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Hate has become big.
We see more each day.
We need an alternative.

A co-write - Greg Johnson & floyd jane

What if we try this...


THE NEXT BIG THING

we build bigger, better bombs they'll blow us all to kingdom come
facebook, fox, twitter, cnn bombard us 'til we're numb
walls and presidential bans for those who pray differently
we ask "what is wrong with them?"
well, what is wrong with you and me?
   
   why can't love be the next big thing
   why can't peace and understanding be at the core of everything
   ain't it time we start with the human heart
   and try to end the suffering
   why can't love be the next big thing

we've sent rocket ships to planets a million miles away
science has unlocked the secrets to our dna
the wonders of nature all under our control
yet we have so little insight into the nature of our souls
   
   why can't love be the next big thing
   why can't peace and understanding be at the core of everything
   ain't it time we start with the human heart
   and try to end the suffering
   why can't love be the next big thing

open up your heart
we all must do our part
so let's get to it
we can do it
we can rise above it all
   
   let's make love the next big thing
   let's make peace and understanding be at the core of everything
   it's time we start with the human heart
   end the suffering
   let's make love be the next big thing
   love...the next big thing




The BAND:
RealTracks in song: ~683:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~684:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~1676:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking CountryBrent Ev 065
RealTracks in style: ~405:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 120
RealTracks in song: ~1639:Piano, Electric, Rhythm JazzFunkBreezy Ev16 075
RealTracks in song: 2878:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AmericanaSlow16thsBrent Ev16 060
RealTracks in song: 841:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopBalladSlowGritty Ev 065
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 1801:Synth Pad, PopShiningSoft Ev 120 (rendered to organ)

RealDrums in Song: BossaBrushesPerc^1-a:Congas, No Kit , b:Congas, Shaker, Triangle, No Kit
RealDrums in Song: NashvilleBrushesCountryPopEv16: a: Sidestick, Brushes b: Brushes

Janice Merritt on harmonies - adding a little more love...
(Thanks, Bud for recording those harmonies!)


We hope you enjoy it.
Comments encouraged.
Love always welcome.

floyd & Greg


After all... it is World Kindness Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Kindness_Day

Hippies!!!

Next you'll want us all to wear tie-dye and hold hands!

super melodies

brilliant and beautiful vocals, you both shine

enjoyed,

Kenny
AMEN Brothers and Sis! We need more beacons of hope like this. WTG, Tom
Floyd,Greg & Janice

By the time the first chorus came in I was sitting round a campfire holding my youngest and singing along under the stars...and when you soar on the bridge, well its one of the sweetest musical moments I`ve had in some time.
A beautiful performance of very well crafted lyrics.

Robert
"we can rise above it all". Oh yeah. That's the line on which turns this hopeful song. When the world seems bent on forcing us to choose sides, we can rise above it all.

A great message, riding a simple and effective melody, carried by natural voices and supported by a strong progression and tasteful band. And it sounds good in my 'phones to boot.
floyd / Greg

Lovely song. A wonderful set of lyrics with an excellent sentiment and a catchy sweet melody topped off with a great vocal and some lovely harmonies by Janice.
A great collaboration from some of the forums best.

Peter
Originally Posted By: tommyad
AMEN Brothers and Sis! We need more beacons of hope like this. WTG, Tom


+1 to what Tom said. It says it all for me. I can't say anything better so I won't try.

Di and I had this discussion over the weekend. What took us all afternoon to say, you two gentlemen said in about three minutes. A tip of the hat and a salute to both you. Wishing both of you the very best. And thank you for this.

Alan
Awesome timely lyrics. Super collaboration. Awesome vocal and Janice's harmonies are just perfect. Well done.
Floyd and Greg,

Well done, gentleman! Great sentiment conveyed in an engaging tune—really enjoyed that chorus and the harmonies. An admirable collaboration.

My best to both of you,

Deej
Great message! And a great song, nice melody and I love the vocal and harmonies.

Nice job on the production and mix, as usual everything sounds perfect.

Really enjoyed this one! I've listened a few times and will listen again.

Collaborations are the best, well done all!
Originally Posted By: 44kfl
Hippies!!!

