Full lyrics and notes for all of Simeon's released albums, including his newest release  "Fire and Steam". Please find previous released song lyrics below for "Missing Anchor" and "Follow the River Bend". Thanks for your interest 

All words and songs Copyright (c) Simeon Peebler, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

 

ALBUM: Fire and Steam

RELEASE YEAR: 2016

 

1. Every Distant Cousin

 

When she looked up

To the sky last night

She saw our life

On a beam of light

That left the Earth

Countless years ago

 

She wished for

Just a little more time

To reflect her own light

Back to yours and mine

So we could see

Her light too

 

We are energy beams

Transforming to see

Evolved to be

Our mothers

Our fathers 

Our sisters

Our brothers

And every distant cousin

Every distant cousin

 

She never felt

Emptiness of space

All she heard was our pale blue note

Our spectroscopic face

Observing our moment in time

Never mind the in-between

 

This cosmic dust

Inside us all

Will scatter again

Like grains of sand 

In time we will become 

Solar flares again

 

We are energy beams

Transforming to see

Evolved to be

Our mothers

Our fathers 

Our sisters

Our brothers

Our mothers

Our fathers 

Our sisters

Our brothers

And every distant cousin

And every distant cousin

 

2. Bible Man

 

He said I'm just a city guy

Holding these bibles by my side

I'm determined to get each and every one

Into friendly hands

 

He showed me a maze he'd drawn

On an old downtown map

It was an intricate path

Made in the shape of a cross

 

I stopped by the mission

They said read the good news

They said you can read it for free

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

 

He said he'd give bibles to bums

And for a family he'd give two

A volunteer to take them all

Well, that, that would do

 

I stopped by the mission

They said read the good news

They said you can read it for free

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

 

And when the bibles were gone

And he finished his holy trail

He'd go back to the mission

Maybe they had a free warm bed

 

I stopped by the mission

They said read the good news

They said you can read it for free

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

 

3. Arbor Day

 

I was just a four-year-old boy

when I planted my first tree

in the backyard on Arbor Day

 

And year after year I watched

that oak climb up and up 

and up and up to the stars

 

I don't remember saying goodbye

but I kept a leaf inside the back page

of my favorite book

 

I finally came back so many years have passed

I wondered if I would ever see

my long lost friend

 

I snuck around to the backyard 

there she was, so much taller

right where I remember planting her

 

She was wealthy and strong, full of green leaves

home to the birds and abundant things

it's good it's good to be here again

 

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

 

(She said)

I grew toward the light beams

while you played and laughed and danced, in orbit

in circles around my feet

 

You watered me with rubber hoses

worried when the ground was frozen

and napped in the shade beneath my arms

 

While I aimed toward the clouds

you've grown up tall, my gray-haired man

my long lost friend

 

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

 

So I threw down my traveling things

I whispered some private things

and I hugged my tree with all my might

 

I said, I remember you

I said, I remember you

I said, I remember you

 

4. Everything She Was

 

She wears skin tight pants

Has jewels on her phone

Perfectly tan skin

She's never alone

 

Her high-heel shoes

They never walk far

Always in and out

Of high-end cars

 

And the day will come

She’ll be too far gone

Everything she is

Is everything she was

 

Mom can I come home

Been living too hard

Smokey voice on the phone

Vacant house empty yard

 

She packs up her things

Keeps checking if it's on

Hoping it will ring

Boyfriends don't respond

 

And the day will come

She’ll be too far gone

Everything she is

Is everything she was

 

One day a blind man

Says she's beautiful

She finally sees the poison

In all her plastic things

 

No more party selfies

No more walks of shame

No more pretending

That she doesn't have a brain

 

And the day has come

When she puts her tennis-shoes on

Everything she is

Is everything she was

Everything she is

Is everything she was

 

5. Remote Control

 

All done by remote control

Targeting victims of the highest order

With the pull of a distant trigger

A dozen dead include women and children

 

We found the number two guy

All by remote control

 

He said, 

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 

Who can blame those who are left

Picking through remains of the innocent

Should they choose a life of revenge

Like us they will judge who will live

 

