1. |
St. Brigid's Fire
03:55
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It’s the 1st of February
And we all have gathered here
To drink up for King and conscience
From this glorious lake of beer
And drink we will straight on ‘til morning
Drink we will all through the night
And if the sun should cease to give it
This lake of beer will be our light
They say the first shall be the last
So Sister Brigid, fill my glass
I’ll be the first to drink and the last to die
Oh, but I’ll have glory at my side
I refuse that it should come to pass
That when I look back on my life
I’ll see an empty home and an empty heart
And a boy who never found his wife
And if a thief should sneak up on me
And take from me my cup, my share
I’ll say, “There’s plenty more where that came from
Come with me, I’ll take you there”
They say the first shall be the last
So Sister Brigid, fill my glass
I’ll be the first to drink and the last to die
Oh, but I’ll have glory at my side
They say the first shall be the last
So Sister Brigid, fill my glass
I’ll be the first to drink and the last to die
Oh, but I’ll have glory at my side
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
They will behold a lake of beer
And they all will dive right in
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2. |
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Firefights are raging
In the dead of night
The conversation is
In black and white
The Son is shining
But our eyes are shut so tight
We’re goin’ down, down
Whether we go left or right
I don’t want to run
And I don’t want to hide
I just want to seek
And I want to find
All I want, yeah, all I want tonight
Is for love to come alive
O Love, come alive tonight
It’s an old familiar cry
“Oh the humanity!”
When each newborn bullet flies
It breeds more insanity
Where sin and death abound
They say grace abounds
And what once was lost and gone
Can be found
I don’t want to run
And I don’t want to hide
I just want to seek
And I want to hide
All I want, yeah, all I want tonight
Is for love to come alive
O Love, come alive tonight
O Love, come alive
Come alive tonight
O Love, come alive
Come alive tonight
O Love, come alive
Come alive tonight
O Love, come alive
Come alive tonight
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3. |
Enola's Wake
04:09
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Her passing was quick and quite a surprise
To everyone under the sun
As the devil’s a catchy tune in disguise
The virtue of progress was won
Enola’s wake left everyone dead
It’s only a matter of time
I never believed a word that she said
I knew that we wouldn’t be fine
And yet, here I have been called on to speak
To give such a woman a toast
The words of my heart bear the truth that I seek
And I long to speak them the most
So sleep, Enola
Sleep and don’t ever wake up
I’m sad to have known ya
And the death that your life was made of
She was a strong bird and, oh, could she fly
Steady and swift and true
When she married that Fat Man I turned a blind eye
I shuddered when she said “I do”
The light that she brought us was no light at all
And I say that in full confidence
Are we to reap what her Little Boy sowed
When he stole our innocence?
Her family will live on long after her passing
They’ll grow bigger and stronger than she
So pull out your rosaries and lift up your glasses
And pray hard and sing out with me
Sing sleep, Enola
Sleep and don’t ever wake up
I’m sad to have known ya
And the death that your life was made of
Oh, sleep, Enola
Sleep and don’t ever wake up
I’m sad to have known ya
And the death that your life was made of
Her passing was rough as she screamed in her bed
And I prayed that our souls would be fine
‘Cause Enola’s wake left everyone dead
It’s only a matter of time
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4. |
I Don't Want Your Love
03:42
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Hush, little darling, don’t you say a word
I’m gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird don’t sing
I’m gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring don’t, don’t satisfy ya
I’ll say good-bye
If that ring don’t satisfy ya
And if I have to say goodbye then
Well, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
I’ll be your Jack, if you be my Jill
Baby, for you I’ll climb any hill
Forget that pale of water, if you be my girl
Darling, for you I will fetch the world
And if the whole wide world ain’t big enough for you
Then I’ll say good-bye
If you want more than I can carry
You and me, babe,
We ain’t never gettin’ married, and
Well, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
(Tell ‘em how it is, Mikey)
You can call me Sampson, if you want to
I’ll fight any army just for you
And if you want me to be your man
There’s something you’ve got to understand
Questions shouldn’t lead to lies, and
I don’t wanna have to say good-bye
If you tell me that you really care, then
You turn around and try to cut my hair
Well, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
No, I don’t want your love
Oh, I don’t want your lovin’
No, I don’t want your lovin’
Oh, I don’t want your lovin’
No, I don’t want your love
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5. |
The Puppeteer
01:21
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La da da…
Hey….
