Real

neilh79

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Description

I wrote this a fair few years back now, first song I ever wrote using a capo!! I always enjoy playing this tune it is pretty relaxed. Hope you enjoy this 2 tracker.

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Lyrics

Real

Verse 1
Don't know how I feel it now
Its bright and clear inside
The strength that I had
Burned in my mind
Chorus :
I know its real
To be alive
Through the night
...its real
Verse 2
Yes I wanna go somewhere
Play in a jar
Find out why
Birds sing their songs
Verse 3
Now I know its why I'm here
I'm not alone
All my life
I'm fighting in the zone

Song Stats

Hits: 1222
Comments: 58
Fans: 28
Plays: 85
Downloads: 30
Votes: 0
Uploaded: Aug 22, 2011 - 05:03:26 PM
Last Updated: Aug 22, 2011 - 05:03:26 PM Last Played: Apr 12, 2013 - 05:12:33 AM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Song Actions

Keywords:

Real (18), Folk (531), Acoustic (789), Simple (43)

Hardware:

Takamine G-Series

Software:

Tracktion v2

Comments

shavingronaldscar	shavingronaldscar said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	Pretty! Very chill, mate. A good weekday evening tune, for sure. Thanks for that! Check out my latest song called A Rubber Ball's Day Off

neilh79	neilh79 said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	Joachim Thanks so much for the comment, glad you like it! Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

michaeljayklein	michaeljayklein said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	Beautiful Neil This was like listening to you on stage--had that kind of feeling to it. You know, your voice here, it reminds me of a rock singer (much respected) but I can't think of his name right now (if this makes sense--perhaps someone will know who I mean). All around good work--thanks again! Michael Check out my latest song called Old Man Mose is Dead

neilh79	neilh79 said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	MJK Hey Michael, really nice compliment, really glad you like it and I'm glad it has the live feel to it, appreciate you stopping by as always, thankyou Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

egobandit	egobandit said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	laid back You must be a Floyd fan, love the chord changes with the vocals, I was waiting for some sort of build up but in the end it wasnt needed really good song! Check out my latest song called time to time

neilh79	neilh79 said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	ego thanks so much for the comment, I never really got Pink Floyd but my dad was always a big fan so maybe somewhere subconsciously!! Cheers for the listen glad you enjoyed it Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

magnatone	magnatone said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	Real hi neil - this is some really good work! you voice sounds terrific, and as has been said already, some cool chord changes in here - great post! Check out my latest song called Blind Love (Seeing Heart) - Orchestral Version

neilh79	neilh79 said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	Karen Thankyou so much for the lovely comment I am always a bit nervous about my vocal so your words mean a lot, glad you enjoyed the song Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

sammydix	sammydix said 642 days ago (August 22nd, 2011)
	real peaceful. i always thought it was the sign of a strong song to stand on it's on in its starkest form. this is one of them. just the right, perfect length too. i think Real is a very solid tune. good writing, man. Check out my latest song called House Terrace w/Yomar

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Sam Really glad you stopped by and enjoyed the tune, I love playing it, it is very relaxing cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

KCsGROOVE	KCsGROOVE said 642 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	fine song, Neil Had a bit of a Lennonesque touch imo Can imagine why you keep coming back to this song :-) Enjoyed KC Check out my latest song called I DON'T LIKE IT

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Cees Thanks for dropping by, I love John Lennon, and I suppose this has some weird lyrical ideas but he was one of a kind, glad you enjoyed it and the comparison is very nice thankyou Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Moviz	Moviz said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Very relaxing song for chilling out to..... I like the chords and the easy pace and like Michael, your vocal here reminds me of someone who's name just escapes me.... (hope i sleep tonight LOL), regards, M Check out my latest song called Shine Your Light

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Maurice Thankyou so much for the kind words, it is just an easy paced song really glad you enjoyed it, cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

dave_b	dave_b said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Real I like the vocal phrasing, and the stripped down acoustic works great. Nice change from verse to chorus. I agree with the Floyd reference. Check out my latest song called Llarions Blues

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Dave Not sure I hear Floyd but like I said before my dad is a big fan so maybe it has rubbed off a bit! Really glad you dug the vocal, always appreciate positive feedback in that department, not really my strong point. Glad you liked the song and commented thankyou Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

tokai	tokai said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Chillied relaxed folk tune. Love your voice on this. The mix could come up a bit though. Check out my latest song called yucatec

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Steve Appreciate you taking time out to listen, really glad you enjoyed it. I always struggle with the mix levels, always afraid of clipping I think I think I'm improving a bit, but I am a total novice! Thanks for dropping in appreciate it Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

lilmom	lilmom said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Real Yes, this sounds REAL!!!! If you were looking to create a "live" performance feeling, you were successful! Listening to this is time well spent. Your talent musically and vocally is strongly apparent. Thank you for posting. Check out my latest song called Tribute to Jeannie and Ed

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Sheila I like a slightly raw/live sound and I am glad this has this kind of feel. Thankyou so much for the kind words glad you enjoyed it Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

apb

apb said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)

Laid back..
.. lots of potential:nice melody and chords/progression. Enjoyed this Neil- your vocals in this reminded me of Roland Gift (Fine Young Cannibals) but in a lower register mixed with Stuart Staples (Tindersticks)...perhaps some regional dialect?? Hull/Birmingham/Nottingham/North Yorkshire?? Anyways.. unusual and appealing...thus I would like a louder mix with the vocals not being quite so distant sounding.

