Strong and Free

rsorensen

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Description

This song is a tribute to the city I was born and raised - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. I've spent a lot of summers up there like this.

Not sure about my singing on this one as the key kind of forced me to sing a little differently than I usually do. Let me know if I should try again?

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Lyrics

Well I really couldn't tell you the time
It might be midnight though the sun still shines
The water is cold and so very deep
and I'm so happy you're here with me
We lay our bodies down by the fire
and watch these flames burn higher and higher

oh-oh-oh-woah

The summer up here goes by so fast
But I know you and me we can make it last
We'll stay right here till the fire dies
and watch that smoke lift to the sky
This native land
Will always be
Strong and free

oh-oh-oh-woah

Song Stats

Hits: 709
Comments: 46
Fans: 28
Plays: 65
Downloads: 33
Votes: 2
Uploaded: Jul 23, 2009 - 12:27:22 AM
Last Updated: Jul 23, 2009 - 12:27:22 AM Last Played: Nov 11, 2009 - 09:02:26 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
NoDerivs

Song Actions

Hardware:

Taylor Big Baby, Epiphone Resonator, M-Audio KeyStudio, Blue Snowball

Software:

GB08

Comments

kassia	kassia said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	beautiful summer feel I love the contrast between the laid back guitar and the kind of frenetic snare drum. Very cool background vox. This has a great sort of old John Mellencamp sort of feel. what a great energy in this one. I really think your vocals are excellent, as always. Check out my latest song called Deep Majesty

rsorensen	rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	jcm thanks! yeah i wanted to really slam that snare drum. i got the idea from a Kings of Leon song I'm currently in love with called 'Knocked Up'. They have a bit of a Mellencamp/Springsteen kinda vibe to their earlier stuff too. Thanks for stopping by. You're latest is stellar Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Feter	Feter said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Strong and Free This is so spiritual ...and so awesome ..the slide just so moving ..the panning ..the mixing.. the whole production just a mind blowing here .. decent and so lovely ....thnx alot for sharin !!!! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

rsorensen	rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	spiritual Thanks feter. That means a lot coming from such a soul man as yourself. Glad you like this. Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Cori Ander

Cori Ander said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

Great song
Wonderful song really!

I think your singing is great this way. Don't see how it could be any better. Very real, natural and pleasant. No reason to "try again".

Think I can identify with the mood. I don't live that far north here in Sweden, but far enough to experience quite light midnights in the summer.

Dig the backing a lot. Only thing I would change would be to shorten the intro. Especially if you want to release it on record, and want it to be recognized (it is good enough). Think it has to be more to the point, I don't think you have many seconds to catch the listener before she jumps to the next.

Check out my latest song called Guitar test — Martin CSN (Gerry Tolman Tribute)

rsorensen	rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	thanks yeah growing up with the midnight sun summers is awesome. especially when you're a kid getting into all kinds of trouble. thanks for the suggestion. maybe i'll do a 'radio edit' at some point. Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

kingbee	kingbee said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	building I like the way it builds up and that rolling snare in the back is great. And great guitar work as well. Really cool track Enjoyed Check out my latest song called Dr.Thunderball-Bond theme challenge

rsorensen	rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	king thanks for the listen. i'm a big fan of song builds, but i think i'm becoming a bit of a one trick pony with them! Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

tempie

tempie said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

yellowknife
first, great concept man, i love songs about loving places. second, you've got amazing pipes dude, just a pure, effortlessly stylish sound. there are a couple people out here that I can't believe aren't famous and you're one of them for sure.

def has a Springsteen vibe, especially the break with the backing vocals set way back into the mix. melody reminds me of the beaver brown band 'on the dark side' - and springsteen uses that melody a lot too. Anyway, forget all that - this is your own thing, you do the quiet stuff so well and i'm happy you shared it because now it's on my ipod - thanks!

