Tuesday, December 27, 2005

i don't know the way to san jose

i feel the distance calling
i don't know where i'm going
i don't what i'd do
if i got there anyway, yeah
i'd try to go the distance
find another place to stay
but i don't know the way to san jose

something in your letter
made me feel like knowing
what is on your mind
when you don't know what to say, yeah
i'd find a way to get there
but i'd get lost along the way
'cause i don't know the way to san jose

(bridge)
cross the country in a car
a drive so far
leave the world i know
to be there where you are
i can't find a reason
that makes it seem okay
i could run to you
but instead i run away

looking at your picture
makes me feel i know you
we've been together
in a world so far away, yeah
i'll dream you in the distance
the road's a complicated place
and i don't know the way to san jose

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

fishing with you

beside the little pond, the weeping willows
frame the water with an understated green
i hear a bullfrog there who croaks
i see a bulldog there who mopes
as i sit upon the dock in summer breeze
and if i had a chance to go to somewhere
to a place that i remember from my youth
i would go back there
to a world that was more fair
and i would be there fishing with you

the sheep were like an army in the distance
but up close they were as scared as they could be
the ducks and geese would squack
as you and i would talk
as we sat upon the dock in summer breeze
back then when i was young and oh, so foolish
i thought those days would never see an end
but now those days are gone
but the memories live on
of the days i would go fishing with you

(bridge)
now i haven't gone fishing for years
and remembering those old days can bring a tear
but for every tear i cry
i remember how i smiled
when i would go fishing with you

(ending)
someday we will meet way up in heaven
and God will ask me what i want to do
the choice won't be too hard
i won't have to leave the yard
and i'll be up there fishing with you
yes i'll be up there fishing with you

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

i still miss someone

it's a long way from where we were
you and me were always good
every minute was better
when you were in my day

but those are times that are no more
we can't be like we were before
and every day when the evening comes
i still miss someone

so close sometimes we scared ourselves
know so much that we can't tell
we kept it all between us
now that seems a world away

but those are times that are no more
we can't be like we were before
and every day when the evening comes
i still miss someone

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Thursday, October 06, 2005

little spy (of the heart) edited, abridged 2x

look around you
see in a little while
try to remember
it'll catch your eye
if you really try
you can remember

(chorus)
i'm a little spy of the heart
always searching
for that better way
i'm a camera with lenses, overloaded
and the colors are strange
can you see me spying on your heart?
in the lonely pages
i've been reading you right from the start
and you're always changing

breathe around you
see in a little while
catching the flavor
you will feel me there
in a little while
if you remember

(chorus)
i'm a little spy of the heart
always searching
for that better way
i'm a camera with lenses, overloaded
and the colors are strange
can you you see me spying on your heart
in the lonely pages
i've been reading you right from the start
and you're always changing

(copyright 2005 d.b. michel)

Thursday, September 22, 2005

damn good one man band

i always remember
feeling the music
i'm a damn good one man band
never together
with anybody
'cause no one could understand
so no one could take my hand
i'm a damn good one man band

and forever
is a long long time to be solo
maybe if you play the guitar, piano or oboe
maybe we could play something our hearts have felt
but could never play alone
another band is born
when the music takes us home

i always remember
singin' it loud
i'm a damn good one man band
standing alone
in any crowd
'cause i couldn't take the chance
so no one could take my hand
i'm a damn good one man band

and forever
is a long long time to be solo
maybe if you the guitar, piano or oboe
maybe we could play something our hearts have felt
but could never play alone
another band is born
when the music takes us home

(copyright 2005 d.b. michel)

Saturday, September 17, 2005

don't close the post office

my friend from the UK, Jonny Billericay has written a hilarious protest song against the closure of the local post office in the village where he lives...i urge you to download the song, or better yet, the video, from his site...HERE are the coordinates.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

about time

time
racin' on just like a rocket
i'm
standing here without a clue
maybe someday in a crisp clairvoyant moment
i will see
but not today
i'm just stuck here in this

time
ain't no friend to me today
i
could get hung all over you
maybe someday i can reconcile my feelings
i will be
but not today
i'm just stuck here in this