We killed the number two guy

All by remote control

We killed the number two guy again

All by executive order

 

He said, 

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 

Million dollar drone glides through the air

Over here and over there

Robots in the sky armed to kill

Feel safer now than you did then

 

We killed the number two guy

All by remote control

We killed the number two guy again

All by executive order

 

We crossed that red line 

We crossed that red line again

All by remote control

All by remote control

 

6. Fire and Steam

 

Too many moving parts, too many screens

Too many buttons, on the machine

 

Too many options, too many commands

Too many features, buried in the sand

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We must find our way back to natural things

 

Give me a stick, from the forest tree

I'll make a fire, and a bed out of leaves

 

Give me a flowering tree, with fruit I can pull

I'll delight in the taste of a real apple

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We must find our way back to natural things

 

Give me a sunset, give me a waterfall

Give me stormy weather, wake up when the birds call

 

Give me your hand, give me your time

Give me your tenderness, and I'll give you mine

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We must find our way back to natural things

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We're heading back to simpler things

 

7. Travel With Me

 

My broken down car has an empty tank

I'm alone under this highway sign with too much time to think

I know where I am, I know how much this cost

On these mountains of asphalt, in these clouds of car exhaust

I stand alone on this open road

I stand alone on this open road

 

I see you walk toward me, with your head tilted down

You got my text for help on your way out of town

My hopeful eyes stare longer than they should

Your simple nod says more than words ever could

We stand alone on this open road

We stand alone on this open road

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

Holding your head in my hand, I whisper in your ear

Nothing will stop us from getting far away from here

I take your hand, I've got what I need

The search party won't be looking for you or me

Travel with me on the open road

Travel with me on the open road

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

8. Learn How to Swim

 

I've been in the river during the storm

Water is rising, raindrop and booms

My canoe is slowly filling up with rain

Too far from the shore, I paddle in vain

 

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess I'll have to learn...how to swim

 

The doctor said gently with her hand on my shoulder

It's not good news, but it's a risk when you're older

She showed me the plan to battle my new rival

I told her I was ready to fight for survival

 

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess I'll have to learn...how to swim

 

One day I found you broken, alone in your room

You were fading in the dark, broken, full of doom

You feel the under tow, it's pulling you down

This is not how you deserve to be found

 

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess you'll have to learn... 

 

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess you'll have to learn...how to swim 

 

9. He Never Gave Up

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

Have courage when you face fear

Inspire hope where you meet despair

Sharpen your mind when you get knocked down

If things fall apart, don’t let go of the peace in your heart

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He fought the laws of the land

Until towering white cliffs crumbled to sand

Permanently stained with blood and tears

There's enough hope left to carry us past those years

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

It took a hero to fight the breaking waves

It took someone willing to give up everything

It took courage from every side

Truth and reconciliation turned the tide

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

Have courage when you face fear

Inspire hope where you meet despair

Sharpen your mind when you get knocked down

If things fall apart, never let go of the peace in your heart

 

Never let go

Never let go

Never let go

Of the peace in your heart

 

Never let go 

Never let go 

Never let go

Of the peace in your heart

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

10. Bridges

 

I've been on bridges like the Golden Gate

That carry a thousand cars, trucks and freight

 

I've been on bridges on long country roads

That creak as you walk, ‘cause they’re rickety and old

 

I've been on bridges over rivers and land

Built by steel workers or by saw, nail and hand

 

But no bridge I can find

On this long road of mine

Will carry me this time

 

I'll have to take 

the long way around

All these bridges are falling down

All these bridges are falling down

 

I've been on bridges covered by ocean's spray

That kept my high above the dangerous waves

 

I've been on a bridge with locks lining a fence

A destination not a path to an end

 

I've been on bridges that helped me make it home

That carried my burdens when I could not take them on

 

But no bridge I can find

On this long road of mine

Will carry me this time

I'll have to take 

the long way around

All these bridges are falling down

All these bridges are falling down

 

I'll build it up with wood and clay

I'll build it up with iron and steel

I'll build it up with silver and gold

It's up to me to build the bridge I need

We will build the bridge we need...

