Hi all! I posted this morning about why I have been absent from the forum for the past several weeks. I hope everyone here is staying safe and healthy. I am doing well, have been in quarantine the past few weeks, under my doctor's orders. (Thank God I do not have the virus, but I have some health conditions that place me in high risk and merit the quarantine.) I have been working from home, providing support for Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery customers. As such I have observed so much pain in people I have talked to. Very heartbreaking to talk to so many people who have lost so much, including the loss of loved ones. So I decided to write a song to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives to this tragic virus, as well as to honor those who love them. I hope it brings the proper respect and honor to these folks. I am so thankful that all my family is healthy. If you are a praying person, we really appreciate your prayers, as my wife works at our local Walmart, where several associates have contracted the virus, and some of the folks who lost their lives shopped at this store. We are trusting God for continued good health and protection. Thanks for letting me ramble. Now for the song...

Long Way Home - Video

Long Way Home - Soundcloud

Long Way Home
©Stephen W. Young

I knew it happened every day
The words that no one wants to hear
And people don't know what to say
They don't know where to go from here

I never thought it would be you
It had to be somebody else
If I could choose between the two
I'd gladly offer up myself

So take the long way home
I don't want to be alone
In a house as empty as a shell
I know that I'll be fine
It's just gonna take some time
for me to learn just how to say farewell

I know you want me to move on
I know you're in a better place
But it's the night before the dawn
Tomorrow brings a special grace

So take the long way home
I don't want to be alone
In a house as empty as a shell
I know that I'll be fine
It's just gonna take some time
for me to learn just how to say farewell

-
I did this one in Luna (UA just released this daw free to anyone who has a thunderbolt Apollo interface.) Pretty impressive workflow, and UA is pretty well known for their quality (if not expensive) plugins. Although this is a simple arrangement, with the orchestration and all the background vocal tracks, I ended up with 30 tracks on this one, and Luna never blinked. I played the piano, organ, and orchestra parts. All the instruments I used also came free with Luna. I'm pretty impressed with the setup Luna provides. Here is the awesome "band" that BB provided...

RealTracks in song: ~2474:Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 3109:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaFolk16thsLowBrent Ev16 060
RealTracks in song: 1038:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065
RealTracks in song: 2880:Fiddle, Background AmericanaSlow16thsAndy Ev16 060
RealDrums [in Song:AmericanaRoots16th^05-a:Kick, Sidestick, b:Snare

Hi Steve ...

As I mentioned on SounCloud ... you always create some wonderful and amazing music. This is one of your very best. perfect message with the perfect delivery.

To my knowledge, no one in our local Walmart has tested positive. Hope it stays that way. Di and I have both been tested and found negative. I'm in good health but Di is an easy target ... over 73 years old, very compromised immune system and a myriad of other health issues. But so far ... she's holding strong.

Wishing you and your loved ones continued blessings and fortune. Will include you and yours in our prayers tonight.

Excellent song! Normally, I might say the vocal is a little too forward in the mix ... but I think it's just fine for this song. It works, and that's what counts. Take care and God bless. Be safe ...

Alan

Excellent song, vocal, and production. Great skills and a great voice to boot!

All around excellent recording. It is so well done technically I almost
forgot the meaning. Almost, not quite.

Thanks Alan! I pray for you and especially Di. I hope she is doing well. I know you guys have had a real battle. I truly appreciate your kind words. I wrestled with how forward the vocal is in this one. But ended up leaving it as it is, to emphasize the message. Blessings to you, my friend...



Thanks, TuneMonger! So glad you like it. Thanks for dropping in on this one!



Thank you, Ed! Really appreciate you taking the time to give this a listen and comment! Thank you for your very generous words! (And I'm glad you didn't forget the meaning.)

===

Steve

Beautifully done, Steve. Stay well.

Excellent song-writing and delivery. You have just the right tinge of softness that carries the wistful message beautifully. I love the spaciousness of the band. That low guitar line holding back for just the right moment to peek through. That'll keep you listening if nothing else would. Wonderful.

"So take the long way home
I don't want to be alone
In a house as empty as a shell
I know that I'll be fine
It's just gonna take some time
For me to learn just how to say farewell"

You broke my heart with that, Steve. Heart-breakingly beautiful.

A really nice production and a vocal dripping sincerity.

Beautiful.

fj

Steve

Beautifully done - superb vocal and lyric. Just lovely.

Best wishes from here in Australia we can see you are all doing it very tough over there.

Peter

Hi Stephen,

Again, a beautiful song from you with that nice, dark voice of yours. Very sensitive and good lyrics.
Very good production all together.
One little observation: I noticed on SoundCloud your song sounded -slightly- better than on the video. How come? My ears?

Cheers,
Hans

Steve, your voice gives me shivers, it expresses the fragile life simply perfectly. The simple arrangement with long holds leaves room for thoughts while listening to those deeply touching words. Strings and the fiddle complete the masterpiece. I just cannot listen to another song after this breathtakingly beautiful melody and words.

