HOPE SINGS – LYRICS
all lyrics by Laurie Hope, copyright 2014
FREEDOM
Eve bit the apple, they say it’s a sin
got kicked out of the garden – can’t get back in again
mess with a temptation – you might get burned
but when nothing’s risked nothing’s learned
avoid the web of what’s unreal
set your intention, turn the wheel
start the revolution, with just one bite
set fear aside, head for the light
of freedom..
head for the light (4x)
of freedom
thunder in the mountains, floods on the plain
40 days and nights with pounding rain
argue with the devil – it’s a tricky game
do it right one time and break your chains…
and head for freedom
head for the light (4x)
of freedom
time’s an illusion of forward thrust
The great equalizer brings dust to dust
If you get your comfort in God we trust
What you gonna do if it all goes bust?
galaxy’s expanding – ain’t no time to lose
Don’t sit around mopin’ while you sing the blues
the road to hell is open, it’s your call to choose
you know what you’ll get if you refuse
the light of freedom
head for the light of freedom
head for the light, head for the light
head for the light of freedom
BURNOUT BLUES
I kick-start the morning with three cups of Joe
Just to work my ass off with nothin’ to show
Push all day against the flow
Come home fried & frazzled from head to toe
Friday night I crumbled and fell to my knees
My heart was palpitatin’, I could hardly breathe
Called up the doctor, said “Help me, please –
I think I got some weird kind of funky disease!”
She said, “Don’t get hysterical, it’s not bad news
You amped out your system and blew a fuse
The medical term is the Burnout Blues
Get yourself a hammock and take a snooze.”
Sit yourself down and don’t make a move
Watch the dust as it settles to a slow groove
Sit yourself down and don’t make a move
Watch the dust as it settles to a slow groove
You gotta move, you gotta move
You gotta move to a slow…..groove
Now I ease into the morning with hot ginger tea
I do the downward dog and some slow tai chi
My blood pressure’s 100 over 73
I’m flat out broke but I’m happy and free
Sit yourself down and don’t make a move
Watch the dust as it settles to a slow groove
Sit yourself down and don’t make a move
Watch the dust as it settles to a slow groove
You gotta move, you gotta move
You gotta move to a slow…..groove
YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE FOR ME
I’d nearly given up on finding Mr. Right
When I found your post on that online site
I knew by the glow of your inner light
That you’re the only one for me
You wrote that you’re a Buddhist and read Socrates
A well-adjusted Capricorn who aims to please
Rock hard abs and two PhDs –
You’re the only one for me
We’ll go for sunset strolls in the park
Dance in the moonlight, snuggle in the dark
Go off to see the world hand in hand
Unless it turns out you’re a married man
So I checked you out on Facebook, Twitter too
Read your medical records for a thorough review
Ran a credit check, and now I know it’s true –
You’re the only one for me
I’m a SWF and I’m 5 foot 6
With long blond hair and great big – eyes
I’ve got both brains and sex appeal
I’m compassionate, wise & insightful, and all my parts are real!
Give me a call, let’s try a date
I ain’t getting’ younger, don’t hesitate
You sound so perfect, God I hope you’re straight
‘Cause you’re the only one for me – and you’ll see
That I’m the only one for you
PASSIN’ THROUGH
I bundle up for the winter night and take a walk outside
I look up at all the twinkling lights high in the blackened sky
I wonder if the one that’s movin’ like a star that’s taken flight –
Is the light from the wing on the airplane taking you out of my life
So many things we could point to and say “That was the reason why”
Like the silence that grew inch by inch as the years kept passin’ by
Or the almost lies we tried to disguise with tender alibis
Or the games we played to avoid the truth ‘cause of what it might imply
If today is all I got, I gotta do it without you
I can’t make something into what it’s not, so what it is will have to do
Though we said our last good-byes I can’t believe it’s true
I thought we’d walk life’s road together but you were just passin’ through
All I got are memories – just time foldin’ back on itself
And a few old sentimental photographs collecting dust up on the shelf
Once upon a time you told me you’d always be my friend
But when I reach for you in my empty bed
My heart breaks again
If today is all I got, I gotta do it without you
I can’t make something into what it’s not, so what it is will have to do
Though we said our last good-byes I can’t believe it’s true
I thought we’d walk life’s road together but you were just passin’ through
GATHER ME UP
the world she knew has crumbled
her tethers have been broke
tumblin’ down in free fall
with nothin’ left to hold
