Take It Or Leave Me on Soundcloud
Take It Or Leave Me on YouTube

Revisiting this song was inspired by Bob Dean with his Like A Girl post where he mentions digging out the old outakes and lost songs and updating them. Back in the 90s the title Take It Or Leave Me seemed like someting to write about, but what exactly she needed to take was uncertain. I eventually made a BiaB version to show others what I wanted to record. On the original version I played the chords on an acoustic guitar held upright with the rhythm tapped on the strings with a wooden pencil. Kinda sounded cool, but here I replaced that with steel drums.

After settling on the Tex-Mex style, the rest of the song took a new shape. I like the RealDrums in the style, but the shaker was too enthusiastic at times so I had to cut and paste a few sections to tame it. The 12-string sometimes used 2 positions of the same chord in a measure (which I didn't want) so I switched it to a Utility track and cut and pasted what I wanted. Usually I like to do my own bass, not because it's better but because it's fun. The BiaB bass was interesting so I kept it.

1st V -- he tells his new love how they should handle the inevitable disagreements,
2nd V -- he explains why and how deeply he feels that way
3rd V -- he tells how their future would be
Happy ending: she stayed for 44 years so far.

Take It Or Leave Me

Listen for the beats between the falling
of a heart in love and when it stops its beat,
and learn to heed the voice inside that's calling
out a warning to keep love in your retreat.

CH: Take it or leave me. Take it or leave me.
Take it from the voice inside that tells you the way.
Nothing that you've done or do adulterates that voice in you.
Take it from you to be with me, my love.

Standing like statue of salvation
is an old soul that my memory knows as Truth,
and etched so deep in my imagination
is a message to remind me of my youth. CH - SOLO

Open up and step inside Forever.
There's a calmness there that takes your breath away.
Then, looking out, we'll both belong together
in a way that only fairy tales dare say. CH

REF: You gotta take it or leave me right now.

Style is _VARAR.STY (Varar Tex-Mex with Steel Drum)
RealTracks in style: 1293:Bass, Electric, TexMexCountry Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 3611:Steel Drum, Rhythm SocaAB Ev16 120
RealTracks in style: 1294:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm TexMexCountry Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 3171:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm CampfireEven Ev 120
Loop in Song: Percussion Loops\Loop124bpm Conga 8ths 4 bars fill at end.wma
RealTracks in song: 3756:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopFunkySoulBrent Ev16 095
RealDrums [in style:TexMexCountryEv8^1-a:Groove, Shaker & Scrapper , b:Ride, Shaker & Scrapper
Utility track: 2534 Guitar 12-string acoustic held

I'm so grateful for all your help here, and appreciate your comments and suggestions. Thanks.

Enjoy whatever happens!
marty

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@babumusic51
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marty-straub
and https://soundcloud.com/babumusic-5080285
Band in a Box, Reaper, Cakewalk, Ozone 11