 

We'll build it up with wood and clay

We'll build it up with iron and steel

We'll build it up with silver and gold

It's up to us to build the bridge we need

 

We will build the bridge we need

We will build the bridge we need

We will build the bridge we need

ALBUM: Missing Anchor

RELEASE YEAR: 2012

 

1. Bullets

 

Talking to my girl on the phone 

Wandering these streets, heading home 

Notice him following close behind 

Fear in his face, worry in his eyes 

Gotta shake this tail, gotta get away 

But he follows every move I make

 

Why is getting home so much harder 

When my hood 's pulled over my head 

Just wanted to be left alone 

Never imagined this is how it would end

 

Angry words, punch, push and shove 

Fighting back ends with his gun 

I'm not a perfect man, too young to be a saint 

But I did not deserve to die today 

And how this will be judged, I don't know 

Bullets are no way to protect this world

 

Why is getting home so much harder 

When my hood is pulled over my head 

Just wanted to be left alone 

Never imagined I'd be shot dead

 

The shooter patrolling the streets is locked away 

Guilty of judging my face 

Wanting to be a hero, protecting his kin 

Ending up a villain, when we could have been friends

 

Bullets are no way to protect this world 

Bullets are no way to protect this world

 

Why is getting home so much harder 

When my hood is pulled over my head 

I just wanted to be left alone 

Never imagined this is how it would end

 

2. What Remains

 

It fell on my shoulders 

It landed in my hands 

I'll do the very best I know how

 

This is how unfolds 

I'll find a way to get by

 

I'll carry this weight 

With the strength I have left 

And you'll carry what remains

 

I'll carry this weight 

With the strength I have left 

And you'll carry what remains

 

When it finally keeps me down 

You'll share my burdens

 

You'll carry this weight 

with the strength you have left 

and I will carry what remains

 

You'll carry this weight 

with the strength you have left 

and I will carry what remains

 

We climbed out of this valley 

Now we face the mountains ahead

 

We'll carry this weight 

with all the strength we have left 

the earth will carry what remains

 

We'll carry this weight 

with all the strength we have left 

the earth will carry what remains

 

3. Abraham

 

A tall young man went down to New Orleans 

He saw slaves living and suffering 

Walked back north along the Mississipi 

He knew, they should all be free

 

It’s up to you, Abraham 

It’s up to you, Abraham

 

By canoe, wagon, by train and by foot 

Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois routes he took 

This man taught himself almost everything 

Read a thousand books, he was self-made

 

It’s up to you, Abraham 

It’s up to you, Abraham

 

With brave words and bold ideas, 

He become president of our people 

With courage to believe all are created equal 

With an unwavering will to preserve the union, 

No matter what, at any cost, 

He wouldn't let things fall apart

 

Thank you Abraham 

Thank you Abraham

 

A shot rang out, days after the war was done 

...Abraham Lincoln's life taken by a gun 

But he had already proclaimed for the world to see 

"ALL PERSONS HELD AS SLAVES...SHALL BE FREE"

 

Thank you Abraham 

Thank you Abraham

 

4. Healing Hearts

 

I found my way 

Out of this deep and dark place

 

You found your way too 

But we're both crawling now

 

I used to think.. 

Don't let them see 

How hard it is to stand 

When you have a broken heart 

We all have broken hearts

 

We found our own way 

Into this bright and cloudless day

 

But now that we're nearing home 

Don't wipe those tears off your face

 

Please let them see 

How hard it is to stand 

When you have a healing heart 

We all have healing hearts

 

You've go to let them see 

How hard it is to live 

When you have a healing heart 

We all have healing hearts

 

5. I Will Not Leave

 

Hey friend, come down and play a while 

Hey friend, come down and stay a while

 

When they say go, we'll say no 

When they tell us to leave, we'll stand and scream 

I will not leave 

You will listen to me 

I will not leave 

You will listen to me

 

