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SONG STATS:
Hits: 5946
Comments: 101
Votes: 55
Plays: 1325
Last Played: Oct 27, 2008 - 07:03:29 PM
Downloads: 242
Fans: 46
Uploaded: Nov 05, 2005 - 04:01:08 AM
Last Updated: Jun 23, 2008 - 08:42:49 AM
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Keywords:
Alzheimer's (1), family (33), sickness (4), waiting (16), orchestra (54), aging (4), isolation (6), piano (620)
Description:
##########THE NEW ALBUM IS FINISHED.#############
THIS IS NOT QUITE THE FINAL RELEASED VERSION OF THE TRACK.
#############################################
VISIT http//we/...

This was inspired by a friend of mine who pretty much dropped her life to take care of her parents, a slowly dying mother and a father who was succumbing to Alzheimer's disease, all alone with no help from other family. I'd lost touch with her and only found her again recently where she told me her story. This song is only roughly based on that. It's taken from other experiences and fears as well. It doesn't have to be this way but it often is.

All piano and string parts were "penciled" in, written note by note rather than played on the keyboard.

Lyrics:
The paint peels on the window sill
and Emmet squints his eyes through the blinds
Someone's passing by,
Could it be his wife
a grey speck in Emmet's eye spreads like a cloud
No one's expected for tea

Emmet sinks back into his chair.
There's something he aught to do
but the daily horror show from the news is on the tube
He's waiting for something


The house settles and groans
Janine sorts through the pills
for her Pa, steals a Demerol
No one ever calls.

Ma's off at the home
And Pa's always lost off in his cloud,
slowly drifting away.

Janine sifts through her drawers
there's something that she'd wanted to do
but she waited for time, such a good girl
Now she's waiting for something


24 Shady Grove
Elaine sits alone by the door
with her Sunday best on

Hardware:
G5, ART Tube Preamp/Compressor, M-Audio 410 firewire, Audio Technica MB4000C mic, Taylor acoustic guitar

Software:
GB2, JP4
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Gorgeous &mdash 11/05/05 - 04:55:33 AM
So dark and beautiful...
Excellent vocals - really fit the atmosphere of the song.
Great piece of songwriting.

[ Reply to This ]
slowly drifting away &mdash 11/05/05 - 06:36:04 AM
To a great extent, this subject matter is something one must
experience to really to really believe the futility, the frustration, and the
pain that is Alzheimer's disease. But this music comes very close to
expressing the feelings for those of us who have had to endure The
Long Goodbye.

[ Reply to This ]
slowly drifting away &mdash 11/05/05 - 12:22:51 PM
Thanks, Snowdragon. All my experiences around Alzheimer's and this bleak
scenario are pretty much second hand. My own experiences have only touched
on it, but plenty of my own real fears were a source in writing this song.

[ Reply to This ]
nice instumentation! &mdash 11/05/05 - 06:58:22 AM
I agree with Ein, very dark and atmospheric, nice guitar work
and I like how the piano comes in so subtle and powerful
great lyrics and vocals, nice cerebral piece

[ Reply to This ]
nice instumentation! &mdash 11/05/05 - 09:26:41 PM
Thanks, Tom... and Einarus. I always try to adapt my voice to fit best with how
it's used in the song and it's character. It also just has a different tone when I
sing soft and at a lower range. I'm glad it worked for you guys.

[ Reply to This ]
Frightening and disheartening &mdash 11/05/05 - 08:02:47 AM
A nightmare Eleanor Rigby.
I hope I get hit by a comet at the age of 87 before any of this starts to
happen to me.

[ Reply to This ]
Frightening and disheartening &mdash 11/05/05 - 12:29:36 PM
Thanks, Mungo. I hadn't even though of Eleanor Rigby until you mentioned it.
The Beatles did get into my developing brain as a child. ;-)

[ Reply to This ]
Somber &mdash 11/05/05 - 08:18:46 AM
The music is beautifully sparse. The lyrics tell a dark, depressing, but
unfortunately all-too common story of someone who loses their life as
they care for others losing theirs. Very nice Peter, a touching and heart-
felt piece of work.

