LYRICS & CREDITS for ECHOES
LYRICS:
1. Hell in High Water
Here’s where the homestead stood beneath those eastern pines / And a piece of that old porch swing I built her in ‘95 / The Devil dressed in dark clouds, he brought the wind, he brought the rain / I never dreamed I’d live to see an Appalachian Hurricane // The suits ain’t got nothin’ but a pittance for your pain / They’ve got more important things to do / So just go on back to sleep or look the other way / They’re workin’ on a new headline or two // The ancient hills are cryin’ for Mother Mountain’s broken heart / Hell came in High Water and just ripped them hills apart / Long forgotten, now forsaken, but the Good Lord’s love will abide / Hell came in high water, like a thief in the night // Son, if you ain’t angry, well you’re payin’ no mind / But this ain’t the first time we’ve been left so far behind / The sorrow and anguish will cut you right down to the bone / But from the hollers to the hills, we take care of our own // The ancient hills are cryin’ for Mother Mountain’s broken heart / Hell came in High Water and just ripped them hills apart / Long forgotten, now forsaken, but the Good Lord’s love will abide / Hell came in high water, Heaven help us tonight / Heaven help us tonight
2. Undertow
Well, our new home is this musty old motel room / Until all the funds are gone and they just make us leave / We don’t turn on the TV, we hardly open up the shade / Ain’t nothin’ out that window worth seeing anyway // Well, the winter nights are long, we both toss and we turn / We don’t talk much about September now, but those memories they still burn / Well, the storm has long gone, but those dark clouds still hangin’ down low / We lost you in the flood, and I’m still caught in the undertow // You were the best of us / What I wouldn’t give just to have you next to us / You always held it all together every time I was losin’ control / So, why am I the one left behind in the undertow // Baby I’m tryin’ like Hell to be a good father / But I’m in the middle of a deep dark ocean, and I’m just out here all alone and I’m treading water / I swear that look in his eyes, is like a window to your soul / That boy needs his mama, not some old broken man caught up in the undertow // You were the best of us / What I wouldn’t give to have you next to us / You always held it all together when the storm was ragin’ in my soul / So why am I the one left behind in the undertow / Why am I the one left behind in the undertow
3. Echoes
I walk alone these sacred hills / Where for so long time stood still / I feel the weight of those we’ve lost / I hear the soft sweet rise of a distant song // Listen close can you hear / The mountain’s song far and near / She bears the burden, souls never found / The weight keeps knees on the ground // Hear their echoes ring through the pines / Fill the hollers, swing on the vine / Smell the clover, the breath of life / A lonely fiddle, a song of strife // Some souls are called to rise early / Their time with us won’t be for long / They’re needed now with the poet / Who breathes the life in the mountain’s song // Hear their echoes ring through the pines / Fill the hollers, swing on the vine // Smell the clover, the breath of life / A lonely fiddle, cuts through the night // Hear their Echoes ring through the pines / Fill the hollers, swing on the vine / Smell the clover, the breath of life / A song for the ones we’ll never find // I walk alone these sacred hills / Where for so long time stood still
4. Cold River Runnin’
Fog in the pines at the break of day / Rust on my rig but it still runs straight / Whiskey in a thermos, her picture on the dash / Pocket full of pain and a half-burned stash // Cold wind cuts this denim shirt / Tires keep spinnin’ in the red-clay dirt / I swear, sometimes the road gets thin / And the mountains keep callin’ me back again // Cold river runnin’ right through my veins / Chills my bones, calls her name / Deep in this holler as a man can be / Chasin’ her memory through the evergreens // Cold river runnin’ won’t let me rest / A hollow heart poundin’ in my chest / I can’t rise above the undertow / Cold River runnin’ straight through my soul // Empty bottles rattle in the old truck bed / Storm keeps ragin’ inside my head / The old dog howls when the South wind blows / Lonesome song rises from the valley below // Her bedside on bended knee / My soul cries “Father, please help me.” / Porch light flickers ‘neath the scarlet oak / I’ve known hurt like lettin’ go // Cold river runnin’ right through my veins / Chills my bones, calls her name
