Song Of This World - Makeover

J.A.Stewart

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Description

*HOLLYWOOD MAKEOVER* of an ejh Tune. - ejh (Ed Hannifin) posted a sincere little folk song here... http://www.macjams.com/song/12697 a couple of weeks ago that he imagined being sung ‘round a campfire. Generally well-received, there were some comments about the simplicity of the piece and a consensus that it could use some harmonies.

The “simple” lyric and spirit of Ed’s tune reminded of the folkier works of one of my favorite songwriters, who had a knack for full-blown production of these uncomplicated ditties. With that in mind, I set out to try to give Ed’s tune a fuller arrangement – a “Hollywood Makeover,” if you will – with additional vocals and instrumentation, while (hopefully) maintaining the charming simplicity and spirit of the original.

With Ed’s permission and encouragement, I’m submitting this makeover.

Production notes:
1) My mixing options were somewhat limited because Ed’s original band file came to me with vocals and guitar accompaniment on one track.
2) The track I’ve posted is a rough preliminary final mix... all that (apparently) survives of my effort after a devastating crash last night left my external firewire HD unrecognizable to my iMac.

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Lyrics

Song Of This World - Makeover

The song of this world is not for the faint-hearted
The song of this world is not easily sung
The song of this world does not need to get started
The song of this world will not ever be done

Come on in, lend your voice
to the song of this world
You can mourn or rejoice
in the song of this world
You do not have much choice,
you might as well sing...

The song of this world is as jagged as lightning
The song of this world is as sweet as a kiss
The song of this world is both brave and foolhardy
A little piece of it goes something like this:

Come on in, lend your voice
to the song of this world
You can mourn or rejoice
in the song of this world
You do not have much choice,
you might as well sing...

It's not that you have to be joyful and glad
It's not that you cannot be downcast and sad
We all have to do what we can to survive
But while you are here you should know you're alive...

The song of this world is a coming together
The song of this world is a falling away
The song of this world is as hard as it can be
The song of this world will be sung anyway

Come on in, lend your voice
to the song of this world
You can mourn or rejoice
in the song of this world
You do not have much choice,
you might as well sing

you might as well sing

you might as well sing...

Come on in, lend your voice
to the song of this world
You can mourn or rejoice
in the song of this world
You do not have much choice,
you might as well sing

(Repeat & Fade Out)

Song Stats

Hits: 2830
Comments: 39
Fans: 16
Plays: 678
Downloads: 140
Votes:
Uploaded: Sep 08, 2005 - 04:01:37 PM
Last Updated: Mar 31, 2008 - 10:54:42 AM Last Played: Nov 21, 2009 - 11:44:17 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Song Actions

Keywords:

folk (423), harmony (66), acoustic (588), guitar (1073), harmonica (43), mandolin (48), accordion (16)

Hardware:

G5 iMac; MOTU 828mkII

Software:

GB 2

Comments

thetiler

thetiler said 1536 days ago (September 8th, 2005)

Joe, good and nice added stuff Ed
Joe, I think joe was inspired when he heard your original
tune. Love that choir ohs and ha's. Lot of nice added stuff
indeed.

This is the type of tune you can really sink your teeth into
because it is like you have John Denver lookin over your
shoulders. But this added a little flair to the John Denver
style and was pleasant to listen to.

Thanks for sharing you guys

Check out my latest song called The Bluebird Cafe (with two other guest)

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1535 days ago (September 9th, 2005)
	Joe, good and nice added stuff Ed Thanks, Tiler. You're right, I was struck by the genuine nature of Ed's tune. I just responded to its friendly invitation to "Come on in..." and brought a few extra instruments and voices along with me to help out. Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

	said 1536 days ago (September 8th, 2005)
	Immediate favorite.... Not enough time to comment fully (will later). this is so great. Good job Hollywood with your additions. Ed... it has grown and blossomed with this version. Excellent... I too want to sing! Jack

Cori Ander

Cori Ander said 1536 days ago (September 9th, 2005)

Good heart
I am glad you bring this up since I thoght the original post
got some judgements which I could not understand. It was
something about it sounding like a campfire song, and
things about simplicity too. Maybe for cultural reasons I
could not see (hear) anything bad about that at all. A
beautiful song is a beautiful song to me independent of
such things.

