Shooting Star

Rough draft again... It needs more "space" symbolism I think.

Shooting Star

Verse 1:
If men are like Mars, and women like Venus
There are 70 million miles in between us…
But I’d like to close the gap one step at a time
Keep walking towards me, one day you’ll be mine

Pre-Chorus:
But this universe is so big
That I’m feeling pretty small
If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl…

Chorus:
Tell me, everything’s gonna be
Ok, that’s all I really need
Because I am a shooting star
Headed straight for where you are
This galaxy…
Can’t keep you from me

Verse 2:
I am revolving round
The same Sun that’s shining down, on you…
And I pray that someday
That your stars will align with mine too

Pre-Chorus
But this universe is so big
That I’m feeling pretty small
If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl…

Chorus;
Tell me, everything’s gonna be
Ok, that’s all I really need
Because I am a shooting star
Headed straight for where you are
This galaxy…
Can’t keep you from me

Bridge:
I breakdown, done walking
I’m running, headed straight for you
Please turn around, to the path I’ve found
Our atmosphere is turning blue

Chorus:
Tell me, everything’s gonna be
Ok, that’s all I really need
Because I am a shooting star
Headed straight for where you are
This galaxy…
Can’t keep you from me

In My Mind

In My Mind

Verse 1:
On the outside I look strong
But on the inside I’ve lost control
I feel like I’m living underwater, holding my breath
And I’ll never understand the things you don’t regret

Chorus:
Well this is me, finally
Breaking down, hope you see
All the pain I can’t believe
Turn around and set me free
I wish I could go back in time
In my mind

Blood on my hands
A knife in my back
Red sky at night
Has faded to black
I can only go back in time
In my mind

Verse 2:
Your pretty little eyes covered your cold and twisted heart
I wish I would have seen right pass your mask from the start
Next time save someone some time
And walk away before he is blind

Chorus:
Well this is me, finally
Breaking down, hope you see
All the pain I can’t believe
Turn around set me free
I wish I could go back in time
In my mind

Blood on my hands
A knife in my back
Red sky at night
Has faded to black
I can only go back in time
In my mind

Bridge:
When the storm came rolling in
The waves came crashing down
I never thought it would be this way

I was too busy listening
To your lies, and eyes glistening
To hear what my heart had to say

Chorus:
Well this is me, finally
Breaking down, hope you see
All the pain I can’t believe
Turn around set me free
I wish I could go back in time
In my mind

Blood on my hands
A knife in my back
Red sky at night
Has faded to black
I can only go back in time
In my mind

The Vampire

Here is one from the binder I found today. This was written by myself and my good friend Brad Jordan. Not a song really, more of a poem.


The Vampire

Here he comes down the hall
Silently creeping against the wall
His body is slender and tall
Silently creeping down the hall

Slowly he walks toward your bed
Wondering what dreams run through your head
Thirsty is this lover of dead
Sleep tight dear child, it’s all in your head

You hear a tapping at the door
Could it be the wind and nothing more?
Then you see the shadow on the floor
You do not think it is the wind anymore

As the tapping gets louder, your heart starts to pound
You lay in your bed, not making a sound
You stare silently at his shadow on the ground
Your time has come, it is you he has found

The door opens, and he steps inside
You still lay quietly, with your eyes open wide
Your body is frozen, you couldn’t move if you tried
It is too late now, you have nowhere to hide

He searches your neck, looking for the vein
His bite is quick, you do not strain
His eyes fill with wonder as your blood drains
Your body falls limp, you feel no pain

He smiles happily when he is done
His thirst is quenched, he’s had his fun
But now he and you have become one
Your life as a vampire has now begun

Here you come down the hall,
Silently creeping against the wall
Your body is slender and tall
Silently creeping down my hall

A Great Find

I helped my brother Kyle move today. We went to our family's storage unit and got some of his things out of there. While in there, I found a box of mine, and it had a binder in it. Not just any binder. This was the "Lineage" binder.

Lineage was the first band I ever played in. It consisted of myself, Wil Anderson, Daniel Taylor, and Brad Jordan. Four friends that went off to college together and started a band. We wrote our own songs and even recorded a few. I still have a lot of those original recordings. But, back to the binder. We had a 3-ring binder where we kept all of songs the we had written. Some of the songs we completed, others were works in progress. I looked through the binder tonight to find the original hand-written copies of most of our songs. There are other songs in there that I don't remember writing. Some are typed up, and others are just a chorus jotted down on a scrap sheet of paper.

I think I'll post a few of the songs on here. Finding this binder was really cool. I have been writing a lot of songs lately, and reading some of these songs that we wrote nine years ago really takes me back.

All About Me

Rough draft of a new one...

Verse 1:
I don’t know where I’m going
Only know where I’ve been
Looking for a new path
That won’t lead to you again

I’m broken down and empty
Torn apart inside
Darkness overcomes me
I fight the urge to hide

Pre-Chorus:
But today is a new day
It’s time for me to change
I won’t hesitate
You’ve made me who I am

Chorus:
I’m moving on, the time has come
Gotta move on from where I’m from
And you better believe
This is all about me
I finally see what I need to see
Can finally be who I want to be
And you better believe
This all about me
All about me

Verse 2:
Time to take a new course
A road less traveled down
Gonna hitch my ride to a new horse
Gonna get out of this town

Finally less empty
Heart filled with love
Don’t have to walk so gently
It’s time to rise above

Pre-Chorus:
Today is a new day
It’s time for me to change
I won’t hesitate
You’ve made me who I am

Chorus:
I’m moving on, the time has come
Gotta move on from where I’m from
And you better believe
This is all about me
I finally see what I need to see
Can finally be who I want to be
And you better believe
This all about me
All about me

You Make a Man Wanna Love Again

Kind of a redneck country song here... Sounds pretty cool

Chorus:
You make a man wanna love again
You got something I don’t understand
Come on baby take me by the hand
Cuz you make a man wanna love again

Verse 1:
I don’t need no first date
Let’s skip to the wedding cake
Girl you know this is gonna be great
You make a man wanna love again

Chorus:
You make a man wanna love again
You got something I don’t understand
Come on baby take me by the hand
Cuz you make a man wanna love again

