PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase Don't Want To Go

It's been a while since I posted song. Life's been a bit on the busy side.

Here is my latest...

• Don't Want To Go

For Charlie Fogle and HearToLearn, I've also written down a full description of how I created the lyrics from scratch. I'm very much a person who follows method and the document I've assembled outlines that method fairly comprehensively. If anyone is interested, it's in the pdf at the following link. (I suggest reading the document after listening. That way, what you hear won't be coloured by my process.)

• How the song developed (the process, pdf)

(link no longer valid)

The song was created in BIAB, developed in Realband, vocals added and mixed in Reaper, Melodyne used for harmony.

Feel free to critique any aspect: song, lyrics, singing, music, etc. All thoughts welcome.

Regards,
Noel


Band In A Box
535: Bass Guitar
950: Guitar, CountryBoogie
956: Guitar, CountryBoogieGritty
953: Guitar, CountryBoogieClean
950: Guitar, CountryBoogie
1283: Guitar, Soloist CountryShuffleBrent

RealDrums: NashvilleSwing8^3-a:Snare, OpenHat , b:Snare, Ride


Lyrics
© 2016 Noel Adams, words and music, all rights reserved.

[A1]
Don't want to go and grab a cup of coffee
Don't want to go and get me polished up for work
All I want to do
Is to stay home lovin' you
Yeah, that's all I want to do

[A2]
Don't want to go and fight the mornin' traffic
Don't want to go and face another nine to five
All I want to do
Is to stay home lovin' you
Yeah, that's all I want to do

[B]
If you were a season
I know that you'd be summer
You make me glad I'm alive
And when I am with you
We're Harlequin and Columbine
I thank the Lord you're mine

[A3]
Don't want to go, you're the blue sky around me
Don't want to go, you are sunshine with a smile
All I want to do
Is to stay home lovin' you
Yeah, that's all I want to do
All I want to do

[8 bar instr.]

Repeat B & A3

[4 bar instr.]

[TAG]
All I want to do
Is to stay home lovin' you
Yeah, that's all I want to do
All I want to do
To spend each day here with you is all I ever want to do

Hi Noel

Nice to catch up on your work again. I enjoyed the gentle groove of this song, and after listening it stayed with me, making me play it again; there must be a subliminal hook in there! The tracks are a perfect match for the lyric, and the whole is perfectly engineered. An excellent job all round!


John

I also agree very infectious groove to this tune. Loved the lyrics. Well done

This is so beyond cool! Wow! I am SO appreciative that you did this! To see your thoughts and techniques in action verses having to guess at what you did...priceless!

I hear a bit of the beatles, the turtles, and just all around a great song.

I will comment more after the weekend when I can sit down and read all of the notes!

This is SO my kind of thing. I can't even begin to express my excitement! Thank you!!

Hi Noel,

what a nice uplifting song! It made me tapping my feet all the time. Great vocal delivery, nice harmonies.
I especially like the chords of the B part.
The RTs sound like made for the song.
I enjoyed several listens a lot.

Guenter

Great production Noel! Well done!!

Dear Greg,

What a great little song, this theme would have fitted in within any year, 50s to 80s, and works today. Its good, its warm and nostalgic, it’s just plain fun. I expected a megaphone in there any moment. We need more of this in our lives.

Paddy G

Very nice Noel!

Love that steady beat, that country boogie sure works.
The feel and structure of the song makes me think of....
Gilbert O'Sullivan (and I really loved his songs).

Rob

Hi, Noel !

I am weak for this kind of
rhytm and tunes and your
newest almost got me daydreamin´
away ! I just love everything
about it and your voice is
better than ever ! My new Noelfav
from now on !:))

Cheers
Dani

Noel
Song has a lot of character and very catchy. Very interesting write up of how you composed the song.
Very enjoyable all round.

Very nice Noel. Enjoyed that a lot.


Regards,

Bob

Noel, With each new submission your vocal performance exceeds the last one. Really well sung. This again has that great uplifting feeling that you are so accomplished at achieving. The mix is very clear. I enjoyed the intertwined harmony near the end. Thanks for the corresponding pdf. I am sure there is much to learned there. A great song! Tom

Wonderful feel-good tune!! Reminds me of McCartney. Melodically, it works perfectly-constant motion and perfect resolution. Instrumentation and mix are wonderful. This is a gem!! Take care. Greg

Hey John,

Thanks for the visit! It's great to see you.

