David Nail - “I’m About To Come Alive”

Dang, six writers. I don’t really get the whole idea that he’s about to come alive. So he’s just gonna change instantly because he heard her talking about leaving him on the phone? He didn’t see this coming before? Someone needs to communicate.

not making apologies for the song, but in this case the six-way co-write is because it was written by the band Train, those are all original members of the band listed as co-writers which is fairly commonplace if they were sitting down to write an album as a band….i haven’t heard the song and quite frankly after reading this review will probably leave it that way!

WOW. I’m not a huge fan of Train but this is actually one of my favorite songs of theirs. I don’t like this version as much…possibly b/c its a cover, but moreso b/c the instrumentation is just too much. Believe it or not, the original version was more acoustic and provided more emotional vulnerability.

I appreciate the review, but I do think people get into ruts in relationships. I’ve always thought of the singer being in a depression/funk and trying to come out of it. Y’all are exactly right, there is obviously little communication between this couple, but I think its a realistic portrayal of a stagnant relationship. I think he’s “trying to come alive,” move out of his depression, and be there for her again. Rarely do we see a male in songs appear as vulnerable.

Just my thoughts…

I like David Nail as a vocalist but don’t know if this is the song to re-launch him. He had recorded a record w/Mercury in 2004, strangly under the same management he’s under now. He was let go before being re-signed.

Also, one can download the song for free here: http://www.people.com/people/package/gallery/0,,20154328_20153912_13,00.html

Wait. There must be some sort of confusion. Isn’t this a country music blog? Why is this guy on here!?

Not only is this a poor song, it’s even poor by watered-down-country-pop standards.

Too bad I’m not an lawyer, I could clean up by convincing Chuck Wicks to sue for image theft.

Six writers for that!?

Again, a lot of rock bands credit their songs equally among all the members (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Halen and U2 spring to mind), so you can wind up with a bunch of names on a credit even if one guy really wrote it. Helps to keep the peace.

it would at least be a great song title if you just took off the word ‘alive’. then it’s perfect.

Dear David,

Keep your chin up! The9513 & Company love to pick apart songs lately, unless your a “superstar” and write your own songs, your a goner here! Pay no attention and keep singing.

This song brings up two points that have been nagging at me for a long while.
1. This guy is merely a face. Handsome, clean cut with rugged undertones. You can almost hear some Nashville exec saying his face will fit this song. In the video he looks modern, metrosexual but he is ,of course, wearing cowboy boots. Who in hell does he appeal to: dumb girls? pre-teens who confuse these lyrics with real love? gay men who are tired of looking at Rascal Flatts? Who? He has a bad voice, no personality( all the better for each girl or guy to fill in)andthe song is so non-country I thought I was watching VH-1.
2. Why does it take three or more people to write songs these days? Are Nashville songwriters that dumb or greedy? Six people to write one song- did they each contribute a bad lyric? When Haggard, Cash, Lynn and Parton were at the top they wrote a great song after a great song by themselves. What is the value of six writers or three for that matter? How can I find value in a song with that many cooks with their fingers in the pot. My God I hate Toby Keith but at least he can write by himself!

If all six didn’t write then I call that fraud! Just another way to make money off a bad song.

Does this mean that the writers are making less money than if there were only two or three credited writers? If so, having so many writers makes each person less money rather than more. Otherwise, do songwriters make the same amount of money no matter how many writers are credited?

Thanks, Jim! I knew I could count on you to answer my question. So, six writers on a song does not equal greedy. It doesn’t equal a better song either, so I wonder why people agree to it?

In rock and roll, it’s so the drummer can afford to eat.

Because they likely will leave the band before other members.

Hey Kerri: you should do a bit more reading on this site. there are plenty of big names who have written their own stuff that gets torched on here also. there are also many positive reviews for both big and small names alike. I think this site does a great job of giving unknown or lesser known artists a vehicle for their music, regardless of the review. They make sure the song can be listened to on here as well as use the comments section as a sounding board for people with opinions that both differ and concur. Please read the site more thoroughly before you try and give someone else a lesson on how things go ’round here (if i can say as much, seeing as i am not a staffer)….

Chris, I’ve moved on to guitar. I’m taking lessons and I’m so not a quick study. I’d rather hear a guitar than a drum these days.