Verse 2:
I’ve been cheated on and ripped apart
Had more than one woman break my heart
But your smile is off the charts
You make a man wanna love again

Chorus:
You make a man wanna love again
You got something I don’t understand
Come on baby take me by the hand
Cuz you make a man wanna love again

Verse 3:
I don’t care what your daddy said
He could pump me full of lead
I’d still love you till my face is red
You make a man wanna love again

Chorus:
You make a man wanna love again
You got something I don’t understand
Come on baby take me by the hand
Cuz you make a man wanna love again

I'm Right Here

I’m Right Here

Verse 1:
Tell me little girl what did your daddy do?
Was it his words or did he lay a hand on you?
Hush now little baby, don’t you cry
I’m right here by your side

Tell me baby girl are you strong enough
I know your life has been kinda rough
But I know you can make it on through
Cuz I’m right here with you

Chorus:
I’m right here, there’s nothing to fear
I know you can carry on
I’m by your side, wiping the tears from your eyes
Don’t wait for a moment that never comes
Scars never heal, but I’m right here

Verse 2:
Tell me little boy what did your momma do?
Did she deny any love to you?
Quiet now, there’s no reason to cry
I’m right here by your side

I know this world can be kind of tough
Going through the motions not knowing love
But I know you can make it on through
Cuz I’m right here with you

Chorus:
I’m right here, there’s nothing to fear
I know you can carry on
I’m by your side, wiping the tears from your eyes
Don’t wait for a moment that never comes
Scars never heal, but I’m right here

Bridge:
I’ll be here when you need me
I’ll be here when you don’t
I hope that you can see
You’ll never be alone

Chorus:
I’m right here, there’s nothing to fear
I know you can carry on
I’m by your side, wiping the tears from your eyes
Don’t wait for a moment that never comes
Scars never heal, but I’m right here

BrokenRail

So I’ve recently joined a new band called BrokenRail. The guys are all living in Auburn currently and we play “rock” music. I’d say the sound is similar to bands like: Nickelback, Alter Bridge, Creed, Theory of a Deadman…etc. The primary focus of the band is to write and record original songs and eventually get signed to a major record label. We have a 7 song “EP” out currently entitled “Welcome to the Escape.” You can find it on iTunes and other music download sites.

Although I have been primarily a guitarist over the last 10 years, I’m playing bass guitar for BrokenRail. I have enjoyed playing bass for a change of pace. I find that it is easier to relax on stage and enjoy the music. With bass I don’t really have to concentrate as hard, because it is easier to play. I have found that I am a pretty good bass player… maybe even better than I am at guitar.

Blake Clawson is the lead vocalist of the band, and Jacob Fine is the lead guitarist. Both are very talented. I thought I was a pretty good rock guitarist until I heard Jacob for the first time! The man can really get after it on lead guitar. Blake plays rhythm and sings, and he is very good with making connections and dealing with the business aspect of the band. We are currently seeking a full time drummer that matches our level of abilities.

Currently we are playing some shows here and there while we work on writing our first full album. We have been accepted by the award-winning producer Elvis Baskette to do our first album. Elvis has produced albums for many of the major rock bands. He is credited with the success of bands like: Chevelle, Incubus, Story of the Year, Three Days Grace, Eve 6, and just finished the new Alter Bridge album. He doesn’t usually agree to record unsigned bands, but he has agreed to record and produce our first full album. The only hang up is the money. Elvis requires about $50k for his time and efforts. So we are kind of in a holding period until we can either find a private investor or get a record company to back the album. Roadrunner Records has expressed interest in either signing us or backing the album with what is called a 360 deal. Only time will tell if we can make this happen or not. If we can get an album done with Elvis, we will be well on our way to a full time career in my opinion. Everything he touches turns to gold. While there are many bands out there that never “make it,” we at least have some open doors for an opportunity. Even if it isn’t meant to be, I have enjoyed the journey thus far.

If you want to help us out, you can go to http://signmeto.roadrunnerrecords.com and register to be a “scout.” Then you can find us on there and give our songs good ratings. This is a site that RoadRunner uses to find unsigned talent. We are currently sitting at #8 on their All Time Charts, and have been as high as #2. Also, if you have and extra $50k laying around that would work as well =)

While I have enjoyed playing with BrokenRail, I still play guitar with Josh for a few shows a month, and I play for the church youth group each Wednesday night. I also have been on a song-writing tear as of late, which has brought me great joy. I am happy with the mixture of types of music in my life right now. With BrokenRail I get the loud rock, with Josh, we play acoustics and play familiar cover tunes, and with the church band, I get to do my best “Edge” impression and play that famous U2 sound (which is my forte when it comes to playing lead guitar). With my song writing, I get to express myself, and my thoughts however it comes to me. I have been writing some songs that are country style, some that are rock, and others that more of a light rock/pop style. Whatever the mood strikes I guess.

While the hours are long, and all this playing can wear on me (my sleep schedule is all jacked up), I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It has been difficult to be on the go so much while holding down a full time job. But, so far I have managed it pretty well in my opinion. My wish is that I could do the band thing full time one day, and not have to worry with a “real job.” You know, “money for nothing, and the chicks for free.”

Nevertheless, my hopes are not set too high. I am in fact a realist (some would say a pessimist). “Making it” with a band is like winning the lottery. There are thousands of other bands out there that are just as good and many are probably better. Like anything, it is all about who you know and the connections you can make. Luckily, we have made some of those important connections already, but we shall see if anything comes of it.

Down

Before you start to call me and/or pray for me, this is not a song I wrote about me... This is based on the T.V. character "Dexter." If you've seen the show you'd understand it. If you haven't seen the show, you should check it out.


Down

Verse 1:
This mask hides the monster
Living inside of me
My eyes hide the darkness
I hope you can’t see

A wolf in sheep’s clothing
I hide in plain sight
But I’m not hiding anymore
I’m going down without a fight

Chorus:
I’m going down, a little a time
I’m going down, it’s no crime
There’s no stopping me now
I’m going down, down, down, down, down

Verse 2:
Underneath this shell
There’s a better part of me
Looking past the darkness
There’s a dim light I see

I can turn this around
Or I can give in right now
There’s no point in fighting
I’ve already made my vow

Chorus:
I’m going down, a little a time
I’m going down, it’s no crime
There’s no stopping me now
I’m going down, down, down, down, down

Bridge:
Don’t get too close
Stay out of my way
You can’t stop me now
My dark passenger awaits

Chorus:
I’m going down, a little a time
I’m going down, it’s no crime
There’s no stopping me now
I’m going down, down, down, down, down

All I Need

I love this new song. Very minor chords and mellow... reminds me of Beck's music. It is about how we can sometimes feel hopeless and lost, and we just need a little help to get by.

