I came, I saw, I conquered
At least that's what I thought
But by my wife I am corrected
I was the one t'was caught

Just got back from a little trip
wasn't planned, down the mississip
started out from just one sip
of a drink I can't remember

went on down to the land of cotton
woke up really feeling rotten
I can't remember the drink i'd gotten
but, I needed one again

head was fuzzy, vision blurred
one more down, and i'd be cured
instead, now my speech is slurred
but, ****...that drink was smooth

chose to go down to the river
my brain not working, nor my liver
my eyes were closed down to a sliver
I had to find that drink

I saw a re-enactment of a battle
I didn't listen to the prattle
the armies were just led like cattle
to their deaths without a chance

I knew that I saw lots more men
than were actually there right then
my vision saw five score times ten
while there was only twenty two

I relaxed and I loved the feeling
this drink had set my mind a reeling
I feel I could dance on the ceiling
all of this from just one drink

no matter, I swore I'd behave
no comments made about a slave
or I'd be in a shallow grave
and would never drink again

I searched around for near a week
my throat was closed, I could not speak
I hadn't eaten and was weak
but, **** I needed more

i'm sure it had some blue cacao
I need to find out, find out now
i'm not sure when, but I know how
I'll go back to the start

I flew on home and went to where
i'd had the drink on someone's dare
another one of the dog's hair
and i'd start it all again

they told me that the drink i'd drunk
was just some automotive gunk
they moved it cause it smelled like skunk
and I chose to drink it down

some oil and some antifreeze
was the drink that brought me to my knees
they thought i'd die, or at least sieze
but, I guess I proved them wrong

so next time when I have a drink
I think i'll take some time to think
will I notice if it has a stink
before I choose to drink the brew

before I go some sage advice
don't be like me, at least think twice
if you want a trip with added spice
order up one drink from me.

I first saw her on a Friday
Dinking beer and doing shots
And as I gave her the once over
I thought...******* she's hot
She showed me something that night
Something I know I ain't got
Something inside you
That can not be taught

I sent a drink to her
To just say hello
She left it alone
And she started to go
As she passed on by me
She said "I want you to know"
"that something worth having's"
"not just found at hello"

I was the hunter
At least that's what I thought
I found I was mistaken
I was the one that was caught
I chased this young woman
At least in my head
Chased her till she caught me
That was just what she said

I chased her till she caught me
I was the one that was caught
She'd turned my game on me
And that man...was hot
I thought that I had her
with a beer and a shot
I was the one being hunted
And I was the one that was caught

Don't think you are special
And that you know the game
Just what we are playing
They're playing the same
By the time you make contact
And set your sights on her
You're already in trouble
And you've taken her lure


I chased her till she caught me
I was the one that was caught
She'd turned my game on me
And that man...was hot
I thought that I had her
with a beer and a shot
I was the one being hunted
And I was the one that was caught

My thumb, it leads the way




I do not have a fixed address
I've slept near bales of hay
I've woken up in farmers fields
My thumb, it leads the way
My thumb, it is my compass
In time I'll move along
I move around at random
I'm a lyric with no song

I've slept beneath a starlit sky
Never really laying roots
My world is in my duffle
With a second pair of boots

I've lived down by the train tracks
Woken up as they go by
I've woken up beside a scarecrow
As the birds still filled the sky
My thumb, it is my compass
In time I'll move along
I move around at random
I'm a lyric with no song

I've slept beneath a starlit sky
Never really laying roots
My world is in my duffle
With a second pair of boots



I've slept beneath a starlit sky
Never really laying roots
My world is in my duffle
With a second pair of boots

A house that needs a cleaning
Gardens that need tending
Groceries for the larder
And a fence that needs some mending

Grass is nearly one foot high
The dog, he needs a walk
He's gotten just so overweight
But, who am I to talk

Donations to deliver
Things that need be done
A tree to trim a little
But no time to have fun

It takes up all of my spare time
It almost makes me dizzy
I've been retired seven years
And I've never been so busy

Listen close...you'll hear the voices
Devil, Angel, Evil, Good
One tells you what you want to do
The other....what you should
One talks to you in black and white
The other shades of grey
Which one of them talks loudest?
Who do you hear today?

There's an angel on your shoulder
And a devil in your heart
One can make life beautiful
The other...tears apart
All that you believe in
The truths deep down you hold
Which voice do you listen to?
If I may be so bold...

Your true colour's showing now
It don't take much for it to show
You've worn a mask for all of us
To keep the real you hidden low
You're an angel for the public
But the devil rules your mind
You've got dark secrets in your closet
Secrets you hope we never find

Whichever path you follow
Whichever voice you hear
Remember, the end result
May hurt those you hold dear
An angel on one shoulder
And a devil in your heart
Don't sign until you're ready
Or you're done...before you start.