Dear Kelly,

Thank you for your suggestion on a reading lesson for me and by the way, the comment was addressed to the artist, not you or The9513! I was merely stating my thoughts after reading another “Thumbs Down” and the comments from the many “critics”. I wasn’t giving anyone a lesson on “how things go round here”, just telling David to keep his chin up. I am well aware that this is a wonderful site that gives the lesser know artist a chance, that is if they can get through the comments! I have seen the trend, the comments are so polite if they love the song and the artist, if not then be prepared to see some that are bordering on being degrading and hurtful. These are coming from the staff and ordinary people who love trashing others. Are you sure that your not on staff?

A few of you need to LISTEN to the song before you down it.

The train versions is GORGEOUS.

It’s perfect, when hearing the song, they lyrics fit just fine, regardless of what this writer says… listen for yourself and come up with your own opinion.

FYI I have many friends in large bands, and bands get together and write songs together all the time. It’s nothing new, this guy just named each individual to get the response he wanted, which most of you gave him.

Lucas: “Too bad I’m not an lawyer, I could clean up by convincing Chuck Wicks to sue for image theft”.

Am I the only one that thinks that is hilarious?
I thought it was a Chuck Wicks review when I first saw it..too funny!

Ha! Good point, boring does seem to be too public domain these days.

This almost makes me question whether my “the guys with hats are the superstars” theory is because of the more recognizable image they have.

I think the Train version of this song may actually sound more country than Nail’s.

And that’s sad.

I LOVE the song. I think it is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I think this review BLOWS! It is clear that the man loves the woman and has worked to build a life with her, but in the “working for a living” we ALL do, he forgot to provide her with his attention, but still loves her deeply. Saying - I’m about to come alive, means he has finally reach a point in his life where he can devote more time to her and provide the love he had neglected. I think is a wonderful song. Why do people always feel the need to down someone else? How aweful to say what this review says. Tells really what kind of person the writer of the review is to be so hateful! I give this review a THUMBS DOWN!!!

Why does the review talk ONLY about the lyrics? There is so much that goes into making a song than the lyrics. This song is musically haunting and beautiful.

This is an absolutely awesome song (the David Nail version anyway) and the writer of this article above (Jim Males I assume) really needs to get a life and possibly another job if writing is what he does for a living. Here is a though Mr.Malec….I will tell you the same thing I would love to tell Simon Cowell on American Idol……can you sing? LOL…..hell no you cant or you would be doing it instead of writing tasteless articles for the internet. When you finally can sing……then you can write an article cutting others down, until then maybe look for another job…..maybe a doorman or a bartender you might be able to handle that!

I can’t sing. And Simon can’t sing either. And he’ll readily tell you that he can’t sing. But that doesn’t make him (or I) unfit to judge whether or not other people can sing. Hell, Simon is responsible for the sale of more record than David Nail can hope to sell in seven lifetimes.

But thanks for comparing me to him. Simon is someone I look up to and respect a great deal.

One more thing Mr. “I am the music God” Malec…..who in the hell EVER told you that just because you don’t like a song or a singer that just simply means they cant sing? Never mind what the rest of the world thinks right? I mean really, who the hell do you think you are anyway? Another free suggestion…..if you don’t like it, don’t listen to it or buy the CD. How about that, problem solved!
See, this is how it works……I think you SUCK as a review writer, but instead of going and writing my own review about how bad you SUCK at what you do, I am just not going to read anymore of your stuff! Looky there how that solved the issue at hand. One more thought before I go (for good, because you aren’t worth my wasted time)……lets just wait and see if this song makes it to the top 20 country countdown. My guess is that it will easily, and then you can decide whether to chew off your foot or try to pry it out of your mouth!

Hey James, if you disagree with the review, it’s well within your right to rebut Jim’s arguments as to where the song fails. Attacking him personally makes you look like a jerk and you lack of any reasonable argument makes you look like a fool.

You don’t have to apologize for seeing things different, but an explanation of why you see things different is the only way you’ll change anyone’s opinion about anything. If I call you stupid and you punch me in the face- you haven’t won the argument…

I think this song is completely amazing! Everytime I hear it, it gives me a tingle that only really good songs do! David Nail has a very intriguing and interesting voice! I love it!

Heard David’s song on Sirius today, and the day before that. It is getting played, and has stayed steady on the charts. He is playing in KC soon and I can’t wait to go see/hear him live!