Get all 28 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 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, Leap Songs, Part 3, and 20 more.
1. |
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It's always kind of weird
The ending of a year
Like the turning of a page
Wonder what we'll see
As the hours turn to weeks
Three hundred some odd days
Something happened something's up
Something tells me I'm in luck
Something's leaving or left undone
Something wicked this way comes
Something's right but something's wrong
Something's missing it's all but gone
Something borrowed from someone blue
Something bittersweet and something new
Look at all these lights
We're lighting up tonight
Brighter than the moon
Each one makes it feel
A little more surreal
Our very own cartoon
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2. |
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Well I know that the weight of the world
Is too much we can't do it alone
Lemme' give you some words in a song
And a reason for you to keep goin'
Reach up in the sky pull down a star
It'll never be as bright as you are
Well this world is made for you 'cause you're worth it
Heart made of gold baby you deserve it
Bottom of your soul up to the surface
Ain't no shame in the truth
That just by being you you're already perfect
Well sometimes we get stuck in the past
And we carry those chains all around
But we can't move ahead looking back
And what matters is what you do now
Reach up in the sky pull down a star
It'll never be as bright as you are
Well this world is made for you 'cause you're worth it
Heart made of gold baby you deserve it
Bottom of your soul up to the surface
Ain't no shame in the truth
That just by being you you're already perfect
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3. |
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I never did enjoy vacation
Too much free time freaks me out
Some people seem to strike a balance
I never could quite figure how
The rope I need to climb a mountain
Is plenty long to hang myself
And there's somethin' 'bout just standin'
In the doorway between heaven and hell
Standing in the doorway with one foot either side
Could go either way it's gettin' hard to see the line
Tryin' to see the future but it's still to soon to tell
Standin' in the doorway in between heaven and hell
When it's midnight at the crossroads
There's one train headed south
Another's racin' off the iron
One last chance to turn around
Where the point of no return is
Probably anybody's guess
I keep watchin' from the doorway
But I haven't seen it yet
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4. |
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You be you and I’ll be me
Never mind who we used to be
The script has changed
All except the names
Tragedy to comedy
Forget the lines we memorized
Laugh them off and improvise
The world’s a stage
It ain’t on the page
Curtains up, hit the lights
It’s opening night wonderful and frightening
Everything is happening right now
No costumes and no make-up no hiding and no faking
Take a bow it’s opening night
It was easier in a way
When the words we used to say
Seemed to be
Something neither you or me
Could ever hope to change
It’s opening night wonderful and frightening
Everything is happening right now
No costumes and no make-up no hiding and no faking
Take a bow it’s opening night
The critics are waiting for their cue
But they're just actors playing me and you
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5. |
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Told me when you left you were searching
For what you didn't know
You seem to think the answer's running
So I let you go
Sure I been wondering what you're seeing
Out there flying down the road
Won't you tell me what you're thinking
And if you're thinking 'bout coming home
They say go big or go home
Well this home's pretty big in here alone
And when you left I didn't chase you
This was something you had to do
So I just want you to know
That I want you to come home
Read about how you can breathe again
In the last line of your letter
Mountain air goes down easy
Seemed like you're doing better
Passing pine trees and gas stations
And beaten down old farms
Getting lost in all that silence
While you're staring at the stars
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6. |
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Maybe I've been wrong about some things
I can see that now
And maybe when the telephone won't ring
It's never been so loud
Or maybe I'm still dreaming and if the dream comes true
I'll find everything I've lost
Maybe sorry's not the same thing as I love you
I used to think it was
For the longest time there's been hurting
Where I wish there was none
And too many names where I've determined
There should be only one
Forever I sought mercy on demand
No matter what the cost
But a highway isn't any kind of friend
I used to think it was
Used to be so sure God I could have sworn
There was nothing I could do
But there's some things I'd change if I could do it all again
Just between me and you
Last night I saw the moon rise through the trees
In a drunk and lonely sky
Spent the morning getting on my knees
Waiting for a sign
Something's changed I can't say the reason
Maybe it's because
This is not the only road to freedom
I used to think it was
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7. |
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My father built this place
Using just his hands
He said the things we make
They're the measure of a man
So why's there nothing here
Just a clearing in the woods
Lived here forty years
Before I understood
No windows and no walls
No 2x4s at all
This place ain't made of sand or stone
Nowhere to park my car
The roof is all just stars
But it sure feels like a home
And I love to see the view my father made
With no windows in the way
The neighbors all stop by
Impressed by what he did
Somehow turned the dirt
Into a place to live
So easy to get lost
Living like a king
That's why I'm so lucky
I don't own a thing
No doors or chest of drawers
No polished hardwood floors
Outshine the house I'm livin' in
After all it's where I was born
One bright and chilly mornin'
Just stuck around here ever since
Nothing like the view my father made
With no windows in the way
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8. |
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I've been dreaming kaleidoscope dreams
