Dan Seals was born February 8, 1950, in McCamey, Texas. To say that he came from a musical family would be an understatement. He was the son of E. W. "Waylon" Seals, a pipe fitter and repairman for Shell Oil who also played guitar and bass, and was a member of bands led by Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills. By the time he was four, Dan had learned to play upright bass and soon after he was playing in the family band. His older brother, Jim Seals recorded a hit single called "Tequilla", as a member of the Champs from 1958 thru the mid-1960s, then as one half of the duo "Seals And Croft". His other brothers included successful country musicians Eddie Seals (of Eddie and Joe), while his cousins included composers Chuck Seals (author of "Crazy Arms") and Troy Seals, Brady Seals (of Little Texas), and country singer Johnny Duncan.
John Colley, born October 13th 1951, was a classically trained pianist. The two began working together as members of local cover bands, including Playboys Five and Theze Few. They recorded a series of demos in Nashville as The Shimmerers, but their prospects ended with the death of their producer, before he could secure a recording deal for them.
It was as members of a group called Southwest F.O.B. (Freight On Board) that the two first paired off as a formal duo. The band, with Colley on keyboards and Seals playing sax as well as singing, played a mixture of rock and R&B and became popular locally in Dallas. They were signed to Hip Records, a division of Stax/Volt, and in 1968, released an album called "Smell of Incense", the title song of which, made it to No. 56.
Seals and Colley had begun writing songs together around this time and recognized that they were moving in a different direction from the rest of the band, more toward Paul Simon than Jimi Hendrix. Soon, the were opening shows for the band with an acoustic set featuring their harmony vocals, warming the crowd up before the entire Southwest F.O.B. took the stage. They remained with the group until 1969, when they decided to head to California and try and land a recording contract as a duo.
Originally billing themselves as "Colley and Wayland", (Seals' middle name) the name didn't quite work, and it was Dan's brother, Jim Seals who suggested they incorporate Dan's childhood nickname, "England Dan". It was a reference to the fact that, as a youngster, Dan had fixated on the Beatles and briefly affected an English accent. "Ford" was added to John Colley's name, and the spelling of his last name shortened to "Coley" to assure its proper pronunciation. England Dan & John Ford Coley not only flowed well, but was unusual enough to merit a second look from programmers, reviewers, and promoters, as well as the general public, even if they'd never heard any of the duo's music.
As "England Dan & John Ford Coley", they were signed to A&M Records in 1970, with the assistance of guitarist Louis Shelton, who'd played with Jim Seals in The Dawnbreakers (and would be part of Seals & Croft's band), and who had brought the duo's demo to Herb Alpert. A pair of LPs, a self-titled debut album and "Fables", both produced by Shelton, resulted in very modest sales, a minor chart entry with the song "New Jersey" at number 103, and a No. 1 Japanese hit single ("Simone"). Those albums and singles featured a somewhat rougher textured version of the sound for which they would later become known, and an array of Los Angeles sessionmen including Larry Knechtel, Tommy Morgan, and Hal Blaine, not to mention string arrangements by Marty Paich.
When their contract ran out in 1972, they were dropped by A&M. Not easily discouraged, they kept performing, and Coley was hired to play on a couple of Seals & Croft albums. Four years later, in 1976, their manager heard a demo of a new song called "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", written by a Mississippi-based composer named Parker McGee. The duo cut their own demo of the tune and began shopping it around to different record labels. Ironically, it was after an executive at Atlantic Records turned it down that Doug Morris of Big Tree Records, having heard it through the wall of his adjoining office, offered them a contract.
Dan and John were paired with producer Kyle Lehning, who had also made McGee's demo. The result was a No. 2 pop single in the spring of 1976, which ultimately sold two million copies. July of 1976 saw the release of England Dan & John Ford Coley's debut album for Big Tree, "Nights Are Forever", also produced by Lehning. Their second Big Tree single, "Nights Are Forever Without You," also written by Parker McGee, also made the Top 10.
By 1977, they recorded a second album called, "Dowdy Ferry Road", which yielded a pair of songs, "It's Sad To Belong (To Someone Else)" and "Gone Too Far", both Top Twenty hits. These two more moderate success didn't seem to satisfy the record label, and the duo found themselves being pressured to find songs by other composers with which they could scale the top 10. They'd spent years perfecting a sound and two complimentary styles of composition that would allow them to do things musically that were important to them, but both Seals and Coley found the most personal aspect of their work shunted aside and held out of the most prominent positions in their work.
