[habiTat]

Hi guys,

Some of you may have read the lyrics for this which I posted last Monday. I watched his ascent and jump live on the net and was inspired to write this. I subsequently realised that it might be good to do a recording and get it up on Youtube...pronto. The actual event grabbed 8 million viewers and some bloke doing another tribute has managed about 25 thousand hits.  

As it turns out though, I reckon I massively missed the boat for all that and have managed about ten views in the last three days, and some were me   (despite a massive list of TAGS based on Mr Nighthawk's thread on that subject)

Anyways, I wrote it and recorded it in a mini blast of creativity and it's there now. The video and audio are slightly out of sync (stupid magix  ) but it is what it is, with my ugly mug and a regrettably untidy spare room  

I have so many songs now which need further work but while I'm inspired to write, I'll write  
I am hoping to put together an album once I've mastered my DAW and the stereo field stuff, so any suggestions would be welcome.

I've added the soundcloud link as well if you don't want to look at me (there is some unintentional 'eyes closed' singing   )  

hab..

http://soundcloud.com/habitatsongs/little-man-my-tribute-to-felix

How must it feel
To float into space
To stand on the edge
The sun on your face
What must you think
Of heaven and hell
The words we believe
The stories we tell

When you are there
On top of it all
What's in your mind
As you wait to fall
Just a little man
Looking down you can see
All the little men
With our wars and disease

Felix have you found
What you're looking for
Has it opened your eyes
Or were you hoping for more
Felix are you pleased
With all you achieved
Or will you take your balloon...
And fall from the moon?

That moment before
You stepped off the edge
Did your heart skip a beat
As you stood on the ledge
And then as you fell
you passed your own sound
That little man tumbling
Fast to the ground

We all stood in awe
We all held our breath
As the little man flew
And defied his own death
Feet on the ground
Standing so tall
Talk to the world
You've shown us we're small

[tina m]

first of all shame on you for videoing the room in that state your wife will probly not talk to you for a month when she sees her house presented in that state on youtube!
secondly i love your baby vids ...the first baby is always soooo special!  
i dont blame you riding on this blokes 5 minutes of fame personaly i think he shouldve  changed his name to something more marketable like Felix Skyfall to tie in with the new Bond film...what a mug him missing that!
im being unfair you were obviously realy impressed with his daredevil thing & it is  a very good lyric  so yes your song sounds perfect for the sort of thing people will love to hear..... if only you could have sung it suspended from the ceiling somhow  

[habiTat]

first of all shame on you for videoing the room in that state your wife will probly not talk to you for a month when she sees her house presented in that state on youtube!
secondly i love your baby vids ...the first baby is always soooo special! 
i dont blame you riding on this blokes 5 minutes of fame personaly i think he shouldve  changed his name to something more marketable like Felix Skyfall to tie in with the new Bond film...what a mug him missing that!
im being unfair you were obviously realy impressed with his daredevil thing & it is  a very good lyric  so yes your song sounds perfect for the sort of thing people will love to hear..... if only you could have sung it suspended from the ceiling somhow 

Hehe, thanks Tina. Yep, I'm def regretting not tidying up, (shhh, other half hasn't seen it yet )

(the little monkey is almost a year now.. they said it would get easier!  at the end of the song, you can actually hear her cry from the other room, and see my eyes roll haha  )

And you're right about his name, he could have got sponsorship from the fim for being called James Skyfall    I'm not sure I fancy playing guitar while hanging from the ceiling, it's hard enough anyway 

hab..

[James Nighthawk]

At 4.00 exactly I swear I could hear a baby crying in the background. Is that what made this the "final" take, duty calls!! Hehehe

Good stuff here. The main picking pattern is hypnotic. The chorus breaks it up nicely. The decending "tonic -- drop through semi-tone/tone --to relative minor" motif is done to death, but I have used it once or twice too, as I am sure we all have, so it can be excused if not used too often!!   

Melodies work, lyrics are a poetic ode that shines brightly!

