I remember
Back in the day with the boys on the street
With nothing to do just shuffling our feet
Kicking the can in the summer heat
Showing no respect for the people we’d meet
Chasing every girl that the eye could see
But who would ever want a bad boy like me

In the blink of an eye those days were behind me
You came called my name you knew where to find me
You just knew
How did you ever find me

CHORUS:

I dedicate this life I live to you
with every breath I take I swear it’s true
Gonna tell you about it baby – you’re the one 
Amazing love

Let me tell you
I don’t care what the people may say
I’m a lucky one I found my way
And I never look back to the price I paid
Now the pain is gone and the good remains
And it was all well worth it for all I gained
And it was you yeah you who came to say
Get down on your knees and start to pray
And I got down on my knees and I started to pray
I’m down upon my knees

REPEAT CHORUS

RAP CHORUS:
You know I’m always gonna be around surround you
Never gonna live without you
You’re the sun the moon the stars
Ecstasy is where you are
I’d be trying trying crying thinking about dying
If I couldn’t be just where you are

*The anthem and my (unofficial) candidate for theme song of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Dedicated to the middle class, the working man, and anyone who sees a reasonable role for government in helping to level the playing field for them against the very rich and powerful. 

Work for me, he said, I will be fair
We’ll build a castle in the sun that we may share
I gave it my all
And when it stood there proud and tall
I turned to him in need he was not there
 
Soon I was a beggar on the street
With not much more than the shoes upon my feet
He’d be driving by in style
Waving as he smiled
While my hand was outstretched begging just to eat
 
CHORUS:

He owns the castle
And he owns the hill
You and me we only pay the bills — singin’
Lai lai la lai lai la lai lai la lai lai la lai lai la lai lai la lai
 
Now he’s coming back ‘round like a long lost friend
Saying sacrifice for me once again
Work harder than before
I’ll open that golden door
And you shall have it all in the end
 
A voice inside my head said take his word
He will reward your hard work so i’ve heard
Another voice I hear
Warns me to stay clear
And heed the bitter lesson that I’ve learned

*From the CD: A Kiss For Sara. I was visiting my Beautiful and Precious Girl for just a couple of days. This was the last day. It was a warm, beautiful afternoon, summer turning lazily to autumn. We found a place in a nearby park. She strummed her guitar while my heart broke for her depth and beauty — and just from how much I love her — and already missed her. I turned on the iPhone camera to film her singing the song she wrote to me, Mr. Blue Eyes. At the start of the video, I say, ‘It’s a beautiful day in the park.’ She answers nonchalantly as she tunes up, ‘I love you and miss you.’ Snap: a magic, forever memory!

It’s the kind of day that you dream of
Soft summer breeze in a clear blue sky
The girl of my dreams right beside me
I’ve just gotta smile ‘cuz she’s mine all mine
 
Let’s take that turn off the highway
Leave it all – leave it all behind
There’s a special spot that’s on our way
Let’s stop and see what we might find

CHORUS:

It’s a beautiful day in the park
Just made to make a new start
Those skies in the distance may be dangerous and dark
But hold this sunshine forever in our hearts
 
So let’s forget about tomorrow
It already forgot about us
Let’s take this time only borrowed
And hold this precious moment close

*Just bein’ the dog that I am — and then begging forgiveness.

You never said what did you in, but it must have hit you
I could lie and act naïve, but I would never shit you
To say it did not mean a thing would beg the question 

I did the crime I’ll do the time — no hesitation

CHORUS:
I would get down on my knees, and beg you darlin’
Don’t give up on you and me, 
No no no don’t set me free I beg you darlin’ 
Please baby baby please

If I made a big mistake, well I’m only human
I will do whate’er it takes to make it up to you and
I will leave no stone unturned to fill your need and
If you need to see me hurt, can’t you see I’m bleedin’

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
The man you see before you is a changed man
Wonderin’ what in hell was I thinkin’ of
I can only hope that you might understand
Take pity on a fool in love
Take pity on a fool in love

*I don’t write too many ‘super-positive songs,’ so here’s my entry into that sub-genre.

Everybody feels sometime like they’re losing 
AndI can see by the look in your eye that you’re down about to give up 
Just know there’s a friendly shoulder nearby you can lean on 
It ain’t no crime to depend on a real true friend and I say this with love 

RAMP:
It’s gonna be different starting today 
I can just feel it starting to change 
The skies will be clearing you’re on your way 

CHORUS:
Don’t you know I believe in you all the way 
No no never give up never give up on yourself 
I’ll be here feeling you every day 
You have a friend at your side always wishing you well 
There ain’t no doubt that you’re gonna get through it 
You’ve got what it takes you just need a break you’re gonna be fine 
You can do anything if you set your mind to it 
So dust yourself off pick yourself up and come from behind 

*This was the first song I wrote and recorded in my ProTools home studio in 2011. One of my fever dreams.

As the days are growing shorter
I just wanna stay inside
The fading fire’s ashes
Holding back the night

Bid farewell to the future
And all I leave behind
And now I find more than ever
You’ve been on my mind

And it’s an overwhelming feeling
I can never quite explain
Brighter than the sun
Softer than the rain
It comforts and surrounds me now
It lives so deep inside
Rolling like the endless ocean
It’s bigger than the sky
Bigger than the sky

I could live forever
Deep inside your love
I could inhale you baby 
And never get enough
And if you feel me slip away
Don’t be afraid to say goodbye
Don’t let the distance fool you Baby
I’ll always be here at your side

*I probably wrote this little zinger during – and about – the Iraq War. But when HASN’T this been true?!

They twist the facts to suit them
And never blink an eye
We follow them like children
Never question why

Just because it’s spoken
Doesn’t make it true
But when it echoes (and it echoes)
The last laugh is on me and you

No we’re not that dumb
Perhaps a little numb

No you just can’t believe every word that you hear
Don’t you know that they’re playing on our deepest fears
No you just can’t believe every word that you hear
Eventually it all becomes clear (2nd chorus: through smoke and mirrors)

Even as we struggle
To find the ends that meet
They gather all the treasure
While the children bleed 

He claims they’re not at fault
The ‘other’ did it all 

REPEAT CHORUS

So wake up from your slumber
Face the brand-new day
Emerge from the confusion
Change is on the way
Just let them babble on
No need to play along

*I wrote this with best friend Paul Malanga in Summer 1968. It was ‘my song’ about me and Patti starting to fall in love. I played it to her on a lazy Tucson afternoon. She said nothing until I finished this song and ONTO L.A. Then she looked me in the eye and said, ‘You’re a STAR. You HAVE TO go to L.A. and make a record.’

Chandelier, lights caught in the glasses
Can you hear something move someone passing
Tail lights spin a city’s dream
From a window through the rain
Music fallin’ up the stairs
Unfamiliar song is in your eyes

You and me talk of the weather
Could it be I don’t care if the rain falls outside
Your waking eyes find mine 
Words can’t say what’s on my mind
And I wouldn’t be surprised 
If someday girl you and I were one

No I wouldn’t be surprised 
If someday girl you and I were one

*It’s so much easier to tell the clear truth of your deepest feelings after it’s over and you miss her so badly, than it was during the everyday stresses and strains of being together.

