There was a time when I was heading in a musical direction, driven by a love of wordsmithing and brainworm melodies. I even had a TV concept optioned around 2019 called Get It Out of My Head.
Most of the songs below are old demos (2am studio time and talent from the Git-Bit-Pit in Hollywood) that had been in storage for years and in pretty rough shape (most consist of my scratch vocals, drums, bass, L & R guitars, and rough supporting parts built from Yamaha MIDI instrumentation).
The material moves through soft ballads, country, rock, blues, and even a brief Bossa Nova turn… From introspective and life-lived, to simple – toe-tapping fun. Good or bad, they remain a glimpse of what almost was. They were written years ago, with one exception: “Bloodstains in the Snow,” written in 2026.
To salvage them, we uploaded each track and used AI as a production tool—to help repair damaged or incomplete material, fill missing sonic gaps, use musical elements where the original recordings were unfinished, and apply vocals that carry the tune better than my voice (care was taken to follow every inflection with precision). My lyrics, basic melodies, and overall tone are 100% human and used as precise guide tracks—rough edges and all. Sometimes the words are to fit the sound of the song, other times they are to convey a message.
Why share old scratch/demos? Because ALL ARTISTS need to share their work. Using Technology as a tool is fine, but using it to do all the work is killing creativity. It’s sad how entire songs can now be generated from a simple prompt, stripped of the human process behind them. These tracks—some hit /some miss—come from an era when lyrics were written entirely by hand, melodies were born in the head, and songs were built layer by layer on tape or disc. The tradeoff is the “AI gloss and sound” but better to let the songs live a little—than lose them entirely to time… Sound is better with headphones/earbuds.
Original lyrics for each song appear below the player.
A Splinter In His Skin
He carried all the answers like splinters in his skin.
So he never asked the question, that might let the light get in.
He was tired – he was lost.
He was counting up the cost.
And chasing down a silence he had learned to live within.
He made a home of absence —a room without a sound.
Stayed there long enough to think the floor was solid ground.
He was tired – he was lost.
He was counting up the cost.
And couldn’t tell what still was whole from what had broken down.
When the heat came down, the blood ran cold.
He held his shape but it didn’t hold.
The pendulum pulled him out of his skin,
Then swung him right back down again.
A collision of illusion. A reality sting.
He’s flying in circles with one broken wing.
He lied to every shadow — he stole the golden fleece.
And when he danced with danger, it felt almost like release.
And when there was no oxygen, he found a way to breathe.
Because it isn’t what he buried — it’s what he couldn’t leave.
Now the present is an anchor, and the past is still a stone.
Every door he ever opened, led him deeper to alone.
He was tired – he was lost.
He was counting up the cost.
And all the hands have fallen off the only clock he’s ever known.
When the heat came down, the blood ran cold.
He held his shape but it didn’t hold.
The pendulum pulled him out of his skin,
Then swung him right back down again.
A collision of illusion. A reality sting.
He’s flying in circles with one broken wing.
Still flying in circles with one broken wing.
A Sprinkle Of Blue
A song of reassurance… Written as a message to myself, during a period of self-doubt, but it’s universal.
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I know you feel that doubt in your head
Everyone does – it’s nothing to dread
The weight is an anchor. It’ll pull your mind down
Thinking this world has taken your crown
You see all the people so happy and free
That’s the life they want you to see
But behind the smiles they feel just like you
All of them colored
With a sprinkle of blue
So, when it feels your falling apart at the seams
Hold onto the wheel – stay true to your dreams
Believe in the story – look up to the sky
Then spread your wings
It’s not too late to fly
Hold onto the moment – slowly unwind
The answer will come – give it some time
This too shall pass, allow yourself grace
Take a deep breath And set your own pace
Every star that’s ever flickered had to burn through nights of doubt
Every river found its purpose, only after winding out
So don’t fear the shape you’re taking
As the world keeps turning slow
You’re becoming something truer
Than the person you outgrow
You’ve got your reasons to stay under the weather
That’s how life works, so hold it together
Of all the colors this world goes through
Everyone walks
with a sprinkle of blue
So when it feels you’re falling apart at the seams
Hold onto the wheel – stay true to your dreams
Believe in the story – look up to the sky
Then spread your wings
It’s not too late to fly
It’s never too late to fly
Little Queen
Lyrics written in the early 80s. “Little Queen” was one of the first put to lift from paper to sound.