Deep in this holler as a man can be / Chasin’ her memory through the evergreens // Cold river runnin’ won’t let me rest / A hollow heart poundin’ in my chest / I can’t rise above the undertow / Cold River runnin’ straight through my soul
5. Stop the World
There’s a full moon risin' up over the hill / I’m holed up in my cabin where the world stands still
Phone lights up, it’s your name again / You say, “Hey there stranger, where you been?” / I tell you, “Just here with the trees and the breeze, / where nobody knocks and I do as I please” / You say, “People are crazy, that’s why I’m alone.” / I say, “Tonight’s got me wishing you’d come on home.” // And the shadows play tricks on the mind at night / And your words hit me hard in the pale moonlight // Stop the world and let me off / I’m tired of the noise and I’m feelin' lost // You and me baby we’re miles apart / But under this moon I can feel your heart / Stop the world and let me off / I’m tired of the noise, I’m feelin' lost / You and me baby we’re miles apart / But under this moon I can feel your heart / Stop the world and let me off / It’s spinnin' too fast and I’ve had enough // Babe, I hate to say but sometimes it seems / It’s all tragedy, tears and tyranny / High water in the East, Hellfire in the West / Everybody’s shoutin' ‘bout who knows best / I’m old enough to recall a time / When we pulled together, when we held the line / I can’t say just where it all went wrong / But you can stop this world and you can let me off // Stop the world and let me off / I’m tired of the noise and I’m feelin' lost / You and me baby we’re comin' apart / But under this moon I can feel your heart / Stop the world and let me off / I’m tired of the noise, I’m feelin' lost / You and me baby we’re comin' apart / But under this moon I can feel your heart / Stop the world and let me off / It’s spinnin' too fast and I’ve had enough // Stop the world and let me off / I’m tired of the noise, babe I’m feelin' lost / You and me baby we’re comin' apart / But under this moon I can feel your heart / Stop the world and let me off / It’s spinnin' too fast and I’ve had enough
6. I Know a Guy
Man, I’m so damn glad you answered, I hate to bother you / But I’m still losin’ ground, I don’t know what to do / I could use a helpin’ hand to pull me through / If you’ve got the time / Man, if your pedals to the floor down a dead-end road // If you’re fightin’ sleep, if you’re losin’ hope / You don’t need a helpin’ hand, you need a real lifeline / And I know a guy // I know a guy who’ll pick you up when you’re face down in the mud / He’ll brush you off, he’ll set you straight, he’ll dry your eyes / I know guy who’ll be that friend you can count on ‘til the end / No, he won’t disappear when things ain’t goin’ right / So, if you’re hangin’ by a thread this time, I know a guy // If you’re fightin’ like Hell to stay on your feet / If the bottle’s run dry and you’re still thirsty / If all the friends you had, have all said goodbye, I know a guy / When the doubts creep in and won’t let you go / And every mess you’ve made starts to take a toll / Brother, I’ve been there and I’ve seen the other side / ‘Cause I know a guy // I know a guy who’ll pick you up when you’re face down in the mud / He’ll brush you off, he’ll set you straight, he’ll dry your eyes / I know guy who’ll be that friend you can count on ‘til the end / No, he won’t disappear when things ain’t goin’ right / So, if you’re hangin’ by a thread this time, I know a guy / If you’re hangin’ by a thread for dear life, I know a guy
7. Mountains of Home
They sing about cities and brag about steel / The world's seven wonders I cannot feel / The telephone lines run outta sight / Taken for granted when I'm passin' by / My heart loses time / Where has it gone / Your love has the answers / In the mountains of home // They talk about buildings so modern and nice / And throw away memories to keep me surprised / The longer I live through God's love and grace / The further I travel to find my own way // My heart loses time / Where has it gone / Your love has the answers / In the mountains of home // We pray for our children they grow up so fast / Seekin' their fortunes in every sunrise / We drifted apart chasin' silver and gold / When will we learn to wander no more // My heart loses time / Where has it gone / Your love has the answers / In the mountains of home // My heart loses time / Lord, where has it gone / Your love has the answers / In the mountains of home / Your love has the answers / In the mountains back home
