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Posted By: gruverider Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 04:22 AM
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I had a girlfriend in 2010 who loved movies. She claimed to be a cinephile. And in one of her favorite movies Cary Grant had two cigarettes in his mouth and he'd light them, then hand one to the leading lady.

So my girlfriend would light two cigarettes and give one to me.

Never mind that the last night we were together she punched me in my face and broke my jaw and I know this because I could not fit so much as a tooth brush in my mouth for two weeks. Still I have fond memories of her. Don’t ask me why.

After we went our separate ways, I wrote this song from an Americana point of view but the rhythm in my right hand … (I’m left-handed but I play a right-handed guitar) … the rhythm in my right hand was always syncopated like jazz. So when I tried to record this song with BIAB it just never worked. After months of searching I stumbled upon …

SAMBA!!!

Key=Dm , Tempo 190, Length (m:s)=4:20


RealTracks in style: ~717:Bass, Acoustic, Samba Ev 190
RealTracks in style: ~720:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm Samba Ev 190
RealTracks in song: 1449:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm GypsyJazzLatinGonzalo Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 1450:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm GypsyJazzLatinJohn Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 1095: solo Nylon Guitar
RealDrums in Song: Samba^5-a:Brushes , b:Ride Contemporary


When You're Gone (12-24-2010)


Who's gonna kill the monsters neath my bed
Who's gonna quiet the voices in my head
Who's gonna make me laugh when I'm alone
Who's gonna light my cigarettes when you're gone

Who's gonna wake me, wake me with their scorn
Who's gonna make my breakfast in the morn
Who'll turn the stove off when I leave it on
Who's gonna light my cigarettes when you're gone

Life used to be so easy
I use to fly high and free
now lookie here baby you're leaving
I gotta know who's gonna light my cigarettes
when you're gone

Who's gonna dry my tear drops when they fall
or didn't you think I'd even cry at all
don't worry baby I promise to be strong
but Who's gonna light my cigarettes when you're gone


Life used to be so easy
I use to fly high and free
now lookie here baby you're leaving
I gotta know who's gonna light my cigarettes
when you're gone
Posted By: Rob4580 Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 05:21 AM
My suggestion.
Give up smoking and eat out.

Loved it.
Good stuff.
This could be turned into a great blues tune.
Ex smoker Rob.
Posted By: AudioTrack Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 06:42 AM
Larry !

This is a great feel. I really like the choice of Samba for this number.

I got filled with anticipation with the story of your girl lighting two ciggies and handing one to you. Sounded pretty romantic. Pity that bit didn't last for you - sorry, but smoking isn't great for you anyway.

I really liked the lyric lines, and the way you delivered them:
"Now lookie here baby you're leaving
I gotta know who's gonna light my cigarettes"

This whole song is pretty outstanding actually. You've done a great job.

Trevor
Posted By: tommyad Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 11:27 AM
Very Cool. When the track started playing, I have to admit I had my doubts about the choice of genres. But man did I get caught up in it. A great display of vocal gymnastics. A solid, solid write. Your ex girlfriend must have loved the movie Million Dollar Baby. She might have been tough but she don't pack a punch like this song does. A super listen. I love what are doing. I am a huge fan. Buenas dias, Tom
Posted By: boehm Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 01:27 PM
Hi Lawrence,

great, what you are doing with your voice. Thanks for the entertaining background story. You made my day.

Guenter
Posted By: Carolyne Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 02:17 PM
Goes to show that a torch song doesn't always have to be sweet and syrupy. The question to this great tune is rhetorical. You can light your own cigarette, but she's gone. Love it.
-Carolyne
Posted By: JoanneCooper Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 03:17 PM
Hi Lawrence.

Another ex-smoker here and another really different one from you. Always enjoy your stuff.

"Who'll turn the stove off when I leave it on". My husband and I just turned around and travelled back an hour because I couldn't remember turning the kettle off (it was on a gas burner because of rolling blackouts. The joys of living in South Africa). I can definitely relate to that one.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 06:51 PM
Lawrence,

What a GREAT listen! I think I saw you dancing...! (there were girls with fruit on their heads, too...)