Next you'll want us all to wear tie-dye and hold hands!

super melodies

brilliant and beautiful vocals, you both shine

enjoyed,

Kenny




Just for YOU, Kenny!!




Peace, Brother.

smile




eek
Originally Posted By: tommyad
AMEN Brothers and Sis! We need more beacons of hope like this. WTG, Tom


Thanks from all of us, Tom...
I love seeing what people collaborate on. Thanks for sharing!
Originally Posted By: Robertkc
Floyd,Greg & Janice

By the time the first chorus came in I was sitting round a campfire holding my youngest and singing along under the stars...and when you soar on the bridge, well its one of the sweetest musical moments I`ve had in some time.
A beautiful performance of very well crafted lyrics.

Robert


Thanks, Robert. Glad to know the bridge worked so well for you - wasn't sure if that would "do its job" or not... And pleased that we could provide you with some family time!! smile
This song is needed.

For me to say anything more than that distracts from the message.
You conveyed an important universal theme quite nicely in this song. The chorus is memorable--I'm still singing it in my head as I type this.
cool song....

I really liked the second verse. and the chorus wasn't bad either.

Yep... we need songs of hope in this hopeless world we live in.
The alternative has been there since time immemorial...now to just get folks to embrace it. Yep, we love the sentiment.

When you invited Janice in and we read that it was a floyd/Greg collab we knew it was gonna be strong. It's a floyd production and vocal...what is left to say about that combo. At the risk of being trite...that combo simply delivers EVERY time.

We would also like to mention that the sheer sincerity of this production is apparent all through -- lyrically, vocally and arrangement wise.

Sincere and hopeful, i.e., not angst ridden.

Superb!!!

J&B

PS Janice says thanks again for inviting her to play a small part.

A great collaboration guys. You've got a super song there and a much-needed sentiment. I caught my breath when the first note of the bridge started, wow Floyd. A great job all round.

John
Great collaboration has produced powerful lyrics, including the title. Nice melody, catchy chorus in a well made package.

Janne
Originally Posted By: tommyad
AMEN Brothers and Sis! We need more beacons of hope like this. WTG, Tom


+1! Great message.
Originally Posted By: Tangmo
"we can rise above it all". Oh yeah. That's the line on which turns this hopeful song. When the world seems bent on forcing us to choose sides, we can rise above it all.

A great message, riding a simple and effective melody, carried by natural voices and supported by a strong progression and tasteful band. And it sounds good in my 'phones to boot.


Thanks, Tangmo. We appreciate that!!
"floyd jane", "greg johnson" and Ms. Janice...

Folks, folks, folks, do you all know what you've done, here??? Huh??? Well, do you??? You took a mighty swing with the big stick of righteousness and knocked the cap off a big bottle of highly-pressurized silence about what's goin' on in these here (dis)-United States. PG Music should give all of you a "Most Socially Significant Songwriting" award for this song of yours, "The Next Big Thing", 'cuz it is.

The title itself piqued my curiosity as to what was this "next big thing", and you delivered on it in no uncertain terms. Your skillful selection of RealTracks carried your "message" musically to this listener in the most ear-pleasing way possible. The sound/feel is intimate, yet tuneful.

Whoever sang the melody just immortalized himself. Ms. Janice's harmonies are the sound of the winds of hope blowing underneath lyrics that are down-to-earth and perfectly descriptive of how badly we're getting our spurs tangled up concerning how we live with each other in America.

This just goes to show all of us songwriters what can happen when you "take it to the river" and get your soul washed nice n' clean.

Bravo, for your courage, honesty, and sincerity, folks!

Deeply grateful, and deeply impressed,

LOREN

Floyd and Greg,

these are times when people all over the world are losing hope when they watch the new, read the papers, FB and the like. Not so long ago I was pretty sure that things - despite of any setbacks - were going the right direction. I grew up in times where love and brotherhood, peace and justice were our aims, and - call me naive - they're still what I deeoly believe in. It's so sad to see how these aims are being trampled and laughed at and how love and truth seem to have been superseded by hate and lies - worldwide.

I would deeply wish that this song woudn't have been necessary, but I am grateful you wrote, recorded and shared it.