We wasted so much precious time you and me 
Fighting tho’ those little things never mattered anyway 
Together nearly every day yet we grew so far apart 
Now looking back on all we had it’s tearing at my heart 
And so it starts coming on strong 
With every beat of my heart with every note of this song 
I long to be closer to you 
Forever to feel closer to you 
I’ll always see me closer to you 
Last night I dreamed myself back to you again 
There across the distance we felt so close and right 
I tried so hard to hold you there 
And then the dream was over I was alone again in the night 

SPOKEN BRIDGE: 
Laughing at some stupid joke
Crying together when something feels broke 
Just hangin’ with nothing to do
Would mean more than all my world without you

*About the stunning beauty of being together across an entire lifetime — becoming true friends after the hot flash of becoming lovers has faded.

Come be my friend
We will walk and talk of life
Through good times and bad times
I’ll be there by your side

Just turn around
And know I’m gonna be there

Come be my lover
We can steal the night with a kiss
And when moonlight turns to sunlight
I can promise you this

Just turn around
And know I’m gonna be there

BRIDGE:
You’ve been lonely such a long time
Can you find trust? Oh, you know you must
Get to know me, I’m on your side
I’ve a true heart, make a brand new start with me 

Come be my bride
And cradle my child to your breast
And down through the good years 
Our love will stand the test of time

Just turn around
And know I’m gonna be there

*I recently learned that a ’45 of this song sold on eBay for over $1,000! This song, like Let’s Talk About Girls, replaces my usual predisposition for sad love songs with a cocky and belligerent philosophy of life and attitude which is still fairly representative of me – even at 80! Yeah, life – and all you girls and women for whom I completely embarrassed myself. TAKE THAT!!!

First you treat me bad
Like I’m not there
But when I walk out
You try and say that I don’t care

And you can cry a little longer
Maybe it’ll make your love grow stronger
C’mon girl cry a little longer

Yeah they got a name 
For girls you
Always blamin’ me 
When it’s you that’s not true

Girl the tears you cry
Seem to come so easy
You better mean those tears
Or you’re gonna lose me girl

Today was a fine time
You laughed you ran you played
Now you’re in a sleepy state
Let me hold you while you drift away

Good night good night Sweet Sara
Dream of angels in the sky
Sleep tight sleep tight
Tomorrow you’re gonna spread your wings and fly

Make a wish say a little prayer
Scatter moondust everywhere
Off on your magic carpet ride
O’er the mountains across the sky

REPEAT CHORUS

Tomorrow comes soon enough
Full of surprises and come what may
I’ll be here when the morning comes
To welcome you to a brand-new day 

REPEAT CHORUS

*The real me: out there in the darkness, lost and lonely

He’s the hero of a tragedy
So very far from home
Wounded weary wandering this road alone – so alone
Where the rivers don’t run
And the birds don’t fly
Time stands still and always will
As the heavens cry

CHORUS:

Cryin’ on the inside
Lyin’ on the outside
Alone in the dark night
Ridin’ the thin line at the edge of the world

This is what it feels like 
When my love is far away
Here without her
There is nothing 

Nothing

*From my KISS FOR SARA CD. I wanted to be Sara’s angel; to guide and protect her – but it can’t be me, and she must find her angels on her own. I just pray that the world will be gentle with this beautiful soul.

So many ways
You’ve searched for the meaning
Of life love and where you belong
If there’s one thing you’ve learned
In all of your wanderin’
You cannot do this alone

Sure you’ve been down
And not for the first time
Thinkin’ that you’re surely done
But you pick up the pieces and keep movin’ forward
You cannot fail if you keep reachin’ for that sun

Everybody needs an angel
To take them thru the night
When they’re feelin’ that darkness close in

Everybody needs an angel
To show them the light
But you must be your one true friend

There is a reason
Something to hold on to
No don’t you ever let go
A light shines from a window
Not so far down that road
Reachin’ out to call you back home

Somewhere there’s a heart that beats just for you
When your soul is ready to hear
There’s voice so strong and so true
And a light down a path that’s so clear 

*There’s ALWAYS that HOPE that something you write will break through all of the noise out there and become lodged in the American psyche; that it will stand for something. But if SO many more powerful voices than mine have so much difficulty piercing the shrieking madness, what glimmer of hope is there for a plain ole rock & roll song to make a difference?! I just hope that YOU find it meaningful — and yeah: maybe even CATCHY! (And oh, by the way, ‘FITH’ eventually garnered over three-hundred-thousand views on YouTube!)

Somewhere back we took a wrong turn
The signs were clear but we did not learn
Now it’s a matter of grave concern
The kingdom will burn
 
They said we had nothing to lose
It didn’t matter who you choose
It’s just the Reds against the Blues
And it’s all fake news
 
CHORUS:
There’s thunder on the road
There’s terror on the fly
There’s Fire In The Hole
There’s lightning in the sky
 
Pedal to the metal smoking down the track
I can’t see what’s coming the sky’s so black
From both sides catching heavy flack
Prepare for attack
 
REPEAT CHORUS
 
RAP BRIDGE:
Egos soaring
Faithless lying
Crashing swords and flames on high
Gruesome tales of bodies flying

Since you’ve been away, I’ve learned to live with the pain
I chase it away by counting the days til I see you again
I close the door to your room, that’s where my heart’s gonna stay
And deep in my soul, somehow I know our story can’t end this way

First thought in the morning, last thought at night
And every one in between is of you
First thought in the morning, last thought at night
Only one thought remains I love you

Tho you’re far away, I still hold you near
Keep what I told you, my love will enfold you, it’ll always be here
I know it’s so hard, I feel it too
All that you’ve gotta do, hang tough, see it through knowing I’m here for you

REPEAT CHORUS

Yesterday’s gone, it’s good it moved on
Cuz you’re on your way to a far brighter day, here comes the dawn

REPEAT CHORUS

*I started to really fall for Suzi in the Fall of 1988. I imagined us together, but she was so much younger than me.  I wanted her life to be beautiful so badly that I was willing to set her free. In the end, love trumped good sense: I couldn’t give her up…

I brush the hair back from your face
As I hold you in sleep’s embrace
You dream of another time and place far away

Fly homeward angel
On the wings of your dream
I bid you godspeed
And all that you need
Fly homeward angel
On the wings of your dream
I hold you but for a moment in time
One magic moment

I kiss you and whisper It’s gonna be alright
As hold you close like a child in the night
And wonder can you feel the love so strong and so right, and does it matter anyway

I pray that you find your way
Through the storms and the driving rain
Just know that I would set you free
Though it takes you away from me
I pray that you find your way
Through the storms and the driving rain
I hold you but for a moment in time
This magic moment

*Here’s another one I wrote specifically TO Suzi. It kind of speaks for itself…. 

