Blossom

I sit here watching the clock upon the wall

The second hand goes ticking round so slowly

But I'll keep waiting until I get the call

That tells me I can see my one and only

When the day is finally over

And the moon begins to shine

We can take off our disguises

And I can make you mine

Oh the trees blossom in the springtime

Let our love blossom in the night

Though we pass like strangers in the daytime

When the stars come out we're gonna make it right

Nobody knows the secret that we're sharing

We keep it hidden where no one else can see

You're my sweet cherry blossom

And I'm your honey bee

There is no place for me inside your world

And you wouldn't care for mine very much

But there is nothing I won't do for you girl

As long as I can always feel your touch

If they ever knew about us

They just wouldn't understand

But there opinions don't mean nothing

When you hold on to my hand

No one else can ever see

The look upon my face

The way my eyes light up

At your beauty and your grace

I wanna shout from the rooftops

That the love of my life is right here

But I'll keep silent

Until that day appears

Capture Me

Like a butterfly adrift upon the wind

Or an ocean wave crashing to its end

I've got no destination in mind

And no idea what I will find

Will you be there when I fall to earth again

Capture me

Enrapture me

Put your chain around my heart

Tell me that we'll never part

Rescue me

From this state of misery

Anywhere you are is where I want to be

I can see the stars shining in your eyes

But then the clouds appear and cover up the skies

Like a boat on an angry sea

There is nothing anchoring me

From being swept away with the tide

I'm surrounded by friends and neighbors

But I've never felt so alone

I need your love to save me

Cause I can't make it on my own

So if you see me passing by

Could you please throw me a line

Give me a sign

That you will be mine

Reason Or Rhyme

I only wanted to say

If you could find a way

To make some time for me

I'd love to see you today

Is there a chance that we

Can get together and be

Happy for a change

Why don't we try it and see

We've been apart for way too long

It's got to end

You know the feeling's much to strong

To try and pretend

That we don't need to be together

For all time

And to think we can defies

Reason or rhyme

I need to get you alone

Or call you on the phone

So you can hear my voice

And I can make myself known

I could say how I feel

And then our hearts can heal

Cause you are the only one for me

My love is real

Dear Lord

I am moved to be creative

But I don't know what to say

So the best thing I can think of

Is to bow my head and pray

And I realize that this is

What you've wanted all along

To come to you for everything

Not just words to fill my song

So I'm asking...

Dear Lord, tell me what to say

Tell me what to do

Can you show me how to live my life

As an offering to you

Give me ears to hear

Give me eyes to see

And the heart to do

All you ask of me

Into my heart you whisper

The answers which I seek

Well my body may be willing

But my spirit is so weak

I need faith and reassurance

That you'll never leave my side

Can you show me I can do all things

If I have you as my guide

Still I'm asking...

Oh my fear, it is so strong

I have lived with it so long

It has been my true companion

Nearly all my days

Now I'm asking you today

Can you take my fear away

And replace it with your confidence and grace

Every Time I Fail

Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing anymore

I try to stand alone but I tumble to the floor

The things I find I'm doing often leave me mystified

And I stumble over my pride

I like to think I'm free but I'm a slave unto myself

I wrap myself in chains 'til I can think of nothing else

I need someone to come and show me who I'm supposed to be

And you are always there to rescue me

Every time I fail

Is every time you save

Every time I fall

You pull me from the grave

Every time I'm weak

That's when you are strong

Even in my shame

You tell me I belong

Every time I fail

I must admit I really don't find joy in all my pains

But for your sake I'll suffer them and thank you all the same

Because it's through them I receive your all-sufficient grace

And my love for you is shining on my face

I want to tell the world about the power of your love

And testify to how your mercy saved me from above

I will boast upon my weakness, bear witness to my shame

You have raised me up from nothing so I proudly share your name

Stuck On Stupid

I was minding my own business

Wasn't hurting anyone

When a bolt of lightning hit me

Shining brighter than the sun

When my vision finally cleared

I saw heaven standing there

In a girl with deep brown eyes and raven hair

 

Well you robbed me of my senses

With that smile upon your face

And the sound of your voice

Took me to another place

You asked me for a token

To prove my heart was true

So I wrapped it up and offered it to you

 

