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Second Coming Blues

It's been eighty generations since You were carried off,
We've been waiting for Your comeback, with our eyes upon the clock
The preacher says "Don't worry, You are surely on Your way,"
But he's been sayin' that since Grandad passed away.

   Second coming, second guessing, how long 'till the second time?
   Until the trumpet blows, we'll be looking for a sign.
   The world's gone crazy, full of sinners, full of sin.
   We've all been looking to the skies, where have You been?

We've saved a spot here for Elijah, in case he's gonna show;
But about the where and when, it seems nobody even knows.
We've been dressed up for the banquet, but the groom is still away
Two thousand years and still there's been no Judgement Day.

   Second coming, second guessing, how long 'till the second time?
   Until the trumpet blows, we'll be waiting for a sign.
   The world's gone crazy, full of sinners, full of sin.
   We've all been looking at the sky, where have You been?

The choir stands ready, and they learned the gospel songs,
Now every lamp is burning bright, but the oil's nearly gone.
Last time caught us off guard when you rolled away the rock,
This time we've spread the word from here to Antioch.

   Second coming, second guessing, countdown to the final time.
   Known only to the Father is that timetable divine.
   The world's gone crazy, full of sinners, full of sin.
   How long until the saints go marching in?
   How long until the saints go marching in?

Real Tracks
~540:Bass, Electric, Pop Sw 165
1862:Mandolin, Soloist WesternSwingAndy Sw 165
~812:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Western Swing Sw 165
1873:Fiddle, Soloist WesternSwingAndy Sw 165
1866:Piano, Acoustic, Soloist WesternSwingJohn Sw 165 (Bluesy)
~812:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Western Swing Sw 165
NashvilleSwing8^5-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat

Tracks
Main Buss: Fame Studio Reverb (Studio A Live), EZ Mix 3 (Americana Master 3)
Lead Vocal: SynthV (Kevin 2), Vulf Compressor (Lots of Attack), VoiceCentric (Natural Voice Mix)
My Vocals: Melodyne, Vulf Compressor, Silk Vocals, VoiceCentric (Background Vocals)
Low Lead Vocal: SynthV (Saros II), VoiceCentric (Background Vocals)
High Harmony Vocal: SynthV (Liam), VoiceCentric (Background Vocals)
Low Harmony Vocal: SynthV (Saros II), VoiceCentric (Background Vocals)
Vocal Buss Verb: Sunset Sound Studio (Chamber, Studio 2)

The Story of My Descent Into AI
I was visiting my brother on vacation, and was showing my brother's kids Suno, an AI program that automatically generates complete songs. I set up an account, took the title of George Carlin's book "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" and asked it to combine it with the Second Coming.

One of the results was a jaunty little tune with some clever lyrics. After his kids left, I thought it was a shame that the song would never see the light of day, so I decided to take what I thought were the best bits and see what I could do with it.

The lyrics went through a lot of revisions. In the process, references to George Carlin and pork rinds got excised, although a few key lines from Suno remained. For reference, here's the chorus of the first Suno (bold indicates lyrics that were retained):

Oh, Jesus, where have you been?
This world's gone crazy, full of sin.
Got pulled pork waitin', grace to share,
Just need you to pull up a chair.

This bit came from a verse in Suno's second verse, and remained mostly intact:

The preacher says, "He's on His way,"
Been sayin' that since my granddad’s day.

Here's the original chorus of the second Suno song, where I used a line:

Second coming, second guessing, where’d you leave the time?
Pork rinds grow stale, and old jokes dim their shine.
George Carlin called it, said the punchline’d last for years,
Now we’re sipping stale salvation with some bitter tears.

Most lines got extensive rewrites, such as:

We saved you a spot on my tattered leather couch

which eventually became:

We've saved a spot here for Elijah, in case he's gonna show

Here's the first verse of the first Suno song, which got rewritten and rewritten until there was nothing left except the clock:

Oh Jesus, where'd you wander, you're way behind the clock,
You promised to be prompt, yet here I sit and talk.
The world's been biding, waiting, for your saintly chime,
You were bringing pork rinds, man, but you’re well past your prime.

