No Parade - Soundcloud

No Parade - Youtube

This is my latest labour fellow boxers, I fear though it isn't a labour of love!!! Another case of an overheard, over produced.... just over it!!

This was another themed project write, between Mr Dee, myself and our friend, where we had to come up with a song with a storyline. I originally set my mark to be something like Hazard by Richard Marx. Absolutely love that song and the imagery it evokes. Alas, this is nothing like that, and I don't know where I got onto this particular theme. I set the song to WW2 England, thinking that's a neutral place to base it. But it's message is applicable to any conflict past or present, that not only do the brave soldiers who make the ultimate sacrifice, but it's also the innocent children who pay through no fault of their own, whilst the cowards who set the scenarios in motion, usually get off Scott free and profit from it.

I was really happy with the style and the Tin Whistle, an underrated instrument, is just perfect throughout this. I was happy with the vocal in the first verse and outro, other verses and chorus I felt the vocal got away from me as the subject intensity grew. I was hoping to get a Gerry Rafferty or maybe David Gray feel to the vocal, but that never quite worked out. I do seem to be somewhat set in a morbid songwriting mode, subject wise. I need to break out and go in a new direction. All said, it's not bad, but it's not great either...overall I'd give it a B-.

Happy to hear your thoughts, reviews and impressions, Kind regards.


Title: No Parade
File:No Parade.SGU
Key=A , Tempo 120, Length (m:s)=4:16
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Tempo,Volume Changes,
Style is _WHISTLE.STY (Tin Whistle Light Folk Pop)

RealTracks in style: ~683:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 2762:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm 70sBritPopMike Ev 110
RealTracks in style: 3770:Tin Whistle, Low, BackgroundSoloist Folk8thsGeoff Ev 110
RealDrums in style:** N/A ** NashvilleEven16^4-a,b:Sidestick, HiHat
Seagull Acoustic Rhythm Guitar
My vocals

NO PARADE
120 bpm

INTRO: Bm / / / C#m / / / Bm7 / / / E / / / Esus / / /

VERSE 1
Amaj7
Skyline of terraced housing, backlit with an amber glow.
Bm C#m
The place, London Town. City blocks raised to the ground.
Amaj7
At the end of the street, a ruined house kids would meet.
Bm C#m Bm7 E Esus4
Wasting, night away, till the, light of day…. rolls on around.

VERSE 2
Amaj7
Tommy, Jim, me and you, owned the streets back in ‘42.
Bm C#m
Playground, made of rubble, horseplay, in and out of trouble.
Amaj7
Spotlight… spotlights, danger overhead.
Bm C#m Bm7 Esus4 E7
We all hit the ground, couldn’t hear a sound… then..

CHORUS
Dmaj7 Amaj7
Tommy, there’ll be no parade for you.
Dmaj7 F#m C#m
No parade for the innocents lost.
Dmaj7 Amaj7
No parade for all the fallen children.
Dmaj7 C#m F#m
And no judgement day for the guilty.

BREAK
Bm / / / / / / / C#m / / / / / / / Bm7 / / / / / / /
E / / / Esus4 / / / E / / / E / / /

VERSE 3
Amaj7
Shell shock, disbelief, numb to all sense of grief.
Bm C#m
Jim, me and you, still brothers through and through.
Amaj7
Air raid sirens wail through the air.
Bm C#m Bm7 Esus4 E7
Earth trembles, building shakes, floor below breaks…. then..

CHORUS
Dmaj7 Amaj7
Jimmy, there’ll be no parade for you.
Dmaj7 F#m C#m
No parade for the innocents lost.
Dmaj7 Amaj7
No parade for all the fallen children.
Dmaj7 C#m F#m
And no judgement day for the guilty.

BREAK
Bm / / / / / / / C#m / / / / / / / Bm7 / / / / / / /
E / / / Esus4 / / / E / / / E / / /

OUTRO
Amaj7
You and me married summer ‘53
Bm C#m (Tempo slows to 102 bpm)
Vows made in fear and trauma, and to our fallen brothers.
Amaj7
Church bells, church bells, call for all to gather here.
Bm C#m Bm7 Esus E7 Amaj7
But it’s no parade for all the fallen children…. …everywhere.