PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase NEW SONG POST: Lundy's Lane (A tale of the Silicon Valley)

Hello forum members. This is a song that is mostly true. I grew up in a small suburb which is now part of the Silicon Valley. The area was pretty quiet then. Fortunately, the topography was such that the neighborhood could not be built in the normal fashion. There were gullies, big hills, and small canyons through which streets were interwoven. It was a wonderful place to grow up. Lundy's Lane is actually a small cul-de-sac off of my street (Bunker Hill Drive). The steep hill at the end of the cul-de-sac prevented cost effective building of homes there. Things changed when homes in the area became worth 1.5M dollars. Now those spaces, and the few with similar challenges on Bunker Hill Drive have been filled in. I drove through the old neighborhood, in truth, not the day my dad passed away, but instead on a trip to visit him at the VA hospice in Palo Alto. I thought Lundy's Lane just sounded like a good title but the song is more about the area as a whole. The buckeye trees were actually in an open field off Bunker Hill Drive which has also been filled in (we walked our dog there), and the Polywog pond was near the bottom of the street. Now, the whole area is swarmed with people, incredibly expensive, and has little of its original charm. The last verse refers to my best boyhood friend. I believe his mom still lives there but in truth I have never knocked on the door. She was a very sweet lady, a Japanese American who actually was in an internment camp for a period. It was at her house that I first had sushi, before many Americans knew what that was. I'm afraid if I saw her, my emotion would get the best of me. Still trying to work up the nerve. My mom lives in Foster City, about 6-8 miles east of that neighborhood. When I visit her, I feel like a stranger in my own land. It is heart breaking. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the song. Comments very much appreciated. Take care all.


https://soundcloud.com/gjohnson-2/lundys-lane

Lundy’s Lane

Took a drive through my old neighborhood, the day my father passed away
Just felt the need for reconnecting with my past
In this once quiet little suburb off the San Francisco Bay
I could feel the memories come flooding back

Fields with families walking dogs, streams with children catching pollywogs
Flying kites and friendly little football games
Down on Lundy’s Lane

With the advent of the internet, techies took my town by storm
Unlike justice, it seems ambition’s truly blind
When there’s lots of money to be made, opportunists swarm
And one may not recognize the place they leave behind

Where once were open fields and buckeye trees, now there’s Priuses and SUVs
My home is gone now; nothing looks the same
Down on Lundy’s Lane

I guess there’re places deep in each of us that we’re never gonna find
They elude our maps and compasses, existing only in our mind

I knocked on an old friend’s door and is mother opened up
She was frail now, and her hair was white as snow
Her eyes lit up to see me and we had a cup of tea
And tried to figure out where the time goes

We talked about the early years, shared some laughs and shared some tears
And talked about how much the world has changed
And so has Lundy’s lane

Hi Greg,

I really enjoyed that. It was a beautiful trip along the roads of nostalgia.... a very effective use of AABA form

The bridge really appealed to me.



As always, your singing is superb, you songwriting is excellent and your production sounds first class.

It's two thumbs up from me!

All the best,
Noel

Your voice is pure summer in this very personal song, the best kind I rethink. Well now when I drive by on 280 it will have a whole new meaning.

Greg

Beautiful ballad - loved the lyric - superb ending with the backing vocal and repetition of Lundys Lane.
A real songwriting lesson. Great stuff.

Peter

Greg, it's no surprise that this is another excellent delivery.

Your material is always of the highest standard and this is no exception.

What a great nostalgic tribute. I can picture the scenic view of Lundy's Lane just from listening to the superb lyrics.

Outstanding vocal delivery.

Another masterpiece. Take a bow, you deserve it.

Greg, this is excellent - love the story line and delivery. Great mix as well.

Bob

Thoroughly enjoyed Greg, nice and nostalgic!
And definitely up to your usual high standard.

Rob & Anne-Marie

Thank you for posting this song Greg!

I agree:


This is our "Hot Forum Topic" for today!

Excellent tune Greg. Loved the lyrics and another awesome vocal. Well done.

Cleverly constructed and beautifully sung.
Bravo Greg!

Greg, great song and great performance! The best songs are not fiction but based in fact. Liked the background vocals also. Take care, Torrey

Greg,

A really fine vocal( love your voice in the upper register) on a good wistful ballad. I enjoyed the reminiscenses in the lyrics - they reminded me of Jackson Browne`s Looking Into You.
I agree with Noel that the bridge melody stands out and the arrangement is just right - cool that you saved those harmonies for the end.

