PG Music Home
Posted By: floyd jane Hold On - 12/18/14 05:36 PM
My sister (Janet) and her boyfriend (Gary) were one of those high school couples that everyone knew would marry - sooner than later...
Gary joined the Navy right after graduation, as was always his plan.
We all figured at some point they would tie the knot and Janet would follow him wherever...
But, things change...

This is their story. From Janet's POV...

Fewer RTs this time smile

The Band....
RealTracks in song: ~518:Bass, Electric, Pop HalfNotes Ev 085
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2066:Piano, Rhythm NewAgeAnswers Ev16 110


HOLD ON (JANET'S SONG)


four years ago gary joined the navy
that last night we cried every tear we ever had
and it seems silly now
remembering how
we made a vow
to hold on, hold on
the first letters came the next week postmarked hong kong
he'd send snapshots of his buddies from japan
when at sea
he'd write poetry
to send to me
hold on, hold on,
hold on

my girlfriends all got married and they moved away
the school kids get younger every year
all that pulled me through
was a heart that knew
my sailor blue
hold on, hold on
the letters slowed to once a month, then slowed again
the few phone calls were too short to talk
it's been a boring day
i don't know what to say
you're so far away
hold on, hold on,
hold on

i've moved again, it's this job i'm in, the money's good
i'm a women now, i meet the world head on
this city's fun
i've dated some
when the chance has come

i heard somewhere that gary's coming home next week
funny, i couldn't tell you how i feel
a lifetime's slipped by
should we even try
or hold that last goodbye
hold on, hold on


Comments encouraged.
Thanks for listening.

floyd
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: Hold On - 12/18/14 06:21 PM
Gorgeous!! This song bleeds emotion, from the piano, to the bass, to a powerfully delivered vocal. What powerful melancholy. Incredible job Floyd!! Take care. Greg
Posted By: ROG Re: Hold On - 12/18/14 08:03 PM
Hi Floyd.

A very moving song which the minimalist production suits perfectly.

I was left with an enduring feeling that I needed to know more. Very clever writing.

I'm not even going to mention how good, as usual, the recording and production was.

ROG.
Posted By: Guitarhacker Re: Hold On - 12/18/14 09:44 PM
Good song.... it might have worked better with a female singer..... it is from a woman's POV after all...

Reminded me of some of the melancholy Carol King songs...filled with emotion.

The real tracks are amazing.
Posted By: Charlie Fogle Re: Hold On - 12/18/14 11:52 PM
Hi Floyd. This is a very interesting write. I grew up in the Navy town of Charleston, SC and new many naval families. Although your sister didn't marry into that wayward life of a sailor, she still managed to become entangled in it. Strong emotions from the journey along the highway to "what if".


Charlie
Posted By: gibson Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 04:26 AM
floyd,
What an emotional song, the piano was perfect to portray the feelings.

Quote:
I'm not even going to mention how good, as usual, the recording and production was.
I'm with ROG.

That was beautiful

I feel so sad now frown your lyrics spoke unspoken feelings, if you see what I mean.

Well done

Alyn
Posted By: tommyad Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 10:36 AM
floyd, Excellent choice of just piano and bass backing. Very nicely sung. Of course the write is terrific as well as the usual stellar production. I have to tell that your last post Real Life Cowboy has a couple of lines that I can't get out of my head. The opening line "A weathered man with one closed eye squinting at a western sun" and the equally brilliant " his jeans were worn and faded but for where a gun might cling". How in the name of Roy Rogers do you come up with these words? Back to this song "or hold that last goodbye" = great closer. Wraps up the package and puts a little bow on it. Over the last year you have quickly leap frogged up my list of all-time favorite writers. It's like back in the 60's- after a while we all came to realize that the next Beatles song was going to be just as great as the last one. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Tom
Posted By: FredM Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 11:00 AM
Hi Floyd,
Powerful song, genius in what might look like simplicity.
A story told by a very good writer. The POV of your storyteller makes that I believe every word. Maybe a good idea of guitarhacker to let a female have a go with this story... Josie?

Best wishes, and a bow for your craftsmanship. (Who played that piano part? Loved it!)