(etc.)
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6. |
Can't Have My Money
04:11
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Wait a minute, baby
Don’t be so forward
If I want to call, I’ll call you
Don’t go spittin’ digits
If I want your number
I know how to ask
It’s not that you ain’t pretty
Oh, but in your eyes
All I see are dollar signs
And you got a reputation
They say you wanna change me
Into someone I don’t wanna be
If I could ask you just one thing
Who died and made you king?
No, you can’t have my money
If you won’t say you love me
‘Cause to you it’s all the same
Oh, oh, you want my lovin’
But you won’t get nothin’
I refuse to play your game
They tell me you’re the Sue
Who likes to run around
Then chew them up and spit them out
They tell me you’re the one
The one who decides
Who lives and who dies
They tell me that it’s you
You make and you break
They give and you take
Well, if all you want is more control
You can keep your world
I’ll keep my soul
No, you can’t have my money
If you won’t say you love me
‘Cause to you it’s all the same
Oh, oh, you want my lovin’
But you won’t get nothin’
I refuse to play your game
If I have learned just one thing
Pride always comes before the fall
Your love is a big machine, yeah
And it’s gonna kill us all
No, you can’t have my money
If you won’t say you love me
‘Cause to you it’s all the same
Oh, oh, you want my lovin’
But you won’t get nothin’
I refuse to play your game
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7. |
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Looking out over your kingdom
As far as your eyes could see
Did you think that you would live forever?
Did you think you’d always be a king?
Your life, your love, and everything
Did you ever think you’d lose it all?
‘Cause I’m standing on top of your kingdom
On these decrepit castle walls
Oh…
Was your kingdom as big in reality
As it was inside your head?
You wanted a mighty empire
But you got crumbling walls instead
You didn’t count on your mortality
As a hurdle that would make you fall
And now I’m standing on top of your throne
And all I see are ruined castle walls
Oh…
I’m standing in your brokedown palace
On these fallen walls I see
I’m standing on the hope of your future
And it’s a past long gone for me
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8. |
The New World
05:35
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Was it rage or relief or garish grief, callous and coarse in kind?
An eye for an eye for an eye, I suppose
And soon we’ll all be blind
You give a man a gun, you tell him who to kill
You teach him how to turn and shoot
But someday, man, he’s gonna cut the strings
And turn that gun on you
And then you’re gonna say “He was mad all along!”
And add him to your list of names
And fight fire with fire with fire with fire
As the world goes up in flames
While the kings and their squires stand in their squares
Soaked in black gold and blood
Like lambs leading lions into the fray
They’ve all gotten lost in the flood
And I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
It’s easy to admire progress
When you’re on the side that lives
But when innocence dies with every drone that flies
Well, no one really wins
But you need someone to blame, so you pick a name
And the truth is up to you
Their pulses rise while your numbers fall
So any name will do
And this wild wind that you’re blowin’
Will blow right back again
And then before you know it
You’ve lost 5,000 men
While the kings and their squires stand in their squares
Like a pack of puppeteers
You’re the best decision they’ve made in 20 years
And I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
When I was a child, I thought like a child
I believed you when you spoke
It was a dark and stormy moment
That morning when I woke
To find the blood on the money
Had turned the gold red
And when it all disappears the system is dead
But it’s just fool’s folly, this freedom charade
I refuse to be the fool dancing in your parade
While the king’s and their squires stand in their squares
Soaked in black gold and blood
Like lambs leading lions into the fray
They’ve all gotten lost in the flood
And they’re taking everybody with them
In the words that they spew
24 hours a day, 7 days and nothing new
If I’m going down, I’m going down
Going down a free man
I will not be a slave in your false promises land
And I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
I say, Lord, take me down, down to the water
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9. |
The Dark Side
07:55
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“Baby, will you go with me,” he said
“To a brand new city across the sea
To the middle of the desert
Where men with names control reality?”
