The Longing

For the Freeway Home

If you want to know what gets me through my day
When I’m three states away and bleary-eyed
It’s dreaming I might breathe your air again
And that this road will end at your bedside
One more coffee, one more whiskey, one more show
Oh, one more song for the freeway home

And in this dream you’re with me everywhere
It’s home because you’re there under my wing
And these chords keep ringing through my mind
Miles posted on a sign don’t mean a thing
My eyes are happy just to watch you glow
Oh, one more song for the freeway home

So if this song should make it to your ear
Let it be a souvenir you can call your own
It’s about a kind of music that’s sweeter than
The voice of just one man on a stage alone
And I sing it for you everywhere I go
Oh, one more song for the freeway home
One more coffee, one more whiskey, one more show
Oh, one more song for the freeway home

The Longing

It’s the wine that helps you fall asleep at night
It’s the satin sheets that make you dream of clouds
Wrapped in shrouds of golden light
It’s the warmth that pulls your body close to his
It’s his hands that keep you safe and sound
Still deep down

It’s the longing, it’s the longing, it’s the longing

That makes you wonder if that’s all there is

It’s the home that makes you glad you put down roots
It’s the evening news that makes you hedge your bets
With safety nets and parachutes
It’s the lines around your eyes that keep on adding up the score
It’s your mistakes that let you play this part
And in your heart of hearts

It’s the longing, it’s the longing, it’s the longing

That makes you wonder if there’s something more
It’s the princess in the borrowed dress who nobody knows
It’s the white knight in the twilight who calls her
Makes her wonder where that freeway goes
It’s the truth that you’ve been hiding from for years
It’s the reflection in your coffee cup
That stares back up at you in tears
It’s that distance in his voice that says he knows you’re somewhere else
It’s his pride that says he’ll stay with you
And see this through

And it’s the longing, it’s the longing, it’s the longing

That makes him wonder if you know yourself

 

Waitress

Waitress

When you have time
Another cup if you don’t mind
Halfway through your double shift
You look like you could use a lift
From this step-and-fetch routine
Somewhere between wasted and wired
Every nerve and muscle tired
And one step further from your dreams
Is this what you had in mind
When you left it all behind

Waitress

The price you pay
To keep the howling wolves at bay
For runny eggs and shattered glass
Drunken fools who make a pass
Then stiff you on the tip
For broken nails and separate checks
No applause and no respect
Better button down your lip
And are your dreams bigger than you
What happens if they don’t come true

Waitress

I think I might
Have a dream of you tonight
I’ll see you whirling across the stage
Looking too good for your age
Coming off a rave review
I’ll see the paparazzi on your heels
And every snapshot that reveals
Another hidden side of you
But tonight you’ll nod off in your chair
The greasy smoke still in your hair

Waitress

When you have time

 

April

April you’re a fool
To think you’re some exception to the rule
You came on so holier than thou
Baby, look at you now
It’s so sad it’s almost cruel
I wonder if you knew
That everything I said to you was true
If you could only snap out of denial
Long enough to lose that smile
You could see that I loved you

But you choose to lose

April you’re a fool

You still can’t see that love is not a duel
How many bridges have to burn
Before you wise up and learn
That no one wins at dirty pool
But your heart’s an iron vault
Invincible to kindness or assault
Now that it’s all come folding in on you
You say there’s nothing you could do
It’s always someone else’s fault

Still you choose to lose

Oh, April you’re a fool

April you’re a fool

To wage a war of lies and ridicule
You knew you were just drawing your own blood
When you dragged me through the mud
Like some kid in middle school
So go ahead and grin
Even though your pretty mask is wearing thin
And late at night the thing you fear the most
Is you’ll have to face the ghost
Of the woman you could’ve been

And you choose to lose

Oh, you’re a fool

April you’re a fool

 

Perfect Stranger

I hope this song finds you
Wherever you are
Perfect stranger
Whoever you are
I know you’re out there somewhere
In this wild old world
So tonight when you lay down
And turn out your light
I just want to say
Good-night, beautiful girl
And when you’ve been my love
For years upon years

Perfect stranger

Through rivers of tears
I still won’t let you forget
That you turn my world
Every night as we drift off
And I’m holding you tight
The last thing I’ll say
Is good-night, beautiful girl

