1. |
Two Gummy Night
02:52
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Two Gummy Night
It’s been a long hot day living on the road
I met a lot of warm people but now I’m ice cold
Because ooh me I’ve got nobody to hold me tight
And it looks like it’s going to be a two gummy night
I’ve been miles and miles of tar and rocks
I got a graduate degree from the school of hard knocks
And ooh me you know the world is not quite right
But it looks like it’s going to be a two gummy night
Gummy number one and then I take a shower
Thinking I might still go out and catch a happy hour
Gummy number two and now I’m sitting in this chair
Writing silly blues songs in my underwear
Sometimes the road is too long, sometimes the wind is too high
Sometimes I don’t act my age and I’ve got no alibi
But now ooh me I know it sounds profoundly trite
But it looks like it’s going to be a two gummy night
Oh yeah it looks like it’s going to be a two gummy night
It looks like it’s going to be a two gummy night
Oh yeah it looks like it’s going to be
It’s going to be a two gummy night
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2. |
Take Me For A Ride
03:13
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Take me for a ride
You touch me once
You touch me twice
Touch me three four five six seven times it sure would be nice
Then take me down to the river far below the mountain side
Touch me once
Touch me twice
Touch me anywhere I’m bound to pay the price
And you can take me for a ride
Well tell me more
Tell me less
Tell me lies you’d tell a lover
Tell me compared to all the others I’m the best
Then take me down to the river far below the mountain side
Tell me more
Tell me less
Tell me lies take off that dress
And then take me for a ride
Well first it’s cold
And then it’s hot
It feels like love at first sight just might be real and then it’s not
Oh take me down to the river far below the mountain side
First it’s cold and then it’s hot
Open up that door give me one last shot honey
Then take me for a ride
Well it was here
And now it’s gone
It takes a second case of beer just to write another song
So take me down to the river far below the mountain side
It comes and goes just like that
The music soars then it all falls flat
And you can take me for a ride
So touch me once
Then take me down to the river far below the mountain side
And you can take me for a ride
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3. |
He Might Not Waltz
04:14
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He Might Not Waltz
He might not waltz
He might not dance
He might just stand there his hands in his pants
Maybe he’s deaf
Maybe he’s shy
Maybe you don’t light a fire in the gleam in his eye
The ballroom alive sparkles and flows
Couples revolving so light on their toes
Spinning as one rhythmic divine
While he’s frozen and silent immersed in a rhyme he can’t trust
He might not waltz fox trot or jig
Beneath his tuxedo he might be a pig
Maybe his feet are glued to the floor
He might be a gigolo or maybe he’s poor
No Samba no Cha Cha no Rhumba no Jive
He might not dance and you’re not sure he’s really alive
He lurks in the dark alone in his mind
Searching for something that he’ll never find
Maybe he hopes
Maybe he yearns
Maybe he rues every bridge that his poems have burned
The dance floor it bursts with the ghost of a dream
Vibrating pulsating torn like a seam
Of the dress she once wore and a promise she made
While he lurks in the dark and his heart starts to fade into dust
He might not waltz fox trot or jig
Beneath his tuxedo he might be a pig
Maybe his feet are glued to the floor
He might be a gigolo or maybe he’s poor
No Samba no Cha Cha no Rhumba no Jive
He might not dance and you’re not sure he’s really alive
He might not waltz
He might not dance
He might just stand there his hands in his pants
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4. |
Thorns
04:03
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Thorns
Well there’s this song that I’ve been trying not to write
I hear the music when I’m heading for the light
It keeps pm running through the sewers in my head
Then I wake up at night to prove that I’m not dead
It’s like a face that I can’t look at in the mirror
That laughs at me as if I wasn’t here
I close my eyes and ears get on my knees and pray
But the images refuse to fade away
Well the bloom is off the rose
There’s a winter wind a blowing
I’ve got frostbite on my nose and it might as well be snowing
Well the summer sun has set
She won’t be back tomorrow morn
The bloom is off the rose and I only see a thorn
Yeah the bloom is off the rose and all I see are thorns
Well there’s this thought that I’ve been trying not to think
And it strikes me while I’m waiting for my drink
Like a blood clot it won’t pass on through my heart
It’s stuck in the place where feelings just won’t start
It’s like a nightmare that won’t let me fall asleep
Or a tear exhausted eyes refuse to weep
I cannot find a spark to breed a fire
And I fear my license for to love you has expired
Well the bloom is off the rose
There’s a winter wind a blowing
I’ve got frostbite on my nose and it might as well be snowing
Well the summer sun has set
She won’t be back tomorrow morn
The bloom is off the rose and I only see a thorn
Yeah the bloom is off the rose and all I see are thorns
Well the bloom is off the rose. There’s no poetry or violence
I see the curtain start to close, upon the audience in silence
All the trees have lost their leaves and their will to live and breathe
Well the bloom is off the rose. Heartache tugging at my sleeve.
