Lyrics

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Album: Best of Many Days

What happened to the easy that we all understood?
America’s true heart, peace and all that’s good?
There used to be reasons to believe in a dream
But they shot him in Dallas
They shot him in Memphis
They shot him in LA
What happened to the freedom where brave men once stood?
America’s future now, what becomes of you?
There used to be reasons to believe in a dream
But they shot him in New York
They shot him in DC
Now they shoot us on Main Street
Chorus:
Long may she still wave
Keep your eye on the prize
Independence Day
Happy Fourth of July
Solo
As all seems hopeless now and just when I am sure
All is lost and forgotten, washed away from our shores
Through the clouds dark and desperate shines a light so pure
No they won’t stop a river
No they won’t stop an ocean
No they won’t break a dream
chorus

Album: Best of Many Days

Through the tears it looked like rain on the windshield

And all those hands were fit to be tied

They are wringing you dry until your all in tatters

What matters is you try, try,try

You should have taken that right turn sooner than later

Instead of waiting for all those years to fly

Even with every high beam making you blind

What matters is you try, try, try

Bridge: Leaving behind another lonely lifetime, the suitcase

Packed with your memories, Leaving the rest along the roadside,

We only get one ticket to ride.

She woke you up this morning with a sunrise

And a table spread with all her dreams and smiles

It may have taken years but you are here and you survived

What matters is you try, try, try

Try, try try.

Album: Best of Many Days

One step beyond, where answers are free

It takes a lifetime, to finally see

Lightness and grace, to all a gift

A tear on a face, a smile you’ve missed

One step beyond

One step beyond, safe travels old friend

If you make it through, find a song to send

Teach us to be strong, on our burying day

Every minute gone, a simple breath away

One step beyond

Bridge: Fields of Texas Blue and I can’t help thinking

Of an afternoon, sitting by a fire singing clear and true,

The only way that anyone could ever reach you

One step beyond, it’s the final scene

The fade to black, welcome to the dream

Through dark mountains, into Galway mist

Across midnight moors, you’ve waited for this

One step beyond, one step beyond, one step beyond.

Album: Best of Many Days

Laying in my bed and I’m waiting for a train

That flies down the valley, every night

Staring at my ceiling and dreaming of riding that train

For a million miles

Chorus:

Someday I’m going to lose this place, I’ve never been to China

Too far it won’t be too far away, I’ve never been to China

Someday I’m going to lose this place, this place

Someday I’m going to lose this place

And I’m watching from my corner those cars go driving so fast

So big, so shiny.

With their smiling faces behind the wheel, dancing in their mirrors as

They look behind me

Chorus

I leave those voices behind closed doors, no more cries in the long

Lonely nights to be ignored

And I’l say goodbye to whisky who stayed too long, oh what two

People can do when their demons roar, when their demons roar

It was a violent night nearly every night, somebody paid the price

It was usually me

Now I get up in the morning put a smile on my face

I’m all right, the dishes are clean

chorus

Album: Best of Many Days

Lisa Marie, did you ever long to be
Queen of the prom, dance till dawn
Fall into your Daddy’s arms?

Lisa Marie, all covered in flashbulbs blinding
Lines of long Cadillacs idling
Flowers piled on your lawn

It’s your Grace-behind the notes on the big white gates
It’s your Grace-it’s all your grace now

Lisa Marie, it must be so hard to go back
Everything gone or it’s wrapped in black
Nothing left of the happy days

Lisa Marie, alone at the top of your stairs
With a long silver streak of hair
And a sixties memory

Chor

Bridge: The bottom of your garden well
It’s wishes piled high where we all
Left our goodbyes, we all left our goodbyes

Lisa Marie, watching it rain down our tears
From a blue blue suede Memphis sky
Year after year

Album: Best of Many Days

My father drove a Pontiac to his dying day

After years of wishing and hoping and praying

He believed in whiskey and miracles in the air

He believed in the angels, believed in the angels out there

He said ride with me to the end of the long white line

Where the most beautiful smile hangs there in the sky

All red gold and blue, an electric wild eye

Those are the angels, those are angels on fire

Beyond that neon and the shimmer in the mist

Miles from here the place where the broken find some rest

And the dust it gets washed down with every last ounce of regrets

And the ice it never melts, and the juke box never quits it never quits

We let no rain fall between us

We’re the last of the line here

Singing sweet as darkness calls us

Under skies so near

Believing in the whiskey and the miracles in the air

Don’t forget to make your wishes don’t forget to say your prayers

My father drove a Pontiac…etc.