Janne

Steve,
beautiful and touching song. To my taste, this is one of the best tunes I heard by you. Very well done all the way. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Steve lovely song , lovely arrangement and a Beautiful up front (NOT TOO MUCH) vocal tops this off, lyrics are soulful, This had a Rodger Whittaker feel sound to it for me.

Now that's not a bad thing!!

Enjoyed this.

Take care.

This sounds great Steve!!

Beautiful Heart piercing. Great song. Great vocal performance. You really drew me into the song.

Nice song.
You did a nice job capturing the situation.

Steve,
Beautiful sentiments floating in that awesome chorus. You capture warmth in such a present, relaxed way vocally; listening to you on this is a kind of balm for the soul.
Wonderful song.

Robert

Really beautiful song, Steve and your vocal is so good.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Regards,
Leon

Thanks so much, Marty! (Love the Good Times Roll)



Thank you, Tangmo! So glad you like this one!



Always good to hear from you, Floyd! Really appreciate your thoughtful words. Glad you like this one.

===

Steve

Wow, very powerful song! That chorus is perfect. Love your vocal too.

Excellent, Steve, enjoyed!

Wow, very powerful song! That chorus is perfect. Love your vocal too.

Excellent, Steve, enjoyed!

Steve, your delivery of this fine write is stunning. Your vocal is so easy on the ear it is completely understandable that many may miss the nuances of your fine playing and arrangement. I expect nothing less than a smartly engineered sound and as always your mix is stellar. I wish the best for you and your wife. Stay safe and be well, Tom

You have a very haunting voice Steve. I cried on this song because I lost my mother in 2017 form a brain tumor called a Gleioblastoma; one of the most aggressive tumors that exist. This explains my story exactly! Take the long way home I don't want to be alone, in a house as empty as a shell. What relates to me here is that when you loose somebody that you loved your whole life all of a sudden is gone; and you are in a house as empty as a shell, and the chair that they used to sit in is now empty, and the place that they used to sit at the dinner table is now empty from their absence. And you are taking the long way home because you don't want to be there without having them there. Also, the line I know that I'll be fine, It's just gonna take some time
For me to learn just how to say farewell. Yes, this is a very powerful line because you know that years from now you will be fine, but it's not always that easy learning how to say farewell to someone that was so near and dear in your life. The part about I knew it happened everyday, the words that no one wants to hear and to me that was cancer that was in my mom, because it just happened all of a sudden, and you just don't know what to say because this disease is so devastating when someone gets it to me cancer to others something else, like the "corona virus" They don't know were to go from here, because after you've lost that loved one you are really confused and you really don't know what to do.I never thought it would be you, it had to be somebody else, because you never think of the things that happen that are so serious we all take these things for granted and all of a sudden wham it happened to someone you know and loved. And the part that is a real heart wrenching part of this song is, If i could choose between the two I'd gladly offer up myself. This means to me, you would rather it be you than them, in my case my mom. I told her if I could take her place I would. I broke down your song because you touched my heart in a way that nothing else has in a long time since my mom passed away. Thanks for the great song. I know that my mom is in such a better place I miss her so much.

Often a vocal is convincing and the lyric isn't.

Often a lyric is convincing and the vocal isn't.

And more rarely they both are and this is a GREAT
example of that conjunction.

And when you back it with a fine band and production the
makings are there for a truly excellent song as this is.

It's already been alluded to but your vocals, as always, display
a level of sincerity and soul -- a combination that will
immediately capture us.

It is a lovely and lovingly done tribute to all of those people.

J&B

PS The video was very supportive of the message.

Steve, this song really moved me. What a fantastic write. Your vocal and lyrics will bring tears to one's eyes.

This is absolutely your best to date IMHO.

Thanks, Peter! Appreciate your kind words about the song, and especially your best wishes from Australia! This is definitely a situation that connects us together all over the world. Best wishes to you from the USA as well!




Thank you, Hans, for your very kind words! I think it probably depends on when you stream the song. Since Vimeo is predominantly video, it probably has times that it can more easily be overloaded, due to all the video streaming that people all over the world are doing, during a practically world-wide time of shelter at home. Video takes up a much larger bandwidth than audio does. So probably best to watch my video at about 3am.



Janne, you are too kind! I so appreciate you generous comment on my song, and I am so glad you like it. Thanks so much for taking time to listen and post your thoughts. Blessings to you...

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Steve

THis is absolutely gorgeous Steve!!! Amazing writing, production, vocals.....the whole nine! Great to see you back around again!! Stay safe and take care. Greg

This one slipped by me Steve. I just love your vocals and I am a big fan of your music. Another super vocal and gentle backtrack. Very moving. Well done

Hi, Steve !:))


I´m lost for words !
This was something
so absolutely beautiful
I am just lost for words !!
and you do it so perfectly !

Cheers
Dani

Stephen,

Beautifully put together tune—rich vocal and just the right touch on the musical tracks. It’s pretty and sad and touching. Just wonderful. Impressive offering!

Best regards,

Deej

Haunting and beautiful.
The lyrics are well written
The music is very emotion invoking
This was sung with a lot of feeling...
Thanks for posting it...

What a song. What a voice.
Beautiful work.
Mike