Is the angel just a puppet
Or is the puppet here just you
The strings are neatly hidden
So I give the devil his due
He's won you and is waiting
Sitting, waiting, biding time
He's already told his minions
That this boy's soul is mine

Did you find him in a bottle?
Was he driving a sports car?
Did he promise you a fortune?
Did you meet him in a bar?
Did the angel look away a bit?
And then you let him in
Remember, dogs can learn new tricks
But a snake...still sheds it's skin

Whichever path you follow
Whichever voice you hear
Remember, the end result
May hurt those you hold dear
An angel on one shoulder
And a devil in your heart
Don't sign until you're ready
Or you're done...before you start.

it never really mattered
she was trouble from the start
she never thought of who she hurt
she put the horse before the cart

the school was always calling
saying please pick her up again
until the day they kicked her out
when she was only ten



she was flying too  close to the sun
always thought she didn't need no one
we knew she would crash and burn
that was something she would learn
flying to close to the sun

her father and i wondered
just where did we go wrong
was she a troubled child
we couldn't keep at this too long

we split when she was thirteen
i had to put her in a home
she was always going missing
i couldn't leave her home alone

she was flying too  close to the sun
always thought she didn't need no one
we knew she would crash and burn
that was something she would learn
flying to close to the sun

i saw her on my tv set
watching nightly news
there she was, my daughter
the one i chose to lose

they said she was wanted
for robbery and more
she'd shot a clerk in cold blood
while robbing his small store

she was flying too  close to the sun
always thought she didn't need no one
we knew she would crash and burn
that was something she would learn
flying to close to the sun

my heart was broke
my girl was truly bad
because of her
i lost all that i had

yesterday i got the call
they said they found her dead
she'd hung herself in the night
that was all they said

she was flying too  close to the sun
always thought she didn't need no one
we knew she would crash and burn
that was something she would learn
flying tooclose to the sun
always flying too close to the sun

I went out to do my happy dance
But, it seems I have a sprain
And by missing just a few steps
It seems I made it rain

I went out to do my happy dance
I thought it would be fun
But, by missing just a few steps
I took away the sun

I went out to do my happy dance
I wouldn't be out long
But, by missing just a few steps
The whole **** dance went wrong

So, next time I want to happy dance
I'll do it in my head
Because then if it starts to rain
I'll be warm inside in bed.

I've been looking for a Christmas Tree
The search has been so hard
Last night, I found the perfect one
Outside in my front yard

I venture past it every day
But, it never caught my eye
The tree is forty two feet tall
It reaches to the sky

Last night as I was leaving home
The moon shone oh so bright
It caught the snow on one low branch
And it really was a sight

I looked at it much closer
Saw perfection to my surprise
I'd been looking for the perfect tree
And here it was before my eyes

I couldn't bring it in the house
It would stay out front for all to see
We'd decorate it outside where it stood
The Perfect Christmas Tree

We started putting lights on it
We could only go so high
A neighbor stopped on his way home
with an idea he said to try

He came back by this morning
With some friends and just our luck
They came with two long ladders
And a bright red fire truck

In no time all the neighbors
Started coming by to see
They all bought decorations
For our giant Christmas Tree

It took two days to finish it
This tree that stood so tall
We planned to light it up that evening
To be seen by one and all

On Christmas Eve it happened
The fire truck made one last stop
They extended both their ladders
We put the star up on the top

It was perfect, and we knew it
The neighborhood was there as one
The lights and decorations
Made it light up like the sun

So, next time you need something
Look around and you might find
Perfection, like our Christmas Tree
Just as God designed

I think back to days gone by
And the things that made me,  me
riding bikes down red dirt roads
And the magic witches tree

Out on a back country road
About five miles outside of town
Was a house that no one went to
It should have been torn down

The window shutters all hung loose
And out front there was a tree
That only bloomed in winter time
It was something that made me

Images of long ago
Are stuck inside my mind
Spinning out in order
Some confusing, intertwined
Memories that may have been
And others added to
Their part of what made me, me
Mixed in a mental stew

I remember going out to see
The house with the strange name
The sign out front said "Passing Time"
But, that's not it's claim to fame

Out in front a big, black tree
Stood guarding all around
It bloomed like mad in winter
but in summer, no leaves were found

It bore no fruit, had shiny bark
And this tree called to me
It said come on in, and climb on up
This tree helped make me, me

I had few friends to follow
I was the smallest of the group
I was always being bullied
I wasn't quite part of the loop

One day we went to "Passing Time"
And the tree just called to me
I figured, it was time to start
not being them, but, being me

I challenged them to climb on it
They said that I was mad
It called me and I went to it
The tree seemed rather sad

I climbed the branches to the sky
I was helped up by the tree
It was them I knew that I was now
Not them, but I was me

After climbing down the tree
I knew that I'd be back again
The boys treated me differently
Because of courage I showed then

The magic witches tree still stands
My grandkids and their friends still climb
For, I bought the house long years ago
And now I own "Passing Time"

as long as you are with me
we are home
when i mess up you forgive me
i am home

i know that if we're separate
and that i am off alone
that when we're back together
i am home

it may be in a castle
owned by a long dead king
or even in a trailer
or on an old porch swing

driving on the highway
in the ruins of old rome
as long as we're together
it is home
as long as we're together
it is home

a house is just a building
if you're in it all alone
but without someone to share with
it's no home

a palace or apartment
or a building made of foam
without the love to form it
it ain't home
without the love to form it
it ain't home

as long as you are with me
it's a home
with you standing there beside me
we are home

our love will last forever
build a bond as strong as stone
for where ever we're together
we are home
babe....where ever we're together
we are home

I am not a gambler
I might lie some, that's a sin
But, I am not a gambler
For a gambler thinks that some time he may win

Every thing you do involves selection
From picking what show to watch
To picking who will win the next election

There are two sides to every coin
You either stay or you get going
It doesn't matter much which one you choose
If the flop is ******
And the river comes up dry
You know that as a gambler ....son....you lose

You gamble on a ticket picked
From the boxes that you ticked
You roll the dice and hope it comes up right
But, gambling is gambling
I don't want to hear the rambling
I know you've crossed your fingers really tight

It doesn't matter what you say
I don't gamble, I don't play
You made the choice to abstain...heads or tales
But come the night of the big ***
You sit and pray with all you've got
hoping your numbers don't come up  chewing your nails

A gambler knows just what the odds are
A good one gets out, doesn't go far
But he sits and gambles all the same
It doesn't matter what you play
You have the choice to leave or stay
And if you lose, there's only you to blame

I admit I gamble some
Money goes and money comes
And if I lose too much, I take it hard
I can't believe that I sit here
Behind the smoke and day old beer
Playing for my life with a flipped card....

I am not a gambler
I might lie some, that's a sin
But, I am not a gambler
For a gambler thinks that some time he may win

I've never read the bible
I believe in what I see
I've never seen a miracle
What will be will be

Way back now, in sixty nine
The Mets, they won it all
It may have been a miracle
or just **** good baseball

Don't try and sell me a bill of goods
I believe what I believe
I have to see it for myself
I'm not easy to decieve
There may be things called miracles
But, most are just ...well ...bunk
I don't believe in miracles
I just think they are junk

I've led my life my own way
I don't know why, I just do
I'd never seen a miracle
Until introduced to you

You saw through my tough persona
Knew I was keeping it inside
But, you worked your way on through it
And, it's been one hell of a good ride

I always thought a miracle
involved turning water into wine
But, I know that it's something special
There's one miracle that's mine

I never read the bible
And most likely never will
But, I still need some reinforcement
I'm still quite cautious ever still

I know that you are special
And I know you love me so
I guess that is the miracle
I'd be so lost if you should go

I believe in fact and science
Without proof for me to see
But, since the night that I first saw you
You've been a miracle for me

I watched her get onto the bus
I stood there in the rain
She was off to find her future
I'd not see her again

I watched them load her baggage
Like so many times before
This time I watched the bus leave
And knew I'd not see her no more

Fractured dreams, and broken hearts
Together fourteen yeas
The rain felt quite refreshing
Only raindrops, no more tears

Many times we'd played this game
She'd leave and then come back
If I had to give a number
I'd lie, 'cause I've lost track

She sat beside the window
Looking down, then straight ahead
She was leaving, not on her terms
But this time, my choice instead

Somewhere there's a waitress
I'll find her soon and grab a drink
A celebration bourbon
At least two, I should think

The bus went up the highway
I turned around and walked away
I took my phone out of my jacket
Found the trash, tossed it away

Fractured dreams and broken hearts
I was tired of the game
We'd fought and made up plenty
It always ended up the same

The bus, lost in the distance
In the can, the phone did ring
I laughed and sought that waitress
and the joy that drink would bring

Fractured dreams and broken hearts
The future now was mine
I know it was now over
And it was by my design

I found a bar and went on in
Ordered up two shots, then three
My past was on a greyhound
My future, was up to me

Life is for the living
It's something I just know
Love is more than giving
Love is something that you show

Black and White, shades of grey
Right or Wrong, no words were said
Love was something hidden
Love was always dead

I don't need your fancy presents
They make me feel like I'm in jail
Show me with your actions
Because this heart is not for sale

I'm not your prized possession
I'm not happy when you buy
Pretty things, say I messed up
Your actions, show you try

I've had more gifts throughout my life
Than most guys have had trucks
Don't buy me something, show me love
Or else you're out of luck

I don't need your fancy presents
They make me feel like I'm in jail
Show me with your actions
Because this heart is not for sale

I don't need your fancy presents
They make me feel like I'm in jail
Show me with your actions
Because this heart is not for sale

I was banging out some music
When from the dark I heard a voice
Son, if you want to make a living
Then you gotta make a choice
I heard what you was playing
That was music, not just noise
Son, you wanna make a living
You gotta make your choice

Son, pass me that there  growler
Over in the corner
Don't drop it, you'll be sorry if you do
It'll burn on through the florboards
It'll burn right on through to China
It's a wicked drink, A nasty witches brew

He said, I know you is the cleaner
You clean up when night is done
But, I've heard you from the alley
You're a bullet, shy one gun

Kid, you play piano like it ain't been played before
You're wasting your **** time in here cleaning up the floor
There's a whole world out there waiting, just go on through the door
Oh...they call me The Bluesman....before I say much more

I played some boogie woogie
something light just to begin
He said, boy...get that growler
I need some med-i-sin
He pulled up close beside me
Rubbed his face and scratched his chin
Now, follow close young player
The lesson will begin

We played for near five hours
Didn't hear the storm outside
We played what struck his fancy
We told stories, we both lied
He played that guitar so  smoothly
With the strings so loosely tied
He brought things out from deep within me
Stripped bare, nowhere to hide

You got to feel the music
Not just play it to get paid
You got to let it lead you
You got to know why it was made
The folks who made this music
From the normal line had strayed
You got to feel the music
Play it right, you may get laid

He drank most of the growler
said, son, now I need to rest
I've heard bluesman all around here
And I'd say you're second best
There only is one bluesman
And then he puffed his chest
You met him, and he taught you
It's up to you to do the rest

I finished with my cleaning
Heard him leave and go out back
Then I heard the whistle
Of the train, pass on the track
I had to choose the music
Be a bluesman, not a hack
I learned that  in five hours
I'd learn more when he came back

