This one just came to us out of the clear blue. I (Al) was sitting around plunking on my acoustic Alverez. I was talking to Di about the long and endless days I spent on the road when I was playing and how nice it was to not do that anymore...to be back home for good. I plunked a little more and Di said, "Hey, I have a thought for a lyric for that guitar thing you just did." Two hours later this is the lyric we ended up with and 5 or 6 hours later we had the music and this mix. This is the third cut we did using BIAB 2011.

I don't have a good Country voice but it gets the idea across. It's all BIAB tracks on this...not a danged thing from me! My harmony vocals could be just a little tighter but it's a demo. If we ever pitch it, I'll address that issue.

Thanks in advance for any comments you may leave for us.

File:Al - Home In Tennessee.MGU
Key=Eb , Tempo 85, Length (m:s)=3:34

No Soloist track.
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Volume Changes,
Style MIDI Instruments are : Fretless Elec. Bass (36), Strings (49),
RealTracks in song: 1263:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopShiningSync Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~703:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Spirited Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 626:Harmonica, Background Travis Ev 085
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleEven16^2-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat
*******************


Al & Di

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11192805


HOME IN TENNESSEE

(c) 2011 Alan D. David, BMI / Diana Bowers, BMI

(V1)
Sitting on my back porch, my woman and me
Strumming on my old guitar
It's a cool fall night in Tennessee
Whooperwill calling, fireflies buzzing
No other place I'd rather be
Hoot owl calling from an old oak tree
Kids are all gone, just the two of us
The old hound dog makes three
This is how we dreamed life would be

CHORUS
I've been gone more than I've been home
Pickin' on that old six-string
And now I'm settled down here on this farm
Yes I'm home in Tennessee, right where I belong
Home in Tennessee, with my woman on my arm

(V2)
I was born and raised right here
In these Tennessee hills
This will always be my home
I dreamed each night of being back
Where my roots are planted deep
This is where my heart belongs
How I missed these tall oak trees
And the misty morning fog
And the frost of an early autumn freeze.

CHORUS
I've been gone more than I've been home
Pickin' on that old six-string
And now I'm settled down here on this farm
Yes I'm home in Tennessee, right where I belong
Home in Tennessee, with my woman on my arm

(V3)
I'll be here til they carry me
To my resting place
Underneath that old oak tree
But til then you'll find me here
In the Smokey Mountain haze
This is where God meant me to be
I've been almost everywhere
And seen most everything
But there's nothing like my home in Tennessee

CHORUS
I've been gone more than I've been home
Pickin' on that old six-string
And now I'm settled down here on this farm
Yes I'm home in Tennessee, right where I belong
Home in Tennessee, with my woman on my arm

Hi Di and Al,

This is outstanding. It's amazing that it came together so quickly; 5 - 6 hours!!!! Oh I wish I knew how to do that. The lyrics are magnificent; a real credit to you both. I simply closed my eyes and drifted along on the current of your music, watching the scenery of your images. It was a wonderful experience.

One little arranging ploy that I really loved was that you teased us with the ending of each chorus. The natural inclination is to go to the tonic to finish the section, but you didn't! You saved the tonic until the very end of the last chorus. The musical tension that was created by using this strategy made that final tonic arrive with a huge sense of relief. It said, "Now, at last, I'm home!" What wonderful prosody given that 'coming home' is what the song is all about. That kind of attention to arranging detail is classy stuff! Wow.

This is quality songwriting through and through in my opinion.

Best wishes,
Noel

P.S. Don't worry about not having a country voice. Your voice is a perfect fit for "Home In Tennessee".

Al, Sounds like you've found a nice place to settle in. Well written song and nicely produced. The editing on the harmonica is just right. I haven't heard much use of that country harmonica track on the forum, but it fit like a glove. Keep posting. You fit right in here with the rest of us BIAB devotees. Tom

Hi Di and Al,

your voice fits perfectly to this song.
Very nice use of that harmonica track.
Enjoyable listen.

Guenter

Hi Al and Di,

Lissen man, the reason I don't and can't sing country isn't the voice, it's - and this is critical part - authenticity. You got to be country in order to sing country. Does it get more country than Tennessee?

I was impressed by the job you did and also by Noel's sophisticated remarks, above. He's got a set of ears alright and so do you.

Dean

Noel,

We're not sure what to say about your review other than "Thank you very, very much!"! That's one of the nicest and most encouraging reviews we have received from any site on which we placed out music. You humble us with your kindness!!!!!

As far as resolving the choruses...we usually take the traditional route of resolving to the tonic and often go the minor of the 6th for an ending But for some reason, going to the 4maj7 at the end of the choruses just sounded right...we hoped it would leave the listener thinking "Okay, now tell me the rest of the story." I also write novels and we refer to that "tactic" as a "teaser ending". You tease the reader, in this case the listener, to want to move on to the next event...a sort of mystery left hanging. And then resolving to the tonic at the end is like the concluding chapter of the book. Here it says "The song is over".

Again, thank you so much for the very kind review! Your graciousness doe snot go unnoticed!

