Here To Listen

"Here To Listen"

Music & Lyrics by Scott Cooley.

Whenever you've had a problem, babe

I've tried to help you find a solution

But no matter what it is that I suggest

To you it's just air pollution

I've learned, baby, slowly, over the years

That what you really want is my ears

I'm here to listen, to everything you say

And pay attention, I'll never look away

I'll put down my guitar, and turn off the TV

I'm here to listen, understand and agree

Whenever you've had a bad day, babe

I've tried to make you feel good again

I offer you my body and mind

But you never want either of them

I've learned, baby, slowly, over the years

That what you really want is my ears

I'm here to listen, to everything you say

And pay attention, I'll never look away

I'll put down my guitar, and turn off the TV

I'm here to listen, understand and agree

You don't need me for my money

Don't want me for my looks

You don't wanna hear what I have to say

And you don't want me readin' no books

But I'm not good for nothin'

I figured out what I'm worth

As long as I keep my big mouth shut

I know why I'm on this Earth

I'm here to listen, to everything you say

And pay attention, I'll never look away

I'll put down my guitar, and turn off the TV

I'm here to listen, understand and agree

Who needs your girlfriends, when you've got me

Why pay for a shrink, when I'll do it for free

I'm here to listen,... understand,... and agree

Here To Listen might actually be a country song, but I'm not sure what qualifies exactly. My favorite line is "you don't want me readin' no books" - makes me laugh every time. It's about a strategy for relationship success, particularly for a man in succeeding with a woman. Hope it's not sexist, but women are more talkative than men. It's a general observation based on my personal experience rather than scientific research, and thus not a stereotype in my mind. Is stereotyping illegal? I'd be willing to bet most shrink's patients are female. Anyhow, most women I've had relationships with really need someone to listen to their problems frequently, and we men respond with a need to solve them, which isn't what the women want. These are tendencies that differ between the sexes. This song explores those differences, and provides advice to men for a better way to respond...or to not respond that is. Actually, we all like it when someone listens, understands and agrees with us whether it's a white lie or not - there, I admitted it. Maybe we're not so different after all. There was one thing I struggled with: "what you really want IS my ears," vs. "what you really want ARE my ears." There are competing rules you can apply here, and my inner grammar cop may have persuaded me to go with the wrong one....and I was an English major. Not good.