Last night the car ahead of us in our lane moved into the exit-only lane, then back into our lane, then back into the exit-only lane. He seemed to want to be in both lanes simultaneously, and the phrase "Schrödinger's Car" came to mind[1].
SCHRÖDINGER'S CAR
Saw a Buick Riviera, drivin' late last night
I saw a Buick Riviera, drivin' late last night
He was in the left lane and at the same time in the right
He was drivin' in the fast lane, and he was also in the slow
Said he was drivin' in the fast lane, and he was also in the slow
Passed himself a couple times, how he did it I don't know
Goin' uphill was a dump truck, you could hear the gear box grind
Goin' uphill was a dump truck, you could hear the gear box grind
That Buick passed it on the left, and on the right at the same time
Well I finally reached my exit 'bout the break of dawn
Yeah I finally reached my exit about the break of dawn
That Buick took that exit but he also drove right on
I asked my good friend Erwin, tell me how can this be
I asked my good friend Erwin, please tell me how can this be
Erwin just laughed and told me, son it's no mystery
You must have been driving on old State Route 89
He said, you must have been driving on old State Route 89
That road's just half an angstrom wide, stuff like that happens all the time
[1] I am of course not the first to come up with this phrase; there's even a poem by this name: http://www.thylazine.org/thyla11/ptcd.html
Needs a chorus. What are you contemplating for the sound? I'm thinking a spaced-out version of Hot Rod Lincoln.
Does this thread constitute a new category?
Excuse me, "Schrödinger's Car" - an opportunity to use the umlaut when it is not superfluous!
I kinda hear this one as a straight blues pattern.
Sort of like this: http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SCarGo.mp3
Fits the lyric pattern anyway.
Sets an appropriate mood! Late night on the highway, weird stuff happening... Not to contaminate the creative process, but I'm reminded of http://members.cox.net/majorzed1/eerie_freeway.mp3, a song I got from MP3.com last millenium.
Shiny is good, right?
I can pursue this direction if you would like. I can take a shot at singing, or if you would like I can layout the music for you to do it, or sub-contract to someone else.
Let me know...
You know, it would be kind of amusing if the song started out very dirty blues-rock, in atypical fashion, but on later verses, another theme in a completely different style started to play at the same time... so that the song was simultaneously blues-rock and, say, rock opera, or techno, or something. The opposite of low-down blues-rock, whatever that might be.
I'm kind of hearing the first style as old Tull, the second style as... Queen?
So basically Shrödinger's in the music itself. I thought about that too.
Sounds like a collaborative project to me...
Of course you knew that if I liked it, I would trash it in my attempt to improve upon it.
I like it.
So here goes...
It would be more interesting if the singer was more than just an observer, but participated in the action as well. The other guy passes him, then he catches up and they have a very strange race?
More quantum puns and imagery. Start out by setting the mood, driving late at night "through an improbable fog" or something. During the race, pray to "Saint Wolfgang" that the two cars don't occupy the same place at the same time. Werner the cop, at the speed trap by the side of the road, hits them with radar but the first reading he can't tell where they are and the second how fast. Comment on "entanglement" in the heat of the race. License plate "h bar over two pi." A Dodge Neon or Saturn Ion or some other more suitable automobile. Etc.
The repetition of the first verse in each section has its tradition, but my philosphy is that it's a waste of bandwidth. Repeat the first half, but modify the second. For example,
*I asked my good friend Erwin, tell me how can this be
*I asked my good friend Erwin, what the hbar happened to me
Etc. Well, if you're not completely disgusted at this point, I may think on it some more.
Yah, I know; h bar over two pi is redundant.
Perhaps if it was done so that it sounds like when to radio stations on the same frequency are equidistant and the different songs fade in and out. The key on this would be to sync the BPM and key so that it was not too discordant.
I definitely think it should start blues. But what should the other part be? Techno Rave? Ambient Chill? Other?
Perhaps a simultaneous fusion of styles, like blues guitar and chord sequence over a techno beat/ There are a lot of permutations possible, and most of them would sound horrible. Skill and taste required in desiging this.
