Week 2. Day 2. The subject for this song is a man at the bedside of his dying old friend on his birthday. He's angry and sad, and there's not really much more to say about it, this song pretty much sits right there on the surface. Hope you enjoy it, and i'll see you tomorrow.

 Happy Birthday

Happy birthday
you old drunken bum
how's it feel to be one year closer to done
The clock is a tickin' as you keep on rottin' away

Happy Birthday
you old stubborn fool
how's it feel to be one year closer to through
the sands of the hourglass are diggin' your ass a grave

but please don't go away
I know your heart and soul got a lot more to say
it's this time of dying, that's got me actin' strange
and it's not ok, but that's just the way it is

Happy Birthday
you rottin old punk
this calls for celebration and getting real drunk
yes you're one year closer to meetin' your judgement day

Happy Birthday
my only friend
i'm afraid i just may never see you again
it's just not right, but i'll say goodnight just in case

but please don't go away
I know your heart and soul got a lot more to say
it's this time of dying, that's got me actin' strange
and it's not ok, but that's just the way it is
no it's not ok, but that's just the way it is

 Week 2. Day 1. I'm back with another week of Morning Songs. This time around it will only last 5 days. The theme of this week is, "getting old." This first song is about a man looking to enjoy the 2nd half of his life more than he did his first. It's a song about a middle-aged lonely man who finally understands the mistakes he's made, and he's ready to begin his life again, and at a much slower pace. He's going to take some time to smell the roses. Hope you like.

 The Second Half is Better

take my hand
and understand
it'll all make sense in the end

we're all grown up
got a half full cup
but i'd hate drink alone again

and we'll take our time getting old
the second half is better i'm told

lets run away
and leave the race
oh i'd hate to waste another second of the day

lets free our minds
do what we like
we got a whole nother life to try

and we'll take our time getting old
the 2nd half is better i'm told

oh yeah take my hand
i need a friend
someone I can lean on til the end

If you'll agree
i believe
we could both feel younger again

and we'll take our time getting old
the 2nd half is better i'm told

yeah we'll take our time getting old
the 2nd half is better i'm told
the 2nd half is better i'm told

 Day 7. The final day, the final song, I made it. This song tells the story of a couple career criminals trying to out run the cops to cross the border into Mexico. They can't bare facing prison time again, so they take their chances in their time of despair. I think this tune will sound much better with a full band behind it.

Thanks for joining me this week, it's been a lot of fun and I think I got a lot of good tunes out of it, who knows, maybe i'll record an EP and call it Morning Songs. Hope to do this again very soon. See you next time.

 One More Mile

Don't look now but the cops hot on our tail
Times running out, oh the end is near
No I won't spend another night
Rotting in the county jail

So speed up my boy, don't be afraid of that gas
Draw your guns, lets see how long we last
We ain't going down without a fight
Even if it means our death

No we ain't going down without a fight
Even if it means our death

Don't look now, but the cops are closing in
Our fate ain't looking bright, it just might be the end
No I won't spend another night
Rotting in the federal pen

No I won't spend another night
Rotting in the federal pen

So step on them breaks boy, draw them guns
Lets go out in style, lets have us a little fun
Only one more mile, and we better run

Only one more mile to go
And we'll be singing Home Sweet Home

Only one more mile to the Naco borderline
One more mile of beating hearts and racing time
Only one more mile and we're gonna be just fine
Only one more mile to the Naco borderline

Sorry to say, we didn't make it this time
The cops gunned us down before we crossed that borderline
But there's comfort in knowing
We gave em our best fight

Yeah there's comfort knowing
We brought a few down with us to die

Only one more mile to the Naco borderline
One more mile of beating hearts and racing time
Only one more mile and we're gonna be just fine
Only one more mile to the Naco borderline
Only one more mile to the Naco borderline
Only one more mile to the Naco borderline

 Day 6. Whew, almost home. I had a hard time this morning, it took me quite a while to come up with anything worth finishing. This song is slightly generic, but I actually kind of like it. It's fairly obvious what it is about, self pity leads to depression leads to suicide, "utter despair" to say the least. Enjoy, see you tomorrow with the final song.

 Dark Skies

Good morning my friend
looks like cloudy, dark skies again
been too long since it began
and I just don't understand

Good Afternoon my love
looks like cloudy, dark skies above
it's been too long tracking mud
and i just don't don't understand

Why you hanging round
why you keep on pouring down on me, only me
When I'm almost drowned

Why can't you be
Brighter company
Blue skies, sunshine's what I need

Good evening my dear
see those cloudy, dark skies appear
every time that I come near
well I just don't understand

So goodbye my friend
I just can't bare dark skies again
Seems I've hit wits end
I hope you'll understand

Why you hanging round
why you keep on pouring down on me, only me
When I'm almost drowned

Why can't you be
Brighter company
Blue skies, sunshine's what I need

 Day 5. This one is my favorite so far, it's been the most fun to write and record. Jeremy Wall returns with his alto sax and I with my boot tambourine. And last but not least the one and only Shane Spaulding on background vocals. No need for any sort of explanation, the lyrics speak for themselves. Have a great day and enjoy. See you tomorrow with Episode 6.