Album: Best of Many Days

As we live each day for the journey

As it comes and wherever it goes

The sun still wins her fight with the darkeness

Somehow she always knows

That we’re the lucky ones

Inside the picture

Painted with a fine brush

We’re the lucky ones

It may hail and rain around us

But it never falls between us

Beneath the skin

Where it sometimes hurts the deepest

Not even smiles

Can ever really hide it

Behind the laughs

It just gets harder to fake it

When it’s all wrapped up inside

And we’re the lucky ones

Still here to feel the winds

And the songs that they send

We’re the lucky ones

Play that slow mandolin

Found along some old road we’ve bee

And it may not always be getting better

Even though that old song says it will

Someday soon we may all be forgotten

But we’re sure to be forgiven

Cause we’re the lucky ones

We’re the lucky ones

We’re the lucky ones

We’re the lucky ones

Album: Best of Many Days

The middle of nowhere used to be somewhere

Where a man could find some peace

Drivin all night gone -into the morning dawn

Worlds you’ve always chased within reach

There was a smile here on your face

It’s the final mile here in this race

Runnin 16 hours long and straight is that a tear on your face

A tear on your face

Drivin with no regrets

A steady job a sure bet

While 18 wheels sang their song

The rigs are going to drive themselves

Nobody up there at the helm

And no heart to sing along

Chorus

Gone up in a cloud of smoke

All used up and feelin’ broke

This ain’t no dream and it ain’t no joke

Least they left you with your memories

Least they left you with your memories

Now sittin’ in that easy chair

Never got much wear and tear

Now it’s home to all that’s left

Starin’ off into thin air

Nobody left to care

Goodbye to highways and good pay checks

Chorus

Album: Best of Many Days

Young and seventeen, pockets full of dreams

And the strength of several men

I never looked back, I never looked down

I never went home again

Of course I ignored the wisdoms

Stories I was told

Blind to all the fears and the dread

Diving off the cliffs into the great unknown

No place I’d rather be instead

Were those the best of my many days?

Running on rocket fuel

Were those the best of my many days?

While hourglass sand runs through

They said time will take its toll

And time will have its way

It breaks a man each and every day

We all stand to face it, no one ever beats it

Time always wins this game

Were those the best of my many days?

I’m not ready to come home

Were those the best of my many days?

As the hourglass sand runs low

How was it that she knew, there would be a way,

To make it through, and we never looked back, we never looked down

She said in time every cloudy day turns to blue

Now I stand here before you and look you in the eye

Seeing things I’ve never seen before

Each day brings a new day, better than the last day

Knocking on my front door

These are the best of my many days

Singing to my tired old bones

These are the best of my many days

She turns the hour glass sand to gold

She turns the hour glass sand to gold

She turns the hour glass

She turns the hour glass

Album: Best of Many Days

The sun still shines above the darkness

On the days we’ve lost our way

When everything can feel so heartless

The sky she always smiles above the rain

When all appears undone

She smiles, she smiles on everyone

I see blue skies when the others

Cry each morning sisters brothers

Try and do the best you can

All will mend is due time

While the sky, she smiles above the rain

She smiles, she smiles above the rain

Open your hand there’s a gift here for taking

Do what you can, it’s your life you are making

Remember the past share a story for telling

It’s a story worth saving

Broken glass may last forever

Still a chance for better weather

All those years may still seem close

We’ve got hope we’ve got each other

Here, she smiles above the rain

Right here, she smiles above the rain

She smiles on everyday

Album: Best of Many Days

I’ve gambled all my younger years

With the gypsies and the dime store dears

I’ve lost more than I ever feared

I looked up and those years were gone

Facing the music with a handful of wires

Singing for dreamers and habitual liars

It was my choice and my desire

And I would not change a thing

Around the fires

I’m holding tight to my ground

Out here on the edge of this town

I’ve followed the wildest untamed rivers

Still searching for a deep blue sea

Superhighways and dead end streets

They have all looked good to me

Chorus

We try and we try to reach the top

Of a mountain made of solid rock

My heart keeps saying don’t you stop

And I won’t, it’s all that I got

Chorus

 

Album: Best of Many Days

Miracles happen on Saint Marks Place

Up on the roof holding hands

It only takes a moment standing in grace

Who knows then what the Gods have planned

Hey, hey, hey, yay, yay, that was the summer

Hey, hey, hey, yay,yay, that was the summer

It was

Dancin’ on the corner to Patti Smith

It was hot and it was rarely dry

Loud and smoky and smelling of risk

Saw the Ramones that night and we cried

Hey, hey, hey, yay, yay, that was the summer

Hey, hey, hey, yay, yay, that was the summer

Living life large on the lower east side

Waking up the fires deep inside

Two hearts burning like a live wire

Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn

Miracles happen on Saint Marks Place

Down on the street the world moves on

Those were the best of the many days

Among so many forgotten and gone

Hey, hey, hey, yay, yay, that was the summer

Hey, hey, hey, yay, yay, that was the summer

It was

 