If going with the alternating-in-time approach, perhaps it could be synced with changes in perspective in the lyrics, e.g., the narrator speaking in first person, focusing on his experience would be in blues, and then in third person describing the action could be something else.
Re simultaneous fusion... I'm going to go back to Moby's Play and see if I can dig up an inspiring track.
Hm, well, I myself am not particularly interested in working on such a rewrite; but you can of course feel free to follow your inspiration. So can Charlie or anyone else. I like version multiplicity.
While I'm not asserting the lyrics can't be improved, I personally like them as they are. I think a straightforward blues rendition would work fine. I'm not sure a more clever approach to the arrangement wouldn't collapse under its own weight -- but IBC people have surprised me before.
I have zero problem with changing the vehicle nameplate -- "Buick Riviera" was the first I came up with that fit the (admittedly loose) meter (three trochees). "Purple Saturn Ion" or "beat up old Dodge Neon" would fit too. Though while they're more quantum-y, they're less blues-y. Let's see, "Cougar" is neither quantum-y nor blues-y, but it is a cat...
I may take a first shot at the simple version, straight blues.
Then we can play with what things would either blend or fit on top of it.
>>15
>>16
Here's some inspiration for the blues/techno fusion idea. Not that I personally like all of these, but they provide a proof of concept - it can be done:
http://members.cox.net/majorzed1/Why%20Does%20My%20Heart%20Feel%20So%20Bad-.mp3
http://members.cox.net/majorzed3/Honey.mp3
http://members.cox.net/majorzed3/Natural%20Blues.mp3
http://members.cox.net/majorzed/Run_On.mp3
http://members.cox.net/majorzed/Find%20My%20Baby.mp3
This could probably use some polish, but I wanted to get it out there.
SCHRÖDINGER'S CAR 2.0
I was cruisin' down the highway, 'bout 3 a.m. or so
I was cruisin' down the highway, quite a few more miles to go
An improbable fog came over - I should have known to take slow
A yellow Saturn Ion, he had come up pretty fast
A yellow Saturn Ion, I wondered how long this would last
His headlights filled the mirror - and then he hit the gas
H bar omega e, that familiar plate was bright
H bar omega e, looking for another fight
The Ion passed me on the left - and at the same time, on the right
<modulate up>
I jammed it to the floorboards, like a hound dog on a chase
I jammed it to the floorboards, just tryin' to keep the pace
I prayed to old Saint Wolfgang - keep me in my proper place
<back down>
My tach was on the red line, when the road got pretty rough
My tach was on the red line, there was a roadblock coming up!
There were only two gaps open - and neither big enough
I slammed the brakes in time, but I knew there's something wrong
I slammed the brakes in time, but that Ion flew along
He headed for that roadblock - then somehow went beyond
I was sober in the morning, so I went to see my kin
I was sober in the morning, Uncle Erwin waved me in
I parked behind his Ion - while he stood there with a grin
<modulate up>
I shook my head and asked him, tell me how can this be true
I shook my head and asked him, <speaking> What in the holy name of h over two pi happened to you?
Old Erwin laughed and told me - I thought by now you knew
He said, it's why I love it, that old State Route 65
He said, it's why I love it, with that late night quantum ride
The road's just half an angstrom wide - that stuff* happens all the time
<slower>
The road's just half an angstrom wide - stuff like that happens all the time
Here is an initial cut:
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrödingersCar.mp3
Let me know what you think...
404
Apparently the ö is not kosher for URLs.
Try
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrodingersCar.mp3
Tasty! Sounds like it was performed live on stage, which is good.
Mind if I steal the instrumental parts so I can record my own lyrics? Do you have a SHS4-compatible CWP holding this all together? If yes to both, please send. Recommend via yousendit.com, either to majorzedmusic at hotmail (majorzed.com no longer forwards email) or to yourself and just post the link here.
Here is the project:
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrodingersCar.zip
It is a bit big (87MB).
Also, if you want to play with doing a techno blend on the original (you seem to be pretty good at that stuff) feel free.
I think this song appropriately should many versions.
Just because I can't leave anything alone, here is a mix 2:
Basically I just added a bit of reverb and depth to the sound.
Let me know which version you think is better (and even why if you feel like it).