Great use of BIAB! Excellent mix. Awesome vocal.

Incredible hook!

I can imagine you playing this for people for many, many years to come...

floyd
Posted By: RnAM Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/09/15 08:03 PM
Thank you Lawrence.... I just gave up smoking 5 weeks ago and listening to your song gave me some serious withdrawal symptoms, pffffff... mad

The song:
Very, very well done and completely different from your other work!

Rob and Anne-Marie (who never smoked in her entire life)
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/10/15 10:57 AM
Originally Posted By: Rob4580
My suggestion.
Give up smoking and eat out.

Loved it.
Good stuff.
This could be turned into a great blues tune.
Ex smoker Rob.


Thanks Rob. I started out playing around with some blues vibes but in the end - Samba!


Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
Larry !

This is a great feel. I really like the choice of Samba for this number.

I got filled with anticipation with the story of your girl lighting two ciggies and handing one to you. Sounded pretty romantic. Pity that bit didn't last for you - sorry, but smoking isn't great for you anyway.

I really liked the lyric lines, and the way you delivered them:
"Now lookie here baby you're leaving
I gotta know who's gonna light my cigarettes"

This whole song is pretty outstanding actually. You've done a great job.

Trevor

Thank you Trevor, it was really fun to dig into those vocals.


Originally Posted By: tommyad
Very Cool. When the track started playing, I have to admit I had my doubts about the choice of genres. But man did I get caught up in it. A great display of vocal gymnastics. A solid, solid write. Your ex girlfriend must have loved the movie Million Dollar Baby. She might have been tough but she don't pack a punch like this song does. A super listen. I love what are doing. I am a huge fan. Buenas dias, Tom


Thanks Tom, I thought I might be taking a risk going with an "old" genre, but when I decided to go with it and played it to my son, he was like "oh yeah, that's it!"

Originally Posted By: boehm
Hi Lawrence,

great, what you are doing with your voice. Thanks for the entertaining background story. You made my day.

Guenter


Thank you Guenter, glad to have made your day. Life gives us many strange stories.

Originally Posted By: Carolyne
Goes to show that a torch song doesn't always have to be sweet and syrupy. The question to this great tune is rhetorical. You can light your own cigarette, but she's gone. Love it.
-Carolyne



Carolyne, thank you. Rhetorical indeed : )

Originally Posted By: JosieC
Hi Lawrence.

Another ex-smoker here and another really different one from you. Always enjoy your stuff.

"Who'll turn the stove off when I leave it on". My husband and I just turned around and travelled back an hour because I couldn't remember turning the kettle off (it was on a gas burner because of rolling blackouts. The joys of living in South Africa). I can definitely relate to that one.


JosieC, thank you. Yes when I wrote the song I was looking for lines that might be relatable in that way. Glad you liked it.

Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Lawrence,

What a GREAT listen! I think I saw you dancing...! (there were girls with fruit on their heads, too...)

Great use of BIAB! Excellent mix. Awesome vocal.

Incredible hook!

I can imagine you playing this for people for many, many years to come...

floyd


Thank you Floyd. I might not have been dancing but recording the vocal, I was all in.

Originally Posted By: R & AM
Thank you Lawrence.... I just gave up smoking 5 weeks ago and listening to your song gave me some serious withdrawal symptoms, pffffff... mad

The song:
Very, very well done and completely different from your other work!

Rob and Anne-Marie (who never smoked in her entire life)


Thanks Rob and Anne-Marie. Sorry about triggering withdrawal symptoms! : )

It was fun to stretch musically into jazz territory and this song was perfect for it.
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/10/15 04:39 PM
This is killer!! As usual, your vocal was a knockout. Like Tom, I was a little hesitant with the "band" choice at first. But it worked perfectly. Love the passion, the attitude, the energy, and the bitter but playful sarcasm. Slam dunk!! Take care. Greg
Posted By: rsdean Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/10/15 04:45 PM
Great song - love the "kick" of this one. Great mix and vocal as well.

Bob
Posted By: FredM Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/10/15 06:25 PM
Lawrence,

Samba!!! The rythm fits perfectly with the style, and your dark brown voice!
You sing with such an enthousiasm!
Quote Floyd: Great hook!

Fred
Posted By: 90 dB Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/10/15 06:32 PM
GR-


Love this one. You could take that lyric and put it to a slow raunchy blues and have two cool songs for the price of one!

"Who's gonna wake me, wake me with their scorn"


Great line.


BTW - could your GF have been thinking about Paul Henreid instead of Cary Grant? It's a famous scene.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KGiwGn1d8


Regards,

Bob
Posted By: ROG Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/11/15 03:48 PM
Hi Lawrence.

This one hit me like a breath of fresh air.

A fabulously entertaining song, so well conceived and with an amazingly good vocal.

Loved everything about it.

Never actually got round to smoking - I was always saving for a better guitar. (Still am, in fact.)

ROG.
Posted By: Charlie Fogle Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/11/15 10:38 PM
This one resonated with me because I live on an active tobacco farm and tobacco farming is not as active or lucrative as it once was. Growing up, smoking was always portrayed as cool in the movies. One day it will be there are no more cigarettes to light.

Nice, enjoyable song.

Charlie
Posted By: RichMac Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/12/15 05:16 AM
Fabulous! You cutting loose on this one Lawrence.
Great voice there. And the backing blend is perfect.
Cheers.
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/12/15 09:32 PM
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
This is killer!! As usual, your vocal was a knockout. Like Tom, I was a little hesitant with the "band" choice at first. But it worked perfectly. Love the passion, the attitude, the energy, and the bitter but playful sarcasm. Slam dunk!! Take care. Greg


Greg, thank you. I'm glad the band didn't dissuade you.

Originally Posted By: rsdean
Great song - love the "kick" of this one. Great mix and vocal as well.

Bob


Thanks Bob

Originally Posted By: FredM
Lawrence,

Samba!!! The rythm fits perfectly with the style, and your dark brown voice!
You sing with such an enthousiasm!
Quote Floyd: Great hook!

Fred


Thank you Fred, glad you stopped in for a listen

Originally Posted By: 90 dB
GR-


Love this one. You could take that lyric and put it to a slow raunchy blues and have two cool songs for the price of one!

"Who's gonna wake me, wake me with their scorn"


Great line.


BTW - could your GF have been thinking about Paul Henreid instead of Cary Grant? It's a famous scene.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KGiwGn1d8


Regards,

Bob


Bob, I played around with many different styles. When I decided to go the jazz route I feel that I got lucky when I ignored my biases and tried Samba on a lark. Thank you.

and you are absolutely right about Paul Henried, that is the scene!

Originally Posted By: ROG
Hi Lawrence.

This one hit me like a breath of fresh air.

A fabulously entertaining song, so well conceived and with an amazingly good vocal.

Loved everything about it.

Never actually got round to smoking - I was always saving for a better guitar. (Still am, in fact.)

ROG.


Rog, A breath of fresh air over a song about cigarettes, that's a good one! lol! glad that you enjoyed it!

Originally Posted By: c_fogle
This one resonated with me because I live on an active tobacco farm and tobacco farming is not as active or lucrative as it once was. Growing up, smoking was always portrayed as cool in the movies. One day it will be there are no more cigarettes to light.

Nice, enjoyable song.

Charlie



Thanks for listening, Charlie.

Originally Posted By: RichMac
Fabulous! You cutting loose on this one Lawrence.
Great voice there. And the backing blend is perfect.
Cheers.


Thank you RichMac!
Posted By: DIOECHOOTO Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/12/15 10:18 PM
This is my first post, I'm brand new to BIAB. But, the overall fabulousness of that tune warrants I pipe up about it! Speaking of pipes, the vocals are wonderful; your voice has just the right timbre and tasteful affect (feeling), and the phrasing and timing are also very pleasing to my ear. The mood created by the lyrics are just right, couched in that Samba band; everything just "fits". Good job! It's encouraging to see people using BIAB to such great effect. BTW, was the guitar soloing done by you, or BIAB? That sounds awesome, as well. bravo!
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/13/15 05:47 PM
DIOECHOOTO, thank you for the kind words. BIAB is a great product for songwriting. I hope you enjoy using as much as I do.



ps. the guitar is RealTracks 1095: solo Nylon Guitar!
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/14/15 12:08 PM
So we're listening and Janice says, "I'm picturing
Bobby Darin, skinny black tie, scotch in one hand,
cigarette in the other, groovin' grin on stage while
singing this.

