...that may sound a bit "pushy", but...

It's actually the name of the song.

LISTEN

i know the last time your heart told you where to go
you took a wrong turn and ended up alone
right then and there you swore you'd never love again
the next time your heart talks to you
you just won't listen

i've got to get you before you lock that door
i don't know why i've never told you this before
i've been in love with you all this time
so if you can't hear your heart listen to mine

   listen, it'll lead you to my door
   listen, it knows what hearts are for
   i know what you're dreaming of
   you want to believe in love
   and part of you is still looking for a sign
   so if you can't hear your heart listen to mine

i know the things that your heart hasn't ever heard
give me the chance, i won't say a word
when love is true it speaks from deep inside
so if you can't hear your heart listen to mine

   listen, it'll lead you to my door
   listen, it knows what hearts are for
   i know what you're dreaming of
   you want to believe in love
   and part of you is still looking for a sign
   so if you can't hear your heart listen to mine

   i know what you're dreaming of
   you want to believe in love
   and part of you is still looking for a sign
   so if you can't hear your heart, listen to mine
   yeah if you can't hear your heart listen to mine



The BAND....
RealTracks in style: 1268:Bass, Electric, PopUplift Ev16 120
RealTracks in song: 659:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm TexasRockChop Ev 120 (B:8ths)
RealTracks in song: 698:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockDirty Ev 120 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 852:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm NashvillePopClean Ev 120 (B:arp)
RealTracks in song: 1527:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopPowerBrightClean Ev 120
RealTracks in song: 1770:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkMovinChords Ev16
RealTracks in song: 1260:Guitar, Electric, Soloist PopShining Ev 120130
RealTracks in song: 1169:Guitar, Electric, Soloist RockMediumBrent Ev 120
RealDrums in style: PraiseWorshipUptempo16^2-a:Kick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat, Kick

I played vibraphone.

Harmonies - Janice Merritt and me (the janettes!!!)

Thanks Janice and Bud!!! Y'all are the BEST!!

You might want to listen to this one loud...

Comments encouraged. Thanks for LISTENing...

floyd


P.S. -- Guenter's NUMB took the Grand Prize in the re-mix contest! If you haven't done so yet, visit the NUMB thread and throw him a big high-five. He deserves it...
(In case you thought "I've already been there...")

If it's FJ, you know it is good!! This is a song that's been written in one form or another since the dawn of songwriting. Why? Because it's a universal feeling: "Sorry you got burned but please just give me a chance to show you something better". The Last Worthless Evening is a classic in this vein. This song delivers that universal feeling in a really fresh, clever (but not overly clever), heartfelt way. The song is sincere but not sappy, crafted but not formulaic, and expertly written and delivered. It occurred to me a long time ago that the intersection of two sets (commercially strong songs, and truly great songs) is a very small domain where few can thread the needle. Don Henley is one. FJ is another. I don't even bother commenting on the mix anymore unless I hear something that needs fixing, and with Floyd I never do! Another wonderful song Floyd!! Take care. Greg

Above and beyond all the usual stuff that makes your songs so good, I like the catch phrase "if you can't hear your heart listen to mine"

Greg - What a very nice thing to say! To be mentioned in the same paragraph with DH... humbled... the man does know how to do it... Thank you...



Thanks, Pat. That "catch phrase" is a very important part of being able to formulate a "commercial Country" song - it practically defines the genre... it is often what is lacking in those who are shooting for that mark and missing so often... thanks for noticing...

I hate to just +1 this song, but I don't think I can say it any better than this. Greg nails the review! I also knew it would be good and am consistently surprised just how good your finished products are. I really liked the rhythm guitars. I am already anticipating the next one. You continue to set the standard with your quality and output. Just fantastic! Tom

Hi Floyd and Janice.

Another one to add to your list of thoroughly professional productions.
Very smooth.

(I know you don't use them all at once but the guitar lineup never ceases to amaze me). Cheers.

Well, I know I've said this before but I wish I could write a song likes this...write any song, period! Just don't have the talent for it. You and Janice make the heck of a duo. Simply beautiful.

Mike B.

Like Greg said "if it's FJ, then it's good"
Well, in our second year on this forum we come to the very same conclusion!
This is another great one, one of your best we think.
The transition to the chorus and the chorus itself lifts this song to a new level.
Again, Janice's backing vocals are as professional as they come.