“We’ll eat until we’ve had our fill
And then, babe, we’ll eat more still
So go and get your bags all packed
Be careful what you photograph, my dear”
So they left and went far away
Now they don’t know what to say
She’s living in a busted car
He’s dying in a dungeon all alone
Oh, tell me, what it’s like on the dark side
Where nothing is ever what it seems?
Oh, tell me, how’s life on the dark side?
Oh, tell me, Love, are you alive at all?
“Don’t you worry, darling,” he said
“I’ll be back when my work’s done”
He sold his land and said good-bye
To his daughter and his son
And so he sought his fortune
Where the rich men with names dwell
He left his wife for heaven
And ended up in hell
Now the lords, the gods of nothing
Have him dying on the land
Enslaved to the Emirates
The pirates of the sand
Oh, tell me, what it’s like on the dark side
Where nothing is ever what it seems?
Oh, tell me, how’s life on the dark side?
Oh, tell me, Love, are you alive at all?
And if you ask the beauty queen
The girl of only 17
“What’s really going on here?”
She’ll put her face down in her magazine
The rich young man takes unholy pride
While the old man justifies
Their lives and how they made them
“Don’t you judge us!” he cries
And all those who’ve spoken out
Who refuse to fetch the bone
The devil took their tickets out
Now they’re prisoners in their homes
The ex-pats from the western world
Rarely seem to show remorse
For how they treat the servant class
Those girls aren’t even whores
Credit is a cancer here
It lets the rich men with names steal
Every smile has a secret
Oh, nothing here is real
We’re all sons of Abraham
But we’re nothing at all like him
He dug holes to honor God
We dig holes to hide the bodies
So eat until you’ve had your fill
Look at the ground, see what you’ve spilled
Throw a cloth and hide the scraps
Be careful what you photograph ‘round here
Oh, tell me, what it’s like on the dark side
Where nothing is ever what it seems
Oh, tell me, how’s life on the dark side
Oh, tell me, Love, are you alive at all?
Oh, do you like what you’ve seen on the dark side?
Oh, can you see anything at all?
Oh, God, please shine Your light on the dark side
‘Cause we can’t see anything at all
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10. |
The Spark
01:03
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Something that was true in the ancient world, and it’s still true in our modern world, is that every great civilization has been built on the backs of slaves.
And what amazes me about this oft-ignored reality is that despite man’s tendency towards evil, towards his “self,” I can still see his capacity for and I still have hope in his ability to do good.
And this reminds me of something that mother always said when I was growing up.
She always said: “Don’t let the glimmer of gold shine brighter than the spark in your soul.”
That’s something that’s always stuck with me.
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11. |
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O how great was the flood
That washed over me
Like a kiss between two lovers
Were your hands upon my feet
O how great was the flood
That passed my lips unsung
Like a newborn babe’s first taste of life
It danced on my tongue
O how great was the flood
That fell from your side
Like a knife into a mother’s chest
When her only child dies
O how great was the flood
That swelled in this sea
When the water rose it took my breath
But You gave it back to me
When the water rose it took my breath
But You gave it back to me
O how great was the flood
That was poured out on my head
Giving love to what love had brought forth
And life to what was dead
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12. |
Lonely in St. Louis
05:36
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Another night, another flight
And in the morning I’m gone from all of this
I suppose, I’m going home
Though I don’t know that I know where home is
I’ve felt this way for quite sometime
For reasons I’m not sure I can explain
But it’s lonely in St. Louis, babe
And I can’t wait to board that aeroplane
I went into an antique shop
And all the books reminded me of you
Then I waited for you by the river
But your breeze, I guess it never blew
Well, tonight I’m here in this hotel
Tomorrow I’ll be back in Baltimore
It’s getting lonely in St. Louis
And I just don’t want to be here anymore
Yeah, I’m lonely in St. Louis, and
I can’t wait to be back at your front door
Oh, and I will be there soon
Oh...
