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When I lived in Boise, a female songwriter passed through who I got into a short lived difficult relationship with. She sometimes brought up her previous extraverted macho boyfriend. I was the opposite. After we broke up, I moved to Denver. I went on a day bicycle ride with a group of 50 in the Rocky Mountains and he just happened to be there. I couldn't believe the coincidence (and bad luck). When I reached the outlook he was the first one there grinning, raising and shaking his fists and shouting. I didn't want to talk to him or have anything to do with him so I stayed on the other side of the building while the crowd lingered. It was very awkward, I was anxious, and I left right after lunch. A year later, I wrote this song. https://www.johnwalradt.com/music/songs/hedoesntknow-master2026mar_lurssen.mp3Style is _POPCALP.STY (Pop Calypso Even 16ths) RealTracks in style: 1174:Bass, Electric, PopCalypso Ev 100 RealTracks in style: 1422:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopCalypso Ev 100 RealTracks in style: 1175:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm PopCalypso Ev 100 RealTracks in style: 1177:Guitar, High-Strung Acoustic, Rhythm PopCalypso Ev 100 RealTracks in song: 875:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm NorthernRockFuzzyA-B Sw16 075 RealTracks in song: 2687:Guitar, Electric, Soloist BluesSlowEvenBrentSimple Ev 085 RealDrums in style:PopCalypso^1-a:Snare, Closed HiHat , b:Snare, Ride HE DOESN'T KNOW Words and music: John Walradt So, you’re the one I have heard about I know you from her photographs She would talk about how well you danced And the summer nights And the arguments. You don’t know me That’s how I want it to be I won’t let you see That I had known her, too. Well, maybe, it was circumstance I never should have taken the chance In a faraway town, she was passing through We fought and cried In a summer feud. You don’t know me I’ll keep it that way I’ll never let you see That I had known her, too. You don’t know me I’ll keep it that way I’ll never let you see That I had known her, too. So I’ll turn around, don’t you follow me I don’t have any notes for you to see. You don’t know me I’ll keep it that way I’ll never let you see That I had known her, too.
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A good story, well told and sung. At first, I wasn't too keen on your chord progression, but as I listened, it made perfect sense for the song. A good song ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif)
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Thank you, BD. Yep, once in awhile I'll have a melody that strays from my usual pop sense and will throw you off, such as "Greyhound Bus," but the mood will fit the story. The other style I use once in awhile that strays are the songs I call Pressing the Buttons. Your recent "...[ ... ]..." is very well done pop and gets to the point like nothing else. LIfe has become odd here on the third rock.
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A great song lyrically and re the theme. It's amazing the stories I've heard about friends when abroad bumping into known others just by apparent 'chance'. When I lived in London I bumped into a Romanian lady hotel receptionist who I'd met when visiting relatives there - she was now working in London - then a couple of years later I bumped into another lady I'd met there at the same hotel, the surprise being that she was from the north of England, so bumping into her again in London was a double surprise.
Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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Hi John!
The unsettling chord progression probably serves the circumstance really well - based on your description of the context. Those strings in the background support the tension really well also. Your singer (from Fiverr?) has a vocal tone that reminded me of Colin Blunstone of The Zombies.
It might not be a single, but it would be a really solid album track!
Liked it!
Andrew
PS What is the chord progression? Would you mind sharing it?
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Hi, Andrew! Always a pleasure to see your correspondence! Yes, you guessed correctly. The chords contributing to the melody was for mood. The vocalist is from FiveRR, David Luke, who is from London, England. He also did vocals for "Down East in a Harbor Town" which I did not use Band in a Box for but it is at https://www.johnwalradt.com/music/songs/harbortown-master_2026feb25lurssen.mp3. He is a superb vocalist and, five years later, has become spendy as most FiveRR and AirGigs vocalists are these days. My chord progression? Here it is and thank you for listening and your enjoyment of it: |a) Am9| E7sus A7sus| A| C| |a) C| A| Am7| G2| A| A7| Am7| E7 Asus| | A| A| Am7| E9 Asus| A| A| Am7| E9 D/A| | A| C/E|%| C| A7sus A| C| D/F# A| A C| | A7sus A| A C| A7sus A| A7| A| A7| Em7| Asus A| | G| A Am9| Asus| Asus A| A7| A7| C/E Asus| A7sus A| | A7| A7| Am| A7sus A| C/E C|%| A C| D/F# A| | A/E C| D/F# A| A C| D/F# A| A7 C| D/F# A| A A7sus| A9 G2| | A7| A/E Asus| Asus A| A| Asus| A/E B7| B/F# Esus| B7sus E| | E/B A9| A A7sus| Em A| A| A7| A| Em7| D/A| | A| A| Am| Asus| A| A7| Am7| Asus| | A Em7| A7| Am7| G A7sus| A| C2| A7| C| | A7| C D/F#| A| C D/F#| A7| C D/F#| A| A7| | A| Am9| D/G A7sus| A| A| A9 Em| Asus| A7| | A| Am9| G2| A| |a) A| Am9 Em| E7sus Asus| A|
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This was terrific! It had an eerie mood that just plain worked. I LOVE the chords. And your vocalist's impassioned singing at the two minute mark drove the point home. Your best by far, so far. Might be the best track I've heard in 2026!