Rob & Anne-Marie

Classic Floyd Jane. It's always easy to turn up to box, sit back and enjoy the show. Everything is spot on.


Charlie

Floyd,

Great selection of guitar tracks and drums. Strong lyrics. The latest batch of User Showcase tunes have really highlighted the background vocals and harmonies. Another top-of-the-line and radio ready production!

Floyd,

You have a knack for great hooks and on top of that the gift to write the story around it. You proved it once again!

Floyd,

You have a knack for great hooks and on top of that the gift to write the story around it. You proved it once again!

Oops. Double post, but worth repeating

floyd,


Wonderful lyrics, so poignant.

I'm struggling to find words as this song, as I have said before about your works, is the sort of country I really, really like. Janice's voice matches yours so well

SO I opened the back door, turned it up LOUD to let the neighbours have a listen as well!! It's gone 7.30 am here so I have given them a wonderful way to wake up on this miserable, wet morning!!!!

GREAT SONG

Alyn

Another good write.

This would have easily been a cut in the Nashville town in the heady days of the late 80's when country was really stating to move into the pop/rock genre. Your style keeps reminding me of those bands and artists.

Vocals are excellent. Nice harmony work. That vibraphone was a tasty decision and placed well in the song. Little things like that really set a song apart from the rest of the pack.

I would likely have used a bit more reverb on the lead fills. They sounded just a bit too dry and stiff to my ears. That could also be the real track as well.... I try not to use RT's for leads.

No real nits to pick on this tune. It all sounds good to me.

Keep on writing and recording.... you have a formula that works.

Hi Floyd.

Backing vox in stereo? Nice solo too. Sounds great. Good on yer!

Terrific song. Isn't Janice just wonderful? Not to take anything away from your super lead vocal of course, I just love Janice.

Absolutely nothing to criticize here. Clever lyrics, great backing, a mix which hangs together LOUD and altogether a very professional package.

ROG.

Hi Floyd,

this is just another one I can't stop
listening to. I could only repeat what I and
others so often said.
Janice's voice is a great complement. The idea with
the vibes is great.
Thanks a lot for your appeal referring "Numb".
Very kind of you.

Guenter

Had a good "Listen"to this one.
Don't know how I missed this.
Great country rock.
Excellent composition.
Rob.

Listen...a lot has already been said, and very well I might add!

I look to help people where I can. I just don't know what I could offer. I really like it the way it is! I just didn't want to NOT comment. So the best I can offer at this point is, ditto!



I have to agree! This is one of those phrases that when I heard it, I wished I would have written it! Great job!

Thanks, Tom... appreciate all that...



Thanks, Richard...



Thanks, Mike... I appreciate you dropping by...

I had a brain malfunction for a minute thinking what in the heck is a vibraphone - then realized oh it's vibes. LOL! Added a nice touch to the arrangement.

Sounds great, well sung, cool stereo harmonies too.

Josie

Thanks, guys... appreciate that..



Thanks, Charlie....



Thanks, Jim... really appreciate that...

Thanks, Patrick. Thanks, Patrick. LOL LOL



HA! Thanks, Alyn!!! LOve to part of a ruckus!!!


Thanks, Herb. Appreciate all that...

I've listened to this a few times since you posted it. I've said before that you remind me of those 80's/90's country artists who took the music to a new level. On this one I get kind of a Southern Pacific vibe from the RTs.

Excellent writing and song craft, obviously. Vocals/harmonies are tight and right...eous. Must be nice to have vocalists on staff, ready to sing whenever y'all need harmony:)

Your mixes and productions are always way, way up there, as is this.


I'm just curious to know if you heard those guitars when you wrote the song?

Thanks, ROG... always interested in your thoughts on the songs I post. And, YES! Janice IS wonderful! I feel lucky to be able to call both she and Bud, "friend"...



Thanks, Guenter - always appreciate your support... just wanted to make sure people knew there was "something new" to know about "Numb" - the recognition for that is huge and well deserved...



Thanks, Rob...

Ha ha. That is funny Floyd. Love, love Janice's harmonies on this one. Great write great production as usual.

"...so if you can't hear your heart listen to mine..."


Great line. Another keeper.