floating somewhere above her life
afraid she’s lost control
all her conclusions spin in the air
and hang on a fragile hope
the night tosses up her losses
shards of splintered bone
worlds hidden between the cracks
where secret demons roam
she says “show me the way out of this darkness
I can’t make it on my own
gather me up ’cause I’m fallin’ to pieces
and can’t find my way home”
watching the rush of the river
with fears that threaten to drown
wishin’ she could toss them all in
and watch them float on down
a sleepless night is lonely
familiar comforts gone
no matter how she longs for the light
it’s an endless wait ‘til dawn
she says “show me the way out of this darkness
I can’t make it on my own
gather me up ’cause I’m fallin’ to pieces
and can’t find my way home”
MY OLD MAN
my old man’s snorin’ like a bullfrog
I got a pillow over my head
he’s tossin’ and turnin’ all night long
& pullin’ covers off the bed
he’s lucky he’s good lookin’
& at lovin’ he’s the best
or else I’d trade him in
so I could get a good night’s rest (2x)
my old man’s always talkin’
but he don’t got much to say
he always got the TV on
all the damn night and day
I bought me a pair of earplugs
and let him yap away
‘cuz his hands speak so eloquently
when we hit the hay
ooooo wheeee! he makes me go so weak in the knees
ooooo wheeee! I love the way he holds me
my old man’s got no money
he ain’t too well behaved
he always leaves the damn seat up
& doesn’t like to shave
he don’t believe in housework
wont’ cook or wash a dish
but when we get between the sheets
he does whatever I wish
my old man’s a heathen
he loves to cuss and sin
& did I ever tell you
how he loves his gin?
don’t y’all go now and judge me
for marryin’ the King of Jerks
The benefits far outweigh the cost
‘cause I sure enjoy the perks!
ooooo wheeee! he makes me go so weak in the knees
ooooo wheeee! I love the way he holds me
ooooo wheeee! I love the way he . . . you know. . .
FLIGHT 447
The golden sun set over Rio
As the plane lifted over the sea
It sped through the skies toward sunrise
To greet the next dawn in Pari(s)
No one was warned of the towering storm
That caught them by surprise
In four short hours they lost all power
As lightning split the skies
Captain Dubois held steady
As they thundered into the night
He’d flown 20 years, but this time he feared
This would be his last flight
Ladies and gentlemen hold on tight
Send your prayers in to the night
Sylvio Barbato was bound for Kiev
To conduct his new symphony
When the skies turned violent his muse fell silent
And he settled his score in the sea
Carmen Eccard clutched her children
and pretended to be brave
but no matter how tight she held them
they fell to a watery grave
What did they feel as they tumbled
Down to the swirling sea?
Their lives incomplete as they readied to meet
The boundless mystery
Ladies and gentlemen hold on tight
Send your prayers in to the night
Where the trade winds meet the waters run deep
The Atlantic gives no guarantee,
228 met their fate
In that great uncharted sea
Everyone wept for the families
And mourned for those who died
When they disappeared it seemed so clear
But for God’s grace go you or I
Ladies and gentlemen hold on tight
Send your prayers in to the night
When you look up to the stars at night
Turn your gaze toward heaven
Look for the light of the souls who went down
On Flight Four-Forty-Seven
BEAUTIFUL
If you could see what I can see
When I look into your eyes
You’d fall into deep pools of love
As vast as the open skies
As vast as the open skies
If you could hear what I can hear
When I listen to you cry
You’d kiss away each tender tear
Until you’d loved ‘em dry
Until you’d loved ‘em dry
If you ever look in the mirror
And don’t like what you see
Remember that in every way
You’re beautiful to me
If you could feel what I can feel
When I hold you close at night
You’d smile real wide from ear to ear
Until the dawn’s first light
Until the dawn’s first light
SOLSTICE
cold winds through the valley
blow down the shivering leaves
the breath of life suspended
as we wait on bended knees
livin’ on the edges
afraid our time is done
though we pray for redemption
it’s so slow to come
can you see the beauty
in the stillness of the deep
can you rest inside this darkness
while everything you know retreats
hold your light inside you
shield its fragile flame
keep your vigil tenderly
‘til the seasons turn again
can you see the beauty
in the stillness of the deep
can you rest inside this darkness
while everything you know retreats
ODE TO GLENN MULLIN
Some say when old Tim Finnegan died
He went straight down to hell
But I tell you, friend, he was born again
Shaking a vajra and bell
Now he’s a big bellied Buddha
A rainbow-bodied rogue
It’s his karma to teach us the Dharma
With a lilting Irish brogue
Ah ha ha, oh ho ho
Om mani peme hung hri!
