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1. |
Almost Heaven
05:34
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Her Daddy was a Mountaineer,
drove the rains until they brought him home.
In between from there to here,
he rode the rails from first light ‘til the gloam.
He built a home on a mountainside, and he raised up a family,
Daddy was a good man, that can’t be denied,
but Daddy doesn’t have much use for me.
‘Cause Daddy’s got a baby girl
whose big bright eyes send fire down the line.
I saw them from another world,
and I knew I had to make them mine.
The fire led me to a place so beautiful I had to pause,
Almost as beautiful as her sweet face,
so I asked her, I asked her where she was.
She said, ‘Almost heaven,’ in a voice so sweet and low,
Almost heaven, I think I’m gonna go.
In a valley west of the Shenandoah,
waits the girl with the big bright fiery eyes.
The ones that set my face aglow,
to ignore them would only be unwise.
I need to harness that precious fire
and let it fill my world somehow,
No denying she’s who I desire,
and my thoughts are straying there right now.
To almost heaven, she’s sleeping peacefully,
Almost heaven, tonight she dreams of me.
And while she sleeps on that mountain, I lie awake on this prairie,
A few more days, and I’m counting
Until that fire comes to carry me away, carry me away,
To almost heaven, can’t wait another night,
Almost heaven, I’m following the light.
Climbing up that Blue Ridge hill,
hand in hand, we’ll watch the rising sun,
Coming down I know I will
tell the girl that she’s the only one.
Her precious eyes will fill my cup with all the fire that I can hold,
Make love beneath the stars where she grew up,
and her passion will sanctify my soul.
It’s almost heaven, you know it feels so right,
Almost heaven, close enough for tonight.
Copyright © 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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2. |
Gone Away
05:03
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They say that time flies when you’re having too much fun,
Count the days and wonder where they go.
Even in the worst of times when nothing’s getting done,
It don’t seem that time moves all that slow.
I’m getting older, Father Time taps on my shoulder,
Seems to me it’s just a state of mind.
I’m moving on, but sometimes I take too long,
Looking back at all that wasted time.
Gone away, here for a moment and then
Gone away, never coming back again.
As long as I breathe, I’m still young,
and I believe the best is yet to come.
I think about the friends and lovers that I’ve known,
Some are gone but many still remain.
Every single one has had a hand in how I’ve grown,
They’re all part of the man that I became.
Living in the past don’t make a life that will stand fast,
but it’s okay to look back for a while.
Miss the ones who’ve gone, and in their honor, carry on,
Take the part of each that makes me smile.
Gone away, here for a moment and then
Gone away, never coming back again.
As long as I breathe, I’m still young,
and I believe the best is yet to come.
I’ll stand up to the morning and face the day head on,
I’ll shine in the sunrise, yesterday is dead and gone.
I’m a man of few regrets, I’ll learn from them and go on,
while I’ve got time to make up for the things that did go wrong...
They say that time flies when you’re having too much fun,
I’ve come to believe that isn’t so.
I believe that time cries out for living in the sun,
I’ll make the most of it before I go.
We’re not here forever, comes a time when ties are severed,
It’s what we do that counts, not how we try.
We must take the reins, for whatever time remains,
and leave a smile when it’s our time to fly.
Gone away, here for a moment and then
Gone away, never coming back again.
As long as I breathe, I’m still young,
and I believe the best is yet to come.
Copyright © 2000 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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3. |
As The Crow Flies
02:35
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November, there's a chill in the air,
Take me back to a place I know where
The leaves turn to color before they go brown
The air is so quiet you hear them fall down
It isn't so far from this dirty old town and its cries -
As the crow flies.
Remember, all the friends left behind,
They're right here in this scrapbook of mine.
Pictures of children at play on the lawn,
Some of them stayed and others moved on,
Soon they'll have children all grown up and gone from their eyes -
As the crow flies.
Time, like the crow, only flies forward,
Circles around but it always moves on.
Time is a thief, and given the chance would
Steal all the things that you love.
November, feel the winter come on,
Take me back, 'fore the chance is all gone -
Back to the best things in life I call mine,
To strengthen the bonds that have weakened with time,
To look back and laugh as I grow older and wise -
As the crow flies.
Copyright © 2000 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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4. |
George
03:56
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George lives next door; he’s a little bit strange but I like him.
George doesn’t work anymore; he never found too much to excite him.
George likes to bend my ear, he doesn’t have too much else to do.
He likes to drink a pint or two and pass out on the floor,
He likes to talk a lot about his trauma in the war,
It’s nothing his lobotomy and alcohol won’t cure-
well, that’s George, my friend George.
George, he’s a ladies’ man; I don’t know why the women all surround him.
George likes his one-night stands; he’s never had any feelings to astound him.
George never sleeps alone; he doesn’t have too much else to do.
He likes to take me out and buy me whiskey now and then,
He thinks that he impresses me with all his sleazy friends,
I play along and drink his whiskey, glassy-eyed I am
when I’m with George, my friend George.
I’m not sure what I like about this guy,
I’ve never seen him when he wasn’t completely high.
He doesn’t understand a thing I say,
but I’ve got nothing worse to do
and so I drink the night away with George.
George seems to do all right; he’s got plenty of friends there beside him.
George stays up half the night, ‘til the whiskey and the women override him.
George likes to bend my ear; he doesn’t have too much else to do.
He likes to talk a lot about his trauma in the war,
The only one he fought was tryin’ to get up off the floor,
Whenever I need entertainment, I just go next door
and see George, my friend George.
George lives next door; he’s a little bit strange but I like him.
George lives next door; he’s a little bit strange but I like him.
Copyright © 1987 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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5. |
Miles And Miles Away
03:15
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I love to talk to her, I love it when she comes around,
Whenever I want to see her, it takes two days to track her down.
I’m crazy for this girl; I’ve found the oyster but there’s no pearl,
She’s hiding out in her own little world,
Miles and miles away.
She’s been falling under, she’s been on the losing side,
I make her laugh and I wonder if I know how to turn the tide.
‘Cause I’ve got a heart to lend, that maybe she’d take if I knew how to send,
Or maybe I’m just a foul-weather friend,
Miles and miles away.
She’s got a picture and some words I wrote,
Note for note in a dream that made me sad.
I thought I had her heart, we’d made it through the hardest part,
I reached for her and awoke with a start,
Miles and miles away.
She needs to be alone, she needs two feet on the ground,
That’s what she says in a warm tone that leaves me without a sound.
I’m not convinced it’s true, but it’s not my heart so what else can I do?
I hate where I’m standing but I love the view,
from miles and miles away.
I wonder if she knows, I wonder if she’s got a clue,
‘Cause I try to not let it show, I don’t know what she would do.
But I’m gonna find out soon, if what I feel is a bust or a boon,
Or are these words for the sake of a tune,
Miles and miles away?
It’s not my style to keep it all inside,
Still I hide all the things I just can’t say.
Heart, find a way, be strong,
The worst that could happen is I could be wrong.
And if she goes, she’ll be hearing this song,
Miles and miles away.
And if she goes, she’ll be hearing this song,
Miles and miles away.
Copyright © 1993 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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6. |
What Were You Thinking
03:23
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What were you thinking
when you woke up in my arms for the first time? (Oh yeah)
And what were you thinking
When you looked into my eyes and saw the sunrise?
Did it make you realize what I've tried to say so long,
The distance makes me weak, but you keep me strong.
Every day apart, no matter how I miss you,
You smile at me, and I just can't resist you.
What were you thinking when you woke up in my arms?
What were you thinking
when I told you I'd be leaving on the morrow? (Oh no)
And what were you thinking
When I said to keep my heart safe and protected?
Did you think I'd throw away everything you gave to me,
When my heart was wrapped in chains, you set it free.
So keep it here with you, no matter where you roam,
'cause anywhere you are, I wanna call it home.
What were you thinking when I told you I'd be leaving?
You and me, we've got a history
of walking when we oughta run
But it can be, I'm gonna make you see,
As long as I'm your only one.
You know what I'm thinking,
I wanna keep you 'round for a long time. (I do)
That's what I was thinking
When I took you in my arms for the first time.
No matter what happens, when it comes to these two hearts,
The love we have is greater than the sum of all the parts.
You may have thought you had me wrapped around your finger,
Well look down at your hand, then look up at the singer...
