A Couple Dollars

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2015

​

I

The Lutheran Church cooks up a mean stew

Down at their kitchen Tuesday nights

And my meals are spread out far and few

I go down there to get a bite

 

But if I’d had a couple dollars

I’d still be working on the line

But my boss thought I didn’t bother

To fix my car and be on time

 

II

I lost my job and then my family

I guess it’s hard to be around

A flood of bad luck and insecurity

She took the kids and fled for higher ground

 

And if I’d had a couple dollars

I’d have begged her not to go

And it’s a bitter pill to swaller’

They’re better off without me in tow

 

Chorus

‘Cause you gotta have some, to make some

And I don’t have a lousy dime

Yeah you gotta have some, to make some

And I’m running out of time

Runnin’ out of time

 

III

Often times I’ll sit and wonder

Whatever will become of me

The trouble rides like rolling thunder

A tiny boat on a stormy sea

 

And If I had a couple dollars

I’d sail a harbor safe and true

But as it is I’m bailing water

Hoping cloudy skies turn to blue

 

Modified chorus

‘Cause you gotta have some, to make some

And I’m falling far behind

Yeah you gotta make some, to save some

And I’m running out of time

Runnin’ out of time

 

Bridge

A flat tire here.

A broken furnace there

I had no budget for disaster

 

The line that runs between

Standing on your own two feet

And falling on your ass is fading faster

 

 

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All or Nothing

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2013

 

I

I love you baby, but you’re making me crazy.

Seems like every time I end up blue.

And now I’m thinking maybe, that nothin’s gonna save me.

It’s all or nothing with you.

 

You say it’s black and white. Honey that ain’t even right.

That digital thinking is nothing close to new.

I think you’re losin’ sight. It always ends in a fight.

It’s all or nothing with you.

 

Chorus

It’s all or nothing with you.

More than a stubborn man like me, could ever hope to do.

You may think that I’m bluffin,’ but girl I’m tellin’ you somethin’

It’s all or nothing with you.

 

II

Yeah we’re a couple of pirates, doin’ emotional violence.

And we’ve got bunch who’s a motley crew.

But why should you be a tyrant?  And why should I just keep quiet?

It’s all or nothing with you.

 

Modified chorus

It’s all or nothing with you.

It’s very clear that I bit off, way more than I could chew

You think I’ll just come around, but this is something I’ve found.

It’s all or nothing with you.

 

III

Now girl it’s not a disaster, the fact I don’t need a master.

I’ve never been the kind who’s easy to subdue.

It seems we’re failin’ faster.  I think we both know the answer.

I guess it’s nothing…for you.

 

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All Your Fault

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

 

I

Somebody’s got to be that line, and I’m the guy you don’t wanna cross

‘Cause I’m trained in special weapons and tactics, runnin’ shit like a boss

And you might be sitting in your home, just smokin’ yourself a “J”

But your next-door neighbor told us something else, and tonight’s your night to pay

 

Well we went and got ourselves a warrant that says you might be selling pot

And their could be weapons in your home, and it could be that there’s not

But just in case we’ll bring all our toys and have ourselves a ball

And when darkness falls I can guarantee that you won’t resist at all.

 

Chorus

And we’ll kick in your door

And we’ll shoot your dog

And we’ll scare your children half to death but,

It’s all your fault

 

II

Well first will bash that door off its hinges ‘cause we don’t wanna have to knock

And then we’ll toss a flash-bang in, just like our boys do it in Iraq

And when you come a tearin’ down the stairs, to find out who’s in your home

We’re gonna put your face right through a wall and break every bone.

 

III

Well we’re trained to use overwhelming force, ‘cause our lives might be on the line

And sure we got the address wrong, but it’s not like that’s a crime

And we really don’t care when folks like you say some cops act like thugs

Well you’re just upset ‘cause you’re a casualty of this goddamned war on drugs

 

Modified chorus

And we kicked in your door

And we shot your dog

And we scared your children half to death but,

It was all your fault

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Almost in Love

Words & music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2017

 

I

Well it tugs at the heart and it troubles the mind

There’s the one who you want and the one who you find

And it soars like a hawk, but it dies like a dove

Ain’t that always the way when you’re almost in love

 

II

Oh it nags at you softly, that something is wrong

Like some words that are missing somewhere in a song

And it fits well enough, but not quite like a glove

No you can’t wear it well when you’re almost in love

 

Chorus

Oh it’s hard like a stone but it’s too soft to build

So you’re left with a promise that goes unfulfilled

It’s too high below, and too low from above…

‘Cause it’s all out of reach when you’re almost in love

 

III

So when something’s that close, and yet so far away

Well you don’t want to leave but it’s too hard to stay

And it’ll cut like a razor as it numbs like a drug

No you won’t get out clean when you’re almost in love

 

Modified chorus

‘Cause it’s hard like a stone but it’s too soft to build

So you’re left with a promise that goes unfulfilled

Oh it’s thicker than water and thinner than blood

And it’s never enough when you’re almost in love

 

Outro

Like a tree in the bottoms, washed away by the flood

No the roots cannot hold when you’re almost in love

Ain’t that always the way when you’re almost in love

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Always Get Worse

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

 

I

I’d rather be a rich man, than a poor man scraping by

I’d rather be a poor man, than a sick man about to die

I’d rather be a sick man, than the guy ridin’ the back of the hearse

‘Cause if there’s anything I’ve learned: It can always get worse

 

II

I’d rather live in a mansion, than a three-bedroom bungalow

I’d rather have a bungalow, than a box sittin’ on Skid Row

I’d rather be homeless, than live off someone else’s purse

‘Cause if there’s anything I know: It can always get worse

 

Bridge

Rather have enough, than have it all

Rather be against the wind, than up against the wall

Rather be all alone, than lonely in love

Rather have some peace below, than all the pain above

 

III

I’d rather be the third mouse, ‘cause he’s the one that you never see

Or I could be the second mouse, ‘cause he’s the one who gets the cheese

Don’t wanna be that other mouse. You know the one who got there first?

