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A new song inspired by Al and the other folks on the board who have lost someone young and full of potential.

My apologies for the bad audio. I played this so many times tonight it feels like my fingers might fall off. Also, because I'm so lousy on the guitar I had to play this really slow. I sped up the tempo but the audio took on a kind of warble to it (no pun intended)

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6554455

Little Bird
Wendy DuMond
(c) May, 2008

Oh, little bird..
Where have you flown?
The nest has grown quiet
Since you've been gone

Oh, little bird..
How you would sing,
You'd chirp and you'd warble
Like a silver bell's ring

But you flew away..
Across the naked sky
It must have seemed like freedom
That bright and shining lie

Oh, little bird...
What joy you would bring,
Just a fledgling with no plumage
Like a crown with no king

Oh, little bird...
Your wings have been broken
And the wind speaks in whispers
As I stare at your token

But you've flown away
To the sky that was yawning
But you couldn't know
Just what it was spawning

Oh, little bird...
Where have you gone?
Sometimes I hear wings beating
Beneath the earth's soft loam

But you've taken flight
High above the trees
And though I might not see you
I feel you in the breeze

Oh, little bird...
Where have you flown?
The nest has grown quiet
Since you've been gone

Hi Wendy

Forget a review...
When I listen to you my anxiety slowly starts to disappear.

So I say Thank You!

Hi Wendy,

While I'd love to hear a filled in version, this stands very well on it's own. I really think this could be done in a variety of genre's from bluegrass to folk, but how I'd really like to hear it done would be by "Celtic Women". I think they'd really do it justice. This one needs to be heard...

Love this, Wendy. I'm becoming a huge fan of your writing. Lines like this are perfect in their simplicity:

Oh, little bird..
Where have you flown?
The nest has grown quiet
Since you've been gone

And this particular combination of adjectives and noun is fabulous:

That bright and shining lie

And this is another example where you turn an idea or image on its ear to come up with something astounding:

Sometimes I hear wings beating
Beneath the earth's soft loam

Of course, none of those would mean anything if the song had no "big picture". But you have that too.....

Beautiful stuff!

Scott

Very delicate. Nice vocals.

Tom

Hey Wendy, love your vocal on this, as a whole it has a lullaby
quality that I like, good job.

Tony.

WENDY

We just lost a young friend who sang beautiful as well....She had a real unique voice...

I can see this being sped up.... I would encourage you to hook up with the right producer to make it current sounding but keeping the integrity of the song.......it would be great

But I said "RIGHT" producer......Even though it sounds great your audience would be limited & you would limit the song if it doesn't have a current arrangement..........IMO

Love it girl

Wendy,

Your lyrics are exceptional - sad and uplifting at the same time. The sweetness in your voice carries it well. Despite your criticism of the guitar, the simplicity adds to this song. I think the tempo is just right for this tune. Love it.

Clint

Hi Wendy,

If you do have this done by a "professional" don't let them over think it. The starkness and seeming simplicity of this lyric and melody are breathtaking. Achingly lovely. Thank you for sharing.

Ricki

Hi Wendy,
You have a beautiful voice. I would like to hear the finished version of this if you decide to add more production to it. Very nice as is though!! Steve

beautiful simplicity

Hey Mike,

Thanks for listening. I'm glad hearing it helped relieve some anxiety.

Hey John,

I love the Celtic Women. What an honor that would be to hear one of those beautiful voices singing my song. Thanks for listening and the nice compliment.

Scott,

I'm glad you liked this. I appreciate your saying that you enjoy my writing since I feel the same way about your stuff. That feels like a real feather in my cap! You really picked-up on the images and what I was trying to convey.

Tom,

Thanks for dropping in to listen and for complimenting my vocals!

Tony,

I've been told a few times that I should be singing lullabys, so maybe that's why I tend to gravitate toward these kinds of songs, I guess. Thanks for listening.

Steve,

I appreciate you taking the time to listen. I do really need some help with melodies. I haven't been playing guitar, or any instrument for that matter for very long, so my music is simple. I am thinking of getting some help with a couple of songs, so we'll see where all that goes. Thanks again!

Clint,

Thanks for listening. I appreciate your comments on the music. It's obviously not my strong point. Hopefully, I will get a bit better at it with time, but progress just seems so painfully slow sometimes. When writing this, I also had my sister in mind. She died at 18 and today was her birthday. I was also thinking of a parent who might have lost a child to drugs.

Ricki,

I'm flattered that you liked this. I really, really like your stuff and that makes my day. I don't know if I will have this done by a pro. Maybe someday.

Stephen,

Thanks for listening and complimenting my voice. Maybe someday I will get to produce some of my songs, but for now I guess I will have to just keep plugging away at it.

Thank Louis!

