Soundcloud - High
Youtube - High
This song is about opposite viewpoints and a suggestion that we avoid demonising one another. It’s easy to go ‘underground’ – either to clam up, or down a rabbit hole. With a world appearing so polarised, it is important that we re-engage in the 'messy middle' and be prepared to reach compromise rather than pursue a zero-sum game.

MUSICALLY ...
The melody to the first two lines of the verse came first while in the bathroom – one of my most creative places in the home. I had a sense of wanting to sing low with a bit of drone/resonance to my voice (maybe it was the drone of my electric shaver?), so I sang closer to the mic than usual to get some proximity effect but angled to one side to avoid plosives. This is the first song where I used the pencil and rubber band trick – not sure if it did anything, but even if it has a placebo effect … well who would know? The verses sound to me like a hum while traversing the Prairie – if you get my drift.

MIXING
This was one of my most challenging songs to mix because of what I have referred to as the ‘raging snare drum’ in this post. MANY THANKS to the ‘Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production’ forum posters who all offered very practical and logical insights. Not only do I have a solution with no clipping, it was an education from these posters. However, I have so much mixing fatigue from this song I am now not sure of what I am hearing, so I hope it has come out okay.

****** Song Summary *************
Style is _TINROOF.STY (Tin Roof Tin Whistle Folk Pulse)

RealTracks in style: 3588:Bass, Electric, NashvilleRadioPopPushA Ev 110
RealTracks in style: 2935:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm FolkPulse8thsFintan Ev 110
RealTracks in style: 3710:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm 90sJamRockFunky Ev16 110
RealTracks in song: 3639:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm DublinPopSlowHiChop Ev16 105 – simply LOVE this and the next U2 style tracks
RealTracks in song: 3643:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm DublinPopSlowMuteChop Ev16 105
RealTracks in song: 2203:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopPromiseBrent Ev16 100 - it's got a bit of reverb on it
RealDrums in Song: SouthernPopEv16^01-HtSnr,OpHtS – oh drum track - how I still haven’t forgiven you!

I played nothing! Pitch correction on the word 'kids' and 'through to the dust'.
Mixed in Reaper, and road-tested on headphones, iPad Airpods, studio monitors and my car stereo set ‘flat’.
*******************

LYRICS
INTRO

VERSE 1
Moving up and down, I feel despised so I go underground
Will it fly … or maybe drown?
Hard to know what’s right, is it day or is it night?
Will it burn? … I think it might.

CHORUS 1
We’re going high when we should be low, saying we do when some of us don’t
Please be kind if either of us are wrong
You’re saying ‘above’ when I say ‘below’, it’s a struggle for this ship to float
We both need each other to remain strong

VERSE 2
Moving to and fro, I think I do but it doesn’t show
We plant the seed … but it doesn’t grow
Home is not my place, it sure once was but I have no space
I walk alone … ‘til I find some grace

CHORUS 2
We’re going fast when we should be slow, saying ‘hold on’ when we’ve gotta go
Bear in mind we all need to get along
There’s too much but you say not enough, it ain’t easy when agreeing is tough
We need to sort it out before all is gone

BRIDGE
What are the kids gonna do … without us
Keep on smiling ‘til we are through to the dust

SOLO OVER VERSE

CHORUS 3
We’re going high when we should be low, saying we do when some of us don’t
Please be kind if either of us are wrong
You’re saying ‘above’ when I say ‘below’, it’s a struggle for this ship to float
We both need each other to remain strong

OUTRO

Last edited by Andrew Dee; Yesterday at 12:11 AM.
Regards,
Andrew D
Adelaide, Sth Aust
Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewoftheantipodes

Profile pic 'Air Guitar' - a carving in pine I made of the F major barre chord.