Up, On & Over

I’m at the base of the mountain running up hill

You’re either running for the top, coming down

Or you’re stuck still

It’s “Hello, have a seat,” then it’s farewell

Yeah I know it just repeats, like a drum beat

Like a drum beat, like a drum beat

The way up, the way on, the way up, on & over

The way up, the way on, the way up, on & over

And after all and all along, it’s just a wheel we’re spinning on

It’s the bottom of the barrel I know now

The last in the cask, a little flat, oh well

So I wait to carbonate and get poured out

Filling up a glass with a flavor for the masses

The way up, the way on, the way up, on & over

The way up, the way on, the way up, on & over

And after all and all along, it’s just a wheel we’re spinning on

The way up, the way on, the way up, on & over

The way up, the way on, the way up, on & over

Up, on & over; up, on & over; it’s just a wheel we’re spinning on

************************************************************************

Mister, Mister

Hey Mister, Mister you can have my day

But you better leave my nights alone

I’m leaving in the evening and then I’ll be going home

Hey Mister, Mister you can have my pay

But I’m never yours to own

Only I, it’s the time when I want it

Only I, so leave my night alone

I put a face on to wear through the day

It’s a heavy uniform hanging on me

But here I am to do what I have to

Nodding my head, humming the drone

Going through the motion, moving, carry on

Until the sundown calls the time that I’ll be gone

Only I, it’s the night when I want it

Only I, will never let it go

Only I, it’s my time and I want it

Only mine to own

Hey Mister, Mister you can have my day

But you better leave my nights alone

I’m leaving in the evening and then I’ll be going home

Hey Mister, Mister you can have my pay

But I’m never yours to own

I’ll give you every day, but the nights I just won’t

You can tell me what to say, tell me what to do

Pull me anyway that you want to

But you won’t ever make me work the night through

‘Cause I got places to go, people to see

Got my mind set on the sunset to separate me

From this grindstone, carving out my way back home

Only I, only I, only I, the night is when I want it

Only I, only I, so leave my night alone

Chorus

You can tie me up, for a moment

And I’ll earn what I owe

You can tie me up, you better let me go

Hey Mister, Mister you can have my day

But you better leave my nights alone

Hey Mister, Mister you can have my pay

But I’m never yours to own

************************************************************************

Further On                                   

Smoke in the sky and fire in the air

Desire burns between them

One big push is gonna get you there

Takes a stronger eye to see them

When you see it in front of you

In a silhouette up ahead

And you see where you’re going to

Lead your way

Sing your song

Moving every day, going further on

Lead your way

Keep on strong

Moving every day, going further on

Break of day ‘til the sun goes down

You work the time between them

Far off land to your own home town

You’ve been all around to see them

And when it’s standing in front of you

You take it and you pull it in

Can you see where you’re going to?

Chorus

************************************************************************

Rather Never Know                                      

It’s the bed smell in a motel             

From the nights that came before

Or when I can’t tell what my money’s paying for

Out of style or apropos

Run down or up to code

Things I’d rather never know

It’s the tall height of a bumpy flight          

And the possibilities

Or a stage fright that gives me shaky knees      

It’s the worry everyone stows and                                          

Sometimes it’s hard to let it go

Of things I’d rather never know

It’s my unknown            

It’s my dismiss that some call ignorance

I call a little bliss    

It’s how I use this to and fro     

With things I'd rather never know

Long trip on a space ship          

To other rocks around the sun

I’ll stay here and get a better grip on this one

Closed doors and key codes                                 

To back rooms you can’t go

Things I’d rather never know

Chorus

It’s not that I, it’s not that I

It’s not that I don’t wonder sometimes  

But I try, but I try

But I try to keep my head a place I’ll bring my mind to

On the door step of my last breath, how’s it gonna end?                                   

Was it real or was it all pretend?

With this needle and thread that I sew

A blanket and a pillow

Of things I’d rather never know

Of things I’d rather never know

Chorus

************************************************************************

Melting In My Icebox

I got a feeling, it’s in a moment

I want to keep it, but it’s always fleeting

‘Cause when I'm dealing, with the present

It never lasts long, and I can never keep it

I dig my fingers in and try to keep my eye on it

A disappearing ink and when I blink it vanishes

I want to stop the drops dripping from a cold cone

But before I can finish I’m a puddle on a cold stone

It’s melting in my icebox

It’s leaking all my time

It’s melting in my icebox

Why can't I keep a moment frozen?

Everything surrounding me

I watch a moment turn into a memory

Like your name on the marquee

It comes down when you leave

Soak it up, it’s only temporary

Chorus

Why can't I keep a moment frozen?

It’s an ice cube turning into water

I want to keep it but it’s getting hotter

I want to keep it but it’s getting hotter

And it’s an ice cube turning into water

Chorus

Melting in my icebox, turning into water

Melting in my icebox, turning into water

Melting in my icebox, turning into water

It’s melting in my icebox

Why can’t I keep a moment frozen?

************************************************************************

All In

I’m gonna take these rocks and turn ‘em into diamonds

Sell ‘em on the corner, bring the money home to you

I’ll work all day and set aside my pride

I’ll beg, plead and dance, just as long as I provide

It may not be much, but I’ll make sure we survive

I’m going all in, gonna figure it out

It’s what you do with and how you do without

I’m going all in and I’m starting right now

I’m gonna take this song and sell it for a million

Buy a little house where we can grow a little garden

With a porch we’ll sit on to drink coffee in the morning

I’ll write tunes in the living room while you paint a canvas so adoring

We’ll have enough to live our lives without warning

Chorus

I hear you laughing in the kitchen

I see you dancing on the floor

I smell the meal that you’ve been fixin’

And I don’t worry anymore

Every night we’ll fill our glasses

And when they’re light we’ll pour some more

A life of sugar like sweet molasses

The taste that we’ve been working for

Laughing in the kitchen

We’d be dancing on the floor….

I’m going all in, gonna figure it out

It’s what you do with and how you do without

I’m going all in and I’m starting right now

I’m going all in, gonna figure it out

************************************************************************

Soon As I Fall

So here we are on the edge and looking down

It’s here and now, the tick of time is getting loud

You can try, you can try

To have it any way that you like

But you won’t know, you won’t know

‘Til there’s nothing there to catch you

Oh Oh, as soon as I fall

I’ll know, just as soon as I fall

Full of doubt, the outside looking in

Waiting for you to hang it up and try again

With a hand on your back, gives a pat

But they don’t come around

So it goes, so it goes

Let us jump and just forget it all

Oh Oh, as soon as I fall

I’ll know, as soon as I fall

Into or away from it all

I’ll know, just as soon as I fall

Dropping fast, moving like a landslide

An avalanche, tearing up a hillside

You can try, you can try

To have it any way that you like

If you don’t, if you don’t

Then there’s nothing there to catch you

Chorus

Here we are, here we go, dropping off and looking out below

Here we are, here we go, we can’t undershoot or overthrow

Chorus

************************************************************************

World Spin, Home Spun

Drive all night and you’re almost home

You sing along a song on the radio

Your dashboard lights and your engine moans

Last time you left was long ago

And when you arrive

To half hugs and empty eyes

And everyone stops asking where you’ve been

It’s then you realize that while you were out chasing prize

Everybody else got settled in.