Hey friends, come to see 

All the things that are bothering me 

Hey friends, want to know 

Why I'm here to take control

 

When they say go, we'll say no 

When they tell us to leave, we'll stand and scream 

I will not leave 

You will listen to me 

I will not leave 

You will listen to me

 

We've all paid our dues 

And we handed the power to you 

Company man...it's time 

It's time we get it back

 

I will not leave 

You will listen to me 

I will not leave 

You will listen to me 

We will not leave 

We will not leave

 

6. Stack the Gold

 

Stack the gold 

Stack the gold 

Bring it home

 

Stack the gold 

Stack the gold 

Bring it home

 

Heard it was stashed off shore 

A dozen trillion, maybe more 

You know that we are owed a slice 

Of that money your lawyers cleverly hide

 

Stack the gold 

Stack the gold 

Bring it home

 

Stack the gold 

Stack the gold 

Bring it home

 

I jumped onto this borrowed yacht 

sailed on to the most desolate parts 

on a mission from those with needs 

to find your hidden money sanctuary

 

I came on shore to your camouflaged bank 

Found a contraption filled to the brink 

With bars of gold, and coins and gems 

Time to pay...dividends

 

Bring it home 

Bring it home 

Stack the Gold

 

Bring it home 

Bring it home 

Stack the Gold

 

7. Birthday Home

 

It’s my birthday 

Made it here again 

Been around the Sun many times 

Riding with my friends

 

When they said tomorrow would never come 

I always knew I’d find my birthday home

 

It’s my birthday 

Made it here again 

Hope I’m here for a long long time 

with what’s left of my friends

 

Close your eyes for a moment and be 

Here with me

 

Now look into the nighttime sky 

Forget everything you know 

We’re breathing in the stardust now 

In our birthday home

 

When they said tomorrow would never come 

I always knew I’d find my birthday home

 

When they said tomorrow would never come 

I always knew I’d find my birthday home

 

8. All it Takes

 

All it takes is 

One word 

One hope 

One thing 

To keep our heads up high

 

All it takes is 

A simple goal 

A simple need 

A simple mold 

To keep ourselves in line

 

All it takes is 

A family of friends 

A family of one 

A family of those 

Who keep us doing the right thing

 

Let's be careful with our time here 

Because we don't have forever

 

All it takes is 

A moment to falter 

A moment to pause here 

A moment to lose it all 

At the wrong place 

At the wrong time

 

All it takes is 

Pick yourself up 

Pick up the end 

Pick up your friends 

Cause they'd do it for you

 

All it takes is 

Believe in yourself 

Believe in your friends 

Believe there's good 

in all those who have been

 

All it takes is 

One word 

One hope 

One thing 

To keep our heads up high

 

9. Missing Anchor

 

Have you seen my missing anchor? 

Do you have the life vests? 

Do you know how fast we're going? 

There's a waterfall ahead

 

(We will make it)

 

Please lean back now, brace yourself 

Final glance up to the angry sky 

It's time to take our last inhale 

as our boat drops over the edge

 

(We will make it)

 

Rushing waters pull us down 

Time slows in the deep big blue 

I struggle to breath, struggle to breath, struggle to breath, struggle to breath 

Before I surface, I've got to know, WILL I EVER FIND YOU?

 

I fight for air 

I fight for land 

I fight the sea 

I fight to make it home again 

I fight to make it home again

 

I don't need my missing anchor 

I tear these rags from my chest 

I know exactly where I'm going 

Back to face the waterfall again

 

(We will make it)

 

ALBUM: Follow the River Bend

YEAR RELEASED: 2011

 

1. Sunshine

 

Star light, oh star light, I can barely see 

Star light, oh star light, you're not enough for me

 

Moon beam, oh moon beam, don't you know 

Moon beam, my moon beam, I can't take your glow

 

And I go inside for another day 

Waiting For sunshine to come my way

 

Cloudy skies, oh cloudy skies, why are you here 

Cloudy skies, oh cloudy skies, you're what I feared

 

Rain drops, oh sweet rain drops, makes me feel worse 

Rain drops, oh rain drops, you don't quench my thirst

 

And I go inside for another day 

Waiting For sunshine to come my way

 

Sunshine, please come to me 

Sunshine, you're what I need

 

Sunlight...thank God you're here

 

Sunlight...pour down on me 

Pour down on me 

Pour down on me 

Pour down on me

 

And I stay outside all day long 

I follow her light until she’s gone

 

2. Follow the River Bend

 

See the canoe man 

Follow the river bend 

Under the concrete and steel bridge 

The winter chill disappears 

Murky waters, ripples of blue-grey sky 

Background rumble of the city grind

 

Lean over the water, to get the most light 

Take a deep breath, Spring is here 

Lean over the water, to get the most light 

Take a deep breath, Spring is here

 

Ripples round man-made rocks 

Pathway to the shore 

Caution sign, tiny words 

Dog prints in the mud 

Few dead leaves still on the branches 

Left over from heaven

 

Lean over the water, to get the most light 

Take a deep breath, Spring is here 

Lean over the water, to get the most light 

Take a deep breath, Spring is here

 

Follow the river bend 

Follow the river bend 

Follow the river bend 

Follow the river bend

 

3. Never Stopped

 

Never mind the things that we said 

Let's start back on page one 

Rewind back to the start 

Reset our hearts with this switch 

I found on the wall of your room

 

And I close my eyes when you close yours 

Imagine what I'll find on page two 

After we rewrite page one 

Ink's dark from the pressure of our hearts 

Still nothing can erase the past

 

And I never stopped 

And you never stopped 

Even when we did 

And you never stopped 

And I never stopped 

Even when the world did

 

Never mind the odds seem stacked 

Starting over's not starting new 

Page three comes easier for us still 

Our little story won't end just yet 

No matter what happened before

 

And I never stopped 

And you never stopped 

Even when we did

 

And I never stopped 

And you never stopped 

Even when we did 

And you never stopped 

And I never stopped 

Even when the world did

 

4.No Voice

 

No voice 

Not heard 

Un known 

Back room

 

Look away 

Polite afraid 

Why walk away? 

Something to say?

 

I am here 

Hear me speak 

In a thousand ways 

More than you think 

With barely a sound 

Look at what I can say 

Open your eyes and 

Hear me

 

No fancy words 

A simple nod 

A nervous smile 

Words take a while

 

When everything 

Seems normal at first 

For me it's 

Climbing Everest

 

I am here 

Hear me speak 

In a thousand ways 

More than you think 

With barely a sound 

Look at what I can say 

Open your eyes and 

Hear me

 

I am here 

Hear me speak 

In a thousand ways 

More than you think 

With barely a sound 

Look at what I can say 

Open your eyes and 

Hear me

 

5. Oil's Done Come

 

Grab the ropes, let’s dock the boat 

We got no fish today 

The oil’s done come, that well blew us to hell 

Come on, let’s send the men home

 

A hundred storms, we’ve steered through 

Could fish another day 

The oil’s done come, done what no storm’s ever done 

Come on, let’s send the men home

 

Help us, they asked and paid 

We tried to clean for days 

The oil’s done come, most of it’s still there 

Come on, let's send the men home

 

We’ll rebuild, but our hope is dim 

It’ll cost us dearly 

The oil’s done come, big business was won 

Come on, let’s send the men home

 

Grab the ropes, let’s dock the boat 

We got no fish today 

The oil’s done come, that well blew us to hell 

We'll stay, this is our home

 

6. Company Man

 

On the Street, another Tweet 

Pulling strings, or other things 

Doing it for the home team 

God bless the Company Man

 

Shaking hands, behind our backs 

Building cred, taking our stash 

Doing it for the bonus plan 

God bless the Company Man

 

Fundraiser ends, proxy vote in 

Congressman does it all for him 

Doing it in time for Q4 

God bless the Company Man

 

Dignity damned, budget scraped 

Women and children get the empty plate 

Doing it for a little higher share 

God bless the Company Man

 

One day he's let go, downsized he's been told 

Sacrificed, for the dream 

So he's been told 

God help the Company Man

 

God help the Company Man

 

7. On the Train

 

I'm on the train 

See the city outside 

Feel the city in here

 

I must have dozed off 

Did I miss my stop? 

On this evening train

 

I see my reflection 

On the dirty window 

And that's when it all came clear

 

I don't know who I am 

Don't know where I'm going 

Don't know where I'm from 

Don't know nothing at all 

I know one thing 

I'm on the train

 

Just a few people left 

All makin' their way home 

At least you're next to me

 

Do you know who I am? 

You know where we're going? 

You know what year this is?

 

You grin at first 

Play along for moment 

Sorry, you're a stranger to me

 

I don't know who I am 

Don't know where I'm going 

Don't know where I'm from 

Don't know nothing at all 

I know one thing 

I'm on the train

 

Some clues in my pocket 

As I read what's in my wallet 

Maybe this ID will help

 

I see a familiar face 

Still can't really place it 

This belongs to someone else

 

The train stops again 

And the others get off 

I'm the last to go

 

I don't know who I am 

Don't know where I'm going 

Don't know where I'm from 

Don't know nothing at all 

I know one thing 

I'm on the train

 

The train finally stops 

As the night descends 

The door's the last thing I see

 

As my life comes to an end 

And I step off the train 

Maybe somebody'll recognize me

 

8. Stand

 

I can run 

I can hide 

I can pretend 

I'm not alive

 

I can stand 

I can live 

I can learn 

to love again

 

I can stand 

I can live 

I can learn 

to love again

 

9. Goodbye

 

Through the window, waving hands 

Honk the horn, long drive ahead 

Homesick before I turn 

To the highway 

Follow the road, to Chicago 

Where I'll go back, to my life 

And write a letter 

To thank you for everything

 

I said, I'll see you soon 

Was this the last time? 

I should have said goodbye, goodbye, goodbye 

Goodbye, goodbye, forever goodbye

 

Sitting at work, doing their work 

Wondering if everyone else 

Feels light years from the 

Ones they love 

Rent is late, bills pile up 

Focus now, to survive somehow 

Slowly my memory of you fades 

To a nearly empty white page

 

I said, I'll see you soon 

Was this the last time? 

I should have said goodbye, goodbye, goodbye 

Goodbye, goodbye, forever goodbye

 

We were family, and we were friends 

But the future all depends 

On when where and how 

We see each other again 

Last words spoken, last to remember 

Last thing we did, or never did 

And that's what bothers me 

More than anything

 

I said, I'll see you soon 

Was this the last time? 

I should have said goodbye, goodbye, goodbye 

Goodbye, goodbye, forever goodbye 

Forever goodbye 

Forever goodbye 

Forever goodbye

 

10. All it Takes

 

All it takes is 

One word 

One hope 

One thing 

To keep our heads up high

 

All it takes is 

A simple goal 

A simple need 

A simple mold 

To keep ourselves in line

 

All it takes is 

A family of friends 

A family of one 

A family of those 

Who keep us doing the right thing

 

Let's be careful with our time here 

Because we don't have forever

 

All it takes is 

A moment to falter 

A moment to pause here 

A moment to lose it all 

At the wrong place 

At the wrong time

 

All it takes is 

Pick yourself up 

Pick up the end 

Pick up your friends 

Cause they'd do it for you

 

All it takes is 

Believe in yourself 

Believe in your friends 

Believe there's good 

in all those who have been

 

All it takes is 

One word 

One hope 

One thing 

To keep our heads up high

 

All words and songs (c) Simeon Peebler, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

 

1. "Every Distant Cousin"

 

When she looked up

To the sky last night

She saw our life

On a beam of light

That left the Earth

Countless years ago

 

She wished for

Just a little more time

To reflect her own light

Back to yours and mine

So we could see

Her light too

 

We are energy beams

Transforming to see

Evolved to be

Our mothers

Our fathers 

Our sisters

Our brothers

And every distant cousin

Every distant cousin

 

