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Soundcloud - Use it or you lose it Youtube - Use it or you lose it In this video, chocolate is a metaphor, so watch this if you want to see lots of chocolate! This song was written to a challenge with my mates to use the title 'Use it or you lose it'. I wrote the chord progression, then melody, then added lyrics – in June 2025. The song is about saying 'I love you' to those that matter most, but that we sometimes do not. For the video, rather than find visual material that suited this directly, I choose to use chocolate as a metaphor - if we love it, how often do we tell it? All backing is generated from BIAB, other than all vocals, piano intro and bridge, and the guitar solo in the bridge. I arranged and mixed in Reaper, adding main and backing vocals, as well as piano for the intro, outro and bridge, and guitar solo in the bridge. And because I have trouble holding pitch for any note longer than a minim, I had to manually pitch correct a few notes to keep them on track (no pun intended). ****** Song Summary ************* Style is _WAG.STY (Wag Rock & Roll Guitars) RealTracks in style: 2435:Bass, Electric, NewOrleansShuffle Sw 130 - I love the bouncy and sometimes throbbing bass in this style! RealTracks in style: ~1549:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm CountrySwing Sw 110 RealTracks in style: 3781:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm RockNRollTremoloHeld 120 RealTracks in style: 3780:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm RockNRollSweep Sw 120 RealDrums in style:NewOrleansShuffle^04-a:Kick Shuffle , b:Ride, Shuffle Piano via M-Audio Oxygen 49 using Sforzando 001 Piano Acoustic for intro, outro and bridge Guitar solo in bridge was double tracked Main vocal triple tracked with 1 track main and other two panned left and right -18db Backing vocals triple tracked Mixed in Reaper LYRICSINTROVERSE 1There are times when I should say ‘I love you’, but I don’t It’s awkward and appearing without passion, not saying I won’t I really do and I hope it’s conveyed in small things every day It’s partly because I don’t like public displays… of love I’m not saying I want more PLAY INTRO VERSE 2They say you use or you lose it – I hope they’re wrong We are ‘more than room-mates’, I say we belong This all sounds like excuses when that’s not the case at all I know I should do better but I’m unsure … What to do … I feel there’s more …. to explore INTRO motifBRIDGEI see it everyday in what you do … ooo … I guess I’m saying I do the same thing too SOLO OVER BRIDGEVERSE 3I give out subtle hints I mean the same as you Implied in daily living – of course I know it’s true Trying not to take for granted expressions all the time I need to say ‘I love you’ once more … Speak it true … say it raw …. say it to you OUTROChords:Intro/Outro C Cmaj7 C2 C x2 Verse C | Em G C | C7 F Cdim7 | C Bb2 E Ab | Am | Em7 | F | D7 | Bridge Em Am G7 C Dm G F C
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Andrew,
Excellent song with a great melody. I really like the mix and way you sing it as well.
Very nice!
Bob
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Andrew, another very deftly crafted pop gem. The melody and vocals are fun and infectious, as is your arrangement. Your playing and singing fit perfectly with the song and the mood you're setting for the listener. Love everything you're doing here.
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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Fun song though the last line of the chorus is odd. Like the Dedicated Follower of Fashion quote too.
The vocal is nice but also a bit ropey in parts...doubling might help even that out.
Very well written & arranged. COOL!
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Andrew, this is a super pop song.
I liked the arrangement and chord progression
Super vocal and lyrics
Great mix
A flashback to the late 1960's
Loved it
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal".
Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Hi, Andrew. Bouncy and fun! I especially like the background vocals. As others have said, a nice bit of pop. 
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Rather than bombard this thread with replies to responses, I thought I'd summarise ... Melody, chord progression, arrangementExcellent song with a great melody. … another very deftly crafted pop gem. The melody and vocals are fun and infectious, as is your arrangement. … this is a super pop song. I liked the arrangement and chord progression … Great mix … A flashback to the late 1960's Bouncy and fun! … As others have said, a nice bit of pop. smile I love great melodies and grew up in the 60s when melody flourished. I saw a video recently that I try to keep in mind – using intervals of a 3rd or higher in the melody can create distinctiveness, and avoid too much scale step movement, although this has its place. Some of you might have heard me say that I like straying outside the diatonic when it comes to chord progressions – the verse progression has somewhat strange movements (Cdim7 > C; C > Bb2 > E >Ab/G# > Am) which seem to work to my ear – unless I’ve been listening too long. I need to unpack the progression to understand why it works because, in the natural, I wouldn ‘t have thought it would work. Vocals… I really like the mix and way you sing it as well. Very nice! Your playing and singing fit perfectly with the song and the mood you're setting for the listener. … The vocal is nice but also a bit ropey in parts...doubling might help even that out. … I especially like the background vocals. Ah my vocal – my Achilles heel! I do triple track the main vocal but have 2nd and 3rd sitting lower in volume, so maybe I need to mix that a bit higher. Regarding backing vocals, they are my ‘cloaking device’ – something I add to distract the listener from the ‘ropiness’. Regarding lyrics, my view is they are just the vehicle for the music (otherwise, go read poetry) and so I don’t mind if they are oblique or easily misconstrued. OtherFun song though the last line of the chorus is odd. Like the Dedicated Follower of Fashion quote too. Well spotted! A day or two into writing the song, I realised that passage sounded familiar (the tail end of the 3rd line of each verse - small things every day / that's not the case at all / expressions all the time) – what was it? The next day, my neurons fired and I realised the melody is the same and the chord progression like The Kinks ‘Dedicated follower of fashion’ – which I used to sing in a band – so I left it in as a nod to the great Ray Davies. Thank you so much for all your comments! This forum is a very encouraging community where members are willing to pass on their expertise and insights – thank you for welcoming me in!
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Chocalate as metaphor for unspoken love was a cool idea. Man, you speak of it all so well in this write, Andrew. I love that feel the piano gives the song and it fits perfectly with the bouncy melody and happy lyrics. Good mix and a wonderful 60s feel. Much enjoyed.
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Nice production and great theme for a song.
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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Another signature piece, Andrew. I love what you do with your voice, the melisma at the end of phrases.
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Another signature piece, Andrew. I love what you do with your voice, the melisma at the end of phrases. Thanks Beth! I recall when writing it that I liked the idea of drawn out notes at the end contrasting with the more syllabic meter in the first lines. I didn’t know there was a musical term for it though! Regarding signature pieces, I have in mind to do something outside of my wheelhouse, but no ideas yet - I love reggae, and would like to write one - something like ‘Rude’ by MAGIC!. Andrew
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I love that 60s pop sound. There are parts that remind me of the Monkees. Fun and jaunty.
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