The life of a Country troubadour...
A co-write with Tim Keesee.


The BIAB stuff:

RealTracks in song: 518:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 407:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 378:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming DoubleTime Ev 088
RealTracks in song: 836:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AltCountryRootsy Ev 075 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 624:Fiddle, Soloist George Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 363:Pedal Steel, Background Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 622:Pedal Steel, Background Waylon Ev 176
RealTracks in song: 2003:Pedal Steel, Soloist CountryPaul Ev 165
RealTracks in song: 623:Banjo, Background Backporch Ev 098
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleBrushesCountryPopEv16



GYPSY DAYS

i track every road i travel one mile marker at a time
every lonesome highway, fayetteville to anaheim
beat-up gibson riding shotgun in a beat-up chevrolet
sharing a front seat view of my gypsy days

pour my soul out in a song, a little truth in every line
shooting straight from the heart, every word genuine
some might not understand...you're born to it or you ain’t
so i don't try to explain these gypsy days

this is who i am, a travellin’ troubadour
livin’ one song at a time, my curse and my reward
nights in half-filled dives as long as there's a stage
and a beer sign to light the way through my gypsy days

   i'll stop moving i'll stop singing
   when my resting place is dug
   music is my mistress
   the journey, my drug

i warned her not to fall for a rambling music man
promised i'd come 'round as often as i can
she sits waiting for that call - but what would i say
i live for those neon nights and these gypsy days
i live for those neon nights and these gypsy days



Thanks for listen.
Comments of any kind, of course...

fj

Hey Floyd - welcome back! This song was well worth the wait. It really came out well. Another great write. Loved the production. The guitars at the beginning were perfection, the way the banjo appeared from out of nowhere and added so much, and that smooth sounding steel throughout with such a nice lick coming into the 3rd verse was a great choice. I hope it doesn't frustrate you that you don't get a lot of helpful hints on your song productions, but how would somebody improve this stuff? Great job - keep leading the charge!

Brad

Winner in the contest "most musician clichés per line" ... and I like it

To me the song sounds like 4 verses and a bridge, a bit unusual but it works really well.
I didn't expect a song without a proper chorus to work so well, in fact I think this choice is the reason for the great mood of your song.

Excellent mix and excellent choice of instrumentation!

Hi floyd jane,

Always so good at creating endearing musical pieces. I enjoyed this composition very well done.

Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash

Hi Floyd,

Another cool song.

Great vocals and good lyrics.


Best Regards
Nigel

Very clever line. Great song.

Love the drums. (I'm a sucker for the sidestick).

Your vocals are as smooth as ever.

Subtle harmonies on the second verse.

Clever reveal in the final verse - didn't see that coming, but all the signs were there.

Nicely done, you and Tim.

Ok. First: this song oozes experience. One can tell it's not been written by a beginner, not least by the tone in your voice. That soft change in the voice on the word "curse", in the third verse ... aha :-) You know just how to change your voice tone, how to change inflection, subtly, on words to bring them out, etc. ... this is a work done by a master.

The harmonic progression is not complex, but it works perfectly here. The instrumentation choices are excellent ... that fiddle solo is great, the pattern of the guitar I love. Subtle harmonies, too, as David says. And the lyrics: who ain't been there ain't a musician, in my humble opinion.

One of your best, I think.

I'm impressed by the way an unconventional structure comes across as completely natural and right.
Your voice goes a long way in making this comfortable story telling.
The long list of instrumentation isn't apparent when listening - no clutter, no congestion...a really well mixed and mastered song.

Floyd,

This for me is one of your very best... I love the wistful lyrics and your almost folky delivery. The arrangement is great as is the mix.

I'm reminded somewhat of Greg Brown and his approach to these types of songs - very authentic and full of emotional punch.

Going back for several listens.

Bob

Good job. A nice memory kicker back to the days of gigging for a living in honky-tonk bands and staring through a windshield at the white lines coming past you at 3am headed home from the gig. Knowing every bump and pothole in the highways and back roads in multiple states.

