A co-write with Michael LeBlanc.

Mike is an excellent lyricist. I've written a couple dozen songs with him.
He allows me free-reign to change what I choose to (seems to trust me).
Many of them, I will modify only small parts of the lyric - he has a good sense of lyric writing.
For this one, it ended up about half and half. It had good bones.
I do the melody, music & production.
It's a good "partnership".
(Mike is actually a BIAB user, but has never posted here)



WORKING ON MY BROKEN HEART

maybe some nails and a hammer
or paperclips and glue
i'm trying my best to remember
but i aint got a clue
need to think this through so i can make a start
gotta get busy
working on my broken heart

i might try a little whiskey
though it hasn't worked before
or something else just as risky
like that blond standing by the door
just give me some time to figure out all these parts
i'll think of something
working on my broken heart
   
   working on my broken heart
   trying to find that spark
   how do you gather
   something so shattered
   like some puzzle in the dark
   i'm doing my best
   working on my broken heart

might be a piece missing here or there
but i think i can make it work
it needs to feel like somebody cares
to find its way out of this hurt
might have a chance if i can catch this thing off guard
at least it's a plan
working on my broken heart
   
   working on my broken heart
   trying to find that spark
   how do you gather
   something so shattered
   like some puzzle in the dark
   i'm doing my best
   working on my broken heart
   
   i'm doing my best
   working on my broken heart

©2018 Michael LeBlanc and floyd jane
Words and music. All rights reserved.


The BAND:

RealTracks in song: ~700:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesPush Ev 085
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2999:Piano, Rhythm CountryFolk8thsMike Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 1945:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm GroovinFolk Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2916:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm CountryFolk8thsBrent Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 2883:Pedal Steel, Background CountryEddy12-key Ev 085
MIDI SuperTracks in song: 2999:Piano, Rhythm CountryFolk8thsMike Ev 085
RealDrums in Song: BluesRockSlowEv^1-a:SideStick , b:Snare

Extra Special Sweet Harmony - Janice Merritt - my "musical sis".
(thanks to Bud Merrit for recording and processing the harmony track).


Comments welcome.
Have at it.

fj

Well happy Sunday evening,

this fits the mood here perfectly

solid write, very nice harmonies

super co-write

the recording quality is excellent

awesome man,

Kenny

Floyd,

This is absolutely beautiful...

Your vocal is great and the harmony with Janice is stunning - radio ready for sure. The production is just stellar - every part of this song sounds amazing.

"i might try a little whiskey
though it hasn't worked before
or something else just as risky
like that blond standing by the door"

Wow! Some tremendous lines... Loved it all!

Bob

Floyd and Mike,

A well-written, well-constructed, well-performed and well-produced tune . . . and it goes to show that music is more than the sum of its parts . . . because add those all up and they don’t tell just how a terrific a song this is. Very sweet listen!

All the best,

Deej

FJ and crew,
Congrats on nice addition!
Beautiful & easy to follow. Everything is top notch!
Very strong lyrics. I know it is sad song....but whiskey verse made me smile.

P.S. FJ since you have comments "turned on"... I think it would be interesting if Janice sung one of the choruses (or verses) solo and then the last one you and Janice in duet. Future idea ?

Thank you for sharing!

Misha.

floyd

Lovely song production and performance.

Everything works as it should, and sounds great.

Beautiful harmony by Janice and a great lead vocal.

Top notch all the way.

Peter

Hello Floyd ...

I know Mike from a different music site ... you probably know which one I'm referring to. I'll soon be active over there again. And you're right ... he writes an excellent melody. Like you, he's a word magician. You two remind me a bit of Bill Osofsky with your word magic - or maybe it's the other way around. Three of the best writers over there.

This is very, very good. I should say ... excellent. The music you chose is perfect prosidy for the lyric. You are talnted in so many ways. Another wonderful creation - totally enjoyed everything about it.

Alan

Nice co-write. Reminds me of "traditional country".

As always this is well produced. The lyrics fit very well in the melody. I'm a sucker for a good harmony and this is no exception.
Well done to you both. Rob

Thanks, Kenny!




Bob - Thanks! I'm fond of those lines...and they are a good "look into this co-write"... Mike had a verse that used the whiskey/risky rhyme, but it was a "downer" feel-sorry-for-myself kind of thing, rather "heavy-handed". I liked the rhyme, so wrote a different "lighter-side" verse using it in a different way. It gave the lyric a better focus...

Wow, so good!

Vocal is just pure perfection, and the harmonies from Janice are about as tight as they could be with great tone of course. Just the icing on the cake.

