Was it in 93 or 95?
Never felt so free, never felt so alive
Endless beach, endless sky
Endless city standing by
It all called to me, back in 93
Alt country, indie rock and R&B
Jazz on the south side
It was all there for me
I played in all the reggae bands
After the games
The Cubbies never won
But everyone loved 'em just the same
I smoked lots of reds cuz I just didn’t care Going to bed with the smell of the tavern
In my hair, I didn't care
Cuz I felt so free, way back in 93
Was it in 95 or 93?
Never felt so alive, never felt so free
Loading up our beater cars
Heading down to city bars
On Lake Shore Drive
Way back in 95
Laying down some tracks
For a couple of bands
Getting on the road
And putting some miles on the van
Played my accordion where I could
Singing telegrams
Man I knew every neighborhood
And being on a label never really meant
That you’d paid a single bill
Or that you’d made your rent
Oh but still, it was such a thrill
Just to be alive
Way back in 95
There in 23, I was just where I should be
Thirty years down the road
Now that’s good to know
Oh but still, I get such a thrill
To look back and see
93
Sometimes it's good to
Look back at your life
You know I like to
Look back at my life
I never felt so free
Never felt so free
As back in 93
Sometimes late at night
I’m lost inside my head
And I just can’t fall asleep
With this mounting sense of dread
My mother’s growing old
I’m getting older too
And I just can’t but think
About that other shoe
When’s it gonna drop now
What’s gonna happen next?
Not a person in this room can know
It’s anybody’s guess
I feel all alone here
Like I'm floating in this world
And there’s nothing that can save
This frightened girl
This house of cards must fall
Down come one and all
We’re passing through this place
In space and time
I just wish that I could see
What the dealer held for me
There are those among us
Whose troubles run so deep
And their heart are heavy-laden
With the secrets that they keep
This is any one of us
Maybe a stranger passing by
If you look close you might see yourself
Inside their eyes
This house of cards must fall
Down come one and all
We’re passing through this place
In space and time
I just wish that I could see
What the dealer held for me
Fragile as we are, we must all persevere
And hold on til the end
Soon enough the end will be here
To the souls among us
Who for hope cannot be felt
Oh if I were only able
To change the hands you're dealt
I bear witness to the struggles
I can’t read upon your face
And I know that we’re all human
And it's not a race
This house of cards must fall
Down come one and all
We’re passing through this place
In space and time
I just wish that I could see
What the dealer held for you and me
This house of cards must fall
Inside I knew you were a geek
Not the way you looked on the street
I knew the real you
I was a pretty girl, pretty insecure
In my world, and you knew that too
We grew up together
We were babies when we met
And the way that things have gone
Since then
It’s so easy to forget
That we needed each other back then
My old friend
We worked together playing in some bands Had the good fortune to travel the land Together we two
I taught you some stuff
You taught me stuff too
Just the way two people in love will do
We grew up together
We were babies when we met
And the way that things have gone
Since then
It's so easy to forget
That we needed each other back then
My old friend
I will always love you, that will not expire Unlike the fire of our first days
I will always be here, until the end
My old friend
Things began to pull apart
It’s hard to know just when
But we stuck in out, and we had a child Before we met our end
To this day I’ve never quite made peace
With the way you left my life
But I guess we were better off as friends
And not as man and wife
We grew up together
We were babies you and me
And the way that things have gone down
Since then, it’s not easy to see
That we needed each other back then
My old friend
I will always love you, that will not expire Unlike the fire of our first days
I will always be here, until the end
My old friend
It’s hard to understand
The changes in life’s plans
It’s so hard to comprehend
The way things have to end, my old friend
I'll see you on the other side
We'll fix things on that other side
My old friend
It wasn’t as though I knew her well
I met her a time or two
But even then I could tell
How her light came shining through
Yesterday, when I heard she died
I just couldn’t believe the news
How could someone like that ever lose?
