Hi all,
Here's a ballad.
Deej has written lyrics and he sings.
Thank you to him for his creativity and his incredible vocal signature ! Christian

https://soundcloud.com/christian-devienne/somewhere-i-belong

I lost myself under the lights
in shadows of my heart.
I should’ve known you’d make it right
from the very start.

But I was never good at judging things
and every path I took was wrong.
I always thought that I was traveling
to somewhere I belong.

Out of sorts and out of time;
led astray and walking blind.
I followed whispers of a paradise
in the end to find . . .

Anyone can fool you,
the users always try,
if there’s no one close
to keep you strong.
You took me in your arms and carried me
to somewhere I belong.

You found me lost within the dark,
sunshine of my heart.
You helped me see that I could be somebody,
you knew a place to start.

Yes, I was never good at judging things
trusted too many for too long,
‘till I knew you were my everything,
the somewhere I belong.

RD NashPopBallad^1
RT 572 Electric Bass
RT 364 Acoustic Guitar
RT 368 Acoustic Guitar
RT 1542 Piano
RT 1038 Acoustic Guitar
RT 1856 Cello
RT 3198 Solo Acoustic Guitar
RT 2033 Mandolin

This is really beautiful. The melody and harmonies are great, Deej is his usual communicative self when he sings ... but, for me, to be 100% honest, the lyrics made this jump to an even higher level for me. They fit perfectly to the style of the music, yet they could easily also stand on their own. The turns of phrase are simply and purely great, there's no point into going into hyperbole about them because everyone will say I exaggerate (which I'm not doing), so I won't. That said, the whole production as a song is great - it's just that (on this first listen at least) the music acted so well as a conduit for the lyrics ... and that's what music is supposed to do, sometimes: facilitate the lyrics so that they come through "loud and clear" and communicate their meaning to us ... so well done to everyone involved ... Christian, Deej and, of course, BIAB ... the end result is wonderful and that's what matters to me. Great job.

Excellent, very creative collaboration. Very interesting and unique chord progression, I especially like the use of maj7 chords followed by 7 chords. Strong lyrics with nice contrast between darkness and sunshine. The band really supports the tune, the piano and the rhythm guitar work nicely together. The great vocals completes this enjoyable journey.

Janne

As usual it's a well crafted backing and melody from Christian - well done.
As usual it's an idiosyncratic delivery from Deej with a narrative that matches the emotive delivery - well done.
A really excellent collaboration.

Nicely done - I thought the chord progression was excellent, albeit a bit unique. I found it flowed nicely and was catchy and quite memorable. Thanks for sharing!

Great collab!! Very pretty song! And I always love Deej's vocals!! Very well mixed and arranged! Great job on everything!! Take care. Greg

Thanks musician17, Janne, Ray, Deryk and Greg for your comments.
Christian

Dear 'chris37' & Deej56'...

I think it's possible that this wistful, true-hearted song, if it was released to a wider audience, could end up becoming a popular selection by couples choosing songs for their weddings.

It feels like more than just a 'collaboration' – a ‘soul merge’ sounds more like it, for me, at least, regardless of which element of the song provided the initial inspiration (the lyrics, or the music) for the finished production.

The lyrics very, very strongly, but seemingly simply, express a great deal of humility and thankfulness concerning the one who rescued (???) the ‘lost soul’ who was searching for love and acceptance, which is nice because either a man or a woman could sing them.

It’s a gift .

- bluage -

Blueage expressed the goodness of this song in both an eloquent and informative manner.

We love his term "soul merge." As we have oft said soul is the FIRST thing we look for when hearing a new tune...of any genre.
And, wow, does this production ever have it.

Everything is in the pocket and working together....from lyric to vocal to melody to arrangement and the mix.

It is a lovely song of love redeemed that we most enjoyed!

Kudos to ya'll!

J&B

Thanks bluage, Janice and Bud.
I'm glad if you've found some beautiful soul in this song. Christian

James, Janne, ray, Deryk, Greg, bulge, and J&B:

Appreciate your stopping in and giving this one a spin. I think this was my first time putting lyrics to someone else’s music, but Chris did such a wonderful job with the music production that the words seemed to come easy.

bluage: Funny, as I was recording this, I thought it would be better sung by a female vocalist. I’m not quite sure my voice is the best fit for this tune, and I think a female vocal might resonate more. Would love to hear someone give it a go at some point.

My best to each of you,

Deej

Really fantastic collab you've done! I especially enjoyed ...

"You helped me see that I could be somebody,
you knew a place to start."

Not everyone knows where to start when it comes to reshaping themselves or molding themselves in to someone they want to be. Really neat line.

Thanks for sharing!

Hi Christian and Deej,

This is a wonderful listen.

I'm always a fan of Deej's vocals and when it comes to arranging, Chris is definitely up there among the forum's best arrangers. In short, I'm always keen to listen to what both of you get up to musically. Now, here you are together again! That's definitely a recipe for success

I enjoyed listening to this creation a great deal.

All the best,
Noel

Beautiful song! Very nice collab. I agree, I like the term "soul merge". Nice arrangement, and the vocals are very heartfelt, really fitting for the song.

Thanks for sharing this!

Steve

From 'DeeJ56': bluage: Funny, as I was recording this, I thought it would be better sung by a female vocalist. I’m not quite sure my voice is the best fit for this tune, and I think a female vocal might resonate more. Would love to hear someone give it a go at some point.

Dear 'DeeJ56'...

As I commented, the song could be sung by either a male, or a female. However, aside from the true-hearted sound of your voice, which I like, and very much at that, I think it was nice for you, a male, to sing it, because in the vast repertoire of 'love' songs recorded by guys, it seems that they spend a lot time on their knees begging for forgiveness from a woman whom they've wronged, so it was good to hear lyrics that affirmed a man's (seemingly rarely) self-admitted need for a woman's love, to become a 'whole' person .

- bluage -

Deej & Christian,
The melody held my attention from the start- unusual and memorable.
Very strong, well considered lyrics that carry the theme beautifully.
Interestingly I enjoyed Deej`s vocals in this more restrained setting more than ever.
I like the arrangement ( a minor thought-something in the dynamics/build to the last chorus, seemed missing around the "you found me lost in the dark" line).
Very good work!

Robert

Hi Christan and Deej,

a very nice ballad, great in all aspects: a very good composition, terrific arrangement, a good write and very well sung !!!! Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Take care,

Stefan

Ember, Noel, Steve, bulage, Robert, and Stefan:

Thanks for the listen and kind comments. Bluage—you make a strong case for why this song should remain a male vocal . . . it does seem a rarer thing that guys are singing more about a woman who’s done them right, rather than wrong. That’s certainly this song.

Thanks all!

Deej