This is a song that the idea came from something Danny Jackson ( Evil World, Red on Blue, Old Tin Roof) was trying to write. He wasn't getting very far with it so I wrote this to perhaps prompt him to look at things a bit differently, but he didn't like this for various reasons, and said no thanks. I decided to finish it up and record it.

The words tell a story that might or might not be about Danny or me.....

Quarter And The Bible (original take)

Edited version.... to remove the nits Quarter And The Bible
nits removed or fixed.... ghosting on the BGV, tuned the electric guitar solo, and changed the tone (different EQ) on the electric solo and added verb.

The band:

Drums: Pop Modern Syncopated groove 16
Bass 1827
Mandolin 1947
Piano 1839
B3 689

All guitars and vox by me.
2 acoustic guitars
1 Electric SG Gibson rhythm
1 Electric Tele lead
5 vox tracks. 1 lead, 2 doubles, 2 harmonies


Lyrics:

Momma told me I should always watch , the company I keep
She told me I could climb the mountain high, or get bogged down in the street
Words of wisdom falling on young ears, I wasn't taking her advice
Acting mainly on my own accord , I never thought about it twice

Found myself inside the county jail, you got a phone call you can make
Let this be a lesson to you son, better make this one your last mistake.
I thought long and hard about those words, last night still pounding in my head
Dropped my last quarter down the payphone slot, remembering words my Momma said

Here's a quarter if you ever need to call, you can call me day or night
There's only so much that one body can do, but I'll try to make it right
Here's the bible that you got from me, you can talk to God from anywhere
Between the quarter and the bible, you can always reach someone who cares.

Got the phone call late one Friday night they said we need you here at home
The doctor said that it ain't looking good, as I hung up on that phone
I bowed my head and fell down to my knees, not knowing what to say
I talked to God like he was my best friend, just like Momma used to pray

Here's a quarter if you ever need to call, you can call me day or night
There's only so much that a body can do, but I'll try to make it right
Here's the bible that you got from me, you can talk to God from anywhere
Between the quarter and the bible, you can always reach someone who cares.


Hope you enjoyed this.

Herb,

This is great man! Love the hook idea. Awesome. Fantastic lyrics.

Unfortunately though, my lawyer will soon be contacting you about you ripping off my own song, Bible on the Dresser.

Just kidding!!!!!!

No, really man, this is great. Super mix.

Herb,

This is excellent. Great song, but your vocal and the mix really stand out.

I had this turned up loud and it sounded like you were "live" in my living room.

Loved it!

Bob

What a cool write and a great song, Herb. Love the lyrics. Man, this is perfect: "Between the quarter and the bible, you can always reach someone who cares." Very pleasant mix, and excellent harmony.

Yeah, I like this one, Herb.

Great write, I'm with Marty, that "Between the quarter and the bible, you can always reach someone who cares" line is right on the money.

Good vocal, especially like the harmony.

Nice country licks on the Tele, good solo and outro.

Enjoyed!

Herb,

Good one. Vocals and BGVs are good. And a solid mix.

The hook line that everyone has quoted is a good one.

I like the outro.

fj

Nice hook and vocals. Production is very good. Liked it a lot.

Have your people call my people and we'll have lunch darling.

David, I appreciate your keen observation skills.

Thanks

I thank you. I like loud. I worked carefully on the mix on this as my last one was not as good as it should have been. thank you for mentioning the mix.

Hi Herb,

Loved the whole thing from the great opening bars to the delicate ending.

I can tell that a lot of work has gone into the arrangement and it's paid off big-time.
Very professional the way things are layered-up and the way the B3 comes and goes.

Wonderful vocals which really cut through and which are especially powerful on the choruses.
Lovely tone on the Tele.

Great lyrics and that hook line has to be worth a lot of $s.

And yes, it does sound good up LOUD - it all hangs together beautifully.

Nicely done old pal.

ROG.

Hi Guitarhacker,

Congratulations, you are a good versatile musician. The lyrics are very engaging with your voice which lends itself perfectly to it. Well done. I appreciated.


Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash

Standing ovation from me. The lyrics are simply extraordinary, and the music is just perfect for them. Love every word and every phrase. Beautiful guitar solo in the middle.

This is nothing short of an instant classic, for me. Bravo.

P.S. the mother in this song sounds so much like my own. It's like I could hear her advice echoing in my ears. I kinda cried a little. Thanks.

Thank you for listening. I really like that line too. I like it when things just spill out naturally as this did.... After several tries that ended with frustration and in the circular file of digital dust.

Many thanks. Seems like that line hits home with a lot of people.

There is 5 vox tracks in this. One is the lead. I have 2 doubles and 2 harmony tracks. The harmony and doubles are raw.

Thanks for listening.

Excellent song - good idea, well executed - really good write. Classic country sound.

And it sounds great - vocals, instrumentals, mix - it's all there.

Well written tune. Great story. The band is good too. Nice, clear vocals. The mix is perfect.

Glad you like it. The outro.... Ending a song is often as difficult as other parts of the writing, and I'm glad you noticed that part of the song. I kinda liked that ending too.

Thanks

Short simple and to the point. Thanks for listening and hitting the main points in you comments.

Herb

Enjoyed the song, a really nicely told story, pretty melody and well performed.

The vocals were particularly well done and the guitars were an excellent fit.

Peter

Really like the lyrics on this one, Herb. Like everyone else has said, great hook.

Your vocals are well done and place on this one. The harmonies are nice (sounds to me a little like Neil Young singing country harmonies.) A good, honest sound.

I like story songs, and this is a good one. Really enjoyed it.

Steve

I absolutely love that Tele solo. Perfect fit for the song.

The hook at the end of the chorus is a gem: "Between the quarter and the bible, you can always reach someone who cares." Yep!

I always appreciate your comments. Thank you.

BTW, I have a newer version up...see the OP.... I fixed a few nits and explain which ones.

Derochette, Thank you. I do try to get into several genres and not get stuck in one easy to stay with style. Glad you like this.




Musician 17, indeed. It could have been my own mom telling me those words....oh wait.... I do appreciate your kind words.



dcuny, What can I say except, thank you!

JPT. Thank you. This was written as a rough draft to help a buddy of mine get some new ideas for a song he was writing with a similar title. He didn't like it ....said it was too personal. So, I reworked it a bit and here it is.





Peter, thanks. I liked the way the vocals came out on this one too. 5 tracks total on the vox.





Steve, thanks. I like Neil Young a lot. And I love doing harmony work. I too like story songs and it seems there's not a lot of them on the radio anymore but the ones that are there tend to be successful.





Ezekiels Storm, I couldn't agree more. Sometimes those gems just kinda fall into your lap as this one did. Thanks for listening.

Hello, 'Guitarhacker'...

First off, I didn't listen to the original take -- yet -- because I wanted to experience listening to the song, just as a song, without worrying about making comparisons.

The lyrics are comforting and reassuring, which really matters to me, at least. Who among us can't use a song that seeks to guide a body out of personal troubles? It's an act of kindness and generosity, really, to put such a thing out into the world for all to hear, and it deserves a nice, heartfelt "Thank you".

Your vocal harmonizations are simply "music to my ears", and the increase in voices adds a feeling of strength-in-numbers to the moral force of the song's gentle message.

The Real Track additions support your expressive guitar-playing quite nicely.

Excellent story song. We two can certainly related to good mama advice.

The combo of lead vocal, unison lead and harmony works well.

Excellent "tailored to the song" guitar work...no surprise there.

Well done!

J&B

Bluage, the 2 versions are very very similar.... as I said in the OP... I fixed a few nits. Nothing major. My problem is that once I hear something that's not quite "right" I can't unhear it, and it must be fixed.
I really enjoy music that lends itself to harmony vocals. This one did. I like to use the BGV and HV as low level support.
Real tracks, simply put, have changed my musical world.
Mamabear, Beagle, Gamblerschoice, Robbie, and so many others.... I miss that group and the camaraderie we all had. PS.... I still see JW post on FB every now and then. I don't think she's as active on the piano or at least on the making and recording music end of things these days.



J&B... thank you both. I'm a sucker for a good story song. I appreciate you both listening.