I thought the start of the lyric was actually pretty strong, but "saintly chime" makes no sense. "You were bringing pork chops" fits the spec, but poor George disappeared from the rewrite pretty quickly. The line "well past your prime" obviously had to go.

That's actually about all that made it into the final song. As much as I loved the melody and backing generated by Suno, that was completely replaced.

Any references to "Jesus" was replaced with "Lord", since the intent of the song isn't to offend, despite the song's origin. In case it's not clear, it's poking fun at the narrator's impatient waiting, despite the lyric of the final verse making it clear that time is completely unknown. I'll confess, my own cries of :"Maranatha" are more for a spiritual awakening rather than for the end of the world.

I had Suno take a crack at singing an early rewrite, and it was terrible.

I had intended to use BiaB to create the harmonies, but couldn't find a way to move the &%#$@! audio track to align with the music, so gave up on that and did it in SynthV instead.

I took a couple tries at singing this, but it's out of my range. It's also tricky to sing, as pitch correction software depressingly made evident. Some of my low vocals did make it into the chorus.

My focus was getting this done, so I'm sure there are some rough spots. If you notice any, feel free to mention them.

I'm not sure how I feel about this song - especially given the AI origins and the subject matter.

But that shouldn't stop you from letting me know how you feel about it!

Fun and funny.
Not 100% on the synth vocal choice but I don't know the options.

Mr David
That is one heck of a backstory for a song! ⌚ 😇
You've taken a digital muse (Suno AI) for a spin, wrestled with philosophical pork chops, and emerged with something that's both thought-provoking and toe-tapping. That's quite a journey! ✈

First off, hats off to your lyric surgery. You've managed to extract the gold from the AI's initial offerings and craft something genuinely clever and relatable. "Eighty generations since you were carried off" is a brilliant opening line, setting the stage for a world-weary but still hopeful (or at least impatiently waiting) narrative.

The chorus, with its "second coming, second guessing" refrain, is catchy as all get-out. And the question, "Where have you been?" is the perfect blend of faithful yearning and exasperated side-eye. I'm pretty sure that's a sentiment we can all relate to, no matter our particular beliefs. ✔

Your musical choices are spot-on, too. That Western Swing vibe perfectly complements the slightly irreverent but ultimately sincere lyrics. I can practically see folks clapping along in a dusty roadside chapel! And a key change in a song about the Second Coming? Inspired! Is that when the Pearly Gates start doing the Charleston? 😉

I admire your honesty about the struggles with vocal range and pitch correction. We've all been there, wrestling with our own limitations in the pursuit of sonic perfection. The fact that you persevered and even incorporated SynthV to create those harmonies is commendable. 👍

As for your anxieties about the AI origins or the subject matter: Relax! You've taken raw data and created something uniquely you. It explores those big questions about faith with a wink and a nod. I'd say you've successfully walked the line between reverence and rebellion. 🆒

So, embrace the weirdness, own the quirkiness, and crank this sucker up! Because honestly, who knew the apocalypse could sound so darn cheerful? Great job! 👋 💯 👍 🙏🏻
Regards
Izzy

David,

Is the melody 100% Suno?
It's very natural and lively.
The lyrics have been almost completely replaced, so I think it's 100% your work.
The Synth V and the choice of instruments are so good, and making it a great song.
If I had the opportunity, I would like to try using AI, but I'd be a little scared if I came across a melody that I thought was too good.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

David, really nicely put together. Rayc beat me to "fun and funny", a perfect summary in my view. Nice arrangement of the BiaB backing track, too. A little twang in the SynthV vocal would have been icing on the cake.

Always enjoy reading your descriptions, THANKS for taking the time!

David, once again a master class on song generation! The backstory is important for me—again, like being in a classroom, learning from a craftsman. I agree with others, this is “your” work…SUNO just gave you a starting point and some inspiration. The track is solid, and I’m amazed at all the refining steps. In the end, the result is interesting, enjoyable, has substance, and, for the inside musician, really peaks the curiosity, asking “how did he do that?” Thanks for sharing your work, it’s helpful, motivational, and put a smile on my face!

