I know I am a newbie here. But I am still a songwriter. My challenge is this...who can write the saddest song. Of course it would be cool to use Band in a Box in the making. And I am talking about coming up with a song that will just leave you emotionally destroyed because it is that sad. A song that will stay in a persons mind for like forever. One that rips the fiber of your heart right out. A song that can make even the toughest guy on the block ball his head off. Even cry in front of his best friends. Or not....C. Dan
Now this I can get behind! Sometimes about sad music was always inviting to me I've already heard some pretty sad tunes on the showcase, but I'm always eager to hear more.
Here's one more for you. This is called Do It All Again. I wrote this and put it on my CD, but then asked a guy named Bobby Lee who sings in a great local country band to do a version. He absolutely nailed it.
Here's one more for you. This is called Do It All Again. I wrote this and put it on my CD, but then asked a guy named Bobby Lee who sings ini a great local country band to do a version. He absolutely nailed it.
These are both actually great - I personally think I gravitate more towards the former. Straight forward and very relatable lyrics, but the delivery really cuts through. A great hook to boot.
A few may notice this is a remix of the original that to add to the overall "sadness" of the song, was a finalist to a Taxi placement in a movie but was rejected due to some poor production decisions I made but have since corrected.
Well the hour glass says I’m running out And the Holy Priest is full of doubt And the warden won’t let me out Until I’ve had my share I been staring out On the prison yard And I see a guy who’s trying hard To dig a hole That will lead him to nowhere
PRE CH:
Yeah everything in the world has changed But one thing remains the same
CH:
I will love you in the summer And I will love you in the fall I will love you in the winter And when spring time comes to call I will love you baby until they make me walk that line I will love you ‘til that day When they say It’s killing time
V2
Well I am sorry for the killing I’ve done Never wanted to hurt no one But I know I’m not the only man Who has ever sought revenge Justice is mine Saith the Lord I wished I’d studied more on those words Before I killed the man who stole the life of my little girl
PRE CH:
Yeah everything in the world has changed But one thing remains the same
CH:
I will love you in the summer And I will love you in the fall I will love you in the winter And when spring time comes to call I will love you baby until they make me walk that line [And I will meet you in heaven on that day When they say It’s killing time x 2] And Baby just so you know Your Daddy’s feelin’ fine
Words and Music copyright 2017 by David Snyder Produced and Engineered by David Snyder
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Well I have a good sad song. I have the lyrics and melody and chords...but I am having trouble getting it into the box. I played this song with my granddaughter and she started crying before we even got half way through the song. I titled it "Little Dog's Girl". I have been checking out the new Real Tracks like "Real Tracks 278", which is Ooohs And Aaahs. And man.. right now is when I could use some of those real tracks. Has any one on this forum used them in a composition yet? If you have ever listened to "He stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones ...the Ooohs and aaahs along with the pedal steel and the harmonica alone make me feel like crying. Anytime I cover this song around my Mom, she starts crying. Actually every time I do it she starts crying. I have to play "Boot Scoot Boogie" to get her to stop crying. I know I seem like a meany for making them cry... but that is what a good sad song will do...but they love it and come back for more.. I would like to post my song but I haven't got it to fit "Band in a Box" yet. I may have to use a minimum of real tracks to get it to work. And also I am digging the tunes that the rest you guys are posting.....really good songs coming in here.
Oh yeah I like this song...I got a tingle..This is the the best one I have heard on here in the "Sad Song" category so far. And there are some good ones. I could feel the lyrics..they spoke to a place I have been before. And the construction of instruments are well placed and timed just right to keep the feel alive. Good Job on this one. C. Dan
Is it bad to say that I am really enjoying these sad songs so far and that I want to see more? I feel like that's a bad thing for me to want, especially because some of them seem pretty personal. But they're just so good.
Check out the song by Jeff Bates called "Watching His Son Going Down"... Another sad song.. If you like Conway Twitty type vocals...check out the song "Somebody's Falling" Sung by Sarah Darling and Jeff Bates.
I like this a lot. Was that real fiddle? It sounds almost like a guitar with an ebow. A lot of emotion in the vocals as well.
Eddie,
That is a guitar you are hearing. I ran it through an auto swell pedal that basically detects pick attacks and replaces them with a smooth volume swell. Makes it sound like a bowed instrument. Some guys can do it with a pinky on the volume knob, but I’m not that coordinated.
Re the vocal: She wrote the lyrics after losing a best friend to cancer, so yeah, she was feeling it when she did the recording.
Thanks for the listen and comment, I haven’t listened to yours yet but will do so soon.
https://soundcloud.com/countryjammer/cold-bricks-below I haven't gotten the tune I wrote to put on here worked out yet...so here is this dark ballad I wrote about a cold winter day in Ft. Worth Texas. Downtown Ft. Worth streets are made of bricks.... It Is called "Cold Bricks Below"
C. Dan Bass-(midi)-34 finger Elec. Piano-(midi)-acoustic Drums-(midi)-drum patch #2 Guitar-372-Acoustic, hank sw 120 Fiddle-618-background, allis ev. 120 Guitar 2-522-acoustic finger picking ev. 120 Recorded thru line 6 spider jam amp onto sd card Vocals me... chorus harmony..me with digitech harmonizer And me playing acoustic guitar on line 6 variax acoustic position 1
A remix? It sounds brilliant to me... and this is a cool thread. Going out to pick up some kleenex and settle in to listen to the other songs here. My two-hankie song; save one for Janice signing off with feeling...
A remix? It sounds brilliant to me... and this is a cool thread. Going out to pick up some kleenex and settle in to listen to the other songs here. My two-hankie song; save one for Janice signing off with feeling...
I've listened to most of the songs in this thread. This one gets to me! I remember it from when you first posted it. Hard not to like a brilliant write with Janice on vocals!
Thanks Dave, I listened to most of the postings here too- as well as yours, Josie`s Missing Me, & Floyd`s Feeling Nothing At All got to me... and David`s Killing Time turned my insides to jello!
There's some true gems throughout this thread. Thanks for sharing guys Now we need another thread called "Uplifting Song Challenge" or something to balance it out!
Last edited by Deryk - PG Music; 06/05/1803:26 AM.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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I've already heard some pretty sad tunes on the showcase, but I'm always eager to hear more.
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