https://www.reverbnation.com/stevestallings/song/26053486-lonely-road-to-heaven
 
I wrote this song about PTSD. I wish I didn't have a personal knowledge of this, but it has lived with me in one form or another since Vietnam.  I have done ok for the most part. This song is the first public statement I've ever expressed about it. 
 

It's a lonely road to heaven
when you're just this side of hell
and the darkness of the night time hides your fear
the dreams cry of forever
the emptiness stares back
the innocence of youth forever lost

you've been here in this silent room
so many nights before
you know the dreams will come
they always do
you beg the Lord's forgiveness
for the cruel heart of man
you pray the scars you bear
will someday heal
so you close your eyes pretend you can not feel
and the lonely road to heaven rises up just this side of hell

How many nights you've lain awake
and prayed there'd be a day
the empty pain you hold and cannot share
would be set free one magic morn
darkness cast away
light would fill your empty heart once more
until then you'll close your eyes
no one will ever know
the dark place your heart goes to each night
you beg the Lords forgiveness
for the cruel heart of man
you pray the scars you bear
will someday heal
you close your eyes pretend you can not feel
and the lonely road to heaven rises up just this side of hell
 
Steve Stallings 2016
 
Everything recorded on SPLAT
Recorded at Cypress Creek Audio   ( my place)

*If it's a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven, that says something about anticipated traffic numbers*

That's one way to look at it ;)   The song is about PTSD. 

Love the song steve!  it's recorded very well, much better than I can do with sonar.   I just finished an opus on same theme called *It's Going to be a Better Day*.  I'll post it once it's done. I understand PTSD very much, and I really do understand the feeling of being inches from death with no hope or help in sight..it's a very lonely feeling if one doesn't have god in his or her life.  This country has to get a handle on this issue viz the veterans, but it's also a more widespread problem and that needs to be addressed.    Take care!

great tune but she's hot as hell....needs some compression/eq work. Its hard to focus on the tune with the fidelity issues. 
 
Easy fix I'm guessing....

Beautiful song Steve! Mix is a bit hot, but I just turned it way down ;)
 
I think some tracks could use a little more level control, with a touch of compression, but overall, I think it sounds pretty good. One thing that may help, do you use any compression on the master? A gentle "glue" compressor can work wonders to pull all the tracks together.
 
Regards,
Dan

ditto... very hot, and yeah, I'd remix it a bit lower.  I'm listening on cheap speakers here but it sounds really full in the mid range as well. As a result the instruments all sound crowded together and it would be cool to have some space in the music. Vox could use some space and some verb. Of course, this is JMHO.....
 
Nice work on the music....loved that steel. It has a New Riders vibe as a result.

What exactly does it meat when a mix is "hot" ?

The song, lyrics, performances and arrangement are all there IMO.  And that's the difficult part.   Love hearing that pedal steel.  Great fit.   
 
Not much to add to the mix comments above - I also think it could use to breathe a bit more, with maybe a small scoop in the hi-mids to smooth things out.
 

SoundRegion
What exactly does it meat when a mix is "hot" ?

Brick wall limiter smashing the crap out of the song. Makes all of the elements "crowd" each other as there is no breathing room or space between them.
 
Dan