(chorus)
time, like a river, like an ocean
tossed about from shore to shore
and i don't know where i'm going
i am older than you
and the messages are true
but there's no time

time
keeps me on this lonely island
i'm
trying to shake the bitter blues
maybe someday i can make sense of the madness
i'll be free
but not today
i'm just stuck here in this

(chorus)
time, like a river, like an ocean
tossed about from shore to shore
and i don't know where i'm going
i am older than you
and the messages are true
but there's no time

(copyright 2004 d. b. michel)

Saturday, August 27, 2005

would you abandon me?

if i said something that hurt you
or that you thought was wrong
would you leave without a word
leaving me to carry on
would you turn your head away from me
and never tell me why
would you leave me here just wondering
would you just take off and fly

(chorus)
could i be so wrong
that you'd abandon me
could you be so cold
just to let me be
do you hate my friends
or do you just hate me
if i let you down
would you abandon me

if i told you all my secrets
gave my heart away for free
would you laugh at my confessions
would you lose your faith in me
could you just take off a walking
because of something i have done
do i seem so little in your eyes
like i'm just another one

(chorus)
could i be so wrong
that you'd abandon me
could you be so cold
just to let me be
do you hate my friends
or do you just hate me
if i let you down
would you abandon me

(bridge)
no one is an island of perfection
i've made plenty of mistakes along the way
it hurts to think that someday
after all that we've been through
you could leave me far behind
and there'd be nothing i could do

(chorus)
could i be so wrong
that you'd abandon me
could you be so cold
just to let me be
do you hate my friends
or do you just hate me
if i let you down
would you abandon me

(copyright 2005 d. b. miichel)

Monday, August 15, 2005

100 percent chance of rain

been, dry as a bone out there
the withered plants bleached in the sun
a little piece of hell on earth
kind of makes me wonder, what we've done
grapes are dying, on the vine
you got no grapes, you get no wine

(chorus)
there's 100 percent chance of rain, someday
yeah someday the dry will give way
to puddles on the ground
100 percent chance things will be better, someday
and then i'll be glad i had the faith to stick around

been, tired of the heat out there
the summer heat stays beyond the day
sweat beads up on my brow
everywhere i go it, feels the same
crops are dying, beans and corn
you don't get paid, you just get warm


(chorus)
there's 100 percent chance of rain, someday
yeah someday the dry will give way
to puddles on the ground
100 percent chance things will be better someday
and then i'll be glad i had to the faith to stick around

(bridge)
i feel relief is out there somewhere
waiting for just the right time to come in
i can feel that hope is out there someday
you know the winners get their way
but even losers have their day

(chorus)
there's 100 percent chance of rain, someday
yeah someday the dry will give way
to puddles on the ground
100 percent chance things will be better someday
and then i'll be glad i had the faith to stick around

-----------------------------------------------------------------
the drought in my area has been broken...but for many area farmers the rain came too late...this song started out with the phrase '100 percent chance of rain' which i got from reading our local weather forecast...but the song is not just about drought...as in weather...but also the drought of the heart...trying to apply the same hopeful emotions i hear about the weather...to everything else...weather is one of the most elemental of song devices...and also one of the most relatable.

copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

as the days go by

see the clouds, that tower up to heaven
billowing up high
the raindrops fall, to earth from up in heaven
as the days go by

i believe, that someday i will see you
i won't have to cry
the teardrops dry, and rise straight up to heaven
as the days go by

as the days go by
the memories will get sweeter
all that we have done in this short time
i'll recall, the smiles and the laughter
as the days go by

see the sun, that's breaking through the shadows
from the blue up high
i'll say my prayers, and send them straight to heaven
as the days go by

as the days go by
the memories will be sweeter
all that we have done in this short time
i'll recall, the smiles and the laughter
as the days go by