Check out my latest song called Get Away with Murder Eyes (5XArms Cover)

rsorensen

rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

thanks
im trying to incorporate a little more positivity into my lyrics while keeping it real, so i'm digging for things that make me happy - my hometown being one of em!
Yeah I definitely cite Eddie and the Cruisers (Cafferty) and Springsteen's 'Fire' as influences on this - Both of those records were on constant rotation in my house when I was growing up. Also KOL and Arcade Fire for the harder edge.
Glad you enjoyed this man. thanks for the comments

Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

tmcfate

tmcfate said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

metaphor for passion
great love song. the slide is perfect in its melody and the story reminds me of some of my favorite moments. nothing makes a better metaphor for passion than a fire and the free feeling of being in the wild, especially if you can call it home
thanks so much for giving that feeling even for a moment
time for a tear, then a ciggie and then a bike ride
tim

Check out my latest song called Shadow of the son

rsorensen

rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

slide
thanks. it's funny - whenever I bust out the slide I end up playing the same melodies over again with slight variations. You can probably find another version of this solo on one of my other tunes if you dug around a little. Sometimes you just gotta go with yer gut, even if it means ripping yourself off :)
Cool that you got something out of this tune. Thanks for sharing

Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Lennon714

Lennon714 said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

very nice
I love the "nod your hometown" tune. It sounds as if you're defending her, but not overdoing it or trying to sell us on something. Just one of those "it may not be perfect for you, but it is for me" things.

I listened to it twice to try to pick out your vocal questions. I think it's perfect as is. Were you thinking of putting it in a higer key? The only reason I say that is because I don't think I've heard you stay that low all throughout a song before. I think that sets the tone nicely for the song. The performance is smack dab, brother. Just my two cents.

Check out my latest song called Anarchy, Inc.

rsorensen

rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)

eric
thanks man - yeah i didnt want it to come off as a tourist attraction song "come to my city because..." kind of thing. Glad you got that
Regarding the vox, basically I have to modes - a soft breathy kinda thing or a loud projecting type thing. This one had to be somewhere in between for the most part so I was treading on unfamiliar ground. Plus like you say I had to keep it fairly deep throughout which I found challenging. I had a small window of about 20 mins to record the vocals while I was alone in the house so I was hoping it turned out good enough to keep. glad you think it did. i dont wanna sing it again :)

Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

MarkHolbrook	MarkHolbrook said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Love the guitar work for sure! I also like the set back vocals too. Really nicely done! Check out my latest song called Never Say Goodbye - Bond Challenge

rsorensen	rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	bg vox thanks mark. the idea from the distant bg vocals is a springsteen thing, but Kings of Leon do it too on their song 'knocked up'. check it out if you can. glad you dig the guitars and song thanks! Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

gail60	gail60 said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Real Beauty This is great Ridd! You certainly have the talent my friend! This is a wonderful tribute to home that would make them so proud of your accomplishments. Your "texan mom" sure is! :) Simple yet very deep. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it. Check out my latest song called Sweet September

rsorensen	rsorensen said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	hehe thanks gail. my songs tend to start pretty simnple - this one is basically just 12-bar blues with a whole lot of layers to make the song seem more complex and deep than it actually is! anyway glad you like it :) Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Pete_NB	Pete_NB said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	True North This gave me national pride goose bumps! I think you shoudl explore that vocal range more, it sounds great. The more I hear it the more I am in awe of that Baby Taylor. Check out my latest song called First of Fall - Slide

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks pete maybe i will explore this style a little more. thanks for the encouragement! Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

davisamerica	davisamerica said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	do not change a thing on this tune.. it is perfect...downloaded and thank you Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks I appreciate it. enjoy the download Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

magnatone	magnatone said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Strong and Free geez rid - are you even real? this is awesome - i knew it would be, it is! Check out my latest song called Symphonic Smackdown

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks karen yep, flesh and blood. you're the one who's unreal mrs top o' the charts every time ;) Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

lengold	lengold said 125 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Another wonderful song The music compliments your lyric/vocal beautifully - the lower vocal has highlighted a lovely rich tonal quality to your voice that is very appealing. Downloaded. Thanks. Cheers Len Check out my latest song called Dodgy Doughnut

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks len i'm glad you like this, and thanks for critiquing the vocal. i was unsure of it when i recorded Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Vic Holman	Vic Holman said 124 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	dang not a hair out of place on this tune. the structure in the composition is really great. The backing vox's are laid back in the mix so well that it gives the sense of ghosts in the past. I've heard "Knocked Up" so many times at work, that when the snare drums came in on this song, I'm thinking, nice! It works really well here. Check out my latest song called November

