great work/cool folk/one the best/crystal crisp track/true to style

I broke a leg bone (femur) in May of 2022. I wrote the song as I lay in a hospital bed and sedated with a mild dose of morphine. About a week after the operation, a physio nurse had come into my room to go over some exercises. To be honest, she was quite pretty and she seemed a bit suggestive with respect to "if I would be up for some exercise".  Probably just the morphine but it got the lyrical part of my brain turning and from that came most of the verses.  I managed to type them into an email on my phone and send it to myself. I had to make some alterations but this is gave me a solid start.  The music came later, as did the final changes to the verses. The outro just came as an inspiration during the recording.  It might have sounded better if I had done the 3 parts about a dozen times but I left it the way it was on the first takes. 

There were a lot of small events which gave the final direction to this song, including an interesting road sign just south of High River, AB.

Rough Road  (a.k.a. The Broken Femur Blues)
==========

[INTRO]

Ya  it's a shame, too late in the game
To find any thunder in this lightning bolt.
It'd be a nice surprise, but by the look in your eyes
That’d be all she wrote.  Ya, it’s a long, rough road.

Still I remember . . . lying there in pain,
Unable to stand, my face in the dirt.
I just couldn't decide , was it really my pride
Or my hip that was hurt.   Ya, it’s a long, rough road.

[SOLO]

[BRIDGE]
They say there's no gain
Without a little pain
The plan was never to gain a lot.
Just sing me a song and then move on and be happy with what I got.

So I ended up . . . in an ambulance ride
And a surgeon ready to cut in.
Some x-rays pics and sister morphine doing her tricks
A lag bolt and steel pin . . . Ya, it’s a long, rough road.

I walked with 4 wheels then I walked with a cane (asking myself)
Will I ever be the same again?
Well it took me seven months to stand on my own.
If life was easy, it wouldn’t be such a long, rough road.

[OUTRO]
Without the pain . . . without the pain
Without the pain, it wouldn’t be such a long, rough road.

Words and Music copyright Rick Engler
Photo and Reproduction copyright Rick Engler
Mixed in Cuckos Reaper on a PC
Audio Input using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd gen)
Vocals and Harmonica: Shure SM58
Acoustic Guitar: direct input using amp modelling VST
Keyboards: Casio with Addictive Keys VST

Rough Road

Rough Road (Original)

Wild frenzied flute solo - as can occasionally happen when warming up before a 'first take'....just had to keep it..glad I pressed record!
Flutezilla was born!

FLUTEZILLA

Breaking Through

;-L’Ombre De La Lumière-;

Bender

ᚎ Shadow snakes in the jade of the foliage kissed by the lunar light and dances the pixie poured by your creative breath, vital vice, violent virtue, like these fangs in your sudden smile ᚎ

Komorebi No Tsuki

End Of Party

Urkesh

In Memoriam and as a Lasting Tribute to the Late Great, Allen Bailey....Gone, but Never Forgotten. This is a wonderful Allen Bailey Original Tune that I just loved from the moment I first heard it. I sent some ideas for a Collab contribution to Allen, and he graciously re-recorded to allow me to better integrate my vocals, guitar, drums, etc... We liked how it sounded, and then Gabe Vanore of VanGabriel Production took this one to another level for us. Thanks, Allen and Gabe for pushing this one down the rails, and for letting me ride this rather magical train. I feel genuinely privileged to have been a contributor on this joyful project.

Last Train - Ft. Allen G Bailey (RIP - Dear Friend) - VanGabriel Production Mix

01 - NI - STRAYLIGHT - Exquisite Pulse
02 - SA - HCT - Earth Rumbles [Grid] - Industrial Grit
03 - SA - HCT - In The Light [Grid]

In The Light

i work for the county

(lookout rock recording co.)
dogcrossing96@gmail

i work for the county

the Dog of the North

Recent comments

Walkin' in Pa's Footsteps

schitzo

openuniversitybeard

Related tracks