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I Gave In The Other Day (https://soundcloud.com/keefmeister-1/i-gave-in-the-other-day)

I found lyrics I wrote when my two sons were young (roughly 10 years ago). Band In A Box helped me bring this one over the finish line. Typically I write music with an acoustic guitar. This is the first time I developed the music/chords within BiaB. It's truly an inspiring way to write. Immediate feedback.

I Gave In The Other Day is a melancholy song about surrendering to the various stages of life with kids. A couple of stages I've not yet reached (them leaving home and starting their own families). God willing I will.

I think of this song as the antithesis of Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle" (the premise I had explained to my boys when they were little). My son John would say "Cat's In the Cradle" if I didn't go right outside and play with him when he asked.

_ALBION.STY Albion Acoustic Folk Rock
Added Piano, Sax solo, and a String Quartet (last verse).

Produced instrument parts in Band In A Box and finished the work in Cakewalk Sonar with iZotope plugins.

I Gave In The Other Day

I gave in the other day
There's a new love on the way
The great miracle of life
That comes to man and wife
Responsibility, it finally came to me
I gave in the other day

I gave in the other day
When the boy came in to say, "Let's play."
He took me outside in the sun
Playing catch and having fun
Wisdom comes with age
My six-year-old's a sage
I gave in the other day

[Acoustic Guitar(s) Solo]

I gave in the other day
He’s old enough to drive, they say
As he pulled away, I sighed
Now my trust and patience tried
You raise them best you can
On his way to be a man
I gave in the other day

[Turnaround ala intro]

I gave in the other day
The boy went out to find his way
It was hard, the letting go
Couldn’t help but let that show
But I knew that he’d be fine
And my sadness heals with time
I gave in the other day.

[Sax Solo]

I gave in the other day
When my boy’s boy said “Come on and play.”
He pulled me outside for some fun
So I played there with my son’s own son
And I caught a déjà vu
The boy he somehow knew
I gave in the other day

I gave in the other day
My time had come, I couldn’t stay
The boy stood by my side
With love so deep we cried (good-bye)
Life was full of tears
And happy wonder years
I gave in the other day

Hi Marc ...

I'm commenting as I'm listening. I don't think I've heard any of your music before. But this sure sounds terrific! Loved the band you put together and your vocal shines! Thanks for the background on the lyric ... great stuff. Sometimes giving in isn't such a bad thing in the end.

That acoustic lead is so sweet ... I have a weakness for a really nice acoustic guitar. And that sax ... perfect!!!!

Wishing you and yours the best. And thanks for this great listen!

Alan

Hi Alan. Thanks for taking the time to listen and provide feedback. Much appreciated.

Yeah, my kids really taught me what's important. I'm glad about that.

Cheers!

Marc

That's a very nice song and the arrangement is cool but the kick/bass drum sounds almost like a dull rim shot - it's almost what DeathMetal would use but not quite.

Very, very touching. Love everything about this song - particularly the lyrics. You certainly know how to tug a listener's heart-strings.

Hello Marc,

These are nice, melancholic lyrics accompanied by a nicely played acoustic with sweet solo and packed in a lovely melody (very long sentence, isn't it?).
And then that sax game in! It fits surprisingly well, although it was a very short performance.
The strings in your song were really nice. To me they only came in a bit too late. I would have let them play from the 3rd verse. But that is what I would have done. But this is your song.
Very well done, Marc!

We will hear more from you, I bet,
Hans

Marc,

A very nice song.

A really nice balance on everything. A "sweet", comfortable vocal. Nice. A "subtle", supportive BAND. A very nice mix.

Well done.

fj

Wow - I really enjoyed my listen on this one. The mix is flawless, and it all flows so smoothly. It has a tender and soft quality I liked, and I found it really easy to follow in the best way possible.

Thanks for sharing

Wonderful lyrics. I can relate to them.

Good production: mix, instruments, vocal. Sax solo fits so well.

Post more!

Very nice sentiment in the lyrics and the the arrangement.
I like it.
I thought the mix was perfect for this song.
I love lyrics with a story and if it's a personal experience it makes it so much better.

Well done.

