This is my latest goofy song and the animation that makes it even goofier.

https://youtu.be/RxtRKbvcQBA

It's based on all the online dating horror stories I've heard from friends through the years... stories from guys who ended up with a very negative view of dating and women in general.. so the negative comments are not a reflection of my own attitudes, they're just an exaggerated version of the worst-case scenario.

Lyrics are embedded in the video.


There's a lot of humorous details in the text and sets, and it may take more than one time thru to catch everything.

Pat,

That's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!! I'm still laughing Everything about this is fantastic. I'm especially blown away by your "50 Shades of Stray" lyrics. They are nothing short of magnificently creative; some of the most unique rhymes I've ever heard anywhere!

You're a talented man Mr Marr!

I'm definitely going to be watching this quite a few more times yet.

All the best,
Noel

Pat,

That was a masterpiece of lyrical genius, combined with great skill in creating a video that matches it to perfection. Like I have said before you have a wicked sense of humor, the fact that you are able to showpiece it with such skill is a great joy for me, I fell out of my swivel chair laughing.

Paddy G

Hi Pat,

Terrific video and great song, LOL!
Funny subject for writing a song about and how true it is.
About the travelling, other countries, bla bla of women on dating sites, Rob knows all about it! .
However men, as heard from friends, have the same tendency
The song is very catchy and definitely inviting to sing along!

Anne-Marie

Pat,

This is really, really, really funny. Super job. Just great.

Question: How much was that Muvizu program and how much RAM does it need to work right?? It seems to do a real good job.

Hi Pat,

great song and great video. And you're right: there are so many funny details I had to stop the video several times to have a closer look.
I'm impressed (not only by the impressive teeth of the cats).

Guenter

Pat,

This is AWESOME! Love it! Really outstanding...

Bob

Hi Pat.

Yes, once is certainly not enough. I'm going to need lots more plays before I pick up on everything which is going on here.

One thing I did pick up on straight away is the song itself - very clever in all respects, from the concept to the performance, to the mix. Excellent.

It seems to me that you get more professional with every new video. Having dabbled with Muvizu myself, I can only marvel at the level complexity in this production.

Looking forward to seeing what you do next.

ROG.

I'll send my electric roses to Double Jointed! lol!!

You told an hilarious story in a unique way and there was not one forced line or forced rhyme to be found. Brilliant writing!

Your work on the animation is remarkable and combined with the song is truly artful.

My day is now better for your work and being a part of this community to have been able to participate.

Thank you Pat.

Aw gee, you make me blush, Noel! But I'm glad it made you laugh, since that's the whole purpose of both song and animation!
Since you're so good about revealing the history of your projects, here's a little history on this:

A couple of years ago at Merlefest a performer named Roy Bookbinder played a humorous song along these lines, and I remember thinking what a great delivery the style was for a funny song. The tempo was lively, and at each verse he revealed some new twist to the story which really captivated my attention. Every time I thought I was already amused, he ramped it up a notch! So the song itself is my attempt at recreating some of his magic.

After my wife died and I finally entered the dating scene, it was around the time when the book "50 Shades Of Gray" was popular, and it was a recurring theme in women's profiles that they were reading the book (I suppose to send an obscure and tantalizing message?)

Since my only goal for these songs and videos is to entertain people on YouTUBE, I figured there needed to be cats. LOTS of cats. So, with all that considered, add in an unhealthy dose of my twisted logic, and you can start to see where the title came from.

Regarding the rhymes: it has been mentioned here on the forum more than once that cliches in lyrics tend to diminish the power of the song's statement... so I try to use totally unexpected rhymes in order to avoid cliches and to say the obvious in an unobvious way.

Thanks for weighing in Noel! I always love to read your insightful comments! And Your most recent song was very well received here in North Carolina! I left a long review!

Pat,

EXCELLENCE ABOUNDS.

Your attention to detail is astounding. Like the Windows opener on the computer..

The blink-change was very clever!

... the "date my mother" camera work was perfect!

"...and a man with enough cash to make it all happen" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Miss Terious. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

The progress bar on the rose was over-the-top!!!!!

You worked the story so well. The double-wide was a nice touch.