[ Reply to This ]
Somber &mdash 11/05/05 - 12:39:02 PM
Thanks you , J. I'm glad it moved you.

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Incredible and moving &mdash 11/05/05 - 08:22:36 AM
this song leaves me speechless as I have watched my grandmother
disappear...



[ Reply to This ]
Incredible and moving &mdash 11/05/05 - 01:42:09 PM
It can be sadder than death.

[ Reply to This ]
Like the &mdash 11/05/05 - 09:42:45 AM
diminished feel that this has, quite appropriate for the subject.

I am a big fan of the Beatles and I love the artsy beatles feel, with your
very own style of course without a doubt.Like that tremlo violins added to
the fray. Even the wind sound which i think is a cymbal. Very subtly done.
You are a true dedicated artist! You are very passionate.
And I know a team of wild horses couldn't keep you away from your
beloved musical artistry!


[ Reply to This ]
Like the &mdash 11/05/05 - 04:43:13 PM
Thanks, Bill. This one felt really god to get out. It's a great compliment for my
music to get compared in any way to The Beatles. They were in my head when
my young synapses were still forming.

[ Reply to This ]
Moving &mdash 11/05/05 - 11:43:31 AM
I know someone in that role as well, and this does seem very fitting. You're hitting some effectively spooky notes in them there runs. As usual, I think you've got some great writing, performing and production here.

[ Reply to This ]
Moving &mdash 11/05/05 - 09:33:38 PM
Thanks, PV. The piano runs, though being penciled in, came to me quite
immediately and I got it down in one quick pass. It was as spontaneous as note
programming can get. I could just hear what I wanted and traced the notes on
top of that idea.

[ Reply to This ]
wonderfully woeful waltz &mdash 11/05/05 - 12:10:13 PM
Beautiful song.
I've seen dementia at work.
"house settles and groans"
"could it be his wife"
These ring true.

Thanks.

[ Reply to This ]
Love it... &mdash 11/05/05 - 12:13:50 PM
Hauntingly moving... the instrumentation is beautiful for this piece -
sad and slightly discordant.

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Damn man &mdash 11/05/05 - 12:57:54 PM
where does this stuff come out of you. I think this is the strongest thing
I've heard come out of you, and that's saying something. Wow. Way to go
Mel.

[ Reply to This ]
Damn man &mdash 11/05/05 - 04:49:56 PM
Thanks, Ka-Klick. I think it comes out from the corner of my eye. Like a dog
trying to catch its own tail, I never know for sure.

[ Reply to This ]
Truly amazing, &mdash 11/05/05 - 02:05:10 PM
inspired and haunting. Song is constructed so well- a sad song even
without the lyrics based on hopelessness. Tremendous work, Peter.

[ Reply to This ]
Striking &mdash 11/05/05 - 02:17:37 PM
A beautiful, sad and somber piece--touching and honest.

Thank you for this.


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Mungo got it right. &mdash 11/05/05 - 08:10:40 PM
And, for that matter, so did you. Peter this is a song on the next level.

Everything, writing, performance, it's all a seamless whole, and it gets
right into the heart... It is beautiful, haunting...

Your voice is very clear and direct here, you're using your voice
differently again, very simply, and it's great.

All the instrumentation works perfectly.

And it's a SONG. I think I've been starved for songs a bit. This is great.

Ed

[ Reply to This ]
crooked waltz &mdash 11/05/05 - 09:16:36 PM
sad, lovely piece, Peter. double digits from me.

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This has... &mdash 11/05/05 - 11:54:23 PM
...an incredible sustained mood to it... everything just works. I
love the way the piano is used especially.