A World War II vet on his own
Living on Locust Grove
His young wife hit and killed by a car
Years ago as she crossed the road
He vowed never to touch the wheel
So he simply just walked everywhere
He lived most of his life all alone
His lot in life wasn’t fair
Whoever told you that life was fair?
My mother would say to me
As a child that was everyone
That I’d ever met, since the age of three
You play nice, share your toys
Be good girls and be good boys
Play by the rules
Now I know why the rules are there
Cuz the game of life’s not fair
Most of us are doin ok
We got what we need to get by
But one misstep and it all can change
And you’ll be asking yourself why
When it’s good you gotta lean in hard
Making every moment count
Cuz I guarantee that things will change
Don’t you believe that they won’t
Whoever told you that was fair
Well they did not understand
That things can go wrong anytime
That’s the law of the land
You play nice, share your toys
Be good girls and be good boys
Play by the rules
Now I know why the rules are there
Cuz the game of life’s not fair
You may believe in karma
That everything works itself out
You may be right, it might work that way
But for me, I have my doubts
Now I understand
That things don’t always go right
Make the most of the ride you’re on
Don’t give your soul up to that night
Live life best as you’re able
Make happiness the choice
And do it all with love and care
Go on and make some joyful noise
Whoever told you that life was fair?
Well they might not be right
Still you gotta live in this world
Looking for the light
So just play fair, share your toys,
Be good girls and be good boys
Play by the rules
Now you know why the rules are there
Now you know why the rules are there
Cuz the game of life’s not fair
Waiting on the couch
As the living room grows dark
I've got too much to do
And yet I sit
The solitude is heavier
Than it has even been before
This new life doesn't seem a perfect fit
Such a time as this it seems
Your thoughts begin to burn
Somehow it all hits at once
This time you really learn
You had your turn, you had your turn
You had your turn
The suppertimes, the evening baths
A book and then to bed
My son he rests his head as I lay near
Years and years and years like this
So close we're almost one
But now that time is done and he's not here
All alone so late in life
It just never was my plan
Somehow I always thought there'd be Somebody here to hold my hand
To hold my hand, to hold my hand
Lists of all the things to do
Fix the old and buy the new
Seems a trivial pursuit
To keep the heartache down
I know that it's time to fly
To live my life before I die
Above me is that waiting sky
I just have to leave the ground
I have to leave the ground
My life it overtook me
I just never had a plan
I don't regret a single day
It's just that I'm not sure now
Where I stand
I guess it's clear, I stand right here
I stand right here
I guess it's clear, I stand right here
I stand right here
Beneath the clear
And waiting sky
Deep south on a hot and muggy night
Old plantation homestead shining bright
A nearby river, velvet black
Shimmers passing by
The stories from this place will never die
Western desert clay of red and gold
Widest skies the deepest water holes
The ancient ones who came before
And gave this land their souls
Their stories will live on
Though they’re untold
Every one of us
We are water running down
Spirits who are bound
To join the sea
All the deepest hardships
And the joys that we have found
Will bring us one day to a place of peace
Thickest Appalachia by a stream
Hills and woods
Like something from a dream
The people there work hard
Sharing life in every song
And through the music legacy lives on
A northern town upon a distant bay
Where boats are moored
And waiting by the quay
The scent of brine defines this place
And for all those living there
The open ocean’s lore lives in the air
Every one of us
We are water running down
Spirits who are bound
To join the sea
All the deepest hardships
And the joys that we have found
Will bring us one day to a place of peace
Rivers join the ocean
Which touches every shore
All of it one flowing piece
From here to ever more
A chain link fence surrounds a city block Noises from the street they never stop
Children splashing in the puddles
Laughing, unaware
Of the universal song that they all share
Of the universal song that we all share because
Every one of us
We are water running down
Spirits who are bound
To join the sea
All the deepest hardships
And the joys that we have found
Will bring us one day to a place of peace
Rivers join the ocean
Which touches every shore
All of it one flowing piece
From here to ever more
Flowing here to ever more
We are flowing here to ever more
Hey it's good to see you again
What's it been now, five, six years?
