I wrote the lyrics and melody for Convalescence, but did not record my own version of the song. Instead I paid Douglas Haines to record it for me:

Song Title: Convalescence


Click Here to download the MP3 file for Convalescence

Convalescence

Verse 1:
"We need to talk"
that's how the conversation began
those are never good words
uttered by a woman or a man

She told me she loved me
but in love she was not
that it was time to move on
we'd given it our best shot

Then to top it off
she said we could still be friends
and she'd come back later
to pick up her little odds and ends

I sat there stunned
taken completely by surprise
could feel tears of sadness
welling up in my eyes

The walls of my soul
began to crack and crumble
all I could do was respond
in an idiotic mumble

As she walked away
I just sat and stared
she'll never really know
how much that I cared

That she rocked my world
made my life complete
when I stared into her eyes
my heart skipped a beat

Now I'm all alone
in the darkness of night
only ashes remain
where there once was light

Chorus:
God help me
God help me through
this emotional convalescence
heal me and take away the pain
you give me comfort with your presence

Verse 2:
Like that injured English Patient
all alone I convalesce
haunted by the memories
I tried so hard to repress

I move from room to room
take your photos off the wall
trying to make believe
you never existed at all

But everywhere I go
I still see your face
I hope the passage of time
gives me some breathing space

Will I get back in the game
and someday fall in love?
Will I walk through fire
when push comes to shove?

I know all this hurt
has only made me stronger
wallowing in self-pity
I can live with no longer

So I'll do what it takes
to regroup and recover
find my own way out
from where the storm clouds hover

Maybe tomorrow
will be a brand new day
the ghosts of my past
I will wash away

I'll breath in the air
and lay out in the sun
feel the peace of knowing
a new chapter's begun

Chorus:
God help me
God help me through
this emotional convalescence
heal me and take away the pain
you give me comfort with your presence

Lift me up
show me the way
help me to try to understand
when all hope dies and faith is lost
we just need a helping hand

Outro:
God help me
God help me through
this emotional convalescence
heal me and take away the pain
you give me comfort with your presence

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Reviews of Convalescence on the ReverbNation.com Crowd Review service (Song Score: 6.2 out of 10):

