The Ballad of Nate Phelps

Inspired by a brave and good man.

I guess I could have left the meaning of this song a little ambiguous and titled it something else, but I liked this title too much even though it stretches the meaning of "ballad" well beyond the breaking point. It's an unruly mess of a song, but Mr. Phelps has had an unruly life. For myself, I'm pleased I managed to pull it together into something song-like at all.

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posted by valrus (3 comments total)

Oh shit, I just realized this song could sort of fit the theme for the October Challenge.
posted by valrus at 8:34 PM on October 9, 2012

Ace! This is really good. The music is exciting and the lyrics are tight. I played it twice. I think it could do with a hard (instrumental? developed from the intro? or the passage between 2:07 and 2:24 but with beats?) coda. I thought it would pick up again after the half-time bit, but it never did.
posted by cincinnatus c at 2:09 PM on October 12, 2012

Thanks! Interesting comment, too; my brother told me he really liked the ending, and I kind of do as well; in a way I like how it reflects the peace Mr. Phelps seems to have found at this point in his life. But I also have to admit my decision to end it in the way I did could have just been because I was tired of working on it!
posted by valrus at 11:17 PM on October 13, 2012