American Songwriter » Lyric of the Week

Peter Bradley Adams, “Family Name”

americansongwriter — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:39 +0000

Win or lose it's a hell of a game The roads we choose they all end up the same So rest your hearts on the family name And we'll find our way back home I look around at the ones I adore Forgive me the chances I've wasted before I pray for the courage not to miss them anymore That's all I'm asking for --Written by Peter Bradley Adams

Lyric of the Week | Eric Brace > July 20

americansongwriter — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:36:08 +0000

July 20" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/SkylightersEric_430x236-web2-300x199.jpg" alt="Lyric of the Week | Eric Brace > July 20" width="200" height="132" />
Tell me Neil, what you were thinking With all of us watching you on the TV Taking small steps and giant leaps and planting the flag In a place no one had been Tell me Neil, what you were thinking With all of us watching you on the TV Taking small steps and giant leaps and planting the flag In a place no one had been Two hundred thirty eight thousand and more Miles away through the infinite night The landing was rough, but you brought her down So tell me, what did you see Was it glorious, beautiful, frightening or sad? You had the view no one else had Did you turn away from the place you call home And stare at the stars When you stepped off the ladder did you think of Ohio Your children, your parents, your wife Your Panther jet brought down in Korea Did you ask ‘Who am I to live such a life?’ One so glorious, beautiful, frightening and blue No one but you ever had such a view And why did you call it Tranquility Base Did everything fall into place And on the way back did you have much to say To Michael and Buzz there beside you They’d done their jobs, you had done yours You were never much for small talk And when you hit the atmosphere, flames they were everywhere Did you wonder if you’d make it through And when you hit the water out in the Pacific You were just a speck in the blue But still glorious, beautiful, silent and sad You had the view no one else had When you headed back to the place you called home Did everything look out of place Did you miss Tranquility Base… Did you leave something up there, do you want to go back Do you miss Tranquility Base Do you miss Tranquility Base "Tranquility Base" Written by Eric Brace Check out Eric Brace's exclusive Q&A and watch the video for "Tranquility Base" at AmericanSongwriter.com.

"Tranquility Base"

Written by Eric Brace

Lyric of the Week | Futurebirds > June 22

americansongwriter — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:40:30 +0000

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Those gangsters in Mexico would've loved to get their hands on such a fine killing machine.

Please be responsible when you're hauling my pink couch
Please take care, the driveways around here tend to slouch
Thought Dirty D could take on an elephant, even the whole MS-13
Those gangsters in Mexico would've loved to get their hands on such a fine killing machine

Such a fine killing machine
Such a fine killing machine

Dirty D took one good hit, but the second silenced his roar
One hit was enough for taking, but the second ruined pinky's décor
The grill was no longer smiling, I could tell (I could tell) by the chrome in his nose
The impractical bastard was dead, I was happy...his story was closed

Dirty D's not gone, he's here staring at me
The Dirty D won't die, no, he refuses to sleep
I'm so mad I can barely speak
Go to sleep... Go to sleep...

"Dirty D" written by The Futurebirds

Hear "Dirty D" on AmericanSongspace.com.

Lyric of the Week | Todd Snider > June 15

americansongwriter — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:49:40 +0000

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You know the number one symptom of heart disease? The number one symptom of heart disease is sudden death. There was a time when I was handsome A time when I had money to burn There was a time when where I landed Was the least of my, the least of my concern But it hurts to lean back in these handcuffs Like nine kinds of shame turned to rage As a younger man I might have put up a fight But I feel like such a fool at my age. Some of this trouble just finds me No matter where I turn So how do you know when it's too late How do you know when it's too late How do you know when it's too late to learn You know the number one symptom of heart disease? The number one symptom of heart disease is sudden death. It's like time stands still forever until it starts shaking around on ya Shaking around like some crazy old hooker on meth And you know I can't take no preaching Not on Sunday or no other day But I feel like I oughta be praying to something But I have no idea what to say Some of this trouble just finds me Most of this trouble I earn So how do you know when it's too late How do you know when it's too late How do you know when it's too late to learn I've learned nothing out here on this highway But I have been passed by and I have passed by more than my share of cars And I do remember my younger days When I was so certain that driving even faster was gonna get me far So there's nothing left for me to learn here Just this half full of half empty cup Less than an ounce of possession, man, I could do that kinda time standing up Some of this trouble just finds me No matter where I turn So how do you know when it's too late How do you know when it's too late How do you know when it's too late to learn "Greencastle Blues" Written by Todd Snider

Lyric of the Week | Cursive > June 8, 2009

americansongwriter — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:42:27 +0000

I'm at my best when I'm at my worst I'm at my worst when it's not rehearsed I don't wanna know the goddamn words I don't wanna have to spell it out don't wanna mumble what I'm trying to say I wanna scream it from my foaming mouth shoot out the lights and ride away I'm at my worst when I'm at my best I'm at my best when I'm trying to look and think and talk and sing and read and write like all the rest We're all just trying to play our roles in a play that runs ad nauseam I hate this damn enlightenment we were better off as animals We're at our best when it's from our hips from our hips we don't give a shit it just feels good and that's no sin it's the only way to feel alive the closest thing to being born again and when baby comes it's job well done a roll in the hay a roll around the sun We're at our worst when it's from our lips from our lips we caused a rift and the world has fallen in from Babel to bar room brawls our words have formed a death sentence and I wish that we had never talked our hips said it all "From Our Hips" Written by Cursive Listen at AmericanSongspace.com

Lyric of the Week | Will Dailey > June 1, 2009

americansongwriter — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:17:02 +0000

June 1, 2009" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/artist_main_dailey-299x237.jpg" alt="Lyric of the Week | Will Dailey > June 1, 2009" width="200" height="158" />

I've been looking for a peace of mind/ I've been searching every day all my life

Tell me I'm the only one
Torn and tired and broken up
When some by God
and some by the gun
Rush to kill another mother's son
With modern law
With no modern love

I've been looking for a peace of mind
I've been searching every day all my life
There's a party going on upstairs
And there's a war that is raging out there
And all I know
It's hard to find
Peace of mind

The ignorance in my hometown
Wears the fashion of distraction
till it wears it out
And it's few who have the hammers
While the rest they got none
They just live in the sun
And they die in the dust
With your modern law
With no modern love

"Peace of Mind"
Written by Will Dailey

This L.O.T.W. is brought to you by the uPlaya SuperNova Contest.

Lyric of the Week | Amy Speace > May 26, 2009

americansongwriter — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:51:25 +0000

I have failed and I have fallen, cried till I was bawling Been down so low my face was on the tiles Where the cold against my lips, hollow like your kiss Was empty as a North Dakota mile I tried leaving without losing but the hardest part was choosing Which direction I would run when I was free And the only thing I've learned is that I haven't learned a thing I've drank one too many glasses, I’ve been bruised and I've been battered By mistakes I never bothered to avoid And friends who tried to offer advice I never followed Grew tired of watching all that I'd destroyed So I faked my best foot forward, while sneaking backwards toward The center where the truth wouldn't sting And the only thing I've learned is that I haven't learned a thing We live we yearn we flame we burn we cry We crawl we run we reach to touch the sky And though our wings are made of wax We try to fly to close to the light Trying to get it right You stood there like a stoic, made me feel so claustrophobic Wishing you'd give me a reason not to leave The walls closed in tighter and I felt like an outsider In the home that was my haven all those years But I knew that I was certain, like the dropping of a curtain, When I saw you’d taken off that ring Guess the only thing I've learned is that I haven't learned a thing From "Haven't Learned A Thing" Written by Amy Speace

Lyric of the Week | Max McGee > May 18, 2009

americansongwriter — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:22:11 +0000

Like There’s No Tomorrow Insert the knife of life Into the last breath of death Let it bleed what you need And as it soaks into your chest Tear apart your heart And unbreak every ache Twist your dreams until they scream Wring out every mistake Then Love, Baby Love Like There’s No Tomorrow And love, baby love Like there’s no time left to borrow Put hope into the hurt and joy back in the sorrow And love baby love Like There’s No Tomorrow Take the pain from the tearstains Remove the fears from your tears Wipe the lies from your eyes And when the one that’s true appears Then Love, Baby Love Like There’s No Tomorrow And love, baby love Like there’s no time left to borrow Put hope into the hurt and joy back in the sorrow And love baby love Like There’s No Tomorrow Bridge Don’t wish upon a star That’s not how dreams come true Just reach up from where you are And grab the one that’s meant for you Then Love, Baby Love Like There’s No Tomorrow And love, baby love Like there’s no time left to borrow Put hope into the hurt and joy back in the sorrow And love baby love Like There’s No Tomorrow Like There’s No Tomorrow Copyright Michael McGee and Rolf Schnyder 2009 Visit Max McGee on American Songspace.

Lyric of the Week | Deer Tick > May 11, 2009

americansongwriter — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:08:02 +0000

I woke up this morning I was feeling that this should end Using all that time And all my lucky friends I've got a bad defense And it's not just circumstance That put me here In a bad, bad place where I stand And you don't know how easy it is No, you don't know how easy it is You were never there No, never there Out of the door With the devil in my eyes That son of a bitch crossed me once But he won't cross me twice Little angel on my shoulder Well she better be right She got me flying like a wild man In the middle of the night And you don't know how easy it is No, you don't know how easy it is You were never there No, never there This whole world And everything you see There ain't nothing that'll keep you from Getting to me No, you don't know how easy it is No, you don't know how easy it is You got no idea how easy it is No, you don't know how easy it is You were never there No, never there Never there You were never there "Easy" Written by John Joseph McCauley III Learn more about Deer Tick at AmericanSongspace.com. This lyric is sponsored by the CMT Music Awards. Learn more at www.cmtmusicawards.cmt.com.

Lyric of the Week | Old Crow Medicine Show > May 4, 2009

americansongwriter — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:27:46 +0000

Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord Take away these chains from me My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free Lord take away these chains from me Some birds’ feathers are too bright to be caged I know I’m not that colorful but a bird just the same Open up your gate now, let me put down my load So I can feel at ease and go back to my home Sun beatin’ down, my legs can’t seem to stand There’s a boss man at a turnrow with a rifle in his hand I’ve got nine children, nothin’ in the pan My wife she died hungry while I was plowin’ land Can’t see when I go to work, can’t see when I get off How do you expect a man not to get lost Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt If there’s a happy day, Lord, I haven’t seen one yet Land that I love is the land that I’m workin’ But it’s hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurtin’ Gettin’ too old now to push this here plow Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds Land that I know is where two rivers collide The Brazos the Navaso and the big blue sky Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines Of any place on God’s green earth, this is where I choose to die From "Take 'em Away" Written by Critter Fuqua