JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback MP3 Feedback Forum el Norte

Edit (6/27): Thanks to Jan Petter for sending a mastered version that has a crisper sound than the one originally posted, Appreciate it, Buddy

I read a news story about a year ago that moved me - and this has been simmering for that long. Dan posted a song recently about a different Maria that made me think of this again so I went ahead and finished it.

I know I'm not producing "grande" the way the singer would

El Norte is here:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=377550&songID=10780230

I'll put the lyric below. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Scott


El Norte
(c) 2011 by S.W. Campbell


Father, I’ll leave Arriaga tonight
On the train to Ixtepec
I’ll cling to a box car beneath the moon’s light
With Saint Thomas around my neck
And if I should fall from the beast in my sleep
To beneath its steel rims
I pray to the Lord God for my whole life to take
And not but only my limbs

I’ll be in el Norte
Should it be within God’s plan
That my future lies beyond the Rio Grande

Maria, the photograph you gave to me
I carry it over my heart
I kiss it once at the end of each day
And again when a new day starts
Maria, if you get a ransom demand
I’ve been taken by gun or by knife
Count up our money and send what you can
And maybe they’ll spare my life

I’ll be in el Norte
Should it be within God’s plan
That our future lies beyond the Rio Grande

Ramon, I saw the first step that you took
And I heard the first word that you spoke
But I won’t be there when you read your first book
Or when you swim your first stroke
Ramon, if my dream ever withers and dies
I offer this pledge to you
I’ll think of the boy with the light in his eyes
And see my journey through

I’ll be in el Norte
Should it be within God’s plan
That your future lies beyond the Rio Grande

That your future lies beyond the Rio Grande

Hi Scott,

Smoothe performance & I really like this part a lot....

I kiss it once at the end of each day
And again when a new day starts



Calvin


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/calvinstewart

Scott, Another well-written and thoughtful song. You did a beautiful job with the singing and playing. I love the way you put a human face on the "illegal immigrant" issue without taking political sides. I've got no complaints or suggestions on this one. If nothing else, it looks like it might be a good year for songs about Maria on JPF.

The Rio Grande is quite a cool place...skipped a couple stones there, wish i'd been listenin' to that harp while i was skippin' 'em alot cool lines in this one, a nice listen
good to hear your stuff again...have a great summer, hopefully i'll be seein' ya around here a little more...moke

Scott,

Really nice story and melody, very easy to listen to.

The one line that stood out was:


To beneath its steel rims


It seems to trip you up a bit, or isn't as smooth, maybe "to lie beneath its steel rims" Or "underneath"...I just felt that it didn't sound out right, but that is just my opinion.

Great song.

Tammy

Scott...

You're so great, I've never heard anything not great from you...can you not do a great one...lol...naw, this is wonderful and I love to hear you sing...I tried to sing the other day and it scared me....

love this one....BUT...Arizona is still my favorite

glyn

Scott--

I love this one--A SOUTH OF THE BORDER WALTZ--Maybe should have brought that harp back in at the END--

Mackie

Hey Scott...

You do some of the best music around these parts! Loved it. I was looking at Tammy's nit about that line. I think it makes sense as it follws the preceeding line. Works for me...but that's not necessarily an endorsement you'd want to attach to this!

Great job!

Al

Hi Scott

I'm with Glynda, I haven't heard anyone of your songs not being great either.

Well done, I love listening to your songs, you have a style that stands right out.

Hugs Michele

Hi Scott

Love the singing and the story line - well done --- the lead guitar could go twice the length imho -- because I liked it so much. jm

Scott....this absolutely wonderful writing, both lyrically and musically. The music up against the melody is so appropriate. The harp....well, it is always wonderful, because you know just where to place it to let it carry us along on the journey and that's just what it did in this piece. We were there.....with him.

Only two things stood out in the phrasing for me....could be just my ear but...Beneath it's steel rims....needed another syl, I think....so maybe TO BENEATH IT'S COLD STEEL RIMS.

