Native Soil

[Barry Seymour]

Hi everyone, I'm back again. Got a new one, "Native Soil," about a world traveler returning home to Cumberland Gap, KY.

Song is largely written, although I'm open to lyric suggestions.

Looking for your thoughts on the recording itself. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Changed the solo, mastered the track.

 

Edited July 22 by Barry Seymour

[Barry Seymour]

Returning home after years away, from overseas I made my way
I walked the world then came back home, an old guitar and a book of poems
Roads are quiet, light is dim, the town is empty, look within
Up the rocks to the Pinnacle, the fog’s is something mythical

Fifty-Eight, and Twenty-Five E, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee
(At the) Old Mill Inn, the rivers roil, my roots are in this native soil

I have walked ten thousand years, I’m waiting for the smoke to clear
I wash my feet, the river cold, beneath the trees lay down my load
Friends and lovers, some are here, others gone, my near and dear      
The cemetery with Mawmaw Lou, can’t bring myself to visit you

Middlesboro and Harrowgate, sometimes crooked, sometimes straight
(But) some things here are still unspoiled, Cumberland, my native soil

I came back after years away, why I did I couldn’t say
What I seek still isn’t clear, maybe she’ll help me find it here

I’m hiking through the Gap again, (like) three hundred thousand other men
The land is green, the air is clear, I’m not the first to pass through here 
Look inside, I’m still alone, it does no good that I’ve come home
I don’t quite know what I’m lookin’ for, just wanna find what I found before

Fifty-Eight, and Twenty-Five E, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee
The day I leave this mortal coil, bury me in my native soil

Edited July 23 by Barry Seymour

[mark skinner]

Great writing Barry !  I love the way your lyrics smoothly tell a story and don't get sidetracked always keeping everything focused. 

As far as lyric suggestions ..  I think last verse  line "just wanna find what I Found before " could be changed to "had" before.  I also think "bury me in my native soil" could be brought back in again during the fade out.  

 Fantastic job.  Loved it ..   mark

[Barry Seymour]

3 hours ago, mark skinner said:

Great writing Barry !  I love the way your lyrics smoothly tell a story and don't get sidetracked always keeping everything focused. 

As far as lyric suggestions ..  I think last verse  line "just wanna find what I Found before " could be changed to "had" before.  I also think "bury me in my native soil" could be brought back in again during the fade out.  

 Fantastic job.  Loved it ..   mark

Thanks. I went back and forth between 'found' and 'had,' settled on found. The idea is not to find the same thing, but something like it.

I actually spent a crap ton of time writing, rewriting, revising. More, I think, than any other song of mine.

I do like the idea of repeating that line during the fade out...

 

 

[Kevin Walsh]

Love the lyrics, the mix was really clean and I love the way you captured that acoustic guitar. Also dug the string solo, I guess it's been the Beatles since I've heard one of those lol. More of these please!

[Wookiee]

Love the mix Barry, very clear and crisp. Good instrument definition.

Excellent song writing too.

What did you use for the violin?

[Barry Seymour]

58 minutes ago, Wookiee said:

Love the mix Barry, very clear and crisp. Good instrument definition.

Excellent song writing too.

What did you use for the violin?

Free plugin called BBC orchestra. I used it both for the brass and the strings.

[Barry Seymour]

5 hours ago, Wookiee said:

Love the mix Barry, very clear and crisp. Good instrument definition.

Excellent song writing too.

What did you use for the violin?

Do you think the strings sound too fakey?

[Barry Seymour]

23 hours ago, Kevin Walsh said:

Love the lyrics, the mix was really clean and I love the way you captured that acoustic guitar. Also dug the string solo, I guess it's been the Beatles since I've heard one of those lol. More of these please!

Thanks. I'll ask you the same question I asked Wookiee - do the strings sound real enough to you? I'm worried they don't.

[Wookiee]

3 hours ago, Barry Seymour said:

Do you think the strings sound too fakey?

A little but creating good solo strings from string libraries is tricky. If you intend to do more there are a couple of really good, fairly priced libraries. Has the library got any key switches they can real add to the authenticity of such libraries. 

But don't worry this works.

[Barry Seymour]

58 minutes ago, Wookiee said:

A little but creating good solo strings from string libraries is tricky. If you intend to do more there are a couple of really good, fairly priced libraries. Has the library got any key switches they can real add to the authenticity of such libraries. 

But don't worry this works.

I rather doubt it. It is BBC Orchestra, but it's free. I suspect there's only so much I can do with this.  I may try an acoustic guitar solo again. Still thinking.

[Kevin Walsh]

I'm not the right guy to comment on the quality of string libraries. I did a song with the SI Strings virtual instrument and thought it sounded super. 😃

That said, an acoustic solo would sound great too.

[steve@baselines.com]

A really good listen Barry - I always like your lyrics.  I think you should go with your instincts about the strings.  To me, the song is already good without them, but maybe they just need to be pulled back a little.

Steve

 

[Bajan Blue]

On 7/23/2025 at 5:32 PM, Wookiee said:

A little but creating good solo strings from string libraries is tricky. If you intend to do more there are a couple of really good, fairly priced libraries. Has the library got any key switches they can real add to the authenticity of such libraries. 

But don't worry this works.

Hi Barry

Really like the song and loved the lyrics.

Agree with Wookie re the String Solo - can be very difficult indeed unless you have a really good library - Guitar solo would work for me!

Cool Stuff

Nigel

 

[Barry Seymour]

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback. Here's the final, released version.
 

 

[treesha]

Between the song, the lyrics, the instruments and the video, I really feel the sense of place. Enjoyed the visit. Re strings, for me, real strings sound like real strings and synthy/vst/inexpensive ones have a sound that is them, and I don’t mind that sound. Been used in many famous songs. Some expensive string vsts in the right hands probably sound fantastically real, I don’t think I could ever achieve that level of proficiency and I really dont mind the sound synthy strings make. 

[Barry Seymour]

46 minutes ago, treesha said:

Between the song, the lyrics, the instruments and the video, I really feel the sense of place. Enjoyed the visit. Re strings, for me, real strings sound like real strings and synthy/vst/inexpensive ones have a sound that is them, and I don’t mind that sound. Been used in many famous songs. Some expensive string vsts in the right hands probably sound fantastically real, I don’t think I could ever achieve that level of proficiency and I really dont mind the sound synthy strings make. 

Thanks, T. I tried to make it a journey. Would love to go there some day.

[Morenoize]

Hi Barry , nice one , tune and vocals and lyrics. Would have liked a n acoustic guitar solo on top of the strings.

 

Rik