Regarding the mix.... and the song. Good job on the song. Nice mix. I noticed there is a bass track in the song.... at least you listed it. Maybe you have it turned down and forgot to turn it up for the final export..... It's lacking on the bottom end. A closer listen on the buds let me know it's there but it's still barely perceptible. Might want to have a listen to that and bump it a bit.

Aside from the bottom.... nicely done.

Perfect song, has all the elements. Was waiting for some reference to romance and finally got that in the last verse, so that's why I say the song was perfect. You use so many real tracks but it sounds so smooth and...perfect. Great work as ALWAYS.

floyd.

only one word, as always..SUPERB.

great lyrics eg 'music is my mistress'.

best

om

floyd

An excellent story telling song - nicely produced, very effective and as usual beautifully sung.

I liked the song structure and the overall feel.

Excellent.

Peter

Nicely done, floyd, everything sounds great as per usual!

Loved the line about the Gibson riding shotgun

Man, I always use you as examples of how its done, Floyd. No one writes lyrics as well. You make every song a personal experience, and keep them so relatable to everyone. Always catchy melodies, always a great band, and always the perfectly pleasing mix. Man, I'm sure we passed each other on some of those highways. I like to take the backroads and listen to some Floyd Jane. My kind of travelling music. They have no mile markers on those roads, so I track my travel to the music, like, "One more album and I'll be in Albuquerque."

Hey Man,

This is super catchy! I love it a lot!

You sure have written some great songs!

Hi Floyd
Good song
Very catchy melody
I especially like the fiddle solo
Very nice work
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

Thanks, Brad... appreciate that...




Thanks, B.D....




Derochette - thanks for having a listen....




Thanks for dropping by, Nigel...




Thanks, Brian!

Much appreciated, David...




Thanks for the nice comments, James...

Thanks, Ray. Any time I have a long list of RTs it's usually because I'm using several RTs to comp a single track, not combining them all as one band (you know that, of course...)



Thanks, Bob. Heading off to check out Greg Brown....

Hi Floyd,

We already wondered why we didn't see any of your songs come by on the forum.
Good to hear you again.
Great country song.
Love the lyrics and your vocal is as always... very good!

Rob and Anne-Marie

Love this, Floyd. The sort of song that folds around the listener like a well worn garment. Pro all the way.
Regards,
Leon

Hi, Floyd !


What a superb tune with
that fantastic phrasing
you are the master of !

Enjoyed the spin immensely !

Cheers
Dani

Floyd, I don't know how you do it time after time. You are not only a wordsmith but you always pick the perfect instrumentation and style(s) to back your lyrics. I am green with envy.

As usual I loved it.

Floyd...classic Americana...well written and well sung...the band was very well put together....but the lyrics and melody win the prize in this one...as usual you come through with the kind of songs we all love and appreciate...thanks for another one!

floyd,

Super Catchy!
This is the essence of country songs.
Smooth vocals with simple melodies.
Pedal steel, fiddle, banjo, etc. will appear one after another.
And the lyrics have a lot of country-feels.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

After your comment, I listened through the headphones I use for initial mixes, then my main monitors, then the speakers I use on my computer (Presonus Eris E3.5). In each of those, I heard the bass playing as I had intended - which is, admittedly, not a heavy bottom. The bass had been conflicting with the kick, so I wanted it to be more a "subtle rhythm part" as opposed to a bass-y bottom end.
The following day, I was listening to the new Koe Wetzel record (Hell Paso). It has a heavy bottom and I was listening on Apple earbuds. It occurred to me that I had not listened to this song through earbuds. And there, the bass pretty much disappears. So, thanks for the note. Since I don't intend to do anything with this song and I doubt anyone will listen to it again, I chose not to re-mix it (I do think it sounds fine without any bottom since there is a lot going on instrument-wise)

BTW - you should give a listen to the Koe Wetzel record. I think you would like it. And it is Heavy Rock Guitar Country. The 2022 flavor. A more updated sound. You might capture that to your advantage. You can find the whole thing on Youtube.