Check out my latest song called Anyway

neilh79	neilh79 said 641 days ago (August 23rd, 2011)
	Alan Wow some serious compliments in there in your comparisions. I'm from York so yeah there probably are some dialect issues lol! I keep aiming to improve my mixing and I hope it will come in time! Glad you enjoyed it, cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

ted23	ted23 said 640 days ago (August 24th, 2011)
	Shhh It's oh so quiet but perfectly brill. Your a fine song writer man with a nice balance of melody and meaning... Does that even make any sense? Raw, but one to adore Check out my latest song called Living Dead Love Song in Z minor (HALLOWEEN 2012)

neilh79	neilh79 said 640 days ago (August 24th, 2011)
	Ted Thankyou so much for the kind comment, really glad you like the song and think it makes sense lol. Cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

gadzooks

gadzooks said 640 days ago (August 24th, 2011)

This is real
Neil ... this is real. I feel like I'm sitting in the room with your guitar and vocals miked through a small PA. Great to hear your voice which has a nice deep tonal quality to it. I like the chord changes in your melody. I would bring your mix up a bit louder and your vocals a little more out front. Good song writing Neil!
Enjoyed listening.
SG

Check out my latest song called Song of Life

neilh79	neilh79 said 639 days ago (August 25th, 2011)
	Stan Thankyou so much for the listen and comment, really glad you enjoyed this tune and constructive criticism is always appreciated, thankyou Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

jibes	jibes said 637 days ago (August 27th, 2011)
	Real Neil. This is a good solid song. At first I was put off by the low volume but as the song went on I thought 'this is pretty good' Check out my latest song called JESSICA

neilh79	neilh79 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Neal Thankyou very much for dropping by, the volume is a little low (well a lot) not intentional but something I am trying to iron out without getting a lot of hiss and clipping. Glad you liked the song cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Denny Borsboom	Denny Borsboom said 636 days ago (August 28th, 2011)
	Great song. I love the vocal. The high tones of the guitar and the deepness of the vox combine really well. Check out my latest song called More interesting times

neilh79	neilh79 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Denny Thankyou so much for the listen and comment its much appreciated, glad you enjoyed the tune, cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Char	Char said 636 days ago (August 28th, 2011)
	Nice melody. You sound a little too quiet. Even so, this as relaxing as a lullaby. Thanks. Check out my latest song called The Sea

neilh79	neilh79 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Char Yep, it is a bit too quiet, I am working on things to sort this out, I will get there lol. Glad you liked the tune and took time to comment, cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Sigmund	Sigmund said 636 days ago (August 28th, 2011)
	Real Nice tune Neil - simple yet interesting to listen to - nice acoustic work - enjoyed! Sig Check out my latest song called Under Your Bed - feat. strangedream, rok41 & Steve Ritter

neilh79	neilh79 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Sigmund Thanks for dropping in man, glad you enjoyed the song cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

MurphyMusic	MurphyMusic said 636 days ago (August 28th, 2011)
	Tone Love the tone of the vocals. Nice guitar work, I havent used a capo for ages Check out my latest song called Dangerous

neilh79	neilh79 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Murphy Thanks so much for the listen and comment, I dont use a capo too much though I am writing another song at the moment using one! Glad you liked it Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Philip18	Philip18 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Real The title sums it up - a performance where you are able to bring out the meaning of the lyrics in a natural way. Agree with others about the "live" feel and the need to bring the vocal out more in the mix. Much enjoyed! Check out my latest song called Close to Midnight w/ alackbass, rok41, paul f. page, & KyasheMusic

neilh79	neilh79 said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Philip Thanks so much for taking time out to listen and comment, it is a live feel song and I am glad that has come across, glad you enjoyed it cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

finkeldink	finkeldink said 635 days ago (August 29th, 2011)
	Very nice Neil Great playing and sung from the heart. Honestly, what more can you ask? Good stuff my friend. Check out my latest song called The Trader (Curtain Call- with Loob and egodays)

neilh79	neilh79 said 634 days ago (August 30th, 2011)
	Mike Always nice to see you pop by, really glad you enjoyed the song means a lot, cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Loob	Loob said 630 days ago (September 3rd, 2011)
	Very good Toby! I'm liking this Neil! Check out my latest song called Maybe Next Year

neilh79	neilh79 said 630 days ago (September 3rd, 2011)
	Freddy Thanks so much for dropping in, glad you enjoyed it Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