[ Reply to This ]
Amazing Song &mdash 11/06/05 - 01:12:09 AM
As someone who just lost my Father to Alzheimers I can tell you this song
really taps into the Baby Boomers dealing with cargiving and the end of
life of one's parents, and yet I find it strangely uplifting....A totally unique
sound thats perfectly off kilter....It works on the strongest level which is
tapping into the collective unconscious. A WORK OF TRUE GENIUS! You
should submit this to the Alzheimers Association, it would make a great
fundraising piece with strong visuals.... Peace and Light to you,
digitalnirvana9 PS I'm still trying to figure out how you came up with
such a unique sound to attach to the subject matter.....

[ Reply to This ]
Amazing Song &mdash 11/06/05 - 04:58:31 PM
Thanks, digitalnirvana. I'm glad to hear positive comments from people who
have been through this sort of thing personally.

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Superb songwriting, arranging &mdash 11/06/05 - 11:07:24 AM
Wonderful intimate songwriter's song. Tasty use of just the right amount
of inventive piano. The color of the strings is melancholy, even a tad
subversive, adding dread and regret and secretive dark thoughts, which is
very cool. After so much space, so much waiting time, I thought the
ending too abrupt, my only criticism; I would have preferred a slow fade
low E in the cello or something that drifted away more slowly. The
Demerol line is superb. I love story songs. Very nice puzzle you construct
and present so simply, devastatingly.

[ Reply to This ]
Superb songwriting, arranging &mdash 11/08/05 - 10:34:14 AM
Thanks, Tobin. Always good to hear from you. I'm pretty happy with the ending
though I think that last chord could be lengthened.

[ Reply to This ]
Deep breath.... &mdash 11/06/05 - 11:14:55 AM
Barb's mom cared for her husband who had Alzheimer's for about 10
years. The reason we sold our boat and moved back to Calif. was to
help her care for him during what were the last two years of his life.
This song rings true. It is sad. It is tender. The music captures the
endless moments, slowly drifting by, all seemingly the same in some
ways... yet the relentless march into darkness. I downloaded this for
myself, but also so that Barb and her mom can listen to it.

It is hard for me to imagine this song being done any better.

Jack

[ Reply to This ]
Deep breath.... &mdash 11/06/05 - 05:04:31 PM
Thanks you so much, Jack. I hope that hearing such a song will not be too
painful. I hope it helps in some way.

[ Reply to This ]
One &mdash 11/06/05 - 11:56:55 AM
more absolute gem of a track from you Peter.
What strikes me most about this is the incredible simplicity and haunting
melody of the piano and strings with your voice.
As always the production is superb. Lyrically devastating and sung with
great feeling.
10's & D/L
Slimmie


[ Reply to This ]
Where I work &mdash 11/06/05 - 04:21:53 PM
I work in a 165 bed intermediate care facility ..... everytime I enter the special care unit ... I am gonna be hearing this song in my mind ..... about 75% of our residents have Dementia ... a sad reality to many in their advancing years. You might be surprised to learn ... that a lot of them believe they are on a Cruise Ship (which is why they can't leave) ... I don't know where this belief comes from ... but the numbers are staggering! Perhaps its the mind's way of coping .. believing they are on a holiday rather than what is really happening to them ... a sad and haunting song ...I LUVVED it ... fabulous VOX !

[ Reply to This ]
Where I work &mdash 11/06/05 - 05:20:30 PM
Alanna, thanks for the compliments and for sharing your perspecive. Reading
how people at the care facility, suffering from dementia, believe they are on a
cruis ship really gave me a deep, haunted feeling. Such a sad but strangely
beautiful thought. I think that if I'd heard it before that I would have worked it
into the song somehow. It reminds me of an episode of the Twilight Zone I once
saw called "Passage On The Lady Anne".

[ Reply to This ]
My Admiration... &mdash 11/06/05 - 05:34:34 PM
...for you, and your ability to write such a diverse repertoire of
compositions overwhelms me to the "Nth" degree. You have the ability
to assimilate a numerous spectrum of creative styles, no matter what
you do. Peter, I have the utmost respect for you, and your talent. If
there is anyone listening, I am sure you have touched their souls in
only a positive fashion. Long after you and I are gone, your audio and
visual accomplishments will endure the tests of temporal infinity.

