You Can't Buy Redemption with Tears
I don't have any new songs ready and I don't really enjoy discussing works-in-progress, so I thought I'd spend a little time going through my back catalogue. Next up: Dead Wrong.
For Complete Lyrics, Click Here
Just one sidenote about the lyrics: I was pretty unsure about including the word "baby". The line isn't the best one in the song, but I don't think it's the worst, either. It was just too different from the way I normally talk. I eventually decided to keep it because I thought it contributed to the feel of the song. However, whenever I get to that line, I really feel like I'm singing in character.
The basic chord progression itself is pretty simple. You can pretty much duplicate the basic feel of the song by just playing G, D, Am, C over and over. I wanted to make one of those innumerate weepy 6/8 country-ish ballads, but my initial attempt was a bit too generic. I substituted a couple of minor chords for major ones, and threw in a few strictly ornamental chord changes as "defensive complications." In the end, I think that those chords really make it an acceptable Mimes song. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't consider the song sufficiently "written."
Intro:
G, D, Am, Eb, D
Verse:
G, D, Am, C
G, D, Am, Eb, D
G, D, Am, C
G, D, Am, Cm, Csus2
Chorus:
G, Bm, Em, Em7, Emb6, Em
G, Bm, Am, C
G, Bm, Em, Em7, Emb6, Em
G, Bm, Am, C
Outro:
G, D, Am, C
G, D, Am, Cm, Csus2
G
I'm not sure if "Emb6" is the correct name for the chord in the chorus -- I wasn't able to find it in any of my chord books. It's basically an Em with a C (which is b6 of E) on top - "EGBC". The whole "Em-Em7-Emb6-Em" sequence is pretty much ornamental, anyway.
I recorded the lead vocal and the acoustic guitar (my Washburn steel string) at the same time with the guitar tuned a half-step down. I liked the take but it was a little too fast, so I used the variable speed on my 4-track to slow it down. Because of this, the song sounds in F (as if I had tuned the guitar a whole step down). I liked the way it added a little extra weight to the vocal.
Rather than tuning down, I transposed the chord progression to F and played the bass in standard tuning. I think I miked the amp rather than using direct injection, as I was trying to get something like an acoustic bass tone. I actually felt a little like a session player, playing off of a note card with the chord changes on it.
The harmony vocal and tambourine were recorded to the same track with a single mic. I was rather pleased with how much closer to the beat the tambourine was on this song than in "One Glimpse".
After mixing the inital four tracks down, I added two tracks of electric guitar -- one for the arpeggios and one for the solo. I used my Strat through the tube amp with a decent amount of reverb. I kept the Strat tuned a half-step down, transposed the chords again and recorded these parts in F#. The solo is one of my favorites that I've recorded. I initially wrote a more complicated solo, then kept simplifying and paring it down. It's not flashy, but I think I captured the right feel.
So that's the recording process - played in three different keys on three different instruments. Sometimes I think I may have gone overboard with the complications...
For Complete Lyrics, Click Here
Just one sidenote about the lyrics: I was pretty unsure about including the word "baby". The line isn't the best one in the song, but I don't think it's the worst, either. It was just too different from the way I normally talk. I eventually decided to keep it because I thought it contributed to the feel of the song. However, whenever I get to that line, I really feel like I'm singing in character.
The basic chord progression itself is pretty simple. You can pretty much duplicate the basic feel of the song by just playing G, D, Am, C over and over. I wanted to make one of those innumerate weepy 6/8 country-ish ballads, but my initial attempt was a bit too generic. I substituted a couple of minor chords for major ones, and threw in a few strictly ornamental chord changes as "defensive complications." In the end, I think that those chords really make it an acceptable Mimes song. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't consider the song sufficiently "written."
Intro:
G, D, Am, Eb, D
Verse:
G, D, Am, C
G, D, Am, Eb, D
G, D, Am, C
G, D, Am, Cm, Csus2
Chorus:
G, Bm, Em, Em7, Emb6, Em
G, Bm, Am, C
G, Bm, Em, Em7, Emb6, Em
G, Bm, Am, C
Outro:
G, D, Am, C
G, D, Am, Cm, Csus2
G
I'm not sure if "Emb6" is the correct name for the chord in the chorus -- I wasn't able to find it in any of my chord books. It's basically an Em with a C (which is b6 of E) on top - "EGBC". The whole "Em-Em7-Emb6-Em" sequence is pretty much ornamental, anyway.
I recorded the lead vocal and the acoustic guitar (my Washburn steel string) at the same time with the guitar tuned a half-step down. I liked the take but it was a little too fast, so I used the variable speed on my 4-track to slow it down. Because of this, the song sounds in F (as if I had tuned the guitar a whole step down). I liked the way it added a little extra weight to the vocal.
Rather than tuning down, I transposed the chord progression to F and played the bass in standard tuning. I think I miked the amp rather than using direct injection, as I was trying to get something like an acoustic bass tone. I actually felt a little like a session player, playing off of a note card with the chord changes on it.
The harmony vocal and tambourine were recorded to the same track with a single mic. I was rather pleased with how much closer to the beat the tambourine was on this song than in "One Glimpse".
After mixing the inital four tracks down, I added two tracks of electric guitar -- one for the arpeggios and one for the solo. I used my Strat through the tube amp with a decent amount of reverb. I kept the Strat tuned a half-step down, transposed the chords again and recorded these parts in F#. The solo is one of my favorites that I've recorded. I initially wrote a more complicated solo, then kept simplifying and paring it down. It's not flashy, but I think I captured the right feel.
So that's the recording process - played in three different keys on three different instruments. Sometimes I think I may have gone overboard with the complications...