Christmas is the loneliest time of year
Christmas is the loneliest time of year
A time when all the wrapping and bows
Can't hide the pain you try not to show
Christmas is the loneliest time of year

Christmas is the loneliest time of year
Christmas is the loneliest time of year
The kids are grown and all moved away
They've all grown and can't come to stay
Christmas is the loneliest time of year

You think of all the Christmas' past
Some are blurred the memories don't last
You try to keep the feeling inside your heart
But wishing this just won't make it so
The sky is grey with clouds full of snow
The dreariness is where loneliness gets it's start


Christmas is the loneliest time of year
Christmas is the loneliest time of year
TV specials are not the same
You don't know anybody by name
Christmas is the loneliest time of year

Christmas is the loneliest time of year
Christmas is the loneliest time of year
The mantle has some cards, maybe three
You're all alone, you don't need a tree
Christmas is the loneliest time of year

You think of all the Christmas' past
Some are blurred the memories don't last
You try to keep the feeling inside your heart
But wishing this just won't make it so
The sky is grey with clouds full of snow
The dreariness is where loneliness gets it's start

Why is when you are near
My heart is out of time
Why is it hard to catch my breath
When you are close, close by
My mind is all a muddle
when you are in the room
I can not make the words I want
Whenever you are near

My body has reactions
To your presence in my space
My thoughts are all a jumble
When I see your sweet face
I never do this normally
I can not explain why
But, it happens to me frequently
whenever you come by

I wish I knew the reason
Why do I act this way?
I wish that I could tell you
But, my mouth won't let me say
I love you and I always will
But, whenever you are near
My teeth and tongue and lips are tied
There'll be no sense in what you hear

Why does my heart skip a beat
When ever you're around
My skin gets wet and clammy
It knows you can be found
Somewhere close to where I am
My body lets me know
Why can I not make a sane thought
Why do you vex me so?

As long as you're around me
I can't think or breathe or write
I'm fine when you're not with me
But, as soon as you're in sight
My heart beats out of rhythm
And my mind's not working right
I love you and I need you
But, one thing that I fear
Is that these feelings all will leave me
If you are truly here

Today I got a message
from a friend in poetry
if you get a request to be my friend
i'll tell you it's not me
there's another person out there
who's playing at a game
he's gone and made a copy
of me with the same name

i thought on this a while
our Johnni's not alone
there's a version of him out there
Our Johnni has a clone
Of all the people out there
why did he chose to be
Johnni Stanton esquire
why did he not choose me?

Imagine now...two Johnni's
riding scooters down the street
Giving Johnni Stanton scowls
To everyone they meet
Johnni earned his reputation
Through all the things that he has done
And if you ask me my opinion
I think there's room for only one

So, I'll keep checking for that someone
Who will ask a friend like ne
And will report that cloned imposter
To the powers there that be
There only is one Johnni
There's no room for any more
He's our impassioned, mad curmudgeon
All the way through to his core.

Roll up Roll up
This will cure all your ills
Throw away the crutches
Dispose of your pills

Keep away from the tent boy
Keep back from the curtain
This is just what you need
To stop all the hurtin'

Roll up Roll up
Mind the glare of my teeth
Avoid my forked tongue
Hide from what's underneath

This elixir's a wonder
More a distraction I'd say
Takes your mind from your troubles
At least for the day

Drink a little, drink a lot
It doesn't matter much
You will soon discover
You can throw away your crutch

This potion will cure cancer
Grow new hair on your head
Help the flowers in the garden
Make you better off in bed

Roll up, Roll up
Buy a bottle maybe two
It's magic like no other
See what it can do

The idea is now planted
Is it fake or is it real?
Will it deliver on it's promise?
Is it really such a deal?

Listen to the barker
Listen to his spiel
Sounds like a politician
Now, how do you feel?

Don't look behind the curtain
You'll hate what you will find
Roll up, roll up and see
It may mess up your mind



Take a drink and you'll get bigger
Take a drink and you'll be small
Take a drink, I'll raise your taxes
To pay for my new mall

Roll up  now to the counter
Roll up here and see
That things with this much promise
Are never cheap and rarely free

I can't sing a song on stage
when the words don't come
Can't write a poem
or fill a page
when the words don't come

I can't tell you how I feel
when the words don't come
Can't tell the falsehoods
from the real
when the words don't come

when the words don't come
when the words don't come
I am all alone
when the words don't come

I can not even speak my mind
when the words don't come
No direction
do I find
when the words don't come

I stand here, watch you walk away
when the words don't come
can't make you stop
can't make you stay
when the words don't come

when the words don't come
when the words don't come
I am all alone
when the words don't come

I walk the stones each Sunday
I leave flowers as I walk
Not for certain people
Just in case the spirits talk

I left a rose for Eleanor
Gone 100 years
Just to let her know that
Someone still sheds tears

There's lots to learn while out here
Walking through the stones
Listen close to all the voices
That aren't as silent as their bones

There are soldiers who died fighting
For freedom they did die
From the beginning of our country
Who now beneath us lie

They fought the revolution
Some fought in Vietnam
Some died lost deep inside themselves
Now, folks don't give a ****

There's many here of children
From the old orphan home
They found them buried out in back
So, there their spirits roam

The grass is kept up nicely
Though the stones are left to rot
I try to clean them up a bit
I guess I'm all they've got

I started out just walking
Now, I clean the stones while here
I give them the respect they miss
I can feel their spirits near

