Week 1 - Sharecropper’s Son
Can someone objectively listen to a song, not knowing who the writer or artist is or what kind of success they’ve had, and with no expectations formulate an opinion about the song alone?
Would any songwriter ever subject himself to such an open forum?
Welcome to the Songwriter’s Experiment. Thanks for stopping by. I am a 30 something homemaker with four kids and the wife of a wonderfully interesting man. My husband runs a home-based business and has always provided for his family. He coaches his son’s Little League team, runs the sound at our church, and is on the school board. But what I want to discuss here is his gift for writing songs.
Let me start with a little bit of history. My husband has had some success in the music business. Enough success to pay off some debt and invest in his home business. We have decided, however, that moving to a major music city is not something we want to do, even if it means less exposure for him. We have close family ties where we live and that’s very important to us and our kids.
What he has found, in his dealings with the music industry, is that sometimes it matters more who you are and what you’ve done, than the actual song itself. And yet, some people in the industry say, “It’s all about the song.” Well, which is it?
That’s where you come in. All I want from you is a few minutes, to listen to a song and maybe another minute to comment on what you hear. I’ll post a new song every Monday. We’ll call it New Music Monday. If you like what you hear, or even if you don’t, let me know in the comments section, and come back the next week to hear another. It’s simple, really.
I’ll tell you right now that my husband does not have a CD of his music that can be bought. Most of his songs were recorded using his home recording equipment and the thought of those songs being heard by a lot of people without being mastered makes him cringe! I guess it would be like me speaking in front of a large group of people in my pj’s and no makeup! But this is my thing, and if the song is the most important thing, then it won’t matter how professional it sounds.
Another thing, I want this to be as close to a true experiment as possible. You may hear the song and think “Hey, I know that guy. He’s so and so from so and so.” If you do, wish him luck and keep it to yourself! Seriously, in order for this to work, it needs to be kept as anonymous as possible.
So, let’s find out if it really is “all about the song.” I hope you enjoy this first one.
Here’s the lyrics in case you don’t catch all the words:
Sharecropper’s Son
Down south back in ‘63
Where the cotton is white but there ain’t much green
An old sharecropper and his family
Coolin’ off one summer night
Young man ‘bout seventeen
Pluckin’ on a banjo high and sweet
His daddy lookin’ on proud as could be
But he wore a troubled smile
Stood up and walked inside
The old screen door slapped shut behind
Came back in a little while
With a rusty coffee can
Said, “Boy this is all I’ve ever saved
I’s hopin’ to buy this land someday
But dirt cost more‘n I’ll ever make
So do the best you can.”
Chorus:
(And He Said…)
Run run and don’t look back
You ain’t never gonna drag another cotton sack
Me and your Mamma gonna be alright
Just run Sonny, run
Be free to find your dreams
Like a bayou finds the sea
Don’t tell nobody that you used to be
A sharecropper’s son
Pretty soon he was travelin’ round
Double thumb chuckin’ in a Jackson band
And all who saw him always said
He’s the best they’d ever heard
Went to Nashville and made a name
His hot lick pickin’ soon brought him fame
But still each night in his lonely dreams
He heard his daddy’s words
Repeat Chorus
Walkin’ out of a bank one day
Was a good-lookin’ man in a suit of suede
With a hat pulled down over his face
And a land deed in his hand
Old man barely hangin’ on
Folks gathered ’round he was almost gone
Sonny took his hat off and kneeled down low
Beside the old man’s bed
Held that deed up and read the words
Then he softly said
Daddy run, run and don’t look back
You ain’t never gonna drag another cotton sack
Me and Momma gonna be alright
Just run, Daddy run
Be free to find your dreams
Like a bayou finds the sea
I’m gonna tell everybody that I’m proud to be
A sharecropper’s son
Repeat chorus
great song.. moved me to tears
Yup….it’s all about the song! I liked it all - the tune, the pickin’, and great lyrics.
…and I liked the singing voice too!