Perfect Stranger
I swear I’ll find you someday
And give you my world
So if some perfect stranger
On some foggy night
Walks up beside you
And asks for a light
Keep your heart open
To love at first sight
Until then I’ll just say
Good-night, beautiful girl

 

Tomorrow Can Wait

Well I could paint your face from memory
Long before we ever met
And if you think I want to keep it a one-man show
Then you just don’t know me yet
I’m gonna make you believe I believe
I’ll never get enough of waking up
And drinking from your loving cup
Let the world go by
Just call and say that we’ll be late

And tomorrow can wait

Why don’t we build a little place that’s yours and mine
Way off in the pines somewhere
And when we’re there we won’t even have to think
We’ll just lay back and drink the air
I’m gonna make you believe I believe
I’ll never get enough of waking up
And drinking from your loving cup
Let the world go by
Just call and say that we’ll be late

And tomorrow can wait

If there’s a moment of doubt we’ll work it out

I’ll never get enough of waking up
And drinking from your loving cup
Let the world go by
Just call and say that we’ll be late

And tomorrow can wait

 

Belle Histoire d’Amour

Au café en Marigot
Le garcon a dit tu et ta femme
C’est une belle histoire d’amour
C’est vrai mon amour
Aujourd’hui et tous les jours
Il a dit c’est une belle histoire d’amour
C’est vrai qu’il a dit
C’est une belle histoire d’amour
Maintenant et toujours

At the café in Marigot
The waiter said you and your girl
C’est une belle histoire d’amour
C’est vrai mon amour
Aujourd’hui et tous les jours
Il a dit c’est une belle histoire d’amour
C’est vrai qu’il a dit
C’est une belle histoire d’amour
Maintenant et toujours

 

California

The sky was gray all day
Another winter storm on the way
The wind chill was five below and falling
My old LTD kept stalling
But a smile was on my face
All the pieces were falling in place
She was the one and I’d just met her
Couldn’t dream her any better
And I stood out in the cold
‘Til the sky was almost light
But I guess you know that she never showed that night

California I hope you fall into the sea and drown

You know you stole the only beauty I could see in this old town
What’s a Midwestern boy to do
When it comes to competing with you
She’s living in some picture postcard
With the Pacific in her backyard
You’ve got mountains sea and sand
And your sun shines every day
So why’d you have to take all my sunny days away

California I hope you fall into the sea and drown

You know you stole the only beauty I could see in this old town
So when the San Andreas Fault
Decides to wake up from her sleep
Well then I guess we’ll both remember
That cold night in December of ’93

California I hope you fall into the sea and drown

You know you stole the only beauty I could see in this old town

California-ah-ah

California-ah-ah

 

The Mirror Lies to Susan

Ribbons and bows and pretty new clothes
Made of linen and lace
Long string of pearls and strawberry curls
Falling all around her face

Oh-oh but the mirror lies to Susan

Giving back every pound she can lose and
Sprinkling shadows in her eyes
And cutting her down to size
Days of high fashion with the cameras flashing
On the long runway
Nights of champagne pretty boys and cocaine
Along the Champs Elysees

Oh-oh but the mirror lies to Susan

Giving back every pound she can lose and
Sprinkling shadows in her eyes
And cutting her down to size
And every night after dinner Susan disappears
Leaves you sitting at the table choking back the tears
‘Cause you can’t make a dent in something
That’s been going on for years
And you know it’s enough to make you paranoid
The way they all just sit back and watch her being destroyed
And no matter how much you love her
Your love don’t fill the void

Doctors and lawyers and parasite voyeurs
On the merry-go-round
Hospital bills and little pink pills
To make the fever go down

Oh-oh still the mirror lies to Susan

Giving back every pound she can lose and
Sprinkling shadows in her eyes
And cutting her down to size

 

The Power of Denial

You say her name
And I don’t feel a thing
She was just another flame
Another April fling
She came and went just like the spring
I don’t fantasize about her
I’m getting on fine without her
Look at me I’m living like a king