So next time you're out walking
And you want to stretch your bones
Bring a brush down to the graveyard
We'll take a walk among the stones

Santa has a new list
It's songs you cannot sing
You cannot say it's cold outside
Or sing of bells that ring

You cannot sing of Rudolph
He got bullied after all
The list is quite extensive
End to end it's six feet tall

You can't even say Christmas
And that is quite absurd
Apparently there's someone who
Is offended by the word

Some are pretty sketchy
Santa Baby, ain't no way
Even if you smile
You can do it just one way

Frosty, that's a maybe
Silent Night, I think is fine
But, sing 12 days of Christmas
And the PC folks will whine

Three wise men, that one is out
There's complaints about that one
They want a woman in the song
And so that song is done

Anything you want to sing
You have to look at twice
Songs we used to love to hear
Now, just aren't so nice

It isn't gonna change me though
I love what's on his list
I even love the banned old song
Where mom and Santa kissed

Don't let your spirit disappear
Play every song you know
Cause Baby, it is Christmas time
And It's cold out in the snow.

Waiting here, full of excitement
For another new year to begin
Spiralling on till December
When we do this all over again

We celebrate one old year ending
As another one gets ready to start
How long will it take in the new year
Before all we plan falls apart?

As we age, every year seems much shorter
Turn around and it's ready to go
What it brings, well, no one can answer
So...it's time we got on with the show

Another new year is beginning
I'll try to watch it begin
But, I feel my eyes getting heavy
And I'm sure I'll be sleeping by then...

Everyday I walk the gauntlet
down the street full of despair
No one looking up at me
But, they know that I am there
Cardboard signs expressing life
Shadows and wratihs along the walk
I try to block out what they say
I don't want to hear them talk
I can't look down and notice them
I can not help them all
I can only walk and wonder
Just how far did they fall?

Last week a voice reached out to me
From a shadow no one cast
I recognized the voice, it was
A person from my past
"Mister, can you spare a bit?"
"I'm just down on my luck"
I stopped and stood and waited as
My very breath was ******

I knew this voice, it's owner was
A man I worked with once
Many, many years ago
Back at old A.F.T. Hunts
I turned and looked upon him
This old man on the side
His eyes looked clear on through me
He wouldn't know me if he tried

I reached inside and pulled a bill
five dollars I would give
I knew when he had everything
Now, this is how he lives
I thought before I gave to him
This could easily be me
I knew exactly who'd he'd been
But, he still did not seem to see

I told him to take care and then
I moved on down the street
Not knowing where'd he go to next
If he'd go somewhere warm to eat
I only knew it wasn't far
to reach the gauntlet of despair
But I think from then, I'd never act
As though they were not there.





       

i'm a long long way from somewhere
but i guess i'm doing fine
There's no one here beside me
The only voice I hear is mine
I'm out here on the highway
Yesterday, was so sublime
You said you  didn't love me
But I guess I'm doing fine

I'M ON THE HIGHWAY GOIN' NOWHERE
AND I'M MAKING READ GOOD TIME
I'VE GOT NO REAL DIRECTION
THIS IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME
I'M SURE IT'S FOR THE BETTER
TO LEAVE THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
I'M ON THE HIGHWAY GOING NOWHERE, MAKING TIME

I should have seen it coming
but it hit me from the blue
I put all I had inside
Into me and you
I was in the middle of the hurricane
Doing what it is I do
I don't believe the storm that hit
was you

I'M ON THE HIGHWAY GOIN' NOWHERE
AND I'M MAKING READ GOOD TIME
I'VE GOT NO REAL DIRECTION
I'M JUST  GONNA TAKE SOME TIME
I'M SURE IT'S FOR THE BETTER
TO LEAVE THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
I'M ON THE HIGHWAY GOING NOWHERE, MAKING TIME

Yesterday I had the world, today the world has me
It's time to hit the road and start to see.....

I'M ON THE HIGHWAY GOIN' NOWHERE
AND I'M MAKING READ GOOD TIME
I'VE GOT NO REAL DIRECTION
I'M   GONNA TAKE SOME TIME
I'M SURE IT'S FOR THE BETTER
TO LEAVE THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
I'M ON THE HIGHWAY GOING NOWHERE, MAKING TIME

Sitting 'neath an apple tree
In Edmond, Oklahoma
Thinking of the days gone by
And drinking my Corona

Body beat all black and blue
I've had less ups than I've downs
I guess that's just all that I get
As an old time rodeo clown

Should I say another season?
Is it worth what I will get?
Money, pain and broken bones
Those not broken yet

I've been gored by bulls in Texas
Stomped real hard in Abilene
But, I got my worst **** beating
By my ex, named Bobbie Jean

With a bull you see it coming
You just get out of the way
But Bobbie Jean sideswiped me
And I'll not forget that day

Put on some clown makeup
Some baggy pants, the game is on
But, I came home from one junket
And Bobbie Jean had up and gone

I wasn't set to find this
Fell in a bottle for a week
It wasn't bad she left me
It's that she took my hound dog, Zeke

That hurt more than any beating
I may have taken in the ring
I can take the biggest brahma
And the bruises it may bring

But, Bobbie Jean done hurt me
Blind sided me you'd say
I know I'll not forgive her
For taking my dog Zeke away

Now, I sit and ponder
One more empty by my side
Am I fit enough to stay here?
Can I stay for one last ride?