Maybe ten?
So much to catch up on
We can't do it here
Let's stay in touch
Sometime we'll grab a beer
Hey, I think I know her from somewhere
Damn this over-50 brain, it just aint fair
We had some good times
That much I know
But I can't recall her name
So I'll let it go
I'm reaching for the memories
And I'm pulling them apart
Searching for the tiny clues
Remaining in my heart
I know that I remember
Cuz the feelings all live on
It's just the words, the details
And the names are gone
When you see me start to hesitate
I know you know just what it's like
And so you wait
You show me a friendly bit of care
You know that the answer's
Still inside somewhere
No one here is going it alone
Yeah it's really hard to contemplate
This path we're on
Slow your pace and keep it steady on
Keep leaning into life until it's gone
I'm reaching for the memories
And I'm pulling them apart
Searching for the tiny clues
Remaining in my heart
I know that I remember
Cuz the feelings all live on
It's just the words, the details
And the names are gone
When my father lay dying
And his mind was scattered
He still knew that we loved him
And that was all that mattered
Looking back on all the things I've done
From playing in the bands
To raising up my son
I have always done the best I can
A tiny piece inside a larger plan
Many of my stories now are lost
Casualties of life, I'll pay the cost
But everything's that's lost is not in vain
It disappears then reappears
Just like the rain
I'm reaching for the memories
And I'm pulling them apart
Searching for the tiny clues
Remaining in my heart
I know that I remember
Cuz the feelings all live on
It's just the words, the details
And the names are gone
The words, the details
And the names are gone
But is a raindrop
Ever really gone?
I never planned things out much
When I was just a kid
I thought that things would work out
And I guess they kinda did
But I’m not that certain
I’m not that certain anymore
Now I’ve put some years behind me
And nothing looks the same
The roadmaps and the rule books
In fact the whole damn game
I don’t know how to play
I just don’t know how to play the game
Sometimes it’s just so easy
To wanna kiss it all goodbye
Sometimes it’s just so easy
To wanna lay right down and die
Sometimes it’s just so easy
I wanna just break down and cry
Oh no, I know I gotta try
Now the path ahead
Is where we all must go
Where angels fear to tread
But where that is I just don’t know
I don’t know where it is that we’re gonna go
Sometimes it’s just so easy
To wanna kiss it all goodbye
Sometimes it's just so easy
To wanna lay right down and die
Sometimes it's just so easy
I wanna just break down and cry
Oh no, I know I gotta try
Oh, I just wanna lay me down wanna say goodbye Oh no, I know I gotta try
Sometimes it’s just so easy
To wanna kiss it all goodbye
Sometimes it's just so easy
To wanna lay right down and die
Sometimes it's just so easy
I wanna just break down and cry
Oh no, I know I gotta try
Oh no, I know I gotta try
For thousands of years
Upon the river people lived
Thriving off the bounty of the land
Never needing more
Than what nature could provide
Until one day there came
The turning of the tide
The ship looked like a longhouse
Arriving on the shore Just one boat at first But soon came many more
Mohicans met the visitors
Without a second thought
Never knowing in the future
They would all of them be bought
For the payment of a musket
Five shillings and some stores
They gave the Dutch the land
And left familiar shores
The Dutch became the envy
Of the English, they began
To fight among each other
For the right to own the land
Soon industry and commerce
Sank their roots deep in the town
Giving rise to a culture
For all those money-bound
Hannah Montague of 3rdStreet
In her innocence began
A trend that would become
The need of every working man
And thus the modern bastion
Of the Collar City rose
To its height and finest glory
In the place a white man chose
With the comforts of today
It is easily forgotten
That they were all begotten
From the toil
Of countless fellow humans
Who gave their lives in service
