ABOUT THE SONG
Soak It Up is an uplifting acoustic song about enjoying the little things in life and appreciate every moment we have on this rotating sphere. It features a wide variety of instruments including three different acoustic guitars (one with Nashville tuning), a ukulele, and a mandolin. It's layered vocals in the chorus represents a simple time of sitting around a campfire and belting out our favorite 90's deep cuts with the people we love.
WRITTEN, PERFORMED, PRODUCED, & MIXED BY
DYLAN PETERS
Co-WRITTEN & FEATURING
JONATHAN VANASKI OF MSJR
MASTERED BY
Todd Mecaughey
LYRICS
(Dylan Verse)
We’re picking apart the planet as we aim to stay young
But getting old’s the greatest gift given to anyone.
So make the most of every moment cuz a time will come
Where we’re begging for one more batch of air to fill up our lungs.
So be grateful never spacin’ on the fact you’re enough,
let those around you grow and know that they’re loved.
You may think that’s a given but I can tell you it’s not.
Cuz there’s nothing more important than the family you got
Cuz every little moment is just memory of mine
A chance i truly treasure as I travel through time
And I kick back and relax the deck starts to rewind
gonna play my greatest hits On repeat in my mind.
(Track 1) I'm just kid from the valley
I’m Spending my summer days tossing ball in the alley
My caps inside out and Locked in to Harry.
Hoping for one more hit and my Phillies to rally
Let’s get rowdy and shout it at the top of my lungs.
I ain’t counting but I’ve doubted a lot of the things that I’ve done
Look around and im surrounded by the ones that I love
Keep me grounded, say they’re proud of the man I’ve become
Hey hey no need to look that way
Cuz today’s a great day for a great day,
Soaking up the sun in NEPA
Giving thanks to the love from my family.
So bless up, give thanks,
Show love, and share laughs
And at the end of the day remember
To enjoy while it lasts
Every moments just a grain of sand
Falling on glass
And once it runs out there ain’t no
Flipping it back
So Soak It Up
(Jonny Verse)
When the sun rises up at the start of the day
and I feel the warm rays on the side of my face
Closing my eyes just take it all in
Open up the door and now it’s time to begin
My day’s filled with laughter and love of all kinds
Cuz the positive mind makes the whole world shine
Tomorrow’s not guarenteed so you got to believe
That when you take it slow you can feel the breeze
So just go with the flow cuz you never truly know
This could be your last chance to see the morning glow
And I know yes I know that you think you’re too busy
But money grows on trees so try to stay with me
Soak it up, our time is too short
Take it in, enjoy the little things together
Cuz everything is better
With friends and family
One day at a time is all we really need
So bless up, give thanks,
Show love, and share laughs
And at the end of the day remember
To enjoy while it lasts
Every moments just a grain of sand
Falling on glass
And once it runs out there ain’t no
Flipping it back
So Soak It Up
Yeah we gotta take it all in
Life is too short to worry about our future
And get consumed by our past
cuz each present we get is truly a gift
So don’t pick apart the planet in an aim to stay young
when getting old’s the greatest gift given to anyone
and make the most of every moment cuz our time will come
where we’re begging for one more batch of air to fill up our lungs
Dylan recording the concert ukulele part in Soak It Up at the Foundry Recording Studio in Bethlehem, PA.
BEHIND THE SONG
Soak It Up started off one day when I was playing the song “Just a Friend” by Biz Markie. The chord progression is very similar (in a different key) and just had this line “Bless Up & Give Thanks” stuck in my head. I ended up writing the first verse very quickly and had a scratch track recorded.
It originally had a hip hop break beat in it, a bit more of a country feel, and started with the chorus. However, after a couple of months of listening and playing it, I shifted the first verse to become the intro which meant my second verse sooner. The song structure is unique for me in an AABAB format meaning (Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus). I also made it a bit more acoustic driven with some lighter percussion on brushes. It just felt right.
I struggled to come up with that third verse, but had an awesome idea. That's when I reached out to my good buddy Jonathan Vananski of MSJR to see if he'd be willing to jump in on that track. Without hesitation he said yes (without even hearing the track yet). I sent him over the demo and within a few days he had his part already written. About a week later he was in the studio tracking his parts and sending them back over to me.
This song was slated to come out in spring, but after hearing Jonny's part, I immediately booked a timeslot at the Foundry Recording Studio in Bethlehem, PA to record my guitar parts & vocals. This is common practice for me as I do all my producing, mixing, and mastering in my home studio; but prefer their treated rooms a mic selection for the actual recording.
This track features 5 different guitars! My Martin D15 is the main acoustic guitar that is driving home the rhythm and doubling the bass. My Little Martin is tuned with Nashville Strings that is doubling the Martin D15 & providing part of the lead guitar. My Taylor GS Mini is the main lead guitar. The Ukulele is also providing some rhythm and filling out that warm mids. And finally, my Fender Mandolin is the main lead guitar.
After putting all of these layers together and adding many vocal tracks over the chorus, the song felt full and complete. I sent it over to Todd Mecaughey at Cambridge Studios in Philly to master it.
We truly hope you enjoy the song & the message!