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Surely You Jest This soul-crushing lyric seemed to me to need musical intimacy, SOooo... One style, four instruments, one solo vocal. Pretty naked and raw, but that's what we do for our art.  Used rests and holds to vary the instruments heard in each section and hopefully provide a gentle dynamic flow. Kept thinking of Neil Young performing "Needle and the Damage Done" live with just him and a guitar, just because any other treatment of the song would impinge on the moment. RT 4818 offers some nifty pushed changes, which aren't exactly how or when I would play them, but they sound nice just the same. The first push is in the intro. Edit: Changed the final chord based on Andrew's input (THANKS!). BiaB wouldn't produce a long tail on the hold I wanted, so I left it at one bar. But that lingering chord needed to trail off, SOooo...I played the final chord, matching the sound of each BiaB guitar as close as I could with the amp sim and additional EQ. THANKS in advance for any listens and comments! R.W. Davis: Lyrics Me: Music, arrangement, vocals, guitars, mix, master, kleenex AI: Still no Style is _JUNIOR.STY (Junior Steady Indie Folk-Rock) RealTracks in style: 1522:Bass, Electric, PopPower8s Ev 120 RealTracks in style: 4818:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm SteadyPushMuted ev 110 RealTracks in style: 4519:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking IndieFolkAlt158 Ev 100 RealDrums in style:Americana16GroovinBrushFred^1-a,b:Brushes,Toms On final held chord: Guitars: PRS SE Zach Myers, Fernandes MIJ Strat clone Amp: Line6 Spider V 30 You meet me at the door We go to your room And it’s just like before You wear your costume You say it’s good to be Together at last But it just feels to me We’re stuck in the past Oh, but surely you jest I gave you my best But I guess that wasn’t good enough for you Get it off of your chest If you have to confess It wasn’t a contest Please just give it a rest You can say you were stressed Oh, but surely you jest You call me on the phone And say such sweet things But you can’t be alone Cuz loneliness stings And you do stupid things That make me upset But when my phone rings I try to forget Oh, but surely you jest I gave you my best But I guess that wasn’t good enough for you Get it off of your chest If you have to confess It wasn’t a contest Please just give it a rest You can say you were stressed Oh, but surely you jest Sometimes you want me so bad Then sometimes you’re so so sad I can’t keep up with your mood swings And all the times you’re pulling my strings Like I’m your puppet I’m not a puppet! Oh, but surely you jest I gave you my best But I guess that wasn’t good enough for you Get it off of your chest If you have to confess It wasn’t a contest Please just give it a rest You can say you were stressed Oh, but surely you jest Oh, but surely...
Last edited by DC Ron; 05/04/25 03:53 AM.
DC Ron
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Ron,
That's a great song... You sing it with such emotion.
Excellent lyrics and I love the choice of RTs. The mix is perfect. Your vocal, coupled with the lyrics is a real standout here. You really made some great choices in the mix.
Loved it!
Bob
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Hi Ron!
Despite the rawness and the sensitivities of the lyrics, I love the constancy of the rhythm guitar - just a guess is that maj7ths in some of the chords? Also I thought I heard a second guitar playing notes on the 1, 2&, 4 beats to supplement the rhythm. Nice! The guitars have a really nice effect, coupled with the 'slap' attack of the plectrum on the strings. The pauses in some bars provides a micro reset to the ear to welcome back the strumming. Kind of reminded me of Snow Patrol or Stereophonics a little - which is a good thing.
The only downside is I wished the last held chord faded out a little longer.
Another really good song!
Andrew D
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Hi Ron
This is a really lovely song. – I almost used up the whole kleenex pack you provided! Your vocals are sounding great, and I'm a big fan of the simple but effective guitar arrangement. The lyrics are fantastic, and you've created a really powerful and moving piece. My only thought is... could it benefit from a little more dynamic contrast? Something that would add a bit of an "oomph" around the middle. It totally works as it is, but I think an added dynamic 'bridge' would be a home run! But please take that as a huge salty IMO.
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Ron,
That's a great song... You sing it with such emotion.
Excellent lyrics and I love the choice of RTs. The mix is perfect. Your vocal, coupled with the lyrics is a real standout here. You really made some great choices in the mix.
Loved it!
Bob Thanks, Bob! Yeah, a little uncomfortable for me without all the sonic safety nets I usually deploy. But glad you liked it! Hi Ron!
Despite the rawness and the sensitivities of the lyrics, I love the constancy of the rhythm guitar - just a guess is that maj7ths in some of the chords? Also I thought I heard a second guitar playing notes on the 1, 2&, 4 beats to supplement the rhythm. Nice! The guitars have a really nice effect, coupled with the 'slap' attack of the plectrum on the strings. The pauses in some bars provides a micro reset to the ear to welcome back the strumming. Kind of reminded me of Snow Patrol or Stereophonics a little - which is a good thing.
The only downside is I wished the last held chord faded out a little longer.
Another really good song!