ShadowofNine	ShadowofNine said 630 days ago (September 3rd, 2011)
	Real As real as it gets, soulful song, lovely performance Check out my latest song called A Sad Goodbye (Julia's Song)

neilh79	neilh79 said 630 days ago (September 3rd, 2011)
	Shadow Really glad you enjoyed the tune, thanks so much for listening and commenting Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

PeterB7858

PeterB7858 said 628 days ago (September 5th, 2011)

Very good song...
Hi Neil. Very good song, well played and sung. It stands up easily as a 2 tracker and you can tell you enjoy singing it. I agree with Stan re making the mix louder overall and bringing your vocals up a bit. I think this would add to the immediacy of the sound. It sounds a bit like I am listening to you live, but in the next room, at the moment. Take care, Peter

Check out my latest song called Autumn Falling

neilh79	neilh79 said 626 days ago (September 7th, 2011)
	Peter Thankyou so much for your listen and comment, really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed it, even though you were next door!! Cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

J_Gretch	J_Gretch said 625 days ago (September 8th, 2011)
	Real Didn't realize that you had a new post up. Cool song man,,,sometimes two tracks is all it takes to get the job done.This has a nice live sound to it. Check out my latest song called Psycho

neilh79	neilh79 said 624 days ago (September 9th, 2011)
	Jay Thanks so much for the listen and comment, its a simple song and I'm glad you dug it cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

TobinMueller

TobinMueller said 624 days ago (September 9th, 2011)

Breaking the glass
I like your baritone voice, the coffeehouse storyteller sound. One thought: many of your chords seem fingered in ordinary ways, always repeated in the same position. Consider alternative fingerings to create a slightly more compelling chordal sound.

The "jar" lyric reminded me of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. The lyrics are a mixture of certainty and searching. The vocals seem more introspective, as if the glass isn't broken yet.

Check out my latest song called Frozen Man (by James Taylor)

neilh79

neilh79 said 624 days ago (September 9th, 2011)

Tobin
Thankyou so much for dropping by and listening and feeding back. I am a fan of playing different chordal structures, I'm not sure how it works in a verse, chorus kind of deal. I do use same finger patterns during each song as a general rule, unless I have bridges or key changes where it helps to start off with an open pattern before moving into a more closed pattern to build up.

I take on board all constructive criticism and will use it I am sure in other songs.

Glad you enjoyed it

Cheers

Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

MikeRobinson

MikeRobinson said 624 days ago (September 9th, 2011)

Nice vocal
A nice vocal with a simple setting. I very much like the chorus ... "It's real to be alive, through the night" ... and the images, like "play in a jar" and "fighting in the zone." Sometimes the best thing that a lyric can do, is to be brief, and to prompt you to think about what you just heard for a very long time. Which this song does. (A notion that I have heard expressed as, "going directly to the point, but hitting it sideways.")

Check out my latest song called Trading Places

neilh79	neilh79 said 624 days ago (September 9th, 2011)
	Mike Thanks for dropping by, I'm glad you got the lyrics, I tend to use quite a bit of symbolism when I write and sometimes it sounds like gobbledegook, but I do try to have meaning!! Glad you enjoyed it Cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Mojekay	Mojekay said 624 days ago (September 10th, 2011)
	Relentless Really enjoyed this piece especially the transition from verse to chorus. Check out my latest song called Bagpipechacha

neilh79	neilh79 said 623 days ago (September 10th, 2011)
	Moje Thankyou so musch for dropping by, really glad you enjoyed the tune means a lot cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

Hickling_Stan	Hickling_Stan said 621 days ago (September 12th, 2011)
	Engaging Hi Neil thought I'd better get around to returning the compliment and listening to the tracks of those who commented on my last one.I like the idea of "playing in a jar" though it might be a bit tricky getting the guitar in there! Really liked the chord change to the chorus and the overall feel of this one. Cheers Mark Check out my latest song called Elective Introspective

neilh79	neilh79 said 620 days ago (September 13th, 2011)
	Mark Thankyou for dropping in and leaving a comment. Glad you got the lyrics, I don't always make sense, but I do try to use a bit of symbolism here and there! Glad you like the tune cheers Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

867-5309	867-5309 said 618 days ago (September 15th, 2011)
	this one Lovin' it - a whole lot ! Classy !! Check out my latest song called Berceuse in Ab

neilh79	neilh79 said 617 days ago (September 16th, 2011)
	Scott Classy is a huge compliment, thankyou glad you enjoyed it Check out my latest song called Resurrection of Life Final Mix! (w/ Loob, Rok41, Symphony101, Gadzooks)

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Artist Info

Name: Neil Hicks
Location: York North Yorkshire United Kingdom

Hi all!! I have been here over a year now and have learn't so much. The community on here has been very supportive. The challenges presented to me have been both musical and production and I have enjoyed (though sometimes wanted to hit my head into a... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

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