I know it's a sad story
Of a clown whose heart got broke
But beneath the colored face paint
I'm just an aging, sore cowpoke

So I sit beneath this fruit tree
In Edmond, Oklahoma
Pondering my future
As I drink one more Corona.

I don't see things that others see
When they look in the sky
I don't see sheep or ***** cats
As the clouds go rolling by

My mind just doesn't work that way
I see just what I see
They see sheep and ***** cats
They don't look that way to me

I wonder when they look at sheep
Do they see a flock of clouds?
or when they hear a ***** cat
is the meow not quite as loud?

They see faces in the bark of trees
And see people in their toast
My mind doesn't work that way
And I think I'm like the most

I don't see things that are not there
I see just what I see
My mind just doesn't work that way
My mind is not that free

They see spirits in old photographs
They see things that are not there
I look and try to figure out
What they see that isn't there

I see stars that are no longer there
But, that's a trick of time and space
These people look at lumps of rock
And they see Jesus' face

My mind is not wired the same
As these who see what I do not
I just hope I never catch what
It is that they have got!!

His smile
shall remain
in my
heart and
soul forever.

Peggy Sue,
Rave On
just
sitting
listening
to
the
Crickets!

Life is more than a straight line
You're born, you live, you die
You can't avoid the ending
No matter how you try

The middle part, son...that is yours
How you live is up to you
Forget about the ending
Go do what you must do

Go.....Celebrate your crazy
Go streaking in the wood
Go...Celebrate your crazy
Around your neighborhood
Go...Celebrate your crazy
Kiss someone you don't know
Break the mold from normal
Go...let your crazy show

Go to work each morning
Don't think about the ride
Do your eight and hit the gate
Keep your feelings deep inside

Hit the house, and grab a beer
Walk the dog, then home
Boring stuff, no fun at all
So, Let your crazy show

Go.....Celebrate your crazy
Go streaking in the wood
Go...Celebrate your crazy
Around your neighborhood
Go...Celebrate your crazy
Kiss someone you don't know
Break the mold from normal
Go...let your crazy show

Life is just a journey
It's a one way ticket trip
So...change the way you live it
And...Let your crazy rip

Barkeep....another
Without ice
A double whiskey
It goes down nice
Feel the fire
That gentle heat
Barkeep...another
And keep it neat

A shot of whiskey
It's warm
not hot
You feel the fire
The bunring linger
Feel the fire
From one shot

You start out drinking
To **** the pain
You order one more up
Barkeep...again
The burning feeling
Inside your chest
You're still coherent
You're at you best

Time...it passes
Years go by
The fire's burning
You're gonna die
That burning feeling
Can't put it out
You move from whiskey
On back to stout

You can not stop it
The fire rules
Your eye's are red now
Red, runny pools
What once was pleasant
Now burns with pain
You can not stop it
Barkeep...again

You keep consuming
It's who you are
Half a bottle gone
You've gone too far
You can not taste it
You can not win
You can not put out
The Fire Within.

Sinatra did it his way, you did yours, and I did mine
And although we're not all famous, I think we turned out fine
We've lived a life of honour, one of which we can be proud
And although we aren't world beaters, you'll never lose us in a crowd
We've made mistakes and we have learned the things we need to do
At least I have, and as for you I hope that statement's true
We have regrets of things we've done and people that we've met
But, still I think we're stronger from the lessons that we get
From doing what we're doing and being who we are
It's got us all to this point, and I think that's pretty far
We've had losses and had wins that impact how we act
Some have made us better and some worse for a fact
We are not always proper with what we write or say
But, I think we came out better when we sit and close our day
We've made friends and we've had lovers leave marks upon our life
We've been lucky with our choices and we've had our share of strife
I've tried to leave each place I've been better than when I came
And I'm sure that you have tried to do this just the same.
I'm a person you can count on when we know the chips are down
I'll be there to do my damndest to help you smile and lose that frown
I am better for having known you and I hope you feel the same
For all I ask in ending is just don't forget my name
For when I'm dead and buried, I know I didn't change the earth
But for the short time I was here I'd like to know I showed my worth
So, Sinatra did it his way, you did yours, and I did mine
And although we're not all famous, I think we turned out fine
We've lived a life of honour, one of which we can be proud
And although we aren't world beaters, you'll never lose us in a crowd

You've got to be set to take the losses
If you gamble just to win
You've got to accept defeat at times
That's the way it's always been
You have to know that life's a gamble
And be set to take one on the chin
You've got to know how to take a loss
To learn how to take the win

Be it sports, or work or love
You're bound to lose some time
To got through life with out defeat
To not have lost one dime
No one wins at everything
Being perfect is a crime
You have to learn to lose for fun
For that's the reason to this rhyme

You can't always be a winner
You have to lose to move ahead
If you can't afford the lesson
Then you'd best just stay in bed
Life is what you make it
It's only over when you're dead
If you can't afford the losses
Then you'd better stay in bed

A winner doesn't gamble
His mindset is the win
It doesn't always happen
And therein lies the sin
A winner know the odds when
He should start to be again
A winner doesn't gamble
A true loser doesn't win

If you can't afford the losses
Then get out of the game
People will destroy you
They don't want to know your name
There's been others here before you
And they all end up the same
If you can't afford the losses
Then you'd best not play the game

You've got to be set to take the losses
If you gamble just to win
You've got to accept defeat at times
That's the way it's always been
You have to know that life's a gamble
And be set to take one on the chin
You've got to know how to take a loss
To learn how to take the win

