My song "Time For Rain"

[Strat1958]

Last autumn, my wife and I were often found walking in the woods and on the beach on the last weekends of summer, and one of us said "well, looks like summer's over and it's time for rain". An "AHA!!" moment. Back at home, I wrote a song about it, and this is the result...all about spending time with someone as the season is changing from summer to autumn.

So, without further ado......

TIME FOR RAIN

[V1]
Remember when
Let’s go back to then
Warmth and sun on a beach

Time stands still
It’s so good until
We realize summer’s out of reach

[CH]
There’s a chill in the air
We’re sitting in our chairs
Sayin it’s time for rain
Yeah, it’s time for rain

Walkin by the sea
Just you and me
Sayin it’s time for rain
Yeah, it’s time for rain

[V2]
Summertime
I’m thinking I’m
Counting down the days till it’s gone

Not long enough
God I’ll say it’s rough
Now it’s so cool just before the dawn….

[CH]
Well there’s a chill in the air
We’re sitting in our chairs
Sayin it’s time for rain
Yeah, it’s time for rain

Walkin by the sea
Just you and me
Sayin it’s time for rain
Yeah, it’s time for rain

[BRIDGE]
The sun and sky
Bid a fond goodbye
And the daylight hours are rare and few

We should embrace
The new season’s face
As the autumn sky shines electric blue

[GUITAR SOLO]

[V3]
Remember when
Let’s go back to then
The warmth and sun on a beach

Now we're by the fire
Feeling such desire
As the rain falls down on the autumn leaves

[CH]
Well there’s a chill in the air
We’re sitting in our chairs
Sayin it’s time for rain
Yeah, it’s time for rain

Just you and me
In the cool sea breeze
Sayin it’s time for rain
Yeah, it’s time for rain

[Hum + guitar to fade.....]

 

[gecko zzed]

This song rolls along, tranquil, easy-paced and very relaxing.

It conveys a sense of calm, and though it talks about a 'chill in the air', it is nevertheless a very warm and comforting song.

Even though I am forever going on about vareity and change, I think you got the relentlessness right with this song: it's just like the endless procession of waves rolling onto the beach.

I like the chord progression in this, and particularly the bass line which doesn't always automatically follow the root.

The guitar solo is restrained and tasteful, creating a good sense of space, and the vocals likewise are steady, understated and relaxed. I'm not sure if there was a mandolin present, or whether you were playing guitar with a capo on a high fret, but I liked the top end sparkle that it gave.

All these ingredients come together in a very accessible and engaging way.

If you are looking for areas of improvement, there are a couple of minor things. My brain was confused at times during the choruses, when instrumentally the choruses seemed to sometimes start on a C major, but with a C minor melodic line. I think the progression is (roughly) C Bb F Cm Bb F, which is kind of neat, but if that's the case, the C major could be more definite.

I'm not sure that the kit was totally together with the rest of the instruments. This is noticeable at the start (compare the snare hit with the guitar strumming), then a bit more as the song fades.

There's some sludginess about the mix, but I expect that's a factor of the MP3 more than anything else.

These are all minor things. It's a great creation!

 

[nzausrec]

Nice.

I like the parts like where you sustain 'Summertime' then come down from there with vox. I like your voice hitting it at 1:25 - 1:29.
That's your voice point there. That was the best part of the all-good vocal for me.

I will listen to this several times, I bet.

Nice instrumental after the bridge.

Interesting percussion punctuation in the first lines of each bridge verse btw. Not wrong to me. It's fine.

I think your voice wants to go harder at times, yet you don't take it there. I expect it to go up but it goes down ... do you know what I mean? Like, it gets too casual. It goes back into the routine chorus. At 1:25 you had the strain thing, not actual voice strain but a kind of ... I don't know how to explain that, but I wanted to hear more harder vox.
Your voice is nice, with touches upon John Hiatt who did 'Crossing Muddy Waters.' You get there, to the crescendo, but then pull back too soon when I think you should go up there and stay with it a while.

The song has a good rhythm. It has good notes. Not sure abou the lyrics. Pehaps if I experience a day sometime I'll go, "Damnit, it's time for rain!" And, I'll remember the song.

 

[Strat1958]

I'm not sure if there was a mandolin present, or whether you were playing guitar with a capo on a high fret, but I liked the top end sparkle that it gave.

I did the basic track in JamStudio, which was drums, bass and one simple guitar. I added 2 additional guitars, one capoed at the 3rd (played in D formation) and the other capoed at the 10th (played in G formation).

My brain was confused at times during the choruses, when instrumentally the choruses seemed to sometimes start on a C major, but with a C minor melodic line. I think the progression is (roughly) C Bb F Cm Bb F, which is kind of neat, but if that's the case, the C major could be more definite.

Hmmm, I didn't have a Cm in there, and I can't seem to hear it the same way you do...but I will be mindful of that when writing!

There's some sludginess about the mix, but I expect that's a factor of the MP3 more than anything else.

Yes, it's Soundclick's wonderful mp3 mix...in WAV it sounds much more "airy" and crisp.

These are all minor things. It's a great creation!

Thank you my friend...your comments are very much appreciated.

-Mike

 

[Strat1958]

I think your voice wants to go harder at times, yet you don't take it there.

Yeah, I hear the same thing...it is definitely something I'm working on. When you're belting out songs around the campfire, it's one thing, but when you plunk yourself in front of an SM-58 in a dead silent room, it's quite another. So I will work on my dynamics - thank you.

I will listen to this several times, I bet.

That is the biggest compliment I can receive.

At 1:25 you had the strain thing, not actual voice strain but a kind of ... I don't know how to explain that, but I wanted to hear more harder vox.

I know exactly what you mean...I did the vox on this song a few times, and found that the crackly breaking up of my voice only happens first thing in the morning. So I did this take at 6AM yesterday as my wife was in the shower.

The song has a good rhythm. It has good notes. Not sure abou the lyrics. Pehaps if I experience a day sometime I'll go, "Damnit, it's time for rain!" And, I'll remember the song.

Thank you so much!

-Mike

 

[up-fiddler]

Tranquil indeed

I get a great feeling of summer through the entire song. The lyrics provide a nice counterpoint and prophecy that summer can't be kept much longer. I love it when music compliments vox and vice-versa. The attack/gain on the instrumental guitar is a bit bright for my taste but is a good portend for autumn if that is what you were going for. All in all, this is nice stuff.