Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Howdy, folks...

Are there lyrics for songs that you've heard, that you wish you had been the author/authoress of?

If so, why don't you post them, pretty-please, and accompany the post with a little information about why you are so enamoured of the lyrics, what it was about them that delighted and inspired you so???

May I start things off? I can? Gee, thanks, folks!

Here is a set of lyrics that I wish I had written (truth be told, I wish I had composed the song, too!) The music and lyrics were composed for a film titled, The Long Goodbye, which premiered in the year 1973 and was directed by the late Robert Altman, who adapted a detective novel of the same name written by that famous author of detective fiction, Raymond Chandler, his most famous character being Philip Marlowe.

The Long Goodbye / Music by John Williams (yes, that's right, people, the man who composed the score for "Star Wars" / Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

There’s a long goodbye.
And it happens everyday
When some passerby
Invites your eye
To come her way

Even as she smiles
A quick hello,
You’ve let her go.
You’ve let the moment fly

Too late you turn your head,
You know you’ve said
The long goodbye

Can you recognize the pain?
On some other street
Two people meet
As in a dream

Running for a plane
Through the rain
If the heart is quicker than the eye,
They could be lovers
Until they die

It’s too late to try
When a missed hello
Becomes the long goodbye
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, I'm gonna make this quick. How many of you in your lives have shared a possibly mutually interested romantic glance with a man/woman that you blew, messed up, lost, dropped the ball on, because you were 1) too shy 2) too high, or 3) too married?

Regardless of the circumstance, those kinds of missed moments hurt like a toothache because we never stop kicking ourselves internally for not pursuing the opportunity to take quick, decisive action on what could have turned out to be the "love connection" of a life-time.

And that, basically, is why I wish I had written those lyrics, because of the fact that they do so achingly and truthfully describe the emotional, hopeful potency of that lost moment with an immediate and stunning precision. You feel these lyrics deeply because you've lived them.

Here's a link to a YouTube video featuring the song being sung by the great jazz trumpeter/vocalist Jack Sheldon as it was heard in the film and on the film's soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG0ykzh47q8

If you care to hear a woman interpret the lyrics, here is another link to Ms. Clydie King singing "The Long Goodbye", also as heard in the film and on the soundtrack recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU-N2BZMvj4

Thanks for your attention, folks! All right, now! Who's next? Give it up! Show us "the money"!!!

LOREN (a.k.a. "bluage")

Last edited by bluage; 11/21/18 06:45 PM.

"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 723
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 723
Thank you for posting this Bluage. Yes, truly beautiful and heart wrenching and I dare say most of us can relate to this. It rings so true, possibilities that could have been but never were. This year for me has been one of reckoning as I finally became aware of a beautiful soul who passed and I thought I would hear from again at least one more time in this world. However, in a very unusual dream I became aware of this passing and looked it up on the internet as no one of the family knows me. And oh, did it bring up memories and possibilities that didn't, couldn't happen here. But what still remains is the unquestioning love that's still alive, truly awesome and a long goodbye that's still on going. The goodbye you don't want to end. I said good bye many years ago and it never would end. Love can be a very beautiful thing that has a life of it's own. That's why I love lyrics so much, they touch me almost more than music, but the combination can be heavenly when the vocal expressions and musical interpretations take it to the next level.

Last edited by Belladonna; 11/21/18 09:07 PM.
Songwriting
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
PG Music Staff
Offline
PG Music Staff
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
Very interesting - I've actually never had this thought. I've heard lyrics that stunned me and really made me stop and think, but I always appreciated the writer more so than thinking about myself writing it. An interesting thought for sure.


Cheers,
Deryk
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Deryk - PG Music
Very interesting - I've actually never had this thought. I've heard lyrics that stunned me and really made me stop and think, but I always appreciated the writer more so than thinking about myself writing it. An interesting thought for sure.


Dear Deryk...

The launching of this thread was inspired by the jazz pianist/composer/vocalist Dave Frishberg, who once stated that he wished he had composed the old Christmas season evergreen song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside", by Frank Loesser.

I just thought it was "neat" to read about a successful songwriter paying tribute to another songwriter in a way that just very narrowly skirts around the issue of professional envy, so, I decided to try out the idea on this forum.

Thanks for responding, Deryk! If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope it will be a relaxing and enjoyable one!

Sincerely,

LOREN


Last edited by bluage; 11/22/18 09:16 AM.

"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Belladonna
That's why I love lyrics so much, they touch me almost more than music, but the combination can be heavenly when the vocal expressions and musical interpretations take it to the next level.


Ms. Belladonna...

