Soundcloud: Tongue-tied
YouTube: Tongue-tied
DEVELOPMENT
I wrote this in 2017 on guitar, which isn’t unusual in itself, but I probably do most of my song development in Band-in-a-Box, then sing and play it on guitar to ensure its ‘singability’. My recollection is that I was inspired by 'The Hard Way' by Thirsty Merc and the chord extensions they used in that song. While the songs are completely different, it motivated me to write this song. The title ‘Tongue-tied’ came to me while I was working out the chords and melody and I kept it as I felt it was going to be a useful concept for writing the lyrics. Once I had the melody, I put the chords into BIAB and chose a style. Here is the BIAB file rendered to mp3. Soundcloud: Original BIAB MGU
Regarding the lyrics, some of them can best be described as ‘oblique’ – meaning they only have a thin connection to the theme. In fact, just last week, I was still wondering if I should try and replace some of these lines, so in order to avoid effort, I asked Copilot AI what it saw as the connection between these lines and the main song concept. It responded …

“Your lyrics are rich with poetic imagery and emotional nuance, and the oblique lines you’ve marked beautifully reinforce the central theme of being “tongue-tied”—emotionally overwhelmed, inarticulate, or hesitant in moments that demand vulnerability or clarity.”
Thank you AI, you sycophantic devil, you! Copilot’s full interpretation of each line is included in the attachment.

I made a partial recording in 2018 after completing the lyrics, then in 2022, recorded my bass, rhythm guitars and added layers of vocals - probably too many layers. My vocals were a bit flaky, so I always intended to come back to them. In this 2025 remix, I add piano, smarten up the mixing of the vocals and add a guitar solo outro. The guitar solo is the sort – pinching one of my own phrases – ‘Rhythm guitarist decides to have a crack at lead guitar and lead guitarist shakes his head’. I decided to make the intro vocals acapella (I think that's what it's called) – also influenced by another Thirsty Merc song ‘My Completeness’, which IMHO is an absolute banger.

BIAB SUMMARY
While there is not much left of the BIAB band apart from the drums, I have included a link (above) to Soundcloud where you can hear my original chords and melody in the BIAB MGU file.
Style is _RCKWLZM.STY (Rock Waltz w/ Muted Electric Gui)
RealTracks in style: 778:Bass, Acoustic, PopWaltz Ev 085 (B:energetic)
RealTracks in style: 861:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockWaltzSustainHeld Ev 140
RealTracks in style: 858:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm HardRockWaltzMutedSteady Ev 140
RealTracks in style: 856:Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Rhythm RockWaltzStrumming Ev 140
RealDrums in Song:PopRockWaltzBrushesEv: a: Brushes b: PopRockWaltzBrushesEv
M-Audio Oxygen 49 MKV using Spitfire Audio LABS Autograph Grand instrument
SE X1 Condenser mic
2 x lead vocal tracks
9 x BV tracks
Recorded and mixed in Reaper.
On the first recording, I had used ReaTune to manually pitch correct all BV tracks (yes, it took ages!) but took it all off in the final render as it did nothing.

LYRICS
INTRO

VERSE 1
There’s some things unsaid, so it goes
It’s a quiet wind that runs between the trees
When one ship passes by, one cloud in the sky
Always moving, always changing but never alone

VERSE 2
The stream – down from the mountain it flows
There’s joy in friendship - everyone agrees
When the players play as one and the marathon is run
Together, lonely never, free and found

PRE-CHORUS 1
Though I want to say it loud
My throat is gagged and bound
Can I ever? Will I never? Will I freeze?

CHORUS 1
I don’t know what to say, I’m lost, yes I’m tongue-tied
I know it’s only words they’re the only words I know
You say you never hear me say – my heart’s so hard to find a way
The stakes are high, you call my bluff
My good intentions just ain’t quite enough
But you’ll ease me through the tough times when I’m tongue-tied

VERSE 3
There’s a time when all things must said
But it’s not a place I’m comfortable being in
Why do the words I want to say quickly slip away
If the truth be told, yes it must be told, yes it must

PRE-CHORUS 2
Words will fail me, disengage me
Thoughts will come and then escape me (n.b. I should have gone with 'assuage me')
Floundering and listless on my knees

CHORUS 2
I don’t know what to say, I’m lost, yes I’m tongue-tied
I know it’s only words they’re the only words I know
You say you never hear me say – my heart’s so hard to find a way
The stakes are high, you call my bluff
My good intentions just ain’t quite enough
But you’ll ease me through the tough times when I’m tongue-tied

SOLO

CHORDS
Intro, Chorus and Outro
F / / / / / Fmaj7 / / / / / Bbmaj7 / / / / / G7 / / / / /
F / / / / / Fmaj7 / / / / / Ab7 / / / / / C7 / / / / /
F / / / / / A7 / / / / / Dm7 / / / / / G7 / / / / /
Db / / / / / Bb / / / / / Bbm / / G7 / / / / /
Gm7 / / / / / C7 / / / / / F / / / / / C7 / / / / /
Verses
Gm7 / / / / / C7 / / / / / Am7 / / / / / Dm7 / / / / /
Gm7 / / / / / C7 / / / / / Am7 / / / / / D7 / / / / /
Bb / / / / / C7 / / / / / Dm / / / / / Bb / / / / / / / / / / /
Bbm / / / / / C7 / / / / / / / / / / /
Pre-chorus
Gm / / / / / Am / / / / / Gm / / / / / Am / / / / /
Dm / / / / / Gm / / / / / Db7 / / / / / C7 / / / / /

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
AI comments on oblique lines.png (156.39 KB, 23 downloads)
Regards,
Andrew D
Adelaide, Sth Aust
Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/SQE4btVvNVkLq74e9
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewoftheantipodes