She Comes 'Round Here

There's no real story behind this song. Teaching school online has buried me, so I worked on this one in spits and fits (my own malapropped idiom). For five minutes here and five minutes there, I just kept playing a D and Em7 with a G and F#m thrown in for good measure until some lyrics and melody materialized and took it from there. Lyrically, there's not a bloody rhyme to be found.

For the band, I used the NEBULA style and added the banjo. I snipped and snapped two different Pedal Steel tracks to get what I wanted.

RTs:
RealBass 1592
RealDrums-BluesRockSlow
RealPiano 3101
RealGuitar 3160
RealStrings 2542
Banjo 1035



She comes ‘round here
On the moonless nights
In the melting starshine
Holds me in the dark

She comes ‘round here
She’s my whisper dancer
With her windswept movements
Glides me through the air

I can turn a phrase
But I can’t turn around
To find my way back to her

She comes ‘round here
With her black skirt swirling
In a blinding circle
Leads me out of sight

I can turn a phrase
But I can’t turn around
To find my way back to her

I go through my mind
To places we have gone
I give up my ghosts
And take the last ride home

She comes ‘round here
Velvet light and shadow
Virtuosic beauty
Takes her final bow

I can turn a phrase
But I can’t turn around
To find my way back to her

She comes ‘round here

Beautiful.

The BAND is stunning! Great combination of RTs to create a gorgeous musical field. Great work.

Nice lyric. The lack of rhymes isn't really even noticed. The melody and the way you sing the lyric "makes it work". Well sung. And good harmonies. The melody moves in unexpected ways that sit on the ear nicely.

I very much enjoyed the listen.

fj

Hi Ezekiel's Storm,

Wow, really cool song. I thought I heard David Bowie a couple of times singing. Definitely twinges of his voice anyway. I'd imagine, this is what it would sound like if he did a folk song early in his career. Nice original use of the NEBULA style. Really enjoyable listen even in spite of rhymes. Who knows, it might rhyme in some other language.

Thanks for posting

Interesting experiment, I don't think I would have noticed the lack of rhymes if you hadn't pointed it out. Really nice song sung with passion, I liked it a lot and listened several times.

I really like this. No rhymes? At first I thought this won't work. But it does on all levels. Beautifully conceived and performed. A great idea kinda like free form poetry. Great work, Tom

Ditto what has been said...I'd add that when your song is at this slower tempo the rhyming thing is less noticeable...probably at a quicker tempo the listener's mind would be anxious to latch onto the coming rhyme, but, as others have said, your "story" and the delivery is so engaging...loved the simple chord change motif. As always, your vocal is spot-on and fits perfectly. Enjoyed it alot!

Hi Ezekiel.
"I can turn a phrase" you most certainly can do that.
"Virtuosic beauty,She’s my whisper dancer,her windswept movements,her black skirt swirling"
Such evocative , poetic imagery. So now I'm curious, who is this mystery woman?
Excellent narrative songs such as this always influence and ignite my imagination and i enjoyed the song immensely.
I agree with Bawb about the touch of Bowie in your voice.

This, for me, is your best vocal performance.
The band is cool but your melody & performance stand out.

Hello Ezekiel's Storm,

You've chosen the tempo for this song. Because he allowed you to model your voice on the important words raised in your lyrics. The Banjo has its place even if it is limited to following the chords. The arrangement is sober but pleasant. It helped bring out the vocal and it is very so. Good job.

Kindly regard

Dero13

alias JaniJackFlash

Wow - I really enjoyed this one. Love the slow pace, and how all the element play into one another. Emotional lyrics, and your voice delivers them beautiful. Love the rich, lush instrumentation as well.

Thanks for sharing

Spits and fits. Yeah, it fits a lot of situations. Adding that banjo was another creative connection. The whole tune is perfectly put together, and wonderfully sung, Ezekiel. Rhymes are overrated when the story is told with sincerity.

Liked everything about this.

As others have mentioned, I wouldn't have noticed the lack of rhymes if you hadn't mentioned it.

Excellent vocal!

Beautiful pop ballad, nicely kept in 3 minutes which feels even too short. Missing rhymes don't bother me, the story is more important. And here it has nice romantic imagery with strong yearning. Like the way you end the verses with a minor key, also has some other nice chord surprises. Arrangement is very relaxing, the banjo and the pedal steel create the right melancholy mood. Very good vocal performance.

Janne

Oh yeah, that is a powerful song, the Vocal is alive and moving, the instruments complement the style perfectly. Cliff

Agreed! The lack of rhyme is no big thing on the whole.
The rest of it carries this piece.
If anything, you could try EQing some of the harsh tone out of the vocal on this type of song.

Vic

No rhyming required Scott! I wouldn't have noticed if you had not said something because the song is so good! Beautiful work! Take care, T

Scott,
You did great minding time pinch. Well laid out composition, If you didn't mention, I would not even have paid attention to rhyme thing, flows very well. Cool phrasing - good lesson!
Vocals are great and delivery is strong, but I feel they are a bit on high EQ side to my ears.
In any case, I salute you for effort in bringing this to life with so much happening on all fronts. It does not feel rushed at all. Thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Floyd, Bawb, Tano, Tunemonger, Tommy, Tano, Dero, Deryk, Marty, Dave, Janne, Cliftond, and Torry:
Thank you all so much for giving my little song a listen and taking the time to leave me a comment.