All I Need

Verse 1:
Gentle breeze, sail me away
My ship’s at sea, no reason to stay

Wasting time, sleepless night
Born to love, but live to fight

Chorus:
My ship sails on an empty sea
Just your breath, the wind I need
The waves crash down, the raging sea
Your breath of hope, all I need

Verse 2:
Without a sail, I drift away
On a giant ocean, so cold and grey

Lost at sea, no end in sight
All I need, is a guiding light

Chorus:
My ship sails on an empty sea
Just your breath, the wind I need
The waves crash down, the raging sea
Your breath of hope, all I need

Bridge:
All I need, is a light to guide me
Someone to find me
All I need, some wind behind me
Someone to find me

Chorus:
My ship sails on an empty sea
Just your breath, the wind I need
The waves crash down, the raging sea
Your breath of hope, all I need

Nobody Has to Go it Alone

Not so angry this time...

Nobody Has To Go it Alone

Verse 1:
It’s a long road to haul
If you’re going it alone
Sometimes we need friends
To take some of the blows

You think you have control
But you’re digging a deeper hole
Let me take some of the weight
Off your shoulders, ease your soul

Pre-Chorus
When you’re feeling the hurt
When you’re feeling the pain
When you’re face down in the dirt
When you’re tied up in chains

I’ll be there for you now
I’ll be there for you then
You don’t have to ask why
Because I’d do it all again

Chorus:
I’m here when you’re out-manned
Ready to lend a hand
In this great big world of the unknown
Nobody has to go it alone

Verse 2:
You don’t have to hide
Don’t need to always be right
Let me take some of the bullets
In this fight

You don’t have to speak
Don’t have to always feel weak
There’s people all around you
That you can seek

Pre-Chorus
When you’re feeling the hurt
When you’re feeling the pain
When you’re face down in the dirt
When you’re tied up in chains

I’ll be there for you now
I’ll be there for you then
You don’t have to ask why
Because I’d do it all again

Chorus:
I’m here when you’re out-manned
Ready to lend a hand
In this great big world of the unknown
Nobody has to go it alone

Nobody Else

I'm in a bad mood for some reason tonight... so here's a semi-angry song... Enjoy LOL

Nobody Else

Verse 1:
I lie awake on a cold dark night
I can't escape these things on my mind
All my thoughts are killing me inside
I can't leave it all behind

If I never see you again, it will be too soon
I hope you are haunted by your choices too
But maybe I’m being too cruel
But you’re the one giving me the fuel

Chorus:
Because me, I’m worn, I’m torn
Ready to be reborn
Ready to find the cure
There’s nothing in this life I can’t endure

I’m battled and tested
I’m fully invested
In being myself
And nobody else

Verse 2:
You wanted me to change
But I wanted to stay the same
You asked me to change who I am
But you wouldn’t even look at yourself

If you don’t like me for who I am
It’s time for you to find another man
Because I can’t be someone else
And you aren’t so perfect yourself

Chorus:
Because me, I’m worn, I’m torn
Ready to be reborn
Ready to find the cure
There’s nothing in this life I can’t endure

I’m battled and tested
I’m fully invested
In being myself
And nobody else

Bridge:
Sometimes this life can beat you down
Steal your heart and take your crown
But I’m not gonna wait around
Nobody is gonna hold me down

Chorus:
Because me, I’m worn, I’m torn
Ready to be reborn
Ready to find the cure
There’s nothing in this life I can’t endure

I’m battled and tested
I’m fully invested
In being myself
And nobody else

A Lover at Heart

Verse 1:
He was a good friend
He was a lover at heart
She was a shy girl
That tried way too hard

Although she really loved him,
Sometimes she’d leave him spurned
But when she walked away
He longed for her return

Chorus:
Better than a best friend
He loved her without end
When she was walking away
He could only say
He understood
I want a love that good

Verse 2:
She had a beauty about her
That nobody could see
A simple country girl
Born to run free

But when he looked at her
His eyes lit on fire
This diamond in the rough
Only he could admire

Chorus:
Better than a best friend
He loved her without end
When she was walking away
He could only say
He understood
I want a love that good

Verse 3:
On a cold winter morning
Sometime just after dawn
As quickly as their love began
It was over and he was gone

She found him lying peacefully
And her eyes filled with tears
She wondered what she would do
Without her lover dear

Chorus:
Better than a best friend
He loved her without end
When she was walking away
He could only say
He understood
I want a love that good

Outro:
He was a good friend
A lover at heart
He lives on in our memories
So we’ll never be apart

What a Day

So today I was going to go to the Auburn/Georgia game. I had it all worked out. My friend Billy had my student ticket because I let him borrow it for the previous game. Well, Billy and I failed to exchange the ticket this past week. I called him on Friday night, and found out that he was in Georgia. I briefly panicked, but regained my composure when he told me that he would be back this morning by noon. Plenty of time for me to get the ticket and get to the stadium, right?

I drove to Billy's apartment to pick up the ticket around noon. Billy and I had the bright idea that I could ride his bike to the stadium from there since traffic was so bad. It is about a ten to fifteen minute bike ride. I'd say the route is about 2 miles. Well I took off on his bike and got almost to the stadium when I realized my wallet had fallen out of my back pocket at some point. I again panicked... I call Billy. "Go outside your apartment and see if you see my wallet." It's not there. So, I begin to backtrack along the same route looking for my wallet (which has the ticket in it by the way). I get all the way back to Billy's apartment with no wallet found. I asked everyone I passed along the route if they had seen a wallet on the ground. Nothing. So I re-ride this route back and forth 4 times looking for my wallet which I know has been taken by someone by this point. In the course of all this riding, I did find an iPhone on the ground. Someone else was sharing a similar experience with me today. I picked up the phone and put it in my pocket. I finally gave up on my wallet quest and decided to go home and watch the game on TV.