So many good lines to list them all, I think my favorite might be:

"I might try a little whiskey
though it hasn't worked before
or something else just as risky
like that blond standing by the door"

Mix is excellent, I listened first through my studio monitors then through the 'phones.

Loved it!

Wow - you did an outstanding job on this. It is warm and heartfelt, and the vocals are stunning. Love the harmonies and love the tone of the song as well. It has all the traits of a great classic country song.

Not a thing I'd change on this one - thanks for sharing!

AW such a good song here, why cant folks on radio understand the crowd is still here for great songs, and this one is living proof!!!! Cliff

Great song. Good lead vocal and harmonies. I always think your productions are spot on.

Nope. Sorry.

You posted a song.

I posted my response to that song.

You posted your response to my response.

I haven't been able to respond to that yet...and you post ANOTHER song in that time?!?!

Sorry, you're cover is blown. It's not "Floyd Jane!" It's "The Floyd Janes!" There is surely more than one of you! You have to be a group. Tell me you're a group.

Yes, I love the song. It has a wonderful emotion to it; and it has a different delivery than I've heard from you recently. I really like it a lot.

Your voices compliment each other especially well on this song.

So...great job to ALL of you.

Another great piece of songwriting...
The lyrics are coherent, vivid, & well directed...
Congratulations to you & Mike for both the good lyrics & melody...
Janice's harmonies & Bud's skill adds to the success of the production...
And, of course, your plaintive vocal gives the tune the soul of good country song.

Beautiful tune Floyd! Love the way that second verse picks up and takes off! The chorus is over the top good! Whoever that background singer is has really got it together....just kidding!! Janice always helps take a tune to a higher level! Great!! Thanks, Torrey

Hi FJ,

A very nice performance. You managed to make your sad song sounds sadder than mine ;-)
Good voice, and I liked your doubling of it, very subtile.
I 'liked' it on your site.

Best regards,
Hans

It's beautiful song performed and produced beautifully.

Has a heart-felt 'live' vibe. Very enjoyable.

Thanks, Deej. As I said, Mike gave me some "good bones" to work with...he always does...

Nice work on this Floyd and Michael! Really dig the overall timbres in this and the lyrics are quite exceptional. Thanks for sharing!

Misha - thanks for the nice comments! Always appreciated.

I could see this "working" as a duet - to some extent - but, I think the message is "stronger" being delivered by a single singer - a full telling of his "working on a broken heart" that might be diluted by someone else telling "their story".

Janice and I have done a number of duets - and surely will do more in the future... Many, I hope!!

Here a few if you missed them along the way...

https://soundcloud.com/floydjane/win-your-heart

http://www.floydjane.com/Songs/MiddleGround.htm


http://www.floydjane.com/Songs/Get2U.htm
https://soundcloud.com/floydjane/started-again
http://www.floydjane.com/Songs/Written.htm

floyd and Mike, very well written. The vocals are really good. Janice adds her magic with a really tight performance. The mix/ master is again executed to perfection. Always a pleasure to listen to your well crafted artistry, Tom

Thanks, Peter - we all appreciate that...




Thanks, Alan. Be careful over there...it gets muckier all the time ... I've written a couple dozen songs with Bill O, too!!

You sing this so well that I realized when learning it I’d stopped singing my part and was just listening.”
Thanks for the invite big brother! And thanks to all who mentioned my little part.

Janice

I've said it before but I remain amazed at how you (and for this song you and Mike) can take a theme like "broken heart" and make it sound so remarkably fresh. It couldn't get much better for a song writer than hitting an audience with a common theme they can relate to but presented in a manner like this. Double whammy.

Excellent.

Hey, you gotta get Mike to check in over here!

Bud

"...might have a chance if i can catch this thing off guard.." is a stand-out line in a song full of out-standing lines. All-round goodness in vocals, harmonies, writing and mixing.

Thanks for stopping in, Donna...




Thanks, Rob...

Lovely song Floyd. Lyric and vocal were so tasteful. lovely harmonies as well Janice. Loved the guitar finger picking in the back ground. Well done...

Thanks, Dave. I knew right from the start that Janice needed to come along for this ride... And as I told Bob previously, I'm pleased with that couple of lines, for sure... Mike gave me some good stuff to work from, too...

Hi floyd,

From melody to arrangement to presentation and through to production, everything about this song is superb.... everything.

The way that you and Mike have used lyric language to create images that are alive and vivid is a credit to you both. I particularly loved the way that you set up the metaphor of a craftsman who sets about trying to mend something broken. Because of the effectiveness of this metaphor, when I reached the chorus’s lines “How do you gather something shattered?”, the power of that question, with the imperfect rhymes between gather and shattered, felt immense to me and the emotional intensity of the lyrics soared.