Andrew D Hi, Andrew! Yes, the FMaj7 chord anchors the tune, and functions kind of like an Am. Also used G6 as the dominant in some places. Like the unsettling edge these kinds of chord substitutions add, especially to lyrics sung by an unsettled narrator. And yes, the acoustic guitar is often playing on 1, 2 and 4. There's a bass note slide on that RT that required a few partial regenerations to tame. Caught me on the held chord. BiaB wouldn't do what I wanted to do, so I settled. HOWEVER, based on your input I played the last chord on two guitars for a long tail. Details in the OP. THANKS for all!! Ron
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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HOWEVER, based on your input I played the last chord on two guitars for a long tail. Details in the OP. THANKS for all!! Ron Oh man - you’re diligent! The long tail does sound good though. Third time listening and this is one of those songs that has enjoyable nuances each time one listens! Andrew D
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Love it, both musically and lyrically.
Of course, if it was my song, I would probably make the chorus loud and heavy and whatnot to create more contrast, but I have to admit that your approach works very well and has its own charm, so don't change that because it might take away from the good.
Enjoyed my listen.
A lot!
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Great example of keeping the arrangement simple, clean…so effective here.
I esp liked your ideas around the rhyming scheme..nicely done!
Production, top-notch.
Enjoyed it!
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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Hi Ron
This is a really lovely song. – I almost used up the whole kleenex pack you provided! Your vocals are sounding great, and I'm a big fan of the simple but effective guitar arrangement. The lyrics are fantastic, and you've created a really powerful and moving piece. My only thought is... could it benefit from a little more dynamic contrast? Something that would add a bit of an "oomph" around the middle. It totally works as it is, but I think an added dynamic 'bridge' would be a home run! But please take that as a huge salty IMO. Thanks, Izzy. Glad you liked it. Totally get what you're saying about the "oomph". Musically, it makes a LOT of sense, and I have it laid out in my head, 'cause that's how my head rolls. Just couldn't make it work against the lyrics. The current bridge ("Sometimes you want me so bad...") is more a meditative reflection on the cost of the narrator's lingering affection before busting out with some slightly more dynamic notes/phrasing in the final chorus. And the final whimper. Oh, gosh, I'm out kleenex again...
DC Ron
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No kidding, no jest, this is really a fun creation of yours, Ron. You picked the perfect group to present it, and you know I love what your lyricist adds to it. Very special indeed. I really like the creative contrast between the flowing melody and the all-four-beats rhythm, and how you add breaks at the right times.
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Love it, Ron. The lyrics really strike a chord (or resonate if you prefer). The emotion they and the melody and your voice all evoke together is a bit painful but my younger angsty self can really relate.
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Hi Ron,
What a great song! The KISS method is often the best way to go. It certainly works nicely here.
You picked the perfect RTs for this. Pretty dang good vocal, too! The driving guitar beats keeps the intensity without becoming boring or over-the-top. That's not always an easy concept to pull off - yet you did it perfectly here.
A sad song that's not soapy - terrific!
It all works - perfectly. Great song - great listen.
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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THat has a very cool groove. 80's pop that would fit on a play list with the Cars and others like that.
Nice stuff
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
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Ron, a perfect example of less is more.
Outstanding vocal and lyrics.
Super groove with the perfect backing tracks.
IMHO this is one if not your best to date; it is hard to judge as you have so many excellent songs.
Loved it
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal".
Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
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I enjoyed this song - the vocals are great - but for some reason I had in my imagination a doctor and nurse scenario! "Surely you jest" No, I kept getting a double meaning from "get it off your chest"! 
Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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HOWEVER, based on your input I played the last chord on two guitars for a long tail. Details in the OP. THANKS for all!! Ron Oh man - you’re diligent! The long tail does sound good though. Third time listening and this is one of those songs that has enjoyable nuances each time one listens! Andrew D Well, I'll just repeat my thanks for your suggestion. I tried 3 or 4 approaches inside BiaB and then thought, "Hey, who's going to listen through the final chord anyway?" The correct answer to that question was: Andrew. So my too-short decay tail was rightfully called out. Good on you. Happy you noticed (and enjoying) the nuances. These tunes are like little plays to me, and I like to include twists big-and-small in each act. My GOAL is to get the lyrics to an audience, knowing that without musical interest, well, this just won't happen. THANKS for listening and providing constructive input. It means a lot.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Wow, super vocal! I'd love to know your vocal chain. The rhyme and melody could've been sing-songy, but the way you sang elevated it. I do like the last note. Well done on all fronts.
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Love it, both musically and lyrically.
Of course, if it was my song, I would probably make the chorus loud and heavy and whatnot to create more contrast, but I have to admit that your approach works very well and has its own charm, so don't change that because it might take away from the good.
Enjoyed my listen.
A lot! Thanks, B.D.! Yeah, I was on the fence on the chorus but went with subdued charm over dynamic punch. Glad you enjoyed it!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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The intro is very good, with a lovely sound. Staying in this minimalist style really highlights the song and the vocals. A very good song.
Laurent
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Great example of keeping the arrangement simple, clean…so effective here.
I esp liked your ideas around the rhyming scheme..nicely done!
Production, top-notch.
Enjoyed it! Thanks, Tom! My lyricist is disproportionately talented in the rhyming department, and it's a joy to work with his lyrics. Sometimes the song will write itself, sometimes it takes more work, but...there's always a cool song in there somewhere. Glad you liked the tune!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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