‘Cause if there’s anything he’s knows: It can always get worse.

 

Yeah if there’s anything we’ve learned: It can always get worse.

 

​

Always Rising

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

 

I

Well his first tour in the sandbox was in 2010

But that stop-loss clause it really sucks, and now he’s back again

And he’s lost most of his innocence. And he’s lost some friends

So while we sit safe behind the fence, he cannot pretend

 

II

Oh he rides with airborne infantry, seen things he won’t forget

And at times he’s tasted victory, or at least what we could get

And they say that soon he’ll leave this place. Oh it won’t be long

But the question he cannot erase is: Was it right or wrong?

 

Chorus

But we’re always rising

Always rising

There’s storm rides on the wind

There’s a reckoning at hand

Yes we’re always rising

Oh there’s no denying

We may stumble down

But we will rise again

 

III

Well she married him right out of school. They built a family

But now he plays her for a fool, while she pretends not to see

And her nights are filled with doubt and fear. His days are filled with sin

So she’ll learn to smile through the tears and start her life again

 

Modified chorus

‘Cause we’re always rising

Always rising

There’s another broken heart

Looking for a brand new start

Yes we’re always rising

Toward a new horizon

We may stumble down

But we will rise again

 

IV

Well the path ahead it winds and bends. The wind is blowing cold

But I’ll meet you on that road, my friend so you don't walk alone

Oh our common destination calls. Just hear the eagle’s cry

Well together we may often fall, but together we will rise

 

Modified chorus

‘Cause we’re always rising

Always rising

No we never will say die

Oh on that you can rely

Oh we’re always rising

Never will stop trying

We may stumble down

But we will rise again

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Back Along my Side

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2013

​

I

Just like your mother was before you

You’re so tall and beautiful.

Don’t know if anyone has told you

How the pride comes ‘fore the fall.

 

I’ve got a pear tree in my front yard.

An apple tree blooms right beside.

I’ve got two horses that I won’t ride.

'Til you’re back along my side.

 

II

You don’t have to love me like you used to.

I’ll take the blame for everything.

Just know I never meant to hurt you.

I only wish to hear you sing.

 

I’ve got a puppy dog named Banjo.

I’ve got a forest deep and wide.

I’ve got two horses that I won’t ride.

Until you’re back along my side.

 

III

I used to sing You are My Sunshine

My only sunshine, yes it’s true.

But you can give me such a hard time

Even when my other skies are blue.

 

You’ll never know dear how I love you.

You’ll never know the tears I’ve cried.

I’ve got two horses that will ride.

When you’re back along my side.

​

Bad Man

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

​

I

Well I’m a bad man

That’s exactly who I am

I’ll stumble and stomp and drift away like sand

‘Cause I’m a bad man

 

II

Yes I’m a ba-ba black sheep

A dark delinquent living on the cheap

I’ll make sure you don’t quit ‘til you’re in far too deep

‘Cause I’m a ba-ba black sheep

 

Bridge

It takes a special kind of fool

To go 'round breakin' hearts like there's no rules

It takes a certain kind of man

To willfully misunderstand

He's less an angel more a mule

 

III

But I’m a beastly neighbor

A ghastly, jealous instigator

And baby if you need love I’ll be a helpful fornicator

Yes I’m your beastly neighbor

  

IV

I’m all curled up and waiting in my corner

A snake befit with fangs intent on slaughter

Yeah I’ll slither and I’ll strike and steal away your daughter

‘Cause I’m a’waiting in my corner

 

V

Yes I’m a bad man

I’m the devil’s confidant and his biggest fan

Yeah I’ll end up in that fire after I jump out the pan

‘Cause I’m a bad man

Yes I’m a bad man

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Bad with the Good

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2017

​

I

Well I’m the kinda trouble that don’t go away

I’m the kinda crime that they so don’t pay

And I’m the kinda lonely that don’t welcome a friend

I’m like a bad movie that’ll never end

 

II

And I’m the dog who won’t stay under your porch

When it comes down to it I’m the wanderin’ sort

Ah but I’m the kinda lover puts your mind at ease

‘cause I say what I mean and I do what I please

 

Chorus

Oh I’m a fallen angel with a broken wing

I might just promise you anything

Write the kinda songs that make the devil sing and dance

And I think that it’s understood

With me you gotta take the bad with the good

 

III

Yeah I’m the kinda miner who never found gold

I’m the drunk who’s got it all under control

Yeah I’m a carpenter who can’t drive a nail

I'm a wayward sailor who never learned to sail

 

IV

And I’m loaded gun that’s goin’ off half-cocked

I’m the kinda shepherd who has lost his flock

Oh but I’m the kinda sinner worry’s ‘bout his soul

Hoping heaven’s got a soft spot for rock n roll

 

​

Break Your Heart Again

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2015

 

I

Put it in my hands

Let me hold that tender heart of yours

I’ll keep it sheltered from the wind

Lay your head on my shoulder

Let me wrap you in my arms

Until I break your heart again

 

II

Tell to me all your secrets

Let me learn everything

Confess your deepest fears and sins

I’ll put them in my pocket

‘Til the day I launch that rocket

And decide to break your heart again

 

Bridge

It’s clear to me, this is how it will be

But somehow you miss it every time

You only see what you want to see

And that makes it easier to do the crime

 

III

There’s something beautiful

About the way you fold up

You never learned how to pretend

But if you’d look back on your past now

You’d know what’s coming next now

I’m gonna break your heart again

 

IV

So forgive me every trespass

I didn’t want to see you cry

I’m as sorry as I’ve ever been

It’s just the thing I do

And you can bet I always mean to

Every time I break your heart again

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By Heart

Words & music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

I

I keep coming back for more

When I know there’s nothing there

Maybe I just cannot find a door

Or it’s all the wear and tear

 

And I’m just sifting through the dust

Looking for a reason why

All this rotten wood and iron rust

It’s too much damage to deny

 

But a girl like you, I always thought

My flirt with love but not get caught

But then I’ve been wrong before

 