 Good Lady

Well I'm sorry I lied
And cheated, made you cry
Stepped on you little heart
With no reason why

I'm sorry, so sorry
I had you believe
I was good in my heart
And the man of your dreams

I didn't mean
To treat you so bad
But the devil crept in
And I couldn't fight back

I lost all control
To the addict in me
Rotted to the core
With such an awful disease

Good lady, good lady I'm bleeding through
I'm down on my knees and I'm begging you
Good lady, good lady don't leave me alone
Good lady please come home

Well I've said my peace
And I hope you'll agree
To coming back home
And trusting in me

I know I've said this before
But I mean it this time
I'm a changed man
I won't step out of line

Good lady, good lady I'm bleeding through
I'm down on my knees and I'm begging you
Good lady, good lady don't leave me alone
Good lady please come home

 Welcome to day 4 of Morning Songs. Todays episode features a very special guest, you know him, you love him, it's Mr. Jeremy Wall on alto saxophone, as well as yours truly on the foot tambourine.

Earlier this week I was thinking about how cynical I've become and how completely unavoidable it is to become so cynical in this world. There is absolutely no way around it, as far as I can tell anyway. But how nice would it be to go back to when it didn't feel that way, back when the world was clean and good, or so it seemed. Lets try, shall we. Hope you all have a sunny and bright morning, and Happy Mothers Day to all you beautiful mothers out there. See you tomorrow...

 Along The Way

When I was younger I saw the light
A dreamer full of hope
The future seemed to shine so bright
Within my eyes and within my soul

But it all got lost
Yeah it all got lost...
Along the way

When I was younger I felt the love
I'd fall in and out each day
The world seemed so clean and good
But that was than and what a shame

It all got lost
Yeah it all go lost...
Along the way

Tell me what I've gotta do
Tell me how I'm gonna change
To get it back
Tell me am I far too gone
Tell me did I wait too long
To get it back

Yeah it all got lost
It all got lost
Yeah it all got lost
It all got lost...

Along the way

Day 3. This is hard. The hardest part is having to share what I wrote, even if I don't think it's quite good enough. Usually by the time you all hear my songs, the band has heard it, Shane's critiqued it, and I've lived with it for a while. I guess what I am saying is, I'm not so sure about this one. I really like the idea behind it though, it's about a guy who has become completely numb to life, he feels nothing, nothing excites him, nothing scares him either, except this lack of feeling he has. So he goes out and tries to find it, but in the end, he's unsuccessful. I talk about "The Dirt Road" because I had this friend that I hung with back when I lived in Arizona, and he would tell me about this place out in the country somewhere near Durham, NC called "The Dirt Road", I think the town was called Henderson. Anyway, long story short, this was no place you wanted to walk around late at night, or anytime for that matter, but a good place to go if you wanted to get your heart pounding.

 The Dirt Road

I went out to the dark side of town
Looking for something to make my heart pound
I went walking the dark alleys and dead end streets
Looking for something to make my heart beat
Streets all lined with the whores, the dealers, and their smack
Ain't nothing here can bring my heart back

So what can I do?
Where can I go?
To feed this restless soul
It's numb and I'm scared
Empty and dull
where do I go?

I went down to the dirt road on the other side
looking for something to make my beat rise
The road's all lined with more of the same
Ain't nothing here can make my heart race

So what can I do?
Where can I go?
To feed this restless soul
It's numb and I'm scared
Empty and dull
where do I go?

 Day 2. I decided to brighten things up just a little bit. The character in this song has found hope in a friend who helps him get through his "utter despair." I figured we all needed a little hope this morning, it's almost the weekend after all. Whoever is listening, thank you for coming round, you all give me hope. We'll see you tomorrow.

 Thank You For Coming Round

You ever seen a smile upon my face?
Or a glimmer in my eye?
If so I'd like to hear all about it
and give it one more try

You ever seen a flower bloom
In my front yard?
if so i'd like to hear are about it
and plant a couple more

I once was lost
but now I am found
Thanks to you
coming round
to shed some light
on what's got me down
Thank you for coming round

You ever seen a bird sing
perched upon my window sill?
I didn't think so, but I had to ask
and I think some day you will

I once was lost
but now I am found
Thanks to you
coming round
to shed some light
on what's got me down
Thank you for coming round
Thank you for coming round
Thank you for coming round

 I've decided to write a new song every morning, first thing, right after I wake up and force myself to finish it. I will do this every morning for the next week, i'll post it to Youtube by the following day. The common theme will be "utter despair."

I woke up this morning with the lyric "well It looks like I'm back on the streets again" stuck in my head, so I figured i'd get out of bed and write the thing down. WIthin about 15 minutes I had written this song.

 My Wasted Life

Well it looks like I'm out on the streets again
Rent is due without a dollar to my name
Trying to hold it down
Trying to turn around
Ain't nothin' left
But the shame

Yeah it looks like the taxman's on my heals again
Probably try and haul me off to jail
I better run away
I'd better leave today
For their ain't no one
To post my bail

So cry me a river down to North Caroline
And build me a boat for to sail my pride
Through the tears of my wasted life2

Well it looks like I wore out my welcome here
Ain't no one smiling when they hear my name
I'd better run and hide
I'd better leave tonight
Or they're bound
To make me pay

So cry me a river down to North Caroline
And build me a boat for to sail my pride
Through the tears of my wasted life

Well it looks like that angry mob is closing in
Ain't no where left for me to go
Time to let it rain
Time to face the pain
That's been hot on my trail
For so long

So cry me a river down to North Caroline
And build me a boat for to sail my pride
Through the tears of my wasted life