It really touched me and I do hope that more of us will take a stand and write their own cry for humanity. Although this is not only lyricswise a jewel, but also a great, most lovable and well-performed piece, any style of music will be suitable for getting the message through, don't you think?

Thanks a lot !

Stefan
Thanks all for the wonderful comments! Means a lot to me that you like our tune. Floyd did an amazing job putting this together. I had a concept and some fragmented ideas and he created a wonderful production from it. It is a great treat to get to collaborate with one of your favorite writers. Thanks so much Floyd!! Take care all. Greg
To Greg, Floyd, and Janice the usual vocal, mix, etc accolades. But what took it over the top for me was the lyrics. I much needed powerful message that all in our ultra political divide need to hear.
LOVE it tiedyed, cheesecloth, sandals or not it's a contemporary and original plea for essentials. In some ways An excellent update of this...
Thanks to all who have mentioned my small part. It was a delight to sing and share the feelings of this song.

Janice
Originally Posted By: PeterF
floyd / Greg

Lovely song. A wonderful set of lyrics with an excellent sentiment and a catchy sweet melody topped off with a great vocal and some lovely harmonies by Janice.
A great collaboration from some of the forums best.

Peter


Thanks, Peter. We appreciate that...


Originally Posted By: Al-David
Originally Posted By: tommyad
AMEN Brothers and Sis! We need more beacons of hope like this. WTG, Tom


+1 to what Tom said. It says it all for me. I can't say anything better so I won't try.

Di and I had this discussion over the weekend. What took us all afternoon to say, you two gentlemen said in about three minutes. A tip of the hat and a salute to both you. Wishing both of you the very best. And thank you for this.

Alan


Glad you liked this, Alan...
Floyd, Greg and Janice,

How right you are!
And how beautifully you have turned this wish into a song.
Great vocals!

Rob and Anne-Marie
Originally Posted By: Scott C
Awesome timely lyrics. Super collaboration. Awesome vocal and Janice's harmonies are just perfect. Well done.


Thanks, Scott...


Originally Posted By: Deej56
Floyd and Greg,

Well done, gentleman! Great sentiment conveyed in an engaging tune—really enjoyed that chorus and the harmonies. An admirable collaboration.

My best to both of you,

Deej


We appreciate that, Deej... thanks..


Originally Posted By: BlueAttitude
Great message! And a great song, nice melody and I love the vocal and harmonies.

Nice job on the production and mix, as usual everything sounds perfect.

Really enjoyed this one! I've listened a few times and will listen again.

Collaborations are the best, well done all!


Thanks, as always, Dave...
The addition to Janice to any project is never small, always a BIG BIG PLUS!! Thanks so much to Janice, one of the best singers I've heard, on or off of the forum!! Take care. Greg
Originally Posted By: 44kfl



eek


wink



Originally Posted By: Ember - PG Music
I love seeing what people collaborate on. Thanks for sharing!


Thanks, Ember.
Originally Posted By: HearToLearn
This song is needed.

For me to say anything more than that distracts from the message.


Caaron - we appreciate your succinctness. smile


Originally Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm
You conveyed an important universal theme quite nicely in this song. The chorus is memorable--I'm still singing it in my head as I type this.


ES - thanks for stopping in...


Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker
cool song....

I really liked the second verse. and the chorus wasn't bad either.

Yep... we need songs of hope in this hopeless world we live in.


Herb - we're glad you liked this...
A truly excellent song & production... loved the hook "why can't love be the next big thing"!
hi greg and Floyd great message love it we need this I agree great colab guys eric
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
The alternative has been there since time immemorial...now to just get folks to embrace it. Yep, we love the sentiment.

When you invited Janice in and we read that it was a floyd/Greg collab we knew it was gonna be strong. It's a floyd production and vocal...what is left to say about that combo. At the risk of being trite...that combo simply delivers EVERY time.

We would also like to mention that the sheer sincerity of this production is apparent all through -- lyrically, vocally and arrangement wise.

Sincere and hopeful, i.e., not angst ridden.

Superb!!!

J&B

PS Janice says thanks again for inviting her to play a small part.



