Listen to the Music is a song by The Doobie Brothers. The song was written by band member Tom Johnston, and it was the first of five singles released from their 1972 second album, Toulouse Street. Johnston described the meaning of the song as follows: “The basic message of ‘Listen to the Music’ was that music is a force of its own. And one that can make you happy… It didn’t matter what skin color we were or what religion we were; if we could dig the same music, then everything else would take care of itself.” In an interview on Inside the Rock Era with Kunz in late June-early July-2001, Tom clarified what he meant, saying, “Well, remember this was 1970s America… From my door, these lyrics were VERY positive… they certainly PROBABLY had racial overtones.” According to him, he wrote this song thinking about how easy it is to come back from wherever you are when you are surrounded with people you know love you.
Listen to the Music by The Doobie Brothers
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Song Title | Listen to the Music |
| Artist | The Doobie Brothers |
| Release Date | July 1972 |
| Album | Toulouse Street |
| Songwriter | Tom Johnston |
| Producer | Ted Templeman |
| Genre | Rock, Soft Rock |
| Themes | Music’s unifying power, peace, joy, and connection |
| Key Lyrics | “Listen to the music. Listen to the music of the night.” |
| Chart Performance | Reached #11 on Billboard Hot 100 |
| Cultural Impact | Became an anthem of the 1970s, representing positivity and musical unity |
| Awards/Nominations | Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (for the Doobie Brothers) |
| Legacy | One of the Doobie Brothers’ most iconic songs, often featured in films and popular culture |
Listen to the Music Lyrics
Don’t you feel it growing, day by day?
People getting ready for the news
Some are happy, some are sad
Oh, we got to let the music play
What the people need
Is a way to make ’em smile?
It’s not so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message
Get it on through
Oh now mama, don’t you ask me why
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
All the time
Well I know; you know better
Everything I say
Meet me in the country for a day
We’ll be happy
And we’ll dance
Oh, we’re going to dance our blues away
And if I’m feeling good to you
And you’re feeling good to me
There’s nothing we can’t do or say
Feeling good, feeling fine
Oh, baby, let the music play
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
All the time
Like a lazy flowing river
Surrounding castles in the sky
And the crowd is growing bigger
Listening for the happy sounds
And I got to let them fly
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
All the time
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
All the time
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
Whoa, listen to the music
All the time
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