The Meadow Xtra Styles Americana entry

Make that Canadiana...

Style is _RITUAL.STY (Ritual Deep Folk Groove)

RealTracks in style: 1521:Bass, Electric, PopPower4s Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1035:Banjo, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065
RealTracks in style: ~~362:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 1755:Mandolin, Rhythm Pop8ths Ev 110
RealTracks in song: 2667:Pedal Steel, Background DreamySingleNote Ev 075

RealDrums in style: RockRootsEv8^2-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride

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In the 1890`s a group of Danish settlers travelled from the American midwest to Cape Scott on the remote NW corner of Vancouver Island and began a remarkable attempt to drain the salt marshes, raise dairy cows and create a community. They fished and trapped and waited for the government of the day to deliver on a promise to build a road. The road never came and unable to get their dairy products to markets they had to abandon the homes, church, and school they built.
In the early 1970`s soon after arriving in Canada, I hiked the 18km trail to the Cape, struggling through knee deep gumbo and summer rain to the remains of their settlement.The trail winds through forest where relics of a cord road,steam tractor and farm tools can still be seen as testament to their determination. The fields at Hansen`s Lagoon created by their hand dug dykes are still as beautiful and wild as anywhere you will see on Canada`s west coast.


The Meadow

they came from restless heart river
holding plough shares children and faith
out to where the map ends in tatters
trusting the wild to keep them safe

you should have kept driving that zamboni
said the trucker who dropped me on their trail
those circles got too easy I`m going
to see what`s left of them that dared to fail

won`t let the sun go down
while its still day
I want to look in their eyes
find what they gave
to reach the meadow
to reach the meadow
the meadow at the end of the world

on the storm crashing edge of Canada
in wildflowers I found the bones
of crosscut saws rockers and rafters
their hardscrabble heaven their home

read names writ in nails on the markers
in the wind I heard the hymns they sang
come here from restless heart river
come here to make your stand

don`t let the sun go down
while its still day
I want to look in your eyes
find what you gave
to reach the meadow
to reach the meadow

don`t let the sun go down
while its still day
look in my eyes
find what I gave
to reach the meadow
to reach the meadow
the meadow at the end of the world




© Robert Cordrey June, 2017

Robert,

Once again you've captured another moment in history and created a fine musical tale. I found the combination of your backing and your singing very haunting and very effective. I wish you well in the contest!

All the best,
Noel

Another great one. I liked the style in your songs.
Excellent lyrics too. Your are very able to write about historic moment of your land, and that's
no easy to do.

Sergio.

"out to where the map ends in tatters"
"of crosscut saws rockers and rafters"
"their hardscrabble heaven their home"

You have a real "way with words", Robert...

Cool how you put such historical stories to song... Did you once drive a zamboni? I can safely say that is the first time I've heard that in a song

fj

Great song Robert. I was captured from beginning to end. Good luck on the contest!!

Noel,
Thank you for those kind comments- I`ve been a history buff since school days and always find inspiration there.

Robert



I`m glad you enjoyed this song, Sergio... you paint the landscape with guitar notes,I have to use words!

Robert



Floyd,
I was pushing a lawn mower not driving a zamboni at the time, but that image fit better with the going round in circles feeling - and its also very Canadian!
Thanks for listening to all my words.

Robert

Thanks for sharing this Robertkc! Great work with the vocal harmonies and progression! quite fond of the guitars too. Well done!

Robert,

You sure know how to make any song dramatic ;-)
That must have something to do with your dramatic voice ;-)
We especially like the harmony vocals on the choruses!

This must be another winner in the contest.

Rob & Anne-Marie

What a cool tune Robert. I did not know the story of the settlers. Hard to believe how tough it was to survive in those days. Testament to the communities that did make it.

Beautiful lyric and delivery. I got lost in the imagery as the vocal and backtrack fit so well together. Truly impressive and enjoyable

Joe,
I`ve only just progressed to doing my own harmonies so appreciate the mention of them here.
Thanks for your listen and comments.

Robert



Rob & Anne-Marie

Thank you!
My original plan was to sing this falsetto ala Neil Young, but its gonna take more practice to get that right.
I did work quite hard on those harmonies.

Robert

I love the unique vocal delivery on this. It's almost haunting, but beautiful in a way as well. A good tune, and a very interesting story to go along with it! I found it very engaging. It reminds me of a favourite artists of mine, Sparklehorse.

Thanks so much for sharing

Robert,

This is a very striking song. I'm a history buff but have little knowledge of Canadian history. This was so interesting and well performed. Good luck in the contest,

Alan

Exactly!! Well done Robert! T

Deryk,

Thanks for your kind review. I had never heard of Sparklehorse ( think I missed a decade or so of American music starting in the 90`s)- now they really knew how to sound haunting!

Robert



I`m glad you liked the song and found the story interesting, Al.
I`ve not thought about the contest, but, well, PG Music are a
Vancouver Island company- my song just happens to be about the Island & I also live there... just saying.

Robert

everything Floyd mentions here is what was hitting me listening,

great lines, very poetic

enjoyed and good luck

Kenny

We both feel like we took that hike with you. Wonderful imagery. Janice and I so often find abandoned settler homesites, cemeteries, etc., on our rambles and we always wonder about the people who lived out their lives where we stood. Rarely do we have the “backstory” as you did with the adventure.

Your production is spot on for the lyric and your vocal. We like the banjo and especially the mournful steel fills.

The “haunting harmonies” are a nice touch also.

Janice wanted to add that your productions and lyrics sometimes remind her of Gordon Lightfoot.

This would make a terrific video.

Well done!

J&B

Scott,

I guess when I get lost in a story that`s the clue for me to start writing- certainly that`s the case here, as that hike and how I felt coming across the settlers relics in such a remote location, has stayed with me.
I`m very glad you enjoyed the song.

Robert

Thank you, Torrey!



Kenny,
When I began writing this song I went from memory of the hike and then found a few books on the history... so much material there it was hard to pare down to a few verses.
Many thanks for your listen and comments.

Robert

J&B,
I`m sure you have some great settler stories around you - it can be hard to find them though. Cape Scott was made a National Park around the time of my visit and there are now interpretive signs telling the story.
Thanks for the harmonies thumbs up -I did four tracks split L&R similar to your recent song with Floyd.
I like Gordon Lightfoot`s Canadiana songs, though some are really long!

Robert

Hello, Robert

As Noel said, the combination of your backing and your singing is very haunting and very effective.
In these types of songs your vocals are really wonderful.
Your song echoes deeply in the hearts of the listeners.
Your technic is very cool to embed unexpected chord sometimes in the traditional chord progression.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Good luck in the contest.
Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Shigeki,

Thank you for your very kind review.I did change the chords in the chorus to create more drama- I`m glad you picked up on the unexpected there.

Robert

I really like the sound of this. Very laid back and folky. I could see this being used in a movie like Into The Wild. Kind of sounds Dylanesque. Nice job.

Samuel,
Thank you!
Into the Wild is an awesome movie, so if this has a similar feel I`m happy.

Robert