Every evening and I don't know what it means
It's like memories but they're things I've never seen
Can't change the channel and I can't look away
I've been waking each morning soaking wet
Filled with pictures too vivid to forget
I keep thinking it'll pass but it hasn't yet
And I haven't told a soul until today
What does it say about my soul
If something's moving that I cannot control
Been letting go but I still wonder what it means
To dream all these kaleidoscope dreams
So can anybody tell me where's the line
Are they nightmares or just castles in the sky
Either way I better shutter all the blinds
Make the shadows look so tall
Like the moment Judy Garland can't ignore
She and Toto aren't in Kansas anymore
When the world was black and white we could have sworn
Until these colors changed it all
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9. |
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Tell you nine times what I'm thinking
Say it nine times to your face
Hear it nine times and ignore it
I ain't gonna' say it again
Asked you nine times if you love me
Begged you nine times on my knees
Cried out nine times it's the last time
You'll ever hear it from me
Nine times nine is eighty one
Nine times I guess we had some fun
Nine times probably do it again
Nine times you wanna' try for ten
Kissed you nine times on a Sunday
Held you nine times in my arms
Whispered nine times on that Monday
It shouldn't be this hard
Left you nine times and I meant it
Called you nine times from the road
Broke down nine times and quit running
And that was nine years go
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10. |
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You didn't mean to meet me
I didn't mean to meet you too
Just 'cause it's right don't mean it's easy
No one knows that more than you
I know life is complicated
Sometimes downright upside down
But something hit me and I need to say it
Just to hear how it sounds
Whatever we are apart let us be those things together
A couple weathered hearts marking time in equal measure
You were midnight and a spark lit up the sky like buried treasure
Shining under all of those stars
Making us whatever we are
I'm not sure what's going down here
You've just been on my mind
And I get the feeling what we found here
Is pretty hard to find
You got things you must attend to
Well the same is true for me
I wanna' be your lover and your friend too
And everything in between
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11. |
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She's been saying she's gonna' leave me for years I dare you
To hit the highway and kidnap all my beers I dare you
I dare you look up from your phone
I dare you to tell me a joke
I dare you to quack like a duck
I dare you to gimme' a buck
Dog keeps threatenin' to tinkle on the floor I dare you
Get me down there cleanin' on all fours I dare you
I dare you to touch your toes
I dare you to strike a pose
I dare you to straight your collar
I dare you to gimme' a dollar
I dare you to gimme' five
I dare you to look alive
I dare you to start buying organic ketchup
I dare you to gimme' a buck
One more sick day and the boss man says I'm through I dare you
Wreck my paycheck and my reputation too I dare you
I dare you to play air guitar
I dare you to eat lunch in the park
I dare you to admit that Rubber Soul is better than Revolver
I dare you to gimme' a dollar
I.R.S. makin' noise 'bout legal action I dare you
Take the house and send my broke ass packin' I dare you
I dare you to call your mama
I dare you to bring back Obama
I dare you to give yourself a haircut
I dare you to gimme' a buck
I dare you to write a song
I dare you to sing along
I dare you to get your CDL and learn how to drive a truck
I dare you to gimme' a buck
I dare you to crack a smile
I dare you to leapfrog that guy
I dare you to check out the complete works of Gustav Mahler
I dare you to gimme' a dollar
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12. |
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A dog like me needs something to chew on
Only asking for a little
Ignore the fact I may have put a few on
For a canine I got quite a figure
Of all the treats I wanna' be given
None rivals the chocolate rabbit
Every April I beg for a nibble
I just gotta' have it
Gimme' that chocolate rabbit
Come on don't make me beg
Gimme' the chocolate rabbit
Or I'll go peepee on your leg
Easter Sunday they snuck me some chicken
When they filled up my bowl
But that chocolate rabbit it's still in the kitchen
I feel it in my bones
Gimme' that chocolate rabbit
Come on don't make me beg
Gimme' the chocolate rabbit
Or I'll go peepee on your leg
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13. |
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I got just three words for you
And I wonder if you can guess the ones I'll choose
Judging by our history it might not be a mystery
Which string of syllables will do
I love you or dreams come true
Win a bronze or mow the lawn
Hold my hand or I don't understand
No this song is to tell you I was wrong
So did you see the punchline comin'
Like a verbal hitchhiker thumbin'
Along the highway just prayin' it won't go sideways
Before he says a certain somethin'
Return to sender or hey big spender
Dusk 'til dawn or too far gone
All is well or give 'em hell
Well this song is just to tell you I was wrong
Don't look back or no strings attached
Proverbs and psalms bed bath beyond
Life is messy or count your blessings
That's not this song, all I'm saying is I was wrong
Make me proud or over and out
Drain the swamp or tout la monde
Live laugh love or I've had enough
I wrote this song just to tell you I was wrong
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14. |
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The last thing I remember
Walking slowly up the beach
Faded shorts the shade of sherbert
Clouds the color of a peach
Hobble over to the tiki
Plan to heed their expertise
Somethin' called a pink coral sand dune
To wash away these memories
In a glass as tall as Fuji
With thicker ice than yet remains
Up there in the Artic circle
Hopin' this'll numb the pain
Sipping all my worries westward
Off into the setting sun
Bottoms up and sweet surrender
Pink coral sand dune here I come
All my failures are behind me
Only promise up ahead
Tradin' all my reservations
For oblivion instead
No more thinkin' 'bout tomorrow
This here's my fantasy du jour
A rainbow flavored daydream
What I was always lookin' for
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15. |
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There's a hundred one expressions
About things gone wrong
I don't got room for half of 'em
To fit in this here song
But I got little good news
About life's little fluctuations
I've yet to see it all come tumblin' down
Despite our limitations
When we didn't break it and we can't fix it
If we didn't start it and we cannot make it stop
Though we lack the power to 86 it
And we can't even guarantee we'll always be on top
Popular wisdom is I hear again and again
It'll be alright before the lights go down
So if it ain't alright yet then it's not the end
And we still got plenty of time to turn it around
We've all had that moment
Something's on the fritz
It all goes pear-shaped
And you get the yips
Things go sideways
You're at your wits' end
In dire straits
Remember my friend
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16. |
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Boxes in the attic been there for years
Filled up with t-shirts and memories and tears
Stack of papers and a couple busted chairs
I could cry anywhere so why not there
Don't matter who's wrong don't matter who's right
All that matters is this dust in a beam of light
Noise out in the world is deafening
Try to listen but I can't hear a thing
Were there words I coulda' said to make you stay
Anything so you'd still be here today
Well the door is locked and the only thing inside
Is me and some dust in a beam of light
Someday I'll make my way far away from here
Try to make all these ghosts disappear
No more strands of blonde when I vaccuum the floor
No more holdin' on if that's what I'm holdin' on for
Tax returns and phone bills we never paid
Books I didn't read but couldn't throw away
Dreams about a life that I'll never have
Wanna' see the future just look at the past
Focus on the one thing shining bright
A cloud of dust in a beam of light
Only thing that's real right before my eyes
Is just some dust in a beam of light
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17. |
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They oughtta' make a movie or write a book about me
What with all my superpowers and feats that I've achieved
Move over Batman and forget all about The Flash
I can fold a map
Oh that's not all there is, no I'm just gettin' started
I can remember everything I need at the supermarket
Yep I can eat just one Pringle and leave the rest in the pack
Hell I can even fold a map
I can get customer service on the line without breaking a sweat
Or buy 10 avocados and keep 'em all equally fresh
And I can solve a crossword puzzle with both hands tied behind my back
So maybe I can't forget about you but I can fold a map
Now I can put Humpty Dumpty back together again
Without hardly tryin' I can catch that gingerbread man
I can put a shirt on without getting deodorant on the back
And that's not all I can fold a map
Well I can believe it's not butter I can have my cake and eat it too
I could put baby in a corner, but that's something I'd never do
And I can teach an old dog new tricks you bet I can
Sure and I can even fold a map
I can split a cupcake in two perfect halves to share
Or walk into the kitchen and remember exactly why I'm there
And I can make the sound of someone clapping with just one hand
So maybe I can't forget about you least I can fold a map
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18. |
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I gave up on leavin' you
Back in ninety nine
Every failed escape from jail
Was only wasted time
I am resigned to stickin' around
Until you break these ties
Well I'd do myself
But I couldn't if I tried
You're the only thing I found
That always hurt so good
I kept wishin' for another way out
But I knew I never could
There's just somethin' 'bout you
Seems to make me walk that line
Well I would run for the door
But I couldn't if I tried
Shouldn't be so hard
To leave it all behind
Maybe now I've hurt enough
I'll try again tonight
Proved beyond a doubt
Long as you want me
All these chains you've put me in
Reach far as the eye can see
You'll never let me go
There ain't no reason to fight
Anybody else would hate your guts
But I couldn't if I tried
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19. |
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If it was easy everyone would do it
If it were always fun they wouldn't call it work
If it was simple we wouldn't help each other through it
But we do for better or worse
If the world was perfect we'd need no grain of salt
If nobody ever sinned then who would go to church
If nothing went sideways we wouldn't need good luck at all
But we do for better or worse
Seems to come naturally to caregivers and healers
Even when everything's a blur
Instead of running away we dig a little deeper
We double down for better or worse
Yeah we put each other first for better or worse
I've heard it said blood is thicker than H20
And family's where you turn to when it hurts
Well you didn't ask to be my family I suppose
But you are for better or worse
Seems to come naturally to caregivers and healers
Even when everything's a blur
Instead of running away we dig a little deeper
We double down for better or worse
Yeah we put each other first for better or worse
Sure has been a long weird road
And when the gravel runs out we drive on the dirt
Looks like there's still plenty more miles to go
Fair weather or foul for better or worse
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20. |
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The first time she showed up
You couldn't believe it
She gave you such comfort
You could barely receive it
She covered your limbs
The next time you met
And you noticed her holes
Had no fixin' yet
Unlucky corduroy soul
Brown like the color of copper
Losing all sense of control
Gone and you can't even stop her
She's the one she's the only
She's the softest one you've ever known
She's half torn and half mended
From the start to the end
She's your unlucky corduroy soul
The last time she left
You locked the door
Now you're worried that she
She ain't got the keys anymore
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21. |
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You walk outside and what do you see
See the whole world crumblin' down
Hear the people callin'
Whatcha' got whatcha' gonna' do
When despair is the only sound
See an ambulance rollin' by
Your sweet mama lyin' inside
Run back in and pack a little bag
Grab a few bucks lyin' on the sink
You better hurry now
Deafening noise planes fallin' from the sky
Ain't got a second to blink
We's in some kinda' fix
Everybody the bricks
Cracks in the bridge
Sinkholes in the dirt
You know what we did baby
Now it's startin' to hurt
We got no cement
Too late to fix it all up
It's gonna' come crashin' down on toppa' your
Brand new Dodge Ram truck
Half a million leavin'
Runnin' outta' Eden
Something's gotta' give
Cracks in the bridge
Gotta' reckon' with the changin' times
Too poor to pass the buck
It's all a gamble now
Karma's comin' and she's mad as hell
Like a Colt .45 to your head pow pow
Win lose live or die
Ran outta' tears to cry
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22. |
Week 21 - F5 (220523)
02:26
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You're so F5ing a new perspective
Forget F11 no need for exits
Don't wanna' F6 tonight let's keep it wide open
Hit a little F12 least here's to hopin'
You're so F5ing
Yeah I've F3ed all the livelong day
But no F9s made the blues go away
So I asked for F1 then you appeared
And I felt F8 loud and clear
You're so F5ing
I ditched F6 and found a little F2
Goodbye Turn The Page hello Deja Vu
If F10 were my options F7 explored them
But you totally F4ed 'em
You're so F5ing
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23. |
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I decided love was like a garden
I decided that I would tend to ours
I decided you were more than worth it
By far the sweetest of all the flowers
I decided I would give you water
I decided your place was in the sun
I decided that I'd protect your petals
From anything I could protect them from
I built a house of glass
Around you where you stood
I never thought to ask
Anybody if I should
I decided when the thunder clapped above us
I decided when the lightning split the sky
I decided when the greenhouse started leaking
That I need a place to hide
I decided that I would run for cover
I decided I'd be better off alone
I decided we should have seen this coming
So I started throwing stones
I broke that house of glass
Around you where you stood
I never thought to ask
Anybody if I should
I decided when the storm was over
I decided I'd clean the mess I made
I decided that I would try to find you
But the storm washed you away
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24. |
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We always wondered if they're out there
Little green men from outer space
For all the hype around first contact
Shoulda' seen the looks on each little green face
Guess we're not what they expected
In the search for intelligent life
Sure didn't expect their little green anger
We barely made out alive
Little green war on the humans
Little green soldiers from Mars
Little green anger because their lives
Little green look different from ours
Maybe they hate us 'cause they ain't us
Maybe it's a jealousy thing
I got no clue in the faintest
But earth won't never be the same
Took them light years just to get here
On their futuristic ship
Call my crazy but I would be nicer
After such a cosmic trip
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25. |
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Swore I'd never leave your side
Through good and bad thick and thin
Love can outlast any fight
I'm no fairweather friend
Forget about who's right who's wrong
Just let those brilliant blue eyes cry
'Cause like a thief the moment's gone
But I'm still standing by your side
Love me or hate me
Build me up or break me
Pretend it's all so black and white
I know you're hurtin'
But one thing's for certain
After we turn out the lights
I'll be yours night after night
Side by side
It's hard enough to be a man
Modern world ain't got a clue
So I can't begin to understand
What it must be like for you
We don't pick the cards we're dealt
Don't even pick who's dealin'
A little time beneath this belt
Tells me pain is made for healin'
Yes honey we're gonna' fight the good fight
Side by side
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26. |
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Complicated starts
Hyphenated names
Constipated heart
Saturated blame
Dissipated lives
Activated fears
Nauseated nights
Elongated years
Demonstrated hate
Irritated mouths
Medicated state
Separated out
Fabricated truth
Isolated facts
Subjugated youth
Aggravated acts
Underrated plan
Elevated rate
Unrelated hands
Consummated dates
Motivated moves
Simulated hurt
Concentrated clues
Corrugated words
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27. |
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There was a hole in my back yard
And it was filled up with dead stars
I grabbed a shovel and a flashlight
It's gettin' deeper every night
Dig dig dig in in in
I'm diggin' it
Bring bring bring it it it
I'm bringin' it
Hit hit hit this this this
I'm hittin' this
Dig dig dig in in in
Dig in dig in dig in dig in
And so I walk over next door
I brought my shovel of course
My neighbor he was amazed
And then we dug and star gazed
Check your own back yard
It could be filled with dead stars
You never know what you're gonna' find
Down in the back yard mines
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28. |
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Sometimes a question is not just a question
Words have the power to change
Somewhere between sin and confession
I started believing again
She asked me how many ways does He love me
From His throne up there in the sky
I said can you count the stars up above me
To be honest she paused I've never tried
What's the largest number
Would that be enough
And which words we could wonder
Come anywhere close to describing His love
A lot unconditional
Real unprovisional
We all gotta' feel it ourselves
A hundred a million
Six times one gazillion
Tens of thousands that's as close as anything else
Where can I go to find Him who made me
She said I'd walk to the ends of the earth
I said He's been here since you were a baby
Best place to look is inside your heart first
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29. |
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I heard a joke on NPR
Must a been a week ago
I can't recall the way it starts
But the end that much I know
It started with a simple phrase
When Person A says, "under there"
And Person B not one bit phased
Takes the bait saying, "under where?"
And then we laugh until we cry
And finally we're young again
That's all it takes to press rewind
On the clock my friend
Now every day I tell a joke
To someone in my life
It's not world peace but even so
Seems to make me feel alright
I feel alright
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30. |
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Look out teeth look out gums
Something wicked this way comes
My pride is medium medium rare
Still pink enough I should be scared
So many things that I could choose
For all my hungry teeth to chew
What was the last thing on my mind
Looks like it's cooked up fresh tonight
How many fears must I ingest
With my compliments to the chef
And how much ego's on my plate
More than steak and baked potates
So when can I stop eating crow
Seems like nobody knows
And how much pride must I bite into
Let's just say more than you can chew
I don't believe in skipping meals
And low blood sugar that shit's real
So here go all my doubts and fears
Spiced up nice and lightly seared
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31. |
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Baby I love you more than anybody
More than that 1st cup of coffee
And baby who'da' thought a year ago
I’d forget about all the pain
Baby you were worth the wait
The sleepless nights and the feeling all alone
I know I’ll make it through the ups and downs
But there’s a couple things no one ever talks about
Like the peanut butter in your arm pits
How a mouth full of dirt is happiness
Spaghetti in your hair toys everywhere
And I’m just doin’ my best
I know it'll go real quick and someday I'll miss
The peanut butter in your arm pits
Baby you mean so much to me
You’re worth more than a full night’s sleep
I wanna hold you close but first you need a bath
Wouldn’t trade you for anyone else
But I’d kill to use the bathroom by myself
Someone tell me how long does teething last
I know I’ll make it through the ups and downs
But there’s a couple things no one ever talks about
Crayon and handprints on the walls
Cleaning up don’t help at all
Pickin’ your nose watching you grow
It’s hard to stand and let you fall
I know it'll go real quick and someday I'll miss
The peanut butter in your arm pits
Cryin’ in the shower sometimes it’s hard to breathe
Lookin’ in the mirror don’t recognize me
No clue what I’m doin’ somehow we’re doin’ fine
Thank God for everything heavy there’s somethin’ light
How could I have such big love for someone so small
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32. |
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With a tin foil badge
On a safety pin
I was the meanest sheriff
This block’s ever seen
From the cardboard spurs
And my corduroy chaps
I commanded respect
Under my half gallon hat
I was armed and dangerous
Kickin’ butt takin’ names
Only kid on the playground
Who wasn’t playin’ no games
I was short dark and handsome
Where did I go wrong
Once armed and so dangerous
Now I’m just writing songs
Had the fastest draw
This side of the park
In my size 5 footsteps
A trail of broken hearts
Don’t you gimme’ no ice
Juice box straight no chaser
All the grown ups reply
“Whatever you say, sir!”
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33. |
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There was a fine vessel well gilded in gold
With far away shores in her sights
A decade has passed now only the ghosts
Can retell the tale of that night
Boo who to the sailors
Boo who to the sails
Boo who to the depths
Of the ocean's betrayal
Boo who off the bow
As we sink or we float
With a prayer to be free
And may God save our souls
She set forth one morning to cast off the coast
With one hundred men in brigade
Not one of them noticed the storm clouds approach
Until it was all but too late
Boo who to the captain
Boo who to the crew
Boo who to the sirens
With salty perfume
Boo who off the bow
As we sink or we float
With a prayer to be free
And may God save our souls
She weathered the first night and part of the next
Until something cracked down below
Then fishes and water poured in from the depths
And pulled down the weight like a stone
Boo who to the starboard
Boo who to the port
Boo who to the lifeboat
With its two broken oars
Boo who off the bow
As we sink or we float
With a prayer to be free
And may God save our souls
Words can't describe that night ten years ago
I shudder to think how it felt
The story so goes to this day no one knows
If any aboard lived to tell
Boo who to the rudder
Boo who to the deck
Boo who to the divers
Who fled from the wreck
Boo who off the bow
As we sink or we float
With a prayer to be free
And may God save our souls
|
||||
34. |
||||
She didn't leave no foot prints
No finger prints either
There was nothing out of place
And nobody said they'd seen her
She didn't break the window
Or bust the deadbolt in
There's no way I can prove it
But I know where she's been
My neighbors think I'm crazy
Full of paranoia
But there's some kinds of danger
That don't respond to lawyers
What gave away her visit
Entry and exit clean
She left no sights or sounds
Just the smell of gasoline
|
||||
35. |
||||
We're living in a mixed up world
There's never a dull moment
Lots of folks got a couple screws loose
And don't I know it
We got lovers and fighters, punks and posers
Plus way more jerks than we deserve
But yesterday someone called ME a jerk
Do you believe the nerve...
Who me, jerk?
Couldn't be, jerk.
Just you wait and see, jerk...
How much of a jerk I can be.
But is this a he jerk,
Or is it a she jerk?
Worse, beware, mon frere:
This one's a knee jerk.
Now someone told me it's a compliment
Said somethin' 'bout Steve Martin
I just slapped him upside his head
And said, "I beg your pardon"
I may be stupid slow and silly
But ain't nothin' wrong with my knees
So before you start telling me what kinda' jerk
You think I'm supposed to be
|
||||
36. |
||||
You were smooth
You were smiling
You were sending me signals all night
You were sweet
You were silly
You were shining beneath all those lights
And I wished
And I wondered
And I pinched myself more than one time
And I fell
And I knew it
And I wondered if you could be mine
Twice as nice and three times as funny
So much prettier with lips made of honey
Drunk on hope you are all you seem
Twice as nice at least in my dreams
You were faint
You were fading
You were something I saw in my mind
You were gone
You were history
You were everything I hoped to find
And I cried
And I called out
And I bent every ear I could bend
And I lay
And I slumbered
And I prayed I might hold you again
|
||||
37. |
||||
Empty glasses on the counter
Dirty dishes in the sink
If you could see the mess I’m in
Imagine what you’d think
Evening sunlight in the window
Shadows stretched out on the wall
Looking back I can only wonder
Was it worth anything at all
I don’t want to break somebody’s heart
I don’t want to be another bad story
Leave my mess behind me for anybody else
To clean it up I can do that myself
Hand of cards sits on the table
A jack a queen a king
One for lovin’ one for losin’
And one don’t mean a thing
|
||||
38. |
||||
On your front there is a logo
Round the back another logo
Up your sleeves what can I find
That's right another logo
Can't tell what you're made of
Not vinyl, definitely not cotton
That's less important than those logos
And making sure they're not forgotten
Promotional sweatshirt I remember where you're from
Promotional sweatshirt for Nutrition Dot Com
Promotional sweatshirt keep me warm and advertise
Promotional sweatshirt you didn't cost a dime
A little of scratchy round the neck
With a shape that's kind of awkward
But you're perfect for moving day
Or when I'm doing laundry
You're smaller than a large
But bigger than a medium
In that no man's land
Where you only fit a mannequin
|
||||
39. |
Week 38 - Derp (220918)
02:40
|
|||
Gather 'round ye pilgrims if you want to hear a tale
So chilling it could haunt a ghost or beneath its cotton veil
Beware be scared be careful dare we listen lest we hear
A cautionary story filled with terror truth and fear
The legend is there was a man a long long time ago
As mean as any cowboy and as crooked as a bow
But worse by far than any trait one might consider sin
He couldn't seem to stop himself from wrecking everything
Imagine if you will a man so hapless so inept
That even evil fled away as far as it could get
He would go down in history as darkness reincarnate
But after each act deemed so dark he cried out "Oh gorsh darn it"
No doubt you've heard of Jesse James and probably Wild Bill
And then there's Old Butch Cassidy and that Sundance Kid
Well here's a name you need to know a man so lost it hurts
He messed the west up something fierce and they called him Wyatt Derp
|
||||
40. |
||||
One man's hell is another man's heaven
One day losin' is another day's lesson
First step taken leads into a second
But you're right on the line
Good and bad sometimes they're Irish cousins
Flip a coin 50/50 you'll get lucky
Sometimes the sun comes out sometimes it doesn't
And you're right on the line
In between safe and sorry
In between now and then
In between what is and what could be
Well there's somethin' in the air
And I can't deny it's there
In between you and me
Drugs don't kill people broken hearts do
It's a shame but that don't mean it isn't true
Sometimes I wanna' be the only drug you use
Right there on the line
Who's to say which side is light and which is dark
What cannot be and what's been written in the cards
We leave tonight you don't need nothin' but your heart
Meet me at the line
|
||||
41. |
||||
Hey lego my eggo unhand my bran
Don't take my cornflakes I'm serious man
Quit takin' my bacon and mits off my grits
And discard my pop tarts don't play with that shit
Don't risk the biscuit release that sausage and cheese
Better not lick my benedict I'm countin' to three
Don't touch my donuts don't go for my toast
Step away from the pastries don't test me bro
Lego my eggo
Don't steal my oatmeal or take my pancakes
Please ditch the eggwich I'll do whatever it takes
Don't bogart my yogurt don't tool with my gruel
Forget my hot pockets I ain't kidding fool
Lego my eggo
|
||||
42. |
||||
You heard that expression "too good to be true"
Of which we hear people bein' accused
But what's the right amount of good, how much'll do?
A man could understandably be confused
Let's why not try and dig a little deeper
To these expressions about short falls and exceeders
Really use these noggins from lobes to peepers
And figure out which ones are throw aways and which are keepers
Can you be too real too weird or too funny
Never seen nothin' too cute or too much money
I say no such thing and I just calls it like I sees it
But maybe "too soon" ok yeah I believe it
Maybe we're really just talkin' 'bout moderation
And alluding at allegoric alliteration
By this point it might be semantic masturbation
Frankly that train done left the station
Even so was it right on time too late or too early
Too manly or too childish or a little too girly
So much lingistic twisting and I'm gettin' squirrely
And if I keep it up I may pay dearly
|
||||
43. |
||||
700 miles 700 miles
Drivin' like it's goin' outta' style
Spent all my change and a couple of days
Driving 700 miles
700 miles 700 miles
Been holdin' it in for a good long while
Should have stopped to piss opportunity missed
700 miles
Burning daylight making good time
Up ahead saw a rest stop sign
Outrunnin' the law like a bat outta' hell
Am I comin' or goin' it's hard to tell
700 miles 700 miles
Aimin' for a bottle but hit the radio dial
Runnin' down Jackson Browne
700 miles
|
||||
44. |
||||
A million little insect legs
Marching through the leaves
Crinkling in unison
Woven in a beat
Neon glowing frogs
Sit on lily pads
Thump a thumping bass
From within their core
Dancing with the elephants
To the rhythm of the earth
Sun and moon are passing
While the colors start to turn
Howling harmonies
Electromagnetic tides
Waves flowing backwards
Midnight silver shine
Orchestrated like
Hypnotizing dance
Perfectly designed
Perfectly by chance
|
||||
45. |
||||
Sometimes it’s hard to be this honest
Gotta' get this off my chest
Part of me wants to put it off
Won’t make it hurt any less
You ain't always been there for me
Loved me for who I am
Nobody loves me the way you love me
Or hurts me like you can
I keep hoping all these words will just come pouring out
But it sure seems like they won’t
Don’t know where don’t know when don't know how
About the only thing I know
Is someday I might regret
The words I left unsaid
I may not want to admit it
But there were good times with the bad
Makes it harder to speak my troubled mind
And I held back what I shouldn’t have
You could laugh say you already knew this
Or I might open up my mouth
And not be able to do this
|
||||
46. |
||||
Save me a seat when the time has come
Save me a seat on that ride
Save me a seat when it calls you home
Save me a seat in the sky
Days get shorter as the years grow long
Wishin' that I could hold on
If you're near then I can't go wrong
We'll ride it out until the dawn
Save me a seat when the time has come
Save me a seat on that ride
Save me a seat when it calls you home
Save me a seat in the sky
I wanna' ride that golden freight line down
Through a risin' cloud of steam
In the mornin' she'll be leavin' town
I've seen it in my dreams
Save me a seat when the time has come
Save me a seat on that ride
Save me a seat when it calls you home
Save me a seat in the sky
|
||||
47. |
||||
Fire is burning ever so slow
Valley is covered in fresh fallen snow
Porch light is glowing guiding you home
When morning breaks I won't be alone
Cold winter wind bringing me down
The sky is darker when you're not around
Every night must come to an end
The sun always rises again
When you left all the trees were gold
Now they're silver and the weather is cold
Dreaming of the day when you're with me again
I've been missing my best friend
Cold winter wind bringing me down
The sky is darker when you're not around
Every night must come to an end
The sun always rises again
Every star up in the sky
Wants you back here by my side
|
||||
48. |
||||
I've been tryin' to learn all the rules
Words like an iron crown without a jewel
They say spell it like this rhyme it like that
Now I might say it wrong but I know the facts
There's no gold where the rainbow ends
Only wet wet ground
Sometimes when you lose a friend
Ain't nowhere to be found
There's no face in the moon London bridge ain't fallin'
And the tooth fairy isn't real
So what if nothing rhymes with orange
I'm gonna' tell you how I feel
You've been givin' me new ideas
Night times full of silence mornings bright and clear
If I break some law they can lock me up
Only key I got is honesty and that's enough
|
||||
49. |
||||
Are there any true two chord songs
Someone said Get Back but I think they're wrong
You know there's that riff right there in the chorus
I do believe that counts as the third chord
Someone else told me Jane Says qualifies
And I will admit I want to empathize
With just caveat they do only play A and G
But it's really in the key of D
Blurred Lines just has two according to the internet
And we all know the internet's about as smart as it gets
Except he stole somebody else's bass line
Legal trouble boom disqualified
Is this the world's first two chord song? Not even close
Not even the first two chord song I've wrote
However this song does have only two chords
And that's because my friend that all I could afford
|
||||
50. |
||||
They both did everything that they could
Rings vows and honeymoon in Hollywood
He made that girl the center of his very world
But just cause you can it don't mean you should
Life isn't easy and love isn't blind
And sometimes the lost are the first ones to find
There are some hearts that were made for falling apart
Sometimes to love means to leave it behind
But somewhere in Idaho he clocks into work
He don't never say it but it always hurts
Twelve hours a day just tryin' to pay
For two kids from a lifetime ago
That don't even know
His heart made of gold
Is somewhere in Idaho
(Verse #2 omitted so the listener has a chance
To place themselves gently into the story
Without any details from other people's lives
Distracting them from what's real and true)
|
||||
51. |
||||
When everybody knows your name
That's a blessing and a curse
Love is such fickle game
And we both had our share of hurt
We were so hot it went to hell
And when you left my heart was broke
It may seem I'm doin' swell
But there's some things you ought to know
If you figured I was livin' large
Sleepin' late to party hard all night
Well you'd be right
If you thought I's probly doin' shots
Wearin' out my blue suede dancin' shoes
Yep that's right too
If you guessed I won the lottery
And all this cash is goin' to my head
Well you've me pegged
If you see right through my lies
And realize that I'm broke down without a friend
Right again
I wonder if you feel a thing
When you see me passin' through
There's some places I can't go
Unless I want to think of you
Course I miss the time we shared
A part of me still wants you back
But just in case you really care
No speculatin' here's the facts
|
||||
52. |
||||
Well I'm just a mouse in a world of men
And someone's moved my cheese again
I should run away but I think instead
Gonna' chase him down and kill him dead
I'm lookin' for the man who moved my cheese
Right straight out from under me
Just one thing on earth I need
To find the man who moved my cheese
Well I'm just a mouse in a world of men
Gonna' stretch my claws then count to ten
Somewhere out there a man shall pay
Because he moved my cheese today
I'm lookin' for the man who moved my cheese
Right straight out from under me
Just one thing on earth I need
To find the man who moved my cheese
How dare they steal my dairy stuff
'Bout to prove to you this mouse is tough
|
||||
53. |
||||
There's a voice inside my head
Let me tell you what it said
You're gonna' worry all day long
That you're doin' it all wrong
The voice says I look bad
I'm short fat and oh so sad
I told the voice inside my head
It's as good as it's gonna 'get
So if you hear this voice
Know that you have a choice
'Cause when the sun has set
It's as good as it's gonna' get
You know it's kinda' funny
How we always chase the money
Wish we could laugh away the debt
But it's as good as it's gonna' get
When you're strivin' to be the boss
Just know what that will cost
Maybe ditch the private jet
'Cause it's as good as it's gonna' get
|
||||
54. |
||||
Sometimes we were lovers
The nights would never end
Other times we wondered
Where the magic went
So close to going under
Closer than I’ll ever be again
Thought I must be dreamin'
And I wondered what it meant
I woke up south of Eden
Lost without a friend
Between true love and freedom
Closer than I’ll ever be again
If you'll hold me tight
And turn out all the lights
Then maybe we could just pretend
We didn't fall apart
God bless our broken hearts
Hallelujah and amen
You're the best there's ever been
Closer than I’ll ever be again
Drew you in a picture
In yellows blues and reds
Prayed you'll reconsider
Or that I could just forget
Gentle as a whisper
Closer than I’ll ever be again
|
||||
55. |
||||
Oh little town in Tennessee, how much has rent increased
Above thy little GNP inflation ain't so sweet
Yet to thy streets and suburbs, the writers still do flock
With hopes and fears and cans of beer to sing their country rock
Hank III was born of Junior, Bocephus some might say
And Willie Waylon Johnny we name check to this day
But what about Rob Stanley or young John Allingham
Well praises sing at Water Spring, 'cause we still give a damn
Oh little town in Tennessee, how much has rent increased
Above thy little GNP inflation ain't so sweet
Yet to thy streets and suburbs, the writers still do flock
With hopes and fears and cans of beer to sing their country rock
|
||||
56. |
||||
It came upon WSM
That glorious song of old
From one weird dude with long white hair
Named David Allan Coe
C7 on earth and G and F
Just simple cowboy chords
Steve Goodman helped or so Dave says
And we trust his word of course
It Came Upon WSM
Another classic play
It's Silver Wings by Merle himself
From way way back in day
And yae the heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary gulch
Chock full of songs by Gen-Z dudes
That make me lose my lunch
|
||||
57. |
||||
I'm dreaming of a broke Christmas
Just like the ones I've always known
Where the songs I'm pitching
Get zero listens
'Cause I've been banned from Music Row
I said, I'm dreaming of a broke Christmas
With every collect call I dial
May your songs be better than mine
And read that contract in between the lines
I said, I'm dreaming of a broke Christmas
Just like so many gone before
Where the A&R guys
Told A&R lies
So we the writers all stayed poor
I'm dreaming of a broke Christmas
With every strange Springwater show
May I avoid bro country radio
And may all my Christmas' be broke
|
||||
58. |
||||
Workin’ overtime for minimum wage
Long nights, even longer days
Kinda’ lost so it’s kinda’ strange
It felt so right in Coeur d'Alene
Morning sun streaming through your hair
Feeling lucky to be layin’ there
Pockets empty except for a prayer
Two steps into a thousand yard stare
I’ve been searching high and low
For what I still don’t know
Never mind how much I’ve changed
Or how good things are today
It’s still not Coeur d'Alene
Light a candle burn one down
Take a hit, hit the ground
All the ways I've never found
To fill a hole the size of that town
|
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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