Chorus

So break my body, spill my blood

Upon the rocks and in the mud

Let me pour it out for you

I’ll pour it all out just for you

 

Well I still cry, and I still fall apart

But then I’m still learning you by heart

 

II

When you need things to be true

There’s a lot you’ll overlook

Hard lessons rise from what you can’t undo

The kind that aren’t found in a book

 

And we don’t get what we deserve

Oftentimes it’s even worse

I never had much trouble with the curve, but

It’s as much a blessing as a curse

 

And a girl like you might turn and say:

“I can’t believe he ran away”

But then you’ve been wrong before

 

Modified chorus

So break my body, spill my blood

Upon the rocks and in the mud

Let me pour it out for you

Pour it all out just for you

 

Foolish love’s a perfect work of art

And I’m still learning this by heart

 

Modified chorus/outro

So break my body, spill my blood

Upon the rocks and in the mud

Let me pour it out for you

Oh I will pour it out for you

 

All intentions in redoubt

Twist them turn them inside out

Tear them down onto the ground

Where they never will be found

 

I misunderstood you from the start

And I’m still learning you by heart

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Callin’ for Rain

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2015

 

I

Well you walk with bare feet through the grass still wet from the rain

On down through the dark woods and the stones by the fresh-water spring

Where the sun fears to shine and the mighty wolf spider is king

And the sound of the sharpening knives a familiar refrain

 

II

Where the trees sing a song and only you understand

And I felt myself slipping away like hourglass sand

And with time running short I desperately reached for your hand

Tied together as one we turned up the hill and we ran

 

Chorus

It’s a terrible game

You try and protect the flame

While the devil is calling your name

And the weatherman is calling for rain

 

III

Now there are parts of Nebraska where you can stand and turn all the way ‘round

If you’ve come there to hide it’s a place that you’ll never be found

I went out on the road to unravel a heart tightly wound

It was somewhere out there east of Hershey where I broke down

​

Modified chorus

We were one in the same

Falling out of the frame

While the devil was calling our names

And the weatherman was calling for rain

 

IV

Now the bus you’re aboard’s bound for Louisiana’s state line

And the rain on the glass reminds you it’s ok to cry

So you'll call out for Jesus and pray that he’ll help you to find

The pieces you lost in those dark woods that you left behind

 

Modified chorus

It’s a sin and a shame

But there’s no one to blame

When the devil starts calling your name

And the weatherman is calling for rain

 

Yes the weatherman is calling for rain.

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Castaway

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

 

I

My mind’s unraveling, and this world is mean

But I’ll keep on traveling on guts and gasoline

If I could only find my voice, it wouldn’t be this way

It’s not like you got a choice when you’re a castaway

 

II

Mama never understood what was up with me

And dad was always working so he had a place to be

Most people see the world a certain kind of way

My flag never quite unfurled, so I’m a castaway

 

Bridge

Oh I’m lost, marooned out on the road

And at what cost? I’ll never find my way home

 

III

I’ll move along again, and write another verse

Jesus will forgive me sins; just pray they don’t get worse

Leaving town is all I know, to keep it all at bay

‘Cause I was broken long ago and I’m still a castaway

 

Oh I was broken long ago and I’m still a castaway

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Chip on my Shoulder

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

 

I

A chip on my shoulder, and a gun in my hand

What a bad combination, for an angry young man

Didn’t bother with a holster, didn’t bother with a plan

Just a chip on my shoulder, and a gun in my hand

 

II

Out on my own, at seventeen.

Mama jumpin’ on me, like a trampoline

Left without a home. I was skinny and mean

I was out on my own, at seventeen.

 

Bridge

Well you judge me if you want to but we all make mistakes

Accidents will happen and I could never catch a break.

And no I’m not hard-hearted, I’ve only lost my way

Sinners have tomorrow while saints hide their yesterday

 

III

The judge asked me son, how this happened to you?

Where'd you get that gun? Why’d you shoot those two?

Ya know I didn’t have an answer, I didn’t even have a clue.

Just a chip on my shoulder, and nothin’ left to lose.

 

IV

Well the time passes slow. And the time passes hard.

But this game ain’t done, ‘til I play my last card.

Gonna run when the sun’s down. Reckless disregard

With a chip on my shoulder, and a soul that’s scarred.

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City of Roses

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 1994

 

I

I wasn’t there when they pulled the last ones down

I’d been away for so long

Twisted steel and broken glass upon the ground

And now the last greenhouse is gone

 

Chorus

In the City of Roses

Where I was born, yes I was born

In the City or Roses

Among the thorns, among the thorns

 

II

The other prairie towns relied on corn and coal

And so the rose became the city’s pride

I am too young to really feel it in my bones,

But to the older folks I know it’s like, another friend has died

 

Modified chorus

In the City of Roses

Where I was born, where we were born

In the City of Roses

Among the thorns, among the thorns

 

Bridge

I had no love affair, with my hometown

But it’s fair to say I hate to, see them beaten down

In the City of Roses

 

III

Six-foot roses mark the water tower still

In the second grade I watched them in the sky

They never had too much and now they never will

And more will do the way I’ve done and fly

 

​

 

Corn Desert

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2013

 

I

You can see for miles where I come from, ‘cause the land is flat and the trees are gone.

Welcome to the corn desert.

Yeah the dirt is black and the value’s high, but there’s fewer farmers by and by…

Here in the corn desert.

 

Yeah my grandpa owned this 40 here and he kept it right, kept it clear

Hoped to give it all to me.

But the tax collector took his share and that didn’t leave enough to spare

For a simple man like me…

 

II

Well it gives us life and fuel and seed, and other things that we all need.

The blessed corn desert.

But when I look across these fertile fields I think of more than cash and yields..

Here in the corn desert.

 

Yeah I think watching daddy roll that tractor up and down the rows,

With perfect symmetry

And after all the work was done we’d load up in the truck for fun.

And make some memories

Here in the corn desert.

 

III

Well we grow up hard, we grow up strong, we grow up singin’ country songs.

Here in the corn desert.