That means a lot to me coming from you because of all the people here on the boards, I think you are the master of beautifully simple songs. The thing is, sometimes simplicity is sometimes hard to achieve and it's also deceptive. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Wendy,
No need to apologize for the recording quality of your vocals. They sound really good.
I do get an Irish feel from this. But that can't be true you last name is DuMond!
I like your guts doing an AAA style song. Hard to pull off. But I think you did. Very nice.
Tom

I'm just stupefied. I meant to hear a few songs and review them. But I just gotta go now, and be quiet somewhere.

That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Tom,

Thanks for listening. I did not realize this was an AAA song. I recently got a book about songwriting and learned some of these terms. I was always a bit confused about this terminology because I thought it referred to the rhyme scheme and not the parts of the song. Obviously, I have not studied these nearly enough yet.

I guess I am Irish, but I think my people were protestants from Northern Ireland and actually came from Scotland. DuMond is my married name. My maiden name is Hacker, which I German, I believe. There are some Hackers in England too.

Wow, Mark! That's very high praise coming from you. It's funny, I started working on this shortly after I wrote Ruby. It was hard for me to get through it at first because I would always start crying about 2/3 of the way through it. I guess it's mostly about my sister but Al was present in my thoughts, along with my sister-in-law. Her young son got lost on drugs and eventually committed suicide. I was thinking too of broader things like youth or ideas even.

I was trying to incorporate some behaviors, like how birds tend to collect souvenirs and shiny objects and using them as metaphors for the departure of that person, and the rememberances you keep in your heart of them.

Anyway, glad you liked it.

Wendy,
You could be right on the AAA thing. I always thought it refered to a song of verses with no chorus or bridge.
Since you are a reader and a guitarist let me suggest the best book I ever read on songwriting. It sounds a bit hookey but it is called "How to write songs on guitar" by Rikky Rooksby.
I should read it once a month just to keep myself fresh.
Tom

Tom,

Thanks for the book info. Now I'm going to have to try and find that. I've been thinking of taking a songwriting course through either Song U or one of the other on-line classes out there. I've also been picking my guitar teacher's brain...

You were probably right about the AAA format. I just honestly did not know.

Wendy, I just wanted to say this is so beautiful.... I loved it As It is....You have a beautiful pure voice...so easy to listen to...and I thought your melody was perfectly fitting....

I listened a few days back...and just didn't make it here to tell you....

very best.......
KEEP WRITING........
Kaley

Kaley,

Thanks for commenting and listening. I saw your song this morning. I was listening last night but must have overlooked it. I love the words to yours and will come back to listen tonight. It really spoke to my heart, being a mom and feeling very much like my little girl is growing up.

I sent this to my aunt, who is a classically trained vocalist. She sent me back a lengthy critique of all my vocal errors and told to write something funny:)

Wendy

This is... this is... this is simply amazing! I am sitting here almost in tears. Your singing is simply haunting. The guitar is perfect I hear no warble at all. This really reminds me of Patsy Cline (quite a bit). I think you need to give yourself some more credit. You are an incredible musician and artist and this song shows it. Even if no one else is.. I'll always be a fan.
Derek

Wendy,

This is just beautiful. You have such a soft, pleasant voice. As has been said so many times already, the simplicity of the recording and your gorgeous voice make this a wonderful listen.

For commercial success, yeah, I contemporary arrangement would be better. But, dang...it's just wondeful as is!

Alan

Wendy,

this is written and performed beautifully...i'm fascinated by the lines below, how they so gently imply an unwarranted, untimely or self-destructive ending

It must have seemed like freedom
That bright and shining lie

Oh, little bird...
Your wings have been broken

But you couldn't know
Just what it was spawning


only suggestion...it could use a stronger ending

..ant

Hi Wendy

You have a voice that would touch anyone, absolutely beautiful song, that really touches your emotions. I will always be a fan, you could sing anything. Wow Wendy!

Love it!

Michele
Aussie fan from down under

Hi Wendy lovely song lovely voice. I think this is delicate and thought provoking. It can work as a childs lullaby or as a thought provoking moving song aimed at adults. It works with just the guitar alone but I think it could also be enhanced with a full production as well. The simple lines speak whole volumes. I hear what you say about the guitar playing but this is ok for a demo.
Being hypercritical the guitar is a bit jerky stop/start and it would really pay to have a pro lay down a good track for you.

Hi Wendy

I love the delicate simple sweetness of the lyric. It feels passionate and I know you were drawing a portrait from several sources, but the personal transcends and become universal. I cannot think of a better effect to come from words on a page. I read the lyric first !

The simple arrangement is powerful too and the thing I like most about your voice is the very Clear quality of sound. I think your aunt may be jealous

Keep playing and singing ! Everyday ! jm

Derek, Al, Big Jim, Michele, and Joice Marie, thanks so much for listening and commenting. I was just going to let this post fade into the sunset but thought that might be rude, so am only commenting to say thanks. This is one that I was really proud of initially, but now I keep hearing the mechanical sounding guitar playing, the lyrics which are too poetic, and my voice sounding very nasally. So anyway, thanks again. I appreciate your thoughts and comments.