Their third LP, "Some Things Don't Come Easy", seemed to say more than was intended with its title. The 1978 album generated a top 10 hit with "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again," but it was the work of songwriter Jeffrey Comanor, rather than either Seals or Coley. Additionally, the album was mixed in New York, in contrast to their prior work, which was recorded and mixed out of Lee Hazen's studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This pointed to the increasing need for a new sound and texture from the duo's work.
By the end of the 1970s, England Dan & John Ford Coley were beset by new pressures from all sides. The perception was that, between the burgeoning disco boom and the undercurrent of punk rock, their continuing with the brand of harmony-based, melodic pop-rock in which they specialized, was a losing battle. After some near-disastrous sessions in Los Angeles, they salvaged only a single song, one that proved to be their last top 10 hit, "Love Is The Answer," written by Todd Rundgren.
They made one last effort at selling their sweetly harmonized music in the form of the single "Why Is It Me," and contributed one song "Part of Me Part of You," from the movie "Just Tell Me You Love Me". Following the release of a "best of" album in 1980, the pair went their separate ways.
Dan Seals initially pursued a career in pop-rock as England Dan on Atlantic (which had bought up Big Tree Records), and managed a low placement in the top 100 with "Late At Night." It was around this time, however, that the Internal Revenue Service began an action against Seals which resulted in the seizure of virtually all of his assets. He re-emerged, still produced by Kyle Lehning, as Dan Seals and reinvented himself as a country performer. After hitting the country charts three times in one year with "Everybody's Dream Girl," "After You," and "You Really Go For The Heart," he moved into high gear with a six year string of major hits, including nine No. 1 country hits in a row, and a string of Country Music Association awards to go with them.
John Ford Coley withdrew from performing after the split, although he did return to A&M Records in 1981 to cut an album, "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley" with singers Leslie Bulkin and Kelly Bulkin, on which Jim Seals' long-time partner Dash Crofts did some singing. During the early/middle 1990's, he reappeared as a solo artist in southern California. John has also had some success as an actor, appearing in the film Dream A Little Dream with Corey Feldman and Corey Haim as well as a movie called Scenes From A Goldmine. He also played the part of the bad guy on an episode of America's Most Wanted.
In 1996, Rhino Records released "The Very Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley", a 16-song compilation. Whatever success they enjoyed in reshaping their images and music, England Dan & John Ford Coley will always draw smiles and warm feelings about a simpler, more innocent age for which they wrote a good deal of the nicest music of the decade.
Broken Hearted Me
England Dan & John Ford Coley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every night you keep stayin' on my mind
All my friends say I'll survive
It just takes time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No I don't see how it can if it's broken all apart
A million miracles could never stop the pain
No I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No I don't see how it can while we are still apart
And when you hear this song
I hope that you will see
That time won't heal a broken-hearted me
Every day is just the same
Playin' games, different lovers, different names
They keep sayin' I'll survive
It just takes time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No I don't see how it can if it's broken all apart
A million miracles could never stop the pain
Or put all the pieces together again
No I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No I don't see how it can while we are still apart
And when you hear this song
I hope that you will see
That time won't heal a broken-hearted me
Time won't heal a broken-hearted me
The lyrics to England Dan & John Ford Coley's song "Broken Hearted Me" are poignant and emotional. The song talks about the feelings of heartbreak and the inability of time to heal the singer's broken heart. The opening lines suggest that the singer is crying every now and then, and every night the person on his mind is his lost lover. The singer acknowledges that all his friends believe he will survive and that it just takes time to heal. Despite his friends' wise counsel, he doesn't believe that time will heal his broken heart. He explains that he doesn't see how it can heal if it's already broken apart. He suggests that even a million miracles could never stop the pain or put all the pieces back together again. For him, his broken heart has shattered into a million pieces that are beyond repair. He repeats the chorus twice, highlighting the fact that time won't heal his broken heart.
