‘The Voice’ is a song written by Justin Hayward that was first released on the Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager and also as its second single. The song continued the success of previous single ‘Gemini Dream’, becoming a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 15 in October 1981. The song had previously topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for four weeks during June–July 1981. The song also reached No. 9 in Canada.
The lyrics reflect the insecurities Hayward was feeling at the time about his stardom and the fact the stress of continually meeting expectations and dealing with poor reviews and writer's block. The title wasn't determined until after the song was recorded and refers to the inner voice that is one's own harshest critic. Hayward said of the song: “With ‘The Voice’ this whole period of my life was quite a difficult one, I suppose. I was sort of searching and seeking. It was a very insecure time. I think it was for all of us, and it reflected in the album as well. I was trying to relearn a lot of things in my life and set some kind of standard. I didn't feel I had a lot of things in common with a lot of things that were going on around me. I felt apart from it. I was kind of expressing those insecurities, really."
‘The Voice’ was one of the first songs recorded for Long Distance Voyager, on April 25, 1980. Hayward plays acoustic and electric guitars, and sings the lead vocal as well as most of the harmony vocals, but John Lodge and Ray Thomas join in on the "oh oh" part in the refrain. On the album version of the song, there is a 30 second synthesizer introduction leading into the song, that was developed and played by Patrick Moraz. This was an excerpt from a song Moraz had written about a year prior to ‘The Voice’ being recorded.
According to Allmusic critic Dave Connolly, the song "is a sweeping and majestic call to adventure." Billboard described it as "a texturally lush piece of pop in the best tradition of the Moody Blues' earlier work". Record World said that "The symphonic arrangement envelops Justin Hayward's dramatic vocal." Variety said it had the potential to go to #1, saying that "the well-crafted pop melodies in both verse and chorus and the use of synthesized strings vividly recall the Moody's in their original incarnation" and also praised Pip Williams' "richly imaginative production."
Label – Threshold
Songwriter – Justin Hayward
Producer – Pip Williams
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Won't you take me back to school?
I need to learn the golden rule
Won't you lay it on the line?
I need to hear it just one more time
[Chorus]
Oh, won't you tell me again?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight?
[Verse 2]
Each and every heart it seems
Is bounded by a world of dreams
Each and every rising sun
Is greeted by a lonely one
[Chorus]
Oh, won't you tell me again?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight? Tonight?
[Bridge]
Cause out on the ocean of life my love
There are so many storms we must rise above
Can you hear the spirit calling, as it's carried across the waves?
You're already falling it's calling you back to face the music
And the song that is coming through
You're already falling the one that it's calling is you
[Verse 3]
Make a promise take a vow
And trust your feelings it's easy now
Understand the voice within
And feel a change already beginning
[Chorus]
Oh, won't you tell me again?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight?
[Guitar solo]
[Chorus]
Oh, won't you tell me again?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight? Tonight?
[Bridge]
And how many words have I got to say?
And how many times will it be this way?
With your arms around the future and your back up against the past
You're already falling it's calling you on to face the music
And the song that is coming through
You're already falling the one that it's calling is you
[Verse 3]
Each and every heart it seems
Is bounded by a world of dreams
Each and every rising sun
Is greeted by, a lonely, lonely one
[Chorus]
Won't you tell me again?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight?
[Outro]
Oh, won't you tell me again?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight? Tonight?
Oh, can you feel it?
Oh, won't you tell me again tonight?