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Quiet Desperation - video
Quiet Desperation - audio

Hard to believe it's been two months since our last J&B post but for better or worse here we go.

Recently David Snyder reviewed a floyd jane song and wrote in part: "Another great version of the subtly gut-wrenching, quietly understated reminder that so many human beings as Thoreau said 'lead lives of quiet desperation.'"  I read Thoreau's Walden decades ago but had not thought of that quote in years. Reflecting on the people all around us living on the margin led to this attempt at a lyric to express my feelings. Production wise we were hoping for a John Mellencamp groove.

Thanks to:

- Kenny for the vocals and letting his lead guitar “dance with the fiddle;”
- David for his inspiring quote;
- floyd jane for putting the golden ears on the mix and counsel;
- Noel for early on bridge structure advice; and,
- as always to PG Music for enabling fun and fellowship.

For the technically inclined:

Janice: lead and harmony vocals / Rodes NT1 > Scarlett 212 > Logic Pro X / Nectar 2
The verse and chorus lead vocal track was duplicated with heavy compression added to the double which was mixed under the original. A second track was sung to double the bridge.

Kenny: lead guitar and harmony vocals / processing via whatever he does

Drums 1 RD N’ville Even8ths / Neutron / 140 EMT reverb sim / Ozone Imager
Drums 2 - additional snare/cymbal tracks from RD file / Neutron / 140 EMT reverb sim / Ozone Imager

Bass RT 684 Electric PopHalfNotesSync Ev 120 / Neutron

Fiddle RT 1753 Background Pop8ths Ev 110 (comped from multiple generations) / Logic Pro X overdrive sim / Neutron / 140 EMT reverb sim (held chords created from same RT for chorus)

Guitar RT 998 ElectricHardRockLACrispSync Ev 120 Direct Input / Logic Pro X amp-speaker-mic sim / Neutron
(held chords created from same RT for chorus)

Guitar RT693 Acoustic AcRockBright Ev 120 / Neutron / 140 EMT reverb sim

Mixed in Logic Pro X / Mastered via Ozone 7 Advanced

Quiet Desperation
© 2017
Janice: music Bud: words

she drives a 20 year old Chevrolet
and lives in a 30 year old single wide
two grown kids who never found their way
reminders of a marriage that slowly died

she's one more of the long forgotten
just some fodder for the politicians
never read a single page of Walden
but she knows her own quiet desperation

too many hard years ’n not enough play
there's a wardrobe that no longer fits her
she dreams of when the guys would say
why, honey, you're pretty as a picture

she's one more of the long forgotten
just some fodder for the politicians
never read a single page of Walden
but she knows her own quiet desperation

another day working a double shift
another week waiting on welfare
another month's rent spent on daycare
another year living on the edge

repeat chorus
counterpoint chorus