Thanks for the nice review. More importantly...THANKS for again being a big part of the music!!!
Originally Posted By: Skyline
A great collaboration guys. You've got a super song there and a much-needed sentiment. I caught my breath when the first note of the bridge started, wow Floyd. A great job all round.

John


We all say "Thanks!", John. And glad you liked the bridge!...
Great arrangement, excellent write, smooth delivery and wonderful production.

I'm running out of superlatives, and it's only my second sentance!

I'm especially struck by the lyric - this is a great write. You start out with alliteration:

build bigger, better bombs
...
well, what is wrong (OK, wrong is only visually alliterative wink )

You end both verses with the country songwriting trick of reversing the meaning of a word by changing the context:

we ask "what is wrong with them?"
well, what is wrong with you and me?


and

the wonders of nature all under our control
yet we have so little insight into the nature of our souls


And that chorus is perfection! It's got the title as bookends, and is propelled in the middle by an acceleration with the inner rhyme:

it's time we start with the human heart

And then the final verse answers the question posed by the first two choruses, and invites the listener to take action without finger-pointing.

All in all, an amazing write.

Really great job all of you folks!

This is a very uplifting song with beautiful lyrics and a beautiful sound.

Great job all around!!
Mr. Cuny...

Your comments on the structural aspects of the lyric writing in the song, "The Next Big Thing", were very instructive to me.

LOREN
Originally Posted By: jannesan
Great collaboration has produced powerful lyrics, including the title. Nice melody, catchy chorus in a well made package.

Janne


Thanks, Janne, we appreciate that...


Originally Posted By: Sundance
Originally Posted By: tommyad
AMEN Brothers and Sis! We need more beacons of hope like this. WTG, Tom


+1! Great message.


Nice to have you stop by, Josie...
Originally Posted By: bluage
"floyd jane", "greg johnson" and Ms. Janice...

Folks, folks, folks, do you all know what you've done, here??? Huh??? Well, do you??? You took a mighty swing with the big stick of righteousness and knocked the cap off a big bottle of highly-pressurized silence about what's goin' on in these here (dis)-United States. PG Music should give all of you a "Most Socially Significant Songwriting" award for this song of yours, "The Next Big Thing", 'cuz it is.

The title itself piqued my curiosity as to what was this "next big thing", and you delivered on it in no uncertain terms. Your skillful selection of RealTracks carried your "message" musically to this listener in the most ear-pleasing way possible. The sound/feel is intimate, yet tuneful.

Whoever sang the melody just immortalized himself. Ms. Janice's harmonies are the sound of the winds of hope blowing underneath lyrics that are down-to-earth and perfectly descriptive of how badly we're getting our spurs tangled up concerning how we live with each other in America.

This just goes to show all of us songwriters what can happen when you "take it to the river" and get your soul washed nice n' clean.

Bravo, for your courage, honesty, and sincerity, folks!

Deeply grateful, and deeply impressed,

LOREN



Loren - your review warms our collective hearts. Thank you. smile
Originally Posted By: Crossroads
Floyd and Greg,

these are times when people all over the world are losing hope when they watch the new, read the papers, FB and the like. Not so long ago I was pretty sure that things - despite of any setbacks - were going the right direction. I grew up in times where love and brotherhood, peace and justice were our aims, and - call me naive - they're still what I deeoly believe in. It's so sad to see how these aims are being trampled and laughed at and how love and truth seem to have been superseded by hate and lies - worldwide.

I would deeply wish that this song woudn't have been necessary, but I am grateful you wrote, recorded and shared it.

It really touched me and I do hope that more of us will take a stand and write their own cry for humanity. Although this is not only lyricswise a jewel, but also a great, most lovable and well-performed piece, any style of music will be suitable for getting the message through, don't you think?

Thanks a lot !

Stefan




Stefan - thanks for that very nice review. Thoughtful and appreciated.
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Whoever sang the melody just immortalized himself.


Dear Mr. Jane...

You see the quote I selected from my original post? I chose it to accompany an apology. I know that you were the singer, but what I don't know is why I seemed to be confused about that by writing, "whoever..."

