TOASTED

Pour a shot of whiskey for the man’s been far too quiet

Stompin’ at the Sheraton, hellraisin’ at the Hyatt

Martinis stir their souls from Cleveland to Shanghai

And there’s hope tonight in ‘Nawlins underneath a bourbon sky

Here’s to the night owls

Here’s where the wolf howls

We celebrate this atmosphere and tip a pint of ice co’beer

Here’s to our drinkin’ pals

The guit-tar’s growin’ restless and the mic is running cold

A smokin’ set of rock is not the only smoke we rolled

Clear a path up to the stage, plug in and conjure fire

The house done gone electric and we’re dancin’ on the wire

Here’s to the rock gods

Ears to their iPods

I could shred my own throat or choke on a note

Send ‘em up some applause

Seal the deal with Suitor Three or drink and dial the phone

Last call tonight won’t see you goin’ home alone

Cruel light of closing time will test libido’s pride

Will she take a chance on after-hours (or will the dude abide?)

Here’s to The Big O

Comin’ through in slo-mo

Melting inhibitions down, ask G about that spot he found

Curlin’ up your big toe

Here’s to the night owls

Here’s where the wolf howls

We celebrate this atmosphere and tip a pint of ice co’ beer

Here’s to our drinkin’ pals

THE TROUBLE WITH GOOD ADVICE

Made a few mistakes, I’m sad to say

But I picked up a little wisdom ‘long the way

Most was long forgotten

But here’s what I recall

They say the trouble with good advice

Is the size of the writing on the stall

No one would believe the webs we weave

Bought a drink for a lady I didn’t know from Eve

Found her in my closet

They found her husband in the lake

The say the trouble with good advice

Is the bartender’s always on the take

Confucius say “the cookie’s stale”

Ann Landers never reads her own mail

Look deep into your Magic Eight Ball, tell me what you see

The secret to happiness and all the answers?

Or just a fool looking back at me?

The trouble with good advice

Is the price to gotta pay to learn the hard way

The priest will trade forgiveness for guilt

For yours is the house that Lazy built

That’s the trouble with good advice

The trouble with good advice

I’m in trouble

LAST YEAR’S PRAYERS

I can’t recall her name

Just a face within a frame

A test of weakened wills

The needs that she fulfills

They pale to the way true love compares

Heaven help me, now I’m regretting last year’s prayers

And I don’t wanna hear your problems tonight

We could drown our sorrows in spite

Of the faithful we indict

When below becomes above

When lust aspires to love

And Reason’s at the door

It’s easy to ignore the voice of the fool that’s led you wrong

Been deaf to the words and blind to the sights too long

She steals a glance, it’s cardiac

Bottles pain and sells it back

To the same who gave it away

I’m sick of all your problems

Mine, well they’re just the same as yours

But you’ll never hear me complain

So why can’t we put our dreams aside

And live our boring lives?

‘Cuz I miss the old girl in the frame

THE SACRED & THE PROFANE

Priest of the invisible

Save your breath for the afterlife

Soldier of the righteous cause

Hold your fire ‘cuz I’m unarmed

Who’ll shepherd your flock now?

Fight your bloodless war?

Guardian of false justice

Leave your gavel at the door

Officer of unwritten law

Give your badge a rest tonight

Who’ll preserve order now?

Fill our jails with innocents?

Cynical sensation

Much less than meets the eye in the truth

There’s a fine line between irrational and sane

Such a thin line between the sacred and profane

Tell me, who you gonna believe?

Prophet of the system

Takes credit for illusion of faith

Musical impostor

Creates his propaganda for your soul

Leader of the brave new world

Show some mercy upon the weak

God above this spinning rock

Forgive our worship of mortal flaw

STALE AIR

Thought we’d find enlightenment

Along the path least traveled by

But the trip began too late

And changed the end to a means we’d justified

Went searching for reason

But settled for rhyme

Wine to water, leaves turn to ash

Vicious circle becomes square

All of life is fighting for a breath

Trapped in the stale air

Nature tempts that rare impulse

That patience hates and suffocates

They pass us by, so blind we lie

And watch from distant altered states

Obsession with freedom

But chained to our minds

It’s the human condition

It’s the mask of the ordinary

There ain’t no cure for the need to step outside our skin

You can drown all your sorrows

But they learn to swim

FINDING THE LIGHT

(for L. Cohen)

Built the stair to ascend, but the foot won’t take

Just a little more rope and it’s done

Your verse on her breath is the file in the cake

Plugs the chamber that weighs down the gun

A vacant mirrored room of worship and mood

Masks and floor worn from the knees

The secret chord is A minor whom the diamonds elude

Only facets the burning eye sees

Always said there were shades in the blacks

How’s the view from the tower these days?

Have the stars stopped streaming through cracks?

You were finding the light by igniting each turn of the phrase

“I’ve no plans for love,” spoke the courting architect

Of the traitor Suzanne did recite

Everybody knows the words, still the pages connect

A companion for all seasons tonight

Always said there were shades in the blacks

How’s the view from the tower these days?

Have the stars stopped streaming through cracks?

Are we finding the light or just a brighter corner of the maze?