In the second verse, the lyrics convey that every day feels like the same routine. He plays games, uses different lovers with different names, but deep down, he feels there's no escaping the pain induced by his broken heart. He repeats his words about the inability of time to heal a broken heart, which strengthens the idea that some shattered hearts cannot be fixed over time. The final lines of the song are a plea to his lost love. He hopes that they'll recognize the pain they've caused and how their love lost has forever changed him. He hopes that by hearing this song, his lost love will know that time won't heal a broken-hearted person like him.
Line by Line Meaning
Every now and then I cry
Occasionally I shed tears
Every night you keep stayin' on my mind
Your memory dominates my thoughts each evening
All my friends say I'll survive
My peers believe I will overcome this sorrow
It just takes time
Only with the passage of time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
However, I doubt that time alone can mend my shattered emotions
No I don't see how it can if it's broken all apart
I don't perceive how it's possible since the heart is radically damaged
A million miracles could never stop the pain
Numerous miracles cannot eliminate the agony
Or put all the pieces together again
Nor can they repair the broken heart
No I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
Again, I am skeptical that time alone will repair my heavily damaged sentiment
No I don't see how it can while we are still apart
Especially while we remain separated, I fail to see how it can
And when you hear this song
In the event that you listen to this track
I hope that you will see
I desire for you to recognize
That time won't heal a broken-hearted me
That my broken heart can not be fixed by mere time
Every day is just the same
Each day is indistinguishable
Playin' games, different lovers, different names
Occasionally engaging in trivialities with various individuals
They keep sayin' I'll survive
They repeatedly insist I will pull through
It just takes time
Once again, they believe it is merely an issue of waiting
Time won't heal a broken-hearted me
Conclusively, the theme of the song is that time cannot restore a shattered heart
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RANDY GOODRUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ronnie Rap Caritos
Every now and then I cry
Every night you keep staying on my mind
All my friends say I'll survive
It just takes time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can, if it's broken all apart
A million miracles could never stop the pain
Or put all the pieces together again
No, I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can while we are still apart
And when you hear this song
I hope that you will see
That time won't heal a broken-hearted me
Every day is just the same
Playing games, different lovers, different names
They keep saying I'll survive
It just takes time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can, if it's broken all apart
A million miracles could never stop the pain
Or put all the pieces together again
No, I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can while we are still apart
And when you hear this song
I hope that you will see
That time won't heal a broken-hearted
Time won't heal a broken-hearted me
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
Luli Young
I loved Anne's version, but this is such a great arrangement. Such a lovely song.
KokakBulak Forever
I love England Dan songs..!!!
they're my all time favorite songs and always want to hear until I grow old..Old songs are better than new songs..
thanks for sharing,love it!!!
mugiwaranoluffy desiyo
i love everything about this song. i love the intro part. i just love everything about it. Hope you all stay safe everywhere around the world. sending hearts..❤️💖
CJ
I love this song, and not because I can relate to the lyrics; but just because it sounds amazing!
Ronnie Rap Caritos
Every now and then I cry
Every night you keep staying on my mind
All my friends say I'll survive
It just takes time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can, if it's broken all apart
A million miracles could never stop the pain
Or put all the pieces together again
No, I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can while we are still apart
And when you hear this song
I hope that you will see
That time won't heal a broken-hearted me
Every day is just the same
Playing games, different lovers, different names
They keep saying I'll survive
It just takes time
But I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can, if it's broken all apart
A million miracles could never stop the pain
Or put all the pieces together again
No, I don't think time is gonna heal this broken heart
No, I don't see how it can while we are still apart
And when you hear this song
I hope that you will see
That time won't heal a broken-hearted
Time won't heal a broken-hearted me
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
No, no big time isn't going to heal this broken heart
Marcia de Araujo
A minha dupla favorita ,junto com DARRILL HALL E JOHN OATES, viajo demais no som dessas duplas incríveis que são as minhas favoritas de tds os tempos sem dúvida alguma obrigado por postar valeu demais
Diocel Mahumas
Youget BAE77
Kusynna🍽️
I hope this generation appreciate this kind of music from one of the best classic international bands of all time..one of my favorite bands ❤❤❤
under the seafoam
This song is so nostalgic. My dad had a bunch of old songs and he'd play them randomly at home or in the car. I often hear this and it brings back a lot of childhood memories.
Dave
A broken heart never heals. you think you might feel better, but it just sits dormant waiting for the opportunity to remind you that it is broken and will never heal.