And the folks ‘round here know how to live, know how play and how to give

Here in the corn desert.

 

Yeah this land will hold us all upright like a mama holds her baby tight

Like the corn grows straight and tall

I’m proud to say that I’m from there, where a chance at happiness is fair

And the harvest comes each fall

Here in the corn desert.

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Dandelion

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2016

 

I

Well you pop up every April like a thousand tiny suns

When the warmer days grow longer and the springtime has begun

All across the rolling fields or in a common sidewalk crack

No matter what I do to you, you just keep coming back

​

Well the beauty of the burning bush and the toughness of a weed

The more I try to stamp you out, the more that you succeed

You’ll turn your face up toward the heavens with your brightly colored mane

Well there ain't no way you'd smell as sweet by any other name

 

Chorus

Dandelion, my dandelion

Honey I keep pushing you away and you just keep on tryin’

Dandelion, baby stop your cryin’

Ain’t nothing that hangs on as tight as my sweet dandelion

 

II
Well you ain't no fragile orchid, you ain't no thorny rose

And you ain’t no shrinking violet that pops up between my toes

You’ll make your home wherever you end up, you just don't give a damn

And the way you bloom amid the doom is hard to understand
 

Ah but you’ll poke your head up though the grass so you can to take a peek

And your kiss is soft and gentle when you rub against my cheek

No it ain't always the ripest grape that makes the finest wine

It’s my bright and sunny dandelion that I'll choose every time

 

Modified chorus

Dandelion, my dandelion

Honey you keep on a-tellin’ me but I just keep denyin’

Dandelion, honey stop your cryin’

Ain’t nothing in this world compares to my sweet dandelion

 

III

And when the days grow colder I will watch your color fade

And you’ll sleep beneath the snow ‘til you explode like a grenade

But before you go back underground just tell me you're ok

'Cause when springtime rolls around again, I’m pickin’ a bouquet

 

Modified chorus

Of dandelions, my dandelions

Well you show my how to live again whenever I start dyin’

Dandelion, baby I ain’t lyin’                                           

Aint’ nothing brightens up my world like my sweet dandelion

​Oh your will always be my girl, my sweet dandelion

 

 

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Devil Might Win

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

 

I

Well he’d fought the good fight, a good many years

Paid dearly in sorrow, whiskey and tears

And all of that time he thought he’d been right

But tonight for the first time he thought he might lose the fight

 

His body’d been broken by war and hard times

But he’d managed to keep it this side of the line

Still he always suspected he’d pay for his sins

Tonight it seemed likely the devil might win.

 

Chorus

Oh the devil might win, he just might wear him down

To the point that he’d give up, let go and drown

And if you can’t see why then you’ve never been

So beat down and lonesome the devil might win

So beat down and lonesome the devil might win

 

II

He’d fought for his country in two foreign lands

Spilled his blood, sweat and tears on their thirsty bare sands

And he’d sent them all to hell, whether wrong or right.

And the devil would thank him most every night

 

Well the boy returned home a difficult man

And his wife and his family could not understand

How long could he balance on the head of a pin?

Tonight it seemed certain the dark angel would win

 

Repeat chorus

 

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Falling Down

Words & music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

 

I

Is that the door that I hear you lockin’?

It’s always late when I come knockin’

And you’re happiest when I’m not around

I’ve crossed the line on more than one occasion

But it’s as simple as a math equation

Well I’m at my best when I’m fallin’ down

 

II

Well your mama never really liked me

And daddy said that he’d rather fight me

My family name ain’t the best in town

But your love tasted just like sugar

Make a proud man act just like a beggar

I never even knew I was fallin’ down

 

Chorus

Fallin’ down…..

 

Fallin’ down…..

 

Fallin’ down…..Fallin’ down

 

III

You’re like a queen there at your kitchen table

Your love would hit me like a jumper cable

I always felt like I was landing out of bounds

You’re the one who was supposed to save me

You act like you don’t even know me lately

But I’m at my best when I’m fallin’ down

​

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Family

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2016

  

I

Been kicked all around in this dirty town

And if losin’ was funny I would be a clown for sure

Yeah they sure like to laugh at me

But I think about my little baby everyday

She’s my hop-skip-jumper and I’m gonnna stay with her

Yeah she’s sure got my back for me

 

She’s gonna rescue me

We’re gonna make you you’ll see

Well I don’t know what to call her

So I think I’ll call her family

 

II

Well I can’t recall a time when things weren’t thin

But I turn around and fall in love again with her

Yeah her lovin’ makes me wanna stay

Yeah she really don’t care that I can’t give her much

She’s always got a smile and a lovin’ touch for me

She’s got impressive resume’

 

She’s gonna rescue me

We’re gonna make you you’ll see

And I don’t know what to call her

So I think I’ll call her family

 

Bridge

Well I -- don’t know how to fly -- without her – by my side

Gonna try – to get us by….

Well, it’s me and her up against the world

 

III

Well if something didn’t hurt we’d both think we were dead

And it feels like both my shoes are filled up with lead today

But I ain’t looking for your sympathy

 ‘Cause I got a good woman, tries to keep me strong

Makes me take another step when I think I can’t go on again

Just look at what she’s done for me

 

She went and rescued me

She did it all for free

And I don’t know what to call her

So I’ll think I’ll call her family

​

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Felony

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

 

I

Well my probation lady told me, get a job.

Like that thought had never crossed my mind

'CauseI ain’t lazy and I ain’t a slob

But for folks like me jobs are hard to find

 

I go out looking for one every day

Filling applications out with pen and online

but every time I gotta hope and I pray

That nobody asks me if I’ve done any time.

 

'Cause checking that box is like the kiss of death

And it really don’t matter if you’re innocent

Now all I want’s a chance to do things right

But things are set up to keep me out of the light

 

Chorus

Well I’d get off the floor, if you’d get off my chest

I don’t do that no more, so give it a rest

I don’ t know what you want from me.

