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One of my very oldies - my records are unclear, but the verse melody and chords were written somewhere in 1981 - 82 when I was 19 or 20, and about 4 years into playing guitar. After rediscovering it in March 2024 in an old songwriting book I had in my archives, I ditched the original lyrics because they were 'naff' - obviously meaningful to me at the time, but upon reflection, trivial in the scheme of things. However, this song evoked a sentimental melancholy, so I have chosen to use this sentiment (looking back on my past) to inform the new lyrics. Besides the words, the music section containing the title is new, as is the arrangement.
Lyrically, the title 'March from early November' assumes a lifetime is expressed in the calendar months of a single year, and I wrote 'looking back on March' (late teens/early twenties) from my current position in early November (my sixties).
The first verse dwells on some clumsy things I have said over the years that still make me cringe. 'Left it at the railway station' refers to these as unresolved matters. The verse ends with 'choose another line' - wanting to avoid putting my foot in my mouth again.
The second verse deals with finding a balance between passions and loves that are sometimes competing for time and attention. I was writing songs and playing music in my teens and twenties, and I could have allowed this to occupy my time, but I chose to focus on family, work and financial security and push musical interests to one side ('I thought the hill was too hard to climb, so I settled for a lesser view; truth be told my time was running short'). Now in my later years, I have the joy of returning to music ('I rediscovered climbing gear I used to know') while having the joy of family around me and seeing their own lives develop, but at the cost of my health that impacts on my ability to 'climb'. However, I wouldn't have it any other way.
This feeds into the third verse/chorus where I express the joy that relationships bring, despite pain, loss and hardships.

Musically, I play bass, guitars and sing, and programmed the strings on my M-Audio Oxygen 49 or maybe even in a midi track in Cakewalk, which I now listen back to and realise there is too much attack on each note. The drums and piano remain from the BIAB style used. My vocal is stretched on the high notes - outside my range so I tried falsetto with limited success. Because my vocals can sound thin and airy, I usually triple record to fatten it up with 2 of the 3 panned left and right and dropped back in volume to sit behind the main vocal.

****** BIAB Song Summary *************
Style is _OUTING.STY (Outing Bright Indie Guitar)

RealTracks in style: 3501:Bass, Electric, NashvilleRadioBalladAB Ev16 075 - replaced by my bass
RealTracks in style: 2808:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm SoulfulPop16thsMike Ev16 065
RealTracks in style: 3654:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking IndiePickingBright Ev16 075 - replaced by my guitar
RealDrums in style:NashvilleEven16^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

*******************

LYRICS

INTRO

VERSE 1
Left it at the railway station - it cost me dearly that’s for sure
My careless attention distracted by wanting more
Not sensing the import, I was lost in the moment
I pride myself in being a sensitive soul
I try to be discreet and use my words with prudence
But I find myself digging a bigger hole

CHORUS 1
I cringe every time I remember
I’m hoping it’s forgotten well
Looking back on March from early November
I am wishing I can switch to another line

VERSE 2
I thought the hill was too hard to climb, so I settled for a lesser view
Truth be told my time was running short
I put my effort into things that give me a glow now
I know they will preserve me as I’m growing old
I’ve rediscovered climbing gear I used to know
But my fingers are rigid and my eyes are cold

CHORUS 2
I’ll celebrate the things I remember
I’m hoping I’ve got something to tell
Looking back on March from early November
I am hopeful I can lift these limbs up high again

VERSE 3
I can see the road before me will one day end, but I’ve still got a way to go
My shoes are worn and my eyes are growing dim
I’ll persevere with hardships that are giving me pain
They remind me of the good years that filled me with joy
Won’t complain that I’m thirsty while I stand in the rain
And I’ll look back with warmth on my times as a boy

CHORUS 3
Holding dearly people I remember
And nodding to the ones I have lost
Looking back on March from early November
I am hoping I can hold their hands in mine again

OUTRO

Andrew, super song with a lot of buoyant poignancy. Think your vocals are quite nice, and the minor vocal imperfections work well within the context of the lyric. The triple tracking is a nice subtle effect, too. Solid musical arrangement. The strings and vibe fills are especially nice. Cool resolution to a 40 plus year old song idea!

Hi Andrew,
This piece has a ton of potential. The music is wonderful and I really like your instrument choices. Your voice does indeed sound strained. Can you change the key to make it more accessible?

Thanks Ron! Are you saying they are a ‘feature’? 😜 ha ha!
Andrew D

Hi Beth! I’ll look at it for a future remake. Unfortunately, I only have a range of 1.125 octaves! 🫨🎶
Andrew D

Andrew, this is a great song
Super lyrics
Yes your vocal was being pushed to the limits but it sounded OK. Maybe lowering the key as Beth indicated would push it over the top. But a 1.125 octave vocal range is pretty good. Mine is 1.125 notes!
A very good song.

