Things I Ain't Done - New Song

[BoSoxBiker]

  This is my first song using acoustic guitars since earlier this Spring before putting a lot of time and effort towards fixing some sonic issues with my "home project studio", as they call it. Bass traps and change the flooring is all's that's left. 

This song was inspired by both Dob Dylan and KT Tunstall. KT's work on the Spotify Live  cover of Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" struck a few nerves and awoke the muse. My song writing assignment to myself was to take a song of story of a life event that only myself would be interested in and make it interesting using some Dylan style phrasing. I'll post the lyrics below.

I used the SJ-200 for the bulk of the acoustic guitar work, save for using a Taylor for some accent picking on the right side in a few places. The electric guitar was a Tele and the bass was a Fender jazz.

Things I Aint Done

I think pasting the link here in plain text actually brings up a spotify. TBD

And for the songwriting portion, this is the basic lyric sheet. I adjusted a couple of phrases when tracking.

 

"Things I Ain't Done" by Mongo and the Pawns of Life (new name forthcoming?)

[VERSE 1]
I was driving South one day,
stuck on eighty-one.
Thinking more 'bout what's left behind
instead of things I aint done.

I was worried about that girl of mine,
her Ma and her Daddy, too.
but, times were tough, the jobs were gone,
and they said I had to be, too.

[PRE-CHORUS]
I had with me everything I owned,
I knew everything I knew I knew.
They said my whole life lay ahead,
but I didn't think it was true,
would [Am]you????

But if...
[CHORUS 1]
I knew then what I know now,
That drive would have been more fun.
Instead of looking back the tears
I'd be looking forward to___ the things__,
the []things I ain't done.
oh, the []things I ain't done.

[VERSE 2]
I was much younger than my boy is now,
not yet twenty-one.
Golf clubs and a sack of clothes,
I was headed to the Sun.

I stayed with some distant folks,
but it wasn't distant enough.
I moved into a ratty flat,
before things got too rough.  

[PRE-CHORUS 2]
Some things they said was par for the course,
I knew not know not how to do.  
Like when stop and taste the wine,
or when to just play through.
How 'bout you??
Now,

[CHORUS 2]
If I knew then what I know now,
That move would have been more fun.
When I was looking back the tears
I was looking forward to the things__,
the []things I ain't done.
the []things I ain't done.

[VERSE 3]
I was raised in the bitter cold,
and it, snowed a lot, as well.
I know I'd not know warmer days,
if I never new my Southern belle.

Now I'm singing a song I could not sing,
playing something I could not play.
Cuz I did the things I ain't done,
back many days before today.

[PRE-CHORUS 3]
***Some things that mattered, of course,
***I brush off me these days.
Some things that mattered to me then stopped
mattering way too soon.
I used to stop to count the wine,
I drink until it's through____,  
How 'bout you___??

[CHORUS 3]
(I didn't like how this flowed when tracking, so I decided to used earlier chorus lyrics)
***I know what I know now,
***and I know you know it's true_.
***It was oh so long ago when you__
***were on top of the list of the things___,
***the []things I ain't done.

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by PatriotsBiker

[Lars68]

I really like the melody and the sentiment of the lyrics, especially this bit:

”Now I'm singing a song I could not sing,
playing something I could not play.
Cuz I did the things I ain't done,
back many days before today.“

I can really relate to that.

The production sounds great too.  I dig the bouncy bass track, but I feel there are elements contradicting the rhythm in places. I can't really say what instrument it is, but would guess percussion that don't land where my ears expect them. 

Lars

[kelly campbell]

Cool song...Good job sir. thanks for  sharing it.

[uncle fester]

PB, I think it's good (love your voice) but it might be a little too close to tangled up in blue for me ( I like the parts surrounding the 'tangled up' parts, and I like your lyrics).  This is just personal preference, and to note I also like beet juice smoothies, so take it for what it's worth.

[BoSoxBiker]

Thanks for giving it a listen and some comments. This is song #60 for me. I'm trying to turn the corner to get from ugly amateur sounding to something that almost belongs. This past year has seen quite a bit of growth. I'm caught in some strange mixture of 70's style productions and modern-day embellishments that isn't quite blooming yet.  I've got quite a few songs I want to redo once I get this down.

Billroy, I hate my vocals. but they are all mine. LOL  This is one of those songs that I did with a specific song in mind and fight change, ultimately failing. I did a song once that is far too close to Bruce Springsteen's "Candy's Room" to even listen to comfortably without squirming.  Kind of like what normal people do when drinking beet slurpies. LOL

This one was a vocal exercise of sorts.  Looking at Bob Dylan's lyrics and the depths of simple phrases is fascinating.   

[uncle fester]

I don't see this as a fail, i just think i wouldn't call it done yet.  and for the record, i aspire to be an ugly (albeit stunningly good looking) amateur, your 'good morning darling' puts you way beyond me! 

Thinking on your comments about wanting to put a whole production together, here's some other thoughts - The only composition comments are on the sections that are the 'tangled up' sections.  I'd try to keep the flavor but change it up a little bit more.  A comment like this is entirely personal preference, so again take it for what it's worth.

On the production piece,  you've got parts where everything was in sync and good, but others where it felt like the vocals were rushed trying to catch up, or the drums weren't quite in sync with the song.  Not many places like that, but some - and I'm finding in my work some is too many.  

And then the magic of mixing and recording, that's as much of a talent as playing.  There's some pixie dust people with these talents sprinkle on things and it just makes it all come together.  No idea how to go from a group of individual instruments to that one thing...  I was thinking to see if I could take a lesson or two on recordings just to help me move the ball, because really I've no clue in that arena, so appreciate what you're doing, and say there's probably lessons to be learned, but not sure what they are...

PB - you rock, keep em coming.

[BoSoxBiker]

Thanks again, billroy. A whole bunch of food for thought.

I think I am at that point where I have to not listen to this for 4-5 days. Not even open it up in Pro Tools to tweak. I - anyone - can listen to a mistake several times in context and get used to it enough to recognize it as being an intended part of the song. 

My first song too 6 months to complete. It was ugly. It's been slow and unsteady growth since then.Seems like every 3-4 months I make a series of adjustments that brings me to the next step. It's usually in the form od a fundamental change that has an effect on everything. Then I relearn what I thought I knew, get better and find something else and repeat the cycle. Lots of ear training in the interim. I feel I'm getting close, though.

Again, thanks for the comments and food for thought.  

 

[Dave F]

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