She never felt

Emptiness of space

All she heard was our pale blue note

Our spectroscopic face

Observing our moment in time

Never mind the in-between

 

This cosmic dust

Inside us all

Will scatter again

Like grains of sand 

In time we will become 

Solar flares again

 

We are energy beams

Transforming to see

Evolved to be

Our mothers

Our fathers 

Our sisters

Our brothers

Our mothers

Our fathers 

Our sisters

Our brothers

And every distant cousin

And every distant cousin

 

2. "Bible Man"

 

He said I'm just a city guy

Holding these bibles by my side

I'm determined to get each and every one

Into friendly hands

 

He showed me a maze he'd drawn

On an old downtown map

It was an intricate path

Made in the shape of a cross

 

I stopped by the mission

They said read the good news

They said you can read it for free

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

 

He said he'd give bibles to bums

And for a family he'd give two

A volunteer to take them all

Well, that, that would do

 

I stopped by the mission

They said read the good news

They said you can read it for free

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

 

And when the bibles were gone

And he finished his holy trail

He'd go back to the mission

Maybe they had a free warm bed

 

I stopped by the mission

They said read the good news

They said you can read it for free

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

All I needed was shelter and food

 

3. "Arbor Day"

 

I was just a four-year-old boy

when I planted my first tree

in the backyard on Arbor Day

 

And year after year I watched

that oak climb up and up 

and up and up to the stars

 

I don't remember saying goodbye

but I kept a leaf inside the back page

of my favorite book

 

I finally came back so many years have passed

I wondered if I would ever see

my long lost friend

 

I snuck around to the backyard 

there she was, so much taller

right where I remember planting her

 

She was wealthy and strong, full of green leaves

home to the birds and abundant things

it's good it's good to be here again

 

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

 

(She said)

I grew toward the light beams

while you played and laughed and danced, in orbit

in circles around my feet

 

You watered me with rubber hoses

worried when the ground was frozen

and napped in the shade beneath my arms

 

While I aimed toward the clouds

you've grown up tall, my gray-haired man

my long lost friend

 

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

She said, I remember you

 

So I threw down my traveling things

I whispered some private things

and I hugged my tree with all my might

 

I said, I remember you

I said, I remember you

I said, I remember you

 

4. "Everything She Was"

 

She wears skin tight pants

Has jewels on her phone

Perfectly tan skin

She's never alone

 

Her high-heel shoes

They never walk far

Always in and out

Of high-end cars

 

And the day will come

She’ll be too far gone

Everything she is

Is everything she was

 

Mom can I come home

Been living too hard

Smokey voice on the phone

Vacant house empty yard

 

She packs up her things

Keeps checking if it's on

Hoping it will ring

Boyfriends don't respond

 

And the day will come

She’ll be too far gone

Everything she is

Is everything she was

 

One day a blind man

Says she's beautiful

She finally sees the poison

In all her plastic things

 

No more party selfies

No more walks of shame

No more pretending

That she doesn't have a brain

 

And the day has come

When she puts her tennis-shoes on

Everything she is

Is everything she was

Everything she is

Is everything she was

 

5. "Remote Control"

 

All done by remote control

Targeting victims of the highest order

With the pull of a distant trigger

A dozen dead include women and children

 

We found the number two guy

All by remote control

 

He said, 

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 

Who can blame those who are left

Picking through remains of the innocent

Should they choose a life of revenge

Like us they will judge who will live

 

We killed the number two guy

All by remote control

We killed the number two guy again

All by executive order

 

He said, 

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 Don't cross that red line

 

Million dollar drone glides through the air

Over here and over there

Robots in the sky armed to kill

Feel safer now than you did then

 

We killed the number two guy

All by remote control

We killed the number two guy again

All by executive order

 

We crossed that red line 

We crossed that red line again

All by remote control

All by remote control

 

6. "Fire and Steam" 

 

Too many moving parts, too many screens

Too many buttons, on the machine

 

Too many options, too many commands

Too many features, buried in the sand

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We must find our way back to natural things

 