Gary, there is no specific mystery woman here. I guess you could say it's an amalgamation of memories.

RayC, I appreciate your comment about it being my best vocal. Funny thing is that I don't like it much, but my wife told me to keep it. I was going to rerecord it.

Vic and Misha: I can't figure out how to remove the high eq without doing too much damage. I've lost my upper frequencies in my hearing and just got a hearing aid last month. (Now I can hear what I am singing ) I am using Nectar 3 for the vocals and am trying to make sense of the instructions for the "follow EQ" but I am still lost.

Hi Scott,

that's a super-cool tune. Very experimental and creative; I wouldnÄt have even noticed that there were no rhymes (must consider if that might be an alternative to squeezing out RhymeZone ).

And I must say that your vocal is simply outstanding with this song. Very, very, very good.

All the best,

Stefan

Really nicely done!! Such a nice poetic lyric and the perfect band to carry the reflective mood....banjo works really well in this! GREAT stuff, my fave of yours!! Take care. Greg

Kinda song that makes you wanna listen to the lyrics.
Band is rich. vocals fit nicely.


"I heard David Bowie"

Well done!

moto

Ezekiel,

Love that Bowie vocal sound you have going on. The chorus, the first line in particular, strikes me as a bit hot—I would have liked it a bit warmer—but then I’m just listening over the lapto, so it may be just me (and scrolling down, no one else mentioned, so disregard accordingly). The lyric and whole feel of this is very cool—great write. Enjoyed this a ton!

Best regards,

Deej

Hi Ezekiel.
I don't have Nectar 3 so can't advise you there. As we age we tend to lose a lot of our high frequency hearing so when to cut is a bit of a guessing game.
Look at cutting a few db at somewhere between 2000hz to 6000hz on the vocal first. Hard to tell without trying it.

Vic

Stefan, thanks for the listen, but I am even more pleased that you're back.


Thanks so much, Greg. I appreciate it.

thanks

Thanks, Cap!!!

Thanks, Deej. I find all the Bowie references funny since he was not one of my major influences in my youth, although I do like his music.

Vic, thanks for the tip. I did some EQ adjustments (though I can't tell the difference) and have replaced my track on SC. My hearing loss is more than just age. It's also firearms, powertools, being in a rock band, and just general stupidity on my part.

It does sound less harsh now. A tenor's voice occupies 130hz to 1300hz range so basically,
anything either side of it can be rolled off. (That is the basic idea) Other than that it does sound better.

Vic

I was at first thinking, I don't know, but the more I listened, I really like this, and I have a soft spot for a steel guitar!!

I would spend no time diddling around with your vocal. It sounds GREAT.
You could alway put a high end shelf on it using Nectar's EQ but to us it sounds expressive and soulful.

"I can turn a phrase
But I can’t turn around
To find my way back to her"

That is an excellent line that really sticks with you.

Rhymes? Hey, Janice has never understood the need to sacrifice what you want to say for want of a rhyme. Phrasing and soul conquer all.

The band is a showcase on the showcase forum for how to put together and mix an all BiaB band.

Simply outstanding.

J&B

This one sneaked by me. So glad I didnt miss it. I agree I think this is one of your best vocals. it is perfect or this song. Wowser on the band. Perfect choice of instruments. And a stellar mix. Well done

Excellent track Scott - all very nicely done!!

Best regards, Carl

Hi Scott
I like this one a lot. Great vocal as usual and the banjo works a treat. And as everyone else has said, poetry doesn't have to rhyme.
Regards,
Leon

Hello Ezekiel,

What fooling around with D and Em7 can bring you to...
You made a very nice song, not only because the other menbers in this forum told you so, but because it really is.
Everything fits in the band, even the pedal steel.
And your vocals are just great!

I am also a bit relieved you struggle with the eq settings as well to get rid of the sibilance. Although I didn't hear them in your song.
The multiple voices you create with Nectar 3 are done very nicely. I don't use it anymore, because I found it too complicated to get the right sound.

Have a nice day,
Hans

Ronnie, Janice & Bud, Scott, Carl, Leon, and Hans:

Thank you so much for the kind words and feedback. I appreciate that you took the time to listen and pen a few words in response!

Scott S

Don't know how I missed this, but it popped up on my feed.

WOW.

Dude, this off the hook.

Hi Scott.



When I read floyd's comments, he left me nodding in agreement with every single thing he said.

This such easy listening and it's presented with a stunning band. What a really beautiful song (lyrics, melody, performance and production)!

At the end of my journey, I sat here staring at my computer screen thinking, "What a wonderful, lovely musical journey."

All the best,
Noel

I also missed this in a forum blink last fall-one of your best vocals on a very good song with a really good arrangement....well done.
p.s. thanks to Mr Snyder for bumping this!

Robert

This is great... Perhaps my favorite from you - beautiful and superbly executed.

Loved everything about it.

Bob

I agree!! The band is perfect.......love that pedal steel, and the percussive sound of the banjo/drum contrasting with the floating sound of the other instruments is awesome!! LOVE the lyric too!! Probably my fave of yours!! Take care. Greg

This is a great one. Nice lyrics and melody. Your voice is a lot like Neil Diamond. It all fits nicely.