They won’t hire a felony

They won’t hire a felony

 

II

Well I was 18 years old and when I got in that row

Me and some friends against some guys we didn’t know

But one of those guys stole another dude’s watch

And that bumped the whole thing up another notch

 

Well it’s not like my daddy didn't try to warn me

He said "You keep this up you’ll get a felony"

And all this foolin' around is gonna get you pinched.

And then finding a job will be a son of bitch.

 

Modified chorus

Well I’ll pull myself up if you’d stop keeping me down

Swim back to shore while you're hoping I drown

It’s a really tough economy, and

They won’t hire a felony

They won’t hire a felony

 

Bridge

I’m not the same guy I was back then

But they're sure worried I'm gonna do that again

I can’t win…

 

III

Well you set things up and keep folks down

Then you wonder why they can’t turn it around

Well one bad night ain’t always who you are

But it can sure as hell leave one mighty big scar

 

Modified chorus

Well I’d make things right if you’d stop treating me wrong

My money’s tight and my odds are long

I messed up and now I’ll never be free, because...

They won’t hire a felony

They won’t hire a felony

Not even with a college degree

They won’t hire a felony

 

​

Good Jobs

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2015

 

I

Well I’ll work this job like I always have

As some jobs go this one ain't half bad

It’s a part-time gig with no benefits

But I might move up if someone dies or quits

 

Yeah I’ll work this job and I’ll work it right

I’ll work up a great big appetite

Then I’ll come back home and kiss my wife

And I tell her everything is gonna be all right

 

Chorus

Good jobs are hard to find

Outta luck and left behind

My job leaves me in the cold

Outta money and growin’ old

 

II

Well I used to run a press at the factory

'Til the bosses sent my job on overseas

Now I’m workin’ part-time in the shadow of doubt

And I’m throwin’ newpapers on a paper route

 

I’ll do what I must, and I must survive

But I doubt that I'll ever make it out alive

‘Cause the taxes are high and the pay is low

Do they just not care or do they just not know that…

 

Modified chorus

Good jobs are hard to find

I’m a looking for one all the time

I'm workin' part-time at the convenience store

The last one out needs to lock the door

 

III

Well the bosses only care about the bottom line

And the unions only care when the contract’s signed

Ain’t no one out there whatchin’ out for me

Retirement ain’t nothing but a fantasy

 

Modified chorus and outro

Good jobs are hard to find

Getting harder all the time

Workin’ all night at the convenience store

Spend all my days just looking for…

 

A good job – they’re hard to find

Outta luck and left behind

My job leaves me in the cold

Outta money and growin’ old

 

​

Happily

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2016

 

I

True, whenever I think of you

And I know that you’re the only one

Who had the love I never knew

 

And right, bright as the morning light

Shining down on a brand new day

Announcing the end of night

 

And I know that you think you shouldn’t stay

But I’m gonna ask you anyway

 

Chorus

And we’ll live happily ever after

We’ll live happily ever after

You be my Alice, I’m your Mad Hatter

We’ll figure out the stuff that really matters

Yeah we’ll live happily ever after

Be the masters of our own disasters

Happily ever after, you and me

 

II

Strong, that’s why it can’t be wrong

That’s why I’m sittin' right down with my guitar

To write another silly song

 

And free, I hope we’ll always be

So just hold my hand, and kiss my cheek

And wait and see

 

And I know that you sometimes have your doubts

But I’m gonna show you what love’s about

 

Repeat chorus

 

Bridge

We’ll I’ve always belonged to you

And you’ve always belonged to me

But we never got the chance to be

So darlin’ hold on to me. Darlin’ hold onto me…

 

Modified chorus

We’ll live happily ever after

We’ll live happily ever after

You’re my Alice, I’m your Mad Hatter

I’ll be your pitcher you can be my batter

Yeah we’ll live happily ever after

We’re gonna heal ourselves with laughter

Happily ever after, you and me

 

​

​

Herbie’s Lead Guitar

Words & Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

 

I

My grandpa and his brother, they worked there side by side

In that No. 9 exploratory bituminous mine

And they worked them both like mules, treated worse than borrowed tools

Just waitin’ on that steam whistle to blow

 

And then grandpa he would strum and sing in the pool halls and the bars

With his brother right beside him, pickin’ lead guitar

And they’d play for all the girls, hoping one’s heart to unfurl

To be that miner’s light when down below

 

Chorus

Down in that hole, down in that hole

Well there ain’t no use in cryin’ when you’re born to mine the coal

In that hole…

Brother there’s just one one thing you should know:

That No. 9 mine will take you soul

 

II

Well the state inspector said that everything was fine

And no reason could be found to shut down No. 9

And al the miners knew there was nothin’ they could do

Just who the hell were they to testify?

 

So my grandpa and his brother were workin’ side by side

In that No. 9 now-certified, bituminous mine

When there came an awful sound. And the whole thing tumbled down

And one of them would live but one would die

 

Modified chorus

Down in that hole, down in that hole

Well you might get used to dyin’ when you’re born to mine the coal

In that hole…

Mining coal will cut you like a knife

But that No. 9 mine will take your life

 

III

Well they took that boy aside, told him that his dad was dead

But they were wrong – it was his uncle who died instead

And that really happened to my dad, and it still makes me sad

‘Cause daddy carries Uncle Herbie’s name

 

And I think about my grandpa, and Herbie’s lead guitar

And how they both were miners who wanted to be stars

And it fills my heart with joy, to know they finally are

Well who’d have ever thought they would find fame?

 

Chorus

Down in that hole, down in that hole

Well there ain’t no use in cryin’ when you’re born to mine the coal

In that hole…

Brother there’s just one one thing you should know:

That No. 9 mine will take you soul

​

 

Hippie Girl

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 1993

 

I

She came to me from the deep Northwest, wire-rim glasses and a broomstick dress

And a special pipe hangin’ ‘round her neck on a silver chain.

Bracelets Birckenstocks a natural tan, a real tree-huggin’ beauty in a Volkswagon van.

I could tell right then my day would never be the same…

 

Chorus

Well my, Hippie Girl from Eugene

I like the way her blue jeans fit too loose around her hips

You know she's beautiful

Well now, natural honey and her daddy’s money,

I think it’s sad but it’s probably funny to her.