Thanks Mario - you are always very encouraging. I bet you’d be a fine man to know in person.
Regarding key changes, the lower I go, the pitchier I get. The higher I go, the pitchier I get. Basically, I am trying to sing a silk purse using a sow’s ear!
Andrew D

Solid message in there. I liked it. Things I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self...... Grab it now, don't wait. "No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun".... Pink Floyd.

I didn't feel like the vocals were strained. It kind of adds, IMO, to the overall feel of the song. I seem to recall a similar feel in a number of the early Beatles songs.

Very enjoyable song. Good job.

Thanks Herb!

Andrew,

That's a good song. Your vocal is a perfect fit. Love the orchestration and mix.

This was a worthy revisit. So nicely done.

Bob

Thanks Bob! I am glad you liked it. It was a long-forgotten gem when I found it, and so pleased with the rediscovery, and that there was enough written down in my 49 year-old notes to inspire me to develop it further.
Andrew D

Andrew, mate, you crafty time-traveling tunesmith! ♬♩♪♩

After reading your history of this song, it sounds like "March from Early November" has had more lives than a cat playing a keyboard! That verse melody's older than my uncle's jokes, yet you've managed to dust it off and give it a whole new lease on life. Ditching those "naff" lyrics, eh? Good call. We've all been there, scribbling down teenage angst that reads like bad poetry now. 😳

But hats off to you for taking that sentimental melancholy and turning it into something relatable for us seasoned citizens – or, as I prefer to call us, vintage folks. I especially love the way you've painted aging as a trip through the calendar, and let's be honest, reminiscing about stupid things you did in your teens? A full-time hobby for some of us! 🙈🙉🙊

And the balancing act between passions and responsibilities? Preach, brother! Trading musical ambitions for the "lesser view" of family and security – many of us can relate. But it's fantastic that you're back to climbing that musical mountain, even if your "climbing gear" is a little creakier these days. Sounds like you nailed the trade-off. 👍

Musically, the backing is top-notch. That BIAB band sounds right. The triple-tracked vocals worked, even if you described them as sounding "thin and airy." (I was too busy listening to the lyrics to notice, really.) We've all wrestled with vocals, though. Falsetto is more like "false hope-o" sometimes, isn't it? 😏 although you nailed it.

Anyway, my friend, the "tribulations of getting older" have never sounded so engaging. As someone blissfully ignoring my own expiration date post-corporate escape, I can still appreciate the sentiment! You've poured heart and soul into this, and it shows. Bravo! I really enjoyed this! 👋 ✔️ 💯

Thanks Izzy! Your kind and thoughtful words showed you unpacked the lyrics well, and I appreciate it for listening to them line-by-line. Honestly, I am a 'music comes first' guy (the lyrics are only the vehicle for the music), so I do get a little amazed when I can write words that are thoughtful. The 'lesser view' in this case was pouring myself into studies to improve my career prospects, and that took out 12 years of potential music time.
Andrew D

Oh, I'm always iompressed with folks who can seamlessly switch between regular and falsettto, and I say you did a fine job jumping up and down. I really like the melody --heck, the whole production. The strings seem fine in their attack. Did you do something to fix the problem you mentioned? It's funny hearing you sing your 19-year-old's words of "And I’ll look back with warmth on my times as a boy." Nicely done reviving an old gem and polishing it to this brilliance, Andrew.

Thanks Marty. I can’t say that I was filled with confidence with the falsetto. I have been trying it since I was younger because it’s a way of extending my 1.125 octave range. I don’t have a lot of power in my vocal, but I thought I’d give it a crack.

That line on looking back with joy came from a thought I had a few years back when I realised my fingers were becoming riddled with arthritis and trigger finger. I decided I was not going to mourn my loss, but be grateful for the good years I had.
Cheers!
Andrew D

The falsetto works pretty well. The note of two leading to it suffer a bit though.
It's a good song & I'd be inclined to use a little tech support to sort that weaker notes. Sometimes ReaTune or Melodyne are my only option to save a song I can't get anyone else to sing.
Double & triple tracking are good options for strength...using an ultra short delay will help too.

Thanks for the tech tips Ray - I'll give them a try.

Andrew..first of all, thanks for re-inforcing the value of going back to material of our youth and reviving—I think we all were youthful beneficiaries of a strong jolt of musical inspiration, but without the “wisdom of the years”. Some things I especially liked: the interesting interval jumps in some of the melody lines (these are definitely vocal challenges, but are worth it)…and the way you led into v3 by dropping off some of the instrumentation—good construction idea. Keep this track nearby—maybe you can do another rewrite in 25 years!

Thanks Tom! As I was developing the song, I realised I was singing those interval jumps. When recording, I think I ‘overplayed’ that effect on one of the verses rather than singing it naturally. Happy with it nonetheless.

Regarding verse 3, I often think about how I can create variations in texture as the song progresses, and usually layer by adding new instruments as I go. For verse 3, I backed off to get the variation, and I think this works well with the reflective nature of the lyrics in that verse.
Andrew D