for sharing your tip about the piano and pedal steel playing held chords... and for providing specific real tracks to use for the effect

There is a realness to your music that I don't hear in everybody's posts. When you write about loss, the pain actually makes it through the mix. What a powerful attribute for a song writer to possess!

tommyad #359624 08/05/16 05:31 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,357
Tommy

A heartfelt, beautifully sung tribute that,as Pat said, has broad appeal for anyone who has experienced loss ( I`m sending it to my wife as she has been there a few times now with several four legged companions ).
Wonderful interplay between the fiddle (Realtrack?) and your guitar - the intro grabs attention right away.

Robert

tommyad #359642 08/05/16 07:15 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,917
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,917
"An empty house, an empty heart
and I can’t find a way to fill this hole"

It can't be said any better than that.
I had a "constant companion" for 15 years - still hurts...you really strike a chord here...

The "generic write" is well done.
Terrific production and mix. The guitar bits are really nice.

Sung from the heart.

A beautiful tribute. I feel for you.

fj

User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
tommyad Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker
A fitting and touching song. Anyone who has ever loved a dog will understand.

Unfortunately, dogs live much too short. But they pack a lot of living into those years. They love us unconditionally while they're here and a part of our lives. They touch the deepest part of our soul and heart. And they leave a big empty place in our hearts and lives when they leave.

Give yourself a bit of time to grieve the loss of your furry friend, then, as they say, the cure for a heart broken by the death of a beloved dog is a new puppy.

The death of a dog can be as traumatic as the death of a family member because that's exactly what they are.... family.

The song is nicely done, and a fitting tribute to man's best friend and unwavering, four-legged companion.
Herb, I know you're a dog guy and thought you would relate. Thanks for the nice comments, Tom

tommyad #359687 08/05/16 11:56 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,647
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,647
Tom
Sorry to hear about your dog. A very nice tribute.
The song itself is beautifully put together and as Pat says has brilliant backing vocals.
Great song writing.

tommyad #359703 08/05/16 12:54 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,959
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,959
Tom,

So sorry - I've been there... This song is heartbreaking, but a beautiful tribute.

Bob

tommyad #359707 08/05/16 01:18 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,067
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,067
Tom,

Beautiful and heartbreaking song.
We both been through the same situation more than once, and we know how it feels.
Music sure can be a medicine.

All the best,

Rob & Anne-Marie


We are Rob Meulman and Anne-Marie Bovenkamp from The Netherlands.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gsdNLE7_Gy8qavoOplQow/videos
http://rnam.net/


tommyad #359720 08/05/16 03:26 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Tom,

Your song is such a loving and heart wrenching tribute to your beautiful dog.

It is so hard to lose that unconditional love and companionship. I know that pain and the big hole left in your heart and home all too well.

I pray that God will comfort your heart through this dark time and that you will be able to one day smile with the thought of each sweet memory of love, laughter, and fun from all those years and good times you shared together.

God bless you.

tommyad #359750 08/05/16 08:37 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,079
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,079
Tom,
So sad.

A great song, a fitting tribute to a good friend!

Alyn

tommyad #359762 08/06/16 01:06 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 221
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 221
Tom I feel your pain. Your song is nostalgic to me as I too have lost a best friend. Still I can't help but notice the neat song structure and production. Not bad for a week's work!

boehm #359764 08/06/16 01:52 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
tommyad Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Originally Posted By: 90 dB
Sorry for your loss, Tommy. This is a fitting tribute.


Regards,

Bob
Thanks Bob, Tom
Originally Posted By: boehm
Hi Tommy,

a fitting tribute. I can relate as I had a dog for 17 years.
I especially like the vocals and the
beautiful background vocals.

Guenter
Guenter, I am sure many of us here have experienced the same thing. Thanks for the comments, Tom

tommyad #359773 08/06/16 04:21 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,863
C
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
C
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,863
A great tribute for the loss of the best of friends.

Your expression of grief will give comfort to a lot of people.


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.
tommyad #359815 08/06/16 12:20 PM
User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,360
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,360
Oh man, I feel for you. I think I've always had a dog and there's nothing like coming home to someone who's always so glad to see you.
So, as a fellow dog lover, I'm so sorry for your loss.
You express the emotions so well in this song and I love all the vocals, especially the background. As always beautifully played, well written, from the heart. Pat Marr says just about everything
spot on and elegantly about this tender and well crafted song.

Kenny

Pat Marr #359849 08/07/16 02:06 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
tommyad Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Originally Posted By: Pat Marr
Hi Tommy,
it's always a treat to see a new Tommy Adams song on the showcase... I hate that this time it's a song of grieving.

The lyrics are cleverly written... I'm guessing it's intentional that they could be interpreted very widely and applied to the end of any relationship. That probably wouldn't have occurred to me, but in retrospect, it seems like a creative decision that would increase the appeal of the song.

I really liked the way the guitar echoes the fiddle. Must have taken a bit of work to make that happen, but wow! What a payoff!

Your backing vocals are so seamless I had to listen a few times before I noticed them. I like the fact that they have their own mini melody, not just the usual simple ooohs and aaahs across a single chord.

Thanks for sharing your tip about the piano and pedal steel playing held chords... and for providing specific real tracks to use for the effect

There is a realness to your music that I don't hear in everybody's posts. When you write about loss, the pain actually makes it through the mix. What a powerful attribute for a song writer to possess!
Pat, I did change a few lyrics to make the song more universal, so that it wasn't just about a dog. The guitar and the fiddle are loops. The backing vocal is me on high harmony with a single vocal loop. It does require some cut and pasting and the all important nudge. Thanks for your kind words. Tom

floyd jane #359953 08/08/16 05:08 AM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
tommyad Offline OP
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Originally Posted By: Robertkc
Tommy

A heartfelt, beautifully sung tribute that,as Pat said, has broad appeal for anyone who has experienced loss ( I`m sending it to my wife as she has been there a few times now with several four legged companions ).
Wonderful interplay between the fiddle (Realtrack?) and your guitar - the intro grabs attention right away.

Robert
Thanks Robert. As I Previously mentioned the guitar and fiddle were loops. Tom
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
"An empty house, an empty heart
and I can’t find a way to fill this hole"

It can't be said any better than that.
I had a "constant companion" for 15 years - still hurts...you really strike a chord here...

The "generic write" is well done.
Terrific production and mix. The guitar bits are really nice.

Sung from the heart.

A beautiful tribute. I feel for you.

fj
floyd, I usually try to stay away from generic lines but in this case it was a therapy write so I didn't care. I didn't play anything on this one. All loops and real tracks. Thanks, I appreciate it. Tom

tommyad #359954 08/08/16 05:14 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,917
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,917
Originally Posted By: tommyad

floyd, I usually try to stay away from generic lines but in this case it was a therapy write so I didn't care.


Hope you got that I meant that as a compliment...As Pat noted this is written in a way that allows it to cover loss experienced by almost anyone...

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.

Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.

Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.

Holiday Weekend Hours

As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:

April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours

Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!

— Team PG

Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!

If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!

If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!

Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!

PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.

The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.

The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.

Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!

Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.

Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!

Order now!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,162
Posts801,455
Members40,061
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
Armando D'Errico, PhilinPhil, RBDavis1957, Trenamusic, feralearthman
40,061 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 138
zedd 103
DC Ron 102
rsdean 102
Noel96 75
Today's Birthdays
DORUMALAIA, Rayblue69
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5