Then the phone rings. It's the guy's girlfriend. He wants his phone back of course. I offer to meet with them somewhere after the game. He then tells me that he is so grateful that he will buy me a student ticket to the game from his friend. We agree to meet at the student gate to do the exchange. I arrive at the agreed upon location about 10 minutes before kickoff. The guy finally shows up right at kickoff... drunk. He has no ticket for me because his he couldn't get in touch with his friend. So he gives me $40 cash and I give him the phone. Of course, I can't buy a ticket for only $40 at kickoff right?? I try anyway. I was one of those people desperately holding up one finger like an idiot. I found several people selling tickets, but they all wanted closer to $200. Sorry folks. I then made the walk of shame all the way to Billy's apartment and headed home. I canceled all of my cards and what not, and now I have $40 to get me to Monday when the bank opens. Plenty of dough. Auburn wins the game and all is well.

So today I rode a bike approximately 16 miles and walked another 3 miles. At least I got my workout?

I Got A Feelin...

Old school blues song I wrote a while back... think Stevie Ray Vaughn...

Verse 1:
Well I was sittin in a bar on a Saturday night
Had a few drinks and was feeling alright
The man on the stage started playin some tunes
The bartender told me he was playin the blues
I got a feelin in my bones and I started to move
I started dancing and jumpin to that sweet groove

Chorus:
I gotta feelin...
I gotta feelin....
I gotta feelin in my bones I can’t explain
I gotta roaring in my chest like a freight train
I gotta feelin deep inside, let me tell you the news
I gotta feelin, gotta feelin, and I call it the blues

Verse 2:
Well I danced in that bar all night long
He played that guitar song after song
Each note he hit did that same old thing
It got me dancing and uh moving and starting to sing
When 2 am finally rolled around
The bartender told me “son you got to get out”

Chorus:
I gotta feelin...
I gotta feelin....
I gotta feelin in my bones I can’t explain
I gotta roaring in my chest like a freight train
I gotta feelin deep inside, let me tell you the news
I gotta feelin, gotta feelin, and I call it the blues

Verse 3:
Well I went to my car kinda feelin down
That feelin didn’t leave me all the way to my house
The next I went down to the music shop
I bought a guitar and learned how to rock
One year later I stand here now
I got blues coming in and blues going out

Chorus:
I gotta feelin...
I gotta feelin....
I gotta feelin in my bones I can’t explain
I gotta roaring in my chest like a freight train
I gotta feelin deep inside, let me tell you the news
I gotta feelin, gotta feelin, and I call it the blues

Waiting For You

I wrote this one with Josh and Wil about a year ago. Forgot all about it until I found our rough recording on my iTunes.

Waiting For You

Verse 1:
Come and walk with me tonight
Nothing left to hide
Stay a little while
Just open up your mind

The whisper on your lips
The softness in your eyes
Just lean a little closer now
I'll help you realize

Chorus:
I spend my life
Waiting for you
Just waiting for you
As days go by,
Nothing I can do, nothing I can do
Just waiting for you

Verse 2:
Here we are again my friend
This never seems to end
The night is ours to live
So where should we begin

Tell me it's in my mind
Tell me to just unwind
I'll open up my arms
I wanna have tonight

Chorus:
I spend my life
Waiting for you
Just waiting for you
As days go by,
Nothing I can do, nothing I can do
Just waiting for you

Bridge:
Bring me back to paradise
Just bring me back to life
Waiting on your love, I’ll be here
Take me deeper inside

Chorus:
I spend my life
Waiting for you
Just waiting for you
As days go by,
Nothing I can do, nothing I can do
Just waiting for you

The Moon

Verse 1:
She took the red eye to L.A.
As he waved goodbye, he didn’t know what to say
She was following her dreams, and he didn’t want to stand in the way

She said,
I’ll see you again,
I’ll write every chance I get
California’s not so far
And we’re not over yet

Then she turned around
And boarded the plane

Verse 2:
Well the days went by
Like a cold Friday night
Each day that past was harder than the last

He didn’t understand
Didn’t have a plan
All he knew was he had to see her again

Chorus:
He said,
I’m standing here
Staring at the moon
Thinking about you
And where you are

I know you’re out there too
Looking at the same moon
And in some strange way
It doesn’t feel so far

I’ll see you again soon
Meet you tomorrow night under the moon

Bridge:
He doesn’t understand
Why things don’t go to plan
This distance makes the heart grow tired
He’s knows in his mind
He’ll see her one more time
He looks up to the sky and begins to smile

Chorus:
I’m standing here
Staring at the moon
Thinking about you
And where you are

I know you’re out there too
Looking at the same moon
And in some strange way
It doesn’t feel so far

I’ll see you again soon
Meet you tomorrow night under the moon

Outro:
She took the red eye back from L.A.
You best believe he was waiting at the gate
He said, I didn’t think I’d see you so soon
As they walked hand in hand under the moon

Original Masterpiece

I play in the worship band for our church on Wednesday nights. Later I plan to blog about that in more detail. For now, I have this song that I wrote tonight after our service. The message was a video clip that spoke about how God can "chisel" away our faults in our lives, thus leaving his perfect creation (us). God created us to be masterpieces. It is our own sin and shame that makes us feel unworthy of Him. If you examine yourself and ask God to reveal your faults, He can begin to chisel away at you. Much like a craftsman chisels away at a giant rock to create a masterpiece. The statue of David is probably the most famous example of a rock sculpture. Before it was so beautiful, the craftsman had to remove the imperfections and make it into the masterpiece that it is. In the same way, if we let him, God can chisel away at us... revealing His true original masterpiece.

Original Masterpiece

Verse 1:
You chisel me away
One piece at a time
Leaving no stone unturned
I’m afraid of what you’ll find

But a little less of me
Is a little more of you
Break me down
Make me new

Chorus:
Your original masterpiece
A creation so fine
I’m out of your way
So your love can shine
Help me remove all of me
So all that’s left is you
A beautiful creation
A love so true.

Verse 2:
Removing my doubts
Removing my fears
Removing my faults
Removing my tears

Under this shell
A flower can bloom
Empty me completely
So You have room

Chorus:
Your original masterpiece
A creation so fine
I’m out of your way
So your love can shine
Help me remove all of me
So all that’s left is you
A beautiful creation
A love so true.

