I always try to not post more than one song at a time. But being Veteran’s Day, I felt I should make an exception. A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a very good friend of mine about the Vietnam War. Even though it ended April 30 1975, it remains a part of everyone’s life still today. My sincere thanks to all the Veteran’s who are still with us as well as those who sacrificed everything. Tom


Vocals and Acoustic guitar: Tom


http://tommyadamsmusic.com/music


http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=13251264



Style is C2_JOE.STY
Style MIDI Instruments are : Acoustic Piano (1),
RealTracks in song: 1253:Bass, Electric, PopShiningHeld Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 2021:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryBalladJohn Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1524:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopPowerPushClean Ev 120
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 1888:Piano, Solo-Accompaniment CountryPopJohn Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~522:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 120
Real Drums Nashville Even 8



Reflection In The Wall


A husband and a father left a wife and newborn son
When they carved his name in marble that's the least they could have done
Seems like it was such a waste we even lost the war
The truth is that we never knew what we were fighting for

I walked up to his fathers house one Sunday afternoon
A flag waved from Memorial Day as May turned into June
I just could not bring myself to knock upon his door
And look into those eyes that had been wounded by the war

So I made my way up to DC sometime in the fall
Found his name behind my own reflection in the wall
I often think about him and wondered if there'd be
A way it could have turned out differently

Break


So I made my way up to DC sometime in the fall
Found his name behind my own reflection in the wall
I often think about him and wondered if there'd be
A way it could have turned out differently

Nowadays I struggle with my place in all of this
A friend of mine reduced to just a name upon a list
I could put this all behind me but I ain't goin there yet
the least that I can do is promise never to forget


So I made my way up to DC sometime in the fall
Found his name behind my own reflection in the wall
I often think about him and wondered if there'd be
A way it could have turned out differently

©2015 Thomas Adams

Tom,

A new favorite for me - this represents your absolute best as far as I am concerned. Great melody, lyric and vocal.

Bob

gotta run. i'll be back. just thought this needed to be bumped since I buried it.

Great song Tom and impressive lyrics.
The guitar sounds very, very well.

Rob and Anne-Marie

Bob, I am always glad to see you show up. I knew you were out there. Thanks Man, Tom Thanks for the bump.Rob and Anne-Marie, Thanks for listening and commenting. Recording acoustic can be a bit challenging. It seems different to me every time I do it.Tom

A beautiful write Tom!! Really nicely played and great vocal delivery. Your vocals are just killing it lately. I saw this post earlier but I was working on a song. I thought if I listened to yours first, I might decide to throw mine away. Your writing is over the top these days. I do feel that this song would work better if it were slowed down a bit. The feel is almost too happy for the content. I don't think it's because of the melody. I think that could feel very melancholy with a slower and sparser arrangement with little or no drums. Just some thoughts. Write and performance are wonderful. Just feel you could squeeze more out of the song if more subdued. Take care. Greg

Tom,

beautiful sad, sad song

So true, so true.
And so we should never, ever forget.
Alyn

Good song Tommy. Enjoyed it and a good write that deserves to be heard around Veteran's Day.

Hi Tommy,

like Alyn said a beautiful sad, sad song.
I enjoyed my listen a lot.

Guenter

Just got off work and pulled your song up. It tells pretty much the story of myself and my best friend. We grew up together 1st-12th grades and I also have wondered what his life would be like if things had turned out differently. His mom and dad are both gone but his sister and brother still struggle this time of the year. He never got the opportunity to be a husband or father but his memory has lasted in the lives of so many people. Thanks for sharing your song today and technically it is perfect.
Sonny

Superb song and beautifully done. Amazing clarity. Cheers.

Tom
Superb performance.
Great guitar sound and touching lyrics.
Very pretty intro.

Wow.... what a great job.

The imagery is perfect.

