Stephen Bishop – The Heart Is So Willing (The Money Pit)
“The Heart Is So Willing” performed by Stephen Bishop, and written by Kathy Wakefield and Michel Colombier, is the main theme song to the classic 1980s comedy film “The Money Pit” starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. The song was only commercially available on a 7″ vinyl single at the time of release (1986) and has appeared on a ‘Best of’ CD called “Dance of the Heart“. Both versions of the song are the radio edit, running approximately 3 minutes 38 seconds.
The version of the song which appears in the film is a longer version than the radio edit at a running time being approximately 4 minutes 30 seconds, a nearly whole minute longer. The ‘Extended’ version of the song is not commercially available.
The Heart Is So Willing is a fantastic song; it just oozes 80’s synths and sequencers and it has such an upbeat tempo and energy. I was able to find an MP3 of the radio edit on the Napster years ago (days before iTunes, Spotify and YouTube), but the sound quality was inferior and it was in mono sound, it sounded like a vinyl RIP.
EDIT for 2023
I have been informed by a fan (thank you Dan), that The Heart Is So Willing is now available to stream on Spotify. Unfortunately, once again, it is the Radio Edit version, running at 3 minutes 33 seconds. The sound quality is incredible, so the track seems to have been remastered.
Dan also noticed the ‘extended’ version was running faster than the original, and he was right. I have gone back to the files and created new ones at the correct speed/tempo (near as damn it). Because of this, the track is now 4 minutes 46 seconds long. I have also increased the output levels by 2db.
Source
Having the film on the UK Version DVD, in 5.1 Surround Sound, I decided to create my own FULL version of the song. Unfortunately, the theme song is not in a complete/one-take form within the film, it’s split into two separate parts; some at the beginning of the film and some at the end. I knew I had to ‘stitch’ them together to complete the song. This was easily done in a professional audio software package. Luckily for me, there is a distinctive moment within the song where they overlap match.
You can download the extended version of The Heart Is So Willing in AIFF, AAC and MP3 by clicking the download button below. The lyrics for the song are also included in .doc, .rtf and .pdf.
Lyrics
The Heart Is So Willing
(Written by Kathy Wakefield and Michel Colombier)
I feel your every breath; I hear the words you say,
And I keep turning back to hear the music play,
I make no promises, those promises, can break you,
How can you call me home, wanting me like yesterday?
Where do we build a house, how do the roses grow?
Are you and I in love, how do we really know?
If love is on our side, you’ll know we’re in trouble,
That’s when my heart decides to go wherever you will go
The heart is so willing to follow,
The heart shows the way out of the night,
The heart runs in search of tomorrow,
When loves takes the hand that guides the light
When the shadows fall and there’s no one there to hear,
I’ll listen…
I feel your every breath, I hear the words you say,
And I keep turning back, to hear the music play,
I make no promises, those promises, can break you,
How can you call me home, wanting me like yesterday?
How do we fix the moon, how do we change the sky?
How do I make her laugh, the way I make you cry?
I make no promises, those promises, can break you,
But love’s no accident, time is on my side
The heart is so willing to follow,
The heart shows the way out of the night,
The heart runs in search of tomorrow,
When loves takes the hand that guides the light…!
The heart is so willing to follow,
Yes the heart is so willing to follow…!
The heart shows the way out of the night,
Oh, the heart is so, Oh, the heart is…!
The heart runs in search of tomorrow,
Search of tomorrow!
When loves takes the hand that guides the light…!!
(Repeat Chorus)