Tonight I’ll sleep beneath this arch
Oh, and I will dream
Yes, I will dream and any dream will do
Then in the morning I will leave this city far behind
And once again I’ll find my way to you
‘Cause I went away for a whole year
Now I’m counting down the days
So when I see your face, I will say
I will tell you that “I missed you, babe”
And then you’ll say it back
And everything we lack will fall away
It will all fall away
Oh...
I will tell you that “I missed you, babe”
And then you’ll say it back
And everything we lack will fall away
Maybe that’s just wishful thinking
Or maybe I’m confused
Or maybe I’m just lonely
Here in old St. Louis
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13. |
Baltimore
05:00
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There’s a new life breathing downstairs
It’s another beautiful night in late July
I can see the moon and the stars are all out tonight
I can see the airplanes flying high
It’s just me and these smoked-out cigarettes
I’m staring at a high-wire crucifix
And I’m praying, yeah, I’m praying for some guidance
On a rooftop in Baltimore
I feel like an old life suffocating in the night air
Looking down over these lights and wondering where mine went
When I was a child I swore that I’d always let it shine
Maybe up here God will help me find it again
It’s just me and these smoked-out cigarettes
I’m staring at a high-wire crucifix
And I’m praying, yeah, I’m praying for some guidance
On a rooftop in Baltimore
On a rooftop in Baltimore
I feel like an old soul stuck in its dark night
Until the day finally breaks I won’t give up
And lately I’ve been thinking
Oh, I’ve been thinking it’s high time
That I get up, go out, and start looking for love
It’s just me and these smoked-out cigarettes
I’m staring at a high-wire crucifix
And I’m praying, yeah, I’m praying for some guidance
On a rooftop in Baltimore
On a rooftop in Baltimore
On a rooftop in Baltimore
On a rooftop in Baltimore
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14. |
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It’s 6 a.m. in Montreal
I’ve been walking all night long
Trying to figure out
Oh, what’s going on
I was talking to a girl
Who said that she would meet me
Early in the morning
But she never did show up
I guess that’s what I get
What I deserve
For not calling her back six years ago
I guess we’re even
Now I’m standing in this old hotel alone
And I’m looking for a face that I might know
So I don’t have to eat alone
Maureen
Has anybody seen Maureen?
Has anybody seen her?
Maureen
Well, me and all my friends
We’ve been here before
In a place quite similar
That left us wanting more
And Pat, he said, “I love her, man!”
So it’s Montreal or bust
Then I’m gonna take a trip
In a broken down old bus
And I might lose everything
And if I do, I suppose I had it coming
For not running after Maureen
Has anybody seen Maureen?
Has anybody seen her?
Maureen
Ma-ma-ma-na-ma-ma-ma-Maureen
Ma-ma-na-ma-ma-ma-Maureen
Has anybody seen her?
Has anybody seen her?
Ma-ma-na-ma-ma-ma-Maureen
Ma-ma-na-ma-ma-ma-Maureen
Ma-ma-na-ma-ma-ma-Maureen
Has anybody seen her?
I once said I don’t wanna have to say good-bye
Until I get the chance to say hello
Well, that was long before I ever knew her name
Now I do, but unfortunately nothing else has changed
And I might just have to take a trip to New York City
Where a friend of Wayne’s told me that the
The girls are pretty
But they’re not like Maureen
Has anybody seen Maureen?
Has anybody seen her?
Maureen
Oh, Maureen
Has anybody seen Maureen?
Has anybody seen her?