Yeah the bloom is of the rose
Is it time for me to leave
Well there’s this song that I’ve been trying not to sing
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5. |
Why Is He Your Hero?
03:43
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Why Is He Your Hero?
Lately I’ve been wondering why is he your hero
Lately I’ve been asking why is he your man
Fingerprints and mugshots and still you give a cheer
Oh my God I’ve got to wonder what’s your master plan
Do you want a lying cheating fraud Is that your fate?
Or is it that you want someone who hates the same things that you hate?
Why is he your hero?
Pardon me for asking
Why is he your hero?
Even though you’ve watched him fail
Why is he your hero?
Regardless of his past sins
Why is he your hero
When they’re throwing him in jail
Jesus went to jail for preaching love thy neighbor
Ghandi went to jail for refusing to be meek
Now your valiant hero is going off to jail for
Trying to take away the right for a vote to speak
Do you need a sleazy conman to show you the way
Or is it that you’re pissed off that your next door neighbor just got married gay?
Why is he your hero?
Pardon me for asking
Why is he your hero?
Even though you’ve watched him fail
Why is he your hero?
Regardless of his past sins
Why is he your hero
When they’re throwing him in jail
I know you love this country I also love this country
I don’t own a gun but you have the right to yours
It’s true that we were born here but my father’s father’s father
Had a father who made his way here from a foreign shore
So are we going to rally around a flag that says keep them out
And leave our lady liberty crying in her harbor full of doubt?
Why is he your hero?
Pardon me for asking
Why is he your hero?
Even though you’ve watched him fail
Why is he your hero?
Regardless of his past sins
Why is he your hero
When they’re throwing him in jail
Now they’re throwing him in jail
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6. |
Tequila Anyone
03:09
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Tequila Anyone
Tequila anyone?
The flights have all been cancelled
So I snuck into this empty concourse bar
A quiet get away while I’m stranded in the airport
I’ll write a couple poems and wish upon a morning star
Beneath a lighted archway
Sparkling bottles reflect in the mirror
With their multicolored glass in amber glow
Tequila anyone?
The flights have all been cancelled and there isn’t any other place to go
Tequila anyone?
In walk two more faces
A motorcycle momma and a tired CPA
A quiet get away
I get no bars upon my phone here
So I guess I’ll soak it in until I’m told to walk away
Beneath a lighted archway
Like lighthouses guiding the tongue
Quiet rock and roll in the darkness swallowed whole
Tequila anyone?
The flights have all been cancelled
Although I must say this delay has been good for my soul
Tequila anyone?
The flights have all been cancelled
And we’ve walked into this timeless faceless void
Tequila anyone?
Tequila anyone?
It’s redundant to explain why I’m not annoyed
Tequila anyone?
Tequila anyone?
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7. |
Security Camera
04:48
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Security Camera
Security Camera scans me in the airport Tequila Ria
Blinking red and haunting from the corner in the darkness near the ceiling
The first time that I noticed it was watching I thought it happenstance
And the second time saw it I knew it wasn’t accident or chance
I’m hypnotized
I feel like dancing
It stares at me while I sway to and fro
I’m convinced behind that red light is a goddess with hips as white as snow
And that she’s sitting there and leaning on her elbows
The control room lights are dim
Day dreaming that someday she’ll meet prince charming and then wondering if I’m him
Why me?
I sit here wondering just a relic wearing sixteen year old clothes
The security guard that’s watching must be snorting something goofy up their nose
I look around the lens moves sideways nod my head and it bounces up and down
I squint my eyes it zooms in tightly
Purse my lips and I dare not make a sound
Staring at the camera I start mouthing my phone number with my lips
I imagine that she’s wearing a gray uniform black holsters on those hips
And that she watches me stop writing down this poem and press my lips against my thumb
And that she’s loosening her necktie and sighing as my cell phone starts to hum
Why me?
I sit here wondering just a relic wearing sixteen year old clothes
The security guard that’s watching must be snorting something goofy up their nose
I look around the lens moves sideways nod my head and it bounces up and down
I squint my eyes it zooms in tightly
Purse my lips and I dare not make a sound
She sends a text that says I know that you’ve been watching I’ve been watching you as well
I’m dreaming that you’re here with me our souls are intertwined and start to gel
I wink back at the camera like I understand precisely what she needs
Hit reply and text her yes exactly let’s find out where this leads
She answers lead and I will follow
I text back IMHO
Surely you and I could share a drink and find a quiet place to go
You might be right I hear quite sultry and I think I’ve heard a voice inside my head
She says I’m not behind that camera I’m sitting right beside you now instead
Why me?
I sit here wondering just a relic wearing sixteen year old clothes
The angel here beside me must be snorting something goofy up her nose
She rests her palm upon my thigh and I’ve never felt so hungry and adored
Then they announce my plane is leaving it’s last call for passengers to board
Yeah they announce my plane is leaving it’s last call for passengers to board
Security camera scans me in the airport Tequila Ria
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8. |
Talking To Myself
03:10
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Talking to Myself
Talking to myself because I’m stranded in the crowd
The people are dry ice and the music much too loud
Escaping from the here and now in search of mental health
Drowning in humanity but talking to myself
Talking to myself as if I’m standing at the mirror
The mirror doesn’t answer so I make myself much clearer
The New Delhi help desk not much help in fact they’re stealth
No assistance in this instance I’m just talking to myself
So I said to myself hey self what the hell are you doing here
I got an echo not an answer
There’s no chance my ears are near
See I’ve been fading away for a year and a day
Like a photograph left in the sun to decay
Next to a newspaper clipping sitting on a knickknack shelf
An invisible voice just talking to myself
Talking to myself yes it’s an ancient exercise
Whenever I get overblown I cut myself right down to size
We used to have discussions about the future love and wealth
But lately when we’re speaking I’m just talking to myself
So I said to myself Hey self! What the hell are you doing here
So I said to myself hey self what the hell are you doing here
I got an echo not an answer
There’s no chance my ears are near
See I’ve been fading away for a year and a day
Like a photograph left in the sun to decay
Next to a newspaper clipping sitting on a knickknack shelf
An invisible voice just talking to myself
Self
Hey self
What’s going on?
Oh you know
Oh yeah I get it
You know I was literally like just thinking about you
Yeah I get it
Always thinking about yourself
So I said to myself hey self what the hell are you doing here
I got an echo not an answer
There’s no chance my ears are near
See I’ve been fading away for a year and a day
Like a photograph left in the sun to decay
Next to a newspaper clipping sitting on a knickknack shelf
An invisible voice just talking to myself
Well it was good to run into you self
Oh yeah I like literally get it
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9. |
What Is A Life
02:21
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What is a Life?
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
Where does it go?
A crocus in April
Hidden under the snow
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
Why is it here?
Every moment a struggle
Of anguish and fear
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
What makes it real?
The cradle or graveyard
Or something we feel?
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
Ever so brief?
The womb and the tomb
A bud a dead leaf
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
I’ll never know
The curtain goes down
At the end of the show
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
Somewhere beyond
The science and logic
The ooze in the pond
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
What do I care?
One moment I’m breathing
The next I’m not there
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
What does it mean?