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Sunday, July 24, 2005

ice cold morning in october

it's been a long time
but i can't escape the story
won't you come back to me
come back to me now
it's my own sign
that i don't understand the ending
won't you come back to me
come back to me now

(chorus)
ice cold morning in october
woke up hungover
from the apple wine
neighbor bangin' on my door
to wake me up
i guess i didn't make the trip on time

it's been a long time
but i remember all the faces
won't you come back to me
come back to me now
i didn't say goodbye
and the need is still within me
won't you come back to me
come back to me now

(chorus)
ice cold morning in october
woke up hungover
from the apple wine
neighbor bangin' on my door
to wake me up
i guess i didn't make the trip on time

it's been a long time
but i can't escape the story
wont you come back to me
come back to me now
it's my own sign
that i don't understand the ending
won't you come back to me
come back to me now

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

where were you?



when i tried to say what i had to say
when the rain was fallin' down
where were you?
where were you?

when i was searching my heart for an answer
trying to hear what you would say
where were you?
where were you?

were you hiding
from the difficult words
hiding from the feelings
that were really yours
hiding your emotions
so i wouldn't see
what you really think
when you think of me
were you somewhere in the darkness
looking in
but left me without a word
well i'm emptier for what i haven't heard

when i was spilling my soul on the paper
when i was dark as a winter's night
where were you?
where were you ?

when i was seeking your mind for some comfort
trying hard to find your light
where were you?
where were you?

were you hiding
from the difficult words
hiding from the feelings
that were really yours
hiding your emotions
so i wouldn't see
what you really think
when you think of me
were you somewhere in the darkness
looking in
but left me without a word
well i'm emptier for what i haven't heard

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

the one you need

if there was any way that i could ever be
then i would be
the one you need
but that kind of thing is so hard to achieve
for me to be
the one you need

(chorus)
time goes by so fast
this life ain't built to last
just 'cause we wanted to believe
i'd like to turn back time
and bring you back to mine
but i can't take you to it
so i guess it's wrong to do it

if there any way that i could ever be
then i would be
the one you need
but that kind of love is love that we won't see
'cause i can't be
the one you need

(chorus)
time goes by so fast
this life ain't built to last
just 'cause we wanted to believe
i'd like to turn back time
and bring you back to mine
but i can't take you to it
so i won't put you through it

(repeat first verse and end)

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Saturday, June 18, 2005

let 'em go

you gotta alot of pain in your shoes
let 'em go...let 'em go...let 'em go
every kind of thing you can't use
let 'em go...let 'em go
you're never gonna see that kind of light
you know the one your dreams are made of
if you don't kiss them good night
and let 'em go

you're tellin' me it hurts in your head
let 'em go...let 'em go...let 'em go
don't let them butter up your bread
let 'em go...let 'em go
you're waitin' for a dream in your hand
you know the simple life that you've known
if they don't fit with your plan
just let 'em go

(bridge)
every kind of answer
to the questions that you pose
the universe has
the universe knows
everywhere you're lookin'
like a fantasy that grows
hold on to the feeling
it tells you where you should go

you gotta lotta fools who hang on
let 'em go...let 'em go...let 'em go
they smile and tell you you're wrong
let 'em go...let 'em go
you gotta alot of living to do
don't let someone else do it for you
you already know that it's true
just let 'em go

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Thursday, June 02, 2005

a million stars

warm summer night
just me and the sky
a million stars
all in my eye at once
and i'm missin' you

i looked at all
the places you go
searching for you
even the sky don't know
yeah, i'm missin' you

(bridge)
sky full of stars
one of them must be you
if you see my heart
tell me what i should do

(chorus)
'cause right now, in the middle of the night
got a crisis of the heart
i gotta know, i need some kind of plan
to get me back to you
somehow, something just went wrong
and i let you slip away
and right now, amidst a million stars
i hope you'll be okay

lost summer dreams
caught up in a lie
a wounded heart
how can i make you see?
i need you here

i've been through hell
i made a mistake
now i'm asking you
can't you feel i'm real by now?
and i'm missin' you

