You might get some arguments from people if you try to tell them that Dan Fogelberg is Yacht Rock. Perhaps that’s because many of his best-known songs were so specific, personal, and somewhat sad, not exactly qualities you associate with the genre.
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But Fogelberg proved to be a solid craftsman as well throughout his career, one who could paint inside the lines of a genre such as soft rock and fit right into the mix. In fact, one of his biggest hits, the 1981 slow one “Hard To Say”, delivers the instrumental touches and soulful spirit of the best of Yacht Rock.
Musical Family
If you’ve heard Dan Fogelberg’s 1981 hit song “Leader Of The Band”, you’ll get a pretty good idea of what inspired him to become a musician. His father served as a band director for high schools and colleges in Illinois. The fact that Dan’s mother was an accomplished pianist certainly didn’t hurt his musical pedigree.
In his teens in the 60s, Fogelberg was already forming bands and moving from playing strictly cover material to composing his own songs. By the early 70s, his performance at a folk festival caught the eye of Irving Azoff, who was then just starting out as one of the biggest music managers in the business.
After a stint in Nashville, Fogelberg began releasing his own material. Word of mouth helped him garner a bigger audience over time, while he also gained important professional connections. For example, Joe Walsh produced his 1974 album Souvenirs. That record included the breakout hit “Part Of The Plan”, a song that contains some undeniable Yacht Rock vibes itself.
Fogelberg’s Rise
In the latter part of the 70s, Fogelberg continued to build his audience. He also bore the brunt of music critics who thought his music too sappy. His 1979 no. 2 hit “Longer”, with its fluttery melodies and glacial pace, served as a target in that regard. To his credit, Fogelberg dug in his heels and kept playing the music about which he was passionate. And it earned him his biggest success.
Fogelberg’s 1981 album The Innocent Age spun off three Top 10 singles. There was “Same Auld Lang Syne”, a holiday-themed account of his run-in with an old girlfriend. The aforementioned “Leader Of The Band” paid tribute to his dad in his waning years.
“Hard To Say” went even higher on the charts (no. 7) than those other two songs. On the track, a slow, silky groove gets embellishment from saxophonist Tom Scott. Glenn Frey of The Eagles adds some backing vocals. Unburdened by any autobiographical trappings, this is the song that easily earns its Yacht Rock stripes.
Behind the Lyrics of “Hard To Say”
“Hard To Say” expertly details the many ways that a romantic relationship can begin to crumble almost imperceptibly. The narrator plays the role of advisor, passing on knowledge that he’s likely earned the hard way. “But every time you think you got it straight, you fall,” he explains. He’s hinting that it’s a slippery slope that leads from being confident in a love affair to taking it for granted.
“You know you love her but it may not last, you fear,” Fogelberg sings. The shifting perspectives of a relationship do damage: “It’s never easy and it’s never clear / Who’s to navigate and who’s to steer.”
Placing the blame is pointless, since the end result is what matters: “It’s hard to walk away from love / It may never come again.”
Dan Fogelberg stayed in his pillow-soft rocking vein for the remainder of his career, one that was cut way too short by the cancer that took his life in 2007 when he was just 56. The honesty of his songs might have scared away some critics back in the day. But songs like “Hard To Say”, with its universal truths and empathetic heart, have long outlived all that.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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