|
9 members (Fdemetrio, Sunset Poet, bennash, Guy E. Trepanier, Everett Adams, Gary E. Andrews, texritter, 2 invisible),
63,894
guests, and
5,365
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Welcome to the Just Plain Folks forums! You are currently viewing our forums as a Guest which gives you limited access to most of our discussions and to other features.
By joining our free community you will have access to post and respond to topics, communicate privately with our users (PM), respond to polls, upload content, and access many other features. Registration is fast, simple, and absolutely free; so please join our community today!
|
|
Florida
by Fdemetrio - 05/09/26 12:01 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Real Deal
by Brian Austin Whitney - 05/07/26 01:38 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flyte
by Gary E. Andrews - 05/06/26 05:36 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87 |
This is a song about Florida - the place I was born and now call home again. There’s just something about the sunshine, the beaches, and the lifestyle here that feels like paradise. I had to write a song about it. Hope you like it. Floridahttps://soundclick.com/song/15250028[Intro] Whoa Whoa-oh-ah Whoa Whoa-oh-ah [Verse] Sunburnt sky, salt in the air Palm trees swayin’ everywhere All night long on a waterfront dock Flip-flops, tan lines, country rock [Pre-chorus] Thunder rollin’ every afternoon Rain comes fast, then it’s gone too soon [Chorus] Florida! Sunshine state of mind Florida! Where the sun always shines I love to live wild and free That’s where I wanna be Florida Whoa, Florida [Verse] Jet skis cuttin’ through the waves Beach town buzz in the summer haze Line dancin’ in outdoor bars Beach blonde girls and pickup cars [Pre-chorus] Manatees driftin’ slow downstream Livin’ that easy sunshine dream [Chorus] Florida! Sunshine state of mind Florida! Where the sun always shines I love to live wild and free That’s where I wanna be Florida Whoa, Florida [Bridge] Hot nights, warm winds blow Swamp water risin’, gators on the go Beaches, boats, the tide rolls on Florida nights they go on and on and on [Interlude] [Final chorus] Florida! Sunshine state of mind Florida! Where the sun always shines I love to live wild and free That’s where I wanna be Florida Whoa, Florida [Outro] Whoa Whoa-oh-ah Florida! Whoa Whoa-oh-ah Florida!
Last edited by Rob B.; 1 hour ago.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
Theres nothing that distinguishes this from any other beach city or state.
Coud be jersey shoree or California, or Hawaii, or Venice,
Cliché images, needs alot of work
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 7 hours ago.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86
Top 40 Poster
|
Top 40 Poster
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86 |
I think that the song is pretty good.
Florida is the title and is sung several times throughout the song, so to my ears the location is clearly established.
The songs appears to intend to be light-hearted and frolicking, and I think that it gets there.
Personally, I might have mentioned something about sitting in a lounger on a beach with an umbrella in my drink...
And maybe some geographical reference such as, "from the Keys to the Georgia line," (sea to shining sea)
But those are personal notes.
Pleasant tune.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87 |
Theres nothing that distinguishes this from any other beach city or state.
Coud be jersey shoree or California, or Hawaii, or Venice,
Cliché images, needs alot of work Thanks for the feedback, Dom. Fair point - a lot of beach places share similar vibes. I’ve actually been to all the places you mentioned, and they definitely each have their own flavor. But I think swamp water, gators, afternoon thunderstorms, palm trees, Gulf Coast life, and that Florida heat still give this song a pretty specific identity. And when I was in Jersey in January, I definitely didn’t see beach blonde girls in flip-flops with tan lines under swaying palm trees 😄 Appreciate you listening and taking the time to comment.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87 |
I think that the song is pretty good.
Florida is the title and is sung several times throughout the song, so to my ears the location is clearly established.
The songs appears to intend to be light-hearted and frolicking, and I think that it gets there.
Personally, I might have mentioned something about sitting in a lounger on a beach with an umbrella in my drink...
And maybe some geographical reference such as, "from the Keys to the Georgia line," (sea to shining sea)
But those are personal notes.
Pleasant tune. Thanks Marty, I really appreciate that. You understood exactly what I was going for - something fun, light-hearted, catchy, and full of Florida vibes. I actually like your idea about adding a few more uniquely Florida references like “from the Keys to the Georgia line” or the beach lounger imagery. Those kinds of details could definitely help paint the picture even more. In almost every song there is room for improvement. Thanks again for listening and for the thoughtful feedback!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86
Top 40 Poster
|
Top 40 Poster
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86 |
And when I was in Jersey in January, I definitely didn’t see beach blonde girls in flip-flops with tan lines under swaying palm trees 😄 or manatees. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
On top of lack of clarity, its a big so what laundry list of things.
New York that's whete I wanna be Tourists racing, Thugs defaming Sky scrapers and Broadway Statue of liberty And MSG Rats the size of dogs New York is whete I wanna be.
Two seconds....
No connection to anybody, no emotion, get to work
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87 |
On top of lack of clarity, its a big so what laundry list of things.
New York that's whete I wanna be Tourists racing, Thugs defaming Sky scrapers and Broadway Statue of liberty And MSG Rats the size of dogs New York is whete I wanna be.
Two seconds....