(back to bridge...then chorus)

(COPYRIGHT 2004 d. b. michel)

Friday, May 27, 2005

how do you see me?

how do you see me?
do see me like a lover or a friend?
do you see the love that's in my eyes?
or have my feelings passed you by?
how do you know me?
just another one who's passing through your life
do you look at me and sometimes wonder why

how do you see me?
do you see me as an angel in your life?
do you see the way i hurt for you?
or am i just another thing to do?
and if i told you
would you let me go and never tell me why?
or am i someone you want deeper in your life?

(bridge)
words unspoken haunt my thoughts tonight
trying to find a way to let you know
i've been falling harder
than i ever thought i would
if you heard the truth
would the truth be any good?

how do you see me?
do you see me as someone that you love?
do you hear the quiver in my voice?
can't help myself i have no choice
how do you feel me?
from a distance in a cold and empty way
or in some way that you're afraid to say?

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Thursday, April 28, 2005

CAN WE ALL COME TOGETHER? (oh my soul)

when will the change come?
when will we learn to live together?
after all of this pains done
is there common ground where we could gather?

in the midst of our differences
is there a way to shine a light?

can we all come together?
oh my soul
cries out for something better
a dream that won't be shattered
is there hope for the future?
oh my soul
a truth that we could carry
something extraordinary

when will the day come?
we we can learn from one another
after all of the tears dry
father, mother, sister, brother

in the midst of our differences
is there a way to shine a light?

can we all come together?
oh my soul
cries out for something better
a dream that won't be shattered
is there hope for the future?
oh my soul
a truth that we could carry
something extraordinary

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Monday, March 28, 2005

the long days night

pray me not to die
i can't stop this feeling
won't somebody tell me?
before i fade to grey

go ahead and watch me cry
but don't dry my tears now
'cause maybe they heal me
as they run down my face

(chorus)
and the long days night goes on too long
where the darkness hides it's bitter face
the pain goes on and on and on
and i'm feeling somehow out of place
the time keeps passing by unseen
the clock is but a shadow there
if you still don't know just what i mean
can you mean the words you say you swear?

it's time to walk away
but what is the meaning?
no i really can't hear you
what did you say?

so do you know me now?
more than you wanted
seems i'm lost in a feeling
and i can't find my way

(repeat chorus)

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Saturday, March 26, 2005

you will be free

your world is falling all apart
crashing down upon you heart
you will be free
you will be free

nothing left of what once held you
fades away as if to tell you
you will be free
you will be free

(bridge)
freedom's early days can burn
the sting of what you left behind
a passage back to where you yearn
only in memory can you turn
and you're facing the future blind

silent floors where no ones walking
empty rooms where no ones talking
you will be free
you will be free

life goes on in other places
someday you will see their faces
you will be free
you will be free

(bridge)
freedom's early days can burn
the sting of what you left behind
a passage back to where you yearn
only in memory can you turn
and you're facing the future blind

(coptyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Sunday, March 20, 2005

all you'll have left is the blues (the bathroom song)

i'm sittin' here in this lonely bathroom
bitter tears are runnin' down my face
it wouldn't be so bad if someone did me wrong
but i'm the one who got me to this place
i had a girl i knew, that really loved me
she told me each and every single day
but i got drunk and tore her love to pieces
like a fool i went and pissed her love away

(chorus)
you got it made when you got somebody
someone who even loves you when you lose
if you treat 'em bad
and leave 'em sad
all you'll have left is the blues

now i'm tellin' you, as if it makes a difference
'cause you seem to want to make the same mistake
you think it's bad if things ain't goin' your way
you want it your way every single day
so if you think it's better bein' lonely
you can go ahead and put her in her place
go ahead and tear her love to pieces
just another fool who pissed his love away (hey)

(chorus)
you got it made when you got somebody
someone who even loves you whe you lose
if you treat 'em bad
and leave 'em sad
all you'll have left is the blues

if you treat 'em bad
and leave 'em sad
all you'll have left is the blues

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)
-----------------------------------
a friend of mine called me one night drunk and pissed off...his girlfriend was late getting back home to pick him up...when i answered the phone...the first words out of his mouth were...'i'm sitting here in this lonely bathroom'...after i listened to his tale of woe i wrote this song...based on the first thing he said to me that night.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

good night moon

good night moon
good night stars
pleased to see you
where you are

good night comets
good night clouds
pleased to see you
ain't no doubt

the planes and trains and the cars
just won't take me home
i wanna be up there with you
don't you know
there's something magic
'bout the beauty in the night
turn the lamp off
see the lights

good night planets
good night shooting star
i imagine
how far you are

good night dipper
good night milky way
how's it goin'
in outer space

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Saturday, February 26, 2005

in sweeter dreams

as the sun begins to rise
above the trees, to break the night
i can feel it's distant warmth
is touching me
i see a car go 'round the bend
i see a highway with no end
i see a place i used to be
when i was young

as the days go by so fast
turn the present, to the past
the one thing that will last
the memories
i am older, just the same
and yes i can go home again
when i gaze upon this place
in sweeter dreams

and the dream will have no end
and yes i can go home again
i can see all my old friends
the way they were
i will visit now and then
all the places i have been
as i remember when
in sweeter dreams

(copyright 2004 d. burr michel)

Thursday, February 24, 2005

a fool's paradise

you say he's cool and he knows what he is doing
you don't see the fools who move the hands he's moving
he's living life on someone elses dollar
if the preacher knew
you know he'd scream and holler

he's had it made, he's never had to struggle
mistakes he made are buried in the rubble
those who talk are made to be rejected
if the people knew
they'd send him back to texas

(chorus)
why does it go on
the lies he's left to carry on
i see his mouth it moves alot
but there's no truth comin' out
alot of good folks have been fooled
his writers make up all the rules
and they give this world a spin
it's a fool's paradise

he's livin' big, so high on adoration
across the land the faithful dedication
to lies he sells on your old television
you can't afford
to listen to his wisdom

he'll change the world of that you can be certain
the one's who hurt, soon doubly will be hurting
send them off to overseas adventures
send them home
in a less alive condition

(repeat chorus twice)

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Sunday, February 20, 2005

all the things you said

holding on to nothing
tight as i can hold
i say to me
you will be free
if you could just let go
waiting here for something
to erase this sad regret
to take away
the hurt and pain
of all the things you said

(chorus)
all the things you said
were all the things i know
but in the end
it was the end
i never thought you'd go
all i ever wanted
was shattered, torn and dead
the moment i believed in
all the things you said

make believe is ending
reality is cold
i try to find
a place to hide
a refuge for my soul
i'm living in the moment
like a book i've never read
i turn the page
on every page
is all the things you said

(chorus)
all the things you said
were all the things i know
but in the end
it was the end
i never thought you'd go
all i ever wanted
was shattered, torn and dead
the moment i believed in
all the things you said

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

ramblin' on

ramblin' on
ramblin' on
sky full of stars
that will stay until dawn
untraveled road
that leads me to see
whatever it is
that i'm meant to be

ramblin' on
ramblin' on
searching for truth
i can hang my hat on
barenaked trees
on a cold winters night
stand all around me
in peaceful starlight

(bridge)
dim lighted pathways
to places unknown
uncounted moments
i spend all alone
searching for freedom
from the toils of the day
walking this road
always takes them away

ramblin' on
ramblin' on
the stars rule the night
when the daylight has gone
wistful old memories
are with me tonight
as i walk alone
in peaceful starlight

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Friday, February 04, 2005

endless play

wailing out to somewhere else
i don't know what i'm doing
pick a spot on the floor to land
ready to take the fall
empty promises believed
but now i'm a little skeptical
why would you go on that way?
if you were just playing around