I'm trendy, dress well, drive a car that others drive
I look my best, I make my way, in order to survive
But, when I go out shopping, I just can find stuff to buy
The racks are always empty, there's just no need to try
Leather coats, snappy shoes and five hundred dollar jeans
These express just who I am, and everything that means
I get the glasses, drink the drinks, buy what the ads all say
Is the hottest, newest, greatest thing out there on this day
My size is always missing from the racks of fancy stuff
The stores say it's a minor thing, they didn't get enough
It's ok I think, tomorrows thing is already a hot trend
I'll soothe my damaged ego, it won't take it long to mend
I'll cut my hair, and buy the clothes like all the others...see
For I'm an INDIVIDUAL...and that's what makes me...me!

ever since the day i saw you
wrapped up oh so tight
you've had me wrapped around your finger
and man, it just feels right

you sing and dance when i play music
though you do not know the words
the things you do just make me smile
you flap around just like the birds

you are my little big man
my little big man you will stay
you'll have that name forever
my little big man...every day
i love the way you smile
and the way you make me feel
you are my little big man
know my love for you is real

you do things and i tell you off
you stomp about and start to cry
you spend time there in the corner
looking outside at the sky

we hug and all's forgiven
we go outside into the yard
i never knew that love like this
could be so easy, not so hard

you are my little big man
my little big man you will stay
you'll have that name forever
my little big man...every day
i love the way you smile
and the way you make me feel
you are my little big man
know my love for you is real

you'll grow up and move along
get friends and live your life
in time you'll go to college
meet a girl to be your wife

one day you'll be a parent
and you'll feel just like I do
when you look down at that smile
of little big man ...number two

you are my little big man
my little big man you will stay
you'll have that name forever
my little big man...every day
i love the way you smile
and the way you make me feel
you are my little big man
know my love for you is real

The world was changed a little bit
When you were born, you little ****
I'm glad that you're a part of it
Today's your special day

At 46 you don't look worse
Than any one else in a hearse
I guess that just must be your curse
Today's your special day

I've known you now for about ten year
I've got your picture on a beer
I'm glad at 46 you're still here
Happy Birthday Ronald Rose

I sit here at the corner
Watching people spend their lives
waving at them as they pass
kids and husbands with their wives

They call me Mr. Waverly
Though no one knows my name
If I'm not out there waving
Life just wouldn't be the same

I sit and wave at everyone I see
When someone calls out "Waverly"....that's me
I wave at everyone as they pass by
Most likely will until the day I die

If I'm not out there waving
Folks wonder how I am
I'm known for what I do
Not known for who I am

I sit out  on the corner
Waving from beneath my tree
As people pass and yell out
"Hey Waverly....that's me"


I sit and wave at everyone I see
When someone calls out "Waverly"....that's me
I wave at everyone as they pass by
Most likely will until the day I die

There's a tale that is told
In the night Yukon cold
Of the shooting of Dan Mc Grew

The truth as it's known
Is a legend that's grown
And the truth is known by very few

It's twenty years on
The Malamutes gone
There's nobody left from that night

But there's talk of some gold
That sometimes is told
Of what happened just after the fight

There is word of a bar
"The New Yukon Star"
And a fellow down there who can play

The place it is grand
The best in the land
And it's found down by Old Frisco Bay

Now, remember the poke
Of McGrew's the tale spoke
And what happened when Dan was now dead

From his neck it was freed
And the poke held the deed
To Dangerous Dan's claim it was said

When the Northern lights glow
Bringing life to the snow
They say that old Dan walks again

But twenty years past
Dan took that breath, yes, his last
And left the world of mortal men

Now, the saloon down in Frisco
With a barkeep named Cisco
Had a picture of Dan on the wall

They say that his ghost
Makes it smile when you toast
Dan McGrew when it is last call

A traveller came
And remembered Dan's name
One night as he sat with his drink

The piano was loud
And he saw through the crowd
A face, which made the man think

He once was a cop
And on occasion did stop
At the bar when Dan McGrew died

He looked at the face
But wasn't sure of the place
That he knew it, but **** boys he tried

There's a place saved in hell
For those under the spell
Of those who cheated out old Dan McGrew

In the stories it's told
how his poke with his gold
Was stolen by someone he knew

Think of the name
Of the one living with shame
From Dan's last night beneath the north star

Just who could build
A place always filled
A hotel and a popular bar

There on the stair
With long silvery hair
Through cigar smoke that made the air blue

Was the girl who once danced
And had Dan entranced
The girl known only as Lou

I love to sit in comfort
At home watching TV
I watch my favorite movies
The one's that work for me

It's not a Christmas movie
Just because there's snow
That's something folks at Hallmark
Should be told, so someone knows

To me, A Christmas movie
Has Santa and a gift
It has a Christmas message
It gives people a lift

Getting lost in a big snowstorm
Finding love in a small town
Doesn't make it Christmas
In fact, it brings me down

I want music, Bing and Danny
Scrooge , Kris Kringle, silent night
I want movies I grew up with
I want films in black and white

I watch movies that will touch me
Make me feel what's deep inside
I want to feel the Christmas spirit
I want shepherds to abide

A Christmas film is something
I want to sit and watch each year
I want to understand what they are saying
I want the message to be clear

Entertain me, make me feel it
Films traditional and new
I want to travel backwards
To remember Christmas past....don't you