Robert

Thanks so much Noel. I appreciate your continued wonderful support! Much appreciated. Take care. Greg

Hi Greg,

I think this might be the first song of yours I have had the pleasure of listening to.

Nice storytelling on this, I very much enjoyed that aspect of it. And I loved your vocal! Such a great tone. Also liked the way you brought in the background vocal.

Enjoyed the listen!

Cheers,
Dave

Moving song Greg.
Sweet melancholy lyrics and beautiful arrangement.
Great job.

Hello, Greg

Sweet, melancholic, nostalgic and beautiful tune with soft and warm vocal!
I especially like the start of A part melody.
And I like the background vocals also.
It's cool the repeat and repeat of the chorus at the ending.
Very enjoyable listen.

Best Regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Greg,

Your work gets better all the time - in every regard. This might be your best mix that you have posted... every instrument sounds good.. the piano has all the power it needs to carry this. The bass is full and punchy. The drums are "supportive" - perfect for this song. The steel is the perfect addition for "sweetening".

Your vocal is beautiful - and nicely recorded.

An incredibly well-written song. You are an amazing wordsmith.

"With the advent of the internet, techies took my town by storm" --- there are not many writers who could have done that line any better - and few who could even get close... nice alliteration, too... Every line in this is well crafted.

A Jackson Browne feel - with an "upgraded" lyric... Beautiful sentiment without getting overly sentimental... Thoughtful.

Top-notch.

fj

Greg,

This is masterful. The BGV outro blew me away. This is exceptional!








Regards,

Bob

Sweet. A very moving song. Super lyrics delivered so well, all beautifully engineered.

John

Thanks for checking it out and commenting Marty! Yeah, you should shoot down Bunker Hill Drive someday when you're cruising by on 280. Still a nice area, although not as special as it was to me then. Take care. Greg

Greg, I can certainly relate. One of the neighborhoods I grew up in also went through those changes. This has a nice melancholy feel of nostalgia that compliments the lyrics perfectly. Nice harmonies at the end. The vocal couldn't be much better and the production is great. A very enjoyable write that touched me deeply. Tom

Very awesome song. Great lyrics, and production. Loved the vocals.

I hear a hint of Dan Fogelberg in the vocals. Great job.

Absolutely exceptional, Greg. Such an evocative lyric and vocal delivery. You can really tell how much the whole topic means to you -- I wouldn't believe you if you told me this was fiction!

Thanks so much Peter! I always appreciate your wonderful support. You're doing some great stuff! Take care. Greg

Thanks Trev! That's one of the nicest reviews I've ever gotten. You are a great source of support and encouragement! Take care. Greg

Greg,

I agree to the comments by other people. Excellent work. I enjoyed it very much.

I have visited the Silicon Valley so many times, and used 101 to go from SFO to Santa Clara and vice versa. I checked the location of Bunker Hill Drive by the Google map and found I passed nearby. I was also caught by the words 'Japanese' and 'sushi'. They made me feel your song familiar.

Hiroshi

It didn't take long for forum members to grab up all the accolades.

For us, in a word, this tune is stunning.

I agree with floyd that the mix is absolutely top notch. And the vocals
are masterful.

And if that isn't enough the write is incredible. It reads like
prose and sounds like poetry when sung.

One of the top posted productions this year by far!

Wonderful addition to our SC playlist.

J&B

Addendum: We just listened again and Janice said it reminded her of Dan Fogelberg...yeah!

J&B

Hey Greg,

It's all been said and I agree, but let me add...

What a fine write this is! Everything about the production is top notch. Just an excellent job.

My sister lived in Foster City in the mid 70's, I remember going down there with my Dad and spending a couple weeks. I thought it was a pretty cool place. I remember going kinda up in the mountains/hills (I think) nearby to a place called Half Moon Bay. I think my nephew was working on a ranch there. Does that ring a bell?

Did I tell ya I think the song is Great!

Cool song Greg, very heartfelt lyric, beautifully delivered. It's sad that your childhood home is no longer there and there is so much change that it drives many people out of the area. I lived in Santa Cruz, just over the hill from there '75-'80. In-laws in Oakland-Berkeley and and friends in Frisco. I grew up in a small (pop 1500) midwest town which is little changed from the 1950's when I was a kid. Jackson Brown/Eagles style seems just right. Liked your vocal. -Pete

Thanks so much for the kind words Bob! Merry Xmas!! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much R and AM! Enjoyed your new Xmas one! Take care. Greg

Greg,

Really enjoyed this song. Your songwriting has been on a high lately and this one is also right up there.