With joyful drama this Tantric lama
Serves blarney with barley tea
All pervading wisdom
Erupts in spontaneous mirth
As great guffaws bellow and belch
From his boon-bestowing girth
Dakinis line up ‘round the corner
For a bit of the old yab-yum
Perched on his lappy, he’ll keep ‘em happy
For the price of a wee cup of rum
Ah ha ha, oh ho ho
Om mani peme hung hri!
With joyful drama this Tantric lama
Serves blarney with barley tea
He quotes all the Dalai Lamas
From the 1st through number 14
Entertaining all with tales short and tall
Some sublime and some obscene
Folks say he’s the incarnation
Of Vajrabhairava himself
I’d be willin’ to pay he’s got DNA
Spliced from an Irish elf
Just like his famed predecessor Tim
He’d sort of a tipless way
With a cup of sloe gin he’d prostrate and then
Using malas and mantras he’d pray:
“Bodhisattvas and Buddhas from the 5 realms
You without stain or fault
Thank you for sending bliss never-ending
In a bottle of good single malt.”
Ah ha ha, oh ho ho
Om mani peme hung hri!
With joyful drama this Tantric lama
Serves blarney with barley tea
If you find enlightenment
At the end of a six pack of ale
Tip your hat to the Buddha that
Sports a white ponytail
Ah ha ha, oh ho ho
Om mani peme hung hri!
With joyful drama, this liquor lovin’ lama
Is sure to set you free!
BETTY BAT
b-b-b-b Betty, she’s a little bit b-batty
She’s my b-baby
I’m her d-d-daddy
You know I love b-b-Betty Bat
Naturally blind, her specialization
Is finding her way by echolocation
Like a stealth bomber flying incognito
She’s the terror of the fly, gnat & mosquito
When the sun goes down she flies around
Catchin’ bugs all over town
When she’s through & has nothin’ to do
She hangs around – upside down!
b-b-b-b Betty, she’s a little bit b-batty
She’s my b-baby
I’m her d-d-daddy
You know I love b-b-Betty Bat
She’s so cool, she gets me high
She’s the only mammal who can really fly
I worship her with deep devotion
‘cause I save a mint on calamine lotion
We like independence so it‘s really great
That 6 months a year she’ll hibernate
My heart is filled with gratitude
For her bodacious b-b-b- battitude
b-b-b-b Betty, she’s a little bit b-batty
She’s my b-baby
I’m her d-d-daddy
You know I love b-b-Betty Bat
She hangs out in caves with a thousand friends
A goopy mess is on the ground
But I don’t mind the awful stink
I sell guano for ten bucks a pound!
b-b-b-b Betty, she’s a little bit b-batty
She’s my b-baby
I’m her d-d-daddy
You know I love b-b-Betty Bat
Protect her habitat
‘Cause if bats don’t thrive
The mosquitos will eat us alive!
You know I love b-b- Betty b-b-b-Bat
I DIDN’T KNOW HER NAME
Walkin’ for miles all day in a daze
I-pod hangin’ from her ears
She looked straight ahead, eyes a little glazed
Mouthin’ words that nobody hears
A fixture of the back roads and shadows of town
Alone on the path everyday
I don’t know why she made me want to cry
So I turned my head & looked the other way
Was she prayin’ to a God who’d forsaken her
Or wonderin’ what the devil just said
Was she walkin’ off the dreams of a night that wouldn’t end
Caught by the illusions in her head
One rainy day I offered her a ride
“It’s awfully cold – won’t you come inside?”
She wouldn’t slow her steady stride
Just shook her head and walked on by
After all those years it wasn’t clear
Just when she started slippin’ away
Surprised to realize when she disappeared
I didn’t even know her name
Was she prayin’ to a God who’d forsaken her
Or wonderin’ what the devil just said
Was she walkin’ off the dreams of a night that wouldn’t end
Caught by the illusions in her head
Everybody said it was a shame
But there wasn’t anyone to blame
Though she lived right down the lane
I didn’t even know her name
I didn’t know her name
I didn’t know…
HONEST MAN
I’ve packed up my car, I’m walkin’ to the bar
I’ve said my good-byes to this town
I’ll take my hurtin’ heart and find a new start
where memories don’t beat me down.
my husband didn’t think it would hurt to have a drink
or two with the wife of his friend
one thing led to another and soon they were lovers
and that was the beginning of the end.