The power of denial

You’re witness to it every time you see me smile
I don’t see her face
When I lie awake in bed
I pass by her place
I don’t even turn my head
And I don’t believe a word I’ve said
Why face it it’s too depressing
I can’t just sit around obsessing
I’m too busy painting this town red

The power of denial
You’re witness to it every time you see me smile
There’s no crime in living a lie
Look at me I’m living proof
I thought why not give it a try
I can’t live with the truth

Why face it it’s too depressing
I can’t just sit around obsessing
I’m too busy going off my head

The power of denial

You’re witness to it every time you see me
Smile this plastic smile
You’re witness to the sweet blissfulness
Through the power of denial
Can’t you just feel it every time you see me smile

 

Tonight’s Top Story

Slow News Day

Another wreck out on the outbound highway
Another line of traffic ten miles long
Everybody wondering what’s  gone wrong
Yeah, we all thank god it’s Friday
And we all thank got it’s half-past-five
Hoping we can still make it home alive

It’s just a slow news day in our town
Take my hand and hold on tight
Another slow news day in our town
Whatcha wanna do tonight?

And now for tonight’s top story

A quiet man that neighbors hardly knew
They all say they still can’t believe it’s true
He went out in a blaze of glory
Following a three-hour shooting spree
Seems he was a disgruntled employee
It’s just a slow news day in our town
Take my hand and hold on tight
Another slow news day in our town
Whatcha wanna do…

Tonight, I see a solitary star up in the sky
Shining through the glare and the air pollution
Tonight, it seems to me we’ve come so far and I don’t know why

We still pretend we don’t see the solutions
So just take my hand and hold on tight
Another wreck out on the inbound thruway
See the helicopter on the scene
Another casualty in a fast machine
Someone started out a new day
And suddenly was struck down in their prime
And we all hope we still get to work on time

It’s just a slow news day in our town
Take my hand and hold on tight
Another slow news day in our town

Whatcha wanna do tonight?

 

Young American Dreamer

Well this for the young American dreamer
Sailing on the immigrant sea
Watch out you don’t get taken to the cleaners
When you get to the land of the free
Welcome to the home of the tall skyscrapers
And the end of all your struggles and strife
It’s all a great idea on paper
But it don’t always work in real life

The things some people would do for a dollar
It’s enough to turn your blood into ice
It don’t take no Ivy League scholar
To see that freedom has its price

So this is for the young American dreamer

Slaving for the minimum wage
Don’t be diappointed if the grass ain’t greener
In the information age
You can work your fingers right down to the bones
‘Til you fall down dead on the floor
But how’re you ever gonna keep up with the Joneses
When they just keep jonesing for more

And everybody’s trying to rise to the pinnacle
With some get rich quick scheme
Is it just me or ain’t it kind of cynical
To call that the American dream

Yeah this is for the young American dreamer

Ah, but I ain’t one of those doubting Thomases
I thank my stars every day
You’ve just gotta wade through the broken promises
To make it in the U.S. of A.

So lock up the safe and fire up the B’mer
And head out on your holiday spree

And say a little prayer for the American dreamer
Fighting for his life to be free

Oh god help the young American Dreamer

Fighting for his life to be free

Yeah this is for the young American dreamer….

 

For Melissa

So may years, and still I wish
I could’ve been there with you the last time that you smiled
I turned around
And suddenly I was the only child
There ain’t no point in asking why
Might as well try to find the meaning of the sky
You just have to say goodbye

Flying horses and rainbow flowers

Paper princesses in cardboard towers
Kiss your little brother now
It’s time for you to go to sleep and dream away the hours

The little girl you’ll always be
Somehow has kept alive the boy inside of me
And this only child
Became the maverick of the family
How may roads and rivers crossed
And still the man I am can’t comprehend the cost
Of everything we lost

Flying horses and rainbow flowers
Paper princesses in cardboard towers
Kiss your little brother now
It’s time for you to go to sleep and dream away the hours

Some look for words to justify
Taking some comfort in their castles in the sky
It’s not my place
To say they’re wrong to want to try
Do what they will, I speak for me
And all I know is that I missed my chance to see
How beautiful you’d be

Flying horses and rainbow flowers
Paper princesses in cardboard towers
Kiss your little brother now
Time for you to go to sleep and dream away the hours

Dream away the hours

Dream away the hours