You were created by God to do what you are doing. I am sure you know
this. Never be discouraged by negativity, for it will fade, like a "cold"
taking its course. Whereas your contributions will be the "cure" for the
ailments of the world. Your muses are always there... and so is God.

My hat is off to you Peter Greenstone.

[ Reply to This ]
My Admiration... &mdash 11/06/05 - 06:02:21 PM
Thank you, Al, for such kind and thoughtful comments. Everything we do leaves
some kind of legacy.

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Poetic &mdash 11/06/05 - 11:34:28 PM
When I first listened to this song it got my attention. After reading the
theme and lyrics I listened again and I got goose bumps. The lyrics are
poetic and powerful and say so much with so few words. And the music
reflects the theme perfectly. Excellent and Sincere work.

[ Reply to This ]
Poetic &mdash 11/08/05 - 10:36:23 AM
Thanks, Buckhorn. Goosebumps are good.

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Beautiful! &mdash 11/06/05 - 11:44:38 PM
Peter, this is an awesome piece both musically and lyrically. I'm
amazed at how you seem to have reached inside the scenario and
pulled out the core of what goes on for so many people in caring for
aging parents. Your voice just freaks me out (I mean that in the nicest
way of course!) - it's just on the breaking edge that people drowning in
feelings of love and helplessness (and lots more besides) experience.
Beautiful!

[ Reply to This ]
this is beautiful - unbearably beautiful and &mdash 11/07/05 - 04:15:03 AM
i'm not trying to be funny - honest. it hurts my heart to listen to this which is why i try to only stick with 'pink and fluffy'. but, it is stunning and i wouldn't have missed the chance of hearing it for the world - thank you - ouch x

[ Reply to This ]
Very painful to listen to.. &mdash 11/07/05 - 09:44:00 AM
so much so that I can't listen to it a second time or download it. Forgive me for not being able to say more, Peter, except that I gave you all 10's. ~b

[ Reply to This ]
Wonderful compassion! &mdash 11/07/05 - 03:44:17 PM
I am a latecomer here, writing at the bottom of a hundred comments. It
has already been written ... Just beautiful!

Compassion!

[ Reply to This ]
As always... &mdash 11/07/05 - 04:22:22 PM
Excellent job Peter! What everyone else has said plus, my favorable
sense of speechlessness...

Dion

[ Reply to This ]
As always... &mdash 11/07/05 - 06:37:13 PM
Sorry that I forgot to vote...

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Strings! &mdash 11/07/05 - 07:14:58 PM
Awesome Pencil Tool work here. Good stuff. Some of the low end could
have been rolled off the Acoustic Guitar. The strings were incredibly
orchestrated; the highlight for me.

[ Reply to This ]
Strings! &mdash 11/08/05 - 10:31:53 AM
Thanks, eDrew. Yes, there is a touch of distortion when I hit the open E that I
could probably fix.

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expertly conceived and well-balanced &mdash 11/07/05 - 08:04:15 PM
Every sound in this piece shines out with crystal clarity and simplicity.
This is an extremely thoughtful, well-conceived piece from beginning
to end.

You set the perfect musical atmosphere for the serious subject matter,
without being pendantic or morose. It is contemplative without self-
consciousness.

My only suggestions would be to add just a hint, a very subtle hint --
of reverb to sustain and carry along the music in a more floating,
ethereal way, and also to elongate the ending chord a bit longer.

Your lyrics/vocals on this are excellent.

Lovely, evocative work, Peter!

[ Reply to This ]
expertly conceived and well-balanced &mdash 11/08/05 - 11:16:13 AM
Thanks, Cameron. I think I'm content with the low reverb mix on this. Perhaps
a touch more is worth trying out... maybe. I do agree that the last chord at the
end could be sustained a bit longer.

[ Reply to This ]
Wow! &mdash 11/07/05 - 11:44:37 PM
I just happened across this piece through the "Hit Picks" (this is my first
day as an official registered user) and I am blown away. Beautiful and
sad, portraying the human side of aging and decay. I like your
production and the sparse feeling of the sound. A definitely clear and
poignant statement.