• Soft guitar stars the song and immediately moves to vocals. The artist has a decent voice, but the lyric choice is lacking. The artist needs to reevaluate what they say while singing, as it seems unlikely that I would hear a song on the radio with these lyrics. The song could also use drums to feel slightly more complete, otherwise it is lacking quite a bit.
• I like the Shania twain kind of feel to the start of the guitar instrumental section. Additionally the singer sounds kind of cool however still emotionally confusing. I'm torn between if the melody works in harmony or if it crumbles with the tempo changes. Otherwise its still not too bad of a song, I give it a e for effort.
• Soft acoustic guitar with soft male vocals again. Nice lyrics about real life that is relatable. Small and cheery song, nothing much you can hate with a song like this, but I would say that it could have introduced more bass throughout, rather than the harmonised back up singers.
• The lyrics feel overly simple and upfront with no underlying meaning. The artist is telling us a story that is fairly predictable and feels dated. I do not forsee this track having large crowd appeal but could be popular with the older generation of listeners. The message is generally positive and would likely be listened to by solo listeners relaxing or reflecting at home.
• The lyrics in this song were very rhythmic, and could quite easily be used as a poem as opposed to being a song. The artist had a strong, stable vocal, and the tune of the song was refreshing, soothing and made me feel very laid back. 7 out of 10 from me!
• A beautiful guitar solo in the intro of the song! I love how the guitar sounds can make you go from sentimental and touchy feelings to joyous and heart warming ones! I like how the instrumental flows like a quiet river while creating musicality and harmony. The vocal is just adorable! I love the artist's sweet and amusing voice color. The lyrics were very clever and inspiring. I really enjoyed this song!
• I suggest this artist keep doing what they are doing. the tuning in this song was great. The singer was nice but not the best I have heard out there. I feel the singer has so much potential if they would open up their vocals and practice their range. The melody had a wonderful sweet sound to it. from the beginning to the end, the singer had the same pitch.
• Just love the gentle guitar picking style of this artist. With his very convincing balladeer voice I would spin this in my next camping trip sitting next to a warm fire. Though not a king of his craft yet, this musso has lots of talent and potential. Love his gentle use of chords and phrasing. Super lyrics that make sense and work. Nice.
• The starter for this ballad is a beautiful acoustic ring of notes. the way the dude sounds is pretty cool but his notes are very repetitive they don't have much variety. the lyrics speak of how a man cared for a woman so much and how she made him complete but how it did not last. I can actually hear the pain in his voice.
• There is an acoustic guitar present on this alternative song. The lyrics by this male artist are quite meaningful, and the listener is quickly compelling in what he is singing about. Nonetheless, there is a tempo that does not pick up throughout the song's duration, and therefore may end up being a bit boring overall. I do enjoy this calm song, however.
• Soft relaxing music, picture yourself in a warm summer day, the melody is amazing, but the lyrics are so depressing and sad, this is not a bad thing it is just that it puts you off when the song starts and then your hear the lyrics something does not match.
• Another acoustic guitar song it would appear . Good male voice but I'm really not sure about these lyrics at all . Its a shame as I like the voice but really think more thought has to go in to these lyrics , its all a bit basic and very forgettable.
• I thought the guitar was lovely, it sounded very clear and high quality. The singer's voice was good but too high in my opinion. I didn't think it was full enough for the emotion of the lyrics. I thought the lyricist was too concerned with making the song rhyme. It really came off cheesy and contrived to me, which took away from the emotional pain and sadness of the song's story.
• This song reminds me of the good family times, the song has these sounds with such a warmth that one can only find in the family. The vocal of the singer is very sweet and pleasant, somehow he sounds human just like us, there is a feeling of belonging in this song. The song reminds us that sometimes we need just some smooth and genuine sounds.
• A good song, the lyrics were good and fitting to the tune. The vocals were good and strong. The guitar playing was really nice, was a little lovely dovey for me but a nice tune overall. I would listen to this song again, nice introduction of another vocal half way through the song. Pleasant song and my score reflected that. Well done guys.
• Ouch, there is some high frequency noise in this production that hurts. Besides that the guitar sound is amiable and the vocal performance is great. A throwback to Nick Drake's sincerely intimate style, and the writing is very good. They way the lyrics fall in the melody puts a smile of your face.
• Nice rhythm and nice acoustics of the guitar. Calming voice of the artist as he sings what sounds like original lyrics. It sounds quite depressing so it is not something I would listen to on a daily basis. Nonetheless it is a heartfelt song, with a melodious melody.
• Nice intro. The choice of instruments matches the song perfectly. This also is the same for the lyrics and singing. The singer shows great emotion and did a great job. Next time try to make the Intro of the song a little longer this would make it sound a little better. Good job overall!
• Very good song but could use work on the vocals and the music. The music is very quiet with one instrument. The vocals however are fine as is but could be a little louder. It is very easy to hear the signer and the song itself is very nice.
• The accoustic guitar for the intro it's the most i like and this, i can hear this all day. and i think this is one of the most song i like. the lyrics sounds really sad. the vocalist has a unique voice. and i think it's special. i wanna give 9/10 to this song.
• Such a relatable song to anyone from their teenage years above. The music adds emotion to the lyrics and the vocals show a sense of emotion as though the singer is singing from their soul. This song deserves to be pushed forward and heard by the public as it would open up gates for your musical career. This song is perfectly amazing.
• Very pretty melody right from the start. Has a melodic guitar accompanied bye a tuneful, yet subtle male singer. Lyrics are musically entertaining and sound great. The song is simply a good choice for adults with lovely lyrics, worth listening to. It has a good steady rhythm that makes the song in a good way. Instruments are skillfully played, shows great talents throughout song. I am rather pleased, feeling good about the potential.