I Wanna Love You Now

Verse 1:
There’s something bout the way that she smiles
There’s something bout the way those pretty green eyes
Melt away my blues and light up the skies

Her hair flowing in the breeze
Jeans and a T-shirt is all she needs
To make an angel jealous and have me begging please

Pre-Chorus:
Maybe I’m finally ready to
Say Hi, and make my move

Chorus:
I wanna love you girl
Will you be my wife?
Maybe we can start with dinner on a Friday night
We can take it fast or go real slow
We’re gonna make it work somehow
But I wanna love you now

Verse 2:
I’m really sorry if I’m coming on too strong
But I’ve had my eye on you for way too long
Give me a chance and I’ll prove you wrong

Your body has got a spell on me
In the court of love I’m a guilty plea
Just give me one chance I promise you’ll see

Pre-Chorus:
That I’m finally ready to
Say Hi, and make my move

Chorus:
I wanna love you girl
Will you be my wife?
Maybe we can start with dinner on a Friday night
We can take it fast or go real slow
We’re gonna make it work somehow
But I wanna love you now

Bridge:
Girl maybe tonight
We can start this thing off right
Won’t you grab my hand baby hold on tight

Chorus:
I wanna love you girl
Will you be my wife?
Maybe we can start with dinner on a Friday night
We can take it fast or go real slow
We’re gonna make it work somehow
But I wanna love you now

Angel

Verse 1:
There’s a letter waiting at my front door
I can’t read it, because I know what it says
An explanation for another goodbye
Just words on paper, no reason to cry

Chorus:
I feel like there’s an angel
Gently weeping for me
A broken heart, can’t mend it
A love not meant to be

Verse 2:
All your reasons, not my excuses
I can’t see them, no matter how I try
This is nothing, just another hiccup
Ink on paper is not a goodbye

Chorus:
I feel like there’s an angel
Gently weeping for me
A broken heart, can’t mend it
A love not meant to be

Verse 3:
There’s a letter waiting at your front door
I hope you understand what it says
Life’s too short to wait too long
On someone who’ll just do you wrong

Chorus 3:
I feel like there’s an angel
Gently weeping for me
A broken heart now mended
Love is meant for me

The Snake

Back in the summer of 2004 I went on a “mission tour” with two friends from church. It was three guys in a Chevy Blazer driving from church to church all across Alabama. We were enlisted by the Alabama Baptist Commission to do revival services for very small rural churches. My friend Daniel and I did the music, and Bryan gave the sermon each night. All of the churches were extremely small and mostly “country.” These were churches that couldn’t afford to “hire” established preachers to come do a revival. We were in a different small town each week during that summer. A few churches could afford to put us up in a hotel for our stay, but most churches had us stay with a family in their congregation.

About eight weeks into the summer we ended up in Vance, Alabama. Vance is a small town near Tuscaloosa. Their only claim to fame is a Mercedes manufacturing plant. The pastor of Vance Baptist Church was a young guy, probably not much older than we were. They couldn’t afford a hotel, so they bought us air mattresses and we stayed in the Sunday school rooms inside the church. My “room” was particularly small. I remember that my air mattress almost filled up the entire floor of the room. At this point of our trip we were all feeling pretty tired and beat down. We had after all been on the road for 2 solid months. Being away from home and on the go for that long can really wear on you. We were supposed to stay in Vance for three days and do a service each night.

After the second night’s service, a few of our friends from college came over from Birmingham to visit with us. We went out to eat and had a great time hanging out that night. After they left, Brian, Daniel, and myself drove back to the church. On our way we got to talking about how tired we all were. We were feeling really beat down by the trip. We also talked about how we felt like Satan was trying to hinder us in some way. We were giving up our precious summer to do work for the Lord, but we weren’t feeling His presence for some reason. We all really felt like Satan was attacking us and trying to keep us from being able to serve God. As we arrived at the church, the conversation kind of just ended without any resolution. We all retired to our “rooms,” air mattresses awaiting.

As I laid on the floor of that tiny room, I was wide-awake. I was mentally and physically exhausted, but for some reason I wasn’t sleepy at all. I distinctly remember being wired and wide-awake. I just stared up at that blank white canvas that was the ceiling of that tiny room. Then something incredible happened….

All of the sudden I wasn’t in that room anymore. I wasn’t dreaming, I wasn’t daydreaming, like I said, I was wide-awake. I found myself in a wide-open expanse. All I could see was bright white all around me. I couldn’t move at all. In the distance, through all the whiteness, I could see a dark “speck.” I stared at the speck because it was the only thing that wasn’t just whiteness. The speck grew bigger and bigger until it was close enough that I could see what it was. It was a black snake coming directly towards me! Let me just stop here and confess that I have always been terrified of snakes. I don’t care if it is big, little, poisonous, or not… I am scared of snakes. I’m not afraid of a lot in this world, but snakes terrify me for some reason. Now this snake had a pitch-black body. As it continued coming toward me, I could see how big it was. The snake was ten times bigger that I was. It got close enough that I could see its eyes. They were bright red. It slowly slithered closer and closer to me. Again, I remind you that I couldn’t move at all. I was struggling to turn and run away, but for some reason I was paralyzed. The snake slithered all the way up to me. At this point I could really get a good look at it. The eyes weren’t just red, but they were actually flames. The snake stopped in front of me for a moment. In that moment all was still in anticipation of the snake’s strike. The snake raised its head up like a cobra. He tilted his head slightly to one side, and it briefly grinned. Then his face changed to anger and he lunged at my face with mouth open. A split second before the snake reached my face a giant foot came down from the top of my field of vision and smashed the snake! The foot was so huge in covered my entire field of vision. It blocked out all the white.

Instantly after the foot smashed the snake I was back in the tiny Sunday school room. My air mattress was soaked with my sweat. My heart was racing like crazy. I was still panicking from the whole ordeal. After a minute or two I realized what had happened. God had given me a “vision.” The Bible teaches that God gives these “visions” to His followers sometimes, but honestly I never truly believed in it. I guess I always figured that these “visions” were just dreams. I have heard other people talk about having “visions” before, but I really never truly believed them. Now I do. I can’t really describe in my own words that well what happened that night. All I can say is that it definitely wasn’t a dream. Somehow I was “there.”

After the vision I thanked God for what He was telling me. If it isn’t obvious to you, He was telling me that He has won the victory over Satan. The snake represented the Devil, and the foot of God smashed Satan into the ground. I was helpless to overcome the snake on my own. It was much bigger and more powerful than me. I couldn’t even run from it. But just the bare foot of God was a hundred times bigger than the snake. God has already won the ultimate victory over Satan. I can’t fight alone, but thank God that I don’t have to.

I told Daniel and Brian about the vision the next morning. They were both excited and honestly stunned by it. I don’t think that I ever told anyone else though. I have always been afraid that people wouldn’t believe me, or they would think I was crazy.

I haven’t had an experience like this since that night in 2004. Who knows? Maybe it is a once in a lifetime deal. I’m sure most people go their entire lives without having a vision. Why did God choose to show me this simple truth in such a profound way? Moreover, why did he choose to show ME something so amazing? Why not just speak to me through prayer or His Word? I’m definitely nobody special. I am just thankful that I had that experience. I often think back to it when I am feeling beaten down by life circumstances.

Such a Cliché

Kind of a fast paced silly song...

Verse 1:
Well all bets are off, I got an ace up my sleeve
I’m all ears, bare bones, as snug as a bug in a rug
I’m a cash cow by the skin of my teeth
I’ll clean your clock with ants in my pants.
A penny for your thoughts, I’ll make a quick buck
These pigs are flying just like lady luck

Verse 2:
I’ll yank your chain because I was born in a barn
I’ll beat a dead horse and get back in the saddle
I’m gonna hunker down, jump down your throat
Jump the gun, get the knockout blow
I cry over spilled milk, but I wasn’t born yesterday
If the shoe fits, wear it, and the rest is history

Chorus:
Hey hey, what do you say?
Maybe, life has a way
Of throwing gas on the fire, but that’s ok
Cuz this song is such a cliché

Verse 3:
Well welcome to the club when hell freezes over
You snooze you lose the whole enchilada
Have I rattled your cage? Pulled the wool over your eyes?
A fish out of water, you’ve got a long row to hoe
You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn at the drop of a hat
I think we got off on the wrong foot, but nice guys finish last

Verse 4:
Hold your horses, I wasn’t born yesterday
I don’t mean to air dirty laundry, but you lost me
Another nail in the coffin, back from the dead
I reinvented the wheel, now eat some lead
Last but not least, leaving no stone unturned
Play the hand you’re dealt, and remember these words

Chorus:
Hey hey, what do you say?
Maybe, life has a way
Of throwing gas on the fire, but that’s ok
Cuz this song is such a cliché

Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

Someone mentioned the show “The Wonder Years” the other day in conversation. Honestly it really took me back to my childhood. I absolutely LOVED that show. A lot of people in my generation grew up watching that show among others. There was something special about The Wonder Years. Almost everyone could relate to the awkwardness and different situations that the characters went through. I have felt like Kevin many times in my life. I can especially remember being in “Middle School” and going through a lot of the same things that Kevin went through in the show. While would love to reminisce more about the show, that’s not what this post is ultimately about.

As I remembered the show, I got to think about the classic Joe Cocker theme song… “With a Little Help From My Friends.” It got me thinking about my current life situation. I have had some circumstances in my life recently that many people would find difficult to deal with. I won’t get into any specifics about the situations, but for a time I was really struggling with them. That’s when my friends really stepped up and supported me. So this post is really about thanking my friends. I am blessed to have a great family and a lot of friends that love me and care about me. I have had old friends that I haven’t kept up with very much step up and call me. Some friendships are like that. Sometimes you can even go years without talking to certain people and just pick back up right where you left off. I am grateful to have those types of friendships in my life.

I have also made an effort to meet new people lately and develop new friendships. I am not a very social person to be honest, but I feel like I have at least been making an effort lately. I have to say that it has been fun. When you meet new people and develop new relationships you sometimes get a different perspective on things. It can also help you to stay out of getting in a rut in your life. I feel like I have been in a rut for a long time. It’s hard not to when you are out of college and in the working world. However, now I am trying my best to “shake things up.” Spending time getting to know good people is a good thing.

So to all my friends, old and new, thank you for everything. And if anyone has “The Wonder Years” on DVD let me borrow it.

A Better Part of Me

Another song for you... whipped this one up real quick tonight...


Verse 1:
City lights turn into country skies
All alone on this midnight ride
Got my guitar riding shotgun
It’s gonna be a good night

Sometimes a man needs time alone
Time to set out on his own
So I filled my tank and hit the road
There’s no time to postpone

Pre-Chorus:
Maybe it’s time for me to change my ways
Or is it too late?

Chorus:
I wanna be a man that understands
Life and love and their demands
A dead end job and dead end plans
Is not what I need.
I wanna be a man that is finally free
A life filled with hopes and dreams
I think it’s time that I finally see
How to find a better part of me

Verse 2:
Country music playing on the radio
Down Highway 30 fast and slow
No destination on my mind
I’m just riding cuz I gotta go

Wondering about this life I’ve got
Another day closer to rot
It’s time for me to change it all
And love the things I’ve forgot

Pre-Chorus:
Maybe, It’s time for me to change my ways
Or is it too late?

Chorus:
I wanna be a man that understands
Life and love and their demands
A dead end job and dead end plans
Is not what I need.
I wanna be a man that is finally free
A life filled with hopes and dreams
I think it’s time that I finally see
How to find a better part of me

Outro:
A better part of me
A better part of me
It’s time to find
A better part of me

Years Pass Me By

Here's another song I've had in "the vault" for a while. I found it on a scratch sheet of paper the other day, and I tried to finish it up. Again, kind of a rough draft still. This one has music to it...it's very slow and mellow. Maybe I can get Josh or Daniel to sing it for me and record it. I'm going to soon write a blog on what kinds of things inspire songs for me. I think that could be interesting for some people. For instance, this song came to me after watching an episode of "House." =)


Remember the time that I
Watched as you waved goodbye?
So long another friend
Years pass me by.

Remember the winter cold
Playing out in the snow?
We had the time of our lives,
Years pass me by.