I think I’m in love with my hippie girl.

 

II

I parked my bike and smoothed back my hair, look up in time to catch her stare

So I hurried over to ask what had brought her to town.

Just passin’ through, was all that she said, rendezvousing with the Grateful Dead

But then she winked and asked if I would like to ride along…

 

Modified chorus

Hippie Girl from Eugene

I like the way her blue jeans fit too loose around her hips

You know she's beautiful

Oh but, I’m not sure what I’m doing.  And I’m not sure who I’m foolin’

Is it me or you, can you tell me true, my hippie girl?

 

Modified chorus

Well now, silver jewelry and herbal tea,

Recycled paper or can’t you see that just ain’t me

It won’t ever be, my hippie girl?

No I can’t come with you I never can. “Cause I’m a closet Republican

Don’t you know…it just doesn’t show, my hippie girl.

​

Modified chorus

Oh my Hippie Girl from Eugene

She's the nicest thing I've seen all this week.

Hell all this year. You know she's beautiful

Well now, natural honey and her daddy’s money,

I think it’s sad but it’s probably funny to her.

I think I’m in love with my hippie girl.

​

​

How Much You Keep

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2013

​

I

Well I used to have a wife who liked the finer things.

Vacations in Florida and three diamond rings.

But at the end of the month, with bills to pay…

We didn’t have a dime.

 

And we made a lot of money so I only could guess

How my mama and daddy did with so much less.

So I asked him one day, what the secret was.

And this is what he said:

 

Chorus

It’s not what you make…

It’s how much you keep.

There’s nothing wrong with drinking the beer that’s cheap.

Have a little money set aside…

It’ll help you to sleep.

It’s not what you make. It’s how much you keep.

 

II

Now think on back when you were a boy…

Did we go out to dinner?  Did you have every toy?

Did you go to school dressed up in the latest styles?

I had to answer “No.”

 

But I never ever felt a minute like we were poor

'Cause when we sat down to dinner there was always more

Than my brother and my sister and I could eat

He said "Son let me repeat..."

 

Modified chorus

It’s not what you make…

It’s how much you keep.

Live your life and stand up on your own two feet 

Stay away from credit cards

You’ll get in too deep

It’s not what you make. It’s how much you keep.

 

III

Now so many people living past their means.

The latest devices, and $100 jeans…

But sooner or later the bill will come due.

And so I’m telling you…

 

Modified chorus

It’s not what you make…

It’s how much you keep.

There ain't nothing wrong with drinking whiskey that's cheap 

Have a little money set aside

It'll help you to sleep

It’s not what you make, it’s how much you keep.

​

​

How Your Story’s Told

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

I

A snake warming his belly on an old tar road

They say it all depends on how your story’s told

Folks ‘round here would rather die than forgive

The sins of youth pour like water through a broken sieve

 

I was just 15 and she was a year ahead

The very first time she welcomed me into her bed

Felt I was born again that September day

With the sun setting early on a fresh cut field of hay

 

I could move a mountain then it seemed

Protect the tender flower of her dreams

A boy or man, caught somewhere in between

Those precious years when true love intervened

 

II

Well the Double Pines was a place where we all would go

Way out in a desert of corn, row upon row

And late that summer I’d become her poor little fool

And one day she asked me to meet her there after school

 

Well she told me ‘bout the baby and how she was so ashamed

And that brought a lot of feelings up that I still can’t name

So I called her a liar and said "I never want to see you again"

And I watched those words wilt her flower and mix her grief with my sins

 

I could move a mountain then it seemed

Or crush the tender flower of her dreams

A boy or man, caught somewhere in between

Those precious years when true love reigned supreme

 

III

Well my mother told me the next morning that she was gone

By a rope and her own hand she had moved on

And they found a note addressed simply “To My Dearest Friend”

And it told him of her fond wishes only for a happy end

 

Instrumental

 

IV

Now the whiskey cracks the ice as I take another pour

And no matter how much I’ve had I’ll ask for more

Maybe I’d rather die than forgive

The sins of youth can kill before we ever start to live.

​

​

Hundred-Dollar Singer

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2017

 

I

I’m a hundred-dollar singer

That’s what I’ve agreed to do

Well I think that my check should be bigger

But that’s just between me and you

If I can’t remember your song I’ll just wing ‘er

And do the very best I can do

Just a hundred-dollar singer

And tonight I’m singing for you

 

II

Yes, for the low price one hundred dollars

I’ll offer a piece of my heart

And I’ll sing and I’ll shout and I’ll holler

Until my voice is all torn apart

Oh I will offer far more than you pay for

I’ll sing every song that I know

‘cause I’m a hundred-dollar singer

But I sing like I don’t need the dough

 

III

Well one time I tried to get a buck-fifty

But the bar manager told me no

So I said “then how ‘bout some free shots of whiskey

To help gedt m  me through this show?”

He said “Drinkin’ musicians are risky.

Besides, you think I don’t see?

Sure you’re a hundred-dollar singer

But I’ll be that you’d do it for free.”

 

IV

Well I’m really not much of a singer

On that much we all can agree

But I’ll beat this guitar like a ringer

And the songs are what matter to me

I hope some hit your heart like a stinger

And others will turn on a light

I’m just a hundred-dollar singer

But I feel like a million tonight.

