Sidewalks Of My Mind

Seven minutes late for the sunset in the hills
Still the sky‘s ablaze as I am driving
Winding my way up leave the valley far behind
And the canyons open up before my eyes

The lights go on in Dallas
A warm wind‘s rolling in
The smell of sweet temptation in the air
I could have tasted honey
But I‘m the lonesome kind
Ramblin‘ on the sidewalks of my mind

Seven inches deep in the darkness of my soul
Covered by the clouds behind my eyes
Life ain‘t ridin‘easy, life ain‘t flyin‘high
Even shadows fade in a black and moonless night

The lights go out in Denver
Storm clouds rolling in
The sound of thunder‘s hangin‘ in the air
I was offered more than shelter
But I‘m the lonesome kind
Ramblin‘ on the sidewalks of my mind

The lights go out forever
Spirits elevating me
Beyond the limitations of all time
Blessings blend with curses
In a rainbow shining bright
As I‘m ramblin‘ on the sidewalks of my mind
Ramblin‘ on the sidewalks of my mind

 

Coming Home

A survivor facing the Great Plains
In his faded shirt and jeans
With a steam train running through my veins
In a bed of air and dreams

Chorus

And the water is risin‘
Right up to my chin
But I keep despisin‘
The trouble I‘m in

And the fever is burning
It‘s burning me up
Either way that I‘m turning
There‘s no way to stop

There he is – let the band begin
Our hero‘s coming home today
My heartbeat‘s weak and the lights grow dim
Then slowly fade away

Chorus

 

Tryin‘ To Try

Well I‘m to small
For big time fame
No sold out nights
No Marquee Lights
Would show my name

God knows I‘ve tried
I gave my best
And for a while
Even fortune smiled
But it wouldn‘t last

And I went down
Like a champion counted out in the final round
And I went down
Like a singer losing song and losing sound

Chorus

And the wind still blows into my face
And rain keeps falling from the sky
And I‘m still here to find my place
At least I‘m tryin‘ to try

Nameless towns
And endless rides
Bring on the band
It‘s on our hands
Just one more time

When morning comes
In a cloud of dust
We‘d be flyin‘ down
To another town
It‘s burst or bust

Then I rise up
Make my way from the bottom to the top
Yeah I rise up
You won‘t see me back down until I drop

Chorus

 

Older

Lately I‘ve been checkin‘
Myself in the mirror
But the man I used to know
Just wasn‘t there

Tired eyes are lookin‘
Back at me so I am hookin‘
Up with a double shot
Of alcohol

Did someone steal the time
While I was sleeping
Did everything get lost
That I was keeping

Chorus

But the blood that‘s pumpin‘ through my veins
Wild and strong and red
And the dreams envisioned in my brain
No I am not dead

Janie, Jill and Nancy
And this girl who had a fancy
Little – well I really can‘t
Recall her name

A boat trip on a river
Memory makes me shiver
So I guess I pour myself
Another drink

Did someone pull the plug
And kill my power
Forget to tell me
‚bout my final hour

Chorus

Today I woke up smiling
Feeling good and easy going
I‘m just older and that‘s all there is to say

 

By The Station

Summer came with magic
We just picked it up
Time was like an ocean
That would fill our loving cup

Innocence was trembling
You and I right here
Still I feel your warm breath
As you whispered in my ear

Chorus

Meet me by the station
Where the trains all pick up speed
In a field of pink carnation
Summer rain breaks Southern heat

The ocean dried up – magic faded
Youth declined just don‘t look back
Last week I got a letter
From your mother framed in black

So I slowly pack my old bag
White shirt, black suit and tie
Buy a ticket back in history
To hear my first love sigh

Chorus

Now I meet you by the station
Where the trains are slowing down
And I throw a pink carnation
On your cold bed in the ground

Yeah, I‘m leaving this old station
With the last train pulling out
Through a field of pink carnation
And a sky with dark black clouds

 

Monday

Monday, this is the one day
The day you were gone babe
And left me alone here
You told me it’s too late
And i’ll try not to wait
For you on that Monday

Maybe I chose the wrong words
Maybe it did hurt you more than you could bare
But baby I’m still there
Just want you to stay
With me on that Monday

Come back on Tuesday or Wednesday
We can marry on Thursday
Make children on Friday
I’ll promise on weekends
We’ll visit your parents
Well isn’t that great