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Looking back, she sings her song.
And lonely knights all sing along.
A little queen, for an empty throne.
A lonely time for being alone.
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She sheds a tear for the battle cry.
The little queen just wonders why.
Locked in her room, inside her mind.
A bitter sentence for a bitter crime.
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They cross the chasm, they scale the wall.
She sees them there and loves them all.
Shrouded by armor, in iron clad tombs.
The little queen knows she’ll be leaving soon.
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In the castle, kings worry. On the cliffsides, she waits.
For the wind which will carry, her down to her fate.
And all the king’s power. And all the king’s time.
Cannot save the queen, locked deep in her mind.
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The rocks far below, invitations to fall.
For those are her knights, and she loves them all.
She hungers to hear their battle song.
Through a castle window, the king looks on.
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A tear appears within his eye.
The little queen smiles as she passes by.
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The cliffside enshrined like a fortress at night.
A breaking of shackles, for a moment of flight.
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In a castle, kings worry. On the cliffside she waits.
A ghost in the wind, and the last jump to fate.
And all the king’s power. And all the king’s time.
Could not save his queen, lost deep in her mind.
I Hold Onto Memories
Never got around to a bridge, but I kinda like it simple and straightforward.
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I’ve seen, things that would leave others broken
In this dream, that’s with me when I open my eyes
And I know
Every word I can say has been spoken
But I go
Ignoring the words of the wise
I hold on—hold on to all that is sacred
When I feel—I feel things slipping away
I can call
Call out for someone to help me
But I don’t
I don’t know the words to say
I hold on to memories for they
Comfort me when I lose my way
I hold on to all those dreams I had
When I was a child
Funny how time just slips away
Taking the words we could not say
Telling ourselves it’ll be okay
If just for a while
I made a promise—a promise to never grow old
To stay strong, unbridled, and bold
Pray the fire—the fire inside will guide me
Keep me warm—should my heart grow cold
I hold on to memories for they
Comfort me when I lose my way
I hold on to all those dreams I had
So young and wild
Given a chance I’d fly away
But I just hold on for one more day
Telling myself it’ll be okay
If just for a while
Telling myself it’ll be okay
If just for a while
The Knot That Ties You Down
Written during a motorcycle road trip in Monument Valley. Feeling the world go by can do such things.
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So, we stumble into another fight
Where we both were wrong and we both were right
You ask for me to hear the words you want me to believe
But I don’t know how to stay and I don’t know how to leave
We lived through too much living and sought distance from the pain
But tears all lose their meaning when they dry without a stain.
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Where is the knot that ties you down
Your head, your heart, your soul
That hollow feeling you don’t belong
The kind that takes a toll
The answer is not always held in hand
When the time has come to go
It’s difficult to understand
Outside the one you know
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There’s something wrong in paradise I can’t see through the tears
The crying shakes the body aches, the passing of the years
And here I still stand frozen with the pain we left behind
We’ve stumbled off our chosen path and lost all sense of time
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Where is the knot that ties you down
Your head, your heart, your soul
That hollow feeling you don’t belong
The kind that takes a toll
The answer is not always held in hand
When the time has come to go
It’s difficult to understand
Outside the one you know
.
The cruelty of this world, we were the refuge from such things
But the outside found its way within, and our hearts no longer sing
.
We spent too long in falling that we’ve forgotten how to fly
Now the hourglass is empty, and this love has passed us by.
.
Where is the knot that ties you down
Your head, your heart, your soul
That hollow feeling you don’t belong
The kind that takes a toll
The answer is not always held in hand
When the time has come to go
It’s difficult to understand
Outside the one you know
Bloodstains In The Snow
Written in 2026. Set politics aside. This focuses on the senseless death of two people who did not deserve to die.
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On a day so cold it froze the breath
Word went round of a senseless death
A line of masks in a wall of hate
A tale unfolds, in a twist of fate.
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On her final day, she made a choice.
To take a stand and use her voice.