I admire and respect a lot your good heart for taking the
job to improve upon the song. And I think your versions
has its good points. The added guitar solo is great for
example! And the choirs!

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

J.A.Stewart

J.A.Stewart said 1535 days ago (September 9th, 2005)

Good heart
Like you, Cori, I am often puzzled by some of the remarks and some of the
ratings. Perhaps some are distracted by all the superficialites that surround us
and don't seem to grasp that profundities are often discovered within the
simplest things.

Thanks for listening. I'm glad you liked it. I tried to maintain as much of the
original's spirit as possible.

Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

ziti	ziti said 1536 days ago (September 9th, 2005)
	HAHAHAH This is very very nice. Ed smiles, I'm sure! very cool production...it filled the room! good crickets Check out my latest song called All Smokey

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1535 days ago (September 9th, 2005)
	HAHAHAH I'm glad you enjoyed it, ziti... but I'm a little confused... crickets??? What crickets? ;) Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

said 1536 days ago (September 9th, 2005)

Now that I've time....
What a great opening with those vocal harmony "ahs!"
It sets up the song beautifully and is sooned echoed
in the chorus vocals. Then adding the harmonies
here and there in the verses. Growing as more
join in to sing. More layering of the "ahs." Just great.
Then that fine electric guitar solo... the whole song
sounds like something out of the sixties generation,
full of idealism and hope and joy. Great job guys.

Jack

J.A.Stewart

J.A.Stewart said 1535 days ago (September 9th, 2005)

Now that I've time....
Thanks for noticing so many of the little things in this arrangement, Jack.

Ed wrote a terrific melody that was teeming with harmonic possibilities.
Whereas Ed said he is reluctant to sing harmonies, singing all those
harmonies is like food for my soul. Really.

And the 60s vibe is right on, because when I first heard it, I did --- as thetiler
mentioned --- think of John Denver, but some of the "simplicity' comments
also got me to thinking about George Harrison.

His folkier tunes often had apparently "simple" lyrics (ex. "Here Comes The
Sun"), but the musical production he gave those numbers made them
classics. My guitar solos and the big vocal chorus were styled as a "tip-o'-
the-hat" to our old friend, George.

He would have loved Ed's song. :)

Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

	said 1535 days ago (September 9th, 2005)
	Hard not to enjoy this music. No matter how hard I try! :) Thanks to both of you

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1534 days ago (September 10th, 2005)
	Hard not to enjoy As Ed penned it: "...You do not have much choice, you might as well sing..." ;) Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

I.G.M.	I.G.M. said 1533 days ago (September 11th, 2005)
	nice song Love the intro a lot. tasty, mellow kinda tune. I.G.M. Check out my latest song called I`m Gone

	andrewr mac said 1533 days ago (September 12th, 2005)
	hi great song. Check out my latest song called untitled

Ed Hannifin

Ed Hannifin said 1532 days ago (September 12th, 2005)

Who knew...
...my little tune could get so HUGE?

I don't know what the etiquette is about commenting on
your own (modified) song, but I will say the following...

This is a lot of fun to hear. Joe's production is way bigger
than I ever would have imagined, even after the rough mix
mp3... I wish to heck I COULD give him a multitrack file to
mix from... I think I have shackled him with what I gave
him...

I loved hearing the enormous chorus... that surprised
me...I liked the harmonica stuff, and in a perfect world
with perfect hard drives, I'd probably bring that forward in
the mix at some points just 'cause I think it sounds
good...And I think the electric guitar solo is great...

I've been listening with the "good headphones", trying to
pick out just what else is there in the mix... mandolin?
banjo? more acoustic guitar?

The crickets are off time at several points...

But this has been an awesome experience for me, because
it lets me hear what someone else would do with one of
my songs, an experience I have never had. I find that it
leaves me hungry to hear a "real mix" if the hard drive
ever returns to the land of the living, and I also find that it
leaves me curious as to what other people would do with
this and others among my songs... It really gets me
outside the box of my own head and my own ideas...and
that has been lots of fun...

My thanks to Joe for putting so much time and energy and
just plain WORK into this... It's a great gift, and I love it...

Ed

Check out my latest song called Next Time Around (w/jiguma)

J.A.Stewart

J.A.Stewart said 1532 days ago (September 13th, 2005)

Who knew...
Quote Ejh: "I've been listening with the "good headphones", trying to
pick out just what else is there in the mix... mandolin?
banjo? more acoustic guitar?"

--- As you've already mentioned: Harmonica and Mandolin, also Italian
Accordion near the end, as well as trumpets and a small horn section (pretty
well buried in this preliminary mix). Your guitar parts sounded great! There
was no reason to add to them.

Quote Ejh: "The crickets are off time at several points..."

--- Yes, now I know why Buddy Holly dropped them. :D
They kept insisting that I had to maintain a constant 77 degrees in the studio
for them to match the 152 bpm of the song. Their manager claims that's "just
how they operate." I refused to turn off the air conditioning. Sorry... it's been
an unusually hot summer.

Quote Ejh: "I find that it leaves me hungry to hear a "real mix" if the hard
drive ever returns to the land of the living..."

---There's new hope, I've been able to access and retrieve data from the
drive. Hopefully my project file will survive intact. If it does, I'll be certain to
finish the job and post it.

Quote Ejh: "My thanks to Joe for putting so much time and energy and
just plain WORK into this... It's a great gift, and I love it...

Ed "

--- Thanks, Ed. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. It was a fun piece to work with.

Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

Mcboy	Mcboy said 1532 days ago (September 13th, 2005)
	great choir u have there.....the acoutic guitars sound great...well recorded.....love the george harrison feel to your vocals and accordion.and, and(list goes on) .........and truly great songwriting.....enjoyed it much!!!! Check out my latest song called Heros( aclarke/mcboy)

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1530 days ago (September 15th, 2005)
	great choir Thanks, Mcboy. I'm glad you enjoyed all those elements. While George was often overshadowed by his more prolific bandmates, I think he eventually forged a clean but rich musical style and sound that has become a classic production model. Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

Leon	Leon said 1531 days ago (September 13th, 2005)
	Back at ya! I thoroughly loved your song! One of a select few songs that I've downloaded recently to my iPod for repeated listening. Wonderful vocals and harmony and a very uplifting message! Man I'm an instant fan. Would be awesome to collaborate with you one time. Check out my latest song called The Nightingale (music and lyrics by Oceans)

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1530 days ago (September 15th, 2005)
	Back at ya! Thanks, Leon. Credit for the song's content all goes to Ed. I just placed it in a larger musical context. Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

futzpucker	futzpucker said 1528 days ago (September 16th, 2005)
	Uplifting You show obvious talent in your treatment of this sweet song. You've given it an arrangement that greatly enhances Ed's work and sacrifices none of the original intent. What a great thing to do for a fellow composer. Check out my latest song called Just As It Is

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1528 days ago (September 16th, 2005)
	Uplifting Thanks for your generous comments, futz... I did my best not to screw up a good thing. ;) Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

aclarke	aclarke said 1518 days ago (September 26th, 2005)
	I'm sorry.... I didn't hear this version sooner. WOW! This is such a powerful, sweet song. Your treatment of it is very respectful and adds new dimension to an already excellent song. Check out my latest song called Ballad of The Little Tiki

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 1518 days ago (September 27th, 2005)
	I'm sorry.... I'm glad you managed to find it and grateful for you listening to it. Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated. Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

Scott Carmichael

Scott Carmichael said 1272 days ago (May 30th, 2006)

wonderful
you were obviously moved by the song ... i love he treatment, what
you've brought to table is perfect... it seems to be the right
environment for the song... this is one of my favorite things to do, I
have a friend who writes great songs... he performs them on guitar for
me in the studio and then lets me develop an arrangment around it...
so I really appreciate what you've done here

thanx; Scott

Check out my latest song called Good Morning

Scott Carmichael

Scott Carmichael said 1272 days ago (May 30th, 2006)

Check out my latest song called Good Morning

J.A.Stewart

J.A.Stewart said 1272 days ago (May 30th, 2006)

wonderful
Thanks, Scott...