Very nice song! Being a grandfather at this point I can relate to the lyrics. Nice job on the acoustic lead! Sax solo is cool too.

Lovely story, beautiful melody and enjoyable melancholy chording. Acoustic guitars, strings and the sax support the mood very well. Has a classic ballad feel. I enjoyed your vocal track, although I felt it had little bit too much effect.

Janne

Hi Marc,

This is really a pleasant listening.

Your arrangement is outstanding and the instruments that you've chosen to orchestrate this with are perfect. Then there's the production... from the very first two chords, you had me in the palm of your hand.... the sound is rich and vibrant and engaging.

I like listening to you sing. Your voice carries these lyrics so well and I love how they flow... thoughtful and inspiring writing.

All the best,
Noel

A lovely song with a
Thought provoking lyric...
I think every dad could benefit
From a listen to it!

@rayc: Thank for the listen and for your feedback. For some reason my system doesn't present the kick that way. This is RD info from the style memo:
RD: PopRock16ths^04-a:Sidestick, HiHat, b:Snare, Ride :Shannon Forrest.
Agree maybe the kick has a little more power than it needs for this song. Just not hearing the dull rim shot on my end. Cheers!

@Ghostgum: Thank you, sir, for your comments. Most of my song ideas come from life experiences. My boys inspired the lyrics at the beginning, and now I'm at the end of the teen years moving toward an empty nest. So I'm living the middle of the song. I could only imagine the end-of-life lyrics and am not anxious for them to come anytime soon.

@Birchwood: Hans, thanks for your thoughtful feedback. I wrestled a bit with the song...lot's of reduncy in the main lyric and even the chord progression. There really isn't a bridge or anything. I sometimes will modulate to a higher key at some point if a song has a chronology in order to keep it interesting and help portray passage of time. However in this case, I decided to use the acoustic lead guitar and sax to help maintain interest then introduced harmony in the next to last verse. My reason for saving the string quartet to the end was to emphasize the melancholy mood in the verse that signifies our eventual separation with family when we pass on. The song almost turned out a bit more sad than I'd intended.

@floyd jane: Thanks, fj, appreciate your comments.

@Deryk - PG Music: Thank you. I have to hand it to PG Music. Awesome product.

@Ezekiel's Storm: Thanks for listening and providing feedback. Much appreciated.

@CaptainMoto: Yes sir, see my note to Ghostgum. Thank you for taking the time to listen and provide feedback.

@BlueAttitude: Hi Dave, thanks for the comments. I'm not yet a grandfather, so I could only imagine that 5th verse. I'm living the late teen years with my two sons. It's been quite a ride so far...cheers!

@jannesan: Hi Janne, appreciate your feedback, especially on the vox effects. Still so much to learn.

@Noel96: Hi Noel, thanks for your feedback. It's encouraging to know I'm making progress with songwriting, use of BiaB, and my DAW tools. Truth be told I don't like my voice very much for lead vocals. It's ok buried in a band performance as a harmony, but there's something about the timber and other qualities that bug me. My dad had a golden voice but I didn't inherit that gene.

@Jim: Hi Jim, thank you for listening and providing feedback. Fatherhood has been a wonderful journey so far. It's true my 6 year old taught me to play again. An epiphany, I realized what was most important. It was being there in my sons' lives and relishing every moment I could. Cheers!

Love the sound! The balance of the mix is great - easy on the ears vocal, nice background sound. Strings on the final verse is excellent.

Excellent write as well!

Thanks David. Appreciate your taking the time to listen and comment. Cheers!

Marc,
Nice "generational" song. I think you did grand job going from acoustic guitar song to full scale band. Composition, message, mix all is there. I think it would be cool if the last verse were done just vocals and acoustic guitar as you initially wrote it Enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing!

P.S. I got several songs I wrote 20 years back, but holding back until I learn enough of BIAB to make them as close as I wanted them initially.

Misha.

Excellent tune. Loved the vocal lyric. Very enjoyable listen. Well done

Great vocal on this Marc! You have a voice made for Country/Folk type music! The mix sounds good and the song is thought provoking! Thanks,Torrey