We often refer to our music as "All Over The Map" but
are ready to pass the title on to you.

Your ability to seamlessly slide through different
genres and perform them all well is amazing and super
enjoyable.

Kudos on a fine, in all aspects, production.

J&B

Posted By: F.M.M. Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/14/15 09:58 PM
hi Larry very engageing all the way love your stuff thanks for sharing eric
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/14/15 10:24 PM
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
So we're listening and Janice says, "I'm picturing
Bobby Darin, skinny black tie, scotch in one hand,
cigarette in the other, groovin' grin on stage while
singing this.

We often refer to our music as "All Over The Map" but
are ready to pass the title on to you.

Your ability to seamlessly slide through different
genres and perform them all well is amazing and super
enjoyable.

Kudos on a fine, in all aspects, production.

J&B


Thank you! Riding the groove with Bobby D!

All over, just like when I go downtown for a drink I walk to and stop in all the bars just to say hello. (It's a tiny downtown)

Originally Posted By: F.M.M.
hi Larry very engageing all the way love your stuff thanks for sharing eric


Thank you Eric.
Posted By: dcuny Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/15/15 03:52 AM
So late, but hopefully not too late to say: wow! laugh
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/15/15 04:44 PM
Originally Posted By: dcuny
So late, but hopefully not too late to say: wow! laugh


Never to late, thank you for stopping in!
Posted By: Sundance Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/16/15 02:33 AM
Spot on terrific!

Josie
Posted By: Scott C Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/16/15 10:08 AM
Very cool tune. Loved it
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/16/15 11:31 PM
Originally Posted By: Sundance
Spot on terrific!

Josie


Thank you Josie

Originally Posted By: Scottt709
Very cool tune. Loved it


Thanks for stopping in for a listen, glad you liked it.
Posted By: Pat Marr Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/22/15 05:28 PM
Add this to Guenter's recent Samba, and I'm really starting to like this genre! But way above the genre, I really like your song writing... everything about it from the lyrical choices to the growl of your voice!

There are a bunch of different schools of thought about lyric writing, but what you've done in this song is something I've been seeing a lot lately in certain genres: Instead of crafting a separate theme for each verse, you've taken the theme of "who's gonna light my cigarettes" and turned it into a mantra. By the end of the song, the listener can almost anticipate the line and sing along. And in that sense, its a technique that would be great for crowd participation (church songs, or recurring gigs where the crowd knows you and your set and likes to sing along)

The words between the mantra are very clever ways to lead the point back to the repeated line... very well done in my opinion!

I like the energy that Samba brings to the song, and you have really ramped that energy to a fever pitch with one of the most passionate vocal presentations I have heard here on this forum! You really are a pro, Lawrence.. I can easily see this song being played in a Vegas club.
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/24/15 10:25 PM
Pat, thank you for the most kind words. I searched for quite sometime for a style that I felt fit the energy of the song. I've played it live many times, acoustic guitar and vocal, and I really dig into it. When I stepped outside of my comfort zone and biases and auditioned the Samba, I knew immediately it was a fit. I started at 150bpm and wound up at 190bpm before I was satisfied.

Thanks again!
Posted By: joesarahh Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/24/15 11:05 PM
Really very good, I am impressed. Easy to listen to with some nice vocal work, a little pitchy, but otherwise very good. Something in the rhythm isn't lining up quite right though. Can't put my finger on it but something is about 30-50 ms off. Oh well. Still sounds great.
Posted By: gruverider Re: Who's gonna Light My Cigarettes - 02/25/15 12:16 AM
joesarahh, Thank you for stopping in for a listen.
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