And re the tags, I would also put this on twitter. Search which #tag is trending for him. Post the song and then #tag it a few times, you might get some hits that way.

Nowt wrong with "eyes closed" singing if it helps you pitch. I do it often. It only pisses me off when pop stars do it for fake "meaning" to songs they didn't write. Or worse, when miming!!!!

God, I sound like Tinam. Moan moan moan

(love ya really Ms Crazy! x)

[Boydie]

The song is ok

There is nothing "special" in the melody and it is predictable stuff over a pretty standard set of chords

However, the vocal performance was the stand out for me, absolutely stunning - by far your best so far IMHO

[seriousfun]

Was thinking of doing a balloon jump myself next week. But I'll be doing it without a parachute, I'll just have a bucket of water placed strategically in the backyard to give me something to aim for.

I will be looking for a theme song to accompany my recording of my momentous jump and I would be honoured if you could write something this beautiful for my fall, plummet, dive, whatever.

PS: if I stop posting here you will know that I missed the bucket and therefore no recording will be required.

Kudos on the song, well written and superbly well sung sir.

[Schavuitje]

I really enjoyed this for the same reason as Boydie.
Very nice vocals   
Think the song theme is great too.

To Tina - Now I know I will never post a live video on youtube if you think that's untidy... 

[jim morrison]

Very cool song mate and well sung

[Kafla]

Very nice haunting / ethereal melody habitat

It's crying out for an out there spacey synth arrangement to compliment your superb fingerpicking

I am always impressed with this type of focused songwriting - it's hard to make it credible but you did

This lyric particularly resonated with me

Just a little man
Looking down you can see
All the little men
With our wars and disease

A very good effort my friend  

[Michael]

I have to admit, I can't really understand the whole Felix Baumgartner hype that's been going on in all the media lately, but that's not what this is about...

The lyrics are really beautiful, the only thing I don't like about them is the direct addressing of Felix, I realize this is a tribute song, it's just something that does not quite fit in for me personally.

The vocals are outstanding, they really made this song for me!

It's crying out for an out there spacey synth arrangement to compliment your superb fingerpicking

I second that proposal! I really hope you decide to develop the song further and I'm looking forward to hearing the result

[tina m]

stuff the synth what you need is to do  that bit in wholelotta love where robot plants sounds likes jumped of a hi building.... its at the end

[digger72]

Hi Habitat,

Nice tune. Cracking vocal.
"Felix, have you found what you're looking for?" Could you imagine how powerful this line would be if he'd not survived?

Good stuff.

Digger

[habiTat]

The lyrics are really beautiful, the only thing I don't like about them is the direct addressing of Felix, I realize this is a tribute song, it's just something that does not quite fit in for me personally.

I could alter it maybe..?

"I wonder, have you found
what you're looking for"

Might look into that..

Thanks for all the nice comments on the vocal guys, it means a lot

I'll consider the synthy idea for the proper record.

thanks again

[danproducerman]

Hey there

Just watched the youtube vid and have to say for me the stand out part for me are the vocals which sound great! Being new to these forums, not sure if anybody else has said this to you but the tone of your vocals, certainly in this song remind me of Neil Young in places.

Repetitive guitar riff is nice and on first listen I was hoping the song might go somewhere else than what it did. But having listened to it a 2nd and 3rd time I have to say I'm happy that it stays on the path it's on as somebody else said it's kind of hypnotic which I like!

I also agree with a previous point about mentioning Felix's name in the song. I'd prefer it without the name which would just help make it that more universal as a song. Just my opinion. Also really liked the higher notes you sing in the final chorus - nice progression.

Overall a nice mellow sounding track! 

[andy5544]

yep !! strike while the irons hot and make hay while the suns shining etc.

ive  liked all the stuff you've done , and this is no exception , great song , you have a very relaxing voice. i would like to hear a few with the full blown band behing them .

funny how people dont look like they sound , i thought you'd have a bigger nose 

good tune .