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Joined: Dec 2000
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new demo co-written with Cam who did the music and the arrangement. hope you like it. https://soundcloud.com/wabash-cannibal/heavy-cross-to-bear-demo-1Heavy Cross to Bear
Steven was a medic, serving in Afghanistan Red cross painted on his helmet, dodging bullets in the sand And he’d risk his life to rescue, soldiers dyin’ in the dust It was only paint and metal, but to him that helmet was A heavy cross to bear For the true and brave With courage, light and prayer Someone will be saved Though it’s humble and it’s plain It’s beyond compare That symbol yet remains A heavy cross to bear
There’s a one-room country chapel, in the woods of Alabam’ And it’s bid goodbye to heroes, from Japan to Vietnam Simple cross upon the steeple, forged with hope and faith and steel ‘long as liberty is threatened, then that church will always feel A heavy cross to bear For the true and brave With courage, light and prayer Someone will be saved Though it’s humble and it’s plain It’s beyond compare That symbol yet remains A heavy cross to bear
There’s a hill beside a farmhouse, with a footpath on the side And a cross among some crabgrass, made of pine and painted white There’s a widow in the moonlight, and a teardrop epitaph Dozen roses and some dog-tags, and that hill will always have A heavy cross to bear For the true and brave With courage, light and prayer Someone will be saved Though it’s humble and it’s plain It’s beyond compare That symbol yet remains A heavy cross to bear
A heavy cross to bear A heavy cross to bear…
©2010 Cameron Earnshaw/Robert George
Last edited by couchgrouch; 05/25/20 07:18 PM.
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this song is nearly nine years old now. I think it's still relevant...unfortunately.
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Joined: Aug 2010
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Hey Couch Grouch and Cam....Wow, it is so relevant and deeply moving to all of us who served and especialy in light of the fact that we almost had another war start over a drone being shot down. I love the story your craft and the lyrics that bring each image to life. The music unfortunately would not load on my PC because of some son of a glitch at Sound Click. Guess I might have to become a member. You always have a knack for songs couch grouch. Write on...Right on!!
Last edited by MFB III; 06/23/19 12:13 PM.
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Thanks MFB and honestly, the music and vocal are the best parts. Drive down a lonely SW two lane at sundown while playing this.
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...
Huh, I just noticed the page no longer works. I may try to fix it later.
Last edited by couchgrouch; 05/25/20 03:21 PM.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Robert,
Very deep song. One will not get the full meaning of this song from a couple of spins. I actually listened like 3 1/2 times...I also read through the lyric several times & it is a well-crafted lyric all-around.
But 1 line I wasn't particularly crazy about was the 2nd half of the second line in the final verse. The only reason I point this out is because the TITLE is "Heavy Cross to Bear"
There’s a hill beside a farmhouse, with a footpath on the side And a cross among some crabgrass, made of pine and painted white There’s a widow in the moonlight, and a teardrop epitaph Dozen roses and some dog-tags, and that hill will always have
I think a descriptive connector line to showcase "The cross" & the HEAVY BURDEN of the "Cross to Bear" rather than simply "made of pine & painted white" would be much more powerful...
Maybe something like this:
There’s a hill beside a farmhouse, with a footpath on the side And a cross among some crabgrass, planted by a would be bride There’s a widow in the moonlight, and a teardrop epitaph Dozen roses and some dog-tags, and that hill will always have
Yeah, that is my only nit crit. Timeless song none-the-less...
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Hi Steve and many thanks. I appreciate your perspective but here's why I wouldn't have said that: I mean no offense but it's a clumsy non-descriptive phrase. And I say "widow" in the next line. (Bringing in new information to lead to the conclusion). You don't need to say would be bride then say widow. I notice people repeating their thoughts all the time in songs on the Net. Plus, would be bride might sound like she had been his fiance. Thanks again. I'm very proud of the song.
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Simply wonderful I wouldn't change a thing. I really enjoyed this :-) Thank You and Stay Safe.
Best,
Gerry
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Hi Steve and many thanks. I appreciate your perspective but here's why I wouldn't have said that: I mean no offense but it's a clumsy non-descriptive phrase. And I say "widow" in the next line. (Bringing in new information to lead to the conclusion). You don't need to say would be bride then say widow. I notice people repeating their thoughts all the time in songs on the Net. Plus, would be bride might sound like she had been his fiance. Thanks again. I'm very proud of the song. It's all good, I only gave an example of a more descriptive connector line......The "would be bride" was a DIFFERENT woman who planted the cross, not the WIDOW....Yes, the "would be bride" is indeed a fiance & is another casualty & carries the "Heavy Cross to bear" I just wanted a "better, more descriptive" line there. A descriptive line like you did here in verse 2 .... Simple cross upon the steeple, forged with hope and faith and steelThe forged line hits me in the gut & makes me ponder. The "made of pine & painted white", not so much...
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Two women would unnecessarily cloud the verse. I guess the description of the cross in vs 2 is more gripping than in the 1st and 3rd. Other things are focused on, though, in those vss. Each vs has a job to do. No problem. I appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, Gerry.
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Joined: May 2020
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This song is so beautiful, I love it. This is real country. The music, the words, the singing, the guitar, everything is beautiful.
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Well written and well done.
That voice is moving.
_ _ _ Have fun!
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Thanks, folks.
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I liked this song. I would have liked to have heard a point in this song that was more dramatic as it seems to be an emotional flatline the whole way through. Each verse has a deep message - but I don't think any of them could be more dramatic than the other. No climax here and I don't know how you could make one with this lyric.
Summeoyo
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Hi, summ. I'm not sure I understood your review but it seems to say it lacks an emotional crescendo. I tried to make each vs emotional. That said, it follows Steven from risking his life overseas, to his funeral in a small chapel, to his widow at his grave with his dogtags. I believed that image to be the emotional climax, but if it didn't grab you, I'm sorry...it was the best I could do. Not to mention, the melody, arrangement and vocal.
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Joined: Oct 2017
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It's a pretty good song. I can't get around the image in the first verse, where his cross...on his helmet, is a heavy cross to bear. Its a double hook and works in the figurative sense, but in the literal sense seems comical...how heavy is this helmet with the cross on it...stretch. Seems to work both ways the helmet is heavy from the weight which is silly and not what you meant
Second verse, church feels a heavy cross to bear?
Over analyzing but that's what we do here.
Pretty decent tune.
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 06/06/20 03:04 PM.
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The word "heavy" is figurative, as it is in every usage of the phrase since the first one. No one sees it as literal. Your trying to nitpick it is what's comical.
Overanalyzing isn't what's done here. Hell, analyzing isn't what's done here. I suspect this is about my critique of...I can't remember the name of the friggin song. That wasn't about analysis...that song's problems are glaringly obvious.
Is there anything I do that you won't find some way to embroil yourself in? I mean, geez, dude. You posted something awhile back. It was AWFUL.
I shake my head in disbelief.
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Comedy is watching you pretend to be interested in helping anyone out.
When I see your name in any thread it's either A, to tell somebody their lyrics are not as good as yours B, to say nobody has any talent but you and C. To sound off about political themes and conspiracy theories.
Your songs are not as good as your predictable appearances though
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 06/06/20 08:18 PM.
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Something far more serious is going on than your lack of a life, or a woman.
It looks like the taxpayer funded loons at NPR want people to "decolonize white authors". Don't believe them...my pulpiest of fiction novels belong on everybody's cyber-bookshelf!
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