Broken Again - PG Music Forums

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A (sad) ballad this time. A buddy of mine was thinking about getting back with his ex. I thought it was a bad idea (isn't it always?). So I wrote a song for him....

Hope you like it. Comments welcomed.

Broken Again

RealTracks involved:
RealTracks in song: ~700:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush Ev 085
RealTracks in style: ~365:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1676:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 380:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Syncopated Sugar Ev 102
RealTracks in song: ~1126:Pedal Steel, Rhythm CountryWaltz Sw 085
RealTracks in song: 1856:Cello, Background PopCountry Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1760:Fiddle, Background Pop16ths Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1524:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopPowerPushClean Ev 120
RealTracks - Piano - 1767
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleEven8^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

It looks like a lot of tracks, but it's a fairly simple song. And fairly short... The cello and fiddle "play nice" together. BIAB is SO cool.

I did the vocal (of course) and the harmony.

Nice lyrics and tune. Great vocals and harmony as always.
The mix has everything it needs.
Enjoyed listening a lot.

Guenter

Floyd,

Wow man... I think this is just some excellent songwriting!

I really like it!

All you need is somebody like Garth Brooks to record it... and then just sit back & wait for the mailbox money$ and plan how your gonna spend it.

Good vocals & mix as well, although it's a little bass heavy on my system, but I do have a sub-woofer so that could be some of it.

Once again... Great songwriting!

Greg

Floyd,

You never cease to amaze me.
I really enjoyed the touches of harmony.

Think you were probably thinking of some of your past
when you wrote this wrenching story.

Enjoyed the very sad song as always.

Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Hi Floyd. As usual I loved listening to your song. Very heartfelt. Sometimes I feel this way about my sister’s broken marriage. She got back together with her ex and it did indeed break her heart again. Hopefully it does not happen a third time.

Amazing tune, lyrics are outstanding! You have out done yourself. Thanks for sharing!

My Music

Extremely good song, singing and songwriting, very engaging stuff. I enjoyed it. Thanks for posting it..

Thanks also, Floyd, for the lyrical suggestions earlier on, I have already employed most of them.

RG

Hi Floyd,

This is outstanding. The whole scenario of the lyrics rings with emotional honesty and truth. I was at a Beth Nielsen Chapman seminar a couple of years ago and she made a big point of saying that the 'truth' of a lyric was one of the most important aspects of a song. Such truth not only makes the lyric believable, it also provides something listeners can relate to.

Yet another top notch work! The whole package is a testimony to your excellent musicianship.

All the best,
Noel

Guenter - thanks for that. I know this is not "really your kind of stuff", so I appreciate your listening.

Greg - if you run into Garth, let him know! Thanks for the comments.

Frank - thanks. Hopefully I will continue to amaze you (or at least amuse you trying).

Joanne - thanks. Here's hoping your sister finds the love she's looking for...

Robert - appreciate the listen and the kind words.

RG - glad you enjoyed it. And glad you found the suggestions useful...

Noel - this one was actually about someone, so that makes the "truth" thing easy. Thanks for the kind words.

floyd

FJ

I agree this is outstanding songwriting, melody and lyrics. This is one of those inspired songs from personal knowledge. Great vocals and the harmony is very good.

I really like the lines: when you love so blindly...you can't understand
if you take that leap...there may be no place to land ---- excellent

Well produced and I can imagine a Rascal Flatts version of Broken Again.

The chorus shines. Strong emotion. Very well done.

I look forward to hearing more of your writing.

It's all been said, great vox, backing tracks with some very heartfelt lyrics.

Two thumbs up.

Quote:

Hi Floyd,

This is outstanding. The whole scenario of the lyrics rings with emotional honesty and truth. I was at a Beth Nielsen Chapman seminar a couple of years ago and she made a big point of saying that the 'truth' of a lyric was one of the most important aspects of a song. Such truth not only makes the lyric believable, it also provides something listeners can relate to.

Yet another top notch work! The whole package is a testimony to your excellent musicianship.