“I’m not mad” was all she said.
A trigger pull and she was dead
.
A trigger pull and she was dead
.
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
Where do we turn
Who do we trust
When killed for virtues
Voices grow
We’ll make our stand
On the bloodstains in the snow
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Another day so cold it froze the breath
Another word went round about a senseless death
Another line of masks. Another wall of hate
Another tale unfolds.
Another twist of fate.
.
On his final day, he made a choice
To take a stand and use his voice
One went down, he came to aid
Ten pieces of lead was the price he paid
.
Ten pieces of lead was the price he paid
.
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
Where do we turn
Who do we trust
When killed for virtues
Voices grow
And make their stand
On the bloodstains in the snow
On the bloodstains in the snow
On the bloodstains in the snow
Hope Is Just A Child
Written after seeing a free-spirit lady in the grocery store, buying perfume. Tried going after a Buddy Holly vibe, especially in the chorus.
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They say that hope is just a child
Although her innocence is gone
She keeps her head above the clouds
And does her best to carry on
.
She buys her perfume in the grocery store
Loves to wear her faded jeans
Styles her hair just like the pictures
in her favorite magazine
.
Some people say she came from Nashville
But not the one in Tennessee
She never did believe in miracles
Prefers to call them destiny
.
and uh-oh (uh-oh)
they say (they say)
She’s a wild one
Cause she walks
and she talks
in a language nobody understands
But the fire in her eye
when she’s smiling
is warm like the summer sun
And those eyes when she cries can break the strongest man
.
She harmonizes Sinatra songs
She loves the happiness they bring
And though nobody ever joins along
She doesn’t care she loves to sing
.
In a little place down by the river
Where the water’s slow and wide
She throws her clothes into the air
swims onto the other side
.
And those who gather ’round to watch her
No one ever makes a sound
They know a brighter day is dawning
Whenever hope would come around
.
and uh-oh (uh-oh)
they say (they say)
She’s a wild one
Cause she walks
and she talks
in a language nobody understands
But the fire in her eye
when she’s smiling
is warm like the summer sun
And those eyes
when she cries
can break the strongest man
.
and uh-oh (uh-oh)
they say (they say)
She’s a wild one
Sliding Down This Hill
For as big as it sounds, it’s really quite simple, which is why I like it so much. Still suffers from hard edits and timing, but the vibe makes up for it.
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Here I go again—I’m sliding down this hill
Here I go again—Watch me slide on down this hill
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Ain’t got no possessions
None that I can keep
Ain’t got no possessions
Just these dreams while I’m asleep
.
Got to find me a congregation (hey)
Is there somewhere that you know?
I got to find me a congregation
Cause I’ve no place left to go
.
My feet get so tired
Nobody knows just how I feel
Lord, my feet get so tired
Leather worn right to the heel
.
And still I walk around
That sun appears in the sky to be high
Surrounded by the sound
People singing live – and – let – die
People singing live – and – let – die
People singing live – and – let – die
Live – and – let – die
Live – and – let – die
Live – and – let – die
.
Mama said my sanctuary
Is in learning to be still
My mama said my sanctuary
Is in learning to be still
.
But I don’t ask forgiveness
I never have and never will
Lord, Lord, I don’t ask forgiveness
As I slide on down this hill
.
And still I walk around
That sun appears in the sky to be high
Surrounded by the sound
People singing live – and – let – die
People singing live – and – let – die
People singing live – and – let – die
Live – and – let – die
Live – and – let – die
Live – and – let – die
A Technicolor Dream
About two outsiders that were searching for their footing, and running from the end of the world, before finally accepting their fate.
