Life: Here & Now II

there's a place where everyone dances in a line get a big kick out of that there electric slide Boogying like a bunch of yokels from the countryside they're out there scuffin the floor with their boots some of them born downtown but claiming country roots wearing hats and string ties and whatever suits their fancy's fancy on another honkey-tonk night never punched a cow never rode a paint think those songs make them somethin they ain't what have all them got that makes it real? I think ya'll forgot it's all about what you feel so let's go on down there with the hicks we can go downtown and it'll be like the sticks do-si-do, slide and swing, end up in a kiss there's a place where we can all dance in a line get a big kick out of that there electric slide We'll boogie like a bunch of yokels from the countryside and dance with me until we get it all right Till we remember what we forgot This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Nonco...

sure seems like it easy to see You're the one You're the one You're the one for me How'd I ever miss it? Dunno, beats me You're the one You're the one You're the one for me You're the one who's gonna keep me warm You're the one when my heart is torn the one to put me back together the one to hold me tight the one to tell me things will be better in the morning light Everybody knew it way before me You're the one You're the one You're the one for me I almost blew it so completely You're the one You're the one You're the one for me You're the one who's gonna keep me warm You're the one when my heart is torn the one to put me back together the one to hold me tight the one to tell me things will be better in the morning light This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

early morning, but later than I should be know you're watching, taking care of me I feel it happening as I wake from my sleep You are always watching over me another harsh word is slipping from my mouth cant' retract it, now it all goes south I really should finally figure this one out You are always watching over me With a steady love like Yours Why can't I imitate The ready hand you stretch out to recover my mistakes Comforts me to know You are watching Day is grinding, slowly wearing me away Taking captives of things I want to say Saps the energy I need to go a better way You are always watching over me Find my refuge in the hollow of Your hand A place of learning that I am a mortal man With no hope of staying any longer than I can stand You are always watching over me With a steady love like Yours Why can't I imitate The ready hand you stretch out to recover my mistakes Comforts me to know You are watching Watching over me This wor...

I'm finding You remind me Sometimes it's blinding What I don't see I'm becoming You plumb me Rescue from stumbling Over everything If I could just find the strength If only I would see the truth I would know what it is to keep All the promises I've made to you Let's turn this Don't want to miss The effects of that one kiss of grace remain I'm very sure I will prefer To have your love' cure Over being the same If I could just find the strength If only I would see the truth I would know what it is to keep All the promises I've made to you If I could accept your strength If only I would see the truth I would know that you will keep All the promises I've have in you This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

"nothing new under the sun" that's what you told me I thought you were lots of fun When you showed me sometimes the same old things are what we need always got bored in school tired of the same sack lunch working at this job is so mundane wanting a brand new car buy a new pair of jeans always a better, newer game but when it comes to love you've shown me what's true the best things stay the same "nothing new under the sun" that's what you told me I thought you were lots of fun When you showed me sometimes the same old things are what we need it's the way you love me fresh every single day yet never changing a bit it's in the way you look when you're looking at me and i finally start to get it so go ahead and tell me what you told me before I think now I really believe it "nothing new under the sun" that's what you told me I thought you were lots of fun When you showed me sometimes the same old things are what we need This wo...

I am not a theologian, nor a theologian's son I'm just looking for the answer, and a bit under the gun Can't say what's the pressure; feels like a rush To get to an understanding, to listen to the bush Speak to me in whispers In the whirlwind's aftermath I'm standing in the crevice Just waiting for you to pass I've outrun my own thinking, left myself behind "Stranded in Babylon, just looking for a sign" See the cloud on the horizon, no bigger than my fist Feel the rain drenching my face; I've waited for this Speak to me in whispers In the whirlwind's aftermath I'm standing in the crevice Just waiting for you to pass This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

out of the closet here they come skeletons aplenty on the run ready to tell the tales they know to keep us thinking those chains are so ear up to the walls listening hear what they're gonna say spill the beans every word to bring us down steal all the graces that we'll allow but these walls don't know old bones cannot reveal the love and all the hope and all the things I feel when I think of you a fly on the wall thousand eyes watching every move the retries one more time when grace restarts and lets me have you here in my heart but these walls don't know old bones cannot reveal the love and all the hope and all the things I feel when I think of you these walls will not see old bones cannot reveal all the things I feel all I feel when I think of you This work is licensed under a Creative Co...