(chorus)
it's an endless play
made for tv land
nothing more to say
i'm playing out this hand
proof beyond a doubt
was more than i could see
i'm left with flesh and bones
while on my soul you feed

falling down like a tired stone
out of the grasp that had me
pull my dreams and lock the door
tired of being tired
icy heart with a mortal face
taking the breaks and running
how can you forget me now?
just when i started smiling

(chorus)
it's an endless play
made for tv land
nothing more to say
i'm playing out this hand
proof beyond a doubt
is more than i could see
i'm left with flesh and bones
while on my soul you feed

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Monday, January 31, 2005

i wish i had such a hill to climb

it's a long way from here
from where my forefathers came
they left a magnificent land
to come to where i remain
a hill with a town around it
they said it was beauty there
thet left it the way they found it
and left me part of a dream to share

(chorus)
someday i would like to see
such a place as where they used to be
i've never been there but i see it in my mind
i wish i had such a hill to climb

the hill had one face rock
and the other face of green
a hill not too steep to climb
a vision down from the peak
the town wrapped itself around it
to be closer to the strength
i dream now and then about it
the place my great grandpa seen

(repeat chorus twice)

---------------------
for my long lost relatives in scotland

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

and i will

the candle flickers in the breeze
coming through the open window
i see you in the dancing light
i want to stay with you all night

the place you lay right next to me
seems a world away from others
who have taken all i had
leaving me forlorn and sad
---------------------------------------------
(chorus)
and i will give you all you want and more
i would send it all straight to your door
and i will love you like you want me to
something i thought i could never do
----------------------------------------------
i can't erase the memory of that pain
but you make it seem to fade
touching you puts them to rest
let's me savor happiness

you hold the key i've sought so long
the key for every door
you get up to let me in
and then we start it all again
-----------------------------------------------
(chorus)
and i will give you all you want and more
i would send it all straight to your door
and i will love you like you want me to
something i thought i could never do

(repeat chorus and end)

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Friday, January 07, 2005

on lake st. helen's shores

keep on movin'
it's on up the road
keep drivin'
'cause it's so far to go
but you've been there
it's a place that you know
it's been so long
you've been missing it so

(chorus)
but it's really more a time than a place
and yesterday for them is faraway
you wish that they were there
but they couldn't stay
on lake st. helen's shores
they fade away

you were younger
they were calling for you
to be there
so that's what you would do
they're still smiling
just like they were then
but the pictures
can't go in for a swim

(chorus)
'cause it's really more a time than a place
and yesterday for them is faraway
you wish that they were there
but they couldn't stay
on lake st. helen's shores
they fade away

(bridge)
youthful dreams you dreamed
and shared them all around
the people dear to you were there
now that time has past
it's an empty camping ground
and winter's chill is in the air

you hold them
still deep in your heart
you remember
how it was at the start
the ending
didn't come with a bang
just faded
like the rest of the gang

(chorus)
'cause it's really more a time than a place
and yesterday for them is faraway
you wish that they were there
but they couldn't stay
on lake st. helen's shores
they fade away

on lake st. helen's shores
they fade away

(copyright 2005 d. b. michel)

Saturday, January 01, 2005

feel

feel the rhythm of the rain inside you
feel the echo of the breeze behind you
feel the touch of the clouds above
feel like you are a part of the love
feel like something greater lives within you
feel like miracles because it's in you
feel like all along you've had enough
feel like flying wouldn't be too tough

and what it all is, it is
and though the shadows may fall
the sky will light the dark at daybreak
another morning calls

feel the mountain calling in the distance
feel the wisdom of an ancient tree
feel the humor in the dandelion
feel the wonder of being free
feel the river as it flows right by you
feel the life that lives within it's banks
feel like yesterday is right beside you
feel like tomorrow has today to thank

and what it all is, it is
and though the shadows may fall
the sky will light the dark at daybreak
another morning calls

(copyright 2004 d.b. michel)