Also....the line....Maria, the photograph you gave to me....I kept hearing..MARIA, THE PICTURE YOU PRESSED IN MY HAND.

You have so many great lines....but,one of the very simplest of couplets was my favorite....the same as Calvin had said.

I also agree with Alan, that you have intentially stayed away from any political bias here and just told the story. That is difficult to do at times.....but you seem to restrain yourself the best of any of us.

I have so much respect for your talents, Scott. I continue to be in awe of it. But your humility will only allow you to keep sharing what you're doing with all of us, not for accolades, but for the sheer joy of human expression. That's what gifts are all about, afterall.

So glad that I listened to yet another thought provoking offering from you.

Thanks Calvin. That's what I would do in that situation

Scott

Thanks Dan. And thanks for the inspiration!

For better or worse, I seem to have gotten myself into a mode of finding someone who interests me and then imagining myself in their shoes. If a politically bent line occurs to me when I'm in that mode, it comes across as forced because I don't think the person would be thinking that way. Of course, I could be wrong...

Scott

Thanks Moker - good to see you around again

I would have liked to blow some more harp on this one but it's got some weird chords in it - I couldn't find any of my harps that had all the right notes.

I could do it with a chromatic harmonica I reckon. I have one but seldom play it - it's too much like work.

Scott

Hi Tammy:

That line IS a little awkward. Might be the wording (a one syllable word replacing "beneath" would sound better) or I might just need to practice it some more - I pretty much sang this right after I got the words down on paper.

Glad you liked the song.

Scott

LOL, Glyn - that happens to me too - every time I sing

So glad you liked this

Scott

Dang - that's a good idea. Might have to rework the ending.

Thanks, Mackie

Scott

Hi Al:

Yeah, it fits lyrically with the preceding line but it's a little rushed on the "beneath" word. Or it might be the "to" that's throwing it off....

Cool that the song worked for you. And is great to see you back!

Scott

Thanks Aussie Girl!

When I started recording, I had forty years of influences to sort through. Cool to think I might finally be homing in on something

Scott

LOL - me too. I lay down the rhythm tracks first and make a decision at that point of how much time to leave for an instrumental section. Usually, I pretty happy with the result. This time though, I thought, "Dang, wished I'd allowed more room for that acoustic lead part". Could throw out the harp but I really hate to do that. Should have done a whole verse instrumental instead of half, I guess.

Thanks Joice!

Scott

Those are some good suggestions, Jan. The first does have seem to have a better flow at the end of the line and the second is more visual than what I currently have. Thanks for the suggestions.

My reply to Dan probably explains why I don't put a political bias into my songs. I said it with all the annoying confidence of someone who has a theory that's five minutes old. But it feels accurate.

You said a lot of other really nice things, Jan - thanks so much! Yeah, the joy of human expression is what it's all about. With so many songs in the world, it would be hard to convince myself to write another if it wasn't for the pure joy of doing it. I expect it's that way for all of us.

Really appreciate your post, Jan.

Scott

The chorus is about perfect and the story is well written (as normal for you). Musically, the verses didn't do much for me.

I have an excercise I perform frequently. Without looking at the words to a new tune, I'll close my eyes and just "listen" to the performance and the write. If you can enunciate stories like these well, it makes all the difference (for me at least) as a fellow writer and musician. Not once did I peek at the words !! Wonderfully written, perfomed and very, very enjoyable listen. At once I was in a theatre listening to EL NORTE, the opening (and closing) score to a Wild West romantic tradegy that surely made my girl cry !! (my imaginary girl..) which of course made me duty bound to console her.....so cool !! Extremely nice vocals and harmonies. Loved the interlude also. Your a wonderful storyteller Sir !! Just great all around for me !!

Thanks Kevin!

I like the verse melody and thought the chorus melody was a little mundane

Good to hear what other ears are hearing!

Scott

Thanks so much, Darrell

That's a really good way to critique. You can always go back later and nit the lyric but it's smart to just listen the first time.