Referencing my quotation, mind my is filled with excited thoughts about the content and subtext of what you wrote. I think that, for you, lyrics are the music! Contemplating that thought causes me to wish I could be inside your head and your heart when you give birth to lyrics. I would like to know what the "music of words" sound like at the moment of their creation...

Personally, the lyrics I write for my songs come from I-don't-know-where. I mean it laugh !!! I don't know where they come from. 99.9999 percent of them are not the result of premeditation. They just...show up, like a crowd of unwanted visitors leaning too heavily on my doorbell. Ding-dong. Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong! Ding-ding-ding-ding-dong! "You-hoo! Ohhhh, Looorrr-en! May we come in and run around in your mind until you find something for us to do"???

In fact, I feel sometimes that deceased songwriters are using me to pursue a posthumous career crazy. That's a kooky thought, now, ain't it?!

Intrigued,

LOREN

Last edited by bluage; 11/22/18 10:00 AM.

"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 112
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 112
I wish I has written the Lyrics to 'Song 2' by Blur...


C-sharp when you cross the street… or you’re going to B-flat.

Mikke - PG Music
Songwriting
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,511
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,511
My whole life changed when I heard Jungleland for the first time.

I was in a state of awe.

I still am.

I pulled over to the side of the road in my Mustang to listen to it.

When it was over, the radio announcer said:

"9 minutes and 38 seconds of magic, from Bruce Springsteen."

Yes, and I will never be the same.

Reason?

It's like a Shakespeare play. The first time I had ever heard a real poem and a play set to music in 10 minutes.

It is probably the most brilliant piece of original cinematic songwriting I have ever heard, and I don't think anything else is on the same planet with it.




Jungleland

Bruce Springsteen

The Rangers had a homecoming
In Harlem late last night
And the Magic Rat drove his sleek machine
Over the Jersey state line
Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge
Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain
The Rat pulls into town, rolls up his pants
Together they take a stab at romance
And disappear down Flamingo Lane
Well, the Maximum Lawmen run down Flamingo
Chasing the Rat and the barefoot girl
And the kids 'round there live just like shadows
Always quiet, holding hands
From the churches to the jails
Tonight all is silence in the world
As we take our stand
Down in Jungleland
The midnight gang's assembled
And picked a rendezvous for the night
They'll meet 'neath that giant Exxon sign
That brings this fair city light
Man, there's an opera out on the Turnpike
There's a ballet being fought out in the alley
Until the local cops, Cherry-Tops, rips this holy night
The street's alive as secret debts are paid
Contacts made, they flash unseen
Kids flash guitars just like switchblades
Hustling for the record machine
The hungry and the hunted
Explode into rock 'n' roll bands
That face off against each other out in the street
Down in Jungleland
In the parking lot the visionaries dress in the latest rage
Inside the backstreet girls are dancing
To the records that the DJ plays
Lonely-hearted lovers struggle in dark corners
Desperate as the night moves on
Just one look and a whisper, and they're gone
Beneath the city, two hearts beat
Soul engines running through a night so tender
In a bedroom locked in whispers
Of soft refusal and then surrender
In the tunnels uptown, the Rat's own dream guns him down
As shots echo down them hallways in the night
No one watches when the ambulance pulls away
Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light
Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz
Between what's flesh and what's fantasy
And the poets down here don't write nothing at all
They just stand back and let it all be
And in the quick of a knife, they reach for their moment
And try to make an honest stand
But they wind up wounded, not even dead
Tonight in Jungleland

Songwriters: Bruce Springsteen
Jungleland lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Songwriting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,892
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,892
Got to agree with David on Bruce Springsteen. Especially his early stuff. Jungle Land, Born to Run, 4th of July.... yeah ...


But on a more modern groove.....





and....





yeah....I'd love to have written these 2 modern songs.


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.
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: David Snyder

My whole life changed when I heard Jungleland for the first time.


Mr. David Snyder...

Thank you for participating in my first songwriting thread post!

Would it be possible for you to post the lyrics, and maybe offer just a little of the reasons for your awesome reverence for the song?

Thank you, sir!

Sincerely,

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Mikke - PG Music
I wish I has written the Lyrics to 'Song 2' by Blur...


Hey, there, Mikke!

Thanks for joining the thread! Do you think you could post the lyrics, and tell us why you wish you had written those lyrics?

Thanks, again!

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 112
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 112
Hey Bluage, Absolutely.

First of, I love the flow of the song. A great example of lyrical flow.

The lyrics can mean nothing, or everything. They are completely subjective.