See what I'm thinking,
Yes, I'm in love with you.
That's what I'm thinking,
No matter what you do,
So what were you thinking,
when you told me that you loved me too?
Copyright © 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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7. |
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Three thirty in the morning, I should be dreaming of you.
My ear’s connected to this telephone, I don’t know what I should do.
My friends all think that I go it alone,
The boss is gonna figure out there’s something going on,
It’s three thirty in the morning, but I never get tired of you.
Met you around the holidays, you had me right at hello.
Now as winter turns to summer, I find I can’t let you go.
We talk about it almost every night,
But until I get you face to face, you know it won’t seem right.
Three thirty in the morning, and neither of us wants to go.
Three thirty in the morning, feels like you’re here by my side.
Your voice takes me where I wanna be, your heart’s where I need to hide.
I love the way you put my mind at ease,
But baby, don’t you know I’ve got responsibilities?
Three thirty in the morning, and I’m feeling torn up inside.
Torn between have to do and want to do, to be with you,
I keep working, you know it just ain’t fair.
Baby, it’s hard to keep it on the line, but anytime
that you want me, you know that I’ll be there.
Three thirty in the morning, I guess I’m saying good night.
I never found the words to tell you how much I need you tonight.
You know I hate it has to be this way,
But wait a minute… it’s Saturday!
Three thirty in the morning, and my weekend’s just starting with you.
Three thirty in the morning, and I’m falling in love with you.
Copyright © 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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8. |
Seventeen Summers
04:48
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When the nights get warm and the days get hot,
I go back to a time that I miss a lot.
Raising hell and not getting caught,
just my friends and I ready to play.
We were young and cocky and bold,
we knew it all and we’d tell you so.
But we were happy with the status quo,
we’d save the world some other day.
We’d go to the beach, throw ambition away,
While we watched the nighttime turn into day,
Hangin’ out on the pier from May to September,
Watchin’ the girls come and go.
It’s a time we thought would last forever,
Seventeen summers ago.
Well, the nights were warm and the girls were hot,
I can think of one who put me on the spot.
Found out what I knew wasn’t really a lot,
but she was willing to show me how.
We went to the amusement park,
I was ready to burn and she was the spark,
Rockin’ the Tilt-A-Whirl long after dark,
singing ‘how do you like me now?”
I’ll be damned if I remember her name,
But I’ll never forget the feeling that came,
Makin’ out on the pier from May to September,
Learning what I didn’t know.
With some girl I swore I’d always remember,
Seventeen summers ago.
The falling leaves had turned to snow,
We grew up, split up, said goodbye.
We’d get together at the holidays
to remember the summer gone by.
But as the storm came in from the coast,
We embraced and let it all go,
While we watched the pier crumble under the waves
Sixteen winters ago.
It’s been years since I thought about this,
I’ve been too busy living to reminisce.
‘Til someone walked up and gave me a kiss
while I was waiting to catch my flight.
I looked at her and said ‘hey, you’re the girl,’
she said ‘yeah, that was me on the Tilt-A-Whirl.’
And it all came back from that long lost world,
the magic of old summer nights.
I tried not to laugh at the things we did
While she showed me the photo of her hubby and kids,
Taken out on the pier one day last September,
It looks like it did long ago.
And today I smile every time I remember
Seventeen summers ago.
Yeah, sometimes I wish that I could go back there,
Seventeen summers ago.
Copyright © 1997 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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9. |
I Never Drink Before Ten
03:30
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My mama raised us on the welfare, my seven brothers and me,
I’ve never been beyond these city limits,
there’s nothing there I want to see.
I make my living at the bus stop, by playing on your sympathy,
Every night I write a new sob story, every day I drink for free.
You see me every morning, I’m standing in line,
And when the door opens, I’m gonna get mine.
I am an upstanding citizen, I never drink before ten,
That’s when the liquor store opens, my friend -
I’ll get my pint, go back to work, and then
I’ll play on your emotions while I drink down my potion,
Tomorrow, I’ll be back again.
People don’t think I’m educated, but boy, I got my degree,
I studied nights down at the Greyhound City College,
my master of psychology.
I can turn your pockets inside out, with every word that I say,
Got a chicken in my pot, and a pint on the spot,
that’s the American way.