Thank god I didn’t wake you as I slipped back into our bed
I could not sleep after those angry words we said
With you lyin’ here beside me breathin’ soft and sweet
I just need my only girl back you are the air I breathe
 
CHORUS:
Four O’clock Sunday Morning the past has set me free
And before tomorrow takes me I’m right where I need to be
Four O’clock Sunday Morning in the quiet of the night
Somewhere between yesterday and tomorrow
One more chance to make it right
 
Well I feel so bad about the fight we had and how it stole another precious day
But I love you far too much to let it end that way
Now I can’t even remember why I was so cruel
I just know I’ll always love you and sometimes I’m a fool
 
REPEAT CHORUS
 
BRIDGE
Sorry girl so sorry for anything I’ve ever said or done
Won’t you let me show you baby you’re the only one
Baby  you’re the only one
 
REPEAT CHORUS

*My anthem: about my deep-seated need to be acknowledged, accepted, understood and loved.

All I’ve ever dreamed
And all I’ll ever need
Is to be loved
For who I am

I never needed fame or money
But I do long to be known
For the light that shines within me
For the seeds that I have sown

REPEAT CHORUS

Sometimes there’s emptiness within me
I need connection to my own
I look for any sign that you might send me
Please don’t let me go alone

REPEAT CHORUS

*After Patti and I had moved to L.A. separately together (each with our family), we went back to Tucson to visit. We woke up in a motel on a wild and windy Friday morning, lost in each other. I made a demo at UNART – and this later one with Patti in my ProTools (not her; the song!) 

Friday morning we’re dreaming
Caught by the wind
Take me where you’re going
You’re everywhere I’ve been

You came when the rain fell
Deep in the night
And stayed til tomorrow
Lying by my side

La la la la la la la la

Bridge (added later)
So many years ago
Seem just like yesterday
Whenever that cold wind blows
It takes me back that way
And it’s Friday morning once again

*Patti was over. My youth as well as my youthful love was fading in the rearview mirror. It was time to leave that tantalizing ideal of the ‘California Girl’ behind — and grow up. Great idea — it just never happened.

VERSE 1: 
In the heat of a young man’s dream 
She tosses her hair laughing as she runs 
Hey baby, peaches and cream 
Disappear into the setting sun 

VERSE 2: 
Why did I think I could hold her there 
She’s as elusive as the summer breeze 
What made me think that she might care 
She was always only out of reach 

CHORUS: 
Goodbye California girl 
You were the dream that will never come true 
Goodbye California girl 
You’ll never know how much I wanted you 

VERSE 3: 
Felt the warmth of her rising sun 
but I was blinded by her shining light 
I must admit that the time has come 
To turn and slip into that coming night 

REPEAT CHORUS 

INSTRUMENTAL BRIDGE

REPEAT SECOND HALF OF VERSE 3 

REPEAT CHORUS TO FADE

*The topic of unrequited love – is a major preoccupation of mine – having painfully experienced it during formative periods of my life. The impact of this exquisite torture affected me almost to the level of PTSD. This song – like The Girl – is about craving someone who has placed me in that ‘friend zone.’ It’s about longing that can never be satisfied; accepting the role of ‘friend’ no matter how much it hurt, because it was as close to her as I was going to get.

When you ask how I am, you don’t really want to know
And I just kind of let it go, I’m fine
And you say you’ve been down, you know you have my sympathy
And I your deepest apathy, that’s just how it is 
But if you read between the lines, look for subtle signs
You’ll find the feeling grows with passing time

CHORUS
So hard to be friends, harder yet to pretend
I don’t want you, I don’t need you, I don’t love you

When you look in my eye
I’ve just got to turn away
I run out of things to say
Don’t you know
That sometimes alone in the night
I imagine I’m holding you tight
Now any less than that just don’t seem right

REPEAT CHORUS

We must do this again
Sometime when you feel you’re free
I know then you’ll surely see
That it’s more
So much more
So I’ll be waiting here for you
There’s nothing else I’d rather do
It just hurts inside but I will see it through

*Suzi asked me to write a song about Strider, the canine love of her life. He passed away at the age of fourteen (quite old for a medium-sized dog). I could feel her overwhelming love for him – he was there for her when she was really alone – and her great pain at losing him.

It seems not long ago
I was all alone again
That’s when you found me there
And I knew I’d found a friend

You never did judge me 
And your strength would pull me through
In its purest form you loved me
And knew that I loved you

CHORUS:
My dearest old friend
It will never be goodbye
Just lay you down and dream a while
Right here by my side

Out there in the night
I wish you safe and warm
Never far away
And sheltered from the storm

And when the day is new
Where mountains touch the sky
I’ll be running up that hill
With my hero at my side

REPEAT CHORUS

I wish — we had taken every precious day
Oh and I wish — beautiful things didn’t end this way
I wish — just a little more time to say goodbye
And I pray — you did not see me cry

*This is a demo of one of Suzi’s early favorites – at least in part because she gave me the phrase ‘I’ll Break Your Fall’: ‘You oughta write a song with this phrase.’ Right!

Did he lie to you
When you needed, needed a friend
Did he put you down
Leave you crying once again

I’m here to rescue you
A knight in shining armor, cowboy with a gun
And I won’t back down
Til the villain’s on the run

CHORUS:
I’ll never let you down
If you are falling, falling, falling
I’ll break your fall
Be there to cover you when you call
B’ll break your fall
You can give it, baby, give it all

You’re gonna come with me
I’m gonna take you, take your breath away
There’s no turning back
But no need to ever be afraid

*Have you ever felt so undervalued, misunderstood – or guilty — that you wonder how much more ‘emotional punishment’ you can take?

How much can one man take
How much can one heart break
I know
I know now
And if you saw me crawl
Would you finally know you’re all
I need I need in my life

I have made the sacrifice
You know I’ve surely paid the price
I’ve learned
I’ve surely learned now

And if you saw my spirit die
Would you then be satisfied
And come back come back
In my life

BRIDGE:
All through the darkest night
I never will despair
I’ll be walking toward the light
I know I’ll find you there
I’m gotta find you there

There you smile and take my hand
You forgive and understand
You come back come back
In my life

*I wrote this in 20 minutes (maybe I shouldn’t admit that) entirely while swimming laps. In my head, I was hearing Mick Jagger singing about my jealousy. So how about it, Mick?! I was also vibing with that most famous ‘jealous guy’: John Lennon.

