"You can't go home again" - Thomas Wolfe

"Really?" - floyd jane



BACK HOME

no one was there to welcome her back
a run-down station, overgrown tracks
an old wooden sign confirmed the fact
it was a town she once called home

three blocks down where the park used to be
sprawling apartments... not a single tree
this isn’t how she imagined it’d be
the town she once called home

home....can you ever go back home.... back home....

a lazy downtown all replaced
by high-rises and a hectic pace
everywhere she turned another stranger’s face
in the town she once called home

supermarkets and malls and mass transit stops
instead of the old familiar mom-and-pops
since when did they need more than one traffic cop
in the town she once called home

home....can you ever go back home.... back home....

she closes her eyes and just for a moment
nothing's changed
the streets are filled with sunday strollers
and everyone knows her name
and she’s still that small town girl
with dreams to change the world
as soon as she's found
a way out of this town
she once called home

what a pleasant surprise to find beacon drive
after all these years somehow survived
tears of joy well up inside
for the town she once called home

the smell of supper through the front door screen
mom and dad out on the front porch swing
a little prayer of thanks that her journey could bring her
to a place she could still call home

home....welcome back home.... back home....



The BAND:
RealTracks in style: 521:Bass, Electric, Pop Syncopated Ev 136
RealTracks in song: ~1677:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 120
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleBrushesCountryPopEv16: a: Sidestick, Brushes b: Brushes
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2066:Piano, Rhythm NewAgeAnswers Ev16 110
RealTracks in song: 1856:Cello, Background PopCountry Ev 085
RealTracks in song: ~618:Fiddle, Background Allis Ev 120
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2060:Strings, Rhythm PopCountry Ev 120



Hope you find something to like.
Comments welcome.
Call your Mom.

floyd

BEATIFUL!!!!!! This has always been a very personal subject for me. I am a person who frequently reflects on the past and the future. This song is a wonderful, beautifully executed examination of the meaning of home. Wonderful melancholy with a sweet, touching, and not overdone ending. LOVE the choice to make the chorus a reflective moment instead of a busy section....time to digest the deep content. LOVE the sparse and sweet arrangement. LOVE the vocal. LOVE THE WHOLE DANG THING!!!! Great Floyd!! Take care. Greg

There's everything to like! Very good song with captivating lyrics. This track is begging for a video!!!

Your mixing is (at least in the songs I've heard) always very precise with no muddiness in the "dangerous" frequency zones.

Enjoyed it a lot!
Will

Too many thoughts going thru my head on this. I'm not even sure what direction to go with my comments. I have not ONE thing I could tell you to do differently.

I could pick apart every word, instrumentation, feeling but why? Every single thing I would say would be a compliment.

I will say this though...

"a lazy downtown all replaced
by high-rises and a hectic pace"

That says an AMAZING amount in so little time. But, now that I've said that, it makes me want to keep going...

The build was awesome, and the release to such an touching ending was a perfect contrast to that. Thanks for not letting me live in only "days gone by."

This song is gorgeous in every aspect.

floyd

Lovely work. Greg was spot on with his review. Great build and some spine tingling lyrics.
Wonderful mix -crystal clear on my system and your "trademark" lyric make this a joy to listen to.

Peter

Wow! Just when I expected another melancholic verse, you switch directions and end up with a happy ending!

You did post a spoiler at the beginning, but I didn't believe it.

and she’s still that small town girl
with dreams to change the world
as soon as she's found
a way out of this town

Great lyric, sort of the reverse of Greg's Sutherland Road.

As always, a pleasure to listen to your songs!

Hi, Floyd !:))

You´ve done it again !:))
What a wonderful tune with
splendid singing by you !
My new Floydfav for sure !!!

Cheers
Dani

Emotional and easy to relate to, even to people who stayed put. I too am glad you ended with sweetness, but I kinda felt like it was coming so it was as delicious as that pie you smelled in the oven during dinner.

Yep, that's what home is.

This was just great. I enjoyed it first bar to last.

This is great.

So well done.

And very memorable.

Hi Floyd,

It's amazing how simplicity and structured fulfillment can be so mutually ingratiating. The music is simple in form, yet the story/lyric is fully engaging and fulfills the expectations of the listener. The two facets compliment each other, rather than compete, throughout. And you do it so smoothly and seemingly with little effort, although I can imagine the diligent work you out into this.

Although totally different styles, this song brought to mind the Ed Bruce song, "After All" - it's one of my all-time favorites. This one matches up quite nicely with it. It was a real pleasure. Best to you.

Alan

Man, you are on a roll! Just one good song after another.

Love the story, very well written, and your vocals/harmonies are spot on.

Great mix, piano sounds fabulous. What VSTi are you using if you don't mind my asking?

Very much enjoyed the listen!

Dave said it right. Really well written and done. Tony

Floyd I will have to say to date this song is my favorite of yours. The lyrics are so beautiful and brought me to to such a different experience of going back home. Love the twist at the end of finding that sweet place. This song is as great as any coming out of Nashville. You really nailed it with this one.

Great song and vocal. Love the harmonies and the overall arrangement and the fact that the song kept building up throughout. Works really well and conveys the message of change which we cannot control so effectively.

Floyd,
So much to like -the story with enough detail to draw us in and space to make it universal; superb vocals and nicely placed harmonies, crystal clear piano... my favourite moment is the bridge where you bring out emotion held back in the chorus.
A big WOW for this.

Robert

Floyd

This is a great song some have said best/ favourite Etc.

To me this stands on its own as it should.

One of the posts above mentioned the liking /opposite to Greg and his song Sutherland Road, although both are of the same style and structure Both shine in their own rights.


Enjoyed this Thanks.

P.S. PUT ME IN MIND OF Leo Sayer and orchard road.

