Country - "Hardest Thing To Do" Updated 2.18 (Lyric)

[dtrain1234]

Howdy riders,

I got this one finished but not quite sure if it's there yet. I was picturing this as a ballad for a country group like Rascal Flatts or Love and Theft. I'll be working on this one and the other one I posted for awhile before I find co-writers to put music to them. Is it too wordy? Does it make sense to you? Is it too long I appreciate the feedback I got from the feel good upbeat lyric. Thanks for your time and the suggestions.

"Hardest Thing To Do"
Written by Darin Martin (C) 2013

Verse One
It's gonna be another lonely night at home
Waiting for you to call me on the telephone
You said goodbye without leaving a clue
Finding someone new is the hardest thing to do

Verse Two
The ring you left me is laying on the table by the door
And your perfume doesn't linger in my bedroom anymore
You left me hanging on and broke my heart in two
Getting over you is the hardest thing to do

Pre-Chorus
I thought I knew it all until you came along
Your love for me proved I was wrong

Chorus
It hurts the most when I don't want it to
When it's love I think I'm in
Love's a game I play but just can't win
Never listen to what my heart says I did and didn't do with you
Gotta think about it before you jump right in
I don't want to go back to
When loving you was the hardest thing to do

Verse Three
I thought we'd both be happy when we went our seperate ways
But I'm talking to the mirror like you're hearing what I say
I don't know what I got myself into
Thinking loving you won't be the hardest thing to do

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

Instrumental Break

Bridge
There are things in life that get out of our control
Like who we fall in love with and when it's time to let them go

Chorus

________________________________________________________________________

New version as of 2.18.13

"Hardest Thing To Do"

(V1)
It's gonna be another lonely night at home
Waiting for you to call me on the telephone
You said goodbye, you hung up, left me hanging on
There's just one more thing I want to say before you're gone

(Pre-Chorus)
I thought I knew it all until you came along
And your love proved me wrong

(Chorus)
It hurts the most when I don't want it to
Thinking about what I did and didn't do with you
Broke my heart, tore it all apart into two
I never want to go back to
When loving you was the hardest thing to do

(V2)
There's a ring you left me laying on the table by the door
And your perfume doesn't linger in our bedroom anymore
There's an empty hall that echoes angry words we said last night
When you walked out of my life

(Chorus)

(Ride) Instrumental Break

(Bridge)
There are things in life that are beyond our control
Like who we fall in love with and when it's time to let them go

(Chorus)

- Darin

- Darin

[nick.moxsom]

Darin,

Ironic title, writing a country song being, imo, most def the hardest thing to do! I find it hard to critique lyrics without hearing their context within the music, but a few things stand out for me as a bit muddled:

1) Only ONE THING should be the hardest thing to do. If that's the hook, then it must be constant. It shouldn't be both 'finding someone new' and 'getting over you'. While we're there, I'm not sure you need to repeat that line both at the end of each verse AND the chorus.

2) To my mind, V1 sets up the mood pretty well, but the last line (moving on) comes too early in the song for me. In fact, it's the only reference to new love, and could maybe be dropped altogether.

3) If it's as over as V2 suggests, why (in V1) would you be waiting for her to call? Also in V2, surely it's 'OUR bedroom' (if you ever want her back, that is)...

4) The chorus seems REALLY involved (for a chorus). I think the message might be simpler. You might use the 'opposites' trick here – something like:

This thing is easy,
That I can do
I've always been good at bla bla bla
But getting over you will be the hardest thing to do

5) Love the talking to the mirror analogy, but YOU thought it was a good idea to go separate ways? No, surely it was her decision, which is why you're so perplexed and lost.

I reckon you're fairly close, but the nuts all need tightening up. Hope I'm making myself clear. AND, it's only my opinion, of course.

Best,
Nick

[dtrain1234]

Re-write posted for review. Is it any better?

[nylyrics]

I think perhaps even in the re-write, Verse 2 should be Verse 1 and then keep your ducks in a row the rest of the way.
Nice story - gonna be great when its done and you prove that title perfectly each time.

Andy