VERSE 1: 
I know where you’ve been 
I know who you’ve seen 
I know what you’ve done 
You know what I mean 

CHORUS: 
But is that a reason to end it 
We’ve got to find a way to mend it 
‘Cause baby I just can’t pretend, it’s 
My life my love for you 

VERSE 2: 
No I’m not blind 
I can see through 
I see our love changin’ 
It’s not only you 

REPEAT CHORUS 

VERSE 3: 
I know it was new 
I know it was good 
You thought it was love 
I knew that you would 

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE 

VAMP TO END: 
Don’t you know it’s my life 
Can you hear me singin’ to you 
Don’t you know it’s my life

I need you by my side
To love til the day I die
I’m your lovin’ man

Oh this feelin’ in my heart
When I think we might part
You’re my only love

Little girl love is a strange thing
Not intended for games
And if you keep hurtin’ me so
I’ll never be the same

Oh this feelin’ in my heart
When I think we might part
You’re my only love

Little girl love is a strange thing
Not intended for games
And if you keep hurtin’ me so
I’ll never be the same

I need you by my side
To love til the day I die
I’m your lovin’ man

Here where the road leads both ways I’m going home
Now it is better that you go on aloneI know that I will go alone

Girl, I belong to another place in time
Please let me be just the dream you left behind

Cause I’ve been this way so many times it seems
I have seen this place I have dreamed all its dreams
I’ve been this way walking down this road
I know it leads nowhere gotta find a way I can go

Here where that road leads both ways I’m going home
Now I can see that I will go alone

REPEAT CHORUS

*One of my first songs. My father observed, ‘I like the song – let me just rewrite the words.’ ‘Oh, is that all?! No thanks, Hank.’ The quintessential dark, brooding, minory dirge of longing that WAS — and still IS — Manny Freiser. Paging my therapist…

I’ve lost my way
The path I’ve followed now is gone
But the song I feel
Still beckons me travel on
Still it calls me

INSTRUMENTAL CHORUS
Please let it end
Its melody fills me with pain
Sound in my soul
Don’t lead me on to search in vain

All of my life
This song will live within my mind
But now I know
Of what it sings I’ll never find

*Unreleased master (my first) of my first ‘bigtime’ recording session. It was recorded in October ’64 with a ‘studio group’ (Just assembled for the session. Even though I included it in Grodes compilations, it was done pre-Grodes), including Gary Paxton on guitar, Mike Friedman on drums; produced by Jerry Kasenetz. Kaz wanted me to be Randy Buckingham and The Palace Guard (because ‘ya sound English, Tottie!’). 

Don’t you tell me that you love me
Don’t you say that you’re sorry
Sorry about our love

Don’t you tell me you’ll be good
You know you wouldn’t if you could
You’re no good you broke my heart

No more kissing
No more hugging
No more, baby
No more loving
Cry all night, girl
I won’t care
You can’t hurt me
I won’t be there

You made me see that love’s in vain
I’ll never love again
Cry again no more

REPEAT CHORUS

*One of the most difficult challenges in life is to let go of your beloved child – especially your only child. I wrote this to My Darling Sara when she went away to Hawai’i.

Our love will last forever
Though our time together did fly
It’s been the best time ever
It’s so hard to say goodbye

Learning to let go
Learning to let go
The hardest part of loving
Is learning to let go

I feel so much sadness
Can’t hide the tears in my eye
I don’t know if I can do this
But I promise I will try

Learning to let go
Learning to let go
The hardest part of loving
Is learning to let go

You have so much strength and kindness
A beauty that can blind us
Not just in the mirror
But running deeper than any river

You will always be on my mind
Please keep me safe in your heart
Wherever tomorrow may find us
We’ll never be far apart

Learning to let go
Learning to let go
The hardest part of loving
Is learning to let go

*I wrote it, and The Grodes recorded it, in ’67. It did nothing in Tucson. Cut to ’81, when A&M co-worker Jeff Gold advised me that the Chocolate Watchband version (I never knew they’d even RECORDED it) was an underground cult classic considered a forerunner of 80’s punk. Hallelujah, Brother!

You wanna know why I’m not true
You wanna know what’s wrong with you
Nothin’s wrong girl you’re really tough
(But you’re) just one girl and that ain’t enough

I gotta love ’em all baby not just a few
Gotta love ’em all that’s what I gotta do — oh yeah

Talk about girls – girls that I can’t get
Talk about girls – girls I never met
Talk about girls – girls that live next door
Girls that beg for more

See that little girl go walkin’ by
Turns me on when she gives me the eye
There goes another one lookin’ so fine
Won’t be happy til I make her mine

REPEAT CHORUS

INSTRUMENTAL BRIDGE

Now you’re cryin’ say ‘don’t make me sad’
Oh baby that’s just too bad
Sorry girl if you don’t like my speed
Every little girl’s got just what I need

REPEAT CHORUS: (First two lines: I gotta love ’em all baby not just a few come here baby that means you too — you know what I want)

*This was the single from the Qwest Livin’ In The Night 4-song EP. Doug Gayeton from USC made a very hip video that I hated at first – too hip and raw for me. While I wrote it about my loneliness and isolation after Patti left, Doug saw the same issues in more of a punk environment. The song went right on (the relatively young and open) MTV – and hit the college charts.

A shaft of light penetrates the dusty gloom
Half smoked cigarettes like my dreams lie all about the room

Down on the streets people move on their way
But here in my dark room I turn my eyes from the day

CHORUS:
Livin’ in the night
Always on the run
Livin’ in the night
Ah searchin’ for the sun

In the neon sunrise I will walk upon the streets

A total stranger to all the people that I meet

REPEAT CHORUS

The city takes its own as it has swallowed me
I long for contact wondering if it will be

INSTRUMENTAL BRIDGE

REPEAT CHORUS

*I wrote this in the 2000’s — originally for Grodes bassist CR (as I recall, he and I were thinking about recording). He was the master of the ‘Mustang Sally’ vocal back in the day. He thought it sounded too much like Mustang Sally!?! ‘Uh, thanks, CR, that was my goal!’

Well I’ve been searchin’ for a soul to be my mate
Well I’ve been searchin’ for a soul to be my mate
Then I heard the knock upon my door
Love walked in love walked in today
It was a miracle oh lord the miracle of love
 
Well I’ve been waiting  just how long can one man wait
Then I heard your knock upon my door
And love walked in today
 
BRIDGE:
You had me from the start when you took control
You occupied my heart and you shook my soul
 
Now that I’ve found you I ain’t ever gonna let you go
Well I heard you knock upon my door
Love walked in today
 
I opened up and love walked in
It was a  miracle oh lord the miracle of love
I heard your knock upon my door
And love walked in today

*Oddly enough, this song has taken on a different and more powerful meaning to me than when I wrote it. It now reminds me of my beautiful Sara, who during 2024 has moved away from her Dad and Mom as she continued becoming a young woman. Although I’ll ALWAYS love her, wherever her life takes her, I kind of sadly miss the little girl who needed and openly loved me so much during the simpler, happier times we shared before teenage hit and life became way more complicated — and Dad became an embarrassing liability…

It’s been raining 
For what seems like forever 
I ain’t seen that old sun since last September 
That was the last time 
That I saw her 
And I still can’t recall what my life was like before her 
She opened up my windows and let the sun shine in 
But now she’s gone she won’t be back again 

CHORUS:

So now I’m movin’ on 
I’ll be on my way again 
I won’t be hangin’around this place no more 
I’m driftin’ 
And it hardly matters where 
Let the wind blow where it will it don’t matter if she’s not there 

Today I take my leave with heavy heart 
And yet I will forgive but never forget all the treasures that we shared 
They’ll always be there 
I know I’ll make it somehow 
Time will ease this pain 
And somewhere down this road I’ll find love again 
But will I see my way finally to be free 
When I only want to live here with my memories 
But it’s time to close that door leave it all behind 
Catch a ride to a better state of mind 

REPEAT CHORUS 

She opened up my windows and let the sun shine in 
But now she’s gone she won’t be back again 

I heard them say I’m a dreamer
Running after something I won’t find
They say poor boy you better wake up
Leave those foolish dreams behind

They say the mountain is too high to climb
Mighty river runs so wide
You better stay right where you are my son
You’ll never make the other side

CHORUS:
But I hear music in the air
Coming to carry me away
And I will follow anywhere
Take me to a better place

No words they say can make me stay here
Though I may lose my way alone
For I would rather be a stranger
Than to call this lonely place my home

REPEAT CHORUS

*This was the last song I wrote in Tucson. I played it for Patti that afternoon right after Chandelier. In my head, I was already crossing that desert with her — and ONTO L.A. IT was the one song of mine that everyone in L.A. seemed to like.

In the mornin’ sunlight shinin’
By a highway station sleepin there in the dawn
Just a shadow 4-wheel spinnin’ 
Runnin’ from the burnin desert night to the sea

CHORUS:
I’m on my way
Won’t be back
Na na na na
To la, to la
Na na na na na na na na

Anytime the spirit moves ya
Come along dream with me a while along the way
Soon the fog’ll come a rollin’
In over superhighway gray LA on my mind

REPEAT CHORUS

*I wrote this song with the one-and-only amazing Smokey Robinson in mind. He’s both an all-time rock legend and a client of Dr. Suzi’s. He knows us well enough to say ‘Hi!’ when we see each other. YES, Smokey — I’m buttering you up hoping that you’ll record it. And also, I just love this style!

Yeah I know I’m not always the man that I wanted to be for you
And it hurts me to know all the times that I couldn’t come through for you
 but I’ve always loved you — how I’ve loved you
 
Ooh ooh baby don’t you turn away
Ooh ooh baby we’re gonna find our way
 
You’ve always been there for me in the times when I needed you
With strength that runs deep lovin’ unselfishly with a heart so true
And I’ve always loved you
 
REPEAT CHORUS
 
BRIDGE:
There are so many things in this big wide world I wanna give to you
All I ask is to know it’s enough for you girl that I live for you – I live for you
 
I know that it hasn’t been easy to live with the likes of me
But I swear I’ll keep tryin’ and there’s no denyin’ that you’re for me
I’m gonna love you
I’m gonna love you

*Written with Sara. Sara and I were sitting around one morning when she told me about some lyrics she was working on. We started going back and forth — for example, I said UFO, thinking of someone who never seems to land (make up their mind) — and she said Personal UFO. BTW, she doesn’t particularly care for my version of the song…

You’re the reason I get up in the morning
You’re the reason I don’t sleep at night
You’re the reason it’s all wrong
You’re the reason that’s alright

You’re the reason I’m livin’ in a dream
Right here in the middle of a nightmare
You’re the reason I hurt all over
You’re the reason I don’t even care

You are my personal UFO
You’re out there this I know
Will you ever show
You are my personal UFO
Hovering in the air
Will you ever land

My friends all tell me that I’m crazy
Imagination is all that I’ve got
Swear I see, sometimes I can’t see
You’re there and then you’re not
Still – still I – can’t find you

You are my personal UFO
You’re out there this I know
Will you ever show
You are my personal UFO
Hovering in the air
Will you ever land

CHORUS:
Ride out the storm safe from harm
Make it to the morning here in my arms

Come right in baby it’s alright
Storm clouds are gathering so close the door to the night
Those winds of change blowing ‘round the sky
Can’t touch us baby as long as you’re here inside

REPEAT CHORUS

Weary traveler so cold and tired
Won’t you stay a while warm yourself by my fire
We’ll take the nighttime gonna make it fly
I’ll be your pilot baby ‘til the sun fills the sky

If those rainclouds are gathered ‘round you baby
And there’s nowhere for you to turn
I’ll be your reason for going on
I’ll be your shelter from the storm

REPEAT CHORUS

*I wrote this anthem in the 70’s. We performed it so much in our club gigs (primarily The Hungry Tiger, the restaurant then in Westwood) that I started hating it. The lyrics have been just a little TOO prophetic.

Six o’clock Monday morning I’m hungry and alone 
Down at the L.A. station waitin’ for a ride back home 
I guess I shoulda gave it more time but I’ve got no more to give 
Sellin’ my soul and the songs I love ain’t no way to live 

As I waited there I noticed a young man 
Climbin’ off the greyhound guitar in his hand 
He looked as young as I did when I first saw this place 
Anticipation written all over his face 

CHORUS: 
Rock & roll man don’t you understand 
It won’t turn out the way you planned it 
Rock & roll man don’t you understand 
They’ll only take your music 
Bend it-break it-use it 
All you’ve got you’ll lose it in the end 

If I could only tell you about this place L.A. 
But your mind is made up, you wouldn’t hear me anyway 
So I leave as you arrive, we see through different eyes 
And knowin’ how the story ends makes me wanna cry 

*Here, relatively early in our relationship, after she had told me so many sad stories about her childhood, I was thinking of Suzi as a little girl. I wanted so badly to give her what she needed but never was able to get from her parents and previous relationships.

She waits alone, the rain comes down
On her window pane, the streets below
He promised he’d be home tonight 
She hears her mother weep alone
But she was so young
To know so much doubt
My heart reaches out

CHORUS:
And I wish I could hold that lost little girl
Wish I could be there in her world
Wish I could hold that lost little girl
Safe in my arms
Safe in my arms once again

Her first was young and he was wild
She gave it all that was her way
One night he heard the angels cry
Then with the dawn he slipped away
And she was so young 
To know so much pain
And the sadness remains

REPEAT CHORUS

VOCAL/GUITAR BRIDGE:
I would rock you, let me rock you now

I would turn back the hands of time
to rescue her

REPEAT CHORUS

*Suzi was about seven months pregnant when I wrote this song for our unborn daughter, who we’d already named Sara. I sang it to Suzi – and to her belly – many times during her last two months of her pregnancy. The, one day when Sara was a few months old, Sara was sitting on our family room couch (on Blix), and I happened to strum the song. She immediately broke into a huge smile and began rocking to the music. If anybody ever asked ‘was your life ever perfect?’ – well, that was the moment!

When you’ve been travelin’
Finding yourself in a strange land
Don’t be afraid to say hello

I’m here to welcome you
I’m here to see you through
Nevermore will you travel alone

Sara
Sara Michele
Sara 
Sara Michele
I love you

Haven’t I known you
Didn’t our paths cross somewhere in time
And didn’t I love you then as now

‘Cause you see I’ve been travelin’ too
Seems I’ve been waitin’ for you
To show me the way – take me back home

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
I send you this prayer
May you never see rainclouds
Only the sun
Shinin’

*Wrote this song for my lovely Princess, Sara, when she turned one-year-old, and sang it at her party. I later played it for my parents one afternoon on piano as they sat in my living room on Blix Avenue. Although they weren’t much into my music, they cried when they heard it.

Lord have mercy, I’ve not been a man of God
I’ve lived like a gambler, defying those odds
But I got the message in a deep and mighty way
I found the love that’ll show me the way

Rosy cheeks and a gap-tooth grin
Bright eyes shine as they take you in
Tiny hand reaching out to touch my soul
Great big hug making me whole

Sara, oh what a sight, you lit up the night for me

And I believe in angels when I look in Sara’s eyes
Yes I believe in angels so innocent and wise
In Sara’s eyes

And on this special day as you turn one year old(er)
I wish you the world and all of its gold
But as it happens all I’ve got to give (you)
Is all my love for as long as I live

Sara, beautiful child, fortune has smiled on me
And I believe in angels when I look in Sara’s eyes
Yes I believe in angels so innocent and wise

BRIDGE:
A million miles from the world spinning by
The sun breaks through a miraculous sky
There’s peace on earth and good will toward man
Sara’s all I need to know of his master plan

*I was thinking of Grodes music when I wrote this rocker. Although I still think it was perfect for them, the demo we later recorded at one of our reunions was flat and listless (they disagree). I like this ‘home master’ recorded in my ProTools.

Hey baby where ya been
You look like hell and you smell like him
Been out playin’ your half-assed games
What you’re doin’ to me it’s a dirty shame

Shake me don’t ya break me
Don’t push my love too far
Shake me don’t ya break me
Ya might just wind up cryin’ with a broken heart

Well now you’re tired and I’m to blame
Somethin’s wrong babe somethin’s changed
I look around you’re down the track
I look again you’re comin’ back

REPEAT CHORUS

Hey baby I know where you’ve been
Slippin’ out sneakin’ back in
Don’t you know I’ve about had enough
Don’t push me girl I can play rough

*Written during my L.A. lounge/club days to one of the girls who used to come in often to see us (Fire & Rain – me and Patti, with Dilbert rudely inserted). Denelle seemed dark and sad — in a very sweet kind of way — and I just wanted to take her — mmm — well — under my wing.

VERSE 1: 
I sang this song so many times 
But the words I sang were only rhymes 
Then I saw you out there in the crowd 
And I heard the music, heard it playin’ loud 

CHORUS: 
Don’t you know I’m singin’ this song for you 
I hope the meaning’s comin’ through 
And if it makes you feel alright 
Let me take you home tonight 

And though I hardly know your name 
I feel I know you just the same 
I see the sadness in your eyes 
And it makes me wanna hold you, girl, and make everything alright
 

*I guess I spent too many nights in strip clubs — and it made quite the impression!

Coming off the street
I can barely make out in the smokey darkness
The faceless strangers hiding in the night
Hoping to be saved 
By the mystery and beauty of what lies within
So serve up the drinks and kick back
Let the music start let the dance begin
The curtain opens the lights come on
A graceful cat prowls the stage
The heat is on

Slowdance got me hypnotized
Slowdance dare I reach for the prize
Slowdance she’s got me hypnotized
Slowdance making me crazy with desire

All eyes are on her now as she glides across the stage
You can see the hunger in their eyes as she shows what she’s got
And she’s got it all
The pole is her lover now
Caress and climb it baby
The dollars on the rail buy you nothing but a closer look
She nears I take her with my eyes

Where were you when I needed you most
It seems we’ve lost all contact
Fading fast I’m losing hope
Of ever finding my way back again 

World so far away
Turning turning
Only empty space
Turning turning

All my life I just wanna be known
But every time I just wind up alone
Nobody ever listens to the stories I tell
I may as well be speaking to myself
I’m sending out a signal in the night
Can anybody hear me shine a light

SOS SOS

Spinning through space in a state of free fall
How can I be sailing through the twilight zone
Outside looking in feeling small
Sad quiet and alone

World so far away
Turning turning
Only empty space
Turning turning

(so much space)

Sending out a signal in the night
Can anybody hear me shine a light

SOS

Sad quiet and alone

*A song for my only girl. She never wants presents, ‘Just write me a song.’ Well, here’s one of the songs for your birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines and Mother’s Days – this one for your birthday in 2017. You really ARE “all the world to me.”

Here comes another night alone
I have no one to blame but myself
Can’t face the fault that I must own
Pride and ego are my private hell
 
If truth be told I know that I was wrong 
You know me too well I cannot hide
Please forgive those foolish words I said
Open up and let me back inside
 
Suzi stay with me
I don’t wanna fight no more
Suzi lay with me
 Let me love you like before
 
You’ve had me howling at the moon
Just about to lose my head
Come on and throw this old dog a bone
You’ve got to let me back into your bed
 
REPEAT CHORUS
 
Suzi I’m speaking the truth
You are all the world to me
Suzi don’t say goodbye
Can’t you see I’m on my knees

*This song was inspired by, and is about, my beautiful niece, Melissa. She is one of those rare people whose very presence lights up a room — and me. Tell me your secret, Sunshine Girl!

Seems like a month of Sundays
Since I’ve seen you at my door
Telling me you miss me
But I guarantee I miss you more
 
So tell me about your journey
Did you ever reach that Golden Shore
Did you find everything
That you’ve always been searching for
 
CHORUS:
Sweet Melissa with the magic smile
I’ve been missing her for a while
I need Melissa in my world
Don’t you know that she’s my sunshine
Sunshine Girl
 
Won’t you smile upon me a little longer
That’s all that I’ve been living for
And the sun don’t shine around here
All that much anymore
 
REPEAT CHORUS

 
I know you really must be going
There’s a big old world to explore
And I pray that your voyage brings you around here
Just once more
In my life
 
REPEAT CHORUS

*Written early on in my relationship with Suzi. It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, and I just wanted to steal her away. Sounds like a typical male line to me – but I was totally sincere – and I did subsequently ‘steal’ her away from all the other guys.

If you’re lucky, once in a life
You find someone
There’s no doubt, no pause, and you know it’s right
You are that one

Though you promised another your love
Long before
All i know is all that you make me feel inside
Wanting you more

Won’t you let me take you down
Show you now (love you now [second chorus])
And make you mine
Won’t you let me know your soul
Make you whole
Taste your sweet wine

So let me steal your heart in the night
Take you away
He won’t know you’re mine til the morning light shines
On a new day

REPEAT CHORUS

So lay your head down soft on my pillow
Close your eyes
As the wind moans soft in the willow trees above
I feel you sigh

I tell myself it’s over
I’ve made it to the other side
Oh the night’s a little colder
But hey I don’t really mind
But just when I find the strength inside to move on

Here comes that song again
Lullaby without an end
Mourning a long-lost friend
With a heart that will never mend 

The mind will make a promise
That the heart can never keep
Oh lord if there’s a way to do this
Get me back upon my feet
Gotta find a way to make it through the night somehow

*This is about a love long gone but never forgotten. I’m not ashamed to admit that it brings tears every time I hear it (I like my songs a LOT, but I’ve never written one that has so strongly affected me). It’s not at ALL that I still love this mystery person; rather it’s the power of remembering how it felt: ‘heart let me heal.’ 

On a moonless night my dreams roll in like the clouds from the sea
I search the sky for the one that carries your love home to me
Suddenly you are there reachin’ out to me
If this is a dream don’t wake me
I can feel her now here with me
If this is a dream let it take me
Let me sleep til eternity
 
Sweetly smiling you beckons me and I follow where you lead
A distant light burns warm and bright from a window
On a sleepy tree-covered street
Can this be home I remember it’s been so long
Heart let me heal
 
REPEAT CHORUS
 
Now I see my life with you through different eyes than I did before
So much sweeter how can I not have seen it
How can I not have appreciated you more
Now I see you walking in the sand
Hand in hand with another man
No I’m not mad just happy-sad for all we had
And I want YOU to be glad
You deserve only the best
 
REPEAT CHORUS (but first line is ‘This is a dream’)
 
The dream fades
Time for movin’ on
Til eternity

*Remember that one person you always REALLY wanted — but could never have? Unrequited love revisited.

May I please have this dance
You know I been watchin’ you, darlin’
Dreamin’ of romance
Oh yeah, I can dream, dream of making you mine

As we glide across the floor
I feel you, baby, so close and yet so far
Oh what I’d give for you to say that you’ll be mine

BRIDGE:
You’re his girl
And you are my friend
But somehow it pleases you to let me pretend
You know I’d give anything
Anything that it takes
And you don’t seem to care just how much my poor heart breaks

How could I be such a fool
To love someone who can be so cruel
But you, you’re the one, the girl who never will be mine

One last dance, I can’t let go
I don’t care, I just want you to know
that I’ll always want
The girl who never will be mine

*I wrote this ‘timeless classic’ in 2016. The Iraq War, Donald Trump, etc., may have determined the course of our country for generations to come: Were we as a country going to be friendly and open or angry and closed; considerate and nuanced or crass and reckless. Would our story be one which we could proudly tell our children — or one of shame and embarrassment, the ugliness of which we’d need to hide from them?
 
So many hateful words
Setting an ugly stage
Then they sit back and pontificate
Speculate what could have caused such rage
I’m not your enemy
Though that’s what they’d have you believe
They steal our pride and our souls and our lives
All the while as we fight and bleed
 
But hey we’re The Lucky Ones
Still breathing this air
While the ghosts of the fallen
Haunt our despair
And don’t you know we’re The Lucky Ones
Still breathing this air
Leave hate to the haters we’re strong enough
Choose love if you dare
 
There’s enough for everyone
If they don’t take it all
So lay down your bombs and your guns and your hate
It’s never too late to stand tall
 
Oh we’re The Lucky Ones
We still have our voice
And a chance in our time to do the right thing
Make the right choice
 
Rich old men sending young men to war
To die for their gods and their countries once more
 
Oh we’re The Lucky Ones
Still breathing this air
But never forget the fallen
Tell me how much do you care

*Ironically, I can’t ‘for the life o me’ recall the moment that inspired this song. I pieced together a video I really liked from ‘borrowed’ Final Fantasy footage (to my endless credit, I called and wrote them to get permission but got no response). The single got sporadic airplay on several smaller stations around the country.

High on this hill I can see forever
Touch the stars up in the sky
Feel the warm wind upon my face
I feel that I could fly

Even this sorrow that once bound me
Seems so much sweeter on this day
For it all there was a reason
That led me to this place

CHORUS:
This is the moment I’ve been waiting for
The light shining through an open door
This is the moment I’ll be breaking free
Won’t you darlin’ come away with me

There is a ticket waiting for you
On this voyage homeward bound
All the love you ever dreamed of
It’s all here — it’s all around

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for
The light shining through an open door
This is the moment I’ll be breaking free
Won’t you darlin’ come away with me

*I was in some sort of ‘sneaky sexy’ mood when I wrote this song (the track is a demo).

On any moonless night
You might just find me waiting there
My love burning bright
Turnin’ on and on and on

CHORUS:
You are the reason why
You are the one and only
Star in my midnight sky
You are the one and only

Carried on the wild wind
I swear I heard you call my name
And I come runnin’
Ever closer to the flame

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
and when the time is right
i’m gonna make my move
On that crazy night
I’ll come – come for you

Together forever now
No one can take your love from me
We’re gonna fly away
Our love goes on and on and on

You are the reason why
You are the one and only
Star in my midnight sky
You are the one and only

*Written after Suzi and I had a big argument. Dale played several instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars as well as several tracks of violin. Suzi achieved the rank of co-producer when she insisted I add an extra part to the song for Dale to take a solo – and I talked him through a lovely, biting electric guitar solo (very unusual for him). 

On a dark day when the cold wind
Carries you so far away from me
And the distance lies between us
A desert stretching as far as I can see

As you turn away from my sad eyes
Behind a door that has no key
If only I could reach you
Somehow draw you near again to me

CHORUS:
You’re the one love of my lifetime
You’re my lifeblood – you’re my lifeline
You’ll be the last love and you’ll be mine
That’s forever and for all time 

In that moment words were spoken
That the heart could surely never mean
Now like actors, lines well scripted
Acting out a tragic scene

Yet a still voice deep inside me
Longs to reach across the night
‘Cause I only want to love you
And promise I will make it right

REPEAT CHORUS

I will wait here ‘til the tide turns
If it takes a million years
Just to hold you, how I need to hold you
And kiss away your desperate tears 

*About The War between us, specifically Sara and me: Sara’s challenging adventure, and our struggle – a loving battle — to be a family and to be there in a positive way for our teenage daughter.

goodbye now
hurt so bad no
that darkness
closes in all around me now

so go now
with godspeed
leave the battle
far behind you now
dream about a better time

when the war is over
and the smoke has cleared away
no more fires raging
we put our guns away

gotta promise
think about me now and then
never forget those early days
we were so close

believe it
someday
you’re gonna find out
i’m not the enemy
and i‘ll be waiting there for you

there will be love
only love

*My first master recording with The Grodes. I always loved the Byrds-like jangle of the electric 12-string. I thought it had THE sound of that time. It was the first recording I ever heard on the radio. One October night, while loading our equipment in the cars after a gig, we heard it blasting from the car radio tuned to KTKT. What a high!

The lights are low and everyone’s gone
I finally got you here all alone
Now I’m gonna love you make you feel so fine
Then I’m gonna say be mine

Uh huh girl

I can’t be waiting too much longer
My love for you keeps growin’ stronger
Now I’m gonna love you make you feel so fine
Then I’m gonna say be mine

Uh huh girl

I finally got you here in my arms
I feel the glow of all your charms
I’m gonna love you until you’re sighin’
Until you say be mine

Uh huh girl

*The story of a triad: complicated, conflicted, loving, sexual, eternal — UNCONDITIONAL.

I’ll be here for you eternally
Lovin’ you Unconditionally
 
I get it now but how can it be
You’ve fallen in love with him and you always will love me
No you’re not leavin’ but he’s here to stay
You’re down on your knees beggin’ me not to pull away
I can only tell you how I feel today
 
CHORUS:
I’ll be by your side eternally 
Lovin’ you Unconditionally
I’ll be here for you eternally
Lovin’ you Unconditionally   
 
I entrust my life into your hands
Even though there’s been a slight change of plans
No one man can give you all that you deserve and need
So if he’s good for you then he’s alright with me
 I can only tell you how I feel today
 
Repeat first half of CHORUS
 
BRIDGE:
So if he’s good for you go and get him
I want you to have what you want get what you need  
No one is ever gonna love ya like I love you
Give it all I lay it on the line
 
Repeat CHORUS UNCONDITIONALLY

*I wrote this to Patti after she left. She was there when I did the vocal, and it (or my singing) made her cry. This is the record that hurt the most – in more ways than just romantically. Major rocker WROQ in Charlotte added it DESPITE company Warner Bros efforts to keep it OFF the air. The WROQ add got it a lot of secondary airplay in the Southeast and Top 5 requests before it heartbreakingly sunk beneath the waves. It had a chance, but Harold purposely chose to do nothing to save it – just to make sure I got no attention…

Hello my long lost friend
You called to say hello
Your new love ain’t goin’ so well
Nevermind how I know

Seems he’s not the dream you chased
You’re thinkin’ you might walk
You’re missin’ all we had
You’re thinkin’ we should talk

Why did you ever wait so long
What made you think I’d be that strong
How could you go and let me down
And think I’d always be around
Why did you ever wait so long

It’s been longer than you know
Though I’d go back if I knew how
I swore my time stood still for you
But we’re not the same two people now

All the miles in between
Too many rivers have been crossed
Separate places we have seen
All the feeling that’s been lost

Though you’ll always have my love
I’m gonna have to turn you down
If only you had called me then
But why right now why right now

*Written with Dale. This started out as just a ‘jam’ track — one I laid down just so Dilbert Pickle could work out on guitar in my ProTools. But I was inspired by what he played to write and transform it into a song. The Pickle also played (GREAT) guitar and sang backgrounds. 

Since you’ve been gone
Time stands still for me
I can only wait and hope
But in my dreams
You come to me sweetly in the night
And I can hold you in my arms again
And dream’ til you return to me

And I’ll be waiting here for you
Waiting here for you ‘til then

Dream of you on a warm and windy night carries me away 
As I slowly close my eyes ooh babe I can almost taste your lips
How I want to hear your sighs mmm girl
But then the darkness disappears I slowly realize 
The dream is fading and I’m alone again

And I’ll be loving you
Hopelessly helplessly endlessly
And I’ll be needing you
When the skies are dark and night comes closing in on me
And you must know that I live for you 

*MY ‘outlaw,’ road rocker, about tryin’ to find what I’m lookin’ for – in this case, ‘her.’

I’ve been a travelin’ man most of my days
The call of the highway sent me upon my way
Keep on movin’ never look back
When that old whistle blows I’m movin’ down that track

But every now & then I find myself looking over my shoulder
The years have all gone by & I’ve got nothing to show, I’m just growin’ older
Maybe it’s time to forgive and to forget
And stop this runnin’ boy – it’s time

And I’ve got to leave today
I’m on my way back home again
You know I’ve got to find a way
I’m on my way back home again
I’ve been away too long
I’m on my way back home again
It’s a new day and i’m feelin’ strong

Please tell me that it’s not too late
And I won’t wait another day
But I’m gonna need some help
If I’m gonna find my way
Time seems to taunt me now
Return if you dare
But wherever this journey ends
I pray that I find her there

But I keep hearin’ this voice
Tellin’ me I can’t go back again
You can never go home again
But there ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me now
You know I’m gonna find her there
She’s gotta be waitin’ there

*I’d never make it living in a world without you…

Seems just like yesterday when 
You stole my heart away
And we were walkin’ hand in hand
Now darkness haunts my dreams and
You’re drifting far from me 
But in this lonely room
Harsh light streams through the blinds

Oh no it can’t be true
Livin’ in a world without you
Oh lord what will I do
Livin’ in a world without you 

Don’t leave me now
For I will surely never live through losin’ you

My friends express concern for me
They worry for my sanity
I try to tell them I’m okay
But I can’t eat and I can’t sleep
Barely stand upon my feet
Just can’t seem to find my way
And now my sunken eyes behold the setting sun

REPEAT CHORUS

I hope that you will hear my call
If you ever cared at all
Turn around turn around
For here’s a heart 
That’s only yours for all of time

*This brash and devilish song tells the girl she ain’t the one, but what the heck. Let’s run around naked like wild monkeys’ anyway, and maybe we’ll get lucky.

You seem to think that I’m absurd
And you — you get on my last good nerve
Yeah I’ve always gotta get the last word
And you’ve gotta get everything that you deserve

And yet there’s something about you I can’t define
Can’t seem to get you off my mind
I find myself looking for some kind of sign
And wondering what it would be like if you were mine

You ain’t the one I’ve been searching for
You’re a little bit less yet a whole lot more
I can’t quite seem to close that door

There might be something that we can’t ignore 

We can sit around and talk politely
I can tell you all about what excites me
We can stare at the tube like tv junkies
Or run around naked like wild monkeys

You ain’t the one I’ve been searching for
You’re a little bit less yet a whole lot more
I can’t quite seem to close that door
There might be something that we should explore

I had a picture in my mind
determined I would find
The reflection in my eye
My own vision made me blind
Sometimes we fail to see
And seize the opportunity
Knockin’ at our door

If you put up with me a while longer
There’s a feeling that’s growing stronger
You know I could be wrong
I think you’re gonna be mine before too long

You ain’t the one I’ve been searching for
You’re a little bit less yet a whole lot more
I can’t quite seem to close that door
There might be something that we could explore

*This demo feels like a cloud and seems written in a dream. My nieces Melissa and Monika called this one to my attention when they loved it enough to use it at their respective weddings.

I stood alone on a cliff
High above the rocky shore
On a cold gray day
I watched the clouds sail by
Aimless I was drifting free lost in time
A wandering soul on an uncharted course

Then I saw your eyes
And the sun came shining through
And I knew I’d found my way in you
And the clouds above disappeared in skies of blue
And I found a bright new day with you

Or was it just a dream
A mirage in the desert of my life
Dare I believe all I feel
Can this be real

*What else can I say?! They’ve got ‘IT’ – and we need ‘IT!’ PARTEEE!

Friends all tell me I’m a fool
Crazy love got me breakin’ every rule
They say look at yourself your wings have been clipped
Anymore you’re just downright whipped

I say listen up I can explain
We all need it gotta have it
Couldn’t live without that pain
And here’s why

You’ve got it and I need it (you’re the one)
You’ve got it and I need it (you’ve got it)
You’ve got it and I need it (you got what it takes)
You’ve got it and I need it (you’ve got what I need)
You’ve got it and I need it (nobody but you)

As for you you’re on the prowl again
You been hanging round getting down cattin’ since I don’t know when
But there’s a reason I won’t go
When your at my door wanting more I can’t say no
I can’t lie

REPEAT CHORUS

Keep it up you’re getting’ to me
Mood change actin’ strange you remain a mystery
It’s a war I can’t win 
But can’t you see can’t let it be cover me I’m goin’ in
Here goes