Music Blog

Listen To The Music

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Song Lyric Sunday
where we’re writing about a song
that made a great album closer.
Here’s how the theme inspired me.

© Amazon.com

This week for Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday, the theme is “The End”. The challenge? To write about a song that made a great album closer.

The Doobie Brothers formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, originating from a biker bar scene and initially known for their raucous country/boogie rock sound. The name “Doobie Brothers” was a suggestion from a friend and a playful nod to their fondness for marijuana. They gained a following in biker bars, catching the attention of Warner Brothers execs who signed them. Their early hits like “Listen to the Music”, “Long Train Runnin'”, and “China Grove” propelled them to fame. The addition of Michael McDonald in the mid-70s brought a more soulful, R&B-influenced sound. They have maintained a strong presence in the music industry, with a long history of touring and a dedicated fanbase. They were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2020.

In the spring of 1996, the Doobie Brothers performed a benefit concert for the Wildlife Conservation Society, recorded primarily in New York City with some additional footage from Nashville, TN. The concert was captured on the double-disc live album, Rockin’ Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert. During the show, all three of the group’s lead vocalists … Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, and Patrick Simmons … performed with the group, which was a first in the band’s history. Fittingly, the Doobies used the concert to celebrate their past, playing hits like “Black Water”, “China Grove”, and “What a Fool Believes”. The album marked the first appearance on a Doobie Brothers album of guitarist John McFee and drummer Keith Knudsen since rejoining the group in 1993 after an eleven-year absence. 

My selection for a great album closer is the iconic “Listen To The Music” which is the 24th and final song on the double disc album, Rockin’ Down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert. The song was written in 1972 by Tom Johnston and released on the Doobie Brothers’ second album, Toulouse Street. It was the band’s first major hit. Writer Tom Johnston described the inspiration for the song as a call for world peace: “I felt if the leaders of the world just sat down, smoked enough dope, listened to the music and just forgot about all the other bullshit, the world would be a much better place. It was very utopian and very unrealistic. It seemed like a good idea at the time”.

From Rockin’ Down The Highway: The Wildlife Concert, this is “Listen to the Music” by the Doobie Brothers with Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons on lead vocals.

LYRICS

1, 2, 3!
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
(Get up!)
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
All the time

Don’t you feel it growin’, I said, day by day
People getting’ ready for the news
Some are happy, some are sad
Well now, mama, gonna let the music play
What the people need in love is a way to make ‘em smile
It ain’t so hard to do it if you know how
Gotta get a message, get it on through
Well now, mama, gonna get there after a while

(Sing it!)

Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
All the time

Well I know, you know better, everything I say
Meet me in the country for a day
We’ll be happy
And we’ll dance
Oh, we’re gonna dance our blues away
And if I’m feelin’ good to you and you’re feelin’ good to me
There ain’t nothin’ we can’t do or say
Feelin’ good
Feeling fine
Oh, baby, let the music play

Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
All the time

Like a lazy flowing river
Surrounding castles in the sky
And the crowd is growing bigger
Listening for the happy sounds
And I got to let them fly

Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
Whoa-whoa, listen to the music
All the time……..

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Tom Johnston
Listen to the Music lyrics © Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp.

The End

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and every week. Be sure to follow the link and check out Jim’s site.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to some tunes.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy’s Notes 🖊️🎶, The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, The Rhythm Section, et al., and are not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.

50 thoughts on “Listen To The Music”

  4. SOLID GOLD song and a great live video with excellent sound quality. They used to be on the radio all of the time with their hits and probably still are on the oldies channels. So many good songs. Love the underlying intent with the song.

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  10. Great pick, Nancy. I’ve always loved that song and many others by The Doobie Brothers. Their three-part harmony singing combined with catchy melodies are a compelling proposition.

    They are also great live. I’ve seen them three times, most recently in July 2023, as part of their 50th anniversary tour, which featured Michael McDonald in addition to Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and John McFee. They sounded mighty sweet.

    I know they’re currently on the road again, and I’m very tempted. But unfortunately, you can’t see everybody and all the time!

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    1. Thanks very much, Christian. It’s a favorite song of many, for sure.

      I’m through with concert-going; Lord knows the list of concerts I’ve attended is impressive. At this point I’m very content with listening to great tunes on vinyl. Have you noticed …. many new cars don’t have CD players any longer. I won’t listen to public radio (gag!), but I am able to play SiriusXM, Pandora, etc., and my playlists through the car speakers.

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      1. I hear you about concerts. While I’m not ready yet to “give up” on going to shows, the truth is I’m also beginning to realize I’m not exactly 18 any longer. It can be exhausting, physically and mentally!

        No matter how long I keep doing it and how many concerts I see, there’s no way I can ever “compete” with your evident concert experience. The ’60s and ’70s were such incredible decades for music. Obviously, many of the bands and artists are no longer with us. Those who remain are no longer at their peak. It’s just the reality!

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        1. My husband and I consider ourselves most fortunate to have been born when and where we were; a couple of years (and states) in either direction and my dance card would be sorely empty. We can thank the Fillmore East for bringing an incredible number of acts to the stage at affordable prices. That’s where we spent almost every weekend, saw three acts and spent maybe $5! Some time when you have nothing to do, go online and check out the Fillmore East lineups; you’ll be amazed.

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  11. Right on, Nancy. A wonderful choice! Flashback to 1981 at Pine Knob (Clarkston, MI) when I saw The Doobie Brothers in concert – listening before then, and still today. Have a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Phil; lovely to see you here! I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing the Doobies in concert; raising a young family changes one’s priorities. My concert-going days are behind me now but we’re lucky to have whatever music we desire at our fingertips. Happy Sunday to you!

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  16. I always enjoyed that line from Jack Colton played by Michael Douglas in Romancing the Stone – ‘Dammit man, the Doobie Brothers broke up! Sh*t! When did that happen‘?
    Not a big fan of the version above since they changed the best part, which were the rollicking guitars and put an annoying flamenco classical thingy over the top.

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    1. That was a hilarious line from the movie!

      Here’s the bottom line, Matt. I also prefer the version of this song on their studio album, Toulouse Street, but it’s not the closing song. Since I really wanted to play this longtime favorite of mine, I chose the live version. Sometimes we make compromises.

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  20. Oh Damn … A Mirco Soft “Blue Screen” now I’ve forgotten my response/comment … Wow, Jim Adam’s sets some challenging tasks, however your song choice is an outstanding response to the prompt, Nancy … meanwhile down here in Aussieland, I think this song by Australian Crawl, was the last one on their debut album, and of course, the fantastic song went on to be an Australian #1 hit

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