Hi all! I posted this morning about why I have been absent from the forum for the past several weeks. I hope everyone here is staying safe and healthy. I am doing well, have been in quarantine the past few weeks, under my doctor's orders. (Thank God I do not have the virus, but I have some health conditions that place me in high risk and merit the quarantine.) I have been working from home, providing support for Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery customers. As such I have observed so much pain in people I have talked to. Very heartbreaking to talk to so many people who have lost so much, including the loss of loved ones. So I decided to write a song to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives to this tragic virus, as well as to honor those who love them. I hope it brings the proper respect and honor to these folks. I am so thankful that all my family is healthy. If you are a praying person, we really appreciate your prayers, as my wife works at our local Walmart, where several associates have contracted the virus, and some of the folks who lost their lives shopped at this store. We are trusting God for continued good health and protection. Thanks for letting me ramble. smile Now for the song...

Long Way Home - Video

Long Way Home - Soundcloud

Long Way Home
©Stephen W. Young

I knew it happened every day
The words that no one wants to hear
And people don't know what to say
They don't know where to go from here

I never thought it would be you
It had to be somebody else
If I could choose between the two
I'd gladly offer up myself

So take the long way home
I don't want to be alone
In a house as empty as a shell
I know that I'll be fine
It's just gonna take some time
for me to learn just how to say farewell

I know you want me to move on
I know you're in a better place
But it's the night before the dawn
Tomorrow brings a special grace

So take the long way home
I don't want to be alone
In a house as empty as a shell
I know that I'll be fine
It's just gonna take some time
for me to learn just how to say farewell

-
I did this one in Luna (UA just released this daw free to anyone who has a thunderbolt Apollo interface.) Pretty impressive workflow, and UA is pretty well known for their quality (if not expensive) plugins. Although this is a simple arrangement, with the orchestration and all the background vocal tracks, I ended up with 30 tracks on this one, and Luna never blinked. I played the piano, organ, and orchestra parts. All the instruments I used also came free with Luna. I'm pretty impressed with the setup Luna provides. Here is the awesome "band" that BB provided...

RealTracks in song: ~2474:Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 3109:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaFolk16thsLowBrent Ev16 060
RealTracks in song: 1038:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 2880:Fiddle, Background AmericanaSlow16thsAndy Ev16 060
RealDrums [in Song:AmericanaRoots16th^05-a:Kick, Sidestick, b:Snare

Steve Young
Music
"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann