Get all 29 James Tristan Redding releases available on Bandcamp and save 75%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Leap Songs, Part 5, Leap Songs, Part 4, Song A Week, Vol. 8, Leap Songs, Part 2, Leap Songs, Part 1, The Nashville 24, Vol. 3, Look Out World, Song A Week, Volume 7, and 21 more.
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Holly, I love how your lipstick shines
I think your karma has a color
I wish we had met in the Baltimore harbor
Chesapeake Bay was brilliant at night
Hot and humid like insult to injury
No more snow beneath my fingers
Chill me out and remind me to relax
The southern sun on my shoulders
It’s time I called you up and said, “I’m sorry”
It’s time you called me back and said, “Don’t worry”
Now Christen held the spotlight
And Oliver tried to hold his liquor
Just long enough to help me remember
This is how October feels
Another seasonal surrender coming closer
Frozen fallout under the streetlights
The longest, coldest nights and my friend
A white wind on my rosy cheeks
It’s time I called you up and said, “I’m sorry”
It’s time you called me back and said, “Don’t worry”
Sure enough with the evening clouds
Uneasy guts and uncertain glances
Gary unspun my spinning head
I miss all the kentucky rain
I remember this one July in Indiana
Christmas lights from a theater ceiling
Gaudy green tomatoes on a plastic string
To rival the jukebox dancers
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2. |
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Where do I begin? Honey how did you
When you looked at me how’d you see right through
Through my loudest notes and my biggest smile
How’d you know that underneath it all I was just a child
And I just want love, and I’ll give it back
And I got so much that I want to tell you, Jack
It’s been locked away, all I have to share
What a grand surprise that you arrived and found me there
We learn to guard against the scars
As if we’re betting both our futures on the cards
But I called today to say thank the stars
That you figured out the combination to my heart
So I opened up a little slow at first
And then the words came pouring out unrehearsed
Everything I feel, all my questions too
I just can’t believe how good it feels to be with you
Maybe this is why baby from the start
So many winding roads we traveled were so hard
But we made it here and today is ours
And you can keep the combination to my heart
I know it’s still a little scary and we can’t see up ahead
But if you let me I will carry all the heavy stuff instead
And we’ll drive off in the distance from sunrise to sunset
We can paint the sky together like a pair of silhouettes
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3. |
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Onto the page trickles a single tear drop
Into a heart rushes an ounce of blood
Out of the west whispers a breath so faintly
Over the clouds rushes a hush at dusk
In a spring sky on a shooting star
Under a blue moon’s fading light
One last token for a fairground ride
Hold this losing boy tonight, and she says,
“I’ll still love you if you have nothing but your broken heart left”
I’m getting older so I ask her to remind me every day
I’ll still love you if you have nothing but your broken heart left
So I say, “baby take my hand and lead me away”
Somehow we still come back to find each other
After the lies that we both told ourselves
Truly your trust is stronger than all my sadness
All of my heart is waiting for one more chance
In a spring sky on a shooting star
Under a blue moon’s fading light
One last token for a fairground ride
Hold this losing boy tonight, and she says,
“I’ll still love you if you have nothing but your broken heart left”
I’m getting older so I ask her to remind me every day
I’ll still love you if you have nothing but your broken heart left
So I say, “baby take my hand and lead me away”
Onto a page
Into a heart
Out of the west
Over the clouds
All of my heart
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4. |
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Sweet kisses up and down my neck
How good you are to me
We have only just begun to find
Our path between the trees
And it’s bittersweet my dear that we both were brought to tears
But by now the worst is over and it’s true
All the best is yet to come, we can both dance in the sun
For the beauty is in dancing here with you
Once I was only candle wax
Now I’m melting at your name
Sparks come to me through your embrace
Please always be my flame
And it’s bittersweet my dear that we both were brought to tears
But by now the worst is over and it’s true
All the best is yet to come, we can both dance in the sun
For the beauty is in dancing here with you
How many days, how many nights
Will I awake not by your side
However long we have to wait
I will be yours, I will create
Love with only my own two hands
Peace for the world we know
Hope in my heart for you my dear
Truth everywhere I go
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5. |
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When I woke up before the sunrise
It hit me quick that you were gone
You know that chain made out of silver
It holds your ring right by my heart
I know you left me to start over
And build a life with another man
Yeah I was angry, I was jealous
But heaven help me I miss you girl
So I dream of you trying on my clothes and writing in my All Stars
I dream of you packing up and heading north by the Midnight Sun
I dream of you driving all night long until you pass Chicago
Yeah I dream of you, steal a car and speed it right back to my arms
I am fading to a brand new shade of blue
I dream of you
I tried to treat you kind and patient
And not to envy or to boast
But love is like a broken record
A sacred silence in the rain
So I dream of you trying on my clothes and writing in my All Stars
I dream of you packing up and heading north by the Midnight Sun
I dream of you driving all night long until you pass Chicago
Yeah I dream of you, steal a car and speed it right back to my arms
I am fading to a brand new shade of blue
I dream of you
Now I don’t mind if you wake me
With a bottle in your hand
Just remember when you smile for me
You pick me up like broken glass
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6. |
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Happened again in the check out line
For a moment you crossed my mind
Like a movie playing in my head
Every word we ever said
Kept the ring and all the letters
Ten years on still can’t forget ‘em
If I’m livin’ in your head too
Let those days come back to you
Hold that thought when you think of me
Hang on tight to the memory
Right or wrong we both moved on
Even if the love ain’t gone
Wish I knew how to turn back time
One more night with your hand in mine
It’s bittersweet but I’m asking please
Hold that thought when you think of me
Hold that thought when you think of me
I still dig out that wedding dress
Put it on and I’m someone else
A girl whose humble heart was yours
She don’t live here anymore
We made plans and said forever
Every minute we spent together
A lifetime later I sure hope you
Remember those days too
Hear our song on the radio
And see your face everywhere I go
So many things that remind me of you
I hold that thought and I hope you do, too
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7. |
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I like you, yes I do
From your head to your shoes
You make me lose all my blues
It’s such good news
I like you, who who who
Else could make my heart choose
To be amused by all the screws
That I’ve got loose
What were the chances that happenstance
Would have put us both on that bus
What were the odds of all the broads
That your dear mom helped us become
What I adore, mine and your
Feet entangled every angle
Jingle jangle, fingle fangle
Bingle bangle - these aren’t even words
But I like this, yiss oh yiss
To reminisce how on your lips
I find bliss with just one kiss
Or two, or three … hundred
What timing thought! Five months ago
It really hit me holy smokes
What crazy luck, hey babe let’s hold hands
Do you want to, ‘cuz I sure do
I’m certain I’m the luckiest boy in the world
You read me like a picture book
I can’t believe I get to be your friend
Not to mention I can touch your butt
I mean I’ll always make sure it’s okay
Because maybe sometimes, it’s not okay
I feel like there was a point I was trying to make
Was it something about your eyes?
I like us, yuss yuss yuss
Let’s discuss and make a fuss
For such a plus
We found thus
I like you, I do doo-doo-doo
Do you hope you like me too
Because I view
Me and you as the truth
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8. |
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It’s one thirty o’clock and I’m alone again
I can’t give you the world so I’m just a friend
Twelve hours ago I was falling hard
Now the rain that we missed is in my heart
I wanted to trust in you, I want to confide
I wanted to hold your hand and by happy tonight
I wanted to talk to you and look in your eyes
Then you look back and say you’re sorry, and I’m not surprised
You’re a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul
I’m just a boy who’s growing old
I don’t know the rules, I can’t play the games
But I still get weak when I hear your name
I wanted to trust in you, I want to confide
I wanted to hold your hand and by happy tonight
I wanted to talk to you and look in your eyes
Then you look back and say you’re sorry, and I’m not surprised
Grey sky all around and mist in the air
I almost smiled because I know you care
And I’m like a tarnished silver spoon at the bottom of a broken kitchen sink
I know I’m not shiny like the rest
- December 2001 -
(back)
It’s one thirty o’clock and I’m alone again
I can’t give you the world so I’m just a friend
Twelve hours ago I was falling hard
Now the rain that we missed is in my heart
I wanted to trust in you, I want to confide
I wanted to hold your hand and by happy tonight
I wanted to talk to you and look in your eyes
Then you look back and say you’re sorry, and I’m not surprised
You’re a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul
I’m just a boy who’s growing old
I don’t know the rules, I can’t play the games
But I still get weak when I hear your name
I wanted to trust in you, I want to confide
I wanted to hold your hand and by happy tonight
I wanted to talk to you and look in your eyes
Then you look back and say you’re sorry, and I’m not surprised
Grey sky all around and mist in the air
I almost smiled because I know you care
And I’m like a tarnished silver spoon at the bottom of a broken kitchen sink
I know I’m not shiny like the rest
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9. |
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Memory is such a funny thing
When you used to fly but you forgot your wings
You and me are like the final piece
Of a puzzle I could never quite complete
So it’s bittersweet, it’s a shame I guess
That I hurt so bad because of you
But when the pain is gone I know you’ll still possess
The way to heal my heart and we’ll be just like new
Maybe when the sky is extra blue
It’s a warning sign about your point of view
When the clouds are gone it might be smart to find
Another ship to sail until the wind resigns
And now the rain is gone I think I’m supposed to act
Like when the sun came up I got my smile right back
It doesn’t work that way, I’m sure it never has
But can you make it just like new if I politely ask
Confession time, I’m not Superman
I got no special tricks just my own two hands
But when they’re holding yours everything is good
And all I want from you is to be understood
So baby come to me, show me that I’m yours
And take the pain away so I can just adore
The eyes with which you see the man you see in me
Who’s not alone tonight, he’s just like new baby
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10. |
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Not a single word now can quite identify
The colors and the contrast, the strange magnetic ties
Across an open valley between two human peaks
Whatever’s in the water, it’s exactly what I need Jacqueline
Before we knew what happened, right before our eyes
A blanket soft as summer had wrapped us up inside
The minutes and the hours were dancing through the days
We fell into the feeling of each other’s tight embrace Jacqueline
From ashes we make charcoal to place beauty on a page
Like the lightness in a feather that has never seen a cage
All around the world we travel with our baggage and our plans
Without warning one December the future just began Jacqueline
Had I known that I would find you, I damn well would have looked
So much closer to the coastline, I can’t believe the time it took
But it’s better late than never and it’s not so late I guess
Will you let me be your sunshine? I promise not to make mess Jacqueline
Now it doesn’t mean we’re perfect and it doesn’t mean we’re free
But if you and I are patient we can almost guarantee
Something better than we dreamed of, like we somehow have it all
We don’t choose the ones we fall for, but we can choose how to fall Jacqueline
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Autumn is time for change, spring is so far away
All of these colors fade and nothing is here to stay
Beautifully awkward form, the heat of a hand to hold
While it was once so warm fall has me feeling cold
If it’s my choice then I choose to say goodbye
Because the more we speak the less we understand
But it’s your voice that just won’t let me lie
Yes I love you but I just can’t take your hand
Summer we fell asleep watching the embers glow
Soon they’ll be buried deep in the December snow
Follow the auburn stain of leaves in the rain at dusk
Washing away the pain but I will remember us
If it’s my choice then I choose to say goodbye
Because the more we speak the less we understand
But it’s your voice that just won’t let me lie
Yes I love you but I just can’t take your hand
Gold doesn’t tarnish
Silver doesn’t rust
Diamonds shine at midnight
All except for us
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12. |
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Upon the Blue Ridge Mountains there I take my stand
A rifle on my shoulder cherry blossom in my hand
You can’t put a price tag on another lesson learned
Or the sense of solace when you watch the embers burn
I shake the dust off as the sun begins to fade
And count my blessings just to live another day
Been ‘round in circles like a compass under ground
Turns out the simple life was just waiting to be found
I guess you could say it’s for the best
Take what you want and leave the rest
Seems like a life time since I left it all behind
The concrete shadows don’t look nothing like these pines
So many faces like the pages of a book
I left a piece of me with every step I took
I shake the dust off as the sun begins to fade
And count my blessings just to live another day
Been ‘round in circles like a compass under ground
Turns out the simple life was just waiting to be found
I guess you could say it’s for the best
Take what you want and leave the rest
Don’t miss the dirty streets or crazy crowded bars
Trade all those memories for this canopy of stars
I had all these questions a long, long time ago
But maybe I don’t need to know
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13. |
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Mashed up clam shells everywhere
A hundred miles of silver sand
Staring out into the blue
Feel the texture where I stand
Coastal water clear and cool
The gulf surrounds me far and wide
A clear reflection of the sun
Let it keep me warm inside
Sometimes you walk into something
And it seems a certain way
But then you get to the heart of it
It’s ain’t less beautiful, it’s just how it is
Back home sand is hard to find
The city sun don’t feel the same
Summer sidewalk makes me miss
The way the ocean says my name
Sometimes you walk into something
And it seems a certain way
But then you get to the heart of it
It’s ain’t less beautiful, it’s just how it is
The concrete doesn’t feed my soul
You don’t need to look that deep to see
No matter where I am in the world
The shoals are waiting there for me
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So it’s nine o’clock on a Tuesday, I got no tonic, got no gin
My liver ain’t the problem my heart is slowly caving in
The moon is on the Hudson, I taste the salty air
I got all the time in the world now but I can’t get my feet to go nowhere
Guess I’m sort of alone here, I thought you might be in my arms
And all the fishes surround me, then the current starts to turn
Up above the earth there’s a couple spinning satellites
If I could only reach one maybe I could talk to you tonight
Gonna’ make a map of my brainwaves to show you what you do to me
And a bowl of cream of mushroom because the kitchen’s finally clean
Just got back from a place where I think I spent a real long time
All along I wanted something, turns out that thing was undefined
How do you climb a mountain if your limbs are made of sand
I just want you to hold me as if you have some master plan
Because you’re my slice of pizza, you’re the penny made of steel
I propose to spend my next 50 years just trying to tell you how I feel
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15. |
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Your heart was made to break
You’ve never been this wide awake
You’ve never had so much at stake, it’s not a game
So when you figure out what kind of boys
You dream about, you’ll find the choice is yours
Make up your mind, don’t be afraid
My eyes are on the road
I’m cutting ties and now I know
That when she lies it’s just a code I’m gonna’ crack
These lines are slowing down
She’s feeling fine inside a frown
I need a sign straight out of town, no looking back
Can she save herself this time
Can she save herself at all
On a rooftop freezing cold
After midnight’s comes and goes
All alone except the moon and what you owe
After hours half a glass
Skyline motionless at last
Slow and peaceful, halfway dead but on the road
Can she save herself this time
Can she save herself at all
Tie me down, tie me down
I need to catch my breath and then
Somehow get back on my own feet again
Lie me down, lie me down
Can’t believe I’m still this bad
About losing things I never even had
Find some meaning in the days
To come, a reason still to wake
Running wild along a home made way that isn’t always safe
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16. |
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Head to toe he wears his cotton black
All alone he walks on down the track
In his mind the self reflection spins
Try his nerves and he’ll feel all your sins
Look to the skies dear, we’re not the same
Look in my eyes dear, that’s not my name
You think that you know me, yeah you’ve seen me around
But I’m older than you are, and this ain’t my town
Been away and missed the summer heat
Now he’s back to walk the winter street
Enemies and friends alike surprised
He returned a different kind of guise
Look to the skies dear, we’re not the same
Look in my eyes dear, that’s not my name
You think that you know me, yeah you’ve seen me around
But I’m older than you are, and this ain’t my town
Every night the streetlight shadows dance
In his mind the trick: intrinsic chance
Been away and missed the summer dreams
Has his own, a drink from summer streams
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17. |
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Counting time I can walk around this world
Counting lines I can write about one girl
Counting fears that I couldn’t help but keep
Counting sheep as I try to fall asleep
A letter and a picture are all I ask
A prayer and a phone call in return
It’s only getting harder to find the time
I think I’m giving up on you
Far too much I’m afraid to open up
Far too long I have kept it all inside
Far too deep cutting when you criticize
Far away never could I find your hand
A letter and a picture are all I ask
A prayer and a phone call in return
It’s only getting harder to find the time
To think I’d given up on you
Losing sight of the dream I had last night
Picking fights with the lines that I could write
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18. |
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Cold night in the middle of nowhere, cup of coffee in my hand
Just got off the phone with you, now I just don’t understand
Why fight like strangers making moves out on our own
Angry words drawing battle lines, together never felt so alone
I want to be forever beside you
Thought it feels like you’re a million miles away
I want to spend my life dying with you
Love will guide us through one more day
So I hop in my old car and I hit the road
Chicago’s not so far away, this love is such a heavy load
Racing to you at 80, to chase these dark clouds away
Writing love songs in my head, singing words I want to say
I want to be forever beside you
Thought it feels like you’re a million miles away
I want to spend my life dying with you
Love will guide us through one more day
Now I’m lying in your broken bed, a slice of heaven in this hell
Grew a little in our time apart, being with you I can tell
All these reasons for going back never mattered much to me
Time for us to put it all to rest, because this is perfect company
I want to be forever beside you
Thought it feels like you’re a million miles away
I want to spend my life dying with you
Love will guide us through one more day
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19. |
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The garbage man was kind enough to take
Aboard his diesel chugging steed
My best regrets to someplace I will never find
Buried deep, satisfaction guaranteed
If I were reading from a brilliant movie script
There is no way I’d ever make the cut
Our leading man must know exactly where he stands
No hesitation in his gut
Everyone from here to Bowling Green
Can feel the pressure coming down
But we all know it’s Opposite Day
And I sure don’t miss you now
From time to time I replay a scene or two
It’s black and white, and pretty faint
A word I wish I’d said, and many I wish I had not
These little cracks pervade the paint
Before and after I could taste you bittersweet
For nothing else could I have asked
My forward steps are slow, my building blocks are small
Westbound I will be free at last
Just because the sun came up
That don’t change my grand design
It’s a brisk and brittle Opposite Day
And you’re not on my mind
We can dance around the feelings
But it don’t erase the facts
Now the lights are low on Opposite Day
And I don’t want you back
Never mind the heavy silence
Ignore the reasons and the rhyme
I miss you least of all on Opposite Day
Well I guess that’s all the time
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20. |
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When they saw the smoke coming through the trees
They came ‘cross the tracks, found us on our knees
Now they threatened fines and they threatened jail
But we spoke our minds and walked down the trail
It’s been quite a ride through ups and downs
Our muddy tracks are all around
It’s been quite a trip from side to side
Our bloody hands, an empty clip
It’s been quite a ride
When we tried to cut through the window wire
And the warehouse dogs smelled the morning fire
Well he cocked his twelve and he spoke up strong
When the pigs arrived we’d already gone
It’s been quite a ride through ups and downs
Our muddy tracks are all around
It’s been quite a trip from side to side
Our bloody hands, an empty clip
It’s been quite a ride
On a chilly day with a promise dark
On a pair of wheels past a city park
Through a pouring night and an evil dawn
Didn’t sleep a wink but we carried on
It’s been quite a ride through ups and downs
Our muddy tracks are all around
It’s been quite a trip from side to side
Our bloody hands, an empty clip
It’s been quite a ride
With a record scratched by too many days
On the side of the town where the outlaw stays
After guns and cuffs, after rain and snow
After wood and steel, after high and low
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21. |
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The sun will never set on sadness and regret
Maybe grace will bless in her lacy dress
Explain misunderstood sad souls that never could
Find a place to rest
Help me be strong to sing you this song
Until you fall asleep
As the sun sets I won’t forget
The twinkle in your eyes
When the bough breaks and heaven shakes with a sigh
Remind me not to cry
Around the joker spins sarcastic evil grins
Can he lock me inside a cell of sin
Eight beads along a thread and everything you said
As a prayer begins
As the sun sets I won’t forget
The twinkle in your eyes
When the bough breaks and heaven shakes with a sigh
Remind me not to cry
When Starr and Maggie-Jo stood tall they didn’t know
What their words could do, how it pulled me through
Inspired another chance hold close another dance
Until our time is through
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22. |
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This morning when I left your side
You looked like an angel to me
But all day it’s been on my mind
I gotta’ try harder to be
Just what you need and everything you like
In a human to have and to hold
Maybe with some luck and a whole lotta’ light
We can make something broken be whole
Like the way my heart feels when I look in your eyes
By the morning’s first dawn or the last fading light
You can sew up my soul with a quick simple smile
And I hope to do the same for you while you and I are running wild
I can only imagine the way you look around at the world
What a wonder, what a brilliant bouquet to a boy with love from a girl
Now we’re in a dream but it seems so real and when I wake to sing out the tune
I’ll say really all I need is everything I feel first thing in the morning with you
Like the way my heart feels when I look in your eyes
By the morning’s first dawn or the last fading light
You can sew up my soul with a quick simple smile
And I hope to do the same for you while you and I are running wild
You are like a rainfall way up in the clouds
Never even reaching the ground
I’m gonna’ save my dollars for a big hot air balloon
One day I’ll come up and never go back down
But until I’m flying I’ll practice on the earth
Like a baby bird in the nest
And I will come and find you when I can reach that high
So we can make this life be the best
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23. |
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Tonight it rained and I used your black umbrella
As I sang out loud all the words I wanna’ tell you
Walking north on Amsterdam retracing just how scared I am
That you might be leaving, I hope you’re not leaving
Because you’re full of so much light and so much color
Each time we touch there’s new ideas that I discover
So when we have a little time can we make it yours and mine
And if you’ll let me, I hope you’ll let me
Can I be your Friday afternoon? Your Saturday night
Let me be your Sunday morning too, we’ll make it sound just right
And then just when you think you know the tune
I wanna’ sing it a little sweeter
If you don’t mind let me be your Friday afternoon
In your deep brown eyes I finally feel forgiven
For all the times that I’ve been wrong, for all the words I haven’t written
Before the days all fade away I’ve got a couple things to say
I need a favor, please think this over
We both have many miles to walk until we let go
And sing the melody together ‘til it echoes
Through every morning, noon and night the notes are sweet and full of light
So if you’re smiling, please say you’re smiling
Let me be your Friday afternoon? Your Saturday night
Can I be your Sunday morning too, we’ll make it sound just right
And then just when you think you know the tune I wanna’ sing it a little sweeter
If you don’t mind let me be your Friday afternoon
You have the sweetest lips that I have ever kissed
And when you call my name I swear I can’t resist
It’s only Tuesday and I know we got 3 more days to go
But my heart is up on 113th tonight
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24. |
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I wonder what would you do if I could rap for you
Tell me would you maybe like for me to reach for the mic
Because you’re teaching me about diversity
Not just a pigment of skin but how a soul can be
So many colors and shapes it’s like a carnival babe
I’m feeling just like a kid again behind my eyelids
There’s all these wonderful sights I wanna’ share all the light
Right back to you because I’m just a guest on your time
And so I’m going to learn how I can start taking turns
With you and taking the lead so you can take a back seat
But when you’re ready to drive I wanna’ slide to the side
Any direction you go is where I’m headed, you know
I don’t think I’ve ever known a girl so brave and so grown
So young and beautiful yes but watch her also profess
About the things she believes and what society needs
Her courage breaks down the walls I used to build I recall
Your soul is a million souls
A wonder just to behold the stories that she has told
The people out in the world who touched the life of this girl
Of every background and type with everything that she likes
Her heart is open to change and so I must rearrange
The things I used to be sure would never change anymore
A way I shut out the things I never ever could bring
Myself to let in my head and books that I never read
She even reads them to me I think it’s setting me free
Your soul is a million souls
And now as I write this rhyme she may be resting a time
In southern comfort so sweet she taps her foot to the beat
My future days are for her and I hope she understands
That all her lessons I learn will make me more of a man
|
||||
25. |
||||
|
I already miss you it hasn’t been long
Since I last kissed you the feeling is strong
I know I can’t see you tonight so I’ll sleep for awhile
When I lay beside you my heart is at home
The rest of the world seems to leave me alone
After all of the miles we both found a new reason to smile
Now my soul is a high as a mountain
Yeah I got my head in the clouds
But I swear to keep both of my feet planted firm on the ground
You’re the answer to all of the questions
I’ve always been too scared to ask
From the moment we met you’ve been turning my world upside down
Headed west on the rails with my only sunshine
The living is easy now it’s summer time
Let the broken down barns and the shattered old shacks paint the way
There’s a bird on my arm and she’ll never let go
Like the ones on your shoulders forever they’ll know
We can make it together through anything, we’ll fly away
Now my soul is a high as a mountain
Yeah I got my head in the clouds
But I swear to keep both of my feet planted firm on the ground
You’re the answer to all of the questions
I’ve always been too scared to ask
From the moment we met you’ve been turning my world upside down
|
||||
26. |
Dear Friends (220306)
02:59
|
|||
|
Dear friends we are gathered here today
In the company of each other
Come together to honor and celebrate
Our coats of many colors
The thing about friendship I believe it is encouraged
That each one is something we choose
The sake of conversation here's some kinds I've heard of
To figure out who's who
Well there's big career friends
And more austere friends
Some insincere friends
I got those too
Face their fears friends
Grin ear to ear friends
Let's get weird friends
And them's a hoot
Yeah you got your film premier friends
Grinds my gears friends
Once a year friends
Sometimes that's more than enough
Because they're here friends
Or nowhere near friends
But the near and dear friends
Them's the ones you love
Dear friends some are kindly some are kind of gruff
And some are crazy as a loon
Most speak proper though a few been known to cuss
And the best ones tell the truth
Looking back if I really do examine
I had all sorts of friends and I don't regret it
Got a list of names of acquaintances and companions
To whom I'm most indebted
Fishing off the pier friends
Tear in their beer friends
Non-binary queer friends
We're all beautiful in God's eyes
Hipster beard friends
Tattooed and pierced friends
It ain't clear friends
Yeah it takes all kinds
New frontier friends
Snicker and sneer friends
Bought 'em at Sears friends
They was sellin' two for one
Bagel and schmear friends
Parking in rear friends
But the near and dear friends
Them's the ones you love
|
||||
27. |
||||
|
She said our hands are our wings
What's left of wings anyway
And anything I try to cling to
Always flies away
She said our hands are our wings
'Cause we're what's left of angels
And if any angels still can sing
I wish they'd sing to me today
You know the higher you go the lonelier it gets
That's why birds of prey mate for life
Are you someone that I can trust with someone important
Like holding me until I feel all right
She said our hands are our wings
They remain to remind us
That rebel angels fought their king
And were deformed for their defiance
Our hands our wings
These small simple things
And all the trouble they can bring
Our hands our wings
|
||||
28. |
||||
|
She said our hands are our wings
What's left of wings anyway
And anything I try to cling to
Always flies away
She said our hands are our wings
'Cause we're what's left of angels
And if any angels still can sing
I wish they'd sing to me today
You know the higher you go the lonelier it gets
That's why birds of prey mate for life
Are you someone that I can trust with someone important
Like holding me until I feel all right
She said our hands are our wings
They remain to remind us
That rebel angels fought their king
And were deformed for their defiance
Our hands our wings
These small simple things
And all the trouble they can bring
Our hands our wings
|
||||
29. |
||||
|
Can you hear me, are you listening
Is there something that I'm missing
The love that I'm confessing
I hope it's reaching you
I've tried in every language
But the words were getting tangled
I let go of all the baggage
Is my message getting through
I'm looking for a passage
That only we can find
A place that's so enchanted
It was always on my mind
I can't erase the damage
Or turn water into wine
But you will always have it
This melody of mine
The meter isn't flawless
And the rhymes may seem confused
But this much I can promise
That every word is true
I'm looking for a passage
That only we can find
A place that's so enchanted
It was always on my mind
I can't erase the damage
Or turn water into wine
But you will always have it
This melody of mine
|
||||
30. |
First Responder (190902)
03:09
|
|||
|
Rough day you're stressed
You could use some tenderness
A friend who'll stick around
To listen while you talk it out
Don't you worry I'm a tell you what
I know just the man for the job
I'm a gonna be your first responder
I'm a be your first responder
I'm gonna BE your first responder
Dead of winter heat of summer
I'll keep you from going under
Hold your hand while you recover
I can feel you gettin' stronger
I'm a gonna be your first responder
Zero dark thirty crack of dawn
Hit me up whenever you want
For somethin' big for somethin' small
I'm down for anything anything at all
Nothing else I'd rather do
Don't think twice I'm here for you
Twenty four seven I got your back
You can count on me now that's a fact
I'm a gonna be your first responder
I'm a be your first responder
I'm gonna BE your first responder
Dead of winter heat of summer
I'll keep you from going under
Hold your hand while you recover
I can feel you gettin' stronger
I'm a gonna be your first responder
|
||||
31. |
Proof (210702)
02:59
|
|||
|
Another one of them nights with nothin' to lose
You kept lookin' at me and caught me lookin' at you
Teasin' like ain't you gonna' make a move
Well one of us better
But hey no pressure
If we're gonna' do this I'ma need some proof
Gonna' need a sign lemme' get a clue
Will another drink tell me what you wanna' do
A little Jamo or some Grey Goose
One thing about a bottle it tells the truth
If we're gonna' do this I'ma need some proof
Everybody knows this is how it starts
Shot of somethin' strong and the beat of a heart
Can we make a fire outta' this spark
Only one way of knowin'
Where the whole thing's goin'
If we're gonna' do this I'ma need some proof
Gonna' need a sign lemme' get a clue
Will another drink tell me what you wanna' do
A little Fireball or some Absolute
One thing about a bottle it tells the truth
If we're gonna' do this I'ma need some proof
So let's cut to the end of the movie
And if we're gonna' do this
Then we better prove it
If we're gonna' do this I'ma need some proof
Gonna' need a sign lemme' get a clue
Will another drink tell me what you wanna' do
A little Wild Turkey or some Tullamore Dew
One thing about a bottle it tells the truth
If we're gonna' do this I'ma need some proof
|
||||
32. |
Heart Unspoken (211113)
03:37
|
|||
|
Life is like a canyon full of twists and turns
And I’d follow you anywhere to the ends of the earth
But the miles they’d be empty nothing more a dream
Unless I find a way to say what I mean
My feet may grow tired my legs they might ache
But as long as you’re with me I’ll walk ‘til they break
I can’t hold it in I won’t waste one more moment
Or spend one more day with my heart unspoken
I been tryin’ to find the words the ones that ring true
To bring you closer to me to bring me closer to you
But I can’t keep you waiting I gotta’ say it out loud
Everything I been feelin’ right here and right now
My feet may grow tired my legs they might ache
But as long as you’re with me I’ll walk ‘til they break
I can’t hold it in I won’t waste one more moment
Or spend one more day with my heart unspoken
So take my hand to have and to hold
There ain’t no telling how far we can go
My feet may grow tired my legs they might ache
But as long as you’re with me I’ll walk ‘til they break
I can’t hold it in I won’t waste one more moment
Or spend one more day with my heart unspoken
Spend one more day with my heart unspoken
|
||||
33. |
||||
|
I reckon true love’s my destiny
There’s someone like you meant just for me
Not just any old flame, no Boy Scout fires
My sights are set a whole lot higher
Move over Disney, make room for me
My favorite flavor of fairy tale
Aint’ champagne it’s ginger ale
Buying in bulk that’s the bomb
Sensible choices turn me on
Honey let’s go see what’s on sale
I wanna dance with you until the break of 9 o’clock
I wanna kiss you for a little while then we’ll stop
You make my life pretty good I guess
You’re my status quo more or less
And you’re most of what I’ve been dreaming of
So let’s never throw out this perfectly good enough love
Everybody wants the best seats in the house
We don’t even need to leave the couch
Snuggle up and watch the Grammys
I love how you fill those flannel jammies
Don’t let me forget to put the recycling out
You really sweep me off my feet
You know I mean occasionally
Every time one of us cleans the toilet
It fells like we’re Romeo and Joilet
|
||||
34. |
||||
|
Swam through a river of excuses
So deep that I almost drowned
Kicked around and fought my way through
‘Til I showed up and stood my ground
Still tryin’ to figure it out
I’m gonna’ ask for what I need
Be the change that I wanna’ see
I’ve got nothing left to prove
Gonna’ say it ‘til I know it’s true
And I’m finally sure
I’m worth a little more
I’ve earned it
I know I deserve it
And I'm learning
I'm worth a little more
I’m learning how to say yes and mean it
Lords knows I’ve heard the word "No"
When you’re a friend I’m gonna make you believe it
That I’m okay with letting go
|
||||
35. |
JTR - Ann Marie
03:27
|
|||
|
In my four years here at the boys’ lunch table
A gal never came around
So the day you did I couldn’t stop myself
From walkin up and sittin’ down
Didn’t know it at the time but when your eyes met mine
It was the start of something beautiful and new
The world stopped (right) on cue when you said – hey how’re you
Something changed inside of me
Ann Marie
A couple years later according to the haters
We were goin’ way too fast
Take a good look now we're thinkin’ ‘bout a house
And four words I want to ask
Surprised me at the time but when your eyes met mine
It was the start of something beautiful and new
I fall a little deeper and it sounds a little sweeter
Every time you say I love you
To me
Ann Marie
I may never walk the streets of Rome
Or sail the seven seas
But if I do I want you TO BE there too
So Ann Marie will you marry me
Well it happened right on time and when your eyes met mine
It was the start of something beautiful and new
Now I know that it’s the truth when you say the words “I do”
Here’s to forever you and me
Ann Marie
|
||||
36. |
||||
|
Turned 18 and hit the ground running
No idea what would be coming
Facin’ my fears afraid of pullin’ in last
Chasin’ my dreams is an uphill battle
Give all I got nothin’ else matters
A blessing and a curse growin’ up fast
When you’re down in the valley
And the mountains look so tall
Just keep on climbin’
No matter how many times you fall
Ask anyone who’s been there done it
Every time you get knocked down
Hit the ground runnin’
High on faith but low on money
Whether that sky is gray or sunny
One tear, one smile, one day at time
You’ll get knocked down so get back up
It happens to the best of us
All that matters is you keep on tryin’
Anywhere worth gettin’ there’s gonna’ be risk involved
If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re too small
|
||||
37. |
||||
|
Every once in awhile I take a slow stroll
To the edge of the cloud
That hangs over the ground
You laid me down on
And I wonder if you know what my intentions were
Did you ever find the band
I'd bought for your hand
Would you have said I do
For every heartache there's a blessing
A silver lining in every lesson
All the gospels say you'll meet me here someday
I don't doubt it for a minute
But I hope you keep on livin'
Until the angels sing
And it's time to bring that ring
I'll be waiting here in heaven
Ever since the day I met you mama always knew
You're more than my best friend
A love that never ends
Thank God you're there with her
In the late December sky I keep a weathered eye
When you help her light that tree
And say a prayer for me
I hear every word
Remember when you feel like giving up and lettin' go
The gold around your finger means you're not alone
So I hope you keep on livin'
Until the angels sing
And it's time to bring that ring
I'll be waiting here in heaven
==
===
=
===
==
Every once in awhile I take a slow stroll
To the edge of the cloud
That hangs over the ground
You laid me down on
And I wonder if you know what my intentions were
Did you ever find the band
I'd bought for your hand
Would you have said I do
For every heartache there's a blessing
A silver lining in every lesson
Well the gospels say you'll meet me here someday
One more angel here in heaven
He said when I first met you he already knew
You'd make a perfect wife
And he's known me all my life
He knows what he's talkin' about
Best friends are loyal tried and true so I was proud of you
That he was your first call
When too much alcohol
Put me in the ground
For every heartache there's a blessing
A silver lining in every lesson
Well the gospels say you'll meet me here someday
One more angel here in heaven
In the late December sky I keep a weathered eye
For my two best friends on earth
As you help him light the tree and say a prayer for me
I'll hear every word
|
||||
38. |
||||
|
I saw you comin’ a mile away
Tryin’ to be smooth with that look on your face
Did I look like I needed your help to have a good time
Like I wanna’ meet someone like you tonight
Keep your one liners
It’s cute that you’re tryin’
I know I’m a keeper, I know I’m a catch
Try all you won’t but you ain’t got a chance
I know what I’m worth, won’t settle for less
This song was over before the first dance
Save it for the next girl that sits in this seat
Whatever you’re workin’ ain’t working on me
No, it didn’t hurt when I fell from heaven
Boy, get out of here with your empty words
Dangerous ground where you’re headed
The lesson you’re about to learn
It’s time to stop tryin’
You’re just wastin’ my time
|
||||
39. |
||||
|
Every kid wants to win the lottery
And I was no exception
Bought a scratch off every week
To add to my collection
Made a list of what I’d do
If I picked the perfect digits
Never dreamed I’d see the day
Arrive when I actually win it
All the jokes are funny and all the books are good
All the children play nice in every neighborhood
Every day is better than the last and everything is easy
Since the day I won the lottery
I’m not going to tell anybody
I don’t want to jinx it
I'm not gonna' shout it out
I won't even think it
But I'm about to win it all
It'll be terrific
And today's the day I'm sure of it
Here's my winning ticket
|
||||
40. |
||||
|
It’s five o’clock and it’s already dark
But all the lights of Brooklyn fill up my heart
Get on the phone I better call my dad
Looks like I’m walkin’ ‘cause I can’t catch a cab
Hey! Yes, I said I’m coming home for Christmas
No, Dad I just need you to stay on the phone until I get home
Help Rosa cross the road at 6:15
Avoid the guidos hanging out in the street
So many puppies in the neighborhood (uh oh)
I stepped in something and it doesn’t smell good
So much I love here and so much I don’t
Rats in the gutter streets paved with gold
Every day in this crazy city
Gets me wondering how long I’ll be here
It’s still the nicest place I can afford
The smell of Golden Dragon Kitchen next door
I used to love it back in twenty-ten
(Along with Pitbull, and Jeggings, and Ethan…oh gosh)
I hardly recognize the girl I was then
So much I love here and so much I don’t
Waking up hopeful and winding up broke
Every day in this crazy city
Gets me wondering how much is too much
|
||||
41. |
||||
|
Did you wear your wedding ring
Tell yourself it don't mean anything
Leave the lights or was it dark
In the backseat of our car
Were you with her in our bed
By the pictures of our kids
Will you tell me who she is
Will you say who started it
So I can pull all the pieces together
Figure out the lies from the truth
From the lies of what's going on
So help me pull all the pieces together
How long is the longing
Of a love that's been undone
I thought I knew you so well
Every drop of your blood
That back of the neck smell
Did I turn the blindest eye?
Did I wanna be deaf to your excuses
To every late night
Every question hurts to ask
I do but I don't wanna know what came to pass
I feel so much that I can't see straight
Nothing I can say will change what's happened
It's way too late
|
||||
42. |
'Sup F*%#ers (240220)
00:23
|
|||
|
Sup fuckers my name is Kolt
I'm a human lighning bolt
If you think I will then I won't
Did you think I do well I don't, bitch
Sup fuckers I write these songs
In between fat hits of the bong
My body's short my dick is long
You can either suck it or sing along
|
||||
43. |
||||
|
Searchers came and searchers went
And everywhere they smelled the scent
Of a people brave and a people bold
Who lived for aeons since days of old
And when the searchers finally left
From every rock and every cleft
Strange little eyes popped into view
As silent as the mornings dew
They assembled and all agreed
The leader stood and he decreed
“To outlast the passing years
Learn when and how to disappear”
I was born a searching man
With searching heart searching hands
I searched the earth high and low
Until one night ten years ago
Two eyes appeared as night fell down
I followed close without a sound
Last time I saw my family
Thank God they came but did not see
|
||||
44. |
Fastballs (240216)
02:56
|
|||
|
They called me slugger and handed me a bat
I stepped up to the plate
You know the difference is half a second flat
Between too early and too late
Coach was coaching pitching bits of wisdom
He told me life's a game
Win or lose I made sure I listened
Remember every word today
Ain't it funny how the fastballs fly
Hit or miss in the wink of an eye
There's hardly time to wipe away the tears
You strike out then you hit a homer
Before you know it the game is over
And the fans all disappear
Seems like the fastballs get faster every year
I was yay high when I started playing ball
Running 'round the bases
Let me tell you since the days when I was small
Nothing really changes
|
||||
45. |
||||
|
I met her on a three day weekend retreat
She tried to warn me ‘bout her two left feet
Her third eye hypnotized me
Her name was Sophia Loren Monroe
We split a ribeye she got another to go
And she’d only just begun to surprise me
She’s 3 pounds of lovin’ in a 2 pound sack
She’s all your greatest hits plus a bonus track
She’s double or nothing if you know what I mean
She’s half angel half devil half in between
On a scale of one to ten she’s a solid fifteen
She's breakin' all the rules of physics logic and math
She’s a woman and a half
She drives me crazy and part way back
Like an F150 with an extra tank
So I got down on both knees and croaked out the question
Ring had two diamonds one big one little
One like a gumball one like a Skittle
She gave me half a smile I guess she’s acquiescin’
I loved her one time she loved me twice back
That’s three times if you’re keeping track
Carry the one don’t forget to subtract
She’s a woman and a half and that’s a stone cold fact
If you see her on the street good luck driving past
She’s a woman and a half
What percent is that you shouldn’t have to ask
She’s a woman and a half
|
||||
46. |
||||
|
The paint may show some wear
This far down the road
The tires are looking bare
This far down the road
But the engine's running smooth
Because everybody knows
You only get your groove
This far down the road
Sometimes you find the truth
This far down the road
Between the gravel and your boots
This far down the road
The good times come and go
The songs just seem to flow
There’s no time to say goodbye
This far down the road
This far down the road this far down the road
That’s the way it goes this far down the road
There’s always one more round always one more town
That’s the way it goes this far down the road
Many souls grow cold and lonely
This far down the road
Some lose sight of where they started
This far down the road
I'm livin with the memories
Of all the seeds I've sowed
That's the way it goes when your
This far down the road
|
||||
47. |
||||
|
I’m don’t always know what’s right but I’ll never do you wrong
In between the days and nights the staying and the moving on
When I’m coming home to you the highway sure is long
I’m don’t always know what’s right but I’ll never do you wrong
There’s a picture in my mind of where I want to be
Only trouble is it’s miles ahead of me
It keeps me up at night until just before the dawn
I don’t always know what’s right but I’ll never do you wrong
Miles and miles stretching in the distance
For a while I am somewhere else
You and me sitting in the kitchen
Not some cheap motel
High and low looking for the answers
Hours to go before I lay me down
Rearview mirrors and second chances
Disappear in the lost and found
Now I’m driving across the prairie open road and open skies
Driving into sunset feels like sawdust in my eyes
Still 2 hours east of Joplin
I’ll be stopping (hold) but I won’t be staying long
I don’t always know what’s right
But I’ll never do you wrong
|
||||
48. |
Hand Me Down (240322)
05:42
|
|||
|
It's a hand me down passing the torch
A habit from my father and his before
He's trapped in the bottle can't drink his way out
It's a silhouette he can't live without
We all got pain we all got demons
Sometimes they win sometimes we beat 'em
Is it my turn to take up his cross
Hunt and be hunted to fight and be fought
// Too heavy to lift can't pay what it costs
The river runs deep (and) many men drown
I'm treading water in this hand me down
// I swam away with/from my hand me down
So I threw some punches and I burned some bridges
Couldn't care less who was on the other end
// Woke up in more than my fair share of ditches
And I drove home wasted time after time
If the 5-0 don't catch you then it's not a crime
// And I drove home wasted thinkin' I was alright
// Passed out on the floor by the dawn's early light
// Driving home wasted just before dawn
// Burning a candle that was all but gone
What becomes of a hand me down
If one day you just throw it out
|
||||
49. |
Elevate (240408)
03:11
|
|||
|
They call me the elevator
All the way to the top
They call me the elevator
I’m never gonna’ stop
Keep going up up up
I’m feelin’ luxe luxe luxe
Yeah I’m elevating
I was in the basement
Looking at the top
Didn’t know how to get there
What do I gotta' do to rise up
Lift me up
I’m putting in the hours
I can feel it
I’ve got A new kind of power
I’m leveling up up up
I got my feet on the floor
And my head in the clouds
Climbing higher and higher
I ain’t never coming down
I’m on a whole new level
Population one
I’ll be way past the penthouse
Before this is done
|
||||
James Tristan Redding Nashville, Tennessee
British-American songwriter, singer, audiobook narrator, studio player, Godin Guitars official
artist.
Founded global collective www.SongAWeek.org, performance art experience The Under Over: tinyurl.com/uoxuo (song circle underneath a highway) and writing retreat www.TheNashville24.com (annual challenge: write 24 songs in 24 hours).
Cuts by Sarah Harralson, Eli Alger, Emma Gale, David Easterling
... more
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