Gorgeous production and I especially enjoyed the vocals and harmonies. The vocals also reminded me of Dan Fogelberg with a hint of Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit for good measure.

Excellent work,
Jez

Something just struck me while I was listening to this and it is really a tribute to all the regular contributors to this forum. Its to do with how far everyone has come with this software since I started following along and listening four years ago. What a journey it has been.

Really lovely song, Greg

Wow! Very nice!

I love story songs, and this is one I can relate to. Beautifully done - nice work!

Thanks Callie!! I love to get feedback from the PG staff. Thanks for listening! Take care. Greg

Thanks Scott! And thanks for your consistent wonderful support! Post another guitar tune soon! Take care. Greg

Thanks for the listen and the nice comments Marc! Much appreciated! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much Torrey! Lovin' what you're doing!! Take care. Greg

Thanks Robert! You've been a great addition to the forum-great songs and interesting lyrics! Take care. Greg

Thanks much Dave! Actually, you commented nicely on another of my tunes. They are so varied in style that you probably didn't realize it was the same guy. Take care. Greg

Thanks Josie!! You know how much I love hearing from you. Thanks for your awesome support! Take care. Greg

Thanks Shigeki. Much appreciated! I always love hearing your beautiful songs! Take care. Greg

Thanks Floyd for those very kind words. Your support is amazingly helpful to me! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much Bob. I'm very touched by your kind words! Love your X-mas song!! Take care. Greg

Thanks for the very nice words John. Always love seeing you around the forum. Don't be a stranger! Take care. Greg

I saw your name on this post the other day and knew I needed to get back and listen. Glad I did.

Another really great job. I like the introspective look back at the past you write into these words.

So much to like here. I like that the choruses have different lyrics that fit the verse with the same (almost) title line.

That ending was really nice. The background vox echoing lines slowly ... into a faded ending. I don't normally like faded endings but this one was nearly faded before I realized it was fading.... the song had me captured from the start. I was walking the streets with you.

I guess this song goes to show that the old saying, you can never go back home again because things are never going to be the same, is proven true. I know you enjoyed this project. It shows. I certainly enjoyed the listen.

Great song. Stunning write, arrangement and performance.

Enjoyed my listen.

Charlie

Thanks so much Tom! I really value your kind words. Take care. Greg

Thanks so much David! Been meaning to get back in touch with you. Sidelined for a week or more with the flu but on the mend. Take care. Greg

Thanks for the kind words Will. I love hearing from the PG staff! Keep the comments coming! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much Hiroshi! Yes, you should take a drive down Bunker Hill Drive, and check out Lundy's lane. Looks so small to me now. Take care. Greg

Thanks so much J and B for those extremely kind words!! They really mean a lot to me. Thanks for your wonderful support! Take care. Greg

Beautiful production! very strong write and wonderful vocals. I appreciate the background that you gave us for this song, it just adds to the overall strength
of everything.

Kenny

Greg,
I have NO idea what to write as I enjoyed that SOO much and the other posters have said it all.
That was beautiful; great back story.

Your voice is SUPERB, as usual, in this.

Thoroughly enjoyed this from start to the excellent fade at the end.

Beautiful

All the best for Christmas

Alyn

Thanks Greg! Yeah, Half Moon Bay is over the hill (about 15 minutes west). My parents lived there from '88 to '99. That was a quiet agricultural farm town when I was young. Tourists are all over the place now on weekends. Take care. Greg

Thanks Pete! Yeah, it's hard to see your home change so much. I grew up listening to the Eagles and JB so they are woven into my musical DNA. Thanks for listening and commenting! Take care. Greg

Thanks Jez! That is high praise indeed. Loved your Xmas post!! Take care. Greg

Thanks Joanne! Good to see you back again! Take care. Greg

Thanks so much for the very kind words Curt! Take care. Greg

Hi Greg. What a beautifully crafted song!
Just what we expect from you.
Enjoyed the nostalgia very much. Cheers.

Hi Greg,

As always, your productions are always spot on. The composition, production and presentation of this are exceptional. everything where it should be perfectly melded with the rest of the mix. We loved it. We can only speculate how emotional this was for you to compose.

Spectacular!

Merry Christmas and much success in 2017,

Alan & Di

I just want to thank you for sharing something this close to your heart... and it certainly doesn't hurt that the song itself happens to be pretty darn good too.

Wow Greg,

Once again you're capturing the listener's full attention with a beautiful melodic song!

Rob