Last edited by TuneMonger; 03/26/26 03:53 AM.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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I find the vocals a little marvel; there's a detachment and lightness to them, they soar above the accompaniment. Otherwise, it's an excellent song that I listened to twice to rediscover the magic of the vocals; it has a captivating quality.
Laurent
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John, you set a story to music in this one - brilliant.
I did like your chord progression.
Great vocal, super string section
Great guitar and mix.
A really good song.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Hi there John
What a great expression of an awkward situation. A mellow subdued vibe, which relates to the way it made you feel. It’s those sort of chance encounters that stirs some of our deeper darker feelings and anxieties. And of course that makes for great musical material. Great of style, and really enjoyed the guitar on the outro.
Good work John, kind regards.
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Terrific job on the, John. Super write, and the arrangement builds the tension nicely but never quite releases in a cool-but-unsettling way that aligns perfectly with your topic. Super job by your vocalist. At first I thought the vox FX chain was a bit overbaked, but as the song progressed it meshed better for me.
Superb stuff.
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Ojh, i'm with ya on this one, John. i really like the story and how you avoided more of her. What an odd coincidence running into that guy. So glad you are you instead of fake like that.
You wrote this a year later? Man, the vocal is so good. "You don't know me, I'll keep it that way." HAHA. Excellent choice. Good choice on the style and instruments too. Cool chord progression that seems to write itself from the experience. Does that make sense? Anyway, good write and production, John.
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There's a lot of tension in this, even from the intro. Assuming that was your aim, bullseye.
It's a good write, mix, and production with everything sitting where it should.
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This is such a pleasant surprise to see how many of you could see what I intended and your enjoyment of the song!
TUNEMONGER, thank you very much! Yes, the eerie mood is precisely what I intended. It began with experimenting with the first few chords, then I knew just what the song would be about.
LAURENT, Twice??? Wow, thank you! I very much appreciate your insight. I hadn't thought about the slight detachment yet I do remember keeping the emotion of the situation somewhat apart to get through calmly. You picked up on that. The ending guitar, though, is the acknowledgment that you can't keep those feelings away successfully...they eventually amplify!
K-DUB, You picked up on it, too, and why we write the songs that we do. Thank you much!
DC RON, yep, the vocalist is superb. That's David Luke. He very unexpectedly really picked up the emotion of the song I never could have done. It's just in the last few days I remixed it. I have learned a lot in the last five years of mixing/mastering my songs because I'm too much of a cheapskate to pay for producers...out of necessity. But I'm very curious about how things work. My first attempts were muddy with too much reverb.
MARTY, Thank you very much! Always wonderful to see correspondence from you! Yep, makes perfect sense. The melody always comes to me first. Sometimes I have to wait for the melody to tell me what it's about, even what its name is. After coming up with the first few chords, I knew what the song would be about. The chords progressed naturally to follow the experience. To me, the melody is the emotion that fills the spaces between the words. Some of the melodies I've had didn't let me know until six months, a year, even 20 years, later of what their name was and what the story was about. Because my songs are like a travelogue of my life, I write clearly what life is about and that doesn't follow gender roles and society's expectations. Sometimes my songs are about emotions and insecurities people don't want to admit. But then, that's what we do as artists, songwriters, and music makers!
MARIO, You've done some pretty darned brilliant things yourself. Thank you!
SCOTT, Yep, that was most definitely the aim. Bingo! Music and songs have to reflect what the story is about.
John
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Good job! Love the chord progression. Very good write - well done!
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Really cool story in the lyrics. Excellent vocal and backtrack. Well done..
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