When you find you don't have answers, when you think everything's in smoke, when you find there are no handles to hang on to any more If you're seeing the very bottom, but you find you are missing depth, and everything that's on the surface is really all that you have left That's when I want to hold you Tell you what I said once before But I'm not sure I was getting through when you went through that door When you think that you're moving on when you think you've found what's next when it seems that it was only wrong nothing good, better or best If you think that you are trouble And you spell it with a capital T if you still see love in the rubble glowing with warmth from me That's when I want to hold you Tell you what I said once before But I'm not sure I was getting through when you went through that door When you think you have forgotten An...

hold my hand fingers entwine as we drive along chasing the starlight sit right here right next to me buckle up Orion squeeze me extra tight coyote welcoming us to the desert song get the music right ride with me under the stars and we'll come upon the morning sunrise This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

hey honey I've turned the music on pull the apron off, put that dishrag down I'm done trimming all the shrubs outside Fixed the door, and all the burned out lights take a little break just to dance with me right now there's no higher priority Hey I love how you love me loving you Mixing it up with everything we do I love how you love me loving you I love how you love me loving you the dryer's buzzing, gotta get the clothes toss hot sheets on the bed, anything goes vac'd and mopped all over the floor come down here and give me one kiss more we've been checkin off everything on the list mix in the stuff that's more important than this Hey I love how you love me loving you Mixing it up with everything we do I love how you love me loving you I love how you love me loving you This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

can it be how's it so? you and me we kinda fit together glove on hand hand in glove I understand we kinda fit together try this on for size give this thought a whirl I'm looking you in the eyes what a wonderful world is it you? it is me they all see we kinda fit together spin around if we spin won't fall down we kinda fit together try this on for size give this thought a whirl I'm looking you in the eyes what a wonderful world This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

stand up on the mountain look east and then look west as far as you can see out there I am not loving you less sail out upon the ocean sound the depths of the floor into the deepest abyss I will be loving you more from the very beginning with no thought of an end beyond the span of creation Know this love again and again

well just last night I heard you say you were thinking 'bout leaving me didn't pick an hour or a day just that you wanted to be free if you're gonna go, doesn't make much sense to be biding your time so pack your bags, there's the door, if you leave now, that's just fine don't try to hold on for me don't think you're doing any favors letting me down gently like a band-aid, pull it off quick, I'm ready for the pain but when you're going don't pretend you'll be coming back again I've seen it coming for a while though you tried to hide it all so well every time you forced a smile you were working hard, yeah I could tell if you're gonna go, doesn't make much sense to join the actor's guild and when I ask you if you're going, don't say you won't when you will don't try to hold on for me don't think you're doing any favor...

Lord willin and the creek don't rise I'll wake up tomorrow lookin in your eyes You and I'll be havin the time of our lives We'll be wondering where all the good times fly Good Lord willin, and the creek don't rise Good Lord willin, and the creek don't rise Good Lord willin, and the creek don't Creek don't rise Last time I saw you way down in Abeliene We were hatching plans, laying out our schemes Didn't know much, but we believed in our dreams And somehow that all went away Spent way too much time just wandering around Looking for something I forgot I had already found Till the places I could possibly go finally ran out And now I'm coming back to say Lord willin and the creek don't rise I'll wake up tomorrow lookin in your eyes You and I'll be havin the time of our lives We'll be wondering where all the good times fly Good Lord willin, and the cree...

let's just sit here for a little while, just sit here, and let it all pass by, just sit here and see what comes along holding hands, and singing songs making plans, forgiving wrongs let's sit here and relish the sky for there's one thing left to do tonight and I want to be sure everything's alright let's sit here, put a good movie on just sit here, munching some popcorn just sit here, take time to settle down sipping hot chocolate on a wintry day and in the summer, icy lemonade let's sit here, just you and I for there's one thing left to do tonight and I want to be sure everything's alright let's lay here looking up at the fan let's lay here now that we understand just lay here, feel the earth turn for there's nothing left to do tonight and I just want to be sure everything's gonna be alright oh there's nothing left to do tonight 'cept to give you one more kiss goodnight

Monday morning we drove out to Nsuta to visit Mama Rose's school; this would be my second visit, and I was returning almost one year later to the day.  I paid little attention to the countryside as the driver sped along at 50 mph on an unmarked road lined with pedestrians on either side. Driving in Ghana is somewhat chaotic, but everyone pays attention.  Probably the best training for Ghana driving would be the video game Mario Kart, except played without hitting anything.  That's why I chose not to pay attention; the ride would be less stressful that way.  Instead, my hostess and I talked about ontology, theology, metaphysics, environmentalism, neo-colonialism and Ghana's 52-year independence. My first thought as we pulled into the school was that the large -- no, HUGE tree that we saw last year was gone.  But other changes lifted my heart:  the auditorium, which one year ago had walls barely four feet tall, was not close to the point of being roofed....