Greg, floyd told me once " changing the tempo even a few bpm's can make a huge difference". I think you are right and I should have slowed it down a notch. This was originally written as a solo acoustic guitar piece. I think it is so easy to let it get out of hand when giving the Biab treatment. I will be more aware of tempo and overproduction in the future. Although I have some in the pipeline that have upwards of twenty tracks on them. LOL. Good advice and Thanks, Tom Alyn, Glad you liked it. Tom Thanks Charlie, Glad you made it by for a listen. Tom

Lots of pain and truth in that tune and write. Nice to remember the veterans and the sacrifices they have made. I just wish our government would realize that most wars are unjustified. Save the sacrifices until it is really important. .. and then conduct the war in a manner to end it quick and bring our boys and girls home.

Tom,

There are certain type songs that very few people are good at writing.
This - the "patriotic", "remembering the veterans", "fallen hero" type - is a classic example of that. They typically turn out to be "typical" - what I call "cliché writing" (which generally gets confused by most as meaning "writing with clichés" - which is not the same thing at all). They have typical scenarios and an all too typical ending that the writers feel is "the clever ending". Predictable, unimaginative.

THIS is anything but typical. This is a lesson in how it SHOULD be done.
Small pieces of gut-wrenching real-life written down, set to rhythm and rhyme.

You are astounding me with your writing.

Examples?...

"A husband and a father left a wife and newborn son"
Right off the bat, this states the tragedy without pulling punches and without being sappy and/or maudlin.

"When they carved his name in marble that's the least they could have done"
There is SO much packed into this one line. The use of "carved in marble" instead of referencing "The Wall", "the least they could have done" saying what might have taken others an entire verse to get across...


"Seems like it was such a waste we even lost the war
The truth is that we never knew what we were fighting for"
So succinct. Truth laid out clear and simple.

"I walked up to his fathers house one Sunday afternoon
A flag waved from Memorial Day as May turned into June"
A loving picture of remembrance - without getting over-dramatic..

"I just could not bring myself to knock upon his door
And look into those eyes that had been wounded by the war"
This ripped my heart out. That is true talent.


"Found his name behind my own reflection in the wall"
WOW. The use of behind your own reflection is brilliant...


"Nowadays I struggle with my place in all of this"
Great line.
"A friend of mine reduced to just a name upon a list"
Great, great line.
"I could put this all behind me but I ain't goin there yet"
Great line.
"the least that I can do is promise never to forget"
Great, great line.
All four lines here are writing at the highest level.


I'm not even going to talk about how perfect the production, mix and vocal are.

Wow.

floyd

Hi,

As a disabled Vietnam Vet, I appreciate your kind words about us. And thanks for remembering all the Vets.

I refrained from going to the wall for man y years. I left Vietnam in 1967. Didn't go see the wall until 1998. It was very emotional, but glad I finally went.

Loved the song. That acoustic lead is simply beautiful ... still smiling! Your lyric captured the essence of the moment. But what I enjoyed most is that your lyric was neither patronizing or cheesy like so many songs about Vietnam are. A simple but beautiful arrangement and so nicely performed. If I weren't in this hospital bed, I'd get up and salute you.

Great stuff, Tom!

Al

Thank You Guenter. Tom Sonny, I knew there would be a few of us that could relate. Thanks, Tom

"found his name behind my own reflection in the wall."

There's more in that line than in many complete writes. Janice teared up when she first heard the song. I couldn't get it off my mind. My best high school buddy was killed in a raid into Cambodia. It took years and years for his family to get his name on the wall -- because we weren't supposed to be in Cambodia. The damn absurdity of it all.

As floyd said it is easy for this type of song to drift into the mundane. You took it in the complete opposite direction and made it, IMO, far and away the best I've ever heard of this, if you will, subgenre. As Janice literally just said, "It's a powerful song and he sings the hell out of it." She said it all.

Bud

Richard, Thanks I appreciate it. Tom Peter, Thanks for listening and commenting. Tom Herb, Thank you for commenting. I'm always glad to hear what you think. Tom Amen to that Kevin. Well said, Tom