Unfortunately, I don't usually do that. But I am going to try to train myself. Thanks for the reminder.

And I'm glad you liked this!

Scott

That was cool man...production wise....vocals are pretty dry...perhaps a little verb would be cool...bass is low in the mix....I think it could come up level wise quite a bit...
I might raise the harmony vox on the right side...(the high pitched ones)....
The guitar tone sounds direct...what's your signal chain there?
the drums sound midi....and they are pretty low in the mix but, they work. The mouth harp sound really good but, again some verb might be nice there....

I really like the lyrics...I was wondering if the guy actually lost an arm or leg in the real story....

good work dude.

You captured the desperation of the folks who would leave their families to find work in the North. Well done.

The recording and performance is cool. I was imagining an accordion in there (or is there one way back in the mix?). The guitar/harp solo is good. I like the chord changes. Not distinctly Mexican sounding, but unique and fitting. Great harmonies.

Good one!

I love your music. A feel for ordinary folk who strive for better. Just like us. Keep it going. One day you'll be remembered.
Vic

Hi Scott,

This is a very nice melody. I really like this chord progression, and the chorus has a very distinct feel. Overall this song has a lot of uniqueness to me. I kind of wish the chorus was longer .. it just seemed short. (Waiting through the fairly long verses to get to a small chorus left me wanting more - which i guess is actually pretty cool)

I enjoyed the listen.
g

Outstanding music, Scott, as usual.
The character in your voice and the awesome lyrics, lends to the soul of the song.
Your harp playing is just magic.

Well Done... You never disappoint

Thanks for the in-depth suggestions, Joro

Some of them (bass and harmonies) I struggled with and some (reverb) I hadn't given much thought to. But I'll revisit all of them for the next version in light of your comments.

My drum sounds are audio but are generated by a keyboard. My weakest link...

For the guitar, signal chain is acoustic guitar through MXL 2001 condenser mic through TASCAM US122 interface. The guitar, a fender acoustic....

The character in the song is a combination of various people in the story. According to the story, quite a few people have had limbs amputated as a result of falling off the train they call "the beast". They had a picture spread that showed a young (21) woman from El Salvador that was putting on her prosthetic leg. She had fallen off the train a year earlier and lost her leg. Now she was back to try again....

Glad you liked the lyric - thanks again for the suggestions

Scott

I can't believe I left out an accordion - I use that sound in all my 3/4 songs

Thanks for the suggestion, Colin - will add it to the next version, probably coming in at the instrumental section and then staying.

Yeah, I've been jamming a little with some friends who are in a Mariachi band and this doesn't have a purely Mexican sound to it. Maybe just a hint of it...

Scott

Hi Scott,

Well I gotta say--I've only been listening to your songs for a short while--but once again I'm a fan. Quite a contrast from the supermart song--but just as fulfilling in a different way. Very nice way to bring he life of an illegal immigrant to a song. and great melody and guitar work--more of that self taught stuff I guess. LOl. I couldn't come up with a nit on this one if I had to. Lol. Great job as always,
Roger

That would be a huge compliment from anyone, let alone someone with your abilities, Vic. I'm flattered.

Many thanks

Scott

Thanks Glen. I agree with you to a large extent. Originally the music had a longer chorus. But I couldn't think of the words to stick in there that wouldn't dilute the ones that are in the short version - so I went with the shorter chorus. Well, nothing is ever truly finished - maybe something will occur to me

Scott

Cool! Thanks Nelson! I DO love the harmonica

Scott

LOL - yeah, more picking away breaking a bunch of the rules but having fun anyway.

Yeah, this is a bit of a departure from the previous one. Next one in the pipeline will probably go off in a whole other direction.

Glad you liked this, Roger

Scott

P.S. I'm starting to get some ideas for the lyric you sent

hi Scott,

no problem on the lyrics. That's just a song for fun--no hurry what so ever. I'm sure you have a lot of other things on your late. Can't wait to her your next song. Take care,
roger