Guess my mind got tangled-up with my fingers as I was typing. Sorry about that. I hope you will forgive me for that...blunder.

Sincerely,

LOREN

Originally Posted By: MarioD
To Greg, Floyd, and Janice the usual vocal, mix, etc accolades. But what took it over the top for me was the lyrics. I much needed powerful message that all in our ultra political divide need to hear.


Mario - thanks for having a listen...


Originally Posted By: rayc
LOVE it tiedyed, cheesecloth, sandals or not it's a contemporary and original plea for essentials. In some ways An excellent update of this...


Thanks, Ray. Enjoyed hearing the Nick Lowe again....
Originally Posted By: RnAM
Floyd, Greg and Janice,

How right you are!
And how beautifully you have turned this wish into a song.
Great vocals!

Rob and Anne-Marie


We all appreciate that...


Originally Posted By: Jim
A truly excellent song & production... loved the hook "why can't love be the next big thing"!


Thanks, Jim. And thanks for having a listen to our other song ("It's All In The Heart")...


Originally Posted By: F.M.M.
hi greg and Floyd great message love it we need this I agree great colab guys eric


We are glad you stopped by, eric...
Floyd / Greg,

I love the performance and message... Great mix and an outstanding folk-rock song.

Great collaboration. Excellent all around.

Bob
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
The addition to Janice to any project is never small, always a BIG BIG PLUS!! Thanks so much to Janice, one of the best singers I've heard, on or off of the forum!! Take care. Greg


Greg, I am truly humbled. Bud and I both have such a high regard for your vocals that it's hard to express how appreciative I am of what you wrote.

Thank you!

And, again, a big thanks to both of you for letting me be a part.

Janice
Originally Posted By: dcuny
Great arrangement, excellent write, smooth delivery and wonderful production.

I'm running out of superlatives, and it's only my second sentance!

I'm especially struck by the lyric - this is a great write. You start out with alliteration:

build bigger, better bombs
...
well, what is wrong (OK, wrong is only visually alliterative wink )

You end both verses with the country songwriting trick of reversing the meaning of a word by changing the context:

we ask "what is wrong with them?"
well, what is wrong with you and me?


and

the wonders of nature all under our control
yet we have so little insight into the nature of our souls


And that chorus is perfection! It's got the title as bookends, and is propelled in the middle by an acceleration with the inner rhyme:

it's time we start with the human heart

And then the final verse answers the question posed by the first two choruses, and invites the listener to take action without finger-pointing.

All in all, an amazing write.


David - It is always nice to have other writers "get it" (and mention "it"). I know Greg will appreciate that as well... Thanks for such a nice commentary...
Originally Posted By: David Snyder

Really great job all of you folks!

This is a very uplifting song with beautiful lyrics and a beautiful sound.

Great job all around!!


We Thank you, Mr. Snyder!!!


Originally Posted By: bluage
Mr. Cuny...

Your comments on the structural aspects of the lyric writing in the song, "The Next Big Thing", were very instructive to me.

LOREN


David is always insightful...


Originally Posted By: bluage
Originally Posted By: floyd jane
Whoever sang the melody just immortalized himself.


Dear Mr. Jane...

You see the quote I selected from my original post? I chose it to accompany an apology. I know that you were the singer, but what I don't know is why I seemed to be confused about that by writing, "whoever..."

Guess my mind got tangled-up with my fingers as I was typing. Sorry about that. I hope you will forgive me for that...blunder.

Sincerely,

LOREN



No apology required... We are just happy to have you drop in for a listen!



Originally Posted By: rsdean
Floyd / Greg,

I love the performance and message... Great mix and an outstanding folk-rock song.

Great collaboration. Excellent all around.

Bob


Thanks, Bob... We appreciate that...
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
The addition to Janice to any project is never small, always a BIG BIG PLUS!! Thanks so much to Janice, one of the best singers I've heard, on or off of the forum!! Take care. Greg


Greg, I am truly humbled. Bud and I both have such a high regard for your vocals that it's hard to express how appreciative I am of what you wrote.

Thank you!

And, again, a big thanks to both of you for letting me be a part.