As I’m sitting here after just having listened, I find myself trying to analyse the arrangement so that I can get a better understanding of how you, Janice and Mike have created something that is so outstanding. I really like the way that instruments and vocals (a) build up, (b) drop back a little and then (c) build up a little more as we progress through the first two verses and through the chorus.

There is an awful lot of skill on display here from everyone involved!

All the best to the three of you,
Noel

Deryk - always nice to have the staff drop in for a listen. Thanks!




Nice of you to say, Cliff... thanks!





Phil - good to see you around again. Thanks for having a listen...

There's really some top production going on with the marvelous intro into this one. This song has all the elements we've come to expect from you but this time, the production and arrangement truly stand out. This song is another that without rhyme nor reason isn't on the top of the charts in radio land. Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Simple structure and arrangement work really well for this type of ballad. Great vocals and strong lyrics with catchy title make this a nice radio-friendly pop song.

Janne

Floyd,

Really cool!

This seems a tad bit Eagles, a smidgen of Fogelberg, but 100% Floyd!



Gorgeous sound on the arrangement and mix man.

Scott and a Noel, thank you for mentioning my small contribution. It was a pleasure.

Janice

WOW is about all I can say about this masterpiece!

The finger picking, lyrics, and backing tracks were spot on. Your vocal was excellent, as always, and Janice's harmonies were icing on the cake.

An excellent collaboration for sure.

This was a really touching song. I really love the emotion of this one. Thank you for sharing it.

HA! Found out!! - The FJs...




Jim - thanks for your continued support...




Torrey - we all appreciate that. Thanks!

Glad to have you drop by, Hans...



Thanks, Scott...

Joe - always nice to have you drop by for a listen. We appreciate it...




Thanks for all of that, Tom..

You both should know by now how much it means to me that you are such a big part of my music. If not, let me know - and I'l just keep repeating that and repeating that and repeating that....

Thank you Mario!

Janice

Thanks, Tangmo. That is appreciated...

Thanks, Scott...

Thanks, Noel! Always pleased to see comments from you! Mike deserves the credit for the setup of "working on a broken heart"...

Another hit! You really have a knack for crafting a fine song, and this is just another one in a long line of good ones. Mike did a great job on the lyrics, and you really put it together well.

Always look forward to hearing anything from you!

Steve

Charlie - I always look forward to what you have to say about a song. Thanks for that very nice review!! How could anyone ask for more?




Thanks, Janne!!




Just trying to keep up with ya, buddy...

First class lyrics combined with your beautiful delivery, very nice indeed. Superb melodies, arrangement and engineering as per usual Floyd! Love it.

John

Thanks for that, Mario...




Always nice to have you drop in for a listen, Ember... thanks...

Thanks, Steve...




John - great to see you around. Thanks for the listen and the nice comments...

floyd,

Great production!
Nice vocal and harmonies.
It is warm and heartfelt.
It was thought that the prosody of the lyrics was wonderful and to induce a beautiful melody.
I think that the combination of this lyricist and you is very compatible.
I'm a little jealous of having wonderful music mates, including Janice & Bud around you.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Don't know how I missed this BUT I'm glad I'm catching up!!! Emotionally touching with a beautiful flow. Always hard to pick lyrics that stand out in an FJ song cause they're all so damn good, but these are amazing:

how do you gather
something so shattered
like some puzzle in the dark
i'm doing my best
working on my broken heart

The prosody in this song is wonderful!! If you heard the music played on strings in a film, it would perfectly back a heartbreak scene. Harmonies work beautifully (hats off to our forum vocal queen). Another great song from not just another great writer! Wonderful Floyd!!! Take care. Greg

Nice song Floyd. Your vocal is a perfect fit.
The theme through the verses of trying to put one's life (heart) back together marries beautifully with the chorus line of "like some puzzle in the dark".
Cheers,
Mike

I can't believe I missed this.
It's a cracker - the harmony vocals are ace and add a little bit of gloss to the already excellent package.
Certainly didn't feel like 3mins +.
Congrats on a classic.

Shigeki Adachi - thanks for all the fine comments. I am fortunate to have talented folks to make music with!!





Greg - thanks for having a listen!! And for that fine review! Appreciate it!!!




Mike - good to have you drop in for a listen. Thanks!!




Thanks, ray... appreciate you having a go at this...

Hey y'all, thanks for mentioning my harmony! Singing with floyd is always something I look forward to.

Janice

Wow, wow, wow! This is the complete package. Excellent lyrics, melody, vocals, production. Reminds me somewhat of John Gorka, but it is definitely Floyd. Definitely a favorite for me.