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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.
Dad, how will I know when I've become an adult.
When your day is ruined because they rearranged the grocery store.
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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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
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Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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