I've just discovered Edgar Allan Poe recently ... what a poet :-) I just discovered THIS poem this morning, when trawling through love poems, online, for inspiration ... so here goes :-) Thanks for listening and for any feedback!!!
ANNABEL LEE by Edgar Allan Poe (public domain poem)
It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee— With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me— Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we— Of many far wiser than we— And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea— In her tomb by the sounding sea.
****** Song Summary ************* Title: Annabel Lee - by Edgar Allan Poe - 14 March 2020 File:Annabel Lee - by Edgar Allan Poe - 14 March 2020.SGU Key=G , Tempo 75, Length (m:s)=3:24 No intro. 60 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 60. Repeat x1 chorus No Melody No Soloist track. Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Song is saved with bar changes for Key Signature, Style is _HARTBRK.STY (Heartbreak Mellow Nashville Pop)
RealTracks in style: 3502:Bass, Electric, NashvilleRadioBalladA Ev16 075 RealTracks in style: 1839:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopModernGrooveA-B Ev16 075 RealTracks in style: 3520:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Americana16thsDelayBrent Ev16 075 RealTracks in style: 1831:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopModernGrooveBrightA-B Ev16 075 RealDrums [in style:RockBritDrivingEv16^4-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Open HiHat
I've only written it this morning ... in retrospect, on hearing it again, I have a sneaking suspicion I may have massacred poor Mr Poe's amazing poem. Still, I'll leave it here for two reasons:
a) to serve as a lesson for me not to hurry when posting a song up (do some due diligence on it first, haha); and
A personal opinion - I thought that an upbeat Country treatment did not really suit the poem's story/angst.
Your vocal has a fair amount of sibilance which detracts from the listen. In this case, that seems mostly "mic technique" - singing too close to the microphone, so it is picking up and accentuating every "CHTCH" and "ESSS". A pop screen might help.
I really like your melody but it does need you to inhabit a bit longer so you can sing it a little more certainty and perhaps develop it a little. Your performance is pretty good but it COULD be better with some time spent. I'd rate this as a really good draft/sketch of you thoughts on the day. I've loved this poem since I was 1st introduced to it, actually in musical form, in 1973, (I was 16).
My wife HATES the above version though - we have rather different tastes. Backing - well it survives most styles but flourishes in the dark - perhaps you could take the structure & progression and experiment with something darker like the Doom one. It was part of a theatre/literature performance by a troupe that visited my school. Stevie Nicks does a version of the poem too though I'm not fussed on hers - I prefer yours to her version.
My form fave is my introductory one...of course.
Last edited by rayc; 03/14/2010:30 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Hi Ray - thanks for your kind comments and videos!
With the melody, I need to either write it out properly, or at least have the chord sheet in front of me so as to feel comfortable with it. I did neither, this time (just sang it from memory), and it shows.
The first video is beautiful but rather dark, I felt. I know that the poem is supposed to be dark, etc., but I really enjoyed the major section once it arrived :-) Still ... a really atmospheric, strong performance ... just not really my vision of the poem, that's all ... but that's of course how it should be, we're all different and, so long as the interpretation works (which I feel it does), who am I to grumble? :-) Besides, yes, mine veers FAR too far to the major, upbeat side, so ...
The second video is ok, I guess, but leaves me kinda baffled - truth be told - and I much prefer the first video to the Stevie Nicks version.
Yes, mine is a "draft" ... I jumped the gun and published it on here before taking due diligence with it ... I don't usually do that, but I don't know what possessed me this time. Anyway, THANK YOU for all your comments and for taking the time to introduce me to these performances I knew nothing about! :-)
The first video is beautiful but rather dark, I felt. I know that the poem is supposed to be dark, etc., but I really enjoyed the major section once it arrived :-) Still ... a really atmospheric, strong performance ... The second video is ok, I guess, but leaves me kinda baffled - truth be told - and I much prefer the first video to the Stevie Nicks version.
You can imagine the impact of dark brooding carriage for a deathly poem on adolescents! It worked on this little black duck anyway. Impressions from that age stay with me. I threw in te SN one as contrast and becasue I can't see the sense in it either.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Oh yes, quite! Those were the days - and yes, that kind of dark stuff can be very impressive, especially at that age. I know because I went through a heck of a phase at that time with the works of Gustav Mahler, no less, haha. Now, I follow the advice of one of my favourite musicians: "darkness? sure; but in small doses, otherwise it's not healthy" :-) But that video is beautiful, too ... so all is good :-)
Some say I haven't grown up much either, and that I'm still - at heart - the impressionable young man I always was. I would personally disagree a little, but who knows? Either way, thanks for posting up those videos - the first one, as we both agree, was well worth hearing!
Thanks Janice and Bud :-) As I said above, not my finest hour as a songwriter (in retrospect, haha), but I want to "take the rough with the smooth", so to speak, because that's how we learn, I think - so I'm leaving the song up on here, if only as a warning as to what happens when one doesn't do due diligence on one's own songs before posting them ;-)
That said, yes, thanks :-) - I agree, it's worth working on. I don't like having this poem set to too dark a musical track ... simply because the poem's dark enough as it is - I don't want to put dark colours onto more dark colours, if that makes sense ... hence the major key, etc. SO - in short - THANK YOU for your really kind words ... I'll work on it :-)
Nicely done - a really unique take on this poem. Very creative and the instrumentation actually works tremendously well. I wouldn't have thought to do something like this.
I agree with rayc that this feels rough in places - from a very metered reading in most places to some rough spots where it feels you tried to fit in all the words instead of working it out ahead of time.
All in all, I liked it.
But I think it's worth having another go at to make corrections and improvements.
I like the idea and that you connect with the poem; some wonderful lines here:
And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
I found your voice rather than the style of music (I heard darker sounds!), held my attention. Clearly you are able to take on board the opinions and advice from listeners and no doubt good things will come from putting your demo out there.
Thanks David and Robert. It's obviously not my best song, so I'll come back to it when I feel really patient, haha. But thank you. I tried for the voice to be darker than the major key, the melody, etc. ... if I only had the voice of someone like Johnny Cash, perhaps, then it might have worked a little more? haha. Still ... I will indeed work on it ... it just doesn't feel like it's worth working on much at the moment, but I'll summon up the patience to clean it up, hopefully soon. Thanks!!!
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean