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How It Happens


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Description
I got a new mic and wanted to try it out. This title popped into my head. I recorded some guitar, and then some banjo, and then I had to write words to go along. The rest fell into place, more or less, sort of quickly. I was thinking the title was going to be about the magic of sharing music with another, mostly in being able to collaborate. Thinking about my buddy Kelli. It ended up being about just getting through the day, I guess. Sort of despite yourself, things get done, in a fashion, in other words I guess. Typical sort of contemplative stuff... Don't look too deeply, it's just stream of consciousness!
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Lyrics
Get up in the morning
One leg at a time,
Comb your face and wash your hair
Get your ducks in a line
Eat your wheaties, and strap em on
Got to get up, get up get up and go
There’s just one thing for sure, buddy
You should be sure to know

that’s how it happens
happens all the time
that’s how it happens
happens to fall into line

It’s when you mind the little things
That the big things take care of themselves
It’s nothing more than nothing new
and it’s still a mystery, truth to tell
Seems like a lotta work
and it somehow ends up all the same
I’ve lost track of so so many things
But it’s never got in my way

that’s how it happens
happens all the time
that’s how it happens
happens to fall into line

Think I’ll sit back and contemplate
On all the things left undone
My thoughts don’t amount to a hill of beans
No matter how the web is spun
I admit it don’t bother me
I don’t rock that way
I won’t get caught up in regret
Cause regret never did pay

that’s how it happens
happens all the time
that’s how it happens
happens to fall into line
Song Stats
Hits: 163
Comments: 14
Fans: 12
Plays: 29
Downloads: 8
Votes: 3
Uploaded: Oct 29, 2009 - 11:34:25 PM
Last Updated: Oct 29, 2009 - 11:34:25 PM Last Played: Nov 17, 2009 - 05:48:29 AM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Creative Commons

Song Actions
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Hardware:
Cascade Fathead II ribbon mic, Joe Meek OneQ, Taylor GA-3 acoustic guitar, Gibson 5-string banjo, no name violin electric bass.
Software:
Comments
Feter said 23 days ago (October 29th, 2009)
How It Happens
I always enjoyed how you used your banjo on your
songs ...so unique ...great vocal as usually ..
and here surprisingly the bass hold a sweet tone
I wish the choruses had harmonies ..good song ..
thnx alot for sharin !!!!
Jim Bouchard said 23 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
Thanks!
Yeah, maybe there should be harmonies...this was done really quick and probably that's the one thing I would add.
Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze
jiguma said 23 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
Very much enjoyed Jim
In the style of Bruce Cockburn. Very nice recording - I'm battling with mixes on a couple of mine at the moment, and this is inspirational. What did you use for drums?
Nice one Jim.
N
Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)
Jim Bouchard said 23 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
EZ Drummer
I love EZ Drummer! There's very little compression and EQ on the track and it's all just the Nashville Kit which is really well sampled; I've pretty much converted all my drums to EZ Drummer nowadays.
Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze
johnwhitehead said 22 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
Happens
Lots to like here. Great ensemble sound. Love your taste in instruments and how you use them. Sounds like a real band playing in circle, relaxed & dialed in together. I especially love how the arrangement "builds" by stripping elements away. This is a cool way to keep things moving forward. For my roots/ folkie ears, you set the bar, man
Check out my latest song called I'm Pluggin' In
Jim Bouchard said 22 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
Hey!
I should have given you some credit as I was sort of inspired by your Pigmy Bone song. I think I'd started this around the same time as I'd noticed that, but it made me keep it simple having your song to keep me on that track. I was even thinking of doubling the piano with vibraphone but that would have been a bit too much emulation for me to stand and the piano was sort of working as it was. thanks for your inspiration!
Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze
awigze said 22 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
How it Happens
was gonna say that I could hear the Steve Forbert singin and playin this, then I thought, nah... We got the Jim Bouchard here. very natural and I like the message.
Check out my latest song called We got to Jive in Blues by (Feter)
sloparts said 22 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
First thing I noticed
is that the new mic sounds nice in the mix, which I guess was the reason you started this exercise in the first place.

As for the song, it's just the story of life, that's all. But very well told. The whole song is delightful and does make a person think, if they are listening at all to the lyrics.

One nit, on the mixing side. The bass has a tendency to get a little boomy every once in a while. You might try pulling back about 3db or so on the 200 htz signal either when you record the bass, or after you've tracked it and during the mix process. That may help to control some of that boominess.

I really like the song Jim, it is quite good my friend.

Ed
Check out my latest song called Just a little Something
Jim Bouchard said 22 days ago (October 30th, 2009)
The new mic...
I really have been searching for a mic that would record my banjo better as I have a bunch of nice mics but nothing really was working for the banjo. My brother has a Cascade Fathead and recommended it as a great mic for acoustic instruments so since it was not too expensive I eventually decided to order one. I'm not crazy about how it records my voice but it does make the banjo and acoustic guitar sound nice, a really true representation of the the sound of those instruments, not boomy at all and very much flattering the detail of acoustic instruments. It's a keeper.

I agree with you on the bass and it just needs a bit more massaging. I used this cheap no-name bass I got in a yard sale for 5 dollars, and the pickups and switches really need to be replaced, but it has a nice feel and I put flatwound strings on it to make it really mellow sounding. Some more attention to EQ probably can fix that but I didn't use a graphic EQ so I didn't quite nail the offending frequency too well. But I really appreciate your advice! Thanks!
Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze
Ed Hannifin said 22 days ago (October 31st, 2009)
You get a natural sound, Jim...
...but somehow it's STRIKINGLY natural... You NOTICE its naturalness... there's something different and atmospheric about the general Bouchard ambience...

I was just looking at the FatHead the other day, stumbling over mics in various forums. It's very neat to get to hear it in action... Was everything recorded with the one mic?

I think this turned into a very neat song... Lyrically strong, and the melody suited to your voice... On my speakers the mix sounds very good, smooth and clear...

Ed
Check out my latest song called Next Time Around (w/jiguma)
Jim Bouchard said 21 days ago (October 31st, 2009)
fathead
the guitar, vocal and banjo were all recorded with the Fathead, but the bass was direct and the piano is a software instrument (the Ben Boldt Steinway, in fact). And the drums are EZ Drummer.
A lot of the time I do seek to make my recordings sound like my favorite bunch of musicians are sitting in a circle recording them, tho unfortunately it's usually just me sitting in one spot.
Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze
guitapick said 22 days ago (October 31st, 2009)
"...things get done..."
Been thinking about that, a lot, lately...

Real nice, Jim. Well said and delivered. What's the mic?
Check out my latest song called Outside the Corral
Jim Bouchard said 21 days ago (October 31st, 2009)
I should have put that line in the song, I guess...
http://www.cascademicrophones.com/cascade_FAT_HEAD_II.html

Thanks!
Check out my latest song called Weather or Not w/awigze
Bob6stringer said 10 days ago (November 11th, 2009)
Aural Chiaroscuro:
It's as if your lyrics consist of the words between the lines instead of the overt story of a ballad. It plays right in the picture it paints, a really fine approach. And as I always tell ya, your music's great all day long. Not sure what you'd call this but in art, Chiaroscuro comes to mind.
Check out my latest song called Yours and Mine
Artist Info
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Name: Jim Bouchard
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I have been playing music a long time. When I was growing up my brothers had a band called the Regal Tones which was quite popular in our little town in upstate New York State. They got bitten by the music bug and later went on to found the p... [see more]

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