[ Reply to This ]
Wow! &mdash 11/08/05 - 06:53:49 PM
Thanks, Birdhaus. Glad you stopped by and commented.

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The lost art of storytelling &mdash 11/08/05 - 06:00:04 AM
There's a definite shortage of songs that tell stories these days ... it's
almost a lost art. You've done a great job with this. Brilliantly conceived
and expressed. The occasional slightly discordant note on the piano is
a brilliant touch, and the piano contrasts so beautifully with the
melancholy cello. Your voice is just gorgeous ... I know I say that on all
your songs, but it's true! Just mesmerising.

[ Reply to This ]
The lost art of storytelling &mdash 11/08/05 - 06:59:44 PM
Thank you for the nice comments and praise, Rebsie. It too like storytelleing
songs. That's one of the things I particularly like about the music you do with
Mandolinquent.

[ Reply to This ]
Sitting alone &mdash 11/08/05 - 06:40:17 AM
Nothing is so moving as a singer/songwriter with just a guitar. The other
sounds you add are so perfect, as if they are the thoughts in your head as
you play solo. This is a special song. Really good. I didn't want it to end.
It left me feeling quite alone, unsettled, wanting to call home just to
check up...

[ Reply to This ]
Nostalgia &mdash 11/08/05 - 08:04:21 AM
I'm sitting here in front of the computer, with goosebumps on my arms
and legs. This is truly the most moving song I've heard on macjams,
perhaps one of the most moving I've heard anywhere. The emotion that
you captured with the piano, the off-kilter pain and confusion, the
waiting, the longing, the nostalgia for the person her father was is the
heart of the song.

What you do with the pencil tool, the expressiveness you get with it, is
just amazing.

Peter, this is perfect. I hope you don't re-do it, because the emotion is
so dead-on. This is a masterpiece.

[ Reply to This ]
Nostalgia &mdash 11/08/05 - 10:46:52 AM
Thanks, Ledeb. I'm flattered that you like it so much. Using the pencile tool
well is just a matter of patience and attention to detail. I hear the part I want
playing over and over again in my head and I just trace the notes from my mind
into the edit window. I guess it's like playing except that I have to hold each
section in hy head consciously until I'm done plunking it down with the mouse.

Don't worry. I think I'll leave this as it is.

[ Reply to This ]
great work.... &mdash 11/08/05 - 02:06:10 PM
great piece of songwriting......yoze got skillz.....hehhe....

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Your Best Songwriting &mdash 11/08/05 - 07:12:51 PM
You are really coming into your own as a songwriter, independent of
being a great sound engineer/producer. This is a fully realized song
with a simplicity in presentation that does not hide it's complexity in
artistic achievement. Sent shivers down my spine. It was dark,
compelling, forboding but hypnotic. The sort of song whose theme
makes me want to hurry on to something else but whose music and
artistry makes me stay and float above the angry sea of dark reality!

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 11/09/05 - 04:19:10 AM
No words for this

[ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 11/09/05 - 06:45:53 AM
i got two: very beautiful.


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Emmet &mdash 11/09/05 - 09:49:36 AM
Nicely done. Excellent job with the performance, mixing, and
presentation. Looks like you have a setup that works well. Keep up the
good work!

[ Reply to This ]
Powerful!!! &mdash 11/09/05 - 04:19:15 PM
Very powerful sentiment in this song...beautiful artistry.
A sobering moment in my self absorbed day...
Thankyou for sharing this.

[ Reply to This ]
A latercomer... &mdash 11/10/05 - 05:32:40 PM
But not only is that a stunning piece of songwriting, but it's beautiful in
delivery and production. The piano is exceptionally beautiful. Bloody
hell. That is terrific.

My only quibble is the aforementioned end fade. I want to hear the
song hanging there for a couple of seconds more. But it's a great piece
of work.