Maureen
Oh, Maureen
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15. |
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Hey, Depression
I see you lurking
And I don’t like you none
I’m gonna keep my eye on you
Mr. Serpent, come take a good look
At the bottom of my boot
I cleaned it just for you
Decompression
Please, come infect me
I have learned my lesson
One man can only take so much
Of this wandering
Of Ms. Low Income’s tender touch
Of the faces
And all the names one head can’t hold
And the places
I must be wicked
‘Cause I can’t seem to get no rest
This old crow can’t find a nest
Hey there, Darkness
Quit filling up my lonely drives
With your thoughtless
And your deceptive crooked lines
I must walk straight and tall
Believing in an end
In a light that’s beautiful
But oh so hard to see
When I’m stuck in a tunnel filled with me
Hey, Deflation
Come hit my head like a brick made of iron
An arbitrary simile
The road has changed me
Made me just like the walking dead
I keep talking
But there’s nothing left inside my head
That’s of value
That hasn’t been utterly misconstrued
There ain’t no substance
Nothing adequately processed
That’s worth sharing
And yet I’m sharing it with you
So if you’ve any semblance of wisdom in your soul
No doubt, you’ll find
You can disregard my mind
Hey, Defenses
Why are you on the verge of war
With our senses?
This lack of sleep is clouding up my mind
And so I’d like to pose a question
To all those who might yield to Descartes
If I can’t think, am I not?
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16. |
Barcelona
05:30
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42 hours riding on buses and trains
Two of them were for sleeping
The other 40 for going insane
I was trying hard, trying to make my way
To meet some friends of mine
On the sunny side of Spain
Oh, but my plans were falling apart
And my wallet wasn’t getting me far
And I was sleeping on the ground
Just south of London town
Wondering, “what would my mother say
If she could see me now?”
Oh, Barcelona
How could I not have grown up
I made so many mistakes
But I still found you and you found me too
Oh, Barcelona
You were my Sharona
A love waiting to be gotten
But for some reason playing hard-to-get
Oh, Barcelona
I have heard it said
“If you seek, then you will find”
But what they never tell you is
Sometimes it takes some time
Oh, and I missed my aeroplane
And the trains kept running away
And I was lost and couldn’t get found
In some dirty old Spanish town
Wondering, “what would my mother say
If she could see me now?”
Oh, Barcelona
How could I not have grown up
I made so many mistakes
But I still found you and you found me too
Oh, Barcelona
You were my Sharona
A love waiting to be gotten
But for some reason playing hard-to-get
Oh, Barcelona
Oh, Barcelona
How could I have known that
Everything would go the way it’s gone?
And I feel like I haven’t slept in a year
And Pat is dancing like a girl
And Michael’s rolling on the floor
And I don’t know what’s going on around here
And yet I’ve never been so in love with a place before
And I’ve never had so much fun getting lost
As in Barcelona
How could I not have grown up?
I made so many mistakes
But I found you and you found me too
Oh, Barcelona
You were my Sharona
A love waiting to be gotten
But for some reason playing hard-to-get
Oh, Barcelona
Oh, I was looking for love in Barcelona
I was looking for life in Barcelona
I was looking for a bed in Barcelona
I was looking for my friends in Barcelona
I was looking for the Spirit in Barcelona
I was looking for adventure in Barcelona
I was looking for the ocean in Barcelona
I was looking for the right train in Barcelona
I was looking for cathedrals in Barcelona
I was looking for myself in Barcelona
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17. |
Girl from Frederick
04:21
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I fell in love with a girl from Frederick
And for almost two years she ran from me
When I finally turned to walk in a new direction
She said, “Maybe we can try and see”
Election Day came and we drove through the countryside
Then we went to church to pray
It was the 2nd of November, clearly I remember
Oh Maryland, you were beautiful that day
I drove while she sat with her feet up on the dashboard
Staring out the window at the trees
She turned on the Avett Brothers
And I remember thinking
"I should write a song that sounds like these"
And to think that it was only in September
We had our hundredth conversation
About the sordid complications we faced
She said we weren’t meant to be
I swore she’d be the death of me
And I think she would have been if not for grace
‘Cause I fell in love with a girl from Frederick
And for almost two years she ran from me
When I finally turned to walk in a new direction
She said, “Maybe we can try and see”
Maybe we can try and see
Well, I don’t want to try to and see
I just want to be part of you and me