8. Tailwaters
Tailwaters of Cherokee gently flowin' at my feet / On a perfect day back home in East Tennessee / We’ve seen a lot of pain these days, we’ve lost a lot of ground / I wanna cleanse my soul in her waters let her wash my sins on down, wash my sins down // He thinks that we’re just out here fishin', chasin' Brooks and Browns / One day he’ll know where a piece of Heaven on this earth can be found, Heaven on earth sure can be found // God of the river won’t you wash away my sins / Push that pain downstream I don’t wanna feel again / Cold waters cleanse me, help me to see / A little light in the darkness, tailwaters of Cherokee // He casts a line out in her waters and I just stop and stare / Just beyond the shallow riffles, I swear my daddy’s standin' there, He’s got the fire down in his belly, he’s got a poet’s soul / One day he’ll learn to tame the lions, one day he’ll just let go, I pray he’ll just let go // God of the river, won’t you wash away my sins / Push that pain downstream I don’t wanna feel again / Cold waters cleanse me, help me to see / A little light in the darkness, tailwaters of Cherokee / Tailwaters, tailwaters, tailwaters of Cherokee
9. A Woman’s Love
Failin’ your way through school, singin’ your songs on and old barstool / Hellbent and headstrong, just a county-line kid chasin’ songs / Runnin’ them roads all night, lookin’ for love or a barroom fight / Cuttin’ loose, skippin’ class, squealin’ tires, shattered glass // Mama’s waitin’ up all night again, won’t rest her head ‘til you finally make it in / She’s been watchin’ out for you all along, liftin’ you up, rightin’ your wrongs / And wearin’ that hallway carpet thin / She’s been hittin’ her knees most every night / Pleadin’ to the man that you’ll find the light / And you won’t know ‘til you’re a full-grown man / All the prayers that she lifted up / Sheltered from all that darker stuff / By a woman’s love // Makin’ a way of her own, just a Southside girl far from home / A steady hand you’ll long to take, she’s built some walls no storm can shake / Don’t need a man on her arm, surely not a boy with a reckless heart / You’ll wanna run, she’ll try to hide, but you can’t escape the grand design / She’ll find you every time you get lost, she’ll be the light that guides you home // She’ll be watchin’ out for you all along, liftin’ you up, rightin’ your wrongs / And wearin’ that hallway carpet thin / She’ll be hittin’ her knees most every night / Pleadin’ to the man that you’ll find the light / And you won’t know ‘til you’re a full-grown man / All the prayers that she lifted up / Delivered from all that darker stuff / By a woman’s love // She’ll be your anchor in the risin’ tide / She’ll reach out for you when you fall behind // She’ll be watchin’ out for you all along, liftin’ you up, rightin’ your wrongs / And wearin’ that hallway carpet thin / She’ll be hittin’ her knees most every night / Pleadin’ to the man that you’ll find the light / And you won’t know ‘til you’re a full-grown man / All the prayers that she lifted up / Saved from all that darker stuff / By a woman’s love
10. Porch Weather
Winter in these hills has been so cold and dark / I need to shake this chill deep within my heart / Oh, the life we built on this piece of ground won’t ever look the same again / But it’ll be all right, we’re gonna be all right / ‘Cause there’s a brand-new blue painted ‘cross the sky / That wood stove ain’t burnin’ we’ve got the windows high / Rebuilt that old porch swing where you talked to God, just your boy and me together / Now I think we’re due for a little porch weather // We’ll be sittin’ out back, singin’ old songs, and feelin’ alive again / Hear the screen door slappin’, the boot heels tappin’, cast your cares out in the wind / When the Dogwoods bloom and the Redbreast sings, there just ain’t nothin’ better / Than a little porch weather, oh, a little porch weather // Losin’ you sure took a toll / I lost my job at Watauga, when I couldn’t let the bottle go / The darkness had its day, the axis gave a tilt, sweet redemption has never felt better / I just wish you were here for a little porch weather // ‘Cause we’d be sittin’ out back, singin’ old songs, and feelin’ alive again / Hear the screen door slappin’, the boot heels tappin’, cast your cares in the Southern wind / When the Dogwoods bloom and the Redbreast sings, there just ain’t nothin’ better / Than a little porch weather, oh, a little porch weather / When the Dogwoods bloom and those Redbreast sings, there just ain’t nothin’ better / Than a little porch weather, oh, a little porch weather // When the Dogwoods bloom and those Robins sing, there just ain’t nothin’ better / Than a little porch weather, oh, a little porch weather