Chorus:
I wonder if I ever really
Learned how to be a man.
I wonder if I held you,
Would time reverse its plan?
Just one more minute, one more day
A chance to say goodbye
The moment elapsed
Years pass me by.

I remember days before
When time wasn’t such a chore
But now I realize
Years pass me by

It’s hard to understand
When nothing goes to plan
One less day before I die
Years pass me by

Chorus:
I wonder if I ever really
Learned how to be a man.
I wonder if I held you,
Would time reverse its plan?
Just one more minute, one more day
A chance to say goodbye
The moment elapsed
Years pass me by.

Making it Rain!

As you may or may not know, I work in retail…T-Mobile to be specific. You would not believe the people I come into contact with everyday. If you have never worked with “the public” you are probably a nicer person for it. I interact with a wide variety of people everyday. Some people are friendly and reasonable; others are flat out mean and ridiculous. Then there are the ones that can only be described as “crazy.” Let me give you two examples of crazy.

This day started like any other day. I was working the 12 – 8pm shift and everything was pretty much going as normal. That is until Tameka came into the store. She immediately waltzed up to my register and said she wanted to pay her bill. I told her the total (about $90), and she started pulling cash out of her purse. I kid you not; she pulled out 90 one-dollar bills! She piled them up on my desk one by one. I proceeded to say something to the extent of “That’s a lot of ones!” She then laughed out loud and said: “I’m about to make it rain up in here!” For those of you who don’t know what “make it rain” means, here is the Urban Dictionary definition: “When you're in da club with a stack, and you throw the money up in the air at the strippers. The effect is that it seems to be raining money.” The term has been popularized in several rap songs over the past several years. Anyway, so she picks up the stack of ones and throws them up into the air! We all started laughing pretty hard. She was jumping up and down and dancing all around the store. What she did next was what really shocked me. She picked up one of the one-dollar bills and reached across my desk and stuffed it down my pants!!! She then said something like: “YEAH!! WE PARTYING NOW!!” I have to say I was shocked. I completely froze up. I couldn’t move or say anything because I was in shock. She was laughing hysterically and so were my coworkers. I have to say that was the first time I have every been tipped for taking a bill payment.

The very next day I was again at the store. I had recovered from the previous day’s escapades, and was enjoying a fairly normal day. Around 2pm I received an email from one of the T-Mobile stores in Columbus. Apparently they had a man that was trying to fraudulently activate service with them with a stolen identity. An hour or so later, I got an email from another T-Mobile location saying that the same man tried to do the same at their store, and we should “be on the lookout for him.” Needless to say, about an hour later he walked through the front door. He was dressed in a ratty polo style shirt and black jeans. He of course came to my register. He told me that he wanted to sign up for service and get two Blackberry phones. He said he owned his own business and wanted to sign up under the business name. Since I already knew that he had stolen the identity of the business, I decided to have a little fun with him. I probed him with questions about his “business.” He told me that he owned his own recording studio in Columbus. He said that he just got done with shooting a video for Lil Wayne and P Diddy. I almost started laughing at him right then and there, but I was able to keep my composure. If that lie wasn’t enough… he kept going. “I also own my own construction company,” he said. I asked: “Oh yeah? What do you build?” “Boats” he said! At this point I had to cover my face and pretend to be scratching it to hide my laugh. I went on to say how cool it was that he had his own recording studio and boat construction company. But it gets even better folks. He then dropped the bombshell on me: “I’ll tell you where the money is at though… Storm Chasing! I chase Tornadoes and Hurricanes and make a killin doin that!” This time I laughed out loud right in front of him. I couldn’t help it! STORM CHASING!?!?!? Give me a break man! He didn’t catch the fact that I was amused by his ill-advised web of lies. Eventually I had enough fun with him, and I told him we couldn’t activate service for him without his tax papers. He was pretty discouraged by this and left for the Auburn T-Mobile.

So needless to say, everyday can be an adventure when working with the public. You meet some very colorful people to say the least. My trick for dealing with the bad ones is to enjoy the crazy ones!

Whale Wars

The funniest show on TV right now has got to be “Whale Wars.” This Animal Planet show is about a group of people called “The Sea Shepherds” who make an annual trek to the Antarctic to try to stop Japanese whalers. The Japanese claim that their whaling is legally accepted research, which Sea Shepherd and others contend is a cover for banned commercial whaling. Sea Shepherd has been both criticized and praised for tactics of direct action sabotage which include throwing stink bombs of butyric acid as well as ramming, boarding, and otherwise attempting to disable the Japanese vessels.

The funny part of the show is that the Sea Shepherds are completely incompetent. Every thing they try fails, and they are constantly making bone-headed decisions. Their “Captain” Paul Watson looks like he just came out of the local Chuck-E-Cheese. The rest of the crew is just as bad. They make comments like “I would give my life to save just one whale.” Saving whales is great and all, but personally I value human life over animal life any day. Especially MY own life.

Let me just say that I personally do not have a problem with the sentiments of The Sea Shepherds (to an extent), but their tactics are ridiculous. They basically travel down into the Southern Ocean and try to find the Japanese whaling fleet. If and when they find the fleet, they try to get alongside the whalers and they throw stink bombs at them. The idea is that if they throw stink bombs the whalers won’t be able to work due to the smell. Also the butyric acid in the stink bombs can contaminate the whale meat.

This notion is seemingly a noble way to fight the whalers, but it doesn’t work. The idea is that they Sea Shepherds don’t want to harm the Japanese whalers physically, but only want to deter them from being able to work. Often times the Sea Shepherds will release a smaller inflatable boat from their main vessel. The idea here is that the smaller boat is faster, and can catch the speedy Japanese boats. In one particularly comical episode, the Sea Shepherds tried to lower the inflatable into the water…with people in it...while going full speed. Needless to say, they ended up flipping the inflatable boat and spilling four crewmembers into the frigid Southern Ocean. On a different occasion, they again tried to launch the small inflatable vessel. This time they were “successful” in the launch, but the driver of the inflatable then proceeded to chase after the whalers…in the wrong direction. They raced about 5 miles in the opposite direction of the whalers until they realized what happened. Another time they were trying to throw stink bombs onto the whalers boat, one of their crewmembers accidentally dropped one of the glass bottles…thus stink bombing their own boat! It was quite humorous to see them all scurrying to get inside.