​

​

​

I Probably Will

Words & music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

I

Preacher told me not to drink cheap whiskey on my wedding day

An old man in a young man’s game shouldn’t act that way

And all this freedom comes with a price to pay

A price to pay. There's a price to pay…

 

And Suzy used to like to show me all her brother’s magazines

We were curious and just 14

And when she’d finish up she’s wipe me clean

 Was that so wrong? ‘Cause it sure felt right

No it don't last long, when they squeeze you  tight

​

I'll do what I want

'Til I get my fill

Oh I hope that I don’t

But I probably will

 

II

I was born the oldest son in a gang of three

And mama told me that my stubborn ways  would get the best of me

And she don’t tell no lies far as I can see

She don't tell no lies. Mama don't tell lies

 

And you'd been gone for years before the day you left

That boy stole away the heart that I’d left adrift

It felt more like gift and less like theft

Was that so wrong? ‘Cause it sure felt right

No it don’t take long. to rescue wrong from right

​

And no I sure don’t

Wish you know ill

I hope that I won’t

But I probably will

​

Instrumental

​

Outro

Is this so wrong? ‘Cause it sure feels right

Guess I’ll play along, at least for tonight

Then I’ll steal your heart

And send you the bill

I hope that I won’t

But I probably will

​

​

IDC

Words & music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

 

I

Well I don’t care ‘bout Friday night; can’t believe you’d think I might

No I kinda like it here alone, the owner of a heart of stone

No I don’t want you here with me and apparently you agree

No I don’t care about Friday night, and I don’t care if you come home anymore

 

II

No I don’t care about Saturday; I hear it’s gonna rain all day

I got no plans, no place to be, and nobody is the boss of me

And if I miss your tender kiss I’ll close my eyes and make a wish

No I don’t care about Saturday, don’t care if you come home anymore

 

Bridge

Well darlin' I try to make sure out of sight is out of mind

But your memory manages to catch me from behind

And if I’m not the sorriest fool you’ll ever find

I’d like to meet him

Wouldn't want to be him

 

III

Yeah I don’t care about February. Was it even necessary?

And March and April, May and June can’t come too fast or leave too soon

And fall and winter will bring me tears if I stop and think about the year

No I don’t care about February, and don’t care if you come home anymore

 

Instrumental

 

IV

Well I don’t care about Sunday morning, when you took you love without a warning

No I don’t care, I really don’t; I try to make sure that I won’t

But ain’t it funny how the love you give can take away your will to live

And it’s some kind of unholy grace that I’ll cut my nose to spite my face

And I’m drinkin’ myself half to death determined to have the last laugh

And my heart is breakin’ right in two, but I won’t admit that I miss you

And it’s all far more than I can bear, so I tell myself that I don’t care

 

No I don’t care about anything. And I don’t care if you come home anymore

​

​

Iron & Stone

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2018

​

I

I’d rise to the cries from your cradle

In the darkness before my alarm

I’d rock you while you took a bottle

Then watch while you slept in my arms

 

They called you the runt of the litter

Skin stretched over muscle and bone

But I knew that you were no quitter

A will made of iron and stone

 

Chorus

Fathers and sons well they’re never quite done

You grew in the blink of an eye

You’re everything that I wish I was

My sky-blue-eyed boy

 

II

I taught you to throw your first baseball

Sports were your thing from the start

You taught me to always be open

As you took everything to your heart

 

And I hurt you when I left your mother

So you did your best to atone

For sins that you had not committed

And pain made of iron and stone

 

Modified chorus

And fathers and sons well they’re never quite done

One makes the other one cry

But you’re everything that I wish I was

My sky-blue-eyed boy

 

Instrumental

 

III

Well it turns out the runt of the litter

Is taller and stronger than most

But I know your heart’s even bigger

And I hope that you’ll carry me close

 

And I wish I could give you the answers

I wish I could see the unknown

I’d replace the tears drops with laughter

And love made of iron and stone

 

Modified chorus

Fathers and sons well they’re never quite done

And one needs the other to fly

And you’re everything that I wish I was

My sky-blue-eyed boy

 

My sky-blue-eyed boy

​

​

Just Made for Two

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2017

 

I

Well I met Amy back in high school

I thought she was sexy and she thought I was cool

Well she liked boys fine but she liked girls too

You know that didn’t matter to this young fool

 

Well when we go married with were twenty-two

And brother it was interesting honeymoon

Because Brenda's right there in every picture too

Oh love doesn’t always come just made for two

 

II

Now some folks think that we’re kind of weird

Don't you know some folks live their whole lives in fear

We just mind our own business and love our way

And don’t worry 'bout the crazy things that people say

 

Well I’ll admit it wasn’t quite the way I saw my life

No only wanted Amy to be my wife

but now Brenda’s love is sweeter than the morning dew

Love don’t always come just made for two

 

Instrumental 

 

III

Now I love Amy and she loves me

And Amy loves Brenda and Brenda makes three

And Brenda loves us both, we’re a family

We live our daily lives in harmony

​

And folks think our life is a ménage a trois

But that ain’t how it really is at all

No we got everyday problems just like you

And love doesn’t always come just made for two

​

​

Lazarus

Words & music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2019

 

I

Well I’ve wandered in the desert and I’ve stumbled through the fog

But trouble tends to follow me like it’s a hungry dog

So I surrendered my direction to a young and yearning heart

She fell just like the rain upon my face

And we bounced around this country searching for a brand new start

Until we disappeared without a trace

 

II

Well a man will not forget the comfort of his mother’s arms

But a boy who’s lost his father has no shelter from the storms

So he spent years in the bottle with almost nothing to his name

His life just hanging by a thread

But it felt like I had met him for the first time yesterday

Lazarus awakened from the dead

 

Chorus

Oh Lazarus of Bethany, God is at your side

No one was more beloved, no one quite so magnified

But everyone gave up on you, and even Jesus cried

I don’t think you really lived until you died

 

Instrumental

 

III

Well I’m leaving out tonight while there’s a warm wind at my back

With memories that I hold dear stuffed in a gunny sack

And I’m hoping to reveal all the deepest mysteries

I wish to walk where bravest angels tread

And I’ll find my way on down to the Sea of Galilee

Where Lazarus awakened from the dead

​

​

​

Like No Other

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2014

 

I

No for us it’s not the first time

It’s not our first trip to the show

And that’s what gives me some perspective

Darlin’ that’s the way I know

 

I’ve never known contentment like I do with you

Under your sweet spell of enchantment all bright and new

 

II

I see you out there in the sunshine

I see you drenched in autumn light

I picture me right there beside you

I feel the way you hold me tight

 

Unadulterated happiness shines in your eyes

You bring me joy the way no other has in all my life

 

Bridge

We’ll walk along this path together

Make up for lost time along the way

Through cloudless skies and nasty weather

Day by day

 

I love you like no other

 

III

There’s nothing that  I’ll take for granted

There’s nothing I won’t do for you

Yes my feet are firmly planted, baby

I’m resolute that we pull through

 

I always knew that you were out there waiting for me

Still better late than never, and now we’re free

 

Modified bridge

Free to live the life we’re meant to

Free to win or lose each day

We’ll only think of our tomorrows

Not yesterdays

 

I love you like no other

 

 

Love and a Gun

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2017

 

I

My baby left me for another man

While was serving Uncle Sam, uh huh…

She said “we’re done.”