Regards,

Bob

Thanks, Caaron... often that phrase that makes people think "why didn't I think of that?" is all it takes to have the right "stuff" needed to write a song that has "something to hold on to"...



Thanks, Josie. Hope you are doing okay...

Hi, Floyd !

Forgive me this belated
comment to this asolutely
wonderful piece of music !!

You and Janice are just
gettin´better and better
all the time if it was
possible - that is !!!!

Thank you for the music !

Cheers
Dani

Thanks for all those compliments, Scott.. Interesting question... the answer is pretty much "no" - as I write something like this, I'm mostly just hearing how the vocal "sings" - the singer and the song being all that exists if that makes sense - the underlying production doesn't begin to form until I'm done writing..




Thanks, Josie..


Thank you, Bob.... where in the world ya been lately????




Dani - thanks, buddy...we appreciate all that..

Hi floyd,



The first thing that stood out to me when the song started playing was just how brilliant the arrangement, the instrumental line-up and the mix are. The clarity of this production is way better than any superlative I can some with. It's like listening to sunshine – it's bright, it sparkles, and it resonates full of energy. This song sounds as professional as anything from a dedicated studio; it's a production masterpiece in fact. Music really doesn't get better than this. After listening to “Listen”, I realised just how much I still have to learn in the mixing arena.

In relation to the lyrics, I really like the way that you've used rhyming couplets throughout the song. Whenever I've tried writing lyrics using rhyming couplets, I seem to get a kind of 'forced' quality to my words. By comparison, these lyrics of yours flow as easy as conversation and the rhymes seem so natural that the lyrics slip by without drawing attention to anything other than the story. This is what I call black-belt songwriting

As a 'set the tone of the song' verse, Verse 1 is terrific. The image of a woman being alone, frustrated, angry and despairing was vivid. For some reason, your Verse 1 reminded me of the lyrics of Mike Reid's and Allen Shamblin's “I Can't Make You Love Me” and the power of the imagery in its opening verse.


It's worth noting that Reid and Shamblin used an odd number of phrases (i.e. three) while working within the boundaries of a couplets approach with rhyme. Your first verse also uses an odd number of phrases (i.e. five) and, as already mentioned, the constraints of couplets.

If I reconfigure your Verse 1 so that it's easier to see the couplets, it's interesting to see how you've rhymed 'again' with 'listen'.


To my mind, the effect of this consonant rhyme using the 'n' sound is one of the most notable features of the first verse. Because this type of sound relationship has a very 'door left open' feeling to it, it pushes the listener straight into the second verse due to the fact that the listener is still waiting to hear a more concrete rhyme like go/alone. Such a rhyme doesn't happen though.

In finishing Verse 2, the listener is aurally satisfied by a more solid rhyme that indicates that the Verse1+Verse2 sequence is complete. The effect of the lack of closure at the end of Verse 1 seemed very appropriate for a Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse song format. Nice!

The melody is outstanding. I particularly like the timing and the melodic phrase for “listen to mine”. It's musical characteristics really make it stand out and so easily identifiable as the title. Also, the vibes were a very inventive, creative touch.

Yep, black-belt songwriting meets black-belt song-producing meets black-belt PG Music technology!

All the best,
Noel

P.S. Janice's and your voices work incredibly well together. If the two of you keep this up, like Guenter, you're going to win something somewhere!

• previous song: Just A Little After Midnight

Thank you so much for inviting me in on this GREAT song!
It was fun.

Janice

You are invited to EVERY ONE of my songs.

In a just world, you would be famous. Rich. A star. A diva. In tabloids. We might not like you then... image that...

;0

Once again, Noel, your review is as interesting as the song you are reviewing... but this one is especially interesting....

Greg and I often exchange emails about songs "worth listening to"... things that we find written at a level worth noting... Not more than a couple of week ago, I sent Greg an email with a link to Mike Reid's version of “I Can't Make You Love Me”!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlA3tMaX9GA

It gives me chills. I had not thought about it for YEARS. After I found it recently, I listened to it over and over and over... Songwriting at it VERY BEST.

I dig that you get that.

floyd

As usual, I'm late coming to the party! Been working pretty much 7 days a week for several months now. But I am so glad I got to hear this one! Up to your usual standards. Great write, great hook, great production, etc. And Janice did a great job on the backup vocals as well.

Really enjoyed it!

Steve