It’s Monday
First Monday without you
The things that I’m used to
Seem worthless and untrue
The moments we’ve been through
I sit there and miss you
On my rainy Monday

Come back on Tuesday or Wednesday
We can marry on Zhursday
Make children on Friday
I’ll promise on weekends
We’ll visit your parents
Well isn’t that great

When You Get The Blues

When the sky is dark and heavy
And the clouds can‘t hold the rain
Like jumpin‘ off a bridge without a rope

When your mind gets blurred and weary
And your heart can‘t stand the pain
Like bullets from a rifle with a scope

Everything just goes the wrong direction
You run around in someone else‘s shoes

Push away the ceiling
Let the sunlight do the healing
When you get the blues

You‘ve had a streak of bad luck
Well that is plain to see
Place your bets and give it one more try

You can‘t cave in forever
Take this advice from me
Dry your tears and you will see the sky

Things are gonna change in your direction
Believe me I‘m the one to bring good news

Push away the ceiling
Let the sunlight do the healing
When you get the blues

When you get the blues
When you get the blues
Push away the ceiling
Let the sunlight do the healing
When you get the blues

Things are gonna change in your direction
Believe me I‘m the one to bring good news

Push away the ceiling
Let the sunlight do the healing
When you get the blues

 

Broken Love

Chorus

The Sun in California won‘t shine brighter
One everlasting spring is not enough
And the snow in Colorado isn‘t whiter
Underneath an avalanche of broken love

I never thought that I could ever lose you
I never thought that it would end this way
all that‘s left is photographs and memories
and hope for better days

Chorus

This song goes out to all the broken hearted
Battered, bruised and beaten down like me
One love ends another one gets started
Who‘s it gonna be?

Chorus

 

 

Almost 5 A.M.

A distant engine‘s screaming
Of a motorbike that‘s leaving
At least two blocks from this old bar

Inside here smoke is hanging
Floating from the ceiling
Tales of nicotine and tar

It‘s almost 5 a.m and I am staring at the waitress
She looks at me as if she knew

One guy orders whiskey
Another lights a cigarette
And I‘m too tired to say “I love you”

Chorus

But there‘s a light in me
That is mine alone
Takes me through the night
Come another day

You kiss me softly
And you put your arms around me
Whisper words of make believe

Maybe there‘s a future
For the two of us together
I wish we both were that naive

I stand up and light my last and pull myself together
While I‘m searching for my coat

The barmaid‘s looking drowsy,
Like Veronica Lake
And the jukebox plays “One more for the road”

Chorus

 

 

Lake Shore

I steered my boat out on the lake
To where the water‘s almost black
Drowned my memories in the wake
And when the night fell I drove back

Nevermore will I return
To the birthplace of our love
Where our fire used to burn
Underneath the stars above

Chorus

Lake shore lonely
Lake shore lonely
Lake shore lonely
Lake shore lonely

Your laughter echoes in the waves
Soon to be carried by the breeze
And as much as my heart craves
It won‘t ever be at ease

Chorus

I steered my boat out on the lake
To where the water‘s almost black
Drowned my memories in the wake
And when the night fell I drove back

Chorus

 

This Song

Listen world here is the news
About a man who lived the troth
About a man who died too young
And all he left us was this song

He didn‘t teach us how to play it
He didn‘t leave us words to pray
There were no chords to strum along
Nor minor, major right or wrong

Chorus

A song ‚bout hope, a song ‚bout truth
‚bout deepest wisdom, endless youth
A song for all out there alone
A song to build yourself a home

We met him once, we met him twice
We read his lips, we read his eyes
They never told us where he‘s from
And all they‘ve left us was this song

Chorus

 

There Lies My Past

This old house dark and empty
Memories hold up these walls
Wind whispers through the floorboards
Inviting me down to the hall

Everybody‘s dressed up
Like it‘s nineteen-twenty and three
When I turn they are all gone
There‘s nobody left here but me

Time, all of this time
Comes down to me – down to me
Miles, all of these miles
I came to see
There lies my past
There stands my family tree

So I go back to my car
Turn the key and pull out of the yard
I‘m ready to go anywhere now
Now that I know where to start

I feel my roots in the ground
Hear the blood in my stream
I smell the nightfall ahead
See you all in my dreams

Time, all of this time
Comes down to me – down to me
Miles, all of these miles
I came to see

There lies my past
There stands my family tree
There lies my past
My present and future to see