Second, It is a Globally recognized song, which spent a long time on the top of the charts, and the album went platinum.

Now, you can simply say "Oh, that Woo-Hoo song!"

A great example of how lyrics are only as powerful as they are perceived, something that may on paper seem like nothing, became a music phenomenon.


C-sharp when you cross the street… or you’re going to B-flat.

Mikke - PG Music
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker
yeah....I'd love to have written these 2 modern songs.


"Guitarhacker"...

Thank you for contributing to my first songwriting thread!

I did not listen to country music closely, and for pure enjoyment, until I began visiting the User's Forum back in 2009. But since then, I can tell you that I've grown to appreciate it, and plan on making a contribution in that genre in the User's Forum someday.

In a comment I posted about "Bud" & Ms. Janice's song, "I Choose to Be with You", I told them that I thought I had finally come to understand what the appeal of country music might be for those who are dedicated listeners, and that is, that the music has a simplicity of expression, and an emotional directness, that is irresistibly appealing.

Would you say that's true?

LOREN

Last edited by bluage; 11/23/18 11:52 AM.

"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Mikke - PG Music
The lyrics can mean nothing, or everything. They are completely subjective....A great example of how lyrics are only as powerful as they are perceived, something that may on paper seem like nothing, became a music phenomenon.


Mikke...

That's an incredibly interesting response, meaning the idea you offered about the audience's perception of the lyrics being entirely subjective. I've always believed, very generally speaking, that lyrics were more interesting and impactful, when they described something concrete, observable, and that could be easily validated, emotionally speaking, by a listener.

I hoped I would get interesting and unexpected responses when I posted this thread, and you have fulfilled my expectations! I will look for the song on YouTube.

Thanks, Mikke!

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,381
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,381
"Something In The Way She Moves" (James Taylor)

Something in the way she moves, or looks my way, or calls my name
That seems to leave this troubled world behind
And if I'm feeling down and blue or troubled by some foolish game
She always seems to make me change my mind..

And I feel fine anytime she's around me now, she's around me now almost all the time
And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now
She's been with me now quite a long, long time and I feel fine

Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning
And I find myself careening in places where I should not let me go
She has the power to go where no one else can find me and to silently remind me
Of the happiness and the good times that I know, and then I just got to go there.

It isn't what she's got to say but how she thinks and where she's been
To me, the words are nice, the way they sound
I like to hear them best that way, it doesn't much matter what they mean
She says them mostly just to calm me down

And I feel fine anytime she's around me now, she's around me now almost all the time
And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now
She's been with me now quite a long, long time and I feel fine


This lyric was a comfort to me when I lost my mother at a young age. It's taken on a new meaning now having a wife to whom English is a second language and with whom communication is sometimes a sweet struggle.

<i>It isn't what she's got to say but how she thinks and where she's been
To me, the words are nice, the way they sound
I like to hear them best that way, it doesn't much matter what they mean
She says them mostly just to calm me down</i>


I've also though of my guitar, at times, as the "she" in that lyric.

Like was said earlier, these don't read like epic poetry, but without a wasted syllable, are delivered naturally with grace. That makes a great lyric.




Last edited by Tangmo; 11/23/18 01:12 PM.

BIAB 2021 Audiophile. Windows 10 64bit. Songwriter, lyricist, composer(?) loving all styles. Some pre-BIAB music from Farfetched Tangmo Band's first CD. https://alonetone.com/tangmo/playlists/close-to-the-ground
Songwriting
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,936
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,936
I LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE ME

I like the feel of your name on my lips
and I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss.
The way that your fingers run through my hair,
and how your scent lingers even when you're not there.

And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh,
and how you enjoy your two hour bath.
And how you convinced me to dance in the rain
with everyone watching like we were insane.

But I love the way you love me.
Strong and wild, slow and easy.
Heart and soul, so completely.
I love the way you love me.

I like to imitate ol' Jerry Lee
an' watch you roll your eyes when I'm slightly off-key.
And I like the innocent way that you cry
at sappy old movies you've seen hundreds of times

But I love the way you love me.
Strong and wild, slow and easy.
Heart and soul, so completely.
I love the way you love me.

And I could list a million things I love to like about you,
but they all come down to one reason I could never live without you.

But I love the way you love me.
Strong and wild, slow and easy.
Heart and soul, so completely.
I love the way you love me.

©1992 Victoria Shaw and Chuck Cannon



A perfect love song.
Touching images. Sweet without being syrupy.
Every line is good. Familiar yet original, fresh...
So relatable.
It makes you want to fall in love all over again.