Janice



And you know I feel the same way. BIG TIME THANK YOU for adding a little more love to this one....

smile
floyd and Greg,

This is outstanding. The music, the lyrics, floyd’s singing, the production, everything! radiates with the phrase “first-class professional and then some”.

I really liked it when the conga drums entered. I’m a huge fan of these. To my ears, congas add an element of casualness and friendliness to a backing and that makes it just a little bit more engaging. And ‘engaging’ is what’s needed for a song with a message as powerful as this.

As is always the case with everything you do, these lyrics not only made me think from a content perspective but also from a “why was it done that way?” perspective.

One of the things that I’ve picked up from reading lyric-writing theory is that lyrics that address a cultural or social problem and want others to join together and mend the problem can very easily become ‘preachy’. In The Next Big Thing, any sense of preachiness was very skilfully avoided and the lyrics come across as seeking co-operation rather than demanding action.

As I sit here listening, the reason these lyrics work so well for me is because of three major considerations. These are...

ONE
The chorus provides a very stark contrast against to the verses. In the verses you show us mankind’s enormous capabilities, Then in the chorus you ask us how is it that we can do so much, but when it comes to something as simple as treating fellow humans with decency and respect, we cannot do that? The effect is vivid.

TWO
The first two choruses ask questions. This is very clever. By using the question as a lyric device, all sense of preachiness dissolves. When a question is asked, generally people answer it either out loud or in their mind. So when your lyrics asked me, “Why can’t love be the next best thing?”, my brain kicked into action and thought, “Yes! Why can’t it?” What a seriously great hook! It didn’t stop there, though. The first two choruses are composed entirely of questions.

That last chorus, when the question adroitly becomes the suggested solution with the change of just a couple of words, is an excellent pay-off.

THREE
Using first person plural – i.e. we, our, us – puts the singer in the same boat as the listener, and all of a sudden, any sense of preachiness again dissolves. As a curiosity, I rewrote your bridge so that it was in second person just to hear the difference. That is…
Quote:
open up your heart
you all must do your part
so get to it
you can do it
you can rise above it all

When I did this, it was so easy to hear the bridge go from seeking co-operation to demanding action and taking on the tone of the 'pep talk'. Using we, us and our is so much calmer and so very much more inviting.

I really enjoyed this. It’s wonderful writing by two very competent composers.

All the best,
Noel
+++

Antiwar songs are always a difficult job to do, without becoming pedantic. We (un-) humans always blame others, but it's our banks that get their profits with our money from the oil mob, weapon industry, even the current ever increasing drugscene due their money laundering practice.

I did an attempt writing one, after seeing the refugees trying to reach and the following survival aftermath in Hungary and on the island Lesbos, Greece. Lesbos refugees


I still want to over haul this one, Across the Sea but i need more time as i have now ... PS feel free to help me out on this one anytime wink
I'll re post the song BTW ...


Lyrics:

Across the Sea © Artspurg 2016 SABAM

The steel bird’s gone and thus
Fear’s in my heart of a coming day
The lord is not with us
When a gun man tells you how to pray

They may keep the show; I’ll bail out and go
Across the sea, don’t you bother me, will you let me be

Paid me a load of jazz
For a plane, a train, and a ferry out
Tough road that it was
A nightmare one should do without

You may keep the show; I’ll bail out and go
Across the sea, don’t you bother me, will you let me be

Curse the cold and rain
Stuck in the land of the free they say
Fences block the way
A man with a gun says you cannot stay

You may keep the show; I’ll bail out and go
Across the sea, don’t you bother me, will you let me be
(don't bother me, just let me be, will you let me be ... )
Thanks again everyone for the nice responses to this song. And a BIG thanks to Floyd and Janice for their wonderful work on this project!! Take care. Greg

Very nice song Floyd. Great style, vocal and lyrics.
Sergio
Janice, you are our Queen of Soul (and Bluegrass, and Blues)!!! Take care. Greg
Ain't that the truth! Excellent work guys! Thanks, T
floyd, Greg & Janice

Super collaboration!
Nice melody with wonderful vocals and harmonies.
As Robert said, I also remembered my young days like a campfire and singing along.
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 1801 rendered to organ is very effective.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.
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