The sum of the pauses
Obtuse and serene
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
Will there be more?
When we dance on the edge
Of eternity’s door
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
Will it make sense?
When we find that our minds
Were cosmic accidents
What is a life?
Where does it come from?
What else can I say?
It’s more of a life
Than yesterday
It’s more of a life than it was just yesterday
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10. |
No Matter
03:55
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No Matter
No matter no matter or substance
No problem no problem to pose
No biggie no big E existence
No how and nowhere to expose
Exasperate regenerate integrate regurgitate
Experience black fear before you fade
Exfoliate excoriate hurry up and start to wait
Expatriate cheat your fate and dodge the blade
Exactly react free and easy
Exploring extorted remains
Ex-partner ex-factored and present
Extraordinarily wrapped up in pain
Exasperate regenerate integrate regurgitate
Experience black fear before you fade
Exfoliate excoriate hurry up and start to wait
Expatriate cheat your fate and dodge the blade
Unworthy unable unbridled
Boxed up yet unopened and free
Unwittingly jailed by bad habits
Unwilling to go down to the sea
Solidify the reason why eventually we all must die
Show off your thigh let’s cross another line
Strain your eye and try to spy a savior with a magic lie
If you see one order fishes bread and wine
No matter no matter or substance
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11. |
I Hear The Music
03:35
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I Hear the Music
I told my mother when I was young
I’m not my brother, his songs aren’t sung
I’m not my sister her words aren’t mine
I hear the music that’s when I’m fine
I hear the music inside my head
I’ll probably hear it until I’m dead
With every sunrise a serenade
Long after sunset it starts to fade
I asked my family can you hear the song?
They wouldn’t listen
Their road was long
I heard the music they couldn’t hear
I lost my family
I shed a tear
I hear the music inside my head
I’ll probably hear it until I’m dead
With every sunrise a serenade
Long after sunset it starts to fade
I hear the music and the birds they sing
When I’m confused it sorts everything
I hear the music both day and night
I’ll hear the music until it sounds just right
I hear the music inside my head
I’ll probably hear it until I’m dead
With every sunrise a serenade
Long after sunset it starts to fade
I hear the music deep in my soul
It’s only music that makes me whole
It’s only laughter if you learn to cry
I hear the music kissing me goodbye
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12. |
Goodbye Lady Blues
04:02
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Goodbye Lady Blues
Goodbye Bessie Smith I guess I stayed away too long
You said please don’t go but I left in search of a song
And the devil’s going to get me for the things that I’ve done wrong
Where were you Bessie Smith?
I looked up and you were gone
Goodbye Lady Day I guess our time is finally through
I guess I’ll never figure out what a little moonlight will do
Them there eyes are rivaled by few
Where’d you go Lady Day it’s true I cried for you
Goodbye Mama Rainey your black bottom blew this town
I guess those moonshine blues finally tore you down
They only wanted your voice not your skin deep dark brown
They couldn’t prove it on you mother blues or steal your frown
Goodbye Memphis Minnie the levee done finally broke
You and your chauffeur hit the road long before I spoke
There ain’t nothing in rambling it’s a worn out joke
Your bumble dee bee stung my heart the levee done finally broke
Goodbye Bessie Smith I guess I stayed away too long
You said please don’t go but I left in search of a song
And the devil’s going to get me for everything that I’ve done wrong
Where were you Bessie Smith?