11. High Mountain Church
A worn out Bible, Grandaddy’s King James / Another gray sunrise, East Tennessee rain / Let the old Ford idle, ‘til the coffee’s hot / We’re gonna head up the holler son, I know the perfect spot / I know the perfect spot, yes I do / Past the mega churches, beyond the fields and farms / Up on the high ground, mother mountain’s arms / A moss-covered stone, an old yellow birch / Take me home to the high mountain church // On that high mountain church / Lift your eyes, sink your toes down in the dirt / Peace you’ll find, ain’t no need to hurt / Have a little talk with your Maker son, on the high mountain church // We used to come here often, before you came along / “Just as I am” was her favorite song / I can see her dancin’ bare feet in the clay / I was lost and hopeless, she showed me the way / She showed me the way, yes she did / You might have my eyes, but you got her soul / So, find something to love, boy, and don’t never let go / When you’re losing faith, if you’re on the verge / Just bend a knee at the high mountain church // On that high mountain church / Lift your eyes, sink your toes down in the dirt / Peace you’ll find, ain’t no need to hurt / Have a little talk with your Maker son, on the high mountain church // On that high mountain church / Lift your eyes, sink your toes down in the dirt / Peace you’ll find, ain’t no need to hurt / Have a little talk with your Maker son, on the high mountain church / In the arms of your Maker son, on the high mountain church
CREDITS:
1. Hell in High Water
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Steven Bowman - Fiddle
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Donald T. Bright - Electric Guitar
Sten Nisswandt - Drums
2. Undertow
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Chris Tench - Electric Guitar
Sten Nisswandt - Drums
3. Echoes
Written by Mike Thomas & Nick Powell
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Steven Bowman - Fiddle
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
4. Cold River Runnin’
Written by Mike Thomas & Tres Sasser
Mike Thomas - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Ed Smoak - Electric Guitar
Michael Webb - Organ
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
5. Stop the World
Written by Mike Thomas & Donald T. Bright
Mike Thomas - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Joanna Cotten - Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Donald T. Bright - Electric Guitar
Ed Smoak - Electric Guitar
Mark Huhta - Pedal Steel
Michael Webb - Organ
Sten Nisswandt - Drums
6. I Know a Guy
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Ed Smoak - Electric Guitar
Michael Webb - Piano & Organ
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
7. Mountains of Home
Written by Malcolm Holcombe
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Steven Bowman - Fiddle
Gideon Klein - Dobro
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
8. Tailwaters
Written by Mike Thomas & Nick Powell
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Harmonica, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Steven Bowman - Fiddle
Mark Huhta - Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
9. A Woman’s Love
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Ed Smoak - Electric Guitar
Michael Webb - Organ
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
10. Porch Weather
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Ed Smoak - Resonator Guitar
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
11. High Mountain Church
Written by Mike Thomas & Nick Powell
Mike Thomas - Acoustic Guitar, Vocal, Background Vocal
Tres Sasser - Bass
Ed Smoak - Electric Guitar
Steven Bowman - Fiddle
Michael Webb - Piano & Organ
Weston Woodford - Background Vocal
Jamie Dick - Drums & Percussion
ADDITIONAL CREDITS:
Produced by Tres Sasser & Mike Thomas
Engineered & Mixed by Joe Costa
Mastered by Pete Lyman
Recorded at Tresland Studios, Franklin, TN
Album Artwork by Alexis Moulds
Design by Ashley L. Evans
LYRICS & CREDITS for DIAMONDS
1. Room on the Dance Floor