To make a better life upon this soil
We thank everyone before us
Every woman, every man
Every tiny girl and every tiny boy
Who labored all their lives
And never had a choice
We thank the ones
Who gave their lives to Troy
We thank everyone before us
Every woman, every man
Every tiny girl and every tiny boy
Who labored all their lives
And never had a choice
We thank the ones
Who gave their lives to Troy
We thank the ones
Who gave their lives to Troy
Saratoga, what a lovely place to be
Saratoga Springs, pretty as a Christmas tree
High end shops and gourmet places to eat Sidewalk cafes where people like to meet Fair trade gifts, always something new
IPAs handcrafted just for you (in)
Saratoga, seat of US history
Saratoga Springs
A destination tourists want to see
Visit Caffe Lena, catch a show at SPAC
Live entertainment’s
Not something that we lack
Drink from the springs or keep yourself cool By diving into our grand Victoria Pool
A homeless guy or two
Will try to hustle a buck off of you,
But send them on their way
Cuz baby you came here to play (in)
Saratoga, it’s where people come to shine Saratoga Springs, aging like the finest wine
Hit the track and then Siro’s too
Head downtown, it’s all waiting for you
Dress to the nines and stroll Broadway
Every head will surely turn your way
After dark, back in the park
The lost ones go to hide
I love my town, but truth be told
There lives a darker side of Saratoga
The haves and the have nots
Sharing the same spots
Put your money on a pony
In a town that’s oh-so tony, yeah
Saratoga Springs
It's lots of different things
Pretty Saratoga
It's a tourist town most all of the year
You get a lotta guitar players
Playin round here
They like their loopers, yes they do
And they like their bars of eight
They hit that silver button
And they sound great
Here in this three-chord town
That's what they're all putting down
Here in Saratoga Springs
Three chords work just fine
But oh Lord, just three chords?
Pretty please
You gotta give me more
I'm waiting to be floored
In a three-chord town
Lou Reed once said
And he wasn't going to cushion it
One chord works just fine
Two chords is pushing it
Now Lou Reed also said
Three chords is jazz
Cuz one chord works just fine
And it always has
Here in this three-chord town
That's what they're all putting down
Here in Saratoga Springs
Three chords works fine
Give me some Steely Dan
Or some standards too
Without those extra chords
What's a girl to do?
Stuck here feeling blue
In a three-chord town
Give the people what they want to hear
Just three chords, the answer's clear
I can't be so dear in this three-chord town
Forgive my snark, but that's just how I roll
I guess I better get ready to sell my soul
And just give up my jelly roll
All to this three-chord town (goin down)
Down to this three-chord town
(rubato)
I haven't showered in a week
I'm eating loads of carbs
I'm getting fatter as we speak
So easy on the barbs
I'm not the girl I used to be
There's much more of me now
But I'll make it somehow
Through these
(in time)
Pandemic times, it’s a struggle that’s new Everyone is bored and eating
But what can we do
Inside we must retain our sanity
The last thing on our minds
Should be our vanity (in these)
Pandemic times, it’s a struggle that’s new
Now the kids are home all day
Whatever shall we do
Books and forts and games
And lots of videos
Pulling all the stops out
Now anything goes
(someday)
We will tell our children
Way back in 2020
When fear and sickness were aplenty
Somehow it’s true, that we made it through (those)
Pandemic times, it’s a struggle that’s new
Now the box of wine is gone
Whatever shall we do
I guess it’s just a first world problem at best
But I would like a glass or two
To help my mind rest (through these)
Pandemic times, social media’s king
A great way we can stay in touch
A wonderful thing
I can’t hold your hand
But I can see your face
It restores my faith
In the whole human race
Kazoo solo over verse
Pandemic times, it feels somehow unreal
But in due time it will be passed
And we will all heal
From these scary
Oh so hairy Pandemic times!