Ed Hannifin's original version was a small song with a large vision. It was very
personal and intimate, much like you might hear in a coffee house, or as Ed
suggested... around a campfire.

Those of us who were around when folk music was in its heyday remember
how powerful those simple tunes could be. I derived a great deal of pleasure
lending a hand (and a few voices) to Ed's original track.

I'm glad you seem to be having the same experience with your friend's works.
;-) --- Joe

---
'Gone' Hollywood: <a href="http://www.macjams.com/artist/j.a.stewart">J.A. Stewart Music</a>

Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

paddler	paddler said 768 days ago (October 17th, 2007)
	Positive Its great to hear a song with such a positive message - the recording is really crisp and clear and would work great in movie too.Your harmonies are spot on without losing the guitar in the big sound.I feel happier about going to work now! Thanks Regards - Richard Check out my latest song called Tiger Flame (Halloween Challenge)

J.A.Stewart

J.A.Stewart said 768 days ago (October 17th, 2007)

Re: Positive...
Thanks, for listening and commenting, Richard.

I really liked Ed's original version and enjoyed making it somewhat *grander* with additional voices and instruments. It was a real mixing challenge to keep everything where it belonged and still maintain the original charm of Ed's version. I'm glad it left you feeling a bit more positive for the day. ;)

--- Joe

Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

stacey	stacey said 602 days ago (March 30th, 2008)
	Song of this world indeed! WOW! This is so great! I love this! I'm off to hear the original now. You guys rock. Stacey Check out my latest song called tick tock

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 602 days ago (March 31st, 2008)
	Re: song of this world indeed!... Thanks, Stacey. I'm glad you liked it. Ed produced a terrific little tune and I just added some details to make it a bit bigger. :) --- Joe Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

Bob6stringer	Bob6stringer said 587 days ago (April 14th, 2008)
	Nice over-do! I had to listen to the original and then compare. Nice Hollywood remix, lotsa layers. Fun. And it does not ruin the song - it just re-targets it for some other demo (as if we care about demos here!). A beautiful song at the heart can be produced, engineered, stripped down and built up and still keep its heart, as this does. Check out my latest song called Yours and Mine

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 586 days ago (April 15th, 2008)
	Re: Nice over-do... Thanks, Bob. I'm glad you liked the treatment. --- Joe Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

chipan	chipan said 581 days ago (April 20th, 2008)
	This song seems to have been around for a while, but excellent tune! Great mix too! chip Check out my latest song called Psalm 107

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 581 days ago (April 20th, 2008)
	Re: This song... Thanks, Chip. Maybe you can get your son to join in and sing along. ;) --- Joe Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

Bob6stringer

Bob6stringer said 6 days ago (November 17th, 2009)

P U R E M E L L O W J O Y . . .
Is nobody going to mention the feeling that Brian Wilson and the Fleet Foes are among those seated and singing at this little s'more roast? What a beauty. And it's a fine bonus that the lead guitar slolo blends so well when it comes in -- just like Justin Hayward's amazing leads on the last of the classic Moody Blues LPs, "Seventh Sojourn." Ironically, the leads are so close at least in spirit to Ed's original acoustic solos, I've been jockeying between the two versions to make-sure it's not Ed's guitar with added FX!

Check out my latest song called Yours and Mine

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 6 days ago (November 17th, 2009)
	Re: P U R E M E L L O W J O Y ... Well thanks, Bob. Yes, I keep all those boys locked up in the cellar for when I need them. They sure come in handy sometimes. LOL! I tried very hard not to trample on the essence of Ed's song and I am very pleased you have recognized the effort. Thanks, --- Joe Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

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Artist Info

Name: J.A. Stewart

Played in a variety of Folk/Rock, Pop and Rock bands for more than a decade. After collaborating on a musical, I got hooked on songwriting and recording. After years of intense "lobbying," I'm due to "enter" The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. (W... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

Genre Info

Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. In the original and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and Canada around the mid-1960s. The sound was epitomized by tight vocal

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