Very well written both musically and lyrically. The story line pulls you in and does the typical country music heart tug ( I guess it could be considered a little cliche, but the country music industry does quite well with that model). The melody is very compelling and easy to remember (another plus), builds and breaks at the right moment. I liked the cadence. On a 1-10 scale, 10 being best, I’d give this a 9.5! I like it.
I really like the song, words, tune and gravely voice. Hope you get published, or sell that song to someone famous (with rights to use personally) so you can get on tract for your second at home career!
I’m not a big fan of country music because I feel like all the songs sound pretty much the same. But, I appreciate the story they tell as well as the effort that goes into the work. So, really, it is hard for me to judge whether this song is a good one, because I am a little biased against country music. I love what you are doing here and will check back often.
I like the voice, the pickin’, the words, not so hot on the tune. It just didn’t have enough umph for me.
I like it! The very beginning seems a little weak to me, but I really like the rest.
I love finding little-known artists who make music that I like. Personally, I don’t care in the least if they’re well-known or not. At least with the internet we have the ability to get greater exposure, and even sell music directly! I love browsing through cdbaby.com, magnatune.com, etc…
I enjoyed the song! I am especially fond of songs that tell a story and seem to have meaning. I don’t like to have to figure out what the songs about. Sounds like a great C & W song but it will have to have just the right singer and voice to do it justice. The voice that sang it was great!
I found your link on http://thepioneerwoman.com/.
Linked from thepioneerwoman.com. I’m so glad she shared this. I’m definitely not a fan of the “my woman’s/man’s gone and I’m crying in my beer” - type lyrics; fortunately this example is not one of those. I really liked this song — lyrics/storyline, cadence, melody, singer’s voice (which I really liked) and all. The only thing that threw me off (for just a moment) was a perceived not-quite-graceful musical seque to the first chorus. By the second chorus, it seemed to fit fine. Thanks for sharing this with us. I’ve added this site to my feeds and look forward to next week’s installment.
Enjoyed this song very much and hope to hear the next song next week
Mastered or not, this is a great song. Love the lyrics, love the story behind them, love the music & your husband has a wonderful voice. Sure do wish he had a CD out we could buy. I’m going to bookmark your site, I definitely want to come back to hear the other songs!!
Me Likey!!
Look forward to hearing more from your husband!
I really enjoyed the pickin’. The voice is different and good, not your run of the mill country singer - I like that. The song really held my attention until the first chorus. At that point I lost interest somewhat, maybe it built to much to fast. I like the chorus changed up at the end and followed by the repeat chorus built to that initial level but the first chorus being that big is just to much. I read the lyrics before listening to the song because I usually care more about that than anything else. It seemed your standard story. Nothing to extraordinary, but just fine all the same. Thanks for caring what your would be consumers think not just what some big name music company thinks, many times they are way off.
It has taken my an amazing amount of time just to type this between chasing kids and making supper but I want you to know the chorus is growing on me as it runs through my head.
I really enjoyed this song! The lyrics touched me and I even got a little teary at the end (maybe PMS, but more likely just a darn good song). Excellent musical talent and voice, too.
The only thing I noticed…there was kind-of and ‘extra beat’ pause between verses. I kept feeling like he should start again, but then another couple notes played before he started singing. Minor, though, because the song was really great!
loved it
I had no problem imagining hearing this song on the radio….and turning it up, hoping to hear the artist’s name afterward.I absolutely felt that I’d heard this artist’s work before, a distinct familiarity. Thanks for sharing, I’m looking forward to more!
I love this song!!It was so touching,kind of reminded me of where I came from. Brought me to tears. Loved everything about it. Wow! What a talented husband you have. Thank you for sharing with us.Looking forward to more.
I like a song that tells a story-and this song does a good job of telling a story. It is probably a mite too country for me-but the singing was good, music moved it along-all and all I liked it.
This song was great as is!
I liked it.
Especially considering it’s very “raw” the way we just heard it, not filled in, fluffed up, doctored, or “oomphed ” :>)
… very nice.
Great story.
