A co-write with Bud Merritt
If memory serves, most of the lyric is from Bud.
I provided spit and shine.
And the music.

Janice Merritt provides the awesome harmonies.

THE RIGHT TRACK

too long in this town, too long in shadow
roads lead out, where the hell do they go?
this might be someone's idea of good old days
not mine
i'm parting ways
   
   i'm leaving
   some might think on a wing and a prayer
   but there's got to be peace
   between here and somewhere
   sun on my face, wind at my back
   i'm finally... on the right track

day by day, time gets shorter
while my bucket list just runs over
some things age well like a fine old wine
but a spirit chained
will die in time (so...)
   
   i'm leaving....

friends say slow down don't go
but what the hell could they know
i got boots older than most of them
and I ain't leaving on a whim
   
    i'm leaving....

©2016 bud merritt and floyd jane.
Words and music. All rights reserved.


The BAND:
RealTracks in style: 1592:Bass, Electric, Pop16ths Ev 065
RealTracks in style: 1003:Guitar, 12-String Acoustic, Rhythm ClassicRockPicking Ev16 065
RealTracks in style: 2542:Pedal Steel, Background ModernBalladAtmosphere Ev16 065
RealTracks in song: 836:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm AltCountryRootsy Ev 075 (A:muted)
RealTracks in song: 633:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopAmericanMuted Ev 120 (A:sync)
RealDrums in Song:PopRock8ths^01-a:Closed Hat, Snare, b:Open Hat, Snare


You can dig back through the Showcase to find Janice's version of this.


Thanks for listening.
Comments of any ilk.
Have at it.

fj

What can I say. I LOVE vocal harmonies, always have, and 2 of the voices I like most on this forum are singing it.
Plus, it's a great song and a great arrangement with a perfect selection of instruments.
My new favorite song!

The arrangement is perfect, but the expressive vocals are what really sell the track.

No one does that plaintive cry in the voice like you, and Janice's harmonies sound great.

And of course, a good write between the two of you.

Love it.

"I provided spit and shine."
That phrase took me back...in Australia we'd be inclined to say "spit n polish" harking back to British military jargon.
A slight memory fold back & I was more than ready for the song.

While Janice's harmony is excellent in the chorus it's sneakily, perfectly balanced in the first verse.

A very cool narrative and a melody that lifts it.
The delay on the guitar under the steel after the outro is lovely.

Heaps of detail in this and it'll take repeat plays to hear and appreciate.
1st listen - wonderful!

Wow, this is great! I'm a sucker for minor keys, always, and man, you knocked it out of the park with this one.

Love the melody, GREAT vocal from you, and then when Janice comes in .... goosebumps.

Excellent write! Lots of great lines, "I got boots older than most of them" made me smile.

My new floyd favorite I think, well done you three.

Floyd, Janice & Bud,

Such an awesome song! The vocals and interplay between Floyd and Janice is just great.

Love the write, performance and production. Absolutely superb!

This should be a hit!

Bob

Thank you! We were both excited when floyd decided to do a version and invite Janice in for harmony. Fun.

J&B

floyd, Janice & Bud,

Always liked this one and this is a lovely version.

Great vocals - you and Janice sound wonderful together.

The band sounds great and the mix is clear engaging.

The interchange between the vocals is a real highlight.

Excellent.

Peter

Well you three provide an entertaining production. Of course I knew that it was going to be something special just seeing the title to the post. Man, you three creating together can only result in some of the most engaging entertainment in music. Two great voices who know just what a song needs, and Bud writing lyrics and directing the energy, will always hit that mark. So well done, y'all.

Thank you.
Couldn’t ask for more!

J&B

Very good song and lyrics, the boots line obviously stood out. Two of the best singers on the forum, a real pleasure to listen to the intertwining vocals. I'm sure most of what you do to make your tracks sound so good is over my head, but I certainly can appreciate the end result. Superb work as usual.

Wow what a cool song. The vocal and harmonies are perfect. So haunting and delicate. Backtrack was pure excellence. I must say you and Bud hit a home run with the lyric. Excellent production as well. Loved it...

You three keep hitting home run after home run!

Loved the vocal and harmonies ....Janice was brilliant in supporting Floyd's lead vocals

Everything about this is professional.

Loved it.

FJ & Team.
This easily makes top 10 best tunes I've heard in Showcase this year hands down. Very interesting structure. Perfect lyrics & amazing vocal performances by you and Janice! Very tasty instrumental passages. Didn't get board after three consecutive spins and discovered something new every time. Really like this one! Congrats on this wonderful collaboration and thank you for sharing.

Misha.

Thank you Ray! And yes floyd’s productions are indeed nuanced. We much appreciate all of your remarks.

J&B

Thanks, B.D.




Thanks, David....

I'm glad I clicked on this one to give it a listen! Really touching. Always love your vocals and production. Nice lyrics too.

Dave, thanks for the generous and supportive comments. They genuinely mean a lot!