The instrumentation is perfect for this type song/story. As good as Larry Groce's "Junkfood Junkie". And the mix is excellent.



The lyric is so well written that it ought to be repeated in the thread, too...

It is a great read and an great example to other writers.

BORED AND LONELY LATE ONE NIGHT ... WAS SURFING ON A DATING SITE
READING PROFILES IN MY USUAL FASHION
THINKIN' THAT THERE REALLY OUGHT... TO BE A GAL WHO'S YOUNG AND HOT
ENOUGH TO TAME MY NASTY REDNECK PASSION

SIFTIN' SAND IN HOPES OF GOLD... 'CAUSE GALS MY AGE ALL LOOK SO OLD
AN' I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO DATE MY MOTHER
THEY ALL LIKE BEACHES WINE AND TRAVEL,... NO MYSTERIES HERE LEFT TO UNRAVEL
EACH PROFILE READS EXACTLY LIKE THE OTHER

THEN CAME A PHRASE THAT CAUGHT MY EYE,... I COULDN'T LET IT PASS ME BY
2 WORDS WERE ALL SHE'D WRITTEN : “50 SHADES”
I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS KIND OF GROOVY... REFERENCE TO A DIRTY MOVIE
HOPING THAT THIS TIME I HAD IT MADE

I SENT HER AN ELECTRIC ROSE... AND ASKED IF SHE WOULD BE OPPOSED
TO MEETING ME TO SEE IF WE MIGHT CLICK
I HOPED SHE'D BE THE CAT'S MEOW, AND FANTASIZED ABOUT JUST HOW
I 'D HANDLE SUCH A LUSTY WANTON CHICK

DROVE UP TO HER DOUBLE WIDE...KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND WENT INSIDE
WHAT I SAW THAT NIGHT BLEW ME AWAY
CATS OF EVERY COLOR SWARMED .. I NEVER FELT SO MISINFORMED
THEN I KNEW SHE MEANT “50 SHADES OF STRAY”

PERHAPS MY MOTIVES HAD BEEN SHADY, BUT THIS WAS ONE INSANE CAT LADY
AND 50 CATS AIN'T MY IDEA OF FUN
THE ONES THAT WEREN'T ALREADY FIGHTIN'... CLIMBED ON ME AND STARTED BITIN'
I KNEW RIGHT THEN AND THERE THIS DATE WAS DONE

BUT I ESCAPED (I'M NOT SURE HOW)... GUESS WE CAN LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW
MY THINKIN' HERE WAS SLOWER THAN MOLASSES
BUT AS THIS AWFUL MEM'RY FADES, IF FUTURE BRINGS ME 50 SHADES...
NEXT TIME I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY'RE ...SUNGLASSES


This needs to go viral. I truly hope it does.

BIG STANDING O.

fj

Paddy, you are an easy man to like! You say just kind things! I wish my teachers in school had seen me the way you describe above.. they just thought I was bad. My madness lives in a 4 dimensional world (the fourth dimension being SOUND) so combining 3D graphics with music is a good way for me to express the crazy ideas that cross my mind.

Thanks for taking time to listen and comment... and especially for saying that you laughed! That's the absolute BEST review I could hope for!

Thanks for listening and commenting, Anne-Marie! I really appreciate your positive observations, especially since you are so knowledgeable about the topics involved in this project: video making, song writing and relationships. I was a little bit afraid that the inherent negativity might offend my female friends on the forum, and I sincerely hope that isn't the case. The fact that you offered a rebuttal of sorts has me wondering... ;-)

You've picked up on something that I doubt many people will notice, and that is the intended irony in the criticism each gender makes about the other... because they both do the same things in different ways!

For example, the line "GALS MY AGE ALL LOOK SO OLD" is a classic reference to the dating double standard. Truth is that women of just about ANY age look FAR BETTER than men of the same age... yet dumpy old dudes on dating sites summarily dismiss the vast majority of potentially awesome partners because their filter is set for women who are 30 years younger!

Indeed, in listening to my friends complain about the superficiality of online dating, it's obvious that their own judgements are at least as shallow if not more so.