Fred
Posted By: boehm Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 01:06 PM
Hi Floyd,

beautiful song with lots of emotion.
That piano was a good choice.
You've outdone yourself with the vocal delivery.
Merry Christmas.

Guenter
Posted By: Pat Marr Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 02:24 PM
Wow, Floyd.

I don't even have words for this.. I'm gob-smacked.
It's unlike anything else you've presented here.. for most people that would constitute an experiment. And For most people, it wouldn't even be expected to succeed at an experiment on the first try.

But...wow.
Posted By: Tommyc Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 03:56 PM
Amazing Song as Usual!
Posted By: Scott C Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 04:46 PM
Very sad song. Very emotional vocal. Awesome..
Posted By: dani48 Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 06:34 PM
Hi, Floyd !:))


......... This was just too good,
made me cry (well after all I am
very sensitive) !

Just canĀ“t find any fitting words
for this, it is just so sublime !

Regards
Dani
Posted By: RnAM Re: Hold On - 12/19/14 07:13 PM
Beautiful song Floyd!
Lots of emotion. The lyrics had better be sung by a woman though, or....if you just change some words (I'm a woman now) sing them from a man's POV about his boyfriend.
Even in America this must be possible nowadays grin
The song doesn't need more than these two RT's, they are perfect.

Rob and Anne-Marie
Posted By: Sundance Re: Hold On - 12/20/14 02:52 AM
So sad. Beautiful vocal and production.

Josie
Posted By: 90 dB Re: Hold On - 12/20/14 09:19 AM
Very touching. Love the minimalist treatment.


Regards,

Bob
Posted By: MarioD Re: Hold On - 12/20/14 11:02 AM
Originally Posted By: Pat Marr
Wow, Floyd.

I don't even have words for this.. I'm gob-smacked.
It's unlike anything else you've presented here.. for most people that would constitute an experiment. And For most people, it wouldn't even be expected to succeed at an experiment on the first try.

But...wow.



A BIG +1

One might say that you were out of your comfort zone but I'm starting to believe that all genres are your comfort zone!

This is a keeper.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Hold On - 12/20/14 12:43 PM
Greg - thanks. you are always most generous with your comments..

ROG - appreciate that...

Thanks, Herb...

Charlie - appreciate you spinning this one...

Alyn - thanks for stopping by...
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Hold On - 12/20/14 03:42 PM
Well, Mr jane as a songwriter I think you've pretty much
set the piano on fire, walked off the stage, and left the
next act cowering behind the curtains.

That would be sufficient for about anybody....but when you
add a great voice, a mega studio sound and the sheer
consistency of all your projects it is simply a tour de force.

And have babbled all of the above I'll simply say that this
one certainly maintains the high bar level. Beautiful.

J&B
Posted By: receder Re: Hold On - 12/20/14 08:49 PM
Powerful stuff!

Echoing all the other comments - minimalist, melancholy, beautiful, lovely piano (that last chord, mmmm).

I don't always make it to the end with some songs here but this one definitely held my attention.

Who would know that BIAB was even involved.

Inspiring, thank you.

Rec
Posted By: RichMac Re: Hold On - 12/21/14 04:52 AM
Thumbs up from here!
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Hold On - 12/21/14 11:41 AM
Tom - appreciate all that. Glad that "Cowboy" stuck with you (those are favorite lines of mine, too). And..what a nice thing to say...Merry Christmas to you, too!

Fred - Thanks. The piano is one of the SuperMidi tracks - 2066:Piano, Rhythm NewAgeAnswers Ev16 110 - my favorite - I've used it on a bunch of different type songs (It was use in Real Live Cowboy as well). It changes a lot as you re-gen it. This track was a comp of about a dozen different generations.


Guenter - thank you. you are always most complimentary...


Pat - Thanks for the wow(s). ("Choking" was actually fairly similar to this, but you may not have been around for that one)
Posted By: F.M.M. Re: Hold On - 12/21/14 05:29 PM
hi Floyd amazing work very special and a gorgous mix perfect thanks merry Christmas eric
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Hold On - 12/21/14 09:08 PM
Tommy - Thanks, man! good to see you back around...


Scott - appreciate the listen...


Dani - sorry to bring a tear to your eye.. sometimes that release it a good thing...