Last edited by floyd jane; 11/23/18 01:08 PM.
Songwriting
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,936
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,936
Originally Posted By: Tangmo
"Something In The Way She Moves" (James Taylor)


Tangmo - good choice. This was our wedding song (40+ years ago). I sang it on tape (we had one of the old, big TEAC machines to play it on)

Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Tangmo
Like was said earlier, these don't read like epic poetry, but without a wasted syllable, are delivered naturally with grace. That makes a great lyric.


Howdy, "Tangmo"...

Thanks for adding your own thread into my first songwriting thread!

First thing is, I'm deeply sorry to read that you lost your mother at a young age. I can't imagine -- and would be afraid to imagine -- what that was like. I truly hope that whatever memories you may have about her bring you pleasure and solace.

Concerning your lyrics-that-I wish-I-had-written selection, boy-oh-boy, it ain't difficult for me to understand why they resonate with you so, even apart from your stated reason concerning your memory of your mother.

First of all, the subject of Mr. Taylor's lyrics (if not himself) seems to describe a particular, perhaps living person, even, for whom he had strong feelings of love and respect. Truth be told, the lyrics imply that the subject may have lived through some sort of trauma that was soothed and possibly cured by the loving attention he received from the individual he wrote about in such a praiseworthy manner:

"And I feel fine anytime she's around me now, she's around me now almost all the time
And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now
She's been with me now quite a long, long time and I feel fine"


Again, the poor subject of the song sounds like he may have "fallen through the cracks" of life in perhaps some tragic way: an accident? A nervous and/or mental breakdown? A veteran of a war who returned home broken in spirit, or just as worse, physically wounded?

"Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning
And I find myself careening in places where I should not let me go
She has the power to go where no one else can find me and to silently remind me
Of the happiness and the good times that I know, and then I just got to go then"


The man appears to have lost something that has impaired his ability just to survive, even -- or, so I believe. And then, in a moment of wellness of that provides clarity, and the gift of sweet recognition and appreciation of the profound blessings he has received in the form of the person who came to his rescue, he reveals his loving thankfulness:

"And I feel fine anytime she's around me now, she's around me now almost all the time
And if I'm well you can tell she's been with me now
She's been with me now quite a long, long time and I feel fine"


Of course, what you've read is my own "take" of the meaning of the lyrics, so feel free, "Tangmo", to disagree, debate and deconstruct what I've written. Regardless, "Something In The Way She Moves" by James Taylor projects lyrics that are powerful, powerfully intimate, that is, if you've known the kind of pain, and also the kind of healing, transformative loving that his sensitive heart testified to in the song.

Thanks again, "Tangmo", for the richly rewarding song lyric selection you posted!

Gratefully,

LOREN

P.S. Concerning your statement that the lyrics don't read like "epic" poetry, all I can say to that is, "epic" poetry is for "epic" egos, and Mr. Taylor surely seems to have dispossessed himself of such lofty, mostly unattainable, and hardly-worth-pursuing goals.











Last edited by bluage; 11/23/18 01:20 PM.

"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,511
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,511

Just edited my OP

Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Originally Posted By: Tangmo
"Something In The Way She Moves" (James Taylor)


Tangmo - good choice. This was our wedding song (40+ years ago). I sang it on tape (we had one of the old, big TEAC machines to play it on)


Uh-oh, the illustrious Floyd Jane has joined the thread! Mr. Jane, there's coffee and donuts at the table. If you smoke, there's a door to your left that'll take you outside where you can light-up and smoke 'til ya' choke!

Thanks for dropping by, sir!

Happy for your presence,

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Songwriting
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
bluage Offline OP
Expert
OP Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: David Snyder

Just edited my OP


Thank you, sir!

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Moderated by  Andrew - PG Music, PeterGannon 

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
Holiday Weekend Hours

It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:

Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Regular hours
resume Tuesday, May 19th!

Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!

Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!

Don't wait - order today!

Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

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!

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.

Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.

If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!

202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!

With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!

Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!

Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.

Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
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)!

And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.

The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!

These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!

This Free Bonus PAK includes:

  • The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK: -For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
  • 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
  • Playable RealTracks Set 5
  • RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
  • SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
  • iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
  • 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
  • FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
  • MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
  • Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
  • RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
  • SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)

Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!

All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!

It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.

What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?

XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!

Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!

The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.

The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!

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!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,311
Posts803,165
Members40,092
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
Jazzmando, sergiop, John Stubering, JohnDoe4u, MarkGMusic
40,091 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 132
rsdean 94
vicarn 87
DC Ron 82
WaoBand 58
dcuny 56
Today's Birthdays
larryfarr, Va Russ, woofer
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5