No connection to anybody, no emotion, get to work Thanks Dom. I get what you’re saying. Right now the song is intentionally more of a fun, feel-good Florida anthem than a deep personal story, but I do think you make a fair point about adding more emotional connection and less “laundry list.” That’s part of the songwriting process - refining what works and what doesn’t. I appreciate the honest feedback.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86
Top 40 Poster
|
Top 40 Poster
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86 |
When I listen to the song, I hear a little "Margaritaville," but mostly I hear something that might be used in ads by a Chamber of Commerce.
If I were charged by a FLA COC for getting a tune for an ad, I would want a song that had a happy uplifting tempo and music...and quickly moved through an array of appealing mental images.
I would not want it to be overly concentrated with FLA images, because the main target would see "beach-goers" at large. Generic lines about tan lines and so forth that could be applied to any beach, would be desirable.
I think that this song gets all of that done reasonably well. The content could be written thousands of ways, but this gets it done.
The purpose of some songs is to be light and pleasant.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
And where's the reference to Cubans?
70% of the state is Cuban population.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87 |
When I listen to the song, I hear a little "Margaritaville," but mostly I hear something that might be used in ads by a Chamber of Commerce.
If I were charged by a FLA COC for getting a tune for an ad, I would want a song that had a happy uplifting tempo and music...and quickly moved through an array of appealing mental images.
I would not want it to be overly concentrated with FLA images, because the main target would see "beach-goers" at large. Generic lines about tan lines and so forth that could be applied to any beach, would be desirable.
I think that this song gets all of that done reasonably well. The content could be written thousands of ways, but this gets it done.
The purpose of some songs is to be light and pleasant. Thanks Marty, I appreciate the additional thoughts. The best part is - I actually live here, so this really is my everyday life 😄
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87
Top 200 Poster
|
OP
Top 200 Poster
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,807 Likes: 87 |
And where's the reference to Cubans?
70% of the state is Cuban population. Dom, that's fake news. Cubans make up roughly 7% of Florida’s population. I see no reason to mention them. I live here. To me this place is like paradise. I'm happy, content, I feel good and I just wanted to write a fun tribute to where I was born and where I now live.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
You got a very Anglo centric, racist, if you will view of Flirida.
Florida hosts the largest concentration of Cuban Americans in the U.S., with an estimated 1.6 to 1.8 million residents as of late 2025/2026, representing about 61–64% of the total U.S. Cuban population. The majority are concentrated in South Florida, with over 1.2 million in the Miami-Dade County area alone.Key Demographic Data (2025-2026):Total in Florida: Approx. 1.56–1.8 million.Concentration: Over 60% of all U.S. Cubans live in Florida.Miami-Dade Impact: The Miami metro area has the highest concentration, with over 1.2 million individuals.Other Key Areas: Tampa (approx. 200,000) and Jacksonville (approx. 7,000) also hold significant populations.Top Cities (by population): Hialeah (167,577), Miami (142,155), and unincorporated areas like Westchester and Tamiami.Key Findings:Density: Cuban Americans constitute a majority in some Florida municipalities, such as West Miami (53.8%) and Hialeah (over 94% of the population).Demographic Shift: Recent data indicates nearly 7.14% of Florida’s total population is of Cuban origin.Migration Trends: Immigration tends to fluctuate based on economic and political conditions in Cuba.
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 57 minutes ago.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86
Top 40 Poster
|
Top 40 Poster
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,014 Likes: 86 |
And where's the reference to Cubans?
70% of the state is Cuban population. First off, AI (Gemini) says that FLA cuban-decent population is between 6.5 and 7.1 percent. If you were doing a documentary on FLA life, I think that the Cubans should be included. I also think that you might rename the song, "Old Farts in Golf Carts," because there is lots of that down there. But, for a light-hearted song that just wants to create a feeling of enjoyment for a destination, home, place....with a focus on beach and shore... I, personally would not include them.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
I would, its reality. And where's the reference to Cubans?
70% of the state is Cuban population. First off, AI (Gemini) says that FLA cuban-decent population is between 6.5 and 7.1 percent. If you were doing a documentary on FLA life, I think that the Cubans should be included. I also think that you might rename the song, "Old Farts in Golf Carts," because there is lots of that down there. But, for a light-hearted song that just wants to create a feeling of enjoyment for a destination, home, place....with a focus on beach and shore... I, personally would not include them. Its more a brochure than a song.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 52
Top 10 Poster
|
Top 10 Poster
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 52 |
First off, uplifting, party vibe, summer song.
Perhaps "too busy" in the imagery.....maybe a little for everybody? Someone is watching from the sidelines enjoying the shade???
Florida, where the sun always shines it's rays down on me??? live wild and free adds to the mayhem
All I have here
BTW emailed you....
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85
Top 20 Poster
|
Top 20 Poster
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 8,537 Likes: 85 |
First off, uplifting, party vibe, summer song.
Perhaps "too busy" in the imagery.....maybe a little for everybody? Someone is watching from the sidelines enjoying the shade???
Florida, where the sun always shines it's rays down on me??? live wild and free adds to the mayhem
All I have here
BTW emailed you.... Yup. Its features over feeling.
|
|
|
|
We would like to keep the membership in Just Plain Folks FREE! Your donation helps support the many programs we offer including Road Trips and the Music Awards.
|
|
|
Forums118
Topics128,552
Posts1,183,409
Members21,478
| |
Most Online137,412 Apr 22nd, 2026
|
|
|
"Talent + Drive + Knowledge = Success" –Brian Austin Whitney
|
|
|
|