I don’t go to the parties I don’t run with the crowd / I’m a workin’ man with family now / But every now and then I get to wonderin’ / I can’t play their game it wears me out / Just wanna do my thing from a distance now / But every now and then I think about what might have been // Take your hands and reach into to my soul / Tell the boys in the band to take it slow / There’s an old flame burnin’ deep inside / Kept my eyes on you here all night long / Just waitin‘ on the right time to play our song / Is there room on that old dance floor tonight // While I was out in the country singin’ those blues / Somebody else slipped on my dancin’ shoes swept you off your feet, you nearly slipped away from me / Yes I turned I my back and I left that dance / ‘Til I got your call for a second chance / It ain’t lost on me, something’s are just meant to be // Take your hands and reach into to my soul / Tell the boys in the band to take it slow / There’s an old flame burnin’ deep inside / Kept my eyes on you here all night long / Just waitin‘ on the right time to play our song / Is there room on that old dance floor tonight // I don’t go to the parties I don’t run with the crowd / I’m a workin’ man with family now / But every now and then I get to wonderin’
2. In Your Arms Again
Well now I left home so long ago / Where it was I’s headed I still don’t know / I’ve just been runnin’ that old white line with my back to the wind / And I won’t be satisfied ‘til I’m in your arms again // I’ve been ‘bout everywhere a man can go / Up and down this highway in the rain, sleet and snow / Still I ain’t found nothin’ worth all this trouble I’m in / And I won’t be satisfied ‘til I’m in your arms again // Every night these blues take a hold of me / I’ve got this hole in my heart where your love should be / I lie awake and wonder how we ever let it come to this / I’d walk these soles right off my shoes / If that’s what it takes to get back to you / ‘Cause I won’t be satisfied ‘til I’m in your arms again // Now I long to get back to where we started / All this twistin’ and turnin’s left me broken hearted / Stumblin’ through the night just ain’t no way to live / And I won’t be satisfied ‘til I’m in your arms again
3. Before We Say Goodnight
I took a long and crooked road but it brought us here tonight / And your faces seem familiar in these incandescent lights / You know, I’ve missed you something fierce ever since I went away / But I’ve carried you here every time I took a stage // When I left, I was a younger man I was busting at the seams / I’m staring down forty now with a brand-new set of dreams / Nothing too outrageous, just a simple man’s desire / To see you dance, or laugh, or cry before we say goodnight // Nineteen Ninety-Something dealt a beautiful blow / It was the sweet songs of mercy that carried my soul / John Prine and Dylan on Grandaddy’s old guitar / Might have been the only things that kept me from falling apart // CHORUS // Son your songs are too damn long, they won’t work here on The Row / Put your guitar in the case and head back over that plateau / Learn to live whatever lie you can sell yourself / Pull your workin’ boots on, put your dreams on the shelf // Before they pulled the curtain, me and the boys were standing there / We raised a glass of old George D. and lifted a prayer / I love 'em like they's brothers and I know they feel the same / Ain’t no fame, glory or money, they stand beside me anyway // CHORUS
4. Breaking the Distance
All day long you watch them pass by / In their long black coats in their shirts and ties / They look like kings from some old story you’ve been told / You burn for the dreams their kingdom might hold // Breaking the distance ain’t so easy to do / You’ll search your soul for the grace to see you through / You’ll dream your dreams boy, they might come true / But breaking the distance ain’t easy to do // Your baby’s at home she’s fast asleep by now / You long to be with her you just can’t see how / You’ve got miles to go before you sleep / You’ve got bills to pay and you’ve got promises to keep // CHORUS // Some guys are born ‘neath a gold sunrise / Others stand in the shadows every day of their lives // You get home late the devil’s in your easy chair / You walk the floor all night long wishin’ he’d disappear / The cold burn of Comfort, the ringing in your head / Morning’s gonna come and you’ll do it all over again // CHORUS
5. When the House is Flush