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks vic 'ghosts in the past' is what i was going for. cool that you picked it up. thanks for the review Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

johnwhitehead	johnwhitehead said 124 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Flames Beautiful mood from the get go...singin' kicks in and I'm in the palm of your hand. Love the looping drums, drone backing, ghostly echos, and slow build. Feel it coming from your heart.Coolsville, all around. Great track. Check out my latest song called Dreams

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	hey thanks a ton. my hometown's pretty close to my heart. glad you think it came through in this Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

LunaTrick	LunaTrick said 124 days ago (July 23rd, 2009)
	Singing is great Ridd Nice build up - super mix - love the dobro! Check out my latest song called Luna Gypsy Heart II (Eternal Firelight)

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	dobro thanks daniel. it's a cheap dobro but it definitely does the job. Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

sheilad	sheilad said 124 days ago (July 24th, 2009)
	came back listened to this when you first posted but didn't have time to comment. Just a beautiful song all the way. Your vocals always blow me away! Thanks for the d/l and another new favorite Check out my latest song called Halloween Wandering/PickQuickRecords

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks sheila glad you like this and please enjoy the download :) Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Roxylee	Roxylee said 124 days ago (July 24th, 2009)
	Sun at midnight Something I've never seen, but I can imagine it in your song. Headphones on and it sounds great! Check out my latest song called Sweet Grace

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	thanks yeah it's pretty cool but you don't realize how cool until you live away from it for a while. thanks for stopping by Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

tenover	tenover said 123 days ago (July 25th, 2009)
	Awesome Reminds me of "Blackwing" by Seven Mary Three. Check out my latest song called The Only Drug I Knew

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	oh yeah that's a good song! thanks for the listen Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Calchas	Calchas said 123 days ago (July 25th, 2009)
	It's all been said above Ridd, and said right well... As for me, I'm always amazed how you can rock the Kasbah one minute, and then charm us all with lovely acoustic pieces like this beauty. You are one of my MJ heroes man! Always a treat... Be well friend! Check out my latest song called IT'S NOT THE SAME

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	too kind thanks micheal. i feel the same about your stuff. thanks for checking this out, man Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

lavalamp	lavalamp said 122 days ago (July 26th, 2009)
	Yellowknife Beautiful guitars first of all. I think you probably captured the charm of a place like Yellowknife. I really like how your voice sounds different on this. Keep it. You are a fantastic song writer my friend. Outstanding job. Summer does go very fast up north, doesn't it? Dave Check out my latest song called Googolplex Times Zero

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	summer Thanks for the support, Dave. Summer does go by fast up there so you gotta take advantage while it lasts. Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

racerat

racerat said 121 days ago (July 26th, 2009)

deep
When that bass drone (synth?) comes in around 1:40 I could feel it waaaaaay down deep. Certainly a nod to Bruce, but very well done. Very restrained. One thought, I think a tad less reverb on the main vocal might make it even more intimate, closer, in this whisper of a song, to the listener. The volume of the background wails could come up a little, they're really good, and you almost miss them. Thx Rid.
Philip

Check out my latest song called Frank's Song

rsorensen

rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)

philip
yeah it's funny. It took that Kings of Leon song to remind me of Springsteen's stuff so this song ended up being influenced by both, as well as John Cafferty's 'Eddie and the Cruisers' soundtrack. That deep drone is actually an organ.
Thanks for the feedback. I think you're right and I'll incorporate them into the remix when this goes to CD

Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

PaddyNavinCaryatid	PaddyNavinCaryatid said 121 days ago (July 27th, 2009)
	Evocative Don't change a thing. Your voice here is amazing. I've never been to Yellowknife (never been to Canada) but man this gives me enough of a taste to want to go! Great songwriting ,but then I can't recall anything less than great in your songbook. Springsteen would be proud of this song. Check out my latest song called The Last Goodbye (New Version)

rsorensen	rsorensen said 117 days ago (July 31st, 2009)
	cool glad this has given you a taste of my summers growing up. Also glad you like this. Your latest is incredible Check out my latest song called Keep Your Chin Up

Artist Info

Name: R Sorensen

I'm an animation director/illustrator working in Vancouver, Canada who decided it was time to take writing and recording music to the next level. I recently completed my first album called New Beautiful by Satellite Tragedy, and it's available on... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

Genre Info

More songs in Indie Rock:

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