Hi David! Thanks for taking time to watch and comment! I REALLY appreciate what you said, and I thank you for saying it!

Regarding MUVIZU: Of all the animation options out there, Muvizu is by far the best bang for the buck. They have a free version which is a little bit less capable, but it is good enough to do a lot, and trying it for free is a good way to determine if you like using it. http://www.muvizu.com

If you decide to buy the paid version, it's crazy inexpensive... like $35 !

Regarding computer specs, 3D graphics are notoriously demanding on hardware. I have 12 gigs of ram, and could probably use 16 or more. But you could use it with 8, its just that it will be painfully slow.

Hi Guenter! Thanks for taking time to search for the hidden clues!

Regarding the cat's teeth:
I'm not crazy about them, but I used a stock character and modified it to make my cats, and to my great disappointment, the teeth can't be edited! But, on the up-side, it makes for a very stylized cat... and I like that!

Pat
Very clever - good song loved the lyric and well sung.
You certainly are getting more advanced with the use of Muvizu - nice textures. Particularly liked your main character.
As noted elsewhere very well done.

Bob, thanks for that! I see you as a very artsy guy, one who has a very real sense of style in his music, art and videos. Since I'm working that same territory, I weigh your opinions and evaluations very highly. Coming from a person with your background and experience, I especially appreciate what you've said here. Thank you!

Hey Rog, thanks for your kind words about the song! I have great respect for you as musician, recording engineer, song writer, great human being, and all-around creative guy, so I take everything you say as being words of importance.

Muvizu is a lot like BIAB... both products make it easy to generate output that is very good... but in both cases the task of turning the basic output into a refined work that is truly your own can be daunting. I'm still struggling at learning how to refine BIAB's output into a well-mixed song, and the video adds several new layers of complexity.

But I'm OK with being a learner, and I certainly don't see my skill set as being anywhere close to yours. It's encouraging to hear you say that each project gets a little better, because isn't that the best we can hope for? Slow steady progress?

Thanks again for taking time to watch and comment... I surely do appreciate it!

What an excellent project. Music, lyric and vocal were excellent. The youtube video was first class as well.

Lawrence, it does my heart good to see that you would also prefer the profile BEFORE the blink .. ;-)

You bring up a point which doesn't get mentioned very often in forum reviews. Music and laughter DO have the power to make our lives better... and whether it actually worked out that way in this case, or if you're being kind to say so, neither changes the fact that music and humor do have that power.

Your comment has got me thinking now about how to direct the power of future projects specifically toward that end. Thanks for sharing your insights and your very kind words!

Three watches and something new every time.
Janice is out with her mother at the moment
and our dog just came into our music room because
I was literally laughing out loud!

We'll have more to say after Janice has a chance
to watch.

Lot of talent juice flowing here!!

Bud

Pat, There is definitely a strong Marrtian influence here. The video is insanely good. Your creativity knows no bounds and your sense of humor has some of us seriously concerned for your mental health and well being. It's all so very well put together and produced that there is nothing more to say but "if you don't think that's funny then there is something very wrong with you" Pro all the way, Tom

Pat,
What fun. Nice job.
SD

+1! LOL!

aw gee, floyd, you don't have to go there! I'd be happy with "interesting" ( which can be interpreted to mean just about anything)

Cool! You noticed!


I was trying to portray the disconnect between what people read and what they want to believe... which is made harder to determine because people spin their profiles to make themselves sound more interesting and desirable than they are. Dating sites are an interesting study in human nature...


that started out to be a throwaway line, mostly because I needed a rhyme for "other"... but months ago when I bounced the song prototype off you and Bud, one of you came back with something about being interested in seeing how the "didn't really want to date my mother" line would be portrayed in a video. CHALLENGE! ;-) (for better or worse, that's how it turned out)


I was surprised to learn that there are really women on dating sites whose goal is to help as many men as possible spend all their money.


not that far removed from the clever names people choose on such sites...