Al & Di

Tom...

Thank you for the listen and very nice comments. It'as always nice to feel comfortable where you and we right at home here on these forums. Most of that has to do with all the great folks here...folks like you!

We're delighted you enjoyed the song and appreciated the arrangement. Here's hoping the rest of your weekend goes splendidly...

Al & Di

Guneter...

Thank you very much! We're glad the song works for you. I heard that harmonica on a trial run and loved it. Thanks again. And have a great "Sontag"!

Al & Di

Hi Dean...

Again we are so thankful for the listen and those really nice comments. Actually, I'm a city boy...grew up in and around St. Louis. But I grew up playing Traditional Country music and did it for 40+ years. I think I have country "roots" by association or osmosis! I've been in Tennessee but four years. I've lived, for at least a couple years in each place, in Washington, D.C; St. Louis, MO; Petersburg, VA; Denver, CO; San Antonio, TX; and Bakersfield, CA. I lived right in town in all of them, not close by in the country.

We really appreciated Noel's very kind words...as we do yours. we're not genre-specific and that probably hurts us in some ways. But, we enjoy what we do and like to think we're reasonably good at it. By doing so many genres, we're never "sick of the same old thing"!

Thanks again, my friend.

Di doesn't get on the boards, as far as answering comments, very often. But she wants everyone to know she truly appreciates all the nice things you folks have to say about our music. Di is significantly disabled and it's hard for her to sit her for any period of time and type. So, I do the great majority of the replying for both of us. She wants you know she listens and loves your music.

Best to you!

Al & Di

It's hard to follow Noel! He's not only insightful but also is able to well express his observations. So I'll take the easy way and say "what he said!"

And like Tommy mentioned it's cool to hear good use of a RT harmonica. It sounds good and works very well. I have to admit struggling with my few attempts to make good use of a RT harp.

Thanks for the opportunity to hear this.

Bud

Very nice arrangement. I like the fact that it's just the two of you taking time to look back at the past.

Travis Harmonica can be great sound when used in a style to tell a story.

Straits of Faith and Family Life were both inspired by the very sound of the Harmonica in BIAB. Take time to study it as replacements for other instruments in some of the styles in the box.

Keep them coming!


DA...

Excellent song. Loved the harmonica. Excellent singing and very neat chorus.

Hi Bud...

Noel x 2...we can live with that! Thank you so much. We love this song but need a true country voice to sing it. I think I did good enough to get the idea across to a real singer. As far as the harmonica, I just stumbled across as i was looking for a fill instrument. Actually, it was the very first instrument I listened to. I listened to a couple of others but my ear kept coming back to this one. We're delighted you think it's a good fit.

As always, thank you for your kind review! Best to both of you...

Al & Di

Hi DA...

Thank you...we're so happy you enjoyed this one. I've Always been a fan of the harmonica but, in my opinion, it has been misused so many times. For my ear, there is a narrow range of situations where it fits perfectly and I love to hear it in those songs. I'm very happy you think it's a good fit here.

I'll check out those two you mentioned...thanks for the heads up! Best to you...

Al & Di

Really pretty Al and Di. Sweet arrangement and all the lyrical details made me a little homesick. Loved that harmonica too.

BTW, I'm with you on not worrying about genres and enjoying yourselves so you don't get sick of doing the same old thing. That's one of the great pleasures of using BIAB.

Enjoyed it very much.

Josie

Good Evening, Scott...

Thank you for those very kind words. We appreciate the time you took to listen and comment so nicely. I consider myself an adequate but not an exceptional singer. I would probably starve to death if I depended on my singing to eat!! But I do appreciate the nice comment. And glad you liked the harmonica, too. Best to you...

Al & Di

Alan and Di,

A good ol' Tennessee song... good images in that. A nice arrangement. As others have said, the harmonica is perfect for this.

Your vocal is just fine! It sounds real! Like you mean it. The harmony could come down a bit to better blend it. And how about getting Di to do some harmony with you - seems like this would be the perfect song for that...

floyd

Hi Floyd...

Glad this one works for you. I always have problems deciding how loud to place the volume on the harmony parts. I'll try turning it down a notch and see how that sounds...appreciate the feedback! Hope you're having a great evening. Wishing you well!

Al & Di

+1 on the harmonica, the song and the mix. Sweet.

When I hear these original songs, I'm amazed by the creative musical productions that bring them to life. Hope you don't mind if I try to copy some of your techniques on a future tune:)

Hi oleman...

Thank you so much for those kind words! We appreciate the listen and the review. And by all means...copy any technique we put up here. We've only been here three weeks but our perception is this is a place to both be heard and to share with others how you got the sound you did.. That's how we're approaching it.

Again, thanks for your nice comments!

Al & Di

Hi, Al & Di !

What a beautiful song sung
with such great emotion and
feeling ! It was really enjoyable !:))


Cheers
Dani

Thank you, Dani! We're delighted you enjoyed your listen! And we always enjoy your music, too! Best to you...

Al & Di