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A life in a song - a wonderful idea, wrapped up in a beautiful folk song, unfortunately with a somewhat sad ending. Very good ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif) Thanks B.D. - I guess I was thinking of an ending in regret and grief, where the daughter recognises the impact of her parents who are now gone. I know from my own perspective, I have grown up with my parents always there, so sometimes take them for granted. In times of grief, there may be others nearby who can share in this grief. Thanks for listening! Andrew
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Andrew, you have created one fantastic masterpiece.
Loved your vocal and really loved those lyrics. A fantastic story set to music that I am sure many can relate.
The backing band was perfect.
The mix was outstanding. IMHO this is your best to date.
Loved it! Thank you Mario! I’m glad you liked it. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I am more attracted to musical elements of a song than I am of lyrics, so I had to work hard on this one - both in terms of lyrics but also holding back on the music so as not to detract or distract. Andrew
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You have a very engaging talent for writing songs, Andrew. Always a good feeling with a catchy melody singing catchy lyrics. Chord structure always has some cool turns and you always keep the listener listening with the dynamics you use.
Oh, and I'm looking forward to your guitar work in the next one. Thank you Marty! Your mention of melody and chord structure mean a lot to me, whereas with lyrics - I’m on a journey. My next song - if I finish it first (I often have a couple on the go) - is a piano and synth driven song, but I am working on a guitar solo for it. Andrew
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Nice folk indeed. Your guitar and the BiaB session guys all worked together very well. Back in our acoustic band days we played with some excellent Travis pickers. Keep at it! Your vocals sound fine to us. We also enjoyed the open airy mix - our fave mix outcome. Great soundstage on our monitors. The narrative is excellent and we liked its backstory too. Enjoyed it! J&B PS We also enjoyed the very supportive video along with its real clips. 
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
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Nice folk indeed.
Your guitar and the BiaB session guys all worked together very well.
Back in our acoustic band days we played with some excellent Travis pickers. Keep at it!
Your vocals sound fine to us. Thanks J&B! For clarity, the picking on this song is a RealTrack. However, I am determined to grow my picking skills as I feel it will prove really useful in my future songwriting and playing. The process has taken me back to when I first started playing the guitar at age 15 after 4 years playing the cello. I taught myself all the chords by learning the songs in Sgt Pepper’s and Magical Mystery Tour - almost every major and minor chord. At one point I was so frustrated that I couldn’t change chords quick enough that I tried to crush my guitar by kneeling on it. It didn’t break, and I remember thinking “If you don’t break in one way, I will break you in another”. We also enjoyed the open airy mix - our fave mix outcome. Great soundstage on our monitors. While learning new tools and techniques, I feel the main training is in my ears. This forum is also a great drip-feed of information and insights. The narrative is excellent and we liked its backstory too. Some would have heard me say that I place more value on the music than I do the words, but this song demonstrates my own hypocrisy - being a story-driven song. I really appreciate forum posters when they detail their process and motivations. PS We also enjoyed the very supportive video along with its real clips. Like my songwriting, I enjoy the creative process of producing a video that either literally or figuratively illustrates the song. I am self taught and use a Clipchamp subscription and a cheap video camera. Thanks again for your detailed comments and glad you enjoyed the song! Andrew
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I was hooked at the start with the bouncy guitars. What a wonderful idea that sprung your song and resulted in excellent lyrics. The last part is particularly bittersweet.
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I was hooked at the start with the bouncy guitars. What a wonderful idea that sprung your song and resulted in excellent lyrics. The last part is particularly bittersweet. Thanks Scott! I wanted that to be the ending, but not as gut-wrenching as it ended up. The phrase ‘You can’t see mine but I’m looking over this place’ brought the inanimate object to life I think. Probably some of my best song lyrics from me who doesn’t place a high value on lyrics.  Thanks for listening! Andrew
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G'day Andrew
Sorry I am late to the table. I get dazed and confused about which posts I have visited or actually pressed send.
Anyways...
Who knew surveillance could be so utterly charming, witty, and profoundly moving? Move over, Alexa, there's a new omnipresent observer in town, and it's got much better taste in décor!!