A real good Christmas movie
Brings memories into my mind
Of sitting down with Grandpa
Things Hallmark doesn't find

So, even though it starts a fire
No matter what you see
It may be a Christmas film to you
But, it may not be to me

I sit and look deep in your eyes
And I can't see your soul
Instead I see a darkness
A deep and empty hole
You look back at me..empty
With the eyes that show me naught
There's no love there, waiting,
No passion, nothing hot
The eyes of a dark creature
Not the person I once loved
Who was half of what made us
Who always pushed when I did shove
The darkness there behind the eyes
Show me, you aren't there to see
There's nothing of the old you
There's nothing there for me
I don't know when the blackness
Came along and took your soul
I must have missed the memo
That made your insides dark as coal
You're just an empty,  burned out husk
You were there, but now you're black
I hope you find your way again
On your long, winding road back

Last night I heard a Nightingale
My wife, she heard it too
I yelled out the bedroom window
Florence. Is that you?

Halloween is here again
I used to love it so
But, now when it's shell out time
My face I do not show

I hide down in the basement
No light will people see
"No Candy Here" upon the door
There's nothing here from me

Ghosts and Ghouls and Spirits
Up my street they creep
But, I see them nightly
When I try to sleep

Four faces of four children
Out to trick or treat
Run down by a drunk driver
While trick or treating on my street

Seven children run down
Time....eight seventeen
Three were injured, four were killed
On that horrific Halloween

Each day for me is Halloween
Each day I hear them screaming
The worst part is that I'm awake
I don't hear them when I'm dreaming

Two who died, I knew them well
Dressed as cowboys on that night
Now they're gone, to ride the range
Their souls have taken flight

The street was closed for near two days
There were many questions asked
And in the end, nothing has changed
The answers hidden by a mask

The driver, he was plastered,
Didn't know what day it was
He's out now, paid his penance
I hope he feels a sense of loss

Myself, I cannot bear it
Every year I stay inside
I see those faces on new children
So, in my basement I will hide

No Candy Here, I'm sad to say
It hurts as much today
I still grieve for those poor children
In my own, respectful way

We've been together
Seems forever
But the passion
Is not there
The magic
Once between us
We both
No longer share

There is no
real emotion
in our voice
It's now a lie
At what point
Did the magic
Disappear
And die?

There's got to be a moment
We'll both find it if we try
We both know there is a moment
When it's time to say goodbye

Long ago
I loved you
And I know
you did too
But, now
your hearts not mine
It belongs
to someone new

Like ships that
are just passing
each other
in the night
Our daily
conversations
always end
up with a fight

There's got to be a moment
We'll both find it if we try
We both know there is a moment
When it's time to say goodbye

my body clock
has run aground
a good nights sleep
can not be found
counting sheep
over fences bound
i'm wide awake
instead of sleeping sound

sleep it comes
when it should not
i'm fearful that
i might get caught
a nodding off
a fight i fought
sleep when i should
can it be bought?

my body zigs
instead of zags
i'm wide awake
my eyes have bags
my inner spring
has stopped and lags
my nerves are shot
i zig....i zag

i lie in bed
one eye i close
i'll trick myself
my brain won't know
asleep, awake
which way to go
i'm half awake
my spirits low

If i am half asleep
i guess
i'm half awake
as well at best
there's the answer
to my sleeping quest
do half of both
i must confess!!!

I'm in the third season of my lifetime
The fall, to give a name
It's more like early winter really
Or late summer just the same

As the trees lay down their carpet
Of golds and browns and reds
I too am shedding cover
From the top of my bent head

Winter is fast approaching
A dormant time for all around
When snow falls down and surrounds us
It lands and doesn't make a sound

My winter too is coming
Retirement my future track
No more spring or summer lifetime
Just an old and aching back

My life has been a journey
I now have reached just past half way
Late summer was a new beginning
I found the love I have today

We will be together into winter
My hair already snowy white
I'm looking forward to September
First fall, is still inside our sights

I know the winter of my lifetime
Is still a future yet to be
But, even though I hate the winter
I'll do alright, if she's with me

Lord hear my prayer
The words I want to hear now
Under the B...2!

The house is full of people
but, it doesn't feel the same
You're just going through emotions
You're just playing at a game

The kids are home to visit
Aunts and Uncles too
But, we're all moving in slow motion
No one quite knows what to do

The house has changed a little
Since we grew up in it back when
Life was all delivered
Girls were girls and men were men

There's a yard, and beyond a field
And past that there's a stream
We went there to smoke cigarettes
And we all went there to dream

Sitting in her easy chair, staring at the world
Inside her mind
If we had a look in there, would we be surprised
At what we'd find
Grandma sits alone and looks, no sound
Just vacant stares
No one talks to Grandma now,

The house, it has a wrap around
porch from front to back
it was built for conversation
there's no reason for a deck

we've grown up and all moved on
Just Grandma and the folks
The front yard has a wagon wheel
With two cracked and broken spokes


We're here for Grandma's birthday
She won't move and doesn't know
We'll eat cake and ice cream
Say good bye before we go

She won't come down to see us
Won't venture past the door
I'll sit and brush her hair out
But, we don't talk to her no more

Sitting in her easy chair, staring at the world
Inside her mind
If we had a look in there, would we be surprised
At what we'd find
Grandma sits alone and looks, no sound
Just vacant stares
No one talks to Grandma now,