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrodingersCar2.mp3
I like the second better. Is the tinkering just on the instrumental tracks? I can hear it there but the vocal track sounds about the same -- which is fine, I think additional reverb on the vocals would not be an improvement. Anyway, my vote's for #2.
Reverb good. Glaceverb?
Regular reverb (Jazz Club setting) on the vocals and rhythm guitar parts. Glaceverb on the lead guitar plus the inherent reverb on that guitar sound.
Cool. I'm slowly working my way into my own version. Yours appears to be in the key of G Major? Please verify.
I wasn't entirely happy with the vocals (mostly timing), so I re-did them with a bit different style voice. Also there was some sloppy bits in the lead.
So here is:
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrodingersCar3.zip
404 again...
Helps if one puts in the right URL: (Copied the zip url instead of the mp3 url.)
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrodingersCar3.mp3
Nice, vocals are indeed better.
Respectfully, sorry to disagree. You're trying for Tom Waits and it just doesn't sound as genuine as the original.
Hmm. I wasn't specifically trying to sound like Waits. I was just trying for a bit more grit.
I think at least the timing of the delivery was better.
Also hmm. How to resolved contradictory reviews...
...Get more reviews? Or go with the opinion of the guy who wrote the first post in the thread.
?!Charlie has been putting me to shame, posting version after version. Here's a taste of what I'm working on, even though the first release (with my lyrics and voice) is still a week or two away: http://members.cox.net/majorzed1/MZSample.mp3
Ooh, I like the drums and bass line! It's got that train-car blues feel to it. I don't have an extensive drum selection so I tend to rely on the rhythm guitar a lot of the time.
At some point I may want to borrow back the work you have done.
I am looking forward to the finished product.
You can have the whole bundle once I put it together. Did I understand (>>37) that you redid parts of the lead guitar? What parts? I plan to use most or all of your guitar work.
I'm sticking to my guns -- I like the new vocals a bit better. Not lots better, both are good, but I prefer the new.
One nitpick though.
In the second verse, the whole verse falls flat if the listener doesn't catch the first word ("passed") of the last line. Which is a fault of the lyrics writing, I suppose. Anyway, that word has to come through clearly -- and it doesn't; it's weak. If you decide to do yet another version, or just to redo that verse, I recommend paying attention to that.
It's interesting how you chose to stretch the duration of the last line of the song... I know there are more syllables in it than in most or all of the other lines, but I just heard them as going faster (mostly eighth notes instead of quarter notes)... not objecting, just noting my amusement at a different take on how to execute it...
I will check it out. The last line is tough. I haven't quite gotten it figured yet, but I will try out your suggestion.
I am happy to try out different things until I get it right...
Collaborative work requires many iterations.
Slightly adjusted version 3.
I think I got the "passed" a bit better.
I also tried the last line phrasing a bit differently.
http://www.spaceroom.org/music/Interrobang/SchrodingersCar.mp3
It was for the second part of the lead break. There was a really weak run that bothered me alot. I am not sure that what I got is what I want but it is better. The challenges of working off a work in progress...
I will try to put that up for you pretty soon.
Another minor update using AGAGAGA suggestion. Use URL in >>50
Also I put up a new ShrodingersCar.zip in the same directory.
Contains full project so it is big.
Thanks!
Yes, I'm still working on this. See my post on LJ:
http://majorzed.livejournal.com/25461.html
?!Charlie - did you get the email I sent you last Sunday?
Looks like it stuck in my GMail spam box. I recovered it, and made sure to add you in my list.
I will try to send you some feedback in the next day or so.
Thanks for the feedback. Just about moving into mixing now....
Yes, still working on it. Just about got to the point where there is no more to be added, and now it's all about levels, EQ, and FX. I hope. See http://majorzed.livejournal.com/tag/schrodinger for details.
Schrödingers Car (Relative State Version) now in prerelease. Read about it at http://majorzed.livejournal.com/32027.html
"Schrödinger's Car (Relative State Version)" added to my usual sites (http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=984351&t=3653 and http://music.download.com/majorzed/3600-8702-100095606.html). This is the same version that was put out in prerelease >>61, but that file will be deleted sooner or later.
Fantastic! It's now up on the podcast, too!