Subliminal? LOL... now there's thought for the next song. Maybe I'll be able to conquer the world! I just have to work out how to do it in audio. I think the stars were on my side with this one... now if only I could drive midi as expertly as you! That would be fantastic.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Scott,

Thank you. I'm glad you dropped in and had a listen.

All the best,
Noel

My thoughts exactly. I don't know where to begin so I'll start where this will end - Loved it from start to finish.

Noel,

You've got the perfect "summer song" here - really loved the tune and your vocal was great. Nice touch on the process as well.

Bob

Great composition and production! I love the upbeat vibe and your lyrics are joyful and well crafted.

much enjoyed!

Caaron,

Thanks As far as I can see, there's no point taking the stuff that I've picked up over the last few years to the grave with me (although, hopefully, that's not in the immediate future!). I hope you get some value from it.

I won't promise to give some background on all my writes, but, if I have a bit of time to spare, I'll definitely keep you and Charlie (and any others I mightn't know about) in the loop.

All the best,
Noel

We think Paul McCartney would be proud of this write, vocal and production...
We are reading his new bio this song immediately brought him to mind.

We've said it before and will again -- you are a master of this type of
production. Bouncy and upbeat and the world needs more of it!

Looking forward to reading the pdf....

Great listen and a fine addition to our SC playlist.

J&B

Very cool Noel.
Simple elements and no crowding make for a great arrangement.
A particularly assured vocal performance & the Melodyne harmony work well to keep the up vibe.
Top stuff Noel.
the lyric structure an analysis is a good template for those who struggle to break out of ABA.

Noel,

This is a truly delightful listen!

The opening is so well done. The combination of chords and the lead that is weaved in - grab the ear right away - immediately had me dancing in my chair... then lead directly into the opening line... hooked!!

Nice how the opening 2 lines in all three verses set up...

"All I want to do
Is to stay home lovin' you"

Well done! REALLY nice how you get "right to the point", too...

That bridge would fit perfectly in Tin Pan Alley.. (especially with "Harlequin and Columbine"... uniquely done!)

The lead guitar sounds like it was custom played for your song. (did you add the harmony notes at the end of that??? - if so, nice job!!)

What a nice touch the echoes are!!! And super job on the harmony vocal... Such confidence in the entire vocal!!! Strong.

The mix is excellent. So good I didn't even think about it the first few listens... that is a testament!

I enjoyed reading your discussion of how you went about creating this. (You are definitely a teacher!)

Top shelf.

floyd

Hi Guenter,

Thanks for passing through. I appreciate the visit and the feedback.

If you're interested, the bridge starts out in the key of A major. You've probably worked it out already but, in case not, here's the bridge's chord progression...

A major: | IIm7 V7 | I | D major: |IIm7 V7 | I |
E major: | IIm7 V7 | I | II7 | V7sus

Translating this to chords gives...

Bm7 E7 | A | Em7 A7 | D |

F#m7 B7 | E | F#7 | B7sus| (leading to the key of E major)


...IIm-V-I variations always seem to drive a bridge really well.

Regards,
Noel

Thanks David. It's been a long journey (seriously) for me to get on top of the production aspects.

Regards,
Noel

I agree 100%. All that I can add is that you should post more often.

Two thumbs up!

Hi Paddy,

I appreciate your taking the time to listen and comment.

I don't know if you've found it with your songwriting but I find that whenever I use AABA form, which is a favourite of mine, the format seems to add a touch of timelessness to the song. I think that this might be because is was such a prevalent form from 1920 to around 1970. Many of the songs that were written during that time and went on to become 'evergreen standards' were in AABA (e.g. Somewhere Over The Rainbow, When You Wish Upon A Star, Yesterday, Let It Be Me, The Great Pretender, etc., etc.).

Thanks again for passing through!
Noel

Noel, you've once again demonstrated you're ability to deliver great quality material.