You, an old horse, you are now

Once a young gun

Now, the door is locked, all the lights off

Leave your face numb

You saw the world spin, while your home spun

You saw the world spin, while your home spun

And off you go and on you ride

You never felt so lost and left behind

Your headlights glow on your heavy mind

Shining on the road and now you’re blind

You can hope the stretch ahead is silver-lined

And when you return

Back to town, a place you yearn

As the only one who knows where you’ve been

It’ll be no surprise that while everyone has lived their lives

The memories you left them wore thin

Chorus

Now when you leave here you look twice

At your loved ones, make sure to soak it in

Now when you leave here you look twice

At your loved ones

You don’t know how they’ll grow

They just know you’re leaving

Chorus

************************************************************************

THICK AND THIN

These bags are carry-on

And filled with many things

Like songs you taught me

On rusty guitar strings

Buried deep inside

Are the shirts off your back

You gave me the meal

And you only ate the snack

You handed me more than I could ever pay back

So hold on tight

It’s up around the bend

Before we arrive, let’s pretend

With all my might

I’ll keep walls from caving in

It’s now and always been

Through times thick and thin

And when our day arrives

The stories we can tell

Of bets we made on cards that never failed

The pennies we threw down empty wishing wells

Chorus

Hold on tight

Hold on tight

Hold on tight

Hold on tight

************************************************************************

M.O.T.R.  (Middle Of The Road)

This modern age

Fast moving, loud and raw

This modern age

Is tipping like a seesaw

It’s a challenge of balance for people

Play safe, low-risk, be happy

Taking comfort living life in the middle

Luke-warm, pre-sealed and easy, so easy

Undecided on a side to align with

Waiting for a sign to guide you

It seems the middle of the road is so crowded

Slowing down people in motion

Stuck behind it

This MOTR gets us nowhere

A broken engine, a still machine

This MOTR gets us nowhere

A broken engine, a still machine

If we wake up and make up our minds

If we reach a little more, we may find

To go with the flow means we follow behind

Middle of the road is sitting on sidelines

Chorus

MOTR life, MOTR life, MOTR life

More to life, more to life, more to life

MOTR life, MOTR life, MOTR life

More to life, more to life, more to life

Chorus

************************************************************************

Above, Below

Up above sitting on his throne

Gates surround the place he calls his home

For saints and crooks he writes the book

And every final page

Every answer, every age

If what they say, what they say, what they say is true

That a spirit up above watches over you

Then I want to know, what’s his cue?

And who is God praying to?

Down below he patiently awaits

The hottest fire burns a sinner’s fate

Every hole is filled with tortured souls

In a stove with ancient coals of ageless hate

If what they say, what they say, what they say is true

That a spirit down below watches under you

Then I want to know when his fame begins to fade,

What makes the devil afraid? 

************************************************************************

Gilded Lily

She shines and she radiates

With true glow, oh so honest

More than she knows

Herself she underrates

With a bell and a whistle she decorates 

To bring out less doubt

Something more to talk about now

To pull it in or fill it out

It’s not what you put on

It’s not what you put on

Oh, little darlin’

Why did you pour more on?  

Can’t you see your

Reflection is gold?

You don’t need these to shine you up, no                

My gilded lily, you’re really already enough

Crack in the mirror split her vanity

A voice grows, echoes, tells her she’s a Jane Doe

So usual and ordinary

With a brush and a polish she touches up

Her skin she fills in all her imperfections

With garlands, costumes and gold trim

It’s not what you put on

It’s not what you put on

Chorus

With a bell and a whistle she decorates….

Oh, little darlin’

Don’t pour more on

Little darlin’

Chorus

************************************************************************

Sylvan

Hey Sylvan, what’s to say?

It feels so strange

To sing your name this way

I’m a loss for words

Still looking for the one

Still searching on the tip of my tongue

Hey Sylvan, do you recall?

The summer we spent moving bricks

And building cement walls?

Through every nickname

Everyone would call

You laughed along and smiled at them all

On your day, everybody came

You were there in a wooden picture frame

Reminded me of a wedding we went to

Where you cried for the bride and now she’s here to cry for you

I guess we all fall in and fall out

Every good story has to end somehow

Here’s your standing o, oh on your last bow

You left the stage on fire and we’ll never put it out

Never put it out….

Hey Sylvan, where’d you go?

Yeah, I know you were always leaving early

From the parties we would throw

We’d chase you down before you were gone

Now I wish I knew the street that you’re on.

I would say that you never went away

You’re in the ground but you’re not living in a grave

I look around and I see what you gave

All the proof of the life you engraved

Chorus

never put it

never put it out

never put it

never put it out