I was shot by Cupid

And now I'm stuck on stupid

I left my heart where it don't belong

Now it's plain to see

That you'll never set it free

So I guess it's in the right place all along

 

I can't stand the space between us

It just cuts me like a knife

I have got to find a way

To take you from your double life

So we can be together always

Until the end of time

And I'll steal your heart the way that you stole mine

 

There's really no excuses left to make

I'll give you all the love that you can take

I need to have you right here next to me

And that's the way it has to be

Top (Bottom?) 10 Singles I Hate From Artists I Love

What the heck - I haven't done a list for a while. I was listening to my iPod the other day (I do full albums, and I don't shuffle) and a song so cringeworthy came on that I almost broke my hand trying to skip to the next song. It got me wondering: how can a band so awesome not only put out such crap as this, but actually release it as a single so as to inflict it upon the radio-listening public? So without further adieu...

Top (Bottom?) 10 Singles I Hate From Artists I Love

10. Led Zeppelin, "Candy Store Rock". From the album Presence. There weren't a lot of Led Zep songs released as singles (AOR stations usually played whatever they felt like from the album tracks) but this was an exceptionally odd choice, given that "Nobody's Fault But Mine" was an acceptable length for airplay ("Achilles' Last Stand" and "Tea For One" were too long) and directly before it on the same album.

9. The Who, "Don't Let Go The Coat". From the album Face Dances. The Who kind of jumped the shark after the death of Keith Moon. There were still flashes of brilliance - "You Better You Bet" and "Eminence Front" - on the two albums that followed. "Another Tricky Day" would have been a much better choice.

8. Metallica, "Frantic". From the album St. Anger. Given that I pretty much detest the entire album, this is not a huge shock.

7. Pink Floyd, "Not Now John". From the album The Final Cut. See #8.

6. Rush, “Virtuality”. From the album Test For Echo. Net boy, net girl? Gahhhh… Not the first song they have ruined with a lousy chorus, but sheesh. I guess it could have been worse – they could have released "Dog Years” instead.

5. Iron Maiden, “The Angel And The Gambler”. From the album Virtual XI. Never mind that Blaze Bailey was probably the worst possible replacement for Bruce Dickinson – seriously, who picks a new singer that can’t handle 2/3 of the band’s back catalogue? – but the album track repeats the refrain “Don’t you think I’m a savior; don’t you think I can save you; don’t you think I can save your life” XXII times! That’s two complete (virtual) football teams! The radio edit cuts out some of the excess (from 9:53) to make it marginally more listenable, but still…

4. Queen, “Body Language”. From the album Hot Space. I could have picked the excreble “Back Chat” (also a single) in its place, but coming off the brilliance that was The Game, the first single (and the horrible video that promoted it) was such a slap in the face to the Queen fanbase that it took years to salvage their reputation.

3. Kansas, “People Of The South Wind”. From the album Monolith. The song that inspired this list. Walsh, Livgren, and the boys channel their inner Village People. Yes, I know it’s about the Kanza tribe that gave the state (and the band) its name. But violins do not belong in a disco song, and disco songs do not belong on a Kansas album! And for God’s sake, don’t put it out as a single (which thankfully bombed) when the gorgeous “On The Other Side” is available.

2. Genesis, “Invisible Touch”. From the album of the same name. Yes, I know it’s their only #1 song. I still hate it. It’s the epitome of pop excess, and the wholesale rejection of the prog roots they came from when Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett were part of the band.

Last, and least…

1. Elton John, “Candle In The Wind 1997”. #1 best selling single of all time. Words cannot possibly describe how much this song pisses me off. Sir Elton mangled his own beautiful tribute to Marilyn Monroe to rededicate it to the awful Princess Diana – the ‘80s version of Kim Kardashian, minus the added benefit of a sex tape. No, she did not deserve the media hounding she received, but neither did the simpering twit deserve the media adoration she got for marrying the (ostensibly) future King of England (who is actually a more decent guy than portrayed) and popping out a couple kids. Thankfully, EJ has placed a moratorium on performing the Diana version of Candle in concert.