The lyrics are colourful, the harmony parts work so well, and the great jive feel sits perfectly.

Going back for another (3rd) listen.

Top job (again)

Trev

Hey Rob,

Good to see you! Thank you for listening.

It's been a long time since I last heard Gilbert O'Sullivan. Like you, I'm a fan of his music. "Oh Claire" was a favourite of mine for quite a while! I'm heading over to Youtube to have a listen again. Thanks for reminding of him.

All the best to you and Anne-Marie,
Noel

Hello Noel,
great song as always you do.
Super chord progression.

Very well sung.

Sergio

Hi there, Dani!

Thank you for coming along and giving my song a run through. Also, thank you for your comment on Soundcloud. You know, this forum just wouldn't be the same without you. You have a kind word and a cheery comment for everyone! It's a real pleasure having you around.

Best wishes for summer!
Noel

Hi Peter,

Thank you for taking time to listen. Now if only I could be as productive as you and Leon! Your two are writing machines!

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Bob. It's always good to see you visiting. I don't have your flair and creativity yet... maybe one day if I just keep on chipping away at it!

All the best,
Noel

+1 Noel
One of your best!

Hey Tom!

I appreciate the comments. Vocals and I have taken a few years to get to know one another! To borrow a song title and use it out of context, it's been a "Long and Winding Road" kind of journey learning how to sing so that people don't wince.

Thanks for commenting on the mix, too. As I've said a number of times over the years, mixing always challenges me! I find that as I attempt to home in on that perfect final sound, it becomes more and more elusive. This happens with every song, time and time again! Oscar Hammerstein best described what mixing is like for me when he said, "How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?" (Sound Of Music's, 'Maria') I'm still trying to catch it

Always good to see you.

Thank you again,
Noel

Thanks, Greg. I appreciate the smile you brought my way!

All the best,
Noel

Hey Charlie!

It's always a pleasure to see you. I hope things are travelling along on smooth roads for you. Thanks for dropping by and I'm glad that the document is to your liking.

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Noel. It's been an interesting read. Very thorough. It is somewhat similar to what I've done in the past but your method is better than my simple way.

Noel,

as I listened through this song, it occurred to me I was smiling... then it occurred to me that ALL of your songs have that effect on me! Whatever magical ingredient inspires joy, you seem to know how to inject it into your songs!

These lyrics are really clever on so many levels, and I know its because of all the time you've invested in the art of effective lyric writing. (It's paying off in a big way!) I especially like the line

Another recurring theme in your work (as opposed to so many other forum songs) is that other songs sound like they'd be something I might hear in a club, whereas your songs consistently sound like something I'd hear in a Broadway production or Hollywood musical... maybe even a "chick flick". Is that on purpose, or has it just worked out that way?

I also note that you've provided a write-up of how you developed the song! Thanks for that! You know I always like to learn from the masters!

Thanks Bob. I appreciate the visit and the comment.


Regards,
Noel

Hey Lawrence.

Good to see you. Thanks for listening.

Regards,
Noel

Hey J&B,

Thank you. Appreciate the listen and the comments a lot. Bouncy and upbeat seems to be something that I can work with. Not sure why. It just seems to work out that way.

All the best to you both,
Noel

Noel,
Great uplifting tune. Nice job.

SD

Ray,

Thanks for dropping in and thanks for the comments too. Appreciate it.

All the best,
Noel

Great song, well written, super mix, very nice performance.
No matter how much we think we know about this craft of songwriting, there's always things to be learned, relearned, and new ways of putting light on things. I very much appreciate your work in putting together your documentation on creating this fine song. It is so clearly laid out that you should probably consider writing a book on the subject, if you haven't already. Thanks,

Kenny

floyd,

Thank you for taking time to comment so thoroughly! I appreciate it a great deal.

Brent's lead guitar Realtrack is compiled from multiple generations. He did the harmony in some of the generations.

How I do it...

When I put a song together, I work in BIAB as long as possible and I always regenerate the music each time I play through it. By the time I head over to Realband, I would have generated the song between 50 - 100 times. If any of those generations have segments of memorable music that I can use for instrumental hooks, I always save that generation to a file so that I can import it into Reaper when I finally get there. What you are hearing with the lead is the final compilation of the above multiple generations.