The artist as martyr’s a clichéd crusade

Beloved as lover, the humbler masquerade

Your shadow’s grown long, but there’s warmth in its shade

Gather for our midnight choir’s serenade

Bared the drowning man’s faith and the devout’s confession

Judges on broken thrones tried

No verdict was reached, still hung on the question

Is the masterpiece always inside?

Always said there were shades in the blacks

How’s the view from the tower these days?

Have the stars stopped streaming through cracks?

We are finding the light even as we lose sight of the rays

VIOLINS

Spectator’s window-life, vicarious lens

Six degrees of circles crossed through friends of friends

Silhouette beauty in the light stood exposed

Guilt and risk played second chair, the hymn composed

I was hearing violins

And the musical charades began

Dancing ’round like fox and hound

Feet never to touch the ground

Ninety nights to right your heart’s tailspin

Living only for the moment time and again

I took a page from Job, tenacious me

Your chapter’s closed, the book is banned, meant not to be

I was hearing violins

In the absence of all song or sentiment

Dancing ’round your doomed rebound

Feet never to touch the ground

No perfume, just incense

No perfect future tense

Pink clouds and elephants that linger still

I was hearing violins

But the lyrics were discerned too late

Dancing ’round the ultrasound

Feet never to touch the ground

Do duh do duh do do do

Duh do do duh duh do do

It’s all within the wrist and bow

Making up the tune as you go

ENABLER

Against my will and under false pretense

Pried your way back into my life

Beaten down, abandoned, wrong turn of events

A case for going under the knife

I sheltered your eyes, distracted vice instead

Keeper of the devil’s daughter

Took you under, should’ve held your head

Filled your lungs with holy water

Perpetual victim

Your welcome wore out before the bottom dropped

I held my tongue through your coke phase

Held my breath while the room blazed

And in the charred remains of what once was

I found a reason, a reason to hold out for more

Your carnal bargain struck through fiending tears

Once last dance ‘til my cue

An intervention for my own lost years

Watch this enabler walk on you

Albatross, fly now

Find your surrogate soulmate, codependent muse

I held my tongue through your drunk phase

Held your candle through AA

And in the charred remains of what once was

Found a reason, a reason to hold out for more

I held my tongue through your kink phase

Held the line at fiancés

And on this sullied stage you called our bed

I’m holding court now, while you’re left holding your own

FLESH-COLORED SKIN

Vacant, a vessel wired for sight and sound

Your foregone conclusion

’Neath this derma sheen there breeds emotion

Surface feigns illusion

Cloaked in this flesh-colored skin

Painted on porcelain

All at once thick and thin

Absorbing its mortal sin

Old souls crave new parts in search of life

A performance upgrade

Trading family for one that got away

Another black sheep has strayed

Tangled in flesh-colored skin

Masculine, feminine

The holy ghost born again

Invoking the evil twin

The depths that we climb

Failure designed

Body and soul misaligned

Pretense painted your own kettle black

First to blink surrenders

Learn the pantomime and carve our places

Among the great pretenders

Cloaked in this flesh-colored skin

Painted on porcelain

All at once thick and thin

Absorbing its mortal sin

And the chemists bond

And the stoner’s stoned

And the jazz man pawned

Every saxophone he owned

And the duplicitor dupes

And the madam’s gone mad

In her stupor stoops

Below her price to play d(e)ad

And the maiden’s made

And the seamstress sewn

And the dogs chase tail

To lick wounds where once was bone

And the weaker wheeze

And the neighbors neigh

And the seaman sees

His horizon drift away

And the righteous rise

And their followers fall

And the dialogue dies

With no one to take the call

WORDS

A dial tone, she hangs up the phone

The hour is growing late

Every day without fail she prays for the mail

All she can do is wait

Sighing within, he puts down his pen

Words crumpled up on the floor

If he could get it together, he’d finish the letter

He had begun years ago

Bonds that we make are so easy to break

Gotta hold on to the ones that last

Remember me? I’m the one who shared your youth

Have you still got the keys to your ‘65?

Don’t be a stranger, come around once in awhile

Say hello, say goodbye, say that you’re still alive

Days turn to years, smiles form from tears

The sands of time refuse to quit

Plans are made and memories fade

But the feelings we shall never forget

Just a word or two, far between or few

Friendships don’t ask for much

We’re liable to lose what we don’t use

We keep our faith when we keep in touch

MUSIC INSIDE

Friday evening, the sun is gone

She sheds the weight of the world off her shoulders

Forget the day, break away

It’s time to celebrate

Some say life’s to live, but hers is to love

Dancin’ in the high-beams

Her groove no one else can feel

Moonlight in her eyes

Her feet never touch the ground

Singing in a voice that speaks so rare

Her song is in the air

Mischief in her smile

She knows the words tonight

Monday morning, it’s back to the grind

Rhythm pulses through our veins every moment

18^th & Vine, the checkout line

Anyplace, anytime

All we ever need is music inside

Dancin’ in the high-beams

Our groove no one else can feel

Moonlight in our eyes

Our feet never touch the ground

Singing in voices that speak so rare

Our song is in the air

Mischief in our smiles

We know the words tonight

All lyrics by Gordon T. Highland

© Saltytunes Music