I have no problems with the subject matter or the origin of your song, it's entertaining and that's all that matters.
The only small nit are the vocals, they sound a bit unfinished (and no, it's not YOUR vocals), they should 'flow' (for lack of a better word) a bit better with the backing tracks.

David, a great song
Super synth vocals
Great lyrics - loved that chorus
Super mix
I'm glad that you reworked that AI into this fantastic song

David,

Great! Fun, creative and so well put together. I really like that lead voice and the background vocals sound awesome.

Excellent stuff!

Bob

What a terrific inspirational muse was at work for this song.
Over the past several years, at 81, I finally got off the dime
and began to include the end times message in my personal
Bible study. Your work, here, therefore, has special meaning
to me. Thanks for posting.

Made me smile. A brilliant message.

Some strange harmony on "Antioch" ... a SMALL nit!

"Stay awake, stay awake. For, if you tell yourselves: 'the boss is late in coming back', He may come back when you least expect Him to" ... from somewhere in the Gospels ... my own wording, as I remember but the gist of it, not the exact words!!!

Your song helps to keep me awake

Oh, man, this is such a treat, David. Cool lyrics and good corrections to them. Suno is quite amazing --especially in the right hands. I like it right from you first idea for the song. Might this be on your upcoming album.

David,

This is good.
Love the write.The SUNO writes that have been put up here are typically polished babble, generic line after generic line - never actually telling a story (or having any cohesion). I don't think you can even call this a "SUNO write". You wrote it, SUNO dropped in a few words. (SUNO writes are usually the other way around). A hell of a write.
And funny.

Solid production (as always). Good mix.

Always enjoy your write ups, too.

fj

I've tried Suno a couple of times, just amazing what it can do actually. Not quite ready to jump down that rabbit hole, but, never say never

Thanks for your detailed notes, very interesting where you started from and where you ended up, and I agree with Floyd, this is basically your write.

Fun stuff, and an enjoyable listen.

We are always down with a swing.
Nice BiaB session guys and great use of the Western Swing vibe.
It's a genre we played for years.
It made Bud want to dust of his upright.
Hey, we reckon Suno doesn’t have a southern accent option?

Excellent job all around. The technicalities of the mashup are impressive and thanks for including it.
No doubt a lot of work and effort involved.

You ended up with a very cool write indeed.

Fun!

J&B

Hi, Ray.
Thanks!

I ended up choosing the Kevin voice because it had the least amount of issues pronouncing the words. Not really glowing praise, I know.

I appreciate you stopping to listen and comment.

Hi, Sr. Izzy.

Every song's got one, right? I figured that if there's a place to share it, this would be the forum.


I'm glad I was able to keep some of that with the rewrite.

One of the things about AI is that they can't yet judge the quality of what they produce. In the case of Suno, it came up four different versions, and only one arrangement was any good - at least, as far as I was concerned.

But they, what have you got? It's not like I could tell Suno "Keep it like it is, but change some lyrics." It's an odd sort of tool that feels like the user is at the whim of the dice.

Thanks for that!

This is the bit where Suno gets the credit. Or rather, the songwriters that used as training data when creating it.

Conceptually, I've always had trouble with writing a chorus, and I'm smart enough to recognize a good one when when I hear it.

It's a style that I haven's used much, but BiaB offers a lot of options, and I loved the feel.

Actually, writing the harmonies in this style is pretty easy. Since the lead vocals move so much, it's pretty much not changing the harmony notes.

But next time, I'll try to write a less challenging melody.

Thanks again for all the positive feedback - I appreciate it!

Hi, Shigeki.

No, the melody is 100% me using SynthesizerV.

I'm glad to hear it!

That's what happened here - I really liked the melody and arrangement that Suno came up with, but using that (even if I could) would just make this a copy of Suno's song.

That's one of the several reasons I re-did it in a different style.

Thanks for commenting!

Hi, Ron.

Yeah, I should have tried that!

Thanks for your positive comments!

Hi, Tom.

I sort of assume that this is the same sort of work we all do while creating songs. My method is rewriting - I know what I want, but it takes a lot of swings before I get there!

That's more than I can as for, thanks!