Again, I’m not here to say that killing whales is a good thing. I think that unnecessarily killing endangered animals is wrong. However, the stupidity of the Sea Shepherds is just too amusing to overlook. Every episode is a new chance for them to somehow screw it all up.

Inside of Me

I don't really have anything new to post just yet, so I'd thought I'd share a song I've been working on for quite some time. I've written many many songs over the years, so I may be posting some of them on here from time to time. Some are spiritual, some are not. This one is not. This one is called "Inside of Me"

This is incomplete in my view, so kind of a rough draft.



Inside of me

Clearly I never understood
How to replace the bad for good
I’m just man that found out he can’t
Love you anyway

Maybe one day you’ll understand
What’s it’s like to be a man
And have the one you love
Turn and walk away

Chorus:
But inside of me, inside of me
Behind these lonely eyes there’s a melody
Inside of me, Inside of me
A heart sewn back together by this remedy
Inside of me there’s a new song to sing
Inside of me there’s more love to bring
With distant eyes and fading smiles
Love may run, but pain can’t hide
Inside of me

Now I’m doing well on my own
Walking down this road alone
Never thought that I would feel
So good today

Looking back I can see my fear
Of being all alone down here
I never thought I’d see a time
When life felt this way

Chorus:
But inside of me, inside of me
Behind these lonely eyes there’s a melody
Inside of me, Inside of me
A heart sewn back together by this remedy
Inside of me there’s a new song to sing
Inside of me there’s more love to bring
With distant eyes and fading smiles
Love may run, but pain can’t hide
Inside of me

He's Gone Country

Lately I’ve been listening to country music. I’ve never liked country music before. Growing up I listened to mainly classic rock. I still love the “classics” to this day. I’m talking about bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and so on. I used to really HATE country music. I could stand to listen to Johnny Cash but that was about it. However over the last few months my taste has changed a bit.

It all started one Friday night in Auburn. I was at one of my favorite places: Plainsman Park, watching the mighty Auburn Tigers baseball team. The local country station (97.7) carries the games. On my way home I listened to the post game analysis… eventually that ended, and they started playing the country music. The first song that came on was “Til Summer Comes Around” by Keith Urban. I ignored my initial instinct to immediately change the station to the local classic rock station. As I listened to the song I realized just how good it was. I can honestly say that I got chills after the second chorus when Keith launched into the guitar solo. It was one of those rare moments that happen when you hear a song for the first time. Not to be overly sensitive, but it was moving. The song tells a story that has been told a million times before in a million other songs… basically his woman leaves him and promises to come back one day. He is singing about waiting for that moment of reunion with her. Even though I have heard that story over and over again, this time I was moved by it.

I think I was initially drawn to this particular song because of its style. I don’t pretend to be an expert on country artists, but Keith Urban seems like he is a mixture of country and rock… a perfect transition for me, a rock lover. That particular song has a real slow blues/rock style with a country twist. Keith Urban is an excellent guitarist as well. I always tend to like bands/music with good guitar work since I am a guitarist myself.

So as the story unfolds, I basically kept my dial tuned to 97.7 for the next few weeks. I had decided to “give country another chance.” What I found was that there are a lot of good songs out there that I have been missing out on. Sure, there are some songs that have that “rednecky” country sound. I still don’t really enjoy those. However, there are a lot of great songs as well. The band I was/am in plays a song called “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band. Let me just say that I HATE that song. It IS totally redneck. Nevertheless, the song was a huge hit, and we always had good success when we played it. Over time, people kept telling me that the Zac Brown Band was amazing. I often scoffed at the notion… that is until recently. I downloaded the entire album last week to check it out. Let me just say that there isn’t a bad song on the album (except “Chicken Fried”). Zac’s music makes me feel a wide array of emotions. Songs like “Toes” and “Different Kind of Fine” are fun and happy. He also has songs like “Jolene” and “Highway 20 Ride” that bring out emotions of self-reflection and loss.

That is what I like about music in the first place. Emotion. As a man, I don’t show emotion very often… I would argue that I am worse at showing emotion than even most men. Nevertheless, believe it or not, I FEEL emotions. I have always loved the songs that make me feel something. It can be happy feelings or sad feelings. Either way, I just appreciate a song that is good enough to make me feel SOMETHING. I think this is what has led me to listen to more country music. I feel like a lot of the songs are more “honest” somehow. It makes me feel alive and like myself. It makes me feel southern. It makes me proud to be me somehow. My buddy Wil commented that country music is “like the Bible with pedal steel.” There is a ring of truth to that. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of country songs that have the opposite message of the Bible, but a lot of the songs have an almost gospel feel. I enjoy the honesty and the musicianship of it all. It is refreshing to hear some of the different sounds and instruments that are unique to country music. The pedal steel and Fiddle are prominent in a lot of songs. I still love a great electric guitar solo more than anything, but sometimes a Fiddle solo can be just as skilled and moving.

Maybe this is just a passing phase for me, I don’t know. Like I said, I still LOVE the classics, but right now I am enjoying something new and fresh.

The Rat

There once was a rat named Felix. Felix was like any other rat really. He was naturally a rotten nasty creature. He dwelled amongst other rats. They scavenged for food, eating anything they could find. Felix particularly liked to hang out around the garbage bins in an alley. He would gorge himself daily on whatever garbage he could find. He was dirty, rotten, nasty, and quite ill tempered honestly. Felix and his cohorts went on living this life for quite some time.

One day, while Felix was doing his usual, he happened across the most beautiful mouse he had ever seen. This mouse didn’t look quite like the others. He was enormous and powerful. “Who are you?” Felix asked. “I am Theos” replied the mouse. “I see that your are living amongst all of this garbage. How would you like to come to my home and have some cheese?” “You have a home?” asked Felix. Theo replied, “My house is the most beautiful place you have ever seen. I have mountains of cheese and any other food you can think of! All you have to do is come with me and you can have all the riches you could ever want!” So Felix followed Theos to His home and his life was forever changed. Even though Felix felt like he didn’t deserve the riches that Theos gave him, he was forever grateful to Theos for His gift.


Ephesians 2: 1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.