I cash my welfare check and I pay my rent on time,
But after all of that, I haven’t got a dime.
I am an upstanding citizen, I never drink before ten,
That’s when the liquor store opens, my friend -
I’ll get my pint, go back to work, and then
I’ll play on your emotions while I drink down my potion,
Tomorrow, I’ll be back again.
Between the Greyhound and the Night Train, my life is complete,
But the nights are getting colder, and I need something to eat.
Today I think I’ll take a shower, and show the man behind the myth,
And if I make an extra buck or two, hey, I’ll spring for a fifth.
I am an upstanding citizen, I never drink before ten,
That’s when the liquor store opens, my friend -
I’ll get my pint, go back to work, and then
I’ll play on your emotions while I drink down my potion,
Tomorrow, I’ll be back again.
Copyright © 1998 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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10. |
The Impossible Girl
02:45
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Try to impress her, you spend a lot of cash,
She takes your flowers and throws them in the trash-
That’s how it goes, loving the impossible girl.
And if you pleae her, she doesn’t ever show it,
But if you don’t, well, boy, she’ll let you know it-
That’s how it goes, loving the impossible girl.
She says, ‘Gimme gimme gimme gimme all that you got,
It doesn’t matter if I give back or not.
Tell me you love me, boy, you’re gonna lose me,
I just need someone to use and abuse me.’
She gives you five point nine when you get your kicks,
But that’s on a scale of ten, not six-
That’s how it goes, loving the impossible girl.
The best time she had lasted ninety minutes straight,
If it makes you feel better, he only got an eight-
That’s how it goes, loving the insatiable girl.
She says, ‘Gimme gimme gimme gimme all that you got,
It doesn’t matter if I give back or not.
Tell me you love me, boy, you’re gonna lose me,
I just need someone to use and abuse me.’
Try so hard to make the girl adore you,
She’s busy talkin’ ‘bout the ones that came before you-
That’s how it goes, loving the impossible girl.
Write her a letter, you ask her to call,
It’s been a month now, you’re bouncing off the wall-
That’s how it goes, leaving the impossible,
You oughta know, the woman’s just impossible,
That’s how it goes, loving the impossible girl.
Copyright © 1996 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserve
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11. |
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Baby, it’s happened again, like so many times before,
One of us angry, one of us crying, both of us eyeing the door.
We kiss and we make up, it’s all good,
But this time, it don’t feel like it should,
I can’t do this anymore.
I know that your past runs deep, you never let it show,
The thought of a man who’s true to you is new to you, I know.
Baby, I know I hurt you, too,
Trying to figure out what to do,
I don’t want to watch you go.
I wanna take you by the hand, I wanna be your only man,
I wanna love you ‘til you can’t go on.
But if I’m gonna be your man, I’ve got to know where I stand,
If you’re not mine by now, it’s time to move on.
How do I figure out a way to make you see
The life you’ve been used to living is worth giving up for me?
I know that you want to have your fun,
but I’m all about one on one,
Baby, tell me what you want from me.
I wanna take you by the hand, I wanna be your only man,
I wanna love you ‘til you can’t go on.
But if I’m gonna be your man, I’ve got to know where I stand,
If you’re not mine by now, it’s time to move on.
I’d love you unconditionally, but you’ve got to give it back to me,
My love is something you can’t just borrow.
It’s time for us to take a stand, I’m placing my heart in your hands,
I’m not asking you for forever, but I damn sure want tomorrow.
If I’m gonna be your man, I’ve got to know where I stand,
If you’re not mine by now, it’s time to move on.
I’ve done everything I can do to show you that my love is true,
If you’re not mine by now…
Copyright © 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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12. |
Get A Life
05:16
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I come over for dinner and a drink,
just to be by your side.
I read the Times and I wonder what you think,
you talk about the TV Guide.
And your life is full of color, nineteen inches on a screen,
Never sharper, never duller, the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.
You gotta get a life, open the curtains, take a look around.
You gotta get a life, step outside, put your feet on the ground.
If you don’t get a life, don’t look for me, I won’t be around.
All day long, I wonder where you are,
and is your day goin’ all right?
You’ve just been playing with your new DVR,
find out which Kardashian’s tight.