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She’s a tasty carbon copy of someone he used to know
With dayglow shirts and X-ray eyes
He knew there was no compromise
It took him time to realize
He had nowhere left to go
He’s a weather-beaten leather stick that she could not unwind
A stubbled beard with shades of gray
She tried to pull herself away
But something always made her stay
And leave herself behind
She was elastic. He liked her smile
He fed her plastic, to afford her style
She loved illusion. He followed fate
He was confused. She made him wait
She kept him happy. He kept her clean
They lived a technicolor dream
As one they rode the midnight sky on whims of former glory
They pressed their luck and tested fate
A first-class run reduced third rate
On roads that had them isolate
Within each other’s story
A seaside shrine would be their home until the end came calling
A megaphone exposed their fear
Held down by rounds of Everclear
They listened as their fate drew near
Their castle cards were falling
She was elastic. He liked her smile
He fed her plastic, to afford her style
She loved illusion. He followed fate
He was confused. She made him wait
She kept him happy. He kept her clean
They lived a technicolor dream
They held each other – closed their eyes – with nowhere left to run
The shots rang out. The warheads hit
All time stood still, if just a bit
And life, or what was left of it
Went off to chase the sun
Two shadows burned in a seaside bench, half buried in the sand
They held their moment on this plane
A life reduced to just a stain
Slowly washed away by rain
That no one ever planned
She was elastic. He liked her smile
He fed her plastic, to afford her style
She loved illusion. He followed fate
He was confused. She made him wait
She kept him happy. He kept her clean
It was a technicolor dream
You're Never Far Away
The universal sense of loss when a loved one passes away… Written in the early 2000s… Still hits.
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There’s some things I don’t understand, like the mending of my heart.
So, I’ll let the memories guide me, cause I know not where to start.
Moving on is difficult, when frozen by each tear.
So, I’ll wait until they roll away, and everything is clear.
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I watched you slowly close your eyes—your soul no longer bound
I felt the changing of the air, and you left without a sound.
I will release you to the stars, but in my heart you’ll always stay.
I only need to close my eyes, and I can hear you say—
that you’re never far away.
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When it feels there’s no tomorrow and yesterday has come and gone.
I realize how time is borrowed, and all too soon it’s gone.
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When I look up to the sky, at the clouds up through the trees.
I can see you passing by. I can feel you in the breeze.
I can hold you close inside my heart and there you’ll always stay.
I only need to close my eyes and I hear you say—
that you’re never far away.
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I thank you for each memory and all the love you send
I’ll make the most of every moment till I’m by your side again
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I carry more than grief alone. I carry everything you gave
And through the tears I finally see, there is strength inside the brave
And though the ache can rise again, like waves we cannot stay
I hold one truth within my heart—
that you’re never far away
.
You’re never far away
There's Too Many Hours In A Day
Starts like a soap commercial until it gets its groove. Originally a straightforward 4/4, but the phrasing fit a Bassa Nova vibe better.
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There’s too many hours in the day… Here me when I say
Wish someone could come along, and take a few away
But they stay.
So don’t ever worry, if the edges start to fray
It’ll be okay
Sometimes its best, to say…
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Look around
This is all amusing.
Life has its way of flowing… Got to keep on going
Look around
And if it gets confusing
Just leave the past behind you… Don’t let it all unwind you.
If they’re not your dues to pay
You can walk away
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There’s too many reasons to hide… Even if we tried.
To many ways to say that access is denied
Swallow that pride.
And don’t ever worry if the pressures are applied
Take them in stride.
Sometimes its best, to say…
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Look around… This is all amusing
Life has its way of flowing… Got to keep on going
Look around… And if it gets confusing
Just leave the past behind you… Don’t let it all unwind you
If they’re not your dues to pay
You can walk away
.
There’s too many times we fight.
(no end in sight)
Too many shades of gray between the black and white
(and all are right)
So don’t ever worry if you toss and turn at night.
(just hold on tight).
Sometimes its best, to say…
.
Look around
This is all amusing
Life has its way of flowing… Got to keep on going.
Look around… And if it gets confusing
Just leave the past behind you… Don’t let it all unwind you
If they’re not your dues to pay
Just walk away
Stay
Blues tune, written around 95′ … It’s stripped down to be more “message driven”… Gotta love a piano player who can add whatever, and decides on a minimal touch… Emphasis on the word “minimal”.