Sunday mornin’ on the front porch sippin’ coffee / Stealin’ every last minute that we can / ‘Til that Southern sun rises on a dreamer / Who’ll set those dreams aside to shift those gears again / The ballgame and the ballet last Friday / I’ve lost count of all the milestones I’ve missed / Yes, I’ve gone astray searching for an answer / I’ve made some bets I surely regret // When the house is flush, the chips no longer matter / I’ll be going all in on us / There’ll be plans to make, dreams to chase / They’ll be time for us, when the house is flush // This rig it just ain’t big enough to handle / The price tag that’s hanging on our dreams / And the miles and tolls have cost us more than I imagined / They ain’t worth the time and distance in between / I thought these risks and roads were bound to lead to freedom / I’d hit a run of luck and draw a winning hand / But there’s no shortcut to easy street / It’s time for a long goodbye again // CHORUS // I took my chance, nearly lost it all / When I laid it on the line / Then you took my hand, lead me back to a simpler time // CHORUS // Sunday mornin’ on the front porch sippin’ coffee / Stealin’ every last minute that we can
6. Tryin’ Ain‘t Enough
I killed the headlights as I pulled in the drive / Then I checked my eyes in the dashboard lights / And I shook my head here we go again / It’s a tired old two step nearly night on night / We shuffle round the truth ‘til the morning light / Comes again, that old song never ends // Is there any hope in makin’ up / Can these broken hearts just fall back in love / I’ve been workin’ I’ve been tryin’ like Hell / Oh but tryin’ ain’t enough // I’ve leaned on some buddies, the ones I can count / You’ve been hangin’ our dirty laundry all over town / I just don’t understand, am I that bad a man / I’ll lie on that couch I’ll lay it on the line / I’ll face those demons a thousand times / It that’s what it takes, there ain’t no higher stakes // CHORUS // Lately you’ve been scarce, lately we’ve been alone / Our baby girl keeps askin’ when you’re comin’ home / And I just shake my head I can’t make her understand / Still I’m hangin’ on yes I’m diggin’ in / I’ll be right here ‘til bitter end / Why won’t you stay, I’ll never walk away
7. Bricks, Boards & Stone
Coming Soon sign in the front yard, part of me wants to tear it down / I swear I thought they’d spread my ashes in this sweet little Southern town / But the road ain’t always easy and the path is rarely straight / And most times the right is decision ‘bout the hardest one to make // She’s just bricks, boards and stone / But I’ll sure miss her when I’m gone / She’s where I found redemption // Where we brought two babies home // She’s more than bricks, boards and stone // I’ve done some of my best work on the seat of that old tractor / And we buried our best dogs out in the corner of that pasture // So when that Grove sun starts settin’ I hope the next man understands / Ain’t no other explanation but God’s two hands // CHORUS // Runnin’ full speed behind that little girl’s bike / Teachin’ that boy how to dial in a sight / Talkin’ with God in the mornin’ light // CHORUS // There’s a Sold sign in the front yard, part of me wants to tear it down
8. Diamonds
Thirty years breakin’ my back / Blood and tears mark my tracks / A dollar down still gettin’ by / Not too far ahead, not too far behind // So close the shop, punch that clock / Shut out the light and turn the lock / Shake my hand sir before we part / You’ve been a friend to me from the start // I could have been a rich man’s son / How would I have known which way to run / I wore my body down so I would not rust / And I learned to carve diamonds out of dust // So brush off my suitcase, shine my shoes / Startin’ over again ain’t nothin’ new / Maybe a new direction is what I need / Maybe a new connection will set me free // CHORUS // A red-haired girl, a blue-eyed boy / Steady reminders, the gift of joy / Young ones now tuggin’ at my heels / This must be how a rich man feels // CHORUS
9. Daddy’s Blue Collar
Most nights he’d roll in long after dinner / Smelling like sweat and carburetor cleaner / Coveralls by the back door, little kiss on our foreheads /Thank you Lord, for the workday and mama’s cornbread / Oldest of seven, he didn’t finish school / He could fix about any old thing with a hand-me-down Craftsman tool / He’d give you all he had ‘til well past quittin’ time / And Daddy’s blue collar suited us just fine // No, he didn’t come from much / He never had that golden touch / But we were livin’ well, ‘cause he was livin’ right / Daddy’s blue collar suited us just fine / Suited us just fine // Rise up early on the weekend, hear the hound dogs bay / One suit in the closet, 10 points in the plate / Catch him down in the cellar of an evening, little homemade wine / Daddy’s blue collar suited us just fine // CHORUS // Key ring in the ashtray, old Ford in the drive / She can go another hundred son, if you treat her right / But don’t do nothin’ foolish and have her home by nine / Daddy’s blue collar suited us just fine // CHORUS // A poet’s heart and calloused hands / For me he’ll always be the measure of a man / We’re all livin’ well, ‘cause he was livin’ right / And Daddy’s blue collar suited us just fine / Daddy’s blue collar suited us just fine