hard as it may be to imagine, electric roses are real! (but the progress bar not so much)


in the same sense that a classic country song needs a train or a pickup truck or a beer, a song about online dating needs a double wide... ;-)


ah, you're very kind!.. I already mentioned in a previous reply where the idea came from for that style of song/ (Roy Bookbinder "New Age Woman"). I started out with something closer to Larry Groce's guitar version, but once I tried the chords against the style with dobro, I was sold. For an animation the up-tempo bluegrass really keeps the story moving...




gee, thanks for doing that! Seeing it written out does emphasize the odd rhyming scheme



I hope it goes viral too... but my videos tend to stall at about 200 views, so I won't hold my breath.
Floyd, thanks for the encouragement you offer... not only to me, but to all of the people who post songs here on the forum! This forum owes a lot to you

A really smooth and together arrangement.
Probably as good a demonstration of how BB makes a package complete as can be heard.
Your capture of your vocal is really, really good. The evenness of levels, the lack of boxiness or room sound etc. makes the vocal clear, intelligible and pleasant.
It'd be really helpful to me to explain your signal chain and processing.
Within you lyrics the meter is consistent and supports the syllables really well, the rhyming hinges on perfect rhymes with only the occasional use of poetic license and the narrative is linear.

thanks Peter... very kind words and I truly appreciate that you took time to listen and comment. Regarding the quality of singing like this, there was a conscious decision and I struggled with it. In order to paint the image of a redneck tellin' stories to his friends, a GOOD vocal presentation would undermine the persona. So, I shot for a conversational delivery and prioritized cadence over pitch. Looking at where the blobs fall in Melodyne, I know it's pitchy... but that suits the needs of the song. Thanks for commenting favorably, I hope that means what I attempted actually works. ;-)



regarding the main character... you may see some resemblance between him and my forum avatar.... ;-)

This is such a kick!! Really hilarious story. Vocal is perfectly delivered, and the music has just the right feel. AND, the video is awesome-you really have a talent for that. GREAT!! Keep posting some tunes Pat! Take care. Greg

Very funny song about very inspirational subject You have really captured those usual "travel & wine" clichés. I have also written a (blues) song inspired by women's dating profiles and I could write many more Fantastic video with a real story line, I hope you can make a sequel one day. It would also be interesting to hear woman's view of the subject.

Janne

Hey Pat,

The two of us came back for another look. This time we used
pause and start and pause and start, etc, all the way
through two times and I still don't think we've seen all the cool
subtleties.

TOO COOL!!

While becoming absorbed in the outstanding video it is easy to
take for granted just how good the song alone is.

Your are the forum multi-media meister!!

J&B

I played this song and video to two female co-workers and they thought it was wonderful. They loved the cats!

Wow, what a fun song! Very much enjoyed

And the video is the icing on the cake, very well done indeed!

Very entertaining and very topical Pat, love the video, as I have muvizu myself but haven't tired much with it yet, I can appreciate all the hard work you have done putting both the song and video together.

Really really good and fun to watch and listen to.

Musiclover

Hi, Pat !:))

(Chuckle) !!!!

I don´t know how you do this
but, boy, you´re really a master
at this genré ! One should laugh
and heartily like I did though
there is a sad undertone behind
the laugh !

I hope, Pat, that all is okay
with you ?

I just love your animations !!!

Cheers
Dani

Wow ! Cannot be much more brilliant then this Pat ! U r outdoing ur self again !

Almost hurt myself laughing!!!! Gotta git my breathin machine out!!!!

Scott, thanks for taking time to listen (and watch) and comment! Regarding the quality of both music and video, I'm an amateur in both arenas , but trying to learn incrementally through projects that challenge my current skill level. I suppose that could be said for most of us.

ah gee, Bud... no wonder I like you so much.. you say such kind things!

It's always a little risky trying to write for humor because that sensibility is a river that runs in a lot of different directions, and you run the risk of offending at least as many people as you entertain.

Knowing that you can't please everybody, I take my chances, and if even one person finds it amusing, then I feel like "mission accomplished"

So... thanks for saying you laughed out loud! you made my day!

Hey Pat,

Not related to THIS song but to your animation talents...have you seen the current Kia Soul commercial? I was doing our usual zapping the DVR through commercials and had to back up. It's a setting of animated squirrels playing different instruments in a park. Janice and I looked at each other and said Sam Bushytail!!