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So there you stand
Think you got it all figured out
But your hands are shaking
And your head’s full of doubt
Well life ain’t easy
And you’re not one for learning
This world keeps changing
But yours has stopped turning
You tried so hard
To live the angry young dream
And it’s so cold to find
It’s not what it seemed
You can dust off the medals
Of your yesterday’s pride
But those wars are forgotten
And those soldiers have all died
Still, you’ll find your way
We’ve all got our dues to pay
Tomorrow’s another day
Stay
I can see you’ve been walking
This world all alone
Running from shadows
Till you were too far from home
No one has followed
And you were too scared to lead
Now there’s no one to help you
In your time of need
You cling to your prisons
‘Cause you don’t know what’s free
Been blinded by anger
Till you can no longer see
You strive for respect
But you’re just a pretender
You’ve run from your demons
Now you live in surrender
Still, you’ll find your way
We’ve all got our dues to pay
Tomorrow’s another day
Stay
Still, you’ll find your way
We’ve all got our dues to pay
Tomorrow’s another day
Stay
Stay
Please stay
Item #3
If Love were Enough, You'd Be Free 10'
About a good friend (child abuse survivor) who died by suicide. This one was more theatrical (never got around to fixing the segues, but the story is there)……. We never know about the battles some are fighting. Be kind—always.
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Johnny learned young how to smile on command,
how to shake a hand steady with a shaking hand.
He could light up the room—make a dark moment bright,
And never let on how he was losing his fight.
He kept it all hidden like a nail in the floor,
You don’t see it ‘til you bleed and you’re wondering what for.
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Johnny tried to prove he could outrun pain,
The speed of a smile, with passion in his veins.
He wore life like armor, wore charm like a knife,
cut a path through the dark just to prove he held a light.
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Oh Johnny… if love was enough, you’d be free.
But the past don’t drown just because you can breathe.
So you walk in your silence and you carry the weight,
and you fill every fracture of every single break.
Every high has a hook, every low has a key,
They both turn the same lock so you can never be free.
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Johnny thought if he ran faster, it wouldn’t hurt like it did,
but the mind keeps records of what silence never hid.
It drove him to live where the sidewalk talks back,
where hunger always burns and sleep comes in scraps.
He watched the world pass by like it didn’t care at all,
like some are born standing and some are born to fall.
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If you met him anywhere, you’d never, ever know.
He’d wrap you in kindness, keep you warm by his glow.
But when alone he’s crushed by a weight that that bears his name.
He’s holding onto anything, while losing the game.
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And he doesn’t hate his life – He just hates what it cost.
How he’s trapped on a battlefield, wandering and lost.
Never finding the shelter – Never safe in his dreams.
Just an outline of a shadow, with invisible seams.
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He wrote of his journey – gave his silence a face,
Of the falling in battle, while still asking for grace.
And if you listen close, you can hear words of release.
How some do survive… but surviving isn’t peace.
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Johnny left his life quietly, and by his own hand.
Holding the book of his battles, so the world could understand.
How some hold it all together, while breaking deep inside.
Leaving only confusion about the reasons they died.
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Oh, Johnny… you opened our eyes so we can see.
That life is much more than a fading memory.
.
We know… if love was enough, we’d be free.
But the past don’t drown just because we can breathe.
So we walk with your wreckage and we carry the weight,
and we fill every fracture of every single break.
.
Every voice has an answer, every word has a key,
And with understanding we learn to be free.
Colors To Gray
Awkward, unfinished song, but there’s still something in it I would like to tinker with.
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She filtered all affection through a blue bellbottom brain
It was a constant misdirection on her California plane
She was burning for an exit, using open sleight of hand
Her classic face held fading grace that few could understand
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He had a technicolor attitude, a past fueled by desire
He kept his altitude in check, by holding in the fire
His baited line would serpentine between the false and true
His awkward dance was his only chance to break out from the blue
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Stories told will turn around, memories go astray
All the things life takes away
Colors to gray… Night follows day
There is no other way… And that’s okay
That’s okay
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They rode the black tar cauldron to the melting edge of spring
And approached the endless summers with an empty hollow sting
He pondered Pascal’s wager from the rail of a ridge
Then walked away with dues to pay for the burning of her bridge
.
Sitting on the Oldsmobile, he watched her silhouette
Backlit by the moonlit sky, she gently placed their bet
Rejecting grace he found his place within her magic spell
Without sound he doubled down to the space he knew so well
.
Stories told will turn around, memories go astray
All the things life takes away
Colors to gray… Night follows day
There is no other way… And that’s okay
.