10. Out Back
Out back there’s a shop behind the house where he was raised / Where he learned his craft at a very young age / He did his first job for a nickels wage / Out back in the shop behind the house where he was raised // Son this old world is tough, you can like it or not but idle hands are the devil’s workshop / So put your heart in your workin’, he won’t lead you a stray / Out back in the shop behind the house where he was raised // Build a fire in the barrel, throw the scraps away / Tools up, lights out, tomorrow’s a new day / That’s how he left it, so that’s how it stays / Out back in the shop behind the house where he was raised // Well, he never looked back, kept honing his skill / Day after day and year after year / Folks came from miles with real money to pay / Out back in the shop behind the house where he was raised // CHORUS // There’s a dim fire a burnin’ out in the yard / There’s a chill in the air, there’s an ache in my heart / As I lean on his workbench, I hang my head down to pray / Out back in the shop behind the house where he was raised // CHORUS
CREDITS:
1. Room on the Dance Floor
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser – Bass, Vocal
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford – Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Micah Hulscher – Keys & Accordion
Tania Elizabeth – Vocal
2. In Your Arms Again
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford – Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Michael Sharp – Keys
3. Before We Say Goodnight
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford - Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Michael Sharp – Keys
4. Breaking the Distance
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford - Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Michael Sharp – Keys
5. When the House is Flush
Written by Mike Thomas and Weston Woodford
Mike Thomas – Electric Guitar, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford - Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Micah Hulscher – Keys
David Henry - Strings
6. Tryin’ Ain’t Enough
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser – Bass
Weston Woodford - Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Micah Hulscher – Keys
7. Bricks, Boards & Stone
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar
Tres Sasser - Bass
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford – Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Michael Sharp – Keys
8. Diamonds
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Vocal
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Pedal Steel
Weston Woodford - Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Michael Sharp – Keys
9. Daddy’s Blue Collar
Written by Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas – Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Dobro
Tania Elizabeth - Fiddle
Weston Woodford – Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
10. Out Back
Written by Mike Thomas and Nick Powell
Mike Thomas – Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Tres Sasser – Bass
Mark Huhta – Dobro
Tania Elizabeth – Fiddle
Weston Woodford - Vocal
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Micah Hulscher – Keys
Additional Credits:
Produced by Tres Sasser
Engineered & Mixed by Joe Costa
Mastered by Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Mastering
Recorded at Tresland Studios, Franklin, TN
Graphic Design by Ashley L. Evans
Photographs by Jeremy Harris
LYRICS & CREDITS for THREE REASONS
1. Lighter Shade of True