I looked up and you were gone
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13. |
Bells
04:49
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Bells
I used to grow
I used to sing
The wind would blow and bells would ring
I used to laugh
I used to cry
The wind would blow
I’d say goodbye
I used to breathe and fall in love
I used to feel God up above
I used to grow
I used to sing
The wind would blow and bells would ring
I used to smoke anything that burned
The wind would blow
I never learned
My lungs were charred and scarred in vain
The wind would blow
I’d pray for rain
I used to breathe and fall in love
I used to feel God up above
I used to grow I used to sing
The wind would blow and bells would ring
There are no bells here anymore
This ship has sailed far from the shore
The ocean’s wide
The trench is deep
The wind it blows and I can’t sleep
We used to dance and you would beam
The wind would blow we were a team
But now there’s you and now there’s me
The wind it blows but no one’s free
We used to breathe then breathe some more
Then we would breathe while rolling on the floor
We used to grow
We used to sing
The winds would blow and bells would ring
There are no bells here anymore
This ship has sailed far from the shore
The ocean’s wide
The trench is deep
The wind it blows and I can’t sleep
I used to grow
I used to sing
The wind would blow and bells would ring
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14. |
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Television from Another Millennium
Well it’s television from another millennium
On a gargantuan low def TV
An entertainment center with cherry crown molding
In this hospital waiting room waiting for me
Oh my God it’s really the Waltons
I can’t believe that I’m here
It’s as if I died and ended up in hell
And hell is every bit as bad as I might have feared
Gastronomic monophonic entertainment
Wholesome and about a half a century out of date
Bathroom down the hall has bland art prints on the wall
And they’re waiting for the future but the future is running late
Oh my God it’s really the Waltons
I can’t believe that I’m here
It’s as if I died and ended up in hell
And hell is every bit as bad as I might have feared
Crazy lazy hazy pieces of dried out memories
Siblings in pajamas whining about bedtime
Bringing back the terrible nightmares of my childhood
A waiting room like this is the ultimate health care crime
Oh my God it’s really the Waltons
I can’t believe that I’m here
It’s as if I’ve died and ended up in hell
And hell is every bit as bad as I might have feared
Yeah it’s television from another millennium
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15. |
Relic
03:41
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Relic
He’s a relic a name you dig up from the dust
When you’re forced to make conversation
So that someone will think that you’re someone that they can trust
He’s a relic something you find in an antique store
Someone you talk about when they’re not around
So that someone will think that you know so much more
He’s a relic
He used to fly without a net
He was a Nobel prize
He touched the skies
And surprise he’s not dead yet
He’s a relic
He’s a relic
From a spiderweb attic shelf
Someone you claim that you once knew well
So that someone will think
That you’re actually someone else
He’s a relic He used to fly without a net
He was a Nobel prize He touched the skies
And surprise he’s not dead yet
He’s a relic
He’s a relic
Unstable with irrelevant thoughts
Someone you quote at cocktail party
So that you’ll impress somebody
With the things you never have bought
He’s a relic He used to fly without a net
He was a Nobel prize He touched the skies
And surprise he’s not dead yet
He’s a relic no more rough and rowdy ways
Now he sits in his chair with an icicle stare
And he’ll be sitting there for days
He’s a relic He used to fly without a net
He was a Nobel prize He touched the skies
And surprise he’s not dead yet
He’s a relic no more rough and rowdy ways
Now he sits in his chair with an icicle stare
And he’ll be sitting there for days
He’s a relic
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16. |
Love Is A Long Game
03:55
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Love Is A Long Game
When I started out all that I wanted was to find a way out of that place
Riddled with doubt sure I was haunted I lost track of everyone’s face
And now I’m looking at roads that I travelled and memories are all that have grown
Forty-five years since I’ve been gone say it sure is a long way back home
I never knew I never noticed the love we were growing inside
You never spoke and I never woke up and all of our dreams finally died
And now I’m gazing at stars that are blazing as they burst in the hazy unknown
Forty-five years since I’ve been gone say it sure is a long way back home
Broken and cold heartaches and feelings I’ve locked them away for so long
The dreams that I sold wheeling and dealing they tore my soul out of my song
And now I’m glued to the graveyards of stanzas that destiny meant to be poems
Forty-five years since I’ve been gone say it sure is a long way back home
Dancing at dawn to an unwritten love song and knowing the wrong songs always fade
Forty-five years since I’ve been gone say it love is a long game to play
Oh yeah I’ve been gone say it love is a long game to play
Love is a long game to play
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John T. Wurzer Topeka, Kansas
I've been doing this songwriting thing since 1978. It's just my way of coping with life in general. Visit my YouTube page for a weekly podcast to get to know me better.
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