That’s okay
Skin And Bone On Cobblestone
Written about the homeless. Their state of mind and the social ignorance of their plight —how easily they vanish, and how quickly they are forgotten.
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Fresh meat draped across the street, primping social struts.
Just a stain on the fodder chain in search of leaner cuts
Setting dreams on larger schemes with blueprints drawn by fire.
They rig the game and roll their shame to get what they desire.
Filling needs with dirty deeds, no step is neatly placed.
One by one, they’ll end their run to find their mind debased.
The empty files of trashcan smiles hold a desperation deal.
Since corner rent cannot be spent by those who never heal.
They’re no good at getting old, but life leaves little choice
Time becomes a prison, where years prevent their voice
They long to shed this shell they’re in. It’s poisoning their mind
In danger of a hollowing. The reasons well-defined
So, with one foot on the devil’s neck, and an angel by their side
They’ll tether to a heaven’s gate, and watch hell open wide
Shouting silent hallelujahs with their hands up in the air
No one said their life was ever fair.
Skin and bone on cobblestone, where hollow habits breed.
Every scar a register of every unmet need.
They fade like smoke from borrowed hope, no marker left behind.
A ghost of someone else’s child who slowly lost their mind.
Clean the slate and relocate the news to something new.
Civic pride won’t be denied by one less point of view.
Just a gap where they once stood, the pavement fills their space.
And no one ever skipped a beat to clean their resting place.
They’re no good at getting old, but life leaves little choice
Time becomes a prison, where years prevent their voice
They long to shed this shell they’re in. It’s weakening their mind
In danger of a hollowing. All reasons well-defined
So, with one foot on the devil’s neck, and an angel by their side
They’ll tether to a heaven’s gate, and watch hell open wide
Shouting silent hallelujahs with their hands up in the air
No one said their life was ever fair
Shouting silent hallelujahs with their hands up in the air
No one said their life was ever fair
No one said their life was ever fair
No one said this life was ever fair
Standin' On The Bridge
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I know the sun doesn’t shine in the night
So, I wait for the morning light
I’m just a traveler here
I’m on the run from the things that I fear
Like the moon runs away from the day
I stand on a bridge and watch the river take it all away (echo)
Time takes its toll on a life
And a life makes it cut like a knife
Though I may be far from my home
In this world I’m never alone
Like an old sun standin’ tall in the sky
I stand on a bridge and I watch as my life flows by (echo)
Maybe I’m a drifter I don’t know
But wherever this black ribbon leads to
I got to go
Freeways calling like a dear old friend
And I thank you much for the talk and touch
but I got to roll on again (hey)
I know the sun doesn’t shine in the night
So I wait for the morning light
I may be far from my home
In this world I’m never alone
Like an old sun standin’ tall in the sky
I stand on a bridge and I watch as my life flows by
Maybe I’m a drifter I don’t know
But wherever this black ribbon leads to
I got to go
Freeways calling like a dear old friend
And I thank you much for the talk and touch
but I got to roll on again
The Boundary Bar
Feel good, line-dancing, fun… Written in 2005, while living in Northern Idaho (good people/good times). This one came real close to forming a group and going out on the road for some fun—then life hit… Still love it.
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I’m going to shimmy-shuckle down to the Boundary Bar
to put a knuckle on another chin.
Although it’s late, it felt great, to debate
the condition my life was in.
.
Now the Boundary Bar had a muscle machine
named Billy who was black as coal (yeah)
At six foot four stood in front of the door
keepin everything under control.
Let’s roll.
.
Since ninety-five the place stays alive
Tippin taps by the Double-D
Tight skirt, what a flirt, in a low-cut shirt
Bring a strong man to one knee.
.
About eleven o’clock, the place is ready to rock,
keeping Billy busy every night (yeah).
The music is thumping.
The bump and the jump on the floor is a hell of a sight
All right.
.
Let’s go down to the bar tonight
Gonna raise some hell till the morning light
You can set them up, I will knock them down
Hard to stay in place as this world keeps spinning around
.
Now, at the top of the scene is a nicotine dream,
cigarette with a smoke and blow.
She was hardly a genius with the body of Venus
and ready for a one-man show
.
