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I lost count of the number of songs I've written a long time ago. I would guess close to a thousand? (several hundreds of those have been thrown away) All considered, this is a personal favorite. I asked Janice to join me for a harmony. A BETTER ME i wish there was a way to explain why i left without a word but i live in a constant rain i hear devils even god ain't heard i couldn't be the man you needed or the one i thought that i should be so i thumbed a ride to this start over town thinking i might find a beter me a better me i need to shake this strange a better me 'cause something needs to change and i'm willin' i'm hopin' i'm praying to see that winnin' hand a better me i found steady work as a driller it should last far as i can tell soul drummin', mind numbin' 12 hour shifts pulling oil up from somewhere in hell got an open invitaion from the lutheran peacher told him we'll just have to wait'n'see i've actually considered showing up on sunday thinking i might find a beter me a better me i need to shake this strange a better me 'cause something needs to change i'm willin' i'm hopin' i'm praying to see a miracle a better me i'm willin' i'm hopin' i'm praying to see a miracle a better me The BAND: RealTracks in style: ~~2477:Bass, Acoustic, HeldSimple Sw 085 RealTracks in style: 2441:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking HipFolk Sw16 85 RealTracks in song: 2952:Strings, Rhythm JazzBalladPads Sw 060 RealTracks in song: 2558:Cello, Background SlowSwing Sw 065 RealTracks in song: 2543 Pedal Steel, Background ModernCrossover Sw16 090. RealDrums in style: NashvilleSwing16^5-a:Sidestick, Hihat , b:Snare, Hihat harmony: Janice Merritt (Thanks, Sis!!) Me: words & music, vocals, acoustic lead, production/arrangement/mix, art work One of the RT players seemed to enjoy this. Hope you do as well... Comments welcome. fj
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You are a genius and no mistake, sir. "I live in a constant rain / I heard devils even God ain't heard" - wow. Hits hard but perfectly bullseye, so to speak, right in the heart.
So the lyrics are incredible. Your rendition of them is extraordinary, too. "I'm hoping". "as a driller". Your vocal inflexion on these (particularly on the first one) ... that's a musician's musician's inflexion :-)
The music is so melodic, and you just tell the story through it. I almost wanted to cry on the first listen.
What a great rendition. One of your personal favourites? Darn straight - one of mine, too. One of, if not indeed your best that I've heard so far on this forum.
Janice ... beautiful understated harmonies that add just the right amount of colour to the song.
A classic that I want to hear again and again. Well done.
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I've hanging out here for a few months and I always look forward to your contributions.
They are all good, this one is right up there for me.
Well written and performed.
Janice's addition is brilliant, fits perfectly!
Wonderful mix.
moto
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I've hanging out here for a few months and I always look forward to your contributions.
They are all good, this one is right up there for me.
Well written and performed.
Janice's addition is brilliant, fits perfectly!
What's that little whisper at the end?
Wonderful mix.
moto
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Ya know, based on your last song, I thought I knew EXACTLY who you are as an artist. Now this comes at me WAY out of left field.  Great contrast of the verse and chorus...so, well balanced. The movement and build of the instruments shows someone knows there craft. Additionally heighted by sprinkling some instrument fills in here and there. Brilliant. i found steady work as a driller
it should last far as i can tell
soul drummin', mind numbin' 12 hour shifts
pulling oil up from somewhere in hell This was KILLER! I really enjoy this song all the way around.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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Hello Floyd Jane,
What I admire about you is your lyrics close to everyday reality with memories of a life that we have lived or that we could have lived and that we would have liked better. The melody is splendid. The timbre of the voice is full of emotion. I appreciated. Well done.
Kindly regard
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlah
Kindly regards
Derochette
alias JaniJackFlash
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Love the acoustic lead parts...they carry your personality even deeper into the song.
Lovely lyrics, lovelier melody.
Wonderful harmony, (it's a Janice morning clearly), and clear, clean arrangement.
The player on the end 's whisper is perfect.
The ONLY not is the click in the kick which, to me, stands out too much in the sparse intro.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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"i hear devils even god ain't heard." That has got to be one of the all-time best lyric lines ever written.
Strong and emotion-filled vocal performance. The melody shines.
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Hi Floyd.
Easy to see why this is a favourite. Wonderful storytelling, great melody and excellent vocal. Love the acoustic lead. Janice's harmony is the icing on the cake.
Regards,
Leon
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Some of the best lyrics I've heard from you, and they fit so naturally into the very good melody. Loved the strings' contribution to the mood, and the singing was excellent, of course.
Listened multiple times, it was that good.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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Nice song. Lovely harmonies between you and Janice. Great lyrics. Good guitar licks during the bridge. The band was smooth too. Good work to all.
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No-one can write a blue ribbon "heart on sleeve " autobiographical song like you can Floyd. Another radio ready gem from the FJ University of Audio Excellence. I wish you would post one of those 700 discarded songs just to show some empathy to us mere mortals.
Because your productions are so flawless it is easy to overlook the fact that you are a very high quality vocalist. You are the whole nine yards.
p.s. Please tell us (me) a little about your intriguing art.
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Floyd,
I read the write earlier in the day today and was eager to come back and hear what you did with it. The lyric is stellar, with some killer lines. Like musician17 noted, the “devils even god ain’t heard” is just brilliant.
The listen didn’t disappoint. Love the stripped feel to it—it would be easy to do to much on a lyric like this. Simple arrangement that shines. Nice job by Janice on those BG vox. Nice use of the strings—really well balanced in the mix. Super tune!
My best to you,
Deej
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floyd,
Lovely work, beautiful melodic and heartfelt song.
Excellent vocals and you and Janice always sound stunning together.
Nice acoustic solo and a wonderful lyric.
Really top notch.
Peter
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Someone mentioned the stripped-down instrumentation, but I'm always impressed with how lean your lyrics can be: but i live in a constant rain
i hear devils even god ain't heardShort, to the point, and original. Loved the delivery, with some of the words almost spoken. Nice arrangement - I liked the build. The kick drum was super-effective in the in mix. i've actually considered showing up on sundayExcellent. 
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Hi Floyd,
first of all: Your lyrics are always amazing, but this one truely stands out - marvellous. Scott mentioned that line 'I hear devils even god ain't heard' - like hom I thought that this one can hardly be beaten.
A wonderful song, like always sung with such a lot of cogency. Very well-instrumented, great acoustic lead. Flawless sound, too.
Janice, even if a song is close to perfect, you can always make it shine a little more!
That's really one of the big ones, Floyd!
All the best,
Stefan
Last edited by Crossroads; 12/02/20 10:33 PM.
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Can I just say I love it, and you'll understand I have no words to praise your accomplishments, Floyd? Please post one of those throw-away songs so I can say, "See? He IS human." Great choice asking Janice. I love her voice. She makes you a better you. A drummer friend from NY still claims that he and I wrote like 5,000 surfer songs in the 60s. I correct him by saying we wrote one surfer song 5,000 times. Thanks for all you do here, man!!
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This sounds great man. I really like the choice of tracks, and Janice is doing a super job as usual. As always, and excellent mix dude!! 
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I've said it before; the blend of your voice with Janice is special, just sublime. Wonderful song, bring back some more of these old ones please
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Musician17 & CaptainMoto
Thanks for mentioning my harmony. It has always a pleasure singing with floyd over the years!
Janice
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos are here on our website.
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Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
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XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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