 

But I found them in a hotel room

And my ACP said “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,” uh huh..

Love and a gun

​

II

Well I never was the jealous type

But then I’d never seen the like, uh huh…

Blown down and stunned

 

But when I heard the sirens all around

So I thought it best that I leave town, uh huh…

Love and a gun

 

Chorus

Well this outlaw life ain’t nothin’ like

It’s cracked up to be

I think my only chance will be

To plead insanity

But I know I’ll have to pay, for everything some day

But until that day I think I’ll just have fun

Love and a gun

 

III

Well you’d think first-class broken heart

Would rate a high-speed come-apart, uh huh…

It’s often done

 

But when the State Police caught up with me

They made it clear they disagreed, uh huh…

Love and a gun

 

Repeat chorus

 

IV

Well it’s true I sent them both to Hell

And it’s cold here in this prison cell, uh huh…

Left here to rot

 

And it might not win me any friends

But I swear I’d do it all again, uh huh…

Worth every shot

 

Modified chorus

And this outlaw life is everything

That it’s cracked up to be

Well I get my food and clothes and television

All for free

And I know I’m gonna pay, with every passing day

But when I die I’ll still feel like I won

Love and gun

​

​

Make your own Fun

Words and music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2017

 

I

Cars cruisin’ slowly past the pizza joint

Kids behind the wheel wonderin’ what’s the point

That was you and me on a Saturday night

Tryin’ to keep it dim without losing our light

Yeah we’d go down to the river just to watch it run

In a little tiny town you gotta make your own fun

 

II

Oh huntin’ dove with shotguns in the back of a truck

The only thing that saved us was our own dumb luck

And sneakin’ out at night to ring the old church bell

Mama said that kinda thing would send me to hell

​

III

But you and me were different than most of the rest

And that could have made it worse, but it made it the best

Oh we’d go out to the Double Pines and drink some beer

And talk about the day that we’d get out of here

They’d see us draggin’ it home in the morning sun

In a little tiny town you gotta make your own fun

 

Instrumental

 

IV

You’d play old country music on your brother’s guitar

Well everybody figured that you’d be a star

Ah but losin’ every day will surely kill a man

So you took a job welding down at ADM

Oh havin’ hopes and dreams is like a loaded gun

In a little tiny town you gotta make your own fun

​

​

More Than I Have

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2015

 

I

I’ve watched you dance, a thousand times

Girl you shake it all around and blow up like a damned landmine

And you’re stuck with me and my two left feet

And I dance about as well as I run in wet concrete

 

And I don’t know, what it is you see

In a random ol’ banged up country boy like me

But then you don’t ask for more than I can give

You don’t want more than I have

 

II

Now we’ve walked this path to hell and back

And when you shake it ‘cross the room girl, you still give me a heart attack

But what you don’t know, is I know the truth

That I wouldn’t be a thing worth bein’ if it weren’t for you

 

And I don’t see, it just don’t make sense

That you’d think a guy like me would ever make you wanna dance

But then you don’t ask for more than I can give

You don’t want more than I have

 

Instrumental

 

III

So strike up the band, let’s feel the beat

I’m gonna do my best impression of Travolta with two left feet

And by my baby’s side, that’s where I’ll be

And I’ll try to figure out just why she’d ever wanna dance with me

 

Whether we dance slow, or we dance fast

It’s good to the be the first but it’s preferable to be the last

And honey  you don’t ask for more than I can give

You don’t want more than I have

​

​

My Father’s Son

Words and Music by Tim Crosby

Copyright 2016

 

I

I have only a few memories of my daddy when he still around

And I recall the pain and sadness that always seemed to drive him down

So I asked my mama one day why it was that he was never there

She said there ain’t no way to sugar-coat the truth, boy – your daddy doesn’t care

 

II

So I hated on that bastard and my contempt for him grew colder every day

So much so that I didn’t go and say goodbye when he passed away

And I swore an oath to God above that I would never be a man like him

But when I look into the mirror now I know that’s exactly who I am

 

Chorus

Oh… I am my father’s son

Oh… like a bullet from gun

Half crazed with grief and blind and burned from staring at the sun

You might think that  Iwas yours

But I have always been my father’s son

 

III

It wasn’t too long after daddy died, that I ran into one of his friends

He said I’m sorry boy you never got to know your father quite the way we did

He was a man who wouldn't give up hope, and that’s what done him in

There was no way you could have known it but your mamma didn't want you around him

 

V

And we watched him suffer every day with that, and we saw how hard he tried

But all those years away from you well it just seemed to eat him up inside

And we think he finally put that bullet in his brain out of sheer despair

Knowin’ that the son he loved so much would never know was more than he could bear

 

Modified chorus

Oh… I am my father’s son

Oh....my world has come undone

Broken down and beaten up and movin’ round and livin’ on the run

You might think that I was yours

But I have always been my father’s son

 

VI

Well happy happy Mother’s Day, I guess it’s true I owe you everything

And I bet you never thought I’d figure out just how you danced me on that string

Well when you took my dad away from me I bet you figured that you had won

Ah but you never understood the fact that in the end we’re all our fathers’ sons

 

Modified chorus

Oh… I am my father’s son

Oh… just like a bullet from gun

Oh….my world has come undone

You might think that I was yours

But I will always be my  father’s son

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