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Will people be uncomfortable with dark lyrics about a poor kid who grew up in a violent dysfunctional family. Perhaps with some words only common to east Texas. For example pulp wood (the wood paper is made from) is call "pup wood" by people living in east Texas. "The quarters" is a common name for a area black people were forced to live in during segregation in the small towns of the Jim Crow south.
Black lives have always mattered to me as much as anyone's life. I wanted to produce a song that addressed some of these issues as I saw and lived through them. Not so much to promote any certain cause but to depict the stark reality and conditions of the early 1950's both for poor black and poor white people.
Perhaps this is the right time for such a song, perhaps not.
Feedback?
Billy
Last edited by Planobilly; 08/08/21 06:37 PM.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Yes the time is right. A lot of young people need a good history lesson on how bad it really was during those times.
I wouldn't call them dark lyrics though. To me dark lyrics are about killing people and/or pushing suicide. YMMV
Your lyrics may be painful for some people to hear but real history is not always wine and roses.
I say go for it.
I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Go for it.
FWIW:
We co-wrote with floyd and produced a song (Our Good Old Days) about child labor, tenant farmers, yellow fever, coal mining and suffrage.
We wrote and produced another (The Way Things Are) about school shootings from a child’s perspective.
Both were well received here and elsewhere.
Do millions of pop, etc., listeners care? Likely not. But nowadays you can find genres and sub genres within the very large Americana tent where folks are very attentive to lyrics including the subject matter. We live in that music bubble and love it.
Bud
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 are here on our website.
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Do you write your lyrics to say what people want to hear, or do you write so people hear what you want to say.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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Songs are stories set to music. Just write your story.
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Thanks for the feedback. What the wider world thinks about my lyrical content is not so important.
I wanted to try to write this using BIAB and post it here. Race relations and especially the exploitation of people of color can be a pretty inflammatory subject in todays world. The last thing I want to do is create hate and discontent here.
Prejudicial bias, predilection for disrespecting people is not limited to people of color. The song does center around the life and times of a fictional poor uneducated black man but it could be just as easily have been a poor uneducated white man. Lack of education, poverty, and the realities life in a principally agrarian culture weigh heavily on everyone.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Do you write your lyrics to say what people want to hear, or do you write so people hear what you want to say. That is actually a pretty important question because there are good reasons to do both. In this case it is more about what I want to say. Intelligent thoughtful comment Dan. Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Is the concern that the story would depict racist characters doing racist things, and that this can get an author quoted out of context and accused of racism? Hopefully that kind of bad faith is not as widely practiced here as in other cultural eddies like young adult fiction literary criticism.
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Is the concern that the story would depict racist characters doing racist things, and that this can get an author quoted out of context and accused of racism? Hopefully that kind of bad faith is not as widely practiced here as in other cultural eddies like young adult fiction. Hi Mark. To some extent yes. Many things that would be considered racist today would not even be considered anything at all in 1950. Of course it was racist but no one white or black payed much attention to it. I would be more authentic if I could use the vernacular of the 1950's but of course that is not possible in todays politically correct conditions. I am able to write blues from the forties and fifties in a very authentic way because the itinerant musicians of that time were compelled to use words that had double meaning and innuendo. Example, "I gave my baby the 99's) which refers to cocaine. You could get killed as a black musician for singing and using the wrong words back in those days. I am still running this through my mind trying to make a decision if I have the skill set to write this without coming off as racist myself. Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Jethro Tull is arguably my sustained favorite band. "Aqualung" is arguably my sustained favorite song by that band. Listen to it and see if you can guess how I feel about "dark" subjects and regional expressions. "Dog-end"? "Bog?"
As to the broader question: Although I attempt to write "good" lyrics (otherwise, what's the point?) they are almost never the first thing I listen to in a song "new to me". That would include nearly every "song" on the showcase. If lucky, I might get snatches and gists. When you write it, it's yours. When I listen to it, it becomes mine. Those two may never mesh.
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"Born in the USA" is not about giddy patriotism. The closer to the bone, the closer to the truth. Sugar-coat nothing...not even optimism...and don't preach. You'll be fine.
Consider writing it as a memory. That may put some difference between the singer and the narrator, if that makes any sense at all.
Last edited by Tangmo; 08/09/21 09:36 AM.
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" the two may never mesh" I guess the two seldom mesh in truth. I always say it is my job to write and your job to listen and really none of my business what you think. Hope you like it but...
I am not a very good songwriter. People put up with me live and are most always kind. Then out of the blue I get a call from outer Mongolia telling me in broken English I am the best blues singer they ever listen to and that recording is fantastic. I guess that sort kind of response is what keeps me from selling everything and go try to learn to play golf...lol
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Jethro Tull is arguably my sustained favorite band. "Aqualung" is arguably my sustained favorite song by that band. Listen to it and see if you can guess how I feel about "dark" subjects and regional expressions. "Dog-end"? "Bog?"
As to the broader question: Although I attempt to write "good" lyrics (otherwise, what's the point?) they are almost never the first thing I listen to in a song "new to me". That would include nearly every "song" on the showcase. If lucky, I might get snatches and gists. When you write it, it's yours. When I listen to it, it becomes mine. Those two may never mesh. I have listen to Aqualung many times but this is the first time I sat down and read the lyrics. It is more than a little "dark" which I actually find I like and makes it interesting. Bog? Dog-end? British English that would not be easily recognized across the pond. I know the word dog end but other that peat bog and perhaps the crapper I am not sure about bog. Fish dog ends I have also heard in London. If a person has a real interest in lyrics they will ask around until someone explains the term. Just as a side note I was at a concert and Ian's flute was so loud it actually was painful...no ear plugs at the time. Great band. Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
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Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
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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.
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We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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