[Paulski]

Yet another ballad - not mastered and still needing tweaks - but maybe can ask you kind folks for some early feedback?
I thank you in advance if you take the time to listen  

https://soundcloud.com/paulcanuck/shadow-puppets

Shadow Puppets

Children playing with a light in the hall
Little hands cast silhouettes on the wall

There's a rabbit
There's a camel
There's a frog
There's a cat with funny ears
No, it's a dog

Laugh and giggle, make 'em say crazy things
Make them wiggle, make them bigger, make 'em shrink

There's a rabbit
There's a camel
There's that frog!
There's a cat with funny ears
No! - it's a dog!

Innocence gets lost
Where does it go?
Maybe those shadow puppets know

Life is fleeting, soon I'll draw a final breath
A setting sun peeks through the curtains at my bed

A fuzzy image on my covers now appears
It's a dog. No, it's a cat with funny ears

Innocence gets lost
But it comes home
It's just as I suspected all along
Only our shadow puppets know
Only our shadow puppets know

[PaulAds]

This is lovely.

Just one thing for me...I did think the string pad (?) gave it a slight whiff of Camembert which is a shame because everything else about the song is brilliant...piano, melody, lyric and vocal are all top drawer.

Even a reduction in level of the strings, if you thought they needed keeping?

It's a great song   

[Binladeda]

 Ahh Paul 

 I wish I'd written this...just fantastic my friend.

 A great legacy piece for the grandkids, and I know
 you've got loads of them

 I was moved    You don't have to touch this one
 as far as I'm concerned...Beautiful and elegant, just
 love it 

[rightly]

Reading the lyrics I didn't know what to make of it
I knew it had something.

Listening to it was an expected revelation,
and a very enjoyable one at that.

you're one of my favourites on here. Keep on rolling!

[PaulyX]

Hi Paul, you already know from the Lyrics board that I thought the words to this were top notch (the blend of happy/sad images) so great to hear the finished article.  I like the delivery too - to me it feels like a classic show tune (I could well imagine this in a 50s movie or on a Broadway stage...).  I wouldn't change anything if that's the kind of vibe you were shooting for. First class vocals and piano - nice one.

[adamfarr]

Very moving indeed. Your translation onto the piano didn't lose any of the impact of the lyrics (on the contrary).

I liked the strings during the verses, but not so much in the break around 1'19" or at the end. For some reason for those higher register parts I wanted to hear a flute! (No idea where I got that idea...)

[LostBoy]

Really lovely melody to this one Paul. Fantastic lyrics in my opinion. Great piano, I like,but don't love the strings,which is useless to you really I know. Its a personal pref thing but I like what the strings play but not the type of strings. Otherwise glorious mate!

[mickyplankton]

This is outstanding. Your best yet in my opinion Paul. Pure class. The melody is beautiful and interplay between the piano and vocals is wonderful. It is so atmospheric too. Production spot on too. Well done you.

[Movin Flavour]

Wow Paul,

If Disney are looking for songs....they should be calling you.( maybe this one is too sad for them)

Your piano ballads are always lovely..

Short....but just right


Sandeep

[pompeyjazz]

This has a lovely melody Paul and I admire your sentiments. Like Sandeep I  can just envisage this in a Disney film. You certainly can knock out those melodies

[Skub]

Yo Paulski.

I can easily imagine this song on the soundtrack of something like Monsters Inc,you do a fine Randy Newman. 

Charming and endearing. It manages the subject without being mawkish. I love it.

A quality piece of writing right there,Paul. 

[Paulski]

Thanks are due ...

@PaulAds - hey Paul I had to google camembert  I had hoped more than a whiff of cheese would be present!  Yeah I need to sweeten those strings - there are no effects on them now so hopefully I can ripen that cheese smell a bit. Thanks for the kind words sir!

@Binladeda Hi bin - well that's high praise from someone of your stature  Pleased you saw some value in this one. I hope your gran would like it too 

@Rightly - back at ya on the favourites thingy  Cheers for the kind words.

@PaulyX - cheers Paul and thanks for the nice comments. I don't really shoot for any vibe - most of the time I just shoot in the dark and if I hit something it's an accident  But I'll take a movie/show tune comparison anytime!

@adamfarr - thanks Adam. So the strings work in places not in others? good to know. Hope I can improve them all around. If you want a flute though you will have to play it for me 

@LostBoy thanks Leo - esp appreciate the piano/lyrics comments. Yep message received on the strings - still learning those ropes..

@mickyplankton - thank you micky - very kind of you to say that. I don't deserve such praise but I'll bask in it shamelessly anyway 

@Movin Flavour - cheers Sandeep! "Disney on line one" would be a nice thing to hear 

@pompeyjazz Hi John and thanks for that. I always worry my melodies are stolen - I think we all do - but glad to hear it works OK here.

@skub - I love Randy Newman! Putting me in the same sentence as him makes my day!  Thank you sir! Now I'm off to google "mawkish"...  >

[tina m]

Paul you old softie... such a lovely song  
You are a consummate songwriter...the way this changes from silly to serious, is brilliant & very moving..
Beautiful writing, it is very Randy Newman & i could hear it in the next Toy Story...
in fact I can imagine a new toy to compliment Woody & Buzz called Paulski the piano playing moose!
Loved it!

[Graemepryce]

Wow . . . this is different!

It sounds like something from a musical - in a good way!

Pros - A very confident recording! Very, very unique and different too. I like that a LOT. I've listened to a few tracks on this site today and this one really cut through everything else and will stand out in my memory. I enjoyed the piano parts loads too.

Cons - It's very short! Some people may like that aspect of it though. It builds very nicely, but I was left feeling a little short changed. A little bit of a guitar part towards the end might have wrapped it up nicely, but maybe that is just a personal thing.

You might like to know - I had a smile on my face from the first few seconds that lasted through. I love to hear people writing things that genuinely break the mould, like this. When I hear a tune like this I know that the writer is using their skills and imagination to write what THEY want their song to sound like - not what they think other people want them to write. Not sure I've entirely articulated exactly what I mean by that there, but I hope you understand anyway!

I'm very, very, very impressed. :-)

[Darren1664]

*stands and applauds*

I remember reading the lyrics and liking how they were both fun and deep and I was curious how it would work in the song. You have a wonderful way of performing where you really put across the feelings of the song through the tone of your voice. It's very mesmerising. And at points this song made me smile and in others it left me reflecting on life. It's so deep and meaningful whilst still being fun and to pull that off I have to applaud you. This is a beautiful piece of music.