** H **
I really liked the song, but would hold back a bit on the banjo (banjo, yes?) That made it have a bit too much country “twang” for me. Really liked the lyrics, story, voice, and tune. What a neat website. Good luck!
Loved the song - would definitely buy it if it was available. Fits right into the “Americana” style we are listening to. Reminds me a bit of the songs on Levon Helm’s “Dirt Road Farmer” cd. I could see him using this on his next one. Also like the fact that the song was not embellished - sometimes the spare sound is more pure. Looking forward to next week’s song.
Love the tune, love the story… But I humbly offer a bit of crit: I think the verse that starts “Walkin’ out of a bank one day” might need a little work. Who wears a suit of suede? And why is his hat pulled down over his face? That implies he’s ashamed, which of course he wouldn’t be.
And maybe I’d go a little more minimalist at the end. I probably wouldn’t repeat the refrain; you don’t need to–just your quiet take on the last verse is SO moving. And with the repeated refrain, the tune is maybe a wee bit too long.
Otherwise, strong lyrics, powerful story, lovely melody. Bravo! And please feel free to ignore every word I’ve written here. This is your art, after all.
I loved the song and I don’t really like country music. Great story of compassion and freeing the spirit
I really enjoyed the song! Great lyrics, music, and voice. Very entertaining. Very interesting experience. Can’t wait to hear the next.
I loved the song! It sorta reminds me of Reba’s “Fancy”, tho, no?
To Caroline: I think sonny’s hat is over his face b/c he’s famous and he’s protecting his privacy… that’s how successful he’s become.
Ans I do agree that there seems to be an awkward lag between verses, but I’m no songwriter… so I dunno.
But I did love the banjo. My dad used to play it (which i loved) and I think you don’t hear it nearly enough these days. That’ll be in your favor I do believe.
Though I am not a fan of country music, I really liked this song. The beginning first drew me in with the nice guitar solo but the flow of the songs (as well as the words) kept me in… It was also a nice touch to have the multitude of voices join together at the chorus but then in the next to last voice, have it be sung softly. Lastly, whoever is doing he picking needs to keep at it because I loved it
Overall, a good song… I look forward to hearing many more.
Great lyrics, melody and voice!! Enjoyed getting to hear some pickin’!! Very fresh, felt like I was sittin’ on the front porch watching the sunset, listening to your song.
God has gifted you…keep up the great work.
Good song. One of the reasons I liked it is cause the words were right there and I could follow along. Most songs on the radio , I follow along for awhile then loose interest, then the next time I hear it I may get a bit more of the story. But I definatly liked it!
Coming from a bluegrass & folk fan…
Words and tune are great.
Voice is also good, although the last part could be annoying.
Are these not real instruments?
Great song. Love the hook. Yes, it really is about the song!
I just love the words and the music! That song really moved me. The music fit the words so beautifully, so appropriately. That song put tears to my eyes. I would definitely buy that song. Great job!
This was just beautiful. You told a heartfelt story that brought tears to my eyes…
I think it’s fantastic. Definitely marketable.
I love the song, it has great story. I love the fact that son was proud of his father and proud to be his son. It was very heartfelt and believeable.:-)
Excellent song. Now that I’ve stopped crying I can say, I think it is good as a country song and would be an excellent rock anthem-imagine someone like Theory of a Deadman, or Nickelback doing this song.
The lyrics made me cry.
I grew up hearing stories about my mother and her family picking cotton during the depression. This song brought back those mind images. Great sound and lyrics. Good job!
Really enjoyed it…story telling and voice especially.
I like it because it’s clean. Sounds clean. Like the singer and background accompniment (sp?) and the banjo. It has a clean sound–and not overly Country.
Reminds me a little of James Taylor–not same as–same kind of flavor.
Keep on keepin’ on.
very well written song i think.
maybe add some guitar sounds in there if theres room. steel guitar possibly.
its not too hickish, im not a fan of country music myself but at least this guy wasnt singing about stupid rodeos or something.
vhery nhices
=]
Great song…
I loved the story it told and I love any sad song…