So, with a tip of the hat, I said,
“Hey, a kitty cat, wanna shuffle with a dapper Dan?” (yeah)
There was a tussle of muscle, a hustle, a bustle.
Big Billy was her old man (goddamn)
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Let’s go down to the bar tonight
Gonna raise some hell till the morning light
You can set them up, I will knock them down
Hard to stay in place as this world keeps spinning around
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Let’s go down to the bar tonight
Gonna raise some hell till the morning light
You can set them up, I will knock them down
Hard to stay in place as this world keeps spinning around
All Hearts Get Broken
A simple, meaningful song about mending unresolved problems and broken communication.
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As we watch our love fall… It doesn’t matter whose to blame.
It makes no sense at all, if it always ends the same.
You said your wings have grown. The time has come to fly away.
Before the lonely seed is sewn, listen to what I have to say.
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All hearts get broken from time to time.
It’s not like us to follow and walk down that line.
Let’s leave this all behind us and dry our tears.
and talk about these days in our golden years.
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Won’t you talk with me tonight? It’s not as hard as it may seem.
We have a chance to make it right, and restore this fading dream.
Close the door and turn the key. Let’s leave the world behind.
Open up your heart and see, together we can find.
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All hearts get broken from time to time.
It’s not like us to follow and walk down that line.
Let’s leave this all behind us and dry our tears.
And talk about these days in our golden years.
Remember our first kiss? We never wanted it to end.
How could we ever fall to this? From lovers to just friends.
Let’s think back to younger days, and how things used to be.
It doesn’t have to fade away, not if we both can see.
All hearts get broken from time to time.
It’s not like us to follow and walk down that line.
Let’s leave this all behind us and dry our tears.
And talk about these days in our golden years.
The Engine Of Confusion
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Lead the way / hear them say / live to breathe another day
Fill the hole / avoid the toll / shed the weight that’s on your soul
It’s the engine of confusion that can drive a man insane
Run the races / leave no traces / pray that time itself erases
Wrong or right / stay in the fight / shake the shadows off the night
It’s the engine of confusion that will burrow in the brain
We’re living in a hollow from the outside in
Take a breath and understand the place and time we’re in
Stop bleeding off your colors like a flag inside a storm
Then sewing up the tatters where the fabric had been torn
A mental pool of turpentine can cleanse but not erase
Don’t turn away from roles we play and claim a state of grace
Understand the damage like a brand upon the skin
We’re living in a hollow from the outside in
Replace the want with need (untether from the sin)
Fill the empty sails (use the breath within)
Hear the sirens call (don’t listen to the spin)
Set your course unseen (let the reckoning begin)
Hear the sounds / the hand-me-downs / the shining of the tarnished crowns
Open your eyes / don’t compromise / cut the cord and cauterize
It’s the engine of confusion / Sail straight into the storm
We’re living in a hollow from the outside in
Take a breath and understand the place and time we’re in
Stop bleeding off your colors like a flag inside a storm
Then sewing up the tatters where the fabric had been torn
A mental pool of turpentine can cleanse but not erase
Don’t turn away from roles we play and claim a state of grace
Understand the damage like a brand upon the skin
We’re living in a hollow from the outside in
Replace the want with need (untether from the sin)
Fill the empty sails (use the breath within)
Hear the sirens call (don’t listen to the spin)
Set your course unseen (let the reckoning begin)
Let the reckoning begin
The Future's So Far Away
Basic verses and a chorus that needed a “marbles in the mouth” voice. It had good bones.
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Sun burnin his shoulders
Got the wind in his hair
There’s a long road behind him now
But there’s nothing back there
And so he tries to be
That one he cannot see ohhhhhhh
She still remembers
Everything they went through
She can see all the colors not
just the black and the blue
And so she tries to see
That one they cannot be ohhhhhhh
And their future
It seems so far away
When it gets here
They’ve nothing left to say
They had some questions
They wrote them down somewhere
But there’s no answers
They can’t find them anywhere
They pay their sentence
Though they’ve done nothing wrong
Think that they are the chosen ones
And they must remain strong
And always strive to be
That one they cannot see ohhhhhhh
They ride the weather
Never taking a stand
Like reading bibles
on the back of their hand.