J&B

Hello together
Floyd, this is an excellent collaboration with an equally excellent result
The song sounds really fantastic
Everyone is doing a top job here
Congratulations for this song
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

Floyd, Bud and Janice....this is such a well crafted song....lyrically, melodically and performancially (I made that word up just for you guys)...your voices are a great male-female duo...the harmonies were so tasteful and spot-on and the melancholy mood of the song was a great match for your arrangement...hope you know I'm a big fan of you all!! Dan

Appreciated, ray....





Thanks, Dave....




Thanks, Bob....

Floyd and the gang,

To start off, that steel really is a mood setter! The chorus is powerful!

I like the little muted guitar parts in the second verse and Janice's backing really serves this song well!

"i got boots older than most of them" Love that line!

You just keep cranking out one great tune after another and they are always inspiring to many of us!

Thanks, Torrey

Floyd, Janice & Bud,
I don`t know how you do it, Floyd, but your vocals ( delivery and processing) are still getting better. This is a powerful write and the expression you bring (along with the ache in Janice`s harmonies) makes for wonderful listening.
Top shelf in every way!

Robert

Thank you Bob! Your generous and supportive comments mean a lot to us.

J&B

Kind of rainy autumn feeling in the lyrics, and I love the melancholy mood, still the chorus has positive direction "sun on my face, wind at my back". Beautiful intro, the steel guitar fits perfectly with the chording. Drums and the muted guitar are introduced nicely. Enjoyed the vocals and especially how Janice's sadness oozing harmonies still manage to deliver the "sun on my face".

Janne

Hey this is an incredibly well-mixed tune! Loved it!

I am not sure what this message in the lyrics means though:

Your browser does not support the audio element.
THE RIGHT TRACK

etc...

too long in this town, too long in shadow

Anyway, I tried out Audiolens for the first time with this streaming tune and got this curve.

Cool!

Keep 'em coming folks! Y'all sound great! Always a vocal buffet of gorgeousness.

p.s. I ran a Luke Combs song through IKM's MasterMatch and ran this one through as well..

Yours has a LUFS of about 12, and a nice Dynamic Range of 10 to 11 (as I remember), which the same way I master my tunes. And I see your peak is -0.3. I often do the same.

The Luke Combs song "The Kind of Love We Make" also peaks at -.3 but has a LUFS of 7 and a DR of 3.7.


I guess it is mastered for the speaker set ups in Dodge RAMS but I enjoy songs mixed and mastered like this, FWIW.

The whole team is on the 'right track' with this song. Stellar write, performance and production.

Charlie

Thank you Peter!

J&B

Wow Floyd, this is really great!
This collab turns out so fine.
The music is awful, your voice fantastic, wonderful lyrics.
Janice's vocals sound lovely.

Love this.

Rob and Anne-Marie

Thanks Marty! Gotta say the energy was flowing from floyd on this.

J&B

Thanks, Peter...




Thanks, Marty...




Thanks, Bob...

We appreciate that Scott!

J&B

Thanks, Scott...




Thanks, Mario...

Your music fits Bud's lyric so well.

Janice's echo vocal lines add another dimension to the song.

I really like the band. It evokes the lonely traveler.

Great one.

Floyd, Janice and Bud,

Everything in /on this song is beautiful:
The lyrics,
The Melody
The vocals,
The Band
The mixing / mastering

I loved it a lot!

Hans

Thanks, Misha...




Thanks for stopping by, Dewey...





Thanks, Andi...

Thank you Mario!

J&B

We much appreciate that Misha. Yes, floyd is a master at nuanced and detailed productions that always sound so cohesive!

J&B

Excellent Floyd and Janice.
Love the vocal dynamics and harmonies.

Vic

F,J&B, I knew I would be in for a treat when I hit play. I wasn't wrong. The production is top notch. The write is terrific. The vocals are stunning. What a great choice for Janice to echo those two lines. That is the surprise filling inside the treat! I don't think anything can be improved on. Fantastic job by all, Tom

floyd, Janice & Bud,

It's a song that uses a minor key, which is rare for you.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and duets with Janice are great.
The mix using effects very well, also perfectly directs this song.
It sounds very professional.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Thanks y’all!

J&B

Thanks, Dan...




Thanks, Torrey....





Thanks, Robert....




Thanks, Janne...

"Your browser does not support the audio element." - is a message I pick up when I copy the lyric from my web site. Just forgot to delete it...

I find that most commercial releases these days have a small DR. And typically the vocals are really squished to have almost no DR. Intentionally. The vocal sounds the same from start to finish. It helps the vocal sit in the mix. A lot of folks would benefit from doing something similar...

Thanks for stopping by!!




Thanks, Charlie...




Thanks, y'all....




Thanks, Scott....




Thanks, a bunch, Hans....




Thanks, Vic...




Appreciated, Tom....

Shigeki Adachi - Thank you.



Janice - THANKS for the Great Harmonies!!!
Bud - Thanks for the years of musical partnership.
Hopefully we will continue for years to come....

Very nice, and such a great job done by all. This really has it all. Great writing, vocals, production and mix. Y'all done good.