Album: Best of Many Days

Drivin past the old school I remember it well

Runnin’ through those hallways, the ringing of the bells

And the fateful day we all woke up

Inside a living hell

Cryin Shame shame shame, shame shame shame, shame shame shame

This world has got to change

The crazy guy you pray will never come out here to call

Shows up with an AR 15 loaded for us all

Run as fast as you can hope that you won’t have to crawl

Cryin’ Shame shame shame, shame shame shame, shame shame shame

This world has got to change

After the funerals, clean up and the blame

The Nation in horror, things won’t ever be the same

Politicans stand with the NRA

Speak up or it will all stay the same

Speak up now or it will surely happen again

They tore down the old school and left a plaque there on the lawn

Remembering what used to be and those who now are gone

Our class it got much smaller at the barrel of a gun

Chorus: This world is gonna change

chorus

Album: Wake Up Call

This is to all who find themselves
Not playing on the old school yard
But running for their lives and not much else
To the drumming of their own desperate hearts
To the drumming of their own desperate hearts
And it’s blood and bullets now on our minds
The times they haven’t changed that much
Come a day we’ll honor all those who have died
And remember the less fortunate ones
Remember the less fortunate ones
Chorus:
Let us pray as the day goes dark
White gloves, polish and flowers in the park
March the main streets and the boulevards
On a Veteran’s Day, on a Veteran’s Day.
As new rains fall on our holy house
The biggest rains I’ve ever seen
A wild blue wind whipping burning red clouds
And the crazy white lightening in between
The crazy white lightening in between
Chorus
Bridge: The sky tries smiling, painted up
Dry leaves flying, I can’t stop
Wishing a rainbow
Before the last flood washes over us
To leave us here to lie or swim
Let’s all join together and celebrate
And remember all that could have been
Remember all that could have been
Chorus

Album: Wake Up Call

There used to be an American Dream
We were all born to be free
And live on the set of a Hollywood screen
Pledging allegiance
Everybody driving a Cadillac
Making a beeline to Las Vegas and back
With all our chips in a great big stack
Pledging Allegiance
Take a long walk through a company town
On what used to be solid ground
Where nobody was ever gonna get sized down
Pledging allegiance
When all those dollars they headed south
Taking the food right out of the baby’s mouths
Down in Mexico they don’t complain as loud
Pledging allegiance
Bridge:
We can send a man to walk upon the Moon
We can march him down the street to push a broom
We can give him a gun and teach him how to shoot, we teach him to shoot
One hundred and thirty will fry an egg
And it will take the skin right off of your legs
But the sidewalk is still the place to beg
Pledging allegiance
Between the lines of those stars and stripes
The fine print says that we have some rights
To a steam grate on the coldest night
Pledging allegiance, pledging allegiance

 

Album: Wake Up Call

1945-it’s a long time gone
But not forgotten, we know its name
To all who died, or who barely survived
It’s not easy stopping a runaway train
Once a year we fall to our knees and pray
For every lost soul on the first of May
That’s when love finally found a way
Back from the edge of the devil’s flame
Chorus:
Voices of the old days
Their stories live on in the shadows and the rain
Voices of the old days
Still much to teach us
And much to explain
Who knows where that great pain, it finally goes?
You just have to trust your sorrow
As candles burn through the night in the snow
Melting their way down to the ash below
Chorus:
Voices of the old days
Their stories live on in the dust and the bone
Voices of the old days
Walk their weary paths of flowers and stone
Hear the echos in the miles between
We’ve been a long time traveling
Be glad to be here, or anywhere at all
And hope this world won’t come unraveling
Chorus 

Album: Wake Up Call

Words by White Rose/ Public Domain
Somebody has to make a start
Somebody had to face the smiling beast
They know the war, the war was lost
Have the courage now to speak
Chorus:
White Rose, White Rose
She said I have to go away
White Rose, White Rose
On such a fine, fine, sunny day
And with the hand that moves the cradle
Standing up to the mighty might
And in one’s heart it’s to be noble
Face the beast while shattering the night
Chorus
Millions of Roses falling from the sky
A paper rain while the whole world cried
No stopping even one single child
Who believes…
Somebody had to make a start
And so many now believe it
Freiheit, es lebe die freiheit
A long stem clenched in our teeth
chorus