Thanks again!
Noel

Great tune Noel! Love the lyrics, harmonies...very catchy hook. Many thanks for posting "the process"...big help to me and I'm sure many others.

Jeff

Thanks Mario! Appreciate both thumbs I'd love to post more often but time always seems to get the better of me. Maybe one day...

All the best,
Noel

Hey Trev,

Good to see you. Third listen? Thank you for that! I appreciate it. I also appreciate your comments. The harmony is courtesy of Melodyne. All I did was to use a bit of 4-part harmony theory and adjusted the notes accordingly. Melodyne is such great software.

All the best,
Noel

Thanks Sergio! I appreciate the visit.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Josie,

It's really good to see you! Thanks for the visit. It must be time for another Sundance song.... it seems to be a long while since I last heard one... I really enjoy music.

All the best,
Noel

A very nice song Noel and has such a nice positive feel to it, as is with all your songs. Great pro production throughout, love the echo effect as well.

Musiclover

Charlie,

I'm glad the document was useful. I don't have a single approach to writing a song. That being said, though, if the pressure was on and I needed to get a song done in a couple of days, I'd most likely use the approach I outlined in Walk With Me. I find this particular approach the most productive because I don't need any idea in mind at the beginning and it always leads me to a completed song.

Thanks for your support (again).
Noel

Hi Pat,

Thanks for taking the time. I really appreciate it a great deal.

I'm hardly a master! All I do is read books, listen to others and use the lenses they offer to give me a means of analyzing what others have done over the decades. There is so very much that I don't know and probably will never know!

In relation to a Broadway sound, I sometimes hear that too. For many of my songs, I imagine a scene on a stage and I write lyrics to go with that unfolding scene. Whatever the scenario is, that imagined scene becomes the 'primary moment' of the song.

• For example: In "Don't Want To Go", I imagined Columbine and Harlequin in a stage setting. The lighting was dimmed and there was an orange glow filtering through the window on stage right. They were lying in bed. Columbine was asleep and Harlequin had just put the alarm on his mobile phone onto snooze. That was the song's 'moment'. Everything developed from there.

Maybe this is what's coming through. I don't know. Also, the use of AABA form is one that's been used a great deal theatrically.

Thanks again... now if only I could be half as creative as you, I'd have it made!

All the best,
Noel

Thanks, Spacedog. I appreciate the listen.

Regards,
Noel

Top quality here Noel ! Great sounding song..

Hey Kenny!

Thank you for that. I like learning and for the last ten years my focus has been on coming to terms with lyrics. It's been a long slow road for me but I think I'm making a bit of headway these days.

I really appreciate your comments.

All the best,
Noel

A well written and performed song, Noel, a very poppy commercial sound.

I like the structure too, very effective to have that short instrumental break after that first AABA section.

Noel,
Very enjoyable - the bridge really "lifts" the song.
Many thanks for taking the time to go through your writing process - you are very clear and far more disciplined than I in all the thought that goes into your song`s creation - its a step-by-step guide I`ll try to learn from!

Robert

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the visit. It's always good to see you. Thanks for listening, too. I'm glad the write up will be useful.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Musiclover!

Hope things are going well over in Ireland for you. Thanks for passing your thoughts on about the production. As I've said many times over the years, it's the bit I find the hardest. By the end of a song, I have no idea what's good, bad or ugly - my brain seems to go numb. Maybe one day I'll learn how to jump that hurdle... in the meantime, I'll just keep on practising and posting songs

Thanks again. I appreciate it.

Regards,
Noel

Thanks, Trygve. Appreciate your sharing your time with to have a listen. And thanks for your comment on Soundcloud, too.

All the best,
Noel

Dave,

Thanks for listening and commenting. AABA form is my favourite. It's the one that I find easiest to work in. I seem to have written a few in the format recently. It's probably time for a verse-chorus creation now!

I really enjoy the music that you and Chris put together.

All the best,
Noel

Hi Robert,

Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate the comments. Also, I'm glad the write up will be useful. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

All the best,
Noel