Album: Carolina Dreams (1977)

Charted: 14

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Songfacts®:

• Dubious sources of information include social media, our friend Barry, and love songs. In this tune, the singer convinces himself that because he heard it in a love song, it can't be wrong.
  
  We're not sure what love song he was listening to, but it may have been something like "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," where the sailor loves the girl but won't stick around to be with her. In "Heard It In A Love Song," he's leaving the girl he loves to satisfy his wanderlust - the call of the road is just too strong. This tiger can't be tamed.
• "Heard It In A Love Song" was written by Toy Caldwell, a guitarist in The Marshall Tucker Band who wrote most of their songs. Caldwell, who died of heart failure in 1993 at 45, had a real gift for placing himself into characters and writing very convincingly from their perspective. In contrast to this song, he was committed to his Abbie and his two children.
  
  Abbie Caldwell explained to Songfacts: "He didn't read music, and played by ear. He jotted down words on any piece of paper available."
• Mark Chesnutt recorded a popular version of "Heard It In A Love Song" in 2006 that he used as the title track of his 12th album.
• According to Marshall Tucker Band lead singer Doug Gray, Toy Caldwell was "a master songwriter and player."
  
  "Toy would come to me and say, 'Write this down real quick: I ain't never been with a woman long enough for my boots to get old,'" Gray told Dan Rather. "I would never think that way."
• The Marshall Tucker Band is most famous for their debut single, "Can't You See," but that song took years to catch on as the band slowly built a following. They formed in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and named their 1977 album - the one with "Heard It In A Love Song" - in tribute. Their first seven albums all sold at least 500,000 copies, but the band was marred by tragedy. Toy Caldwell's brother Tommy was their bass player, and he died in a car accident in 1980 when he was just 30.
  
  By 1984, they were down to two original members: frontman Doug Gray and flute/sax player Jerry Eubanks. In 1996, Eubanks left and Gray carried on with various lineups. "Heard It In A Love Song" is the band's highest-charting song (#14) and a must-play at their concerts.

Comments: 22

• AnonymousThank you Bob Sacamano... I thought it said purty little love song...
• Guitarman from Charlotte, NcI had always heard that Toy Caldwell heard the song in a dream he had. Didn't really want to tell the boys about it and the rest is history. There will never be another Toy Caldwell.
• Alex from WiI've always felt the love song referred to in the refrain is "Oh, Girl" by the Chi-Lites.
• Bob Sacamano from New York CityIt's a purty little love song.
• Phil from IndianaThe guy lives his life like a fool. Always searching for greener grass and a fresh relationship when he has a good woman at home. He justifies what he is doing by saying he “heard it in a love song”.
• Dj from NjPiano was courtesy of one Paul Hornsby as guest musican with no relationship to Bruce. Also, he produced the Carolina Dreams Album amongst other Platinum and Gold albums for the likes of the Charlie Daniels Band and Wet Willie
• Cw from Plano, TxThat great piano part is courtesy of an on-loan Bruce Hornsby.
• Camille from Toronto, OhDean from Hoover, Alabama, I heard this song the other day and was blown away by the piano. You are right, it is quite awesome!
• Renard from OhioThe Marshall Tucker band got their name from the source of a Grand Piano. With most of the founding members gathered around a Grand Piano one of the members looked inside it. There in the corner was a business card that simply said, "Pianos tuned . Marshall Tucker."
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 19th 1977, the Marshall Tucker Band played at the Jimmy Carter presidential inauguration ball in Washington, DC...
  A little under two months later on March 6th their "I Heard It In a Love Song" would enter Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #78...
  {See the next post below}.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 6th 1977, "I Heard It In a Love Song" by the Marshall Tucker Band entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #78; and thirteen weeks later on June 5th, 1977 it peaked at #14 {for 2 weeks} and spent 21 weeks on the Top 100...
  It reached #5 on the Canadian RPM Singles chart...
  Between 1975 and 1980 the Southern rock/country sextet had seven Top 100 records; their next biggest hit was "Fire on the Mountain", which peaked at #38 in 1975...
  Sadly, three of the six original members have passed away; lead guitarist & vocalist Toy Caldwell {1947 - 1993}, rhythm guitarist George McCorkle {1946 - 2007}, and bassist Tommy Caldwell {1949–1980}...
  May they all R.I.P.
• Ramon Avila from Orlando,fl.What can I say, one hell of a song to listen to.
• Brent from Denair, CaThe opening flute and lyrics of "I ain't never been with a woman long enough for my boots to get old" is pure classic! This is a must have to any rock or country collection.
• Dean from Hoover, AlI love the flute in this song too, but the piano is awesome too! Just a great, great song!
• Kevin from Savannah, GaLove the lyrics (and the flute - if that's what you guys say makes that purty noise). But, I *still* don't have a clue about what it was he "heard in a love song". And now you tell me the guy what wrote it ain't alive no more. Well, crap. Now I'll never know. But, I do sorta get a kick out what you English majors think you've figgered out. :-)
• Kim from Watertown, CtLove Love Love this song. I hope and imagine that a certain lost love thinks of me when he hears it. but recently i have heard it this way: that he makes admissions of loving her and wanting her because he heard these things said in love songs. may not feel anything.
• Camille from Toronto, OhThe song is just fabulous. I agree, the dude sends mixed messages and I'm sure he never did leave, tho he thought he had good intentions of doing so. The flute, oh, the flute is what sets this apart from so many other pop/rock songs; makes it memorable. Every time my husband and I hear it on the car radio, we'll comment, "fabulous flute".
• Kevin from Lodi, MoYes this was their most successful song commercially, but not near the top of my favorite Toy Caldwell-penned MTB songs. Toy was indeed a gifted songwriter. Songs such as "24 Hours At a Time", "Blue Ridge Mountain Sky", Take The Highway", but also ones that are beautifully written, often about being a good man - "Am I the Kind of Man", "Keeps Me From All Wrong", and one of my very favorites, a beautiful song called "In My Own Way" - a song no doubt written for his wife Abbie. Had the pleasure of meeting Toy in 1991 and he is still one of the greatest artists I have ever met. Toy was one of a kind, from his songwriting to his thumb-picking guitar slinging style. Rest in peace Toy and Tommy Caldwell. You both left us too soon.
• Johnnys Cousin Steve from Villas, NjI agree with the 3 comments below...Like he doesn't want to leave, but he has to because that's what happens in all the "love songs" he's heard over the years...so, he figures this is what needs to happen.
  It doesn't strike me as a sad song at all. Great tune - I play it at my gigs. I get a lot of requests for The Marshall Tucker Band.
• Erin from Clarksville, Pa"we've been together so long now, they've both been re-soled." What a line. Great? Sad? Hilarious? All. It gets me every time...
• Oldpink from New Castle, InI tend to agree.
  He is doing a bit of a parody of all the love songs that can all too often be so trite.
  Whatever he means, it's still a very nice song, and yes, the flute definitely adds to the song.
• Joshua from La Crosse, WiHmmm... I had always interpreted this song as a dry attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor - each verse a string of mutually contradictory lines, sending mixed messages as to whether the man intends to leave or stay with his lover, with the chorus ("Heard it in a love song... can't be wrong") meant to explain away the obvious absurdity of it all.

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