After such a long time I’d finally been given
The chance to be the one to hold her hand
But I couldn’t seem to shake the road
My feet needed to shuffle
And I knew right then I couldn’t be her man
So I packed up my guitar and I got into my car
And I drove to Boston for the first time
I wanted to be wild
I wanted to be innocent
I wanted to chase these dreams of mine
But I’d fallen in love with a girl from Frederick
And for almost two years she ran from me
When I finally turned to walk in a new direction
She said, “Maybe we can try and see”
Maybe we can try and see
Well, I don’t want to try to and see
I just want to be part of you and me
I don’t want to try and see
I just want to be part of you and me
I don’t want to try and see
I just want to be part of you and me
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18. |
All Manner of Things
03:32
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I’ve been patient
I’d like to think that I’ve been kind
I wish that I could say
That we were always on your mind
For so long
I thought I knew what you wanted
But love is hard to grow
And it’s harder to forget
And you just wanted to remember
What it was you grew with him
Sometimes it doesn’t matter
How well you play your part
‘Cause if you’re only playing
You can’t give of your heart
And I was never sure
If it was me or if it was him
But I grew restless
When you were scared to try again
And as you sat there time was passing
The seasons changed and so did I
Sometimes love is complicated
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19. |
Living the Dream
05:35
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It’s 7:30 on a Friday evening
He drove nine hours to the show
He clips the mic and picks up his guitar
“Check 1, 2, all systems go…”
He plays his music and tells his stories
He sells some records and meets some fans
Their admiration is encouraging
But there’s something no one understands
It’s after midnight on a Friday
He’s got 12 more hours to go
He loads the car and makes his way
From Connecticut to Ohio
His friends all tell him that he’s lucky
He’s got freedom or so it seems
But sleeping in a car outside of a gas station in the rain
Is a funny way to live your dreams
It’s two o’clock now in the morning
He’s been in his car since yesterday
And in the quiet he starts thinking
About the one that got away
Well, she was young, and she was pretty
He made her laugh, she made him smile
But for some reason or another
The timing wasn’t right
If they’re still meant to be, it’ll be a while
And he remembers talking to her
For hours and hours on the phone
And these memories keep him company
While he’s off chasing dreams alone
It’s 4 a.m. now on a Saturday
He’s driving as the whole world sleeps
There’s no one awake for him to call
He is living the dream
Or so they say
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20. |
A Thousand Apologies
02:05
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21. |
The Waiting
05:08
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I’ve done right
Oh, but darling, I have done wrong
I have loved and I have lost
I’ve let go and I’ve held on
I have emptied myself of jealousy
And all the rest
But when it comes to being a man
Have I done my best?
You may have heard some things about me
And maybe some of them are true
Oh, but please, believe me
When I say, my love
That I’ve been waiting for you
I don’t know where you’ve been
Or what you’ve been through
Maybe you’ve been hurt
Maybe you don’t believe
That love can be true
Well, I believe that grace does more
Than simply cover up our scars
And I believe that you and me
We’re a work of art
You may have heard some things about me
I can’t imagine they’re all good
Oh, but please, believe me
When I say, my love
That I’ve been waiting for you
I read about you in the paper
And you felt so far away
Oh, but please, believe me
When I say, my love
That I’ve been waiting for you
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22. |
27
02:48
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January came and then it went
February the same, but with a quicker end
Oh, by March I was bound safely home
And in April I found a love of my own
But then somewhere in May
My love ran away
She ran right into June
And heard a more pleasing tune
In July I fought with money and strife
Then in August I bought
A chance at new life
Sweet September was kind
When push came to shove
And October helped me find
A truth I once loved
And that fire that burned in November
Is one I will always remember
It carried on into December
And remains in my heart, now an ember
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Kevin Heider Dayton, Ohio
Creator + host of the popular Song & Story podcast, Kevin Heider is a singer-songwriter from Dayton, Ohio.
Whether he's writing hymns or drinking songs, his music is imbued with an earnest social consciousness.
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