You set out to tackle two challenges: a ballad and an inanimate object. You humbly suggest you missed the ballad mark, but I beg to differ. You’ve taken something as seemingly inert as a picture on a wall and given it a soul, a memory, and a narrative arc more sweeping than a fresh coat of paint. You didn't just meet the inanimate object challenge; you nailed it like a priceless framed masterpiece to a sturdy wall, firmly and with great artistic intent.
The storytelling here is simply fantastic, charting a life with such genuine warmth and emotional honesty. That poignant conclusion – "You can’t see mine, but I am looking over this place" – priceless.
While you humbly refer to this as the 'BIAB mix' and are still taming the wild beast that is Travis picking, the fingerpicking and strings provided by Band-In-A-Box blend seamlessly with your own guitar work, creating a wonderfully atmospheric folk tapestry. And those vocals! "Doubled, and no pitch correction – can’t you tell?" Andrew, we can tell, in the absolute best possible way! It's got a raw, authentic charm that simply sings 'humanity,' rather than some autotuned cyborg. It feels real, lived-in, and perfectly suited to the intimate narrative.
The video notes provide their own layer of amusement. The fluctuating hair colors and the father's "obvious hairpiece"? Andrew, your dedication to maintaining semi-realism within the constraints of stock footage is commendable.
In terms of artistic kinship, the intricate yet understated acoustic work, combined with a voice that delivers wisdom and warmth, brings to mind James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin and even Bon Iver so you're flying high Mr Dee.
So, Andrew, "Painting on a Wall" is not just a song; it's a wonderfully witty, surprisingly deep, and utterly charming observation on life, love, and the passage of time. It's a masterpiece that truly sees it all. And frankly, it's worth more than just two songwriting challenges – it's a gallery-worthy triumph!
cheers
Izzy
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Really nice Andrew!
Good old classic songwriting.
Kind of reminds me of Harry Nilsson in a way.
Great job.
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… Sorry I am late to the table. I get dazed and confused about which posts I have visited or actually pressed send.
…
It's got a raw, authentic charm that simply sings 'humanity,' rather than some autotuned cyborg. It feels real, lived-in, and perfectly suited to the intimate narrative. Hi Izzy! Thanks so much for your review and comments. I agree about missing posts. I’d love to be able to bookmark or mark as unread. Regarding finish and polish (not Finnish and Polish - ha!), when everything produced is perfect, we’ll long for some imperfection. Andrew
Last edited by Andrew Dee; 10/04/25 03:14 PM.
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Really nice Andrew!
Good old classic songwriting.
Kind of reminds me of Harry Nilsson in a way.
Great job. Thanks David! It’s probably not a genre I want to dwell in too much, but maybe subsume it into other styles. Hey - love your recent offering, man! Andrew
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Cut, slide n stretch is a task.
A very good story and an even better one in the notes.
Well done sir.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Cut, slide n stretch is a task.
A very good story and an even better one in the notes.
Well done sir. Thanks Ray! Yeah, I like reading other poster's stories and contexts, so I like to give a bit myself as well. Andrew
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Excellent premise and simple folky execution of the idea that suits so well. I find it rather spiritual...even the god-like gaze from your own AI-enhanced photo. Well done!
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Andrew,
"I tried to learn Travis picking to record this song..."
Kudos. "just learning?" - that's some impressive picking - not an easy thing to get such a clean recording.
That's a big write. Covering an entire life is NOT an easy thing to do. Well done.
I enjoyed your vocals.
Clever idea, too.
fj
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… “I tried to learn Travis picking to record this song..."
Kudos. "just learning?" - that's some impressive picking - not an easy thing to get such a clean recording. … Hi Floyd. For clarity, I tried but failed. That picking is BIAB. But, I’m gonna keep plugging away because I think it will be a useful skill to have. Thanks so much for your other comments. Andrew
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Excellent premise and simple folky execution of the idea that suits so well. I find it rather spiritual...even the god-like gaze from your own AI-enhanced photo. Well done! Thanks Beth! I figured that the story lyrics required me to hold back on the music so as not to distract. For me - normally - the music is the interesting part of songwriting - but for this one, I had to give the music the back seat, although I couldn’t help putting in some acoustic lead phrases in chorus 2 - 4 for some variation. As for my gaze, I think that’s the same one I used on our kids when they were younger. They’re now adults and 2 out of 3 are no longer home, and I do love it when they come to visit me and Alison. Andrew
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