Thanks, TM....





Thanks, om....




Appreciate that, Peter....




Thanks, as always, Dave....

Hi Floyd love the lyrics ,vocals well sung they fit the mood great choice of instruments well I like all your tunes, they are always well thought out and sound professional great work thanks Eric

Great song, love the vocals, great instrumentation. I love the gypsy in me too!

Hey Floyd, I love your vocals and they fit perfectly with the melody and style you used! My two-cents is that this is a very good song but - in my opinion - ramping up melodically to a repeating chorus after verse 2 and then each successive verse after that would knock this one out of the park. Regardless I really like the song as-is especially the excellent lyrics that put furniture in the room.

Dewey

Thanks for the great review Marty!
"One more album and I'll be in Albuquerque." - I think you've got the start of a song there...




Thanks, David...




Thanks, Andi...

Floyd,
Beautifully relaxed and a little surprising in structure, but it all sound so natural and true to the wandering minstrel in you.
Excellent!

Robert

Thanks, y'all....




Thanks, Leon...




Good to see ya, Norman...




Thanks, Mario...




Thanks, Dan....

Floyd,

Excellent tune, outstanding production. By my count ten real tracks going on this, you use them all perfectly. A clean mix, nothing tripping over something else—not an easy feat. Interesting approach to use multiple pedal steel tracks; had never thought about doing that with one instrument in a mix. Will keep it in mind going forward.

Impressive tune!

All my best to you—

Deej

“I’ll stop moving, I’ll stop singing
When my resting place is dug
Music is my mistress…the journey, my drug”

What a great song, floyd! Your imagery is so vivid and we could see your troubadour clearly. Both of us got to thinking about some of our favorite troubadours from Merle Haggard to Gregg Allman (and of course George Strait who sang about one) and how in interviews they noted that they were happiest in life when performing their music.

What else to say? OK we'll try ... present is your always present HIGH bar vocals, lyric, arrangement, track choice and mix. So there

Loved it!

J&B

More artistic lyrics--You skillfully say a lot in fewer words than many other write with five times as many words.

Enjoyable song I could listen to over and over again.

I need to finish this one up before the hurricane hits.
We will likely loose power. No telling how long that will last.
Got a lot to do before it gets here...

Hopefully, we'll catch ya on the other side....


Shigeki Adachi, Eric, japokeapeg, Dewey, Robert, Deej, J&B, Mr. Storm...

Thanks to you all for having a listen and for taking the time to comment.
It is much appreciated...


fj

The traveling troubadour. Love the imagery.
Mix sounds great.

HUrricanes suck. Was hoping there would be none for anyone this year. Or ever would be nice.
We were out of power for over a month in 2020 and had to boil water. Our neighborhood was unrecognizable. It was like living in a third world country. Thank God for Mercy Chefs, the National Guard and finally one Walmart with gas and water. I still get PTSD when I think about it. I am thankful that our house was not destroyed and we made it through by the grace of God. The generator running the fridge and one room air conditioner made all the difference.
God Bless you and your family. Hoping you don't get hit that badly.

nights in half-filled dives as long as there's a stage
and a beer sign to light the way through my gypsy days

Absolutely LOVE that!!!

Fantastic troubadour song!! Should have been recorded by one of the country stars!!! EVERYTHING is just PERFECT!!!!

Decided to look for an FJ tune for my return to the forum.......SO glad I did!!!!

Take care. Greg

Damn dude. That is a good track. The music choices were interesting, the lyrics and melody more good choices. Vocal is perfect fit. I really like the bridge leading to the fiddle and instrumental after hearing the story. Yep. That is a good track!
-Mark

Way late to the party here Floyd but I knew it was going to be good before I hit play! That's some lovely storytelling in this! You guy's put together a really good tune here! Love the tradeoff solos of the fiddle and steel! Vocals are spot on and harmonies also...they always are! Another high-quality song has been added to your impressive catalogue!

Thanks, Torrey