there's really no where I can be away from you no place that is ever that far when I think of everything that you've done you're even closer than you were at the start though I wish you were here standing at my side so I could show you everything the distance we've gone is what keeps you near and always keeps you here deep inside me the distance doesn't mean a thing the distance can't keep us apart and this dance makes your love clear and the distance you've come in my heart sometimes it feels like I've gone way too far stepped just outside your reach but just the sound of your voice when I call shows me what none of the experts will teach when you took me in, and you brought me inside when you held me just that close your welcome goes with me wherever I fly and the hug of your heart let's me know the distance doesn't mean a thing the distance can't keep us apart ...

no box of chocolates for you this year no flowers at your door or behind my back no torn-open cards to making sure you know that my love has been growing all this time too many miles lie between us today way too long since I've held your hand too many tears since you last wore that smile and that last embrace lingers here in my mind be my valentine hold me in your heart, like I hold you in mine never letting go it's no trouble to love you, do it all the time one day you will see that you're always going to be my valentine a short message says it, but doesn't say all maybe you'll let me tell you all the rest if I can find the words to tell you the story that's being written on my heart all the time it's reflected in your face; flashes in your eyes these seeds of love grow where they're sown no need to hide it, so I won't try any more and I'll tell you every secret held here inside be ...

saw you standing there in the parking lot a long-lost friend for sure smiling back at me and wondering what we left behind that door the hair is flying as you're riding around I seem to be right there beside you when the ragtop is down and I'm not going anywhere hard to forget, no matter how you try praying will get you there, but won't keep you dry sit on the boulder in the park pucker up for a kiss caught it on film and here in my heart with things I always miss hard to forget, no matter how you try praying will get you there, but won't keep you dry This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

there's no guard to keep you from crossing my mind it's absurd to keep it from happening, but still I try there you are in that dress, as you step from the curb the damage done, I confess, I did with just one word like the Aussie Eddy, here I am spinning the wrong way never really ready for what my mouth is going to say then you step into view and I almost forget that of all that's happened to me, baby,you're the best It's not clear, but it's true you're loving me; He's loving you the hand of grace draws the line and we'll get it right this time the awful things we've sown can always be redeemed the countless way's I've grown are not easily seen unless grace is looking, taking it in at a glance and I'm still here waiting to hold you as we dance It's not clear, but it's true you're loving me; He's loving you the hand of grace draws the line and we'll get it right this time I know you're trying hard to quietly fo...

watching the fish go by dodging behind that ray looking you in the eye looking for something to say like the monkeys at the zoo lazy hangin in the tree I've got no real excuse for not pullin you back to me sure it's a jungle out there too many cares are pulling us apart like the bottom of the sea yeah, there you are in me diving for pearls is an art no rain among the trees staying dry right here now want to climb in our canopy yeah, we'll figure out how sure it's a jungle out there too many cares are pulling us apart like the bottom of the sea yeah, there you are in me diving for pearls is an art lions at the watering hole might mean we run away but there's no place to go look at you -- I'll stay sure it's a jungle out there too many cares are pulling us apart like the bottom of the sea yeah, there you are in me diving for pearls is an art This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

in the desert night come along with me we'll go for a ride where only stars can see I didn't rub the lamp, but please say yes be my Persian princess pools darker than the night but your eyes still flash and then when you smile i'll take a splash I didn't rub the lamp, but please say yes be my Persian princess It doesn't really matter whatever is the weather. It doesn't really matter what they say. When we're together, everything is always better and the bands begin to play. Stoking the fires So they're burning bright it's the right attire for our magic carpet ride I didn't rub the lamp, but please say yes be my Persian princess It doesn't really matter whatever is the weather. It doesn't really matter what they say. When we're together, everything is always better and the bands begin to play. I'm optimistic but that's ok it's characteristic what can I say? I didn't rub the lamp, but please say yes be my Persian princes...

they're tellin me to turn it off want me to listen to what I already know about how to buckle this little belt and what those yellow masks are gonna do if there's a sudden loss of pressure or if in cold water we try to land and they'll sing it they have to and sometimes I like that but I never like the direction of this plane when it goes away from the place of recollection of those playful lazy days if I'm going to fly I want to know why I can't fly to you hours and hours of oceans stretch beneath the vibration in my feet how many fish and fathoms before this one sets me free if I'm going to fly I want to know why I can't fly to you This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

there's a place in the mountains just out of reach of the snow a place where I can get lost and no one will ever know that's where I'm off to that's where I'll run coming home to you there's a shade tree in the valley guards from the desert sun just outside your door there we can swing just for fun that's where I'm off to that's where I'll run coming home to you you've got me wishing I could play with time always hoping I can drink that wine of your smiling eyes make it last this time in that place i've always dreamed of there's a place along the border in the shadow of the fence where sinners find redemption and a timely recompense that's where I'm off to that's where I'll run coming home to you there's a place down near the ocean a rocky point along the sea where they all go for their fun i'll find mine when you're with me that's where I'm off to that's where I...