Super write,

the excellent harmonies just make this so smooth

and nice to listen to

the level of mix and musicianship is top notch

and that consistently great voice

all make for a beautiful song

Kenny

Hello, floyd

Beautiful song!
I feel the essence of country in this tune.
Despite English lyrics, the story comes into my mind without difficulty.
I think that it is because of your powerful vocal.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Greg - such a review from such a writer is, indeed, much appreciated.

Will - Thanks for stopping by for a listen!

HTL - always enjoy your thoughts on a song... (and, of course, I enjoyed these...) Thanks!

Thanks for your continued support, Peter...

Congratulations Floyd,

This may be your most cinematic song yet, and it is definitely my favorite vocal of yours. So warm and authentic--truly winsome.

It's like miniature movie, this song.

I wonder what genre you would call this (or any number of your tunes.)

They don't sound "country" to me, more like Dan Folgelberg in the "storyteller" genre, which the Eagles did very well, as did Jim Croce.

If you had to put a genre on this (other than the Floyd genius genre) how would you define it?

Great job on this man.

You just proved again that Thomas Wolfe was right. You can't go home again. Well done, and well written.

David - thanks for stopping by. It is always nice when someone notes a section of lyric (thanks!). Greg's song is so amazing - I'll happily be a counterpart to it

Thanks, Dani!

More wonderful storytelling by Mr FJ!! Floyd you are a master at doing these type songs! Thoroughly good in every way! Thanks, T

Janice’s immediate comments:

“What a passionate and soulful vocal.”
“The melody is mesmerizing.”
“That’s perfect piano.”
“The imagery would make an incredible video.”
“ It reminds me of Glen Campbell.”

Bud says, “ditto” and adds:

The clarity and overall sound of both your vocal and the piano are outstanding.
The lyric makes me contemplate over and over about what makes a great write like this. A wonderful combo of nature and nurture I think.

Sublime and poignant.

J&B

Thanks, Tangmo... appreciate that...

drutgat - thanks, appreciate that...




Alan - thanks for that very nice review. And thanks for mentioning Ed Bruce (he was a great one!) - I had never heard that song...found it on YouTube - nice!!

"what a pleasant surprise to find beacon drive
after all these years somehow survived
tears of joy well up inside
for the town she once called home"


Great writing. And I love the name of her street!

Great intro and pacing throughout the arrangement.

And your vocals and harmonies are outstanding

Well done!

Thanks for all of that, Dave...

The piano is my go-to piano VST - use it ALL the time - 4Frount TruePiano.
http://www.truepianos.com/
It is $120 - last Christmas they put it on sale for $80.
I've got a number of other pianos - EZKeys Grand and Studio Grand, Addictive Keys Studio Grand - but I use the TruePianos on almost everything... I like the way it cuts through the mix..

Tony - I really appreciate you stopping by for a listen and a comment.... Thanks!

Thanks, Donna. Appreciate that...

Floyd,

We recognize the situation!
When you go back to future places and times, it comes down to a disappointment most of the times.
Very good lyrics... as are the music and your vocals.

Rob and Anne-Marie

Thanks, Tony. Nice of you to say...

Robert - thanks for your continued support... and thanks for mentioning the bridge - it's a bit different than my usual...

wow Floyd this is a great production so well done eric

Floyd,

I love this... Beautiful and touching. Great vocal and production as well.

Some very cool lines in this song:

"a lazy downtown all replaced
by high-rises and a hectic pace
everywhere she turned another stranger’s face
in the town she once called home"

Outstanding stuff!

Bob

Floyd,

Terrific lyrics on this one—love the rhyme scheme and pacing, accentuated by the great vocal delivery. Nice job on those background vocals starting that second verse. Great theme on this one, too. We’ve all been there, going back to a beloved spot and seeing how it’s changed, how affecting that can be. And yet it’s still that same place. Well captured here. Great tune—enjoyed listening to this one.

Hope all is well in your world.

Regards,

Deej

Thanks, beatmaster. The themes of "going back home" and "things have certainly changed" are, needless to say, very popular songwriting themes. It is interesting to see the different songs that something like this bring to mind in each listener's listening history...

Thanks, Kenny. (you've been knocking it out of the park lately...)

Shigeki Adachi - I appreciate that. Thanks for your continued support...

Mr. Snyder... thanks for the nice comments... genre? don't know.... I grew up listening mainly to singer-songwriter-storytellers - is that a "genre"... let's say "sure!"

A first class song Floyd. I love the arc of the story. Your vocal delivery, technically and emotionally, is spot on as usual. Nicely engineered and mixed. Congratulations on another winner.


John

Thanks for having a listen, Gary...




Thanks, Torrey...

What a truly nice review. Thanks for noting the production and the write - both of which are focal points for me....

Thanks Lawrence. Good eye on catching "beacon drive"... a real "buried songwriting clue" that typically only writers who really pay attention catch.

Glad y'all came by for a listen....




Eric - thanks for stopping by...




Thanks, Bob - always nice to have a real "lyric guy" quote some lyrics... (you've been killing it lately!!)

Deej - good to see you stop back around. Thanks for the nice review...




Thanks, John. Hope this means we will be hearing another from you soon???

Boy what a lovely song Floyd. I just about missed this song. I have not had much time on the forum lately. The song sure move around fast. Just loved the backtrack. Such a cool rhythm to it. Complements such a beautiful vocal and lyric. Well done Floyd

Hi Floyd,

I hope you don't mind me digging this out of your closet...

I have been checking out a lot of your songs...

What a journey, everything from hocking kids at pawn shops to touching and poignant tunes like this.

It just really touched me as someone who left and could never find that way back home...

Your vocals, lyrics and music captured this theme perfectly.