I wish I could give him a piece of my mind
but there ain’t no way that I can
‘cause there ain’t a damn thing that anyone could ever say
to make him an honest man
one evening I found them sneakin’ around
doin’ what they couldn’t undo
It was pointless to deny their cheatin’ and lies
It’s a story that’s nothin’ new
I wish I could give him a piece of my mind
but there ain’t no way that I can
‘cause there ain’t a damn thing that anyone could ever say
to make him an honest man
won’t you pour me another shot to drown these blues I got
‘thinkin’ ‘bout how I been wronged
I’ve lost my sense of pride, the dreams I had have died
and all my faith in love is gone.
TEARS LIKE RIVERS
Morning dawns, the night is gone
But there’s no light in my sky
My house has burned down, I’ve come undone
All I can do is cry (2x)
Nothing remains but ashes and soot
No roof to keep me dry
No hearth to warm my brittle bones
No one to tell me why (2x)
Tears like rivers, tears like streams
Tears like falling rain
Let them wash away every trace
Of all my sorrow and pain
Without any comfort to slow the tide
My tears run fast and free
Like the river that flows through the valleys and hills
Into the arms of the sea (2x)
They say that time heals all wounds
Light will come again soon
Till then I’ll make my bed under the stars
Tears like rivers, tears like streams
Tears like the falling rain
Soon they’ll wash away every trace
Of all this sorrow and pain (2x)
WHO’S GOIN’ MY WAY
Who’s goin’ my way? (3x)
Gonna find out on judgment day (2x)
I used to be made of sugar ‘n spice
Always acted the right kind of nice
Now I’m done payin’ the price
If you cross me now you’d better think twice
Man I loved he went astray
Closed his eyes and lost his way
Caught in the act with nothin’ to say
If I see him again he got hell to pay
Who’s goin’ my way? (3x)
Gonna find out on judgment day (2x)
My mama said “to thine own self be true”
Advice I wish I had listened to
Easy to say, not easy to do
When you let a man walk all over you
When I see St. Peter I’m tellin’ him:
“You can judge my life and see where I been
I ain’t repentin’ someone else’s sin
Get out of my way, I’m comin’ in!”
Who’s goin’ my way? (3x)
Gonna find out on judgment day (2x)
HOLD THEM CLOSE
I hardly knew my mother
I hear she liked to dance
She’d step out every night of the week
In her black satin fancy pants
In a crowded room three flights up
Above the dry cleaning store
She earned lots of money on her back
But her habit kept us poor
Mama, they say you loved me
In your own way as best you could
But since you never showed me
It never did me no good
Daddy was one of many
Sneakin’ out the revolving door
I didn’t know what family was
But I knew that I needed more
At fifteen I had a little baby
By twenty-three I had four more
Had a man or two along the way
Though I really couldn’t say what for
Sometimes they said they loved me
In their own way as best they could
But since they never showed me
It never did me no good
I ain’t the perfect mother
Mama showed me what not to be
I tell my children I love them
And hold them close to me
I hold them close to me
THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
when I was young and the world was wide open
I took a chance on love
walking in the sky toward the bright lights of heaven
the living midnight high above
through 100 days and the turning of a season
I found what cannot be named
a seed started growing, a miracle unfolding
& together we entered the gate
what a joy to watch the bud turn to blossom
through the years of countless hours
of all the riches I’ve been blessed with
you’re my brightest Golden Flower
our paths have crossed through many lifetimes
weaving back and forth
we come together for the briefest moment
then return to the source
when I stop and look back on my life
the best thing I’ve ever done
was follow old Lao Tzu down the ancient path
to find my Golden One
now I sit on the summit of a thousand mountains
yet I remain at the road
the light turns around, I hear the silent sound
of love’s sweet rumbling echo
secrets of heaven and earth are waiting
to share their treasure
so shine your light on the source of wonder
to the steady stream that runs forever
when I stop and look back on my life
the best thing I’ve ever done
was follow old Lao Tzu down the ancient path
to find my Golden One
you are my golden flower
reachin’ for the sun
you are my sweet fruition
my Golden One
WEDDING SONG
Few things last forever
Some but for a day
But love that’s pure and simple
Never goes away
So hold me now while we share this time
Show me how your heart flows into mine
Let’s take each day to find a way to let our light shine
I know by now I have your vow — and darlin’ you have mine
We build our dreams together
And hope they will come true
But no dream could be sweeter
Than the simple sight of you
So hold me now while we share this time
Show me how your heart flows into mine
Let’s take each day to find a way to let our light shine
I’m so glad I have your love and darlin’ you have mine
Few things last forever
Some but for a day
But love that’s pure and simple
Never goes away