J&B

I love the KIA SOUL animated commercials. There's just something about animals that act like spaced-out little people that makes me laugh

this video has been up a while, so I'm going to wrap up all the remaining replies in one message to keep from bumping it back to the top when there are so many new songsto fill that space...


I understand your concern, and it is not unfounded.





Thanks for taking time to STOP LOOK & LISTEN... (I feel like a railroad track). But seriously thanks, SpaceDog.. I appreciate it



I was kind of wondering how you'd respond, Josie... since we discussed the idea over a year ago, and at the time I told you I'd probably not pursue it. But when Muvizu came along, it was more than a song idea and I had to give it a shot. (I jes' so BAYUD )Thanks for responding with a PLUS ONE instead of a MINUS one ;-)




Hi Ray, thanks for the kind words... the (vocal) signal chain on this song was a shure beta58 > TCelicon voiceworks > hardware EQ with everything flat except for a boost at 1k > focusrite scarlett 2i4 > real band. The walls in my studio are foam covered, which helps to absorb the ambient echos that generally make vocals sound boxy... but the boost at 1k was too much, and it introduced a tinny sound. That was lessened by the preset I used in Ozone 5 (don't remember which one I used)

regarding the rhymes: words that rhyme perfectly as pronounced in the american south may not even be lose to rhyming in oz, but given the redneck undercurrent, I went wholeheartedly with the provincial rhyme.



ah, you're VERY kind, Greg... I know what GREAT is, and it's more like what YOU do than like what I do....(your recent projects have been noteworthy (pun intended)) but I really appreciate the fact that you would take time to watch/listen and comment. Thanks for the encouragement




I like the way you think, Janne... It would be fairly easy to gather material for a whole series of dating fiasco songs... and I might do that at some point... but, for the sake of avoiding redundancy, if I make them they probably won't get posted here. I would REALLY like to see the song/video about the female perspective of online dating... maybe Anne-Marie would tackle that one. ;-)




hey,lawrence... thanks for that bit of "outside the forum" perspective... it's always interesting to hear what complete strangers have to say about the crazy projects we spend our time on. Are either of them double jointed? Just wondering... ;-)



Thanks Dave... I'm truly glad you enjoyed it, since that's the whole point of the project (mission accomplished)... and thanks for taking time to encourage a fellow forum member. We're all in this together. ;-)



thanks Musiclover... I see you posting occasionally on the Muvizu forum,and I look forward to seeing your first animation... until then, keep posting here


Dani, I just love reading everything that you write... you have such a kindness about you that translates directly into your words... I hope you did laugh, because that was the plan... Thanks for taking time to respond, and I look forward to hearing your next Brian Wilson knockoff. (I was learning some beach boys songs tonight for an upcoming gig, and I thought of you)



oh, gee, Leo... you embarrass me... but I really appreciate the fact that you took time out of your day to encourage a friend on the forum... and I especially appreciate that this time it happened to be me



Tommy my friend!! I hope you're kidding about the breathing machine, but not kidding about the laughter!! You inspire and encourage me,Tommy.

I never hit "subscribe" on Youtube, but I have now! This is funnier ( and has better animation) than my 7yr old`s SpongeBob & PeppaPig cartoons... and so painfully true I`m going to watch it 50 times if I ever think about trying online dating again.

Robert

Super! both the song and the cartoon.
Very funny with all the cats on the head!!!

Your videos are very fun moments for me.

Sergio

I'll just join the masses and say your 50 shades of sunglasses was brilliant!!! Great animation and it matched the music and lyrics superbly. Amazing!

thanks for watching, listening, commenting and subscribing robert... that's 4 good reasons in a row to think the world of you!

The irony is that the story wasn't even a worst-case scenario... friends are already contacting me with worse stories and asking for a followup video based on their own personal fiasco. It could go on forever....



Thanks Sergio! The attack cats are my favorite part too... you and I must think alike. Hey, we're both guitar players, too... (Brothers separated at birth?)




Thanks Kevin... I respect your opinion and I appreciate your willingness to use it for the purpose of encouraging a fellow forum member!