All the best,
Noel

This thing you mention about the 'truth' is curious to me in the sense that it is obvious, yet it's not one of the most important aspects of songwriting, in my view, so I would disagree with this Beth Chapman, despite so many of my songs being utterly truthful in nature. A songwriter would be wise I think to keep in mind that they can also write from a detached position of empathy for another; or of the human condition in general, without having actually lived a particular experience which may be the subject of their composition. This is called, art, in my estimation, abstract though it might seem. I have never attended any songwriting seminars, but I have learned to compose my humble attempts at music from analyzing the work of those I consider some of the best songwriters ever. It's very likely that there is no 'Mr. Tambourine Man' or 'Strawberry Fields' etc, for example, whom or whatsoever. These songs are simply the embodiment's of the imaginations of two fine songwriters, being Dylan and Lennon. Are these songs any less - works of truth?

Another of my songwriting mentors, once said, that it may be necessary sometimes to "lie a little to help the truth." A songwriter like this Chapman, may not agree with this approach, but that is only their assessment of what works for them. In my case, I have always striven to approach songwriting from every artistic angle 'imaginable'.

austin - really appreciate the comments. can you arrange that Rascal Flatts thing?

Mario - thanks for the listen and the nice comments.

FJ
There are a couple of folks who frequent and contribute to our little forum home who seem to have such talent that they stand as men amoung children. It forces me to raise the preverbial question , "man, what are you doing here?" I simply love your voice. When you reach to those higher ranges, such tone, tenderness and warmth. And your song writing is just a master class in story telling, structure and phrasing. All I can do is wish you the best as your sound should be heard.

hi floyd awesome job all of it well done thanks eric

Floyd,

It's all been said. Very good work. Excellent writing, and performance. The kind of work we have come to expect from you.

Thanks for sharing it!

Steve

It's people like you that set the bar around here too darned high for the rest of us.

And the thing that kills me is how effortless this sounds when it's done right.

Except for that fade at the end... Not sure what's up with that.

eric - thanks for the listen. appreciate it.

Steve - good to see you back. always enjoy your stuff. (and work on that duet, will ya?)

David - that's nice of you to say. it does get easier, the more I do in BIAB. I wondered if anyone would "ping" me on the fade. I had a difficult time getting anything that worked there. The band was being unruly. Not usually a problem, but it seemed to be this time. So I opted for the "quick fade". Guess that was a mistake, but sometimes, you just get impatient...

jazzmandan - thanks for those very nice words (you're embarrassing me, man...)

I wanted to answer your question, even if it was rhetorical...

"what are you doing here?"

When I "happened on" the current state of BIAB (I had it a long time ago), I was intrigued. It sounded like it had become what I had always wished it would be. After reading as much as I could about it, I wanted to hear some real examples of "what was possible". Was it really worth "that much money"? So I listened to what people on the forum had posted. I was pleased to find some examples that convinced me that "the hype" was true. There were not a lot of examples of what I wanted to do, but there were enough to make me believe that it was, in fact, possible. So I "took the plunge".

I'm quite pleased with what I have been able to accomplish with BIAB, It is truly, "all it was cracked up to be"... and more. So if I can provide examples to others - of what I was looking for - I feel that is the least I can do. You can use BIAB to do a slow country ballad. Use can use BIAB to do an uptempo, rock country song (country is what I do - you've probably noticed). And EVERYTHING in between. And maybe, it will convince someone to buy BIAB. And the more people that buy BIAB, the more successful PGMusic is. And they will continue to add more stuff. More RealTracks. (More cello, please!!!)

On top of that, I have not found a better outlet for "having a song heard". And I have come to point where I would just as soon have as many people as possible to hear my songs. I love to write. What good it that if no one ever hears them. This forum gives me a place to "put them out there". I like that.

Asked and answered.

floyd

Very well done indeed. Great tune!!!

Mike

Floyd,
I can't help but pile on the praise. Great song, performance and recording. Thanks for sharing.
P.S. I hope it works out for your buddy.
SD

"if a broken heart can be broken again"

Applause.

You've got this country song writing thing down.

Wonderful ballad. Lovely song. Great use of BIAB, as always.

I like this one.