Give me a stick, from the forest tree

I'll make a fire, and a bed out of leaves

 

Give me a flowering tree, with fruit I can pull

I'll delight in the taste of a real apple

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We must find our way back to natural things

 

Give me a sunset, give me a waterfall

Give me stormy weather, wake up when the birds call

 

Give me your hand, give me your time

Give me your tenderness, and I'll give you mine

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We must find our way back to natural things

 

We must get back to fire and steam

We're heading back to simpler things

 

7. "Travel With Me"

 

My broken down car has an empty tank

I'm alone under this highway sign with too much time to think

I know where I am, I know how much this cost

On these mountains of asphalt, in these clouds of car exhaust

I stand alone on this open road

I stand alone on this open road

 

I see you walk toward me, with your head tilted down

You got my text for help on your way out of town

My hopeful eyes stare longer than they should

Your simple nod says more than words ever could

We stand alone on this open road

We stand alone on this open road

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

Holding your head in my hand, I whisper in your ear

Nothing will stop us from getting far away from here

I take your hand, I've got what I need

The search party won't be looking for you or me

Travel with me on the open road

Travel with me on the open road

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

Travel with me

Travel with me

And we'll never be 

Stranded again

 

8. "Learn How to Swim"

 

I've been in the river during the storm

Water is rising, raindrop and booms

My canoe is slowly filling up with rain

Too far from the shore, I paddle in vain

 

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess I'll have to learn...how to swim

 

The doctor said gently with her hand on my shoulder

It's not good news, but it's a risk when you're older

She showed me the plan to battle my new rival

I told her I was ready to fight for survival

 

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess I'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess I'll have to learn...how to swim

 

One day I found you broken, alone in your room

You were fading in the dark, broken, full of doom

You feel the under tow, it's pulling you down

This is not how you deserve to be found

 

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess you'll have to learn... 

 

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

So I guess you'll have to learn how to swim

The water is rising, it's time to begin 

So I guess you'll have to learn...how to swim 

 

9. "He Never Gave Up" 

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

Have courage when you face fear

Inspire hope where you meet despair

Sharpen your mind when you get knocked down

If things fall apart, don’t let go of the peace in your heart

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He fought the laws of the land

Until towering white cliffs crumbled to sand

Permanently stained with blood and tears

There's enough hope left to carry us past those years

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

It took a hero to fight the breaking waves

It took someone willing to give up everything

It took courage from every side

Truth and reconciliation turned the tide

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

Have courage when you face fear

Inspire hope where you meet despair

Sharpen your mind when you get knocked down

If things fall apart, never let go of the peace in your heart

 

Never let go

Never let go

Never let go

Of the peace in your heart

 

Never let go 

Never let go 

Never let go

Of the peace in your heart

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

He never gave up 

He never gave up 

He never gave up

On the long road to freedom

 

10. "Bridges"

 

I've been on bridges like the Golden Gate

That carry a thousand cars, trucks and freight

 

I've been on bridges on long country roads

That creak as you walk, ‘cause they’re rickety and old

 

I've been on bridges over rivers and land

Built by steel workers or by saw, nail and hand

 

But no bridge I can find

On this long road of mine

Will carry me this time

 

I'll have to take 

the long way around

All these bridges are falling down

All these bridges are falling down

 

I've been on bridges covered by ocean's spray

That kept my high above the dangerous waves

 

I've been on a bridge with locks lining a fence

A destination not a path to an end

 

I've been on bridges that helped me make it home

That carried my burdens when I could not take them on

 

But no bridge I can find

On this long road of mine

Will carry me this time

I'll have to take 

the long way around

All these bridges are falling down

All these bridges are falling down

 

I'll build it up with wood and clay

I'll build it up with iron and steel

I'll build it up with silver and gold

It's up to me to build the bridge I need

We will build the bridge we need...

 

We'll build it up with wood and clay

We'll build it up with iron and steel

We'll build it up with silver and gold

It's up to us to build the bridge we need

 

We will build the bridge we need

We will build the bridge we need

We will build the bridge we need