Life passed them by so fast
for living in the past ohhhhhhh
And their future
It seems so far away
When it gets here
There’s nothing left to say
They had their questions
They wrote them down somewhere
But there’s no answers
They can’t find them anywhere
They can’t find them anywhere
They can’t find them anywhere
She Walks The City Of Angels
A vampire falls hopelessly in love with a woman whose essence makes him feel human emotions again. Instead of taking her life, he sacrifices himself, so she may live. I wanted to capture the kind of love he felt for her from a distance.
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She walks the city of angels with a devil on her shoulder.
The concrete crowns and hand-me-downs make her feel bolder.
And as the sun sets softly, and the hard moon starts to rise.
She understands – the night commands – a final compromise
He waits down by the station, in case her bus pulls in.
With a paisley vest, a bolo tie, and a Transylvania grin.
He doesn’t want to love her, so he never dares approach.
Her satin smile, and angry hair, her ornamental broach
She washed away his sadness.
Quenched the fear inside
And yet she never saw him
In the place he had to hide
He was never in her moment
He forbade himself to feel
He stood before salvation
Afraid of what was real
He crawled inside her laughter
He traced her every tear
He tasted her emotion
He stood before her fear
He pressed his feathers to the sky
He knew she was his calling
He flew where angels never fly
She never saw him falling
With no reflection in the mirror, he stumbled to the light.
A final step to cut the bond that held him to the night
She watched the shadow pass her by and felt it’s cold embrace
He saved her the pain of eternity and left without a trace
She washed away his sadness.
Quenched the fear inside
And yet she never saw him
In the place he had to hide
He was never in her moment
He forbade himself to feel
He stood before salvation
Afraid of what was real
He crawled inside her laughter
He traced her every tear
He tasted her emotion
He stood before her fear
He pressed his feathers to the sky
He knew she was his calling
He flew where angels never fly
She never saw him falling.
Down In California
Late 90s. Included because my friend Trevor Goddard (RIP) is responsible for the drums.
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Way down in California, by the lines of Mexico
Lenny’s packing up the fault-lines, for a move to Idaho
Strangled by intentions. He had nowhere left to run
Trapped under reflections of an anesthetic sun
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The wreckage and the spoilage
Left in the waters flow
He’s running to a heaven
He imagined long ago
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Grace had bolted for the border. She rode the engines whine
But she tripped on every wire. Now she’s inside doing time
Behind the bars of borstal, there’s too much space to fill.
Drowning in stagnation, and can’t afford the bill
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She’s wandering in spoilage
Where the waste will never flow
She’s stranded in a heaven
She created long ago
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When they broke out to the desert, they screamed up at the sun
You let us down the other night, while we were on the run
But they knew the sun was laughing, and they’ve nowhere left to go
They held the answers in the heat, of a hell-cursed afterglow
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They know the sand within the glass
Has spilled upon the floor
The good things never came to pass
No more…. No more… No more
Moonbeams In Paradise
Thought I’d end things on a fun note. If this doesn’t get ya dancing around the room, nothing will… Another case where straightforward lyrics worked better with a different style. Man, this one was fun (still is).
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Well, I was innocent. Or innocent enough.
I was tryin’ to play the role of kinda, sorta, semi-tough
And it was hard enough, just to try and stay sane.
Everyone I know. Everywhere I go. Everything is just the same.
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Moonbeams in paradise.
Moonbeams in paradise.
It’s hard to believe something so good, so nice.
Then moonbeams in paradise.
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Moonbeams, in the middle of the day.
I try to look into the light, it takes my breath away.
Moonbeams, in case you haven’t heard.
If you’re looking for the open door, then moonbeam is the word.
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Moonbeams in paradise.
Moonbeams in paradise.
It’s hard to believe something so good, so nice.
Then moonbeams in paradise.
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Rollin’ in the clover, feeling Casanova
Takin’ a chance before the old man gets home.
Pick you up at seven, have you back by eleven.
Good God girl, four hours alone.
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Moonbeams in paradise.
Moonbeams in paradise.
It’s hard to believe something so good, so nice.
Then moonbeams in paradise.