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Gathering Millstones I wrote this song in August. I tried to create an underlying discomfort in the music. I progressively added piano, viola, and pedal steel to offset the repetition and to add texture and weight. Still learning the ropes in this weekend hobby. Real Tracks: RT1677 Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent RT896 Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Rhythm FolkRock RT2456 Cello, Background PopSwing RT2870 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CelticAirDave RT2455 Viola, Background PopSwing RT2667 Pedal Steel, Background DreamySingleNote Don’t take the children (3x) They’re gathering millstones Someone is breaking the bond Of mother and child The wolves are running wild Can’t feel the wind blow Don’t take the children (3x) They’re gathering millstones Millions of silent cries Who heard their voice Who gave them a choice Can’t feel the wind blow Don’t take the children (3x) They’re gathering millstones Didn’t mean to leave them alone Just needed a buffer Who must suffer Can’t feel the wind blow Don’t take the children (3x) They’re gathering millstones Nobody did anything wrong Didn’t have a part to play Of leading them astray Can’t feel the wind blow. Don’t take the children (3x) They’re gathering millstones
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I like the mystery in the lyrics- enhanced by the repetition.
Good arrangement and a very clear vocal (good doubled vocal btw- sits beautifully in the mix).
Good song!
Robert
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PG Music Staff
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Hi Ezekiel, Fantastic work! The different elements really glue well together and the instruments are layered nicely. The guitar has a great tone and enjoyed the strings, they harmonize with the lyrics nicely. Well done!
Cheers,
Joe
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A nice mysterious piece - really interesting instrument choices,dark lyrics and nice vocals.
Very evocative and different.
Peter
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Hi!
The mystery in the music and the catchy lyric so nicely sung blend so smoothly with the backing tracks in a dissonant manner. The layering is a real nice touch - every verse is refreshed with the new addition. Unusual and quite enjoyable.
Alan
BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops
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I like Peter's word, "evocative."
"Someone is breaking the bond
Of mother and child
The wolves are running wild
Can’t feel the wind blow"
Love the way that established the feel for the lyric right from the get go.
Well done!
J&B
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Great work! I think you did a wonderful job with the repetitive nature of the arrangement. When I’m working on something that has repetitious phrases, I often have a hard time visualizing where I’m at in the arrangement and I find that it can be quite complicated to get it all right. I think you did a wonderful job in this regard.
I’d love to know the backstory behind the lyric… A great hallmark of a song Is that it causes the listener to want to know more about the underlying message… So let us in on the story!
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Very interesting piece, mysterious lyrics, nice chording and some Beatles flavors. Good vocals mixed well. Effective use of the string instruments.
Janne
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very pretty arrangement and clear strong vocals
enjoyed the listen,
Kenny
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Very cool vocal and lyric. Well done
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A very unique work. The lyrics fit the melody and production in that they are somewhat mysterious. It is up to the individual listener to determine the meaning. Definitely a Beatles influence. That is a good thing and somewhat unusual on this forum. I enjoyed the experience, Tom
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Very interesting music and lyrics!! You've really captured a mood with the combination of instruments......strings are beautifully weaved into this. Nice vocals and production. All of it works for me!! Take care. Greg
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Great work! I think you did a wonderful job with the repetitive nature of the arrangement. When I’m working on something that has repetitious phrases, I often have a hard time visualizing where I’m at in the arrangement and I find that it can be quite complicated to get it all right. I think you did a wonderful job in this regard.
I’d love to know the backstory behind the lyric… A great hallmark of a song Is that it causes the listener to want to know more about the underlying message… So let us in on the story! I got the idea for the song from the news stories about the government taking children away from their immigrant parents. That is where the idea started and where the first verse starts, but the subsequent verses deal with other harms done to children. The song is not meant to be a political one, just a humanitarian one. (There are verses that would irritate both the left and right sides of the spectrum.) The line "They're gathering millstones" is a biblical allusion to Luke 17:2 "It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble." I also alluded to Bob Dylan with the line "Can't feel the wind blow" because the answer to these problems are not "blowing in the wind." I hope I shed some light on the song. I wasn't trying to be enigmatic. I should have listened to my wife when she said she had no idea what I was singing about when I wrote this song. 
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A very unique work. The lyrics fit the melody and production in that they are somewhat mysterious. It is up to the individual listener to determine the meaning. Definitely a Beatles influence. That is a good thing and somewhat unusual on this forum. I enjoyed the experience, Tom Yes, the Beatles are definitely my biggest influence (as I am sure they might be for some others too); consequently, there seems to be a piece of them in almost every song I write.
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Thanks for taking the time to listen to and comment on my song. It's encouraging to hear when sometimes I feel like I'm just putzing around with my guitar, piano, and BIAB.
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Wow - what a unique and entrancing tune  I'm getting a late 60's kind of vibe on this one. I can hear some Beatles influence for sure. Your harmonies are gorgeous, and I love the haunting backing track. You really creating a distinct mood on this one, and I loved it. Great work and thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Deryk
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I really like this! Definitely has a late 60s vibe, which is ok in my book.
Love the production, the doubled vocal works really well, and everything sits in the mix perfectly.
Good song, enjoyed the listen!
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A cool sound. Somewhat Beatlesque, yet quite original. The instrumentation is really nicely done.
The vocals are extraordinary. The constant harmony works extremely well.
The mix is really good. It sounds good at low volumes, but more importantly, it sounds really good when turned up loud. Superb.
I thoroughly enjoyed the listen.
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Struck hard by that progression. "Unsettling" achieved there, and in the vocal harmonies that those chords supported/suggested/demanded. That, and the constant evolution of the band kept interest throughout. I like this a lot.
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Ezekiel's Storm,
This is the ultimate tribute to this year's 50th annivrsary of the Beatles' White Album .
What more can I say: I bow my head in respect to this extraordinary work.
Stefan
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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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.
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Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
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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!
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Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
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April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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