Ballad of Turnpike 62

[TenEightyOne]

Many of my songs are actually poems that kind of evolve their 'song' as I write them. Hard to explain my weird creative process...

 

Anyway, I wrote this song for my other half. The music is in the style of a triad-based old English folk song. I work away all week and, at weekends, travel the length of the M62 to get home.

 

For those who don't know the motorway it links the west coast of Northern England with the east. The steep, fast climb out of Manchester into the rugged moors can be inspiringly beautiful but before you get your breath back you're onto the edge of the pennines and the highest point of any motorway in England. I'm a Lancastrian but I have to admit that Yorkshire has some simply awe-inspiring scenery.

 

You slowly glide back to earth and, crossing dams and dales, you find yourself sinking into the gentle sunset that lays across the Ouse river and warms your way home. You head briefly once more into the clouds on the Ouse Crossing, the steaming towers of the Drax station reflecting a soft ligh through the wind farms onto the shallow marsh riverbanks, then you're back at sea level, fields at one side, the sliding banks of the Humber at the other, nearly home.

 

Well, here's the song I wrote about travelling home - any constructive criticism is always greatly appreciated.

 

EDIT: Listen on SoundCloud: Fly Back Home To Me

 

A very rough edit... and the vocal's pretty terrible... but it gives an idea of the song. I added a chorus since the first post, that's edited into this OP. Hope you like it :S

 

 

Ballad of Turnpike 62

 

Come my love,

Fly back home to me.

Skim the moor -

A stone across the sea.

Ten thousand men march slow

As silent clouds up to the line

Of black below the gold

Where we are free.

 

Come my love,

The hills are burning low.

Hurry to our darkening

That lies below.

The sea is at my feet now

Like the sky is running home,

And a thousand eyes of red

They wait alone.

 

In that velvet dark a simple man was marked

And he was on the run.

The plans they made in those easy days

Well they were burned and they were gone

And he turned her eye to a silver sky and said

"I'll wait there in your dreams for you."

And the bells all rang

For the marching ranks.

In the darkness one girl sang...

 

Come my love,

The sky is growing cold.

Hurry to our evergreen

That lies below the gold.

The planes are from the east now

As though the wind has changed her mind,

And a thousand eyes of red,

They watch you home.

Edited February 4, 2013 by TenEightyOne

[Acehilm]

I really liked it, but something seems to be missing. Also, the four bottom lines seem out of place IMO.

[Mokrie Dela]

not bad, but i find myself wanting to hear the song itself. I think with songs, so much of the character and feel is in the audio as well as the text.

[TenEightyOne]

Zip file with very rough WMA added to OP.

 

The vocal's really bad, I was just messing about with the setup. I'm working on the hiss...

[Acehilm]

That's pretty f*cking impressive. Your vocals are great!

 

I'm writing a song aswell... sort of. I've only got the chords down so far. Have a listen if you like;

Edited January 4, 2013 by Coat.

[TenEightyOne]

Thanks man

 

With your track it's hard to get the overall picture without hearing a lyric - but the basis is definitely good! I found it hard to make out some of the guitar tone earlier on though, there was more percussion from the strings than pitch... from my own attempts at recording my guitar I'd recommend moving the mic out a little bit to get some "air"... but don't take my word for it!

[TenEightyOne]

I just discovered SoundCloud, I'm using the free service which seems perfectly okay.... might be useful for other regulars in this fine sub-forum!

 

OP edited with link to this thread's song