[ Reply to This ]
A latercomer... &mdash 11/11/05 - 01:04:26 PM
Thanks, Mando. As I told Rebs, storytelling is one of the things that I
particularly enjoy in your songs.

[ Reply to This ]
Very well done &mdash 11/10/05 - 07:33:34 PM
You have created the perfect mood for a piece about the confusion,
dellusion, and chaos that this disease must create for the person and
family members involved. The piano parts pull and tug, as well as float in
and out of the typical melody of the key you are in, which creates tension,
and makes the tune mirror the subject manner.

I loved it.

Chris Kevin

[ Reply to This ]
beautiful &mdash 11/11/05 - 02:13:35 AM
beautiful. we always spend life waiting. i like the piano.

[ Reply to This ]
nice &mdash 11/11/05 - 02:43:32 PM
nice at capturing the thoughts and sending them out

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Wow! &mdash 11/13/05 - 12:35:12 PM
I don't know how else to express the experience of this song... This is
not just a very, very good song, this is ART. The style itself surprise me a
little bit but only in a positive way. This is so f-ing good. A very
important topic, an interesting story, excellent arrangements, and the
voice....woooaw! Everything you do gets better and better! You are an
amazing artist. Thank you very much.

M

[ Reply to This ]
Wow! &mdash 11/13/05 - 12:35:14 PM
I don't know how else to express the experience of this song... This is
not just a very, very good song, this is ART. The style itself surprise me a
little bit but only in a positive way. This is so f-ing good. A very
important topic, an interesting story, excellent arrangements, and the
voice....woooaw! Everything you do gets better and better! You are an
amazing artist. Thank you very much.

M

[ Reply to This ]
P.S. &mdash 11/13/05 - 12:37:29 PM
The artwork is also very good.

[ Reply to This ]
Wonderful track &mdash 11/16/05 - 04:45:43 PM
Singing, songwriting are excellent. Lyrically very, very good. Mood
done to perfection. Guitar is very fluid and organic. I think the piano
melody and phrasing a very good. I believe playing the 'pencil tool'
makes for a stiff performance. Nuance and sublety seem compromised
to me. However, in this piece, that may not be such a bad thing.
Overall, simply oustanding.

[ Reply to This ]
holy cow. &mdash 11/17/05 - 02:39:48 AM
i'm sure you don't need another person telling you how great this tune is.

i work with the elderly and persons that require special attention for "memory care". this hits home from my experience. the performance is just outstanding in every way. sooooo melancholic. i can't describe some of the feelings i have when meeting and knowing these people......... but you have done soooo well........so distant with memory but so close to emotion. this is my first listen with your tracks..... and i'm impressed beyond measure.

[ Reply to This ]
Keepin in mind &mdash 11/17/05 - 07:46:18 AM
Really fine. Enough said.

[ Reply to This ]
THANK YOU &mdash 11/17/05 - 02:13:53 PM
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT COMMENTS,
EVERYONE.

Sorry I haven't been able to reply to everyone individually as I usually try
to do. I read them all and I really appreciate it. I'm particularly pleased
that those of you who have personal experiences around these issues are
moved by it and find it meaningful.

Thank you.

[ Reply to This ]
Piano man &mdash 11/19/05 - 02:01:04 PM
very nice composition - powerful lyrics. Evokes a dark sense of bleakness about getting old.

[ Reply to This ]
Thank you &mdash 11/21/05 - 04:05:49 PM
Im always especially impressed when a song with so few parts, a song that is so stark and subtle, can simultaneously be powerful, eerie, and incredibly moving. Indeed the very fact of its desolate simplicity is what makes this song so hauntingly beautiful. You give me the inspiration to keep listening, playing, and improving. Thank you.

[ Reply to This ]
damn &mdash 11/26/05 - 02:13:44 AM
this is great.

i wish i could play the pencil tool like that!

the drums, piano, strings, guitar, voice... all perfect for this!

appropriately dark - perfect for this time of year..

d/l

[ Reply to This ]
beautiful and immediate &mdash 11/26/05 - 08:17:19 P