R & AM - thanks, y'all... I like the occasional "guy singing a woman's song" - check out Angel From Montgomery" by John Prine...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CDLCr0fxOQ

Posted By: Pat Marr Re: Hold On - 12/21/14 09:31 PM
Quote:
Pat - Thanks for the wow(s). ("Choking" was actually fairly similar to this, but you may not have been around for that one)


I just searched for CHOKING and listened to it. You're right, I missed it the first time around... otherwise I would have posted a comment. It's a very nice song too, with some great lines. But I like this one even more. This one hits harder. I like this piano better, and the sad chords advance the theme of the lyrics.

I would love to hear this one sung by a female. I think that would ramp up the emotional payload quite a bit.

... but where on earth would you ever find any talented female singers who would be willing to take a stab at it....?

wink


Posted By: Sundance Re: Hold On - 12/21/14 10:41 PM
Or you could just say I am a man. There are women in the Navy. I suppose guys feel those emotions too.

grin

Josie
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Hold On - 12/22/14 02:44 PM
Josie - thanks...

Bob - appreciate you droppin' by...

Mario - thanks, man....

J&B - you are too kind...

Rec - thanks for dropping in for a listen. Appreciate that..
Posted By: rsdean Re: Hold On - 12/22/14 03:41 PM
Floyd,

So heartfelt... Just beautiful.

Bob
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Hold On - 12/23/14 01:22 PM
Richard - thanks for the thumbs...

eric - thanks so much for that...

Pat - thanks... there was actually some discussion....

Josie - I've done this in this manner for so very long - written about '79 I think? Figure I'd give it the BIAB treatment to see how it stood up...

Thanks, Bob...
Posted By: Pat Marr Re: Hold On - 12/23/14 04:24 PM
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Pat - thanks... there was actually some discussion....



"WAS" (past tense)
and they turned you down???

MAAaaan!

I
am
so
disappointed
Posted By: sixchannel Re: Hold On - 12/23/14 06:22 PM
Stunning!!!!!
Get a hold of Jennifer Warnes - Quick! (I'm thinking "Famous Blue Raincoat" album here.
As superb as this is, I would really like to hear this sung my a woman. Its already a wonderful piece of imaginative writing, arranging and singing but imagine it with a female voice. It would be a ShowStopper.
Happy Christmas, Floyd
Ian
Posted By: Jim Fogle Re: Hold On - 12/26/14 03:44 PM
Floyd, Strong song and well done. It's distracting to me though to hear a male voice sing a song written from a women's perspective.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Hold On - 12/27/14 10:53 AM
Ian and Jim - thanks for the listen and comments, guys... perhaps this will be re-visited in the future... so little time...so many songs...
Posted By: Noel96 Re: Hold On - 01/15/15 10:25 AM
floyd,

I listened to this some time back and have just discovered that I didn't tell you how great it was. Lucky for me, though, Janice/Bud are much more eloquent that I could ever be. When they said ...

Quote:
Well, Mr jane as a songwriter I think you've pretty much set the piano on fire, walked off the stage, and left the next act cowering behind the curtains.


... if ever there was a comment that deserved a huge +1, this one has my vote.

Really, really good everything!!

All the best,
Noel

P.S. I think "Hold On" very clearly shows that the singer of a song does not have to be a character in the song - even when the lyrics are written in first person narrative. This is not something that I've thought about before.

In third person narrative, a listener can easily be told a story using she, he, they, (no "I" character) etc., and it works. As you were writing these lyrics, I suspect you seriously pondered whether or not to use this perspective. The problem with third person narrative is that it distances the lyrics and the listener becomes an observer rather than being actively involved in the words.

By using the first person narrative (he, him, I, (no "you" character)), the listener is pulled in and is more closely associated with the lyrics. This comes from the power of "I".

To my ears, much of the emotional punch of "Hold On" comes from the effect of using the character "I/me" but not (as in the large majority of songs) employing the singer to be this character. Yet another case of inspired, 10th dan black-belt songwriting!
Posted By: JoanneCooper Re: Hold On - 01/15/15 11:59 AM
So glad Noel revived this one as I missed it the first time round. Guess I was on holiday at the time. Really love it and has definitely inspired me to write something that will suit a lovely simple backing like this.
© PG Music Forums