It’s your all-consuming passion, what you see is what you know,
It’s just make-believe compassion, excuse me pleae, I gotta go.
You gotta get a life, open the curtains, take a look around.
You gotta get a life, step outside, put your feet on the ground.
If you don’t get a life, don’t look for me, I won’t be around.
I know the lights, and the big city nights,
and I’d love to take you there.
But you’re on a roll with your remote control,
and you’re actin’ like you just don’t care.
Open the window, put your head outside,
get a reality check!
It’s not so bad that you need to run and hide,
turn yourself into a wreck.
When you find what you’ve been missing,
then the truth will set you free,
But if you won’t even listen, you’ll have to watch it without me.
You gotta get a life, open the curtains, take a look around.
You gotta get a life, step outside, put your feet on the ground.
If you don’t get a life, don’t look for me, I won’t be around.
Copyright © 1992, 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI).
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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13. |
Every Lonesome Road
06:46
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In the morning, we’ll go our separate ways,
Not forever, but for too many days.
There’s a road that calls my name and I go,
But girl, I want you to know that I wish it wasn’t so.
While I’m gone, we’ll do what we must do,
Keep the promise, and let faith see us through.
Take my hand and hold it tight once more,
Kiss me gently, close the door, ‘cause of this you can be sure.
Every lonesome road I travel down,
Every highway that I’ve found,
Leads me home again; they lead me straight to you.
Every lonesome mile gets counted down
Until my feet hit holy ground,
Where you wait for me, I’m gonna see it through,
then I’m never gonna leave you.
I can see you, you’re trying to hide your fears,
And you’re smiling, but holding back the tears.
Don’t you cry, you know my heart is true,
And I’m coming back to you, baby, what else would I do?
Every lonesome road I travel down,
Every highway that I’ve found,
Leads me home again; they lead me straight to you.
Every lonesome mile gets counted down
Until my feet hit holy ground,
Where you wait for me, I’m gonna see it through,
then I’m never gonna leave you.
Though it’s not our choice to make,
Every night we lie awake,
Wishing on the same old star.
I feel you there to see me through,
I finally sleep and dream of you,
I close my eyes and there you are.
Till the morning, you fade into the sun,
I keep driving, the miles count down to none.
And I’m back in your arms where I belong,
It was you who kept me strong, and you knew it all along.
Every lonesome road I travel down,
Every highway that I’ve found,
Leads me home again; they lead me straight to you.
Every lonesome mile gets counted down
Until my feet hit holy ground,
Where you wait for me, I’m gonna see it through,
then I’m never gonna leave you.
Copyright © 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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14. |
I Know
04:47
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Hey my friend, it's not the end,
You've just gone a little farther up around the bend.
I have to say, I'm not okay,
There's so many things I didn't get the chance to say.
But I'll have time to think while you are waiting,
By and by upon that peaceful shore.
I know I'll spend some time contemplating,
What I'll say when we sit down once more.
I know that our paths will cross again,
I know that I'll make it until then.
So I'll hold my head up high for you,
Do the things you'd want me to.
By the passion in your soul,
And the faith that keeps us whole,
I know.
The morning lights feel like ice,
I miss sitting 'round the table hearing your advice.
The coffee's cold, but not your soul,
I will keep those words of wisdom until I grow old.
The music in your soul will keep on playing,
The notes and rhyme will live on as I go.
Just the other day, I heard you saying,
Before there's rainbows, rain must surely flow.
I know that our paths will cross again,
I know that I'll make it until then.
So I'll hold my head up high for you,
Do the things you'd want me to.
By the passion in your soul,
And the faith that keeps us whole,
I know.
I look around the room and see what's left behind,
The kindness in the hearts of all you knew.
And the love of the family was always on your mind,
Your heart was just, your word was true,
It's not too late to be like you.
I know that our paths will cross again,
I know that I'll make it until then.
So I'll hold my head up high for you,
Do the things you'd want me to.
By the passion in your soul,
And the faith that keeps us whole,
I know.
Copyright © 2012 David L. Laurence (BMI). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Dave Laurence Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Folksy, but rock solid. Soft with a hard edge. Eclectic, yet familiar. Unpretentious, but confident. Buys his stage clothes in thrift shops.
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