He put his band in the glove box, stepped out into the rain / Seeking one night of pleasure for a thousand nights of pain / She won’t even know that he’s not home tonight / She’s got her makeup on and that skirt that fits so tight // He stares up at ceiling, she slips off her party dress / And he wonders to himself how’d we ever come to this / But his thoughts will soon surrender to the burning inside / If only for a moment, he needs to feel alive // It’s a shame how a man’ll come apart, When the hardness in this world crawls into his heart / But you never know what you might do, ‘Til everything you believe turns a lighter shade of true // She closes her eyes as he whispers in her ear / the same things he used to say, the same words she longs to hear / As their bodies lie tangled, naked on the floor, she realizes now she don’t feel guilty anymore // It’s a shame how a gal’ll come apart, when the hardness in this world crawls into her heart / But you never know what you might do, ‘til everything you believe turns a lighter shade of true // Now she listens to him dress in the morning before light / but she doesn’t dare ask where he went last night / ‘Cause if she started talking, she just might confess / and somethings in this life are better left to rest // It’s a shame how two people fall apart / when the hardness in this world crawls into their hearts / But you never know what you might do, ‘til everything you believe turns a lighter shade of true // It’s a shame how two people fall apart / when the meanness in this world crawls into their hearts / But you never know what you might do, ‘til everything you believe turns a lighter shade of true
2. It Ain't Him
Ashes and broken bottles, bitter tear stains on my shoes / All alone in this old house, with a big ol’ belly full of blues / The thought of some ol’ stranger lying down by her side / Consumes my soul like a wildfire, just burns me up inside // But it ain’t him, it’s me / I drove her straight into his arms / I never gave her what she needed / All she ever needed was my heart / Perhaps I should be angry, but I’m to blame can’t you see / I never gave her what she needed / No it ain’t him, it’s me // Heaven knows that I ain’t perfect, guess I’ve always been her fool / I never dreamed in my wildest she could ever be untrue / So damn me for believing everything was fine / Damn her weakness, damn my foolish pride // But it ain’t him, it’s me / I drove her straight into his hands / I never gave her what she needed / All I ever needed was to be her man / Perhaps I should be angry, but I’m to blame can’t you see / I never gave her what she needed / No it ain’t him, it’s me
3. Cold Anniversary
She woke up this morning before the light / walked past the baby’s bed as she cried / Slipped on her cotton dress and stepped outside / I could hear her cursing the new sunrise // I stood in the doorway in the dark / I could feel the fire burning in her heart / Wishing there was something I could do to ease the pain / but it’s been a long hard year with no one to blame // And I can’t pretend to understand what she’s going, going through today / Or how she must feel ‘neath the deathly chill of a cold anniversary // Winding road through Virginia hills / Three hundred miles her lips were sealed / ‘til we passed that courthouse in the rain / She said, ‘guess we’re bound to stop there one of these days’ // And I just shook my head I just understand what she’s going through today / Or how she must feel ‘neath the deathly chill of a cold anniversary / And I can’t pretend to understand what she’s going, going through today / Or how she must feel ‘neath the deathly chill of a cold anniversary
4. All Over Again
It’s Saturday night in this sleepy old town / I’m thinking I’ll buy another round / You’re still out dancing like you always do / What I wouldn’t give to have a round with you // It’s been so long, I’ve been out of the game / Now every song sounds the same / Slow and weary just like a dirge / But I just can’t bury these memories of her / No, they won’t let me begin, all over again // So baby why don’t we stay here for the rest of the night / ‘Cause I can’t stand that house when I shut out the light / It’s cold and it’s dreary, feels just like a tomb / It’s filled with our dreams that never came true / No they won’t let me begin, all over again // So we head back to your place at the end of the night / I’ll dream of November 1999 / You won’t know the difference in my best and my worst / Darling love is a blessing, but it burns like a curse / No it won’t let me begin, all over again
5. Jackson Avenue
I wish I was walking down Jackson Avenue counting all them lonely stars / or standing inside the taproom with my back against the bar / We used to ride downtown on Friday nights just to hear the bands play / Mr. Morris sure could sing ‘em right, we dreamed our young lives away // Where every sweet memory brings back a lonely tear / ‘Cause you don’t know what you have got until it disappears // I wish I was down on the Shockoe Slip with a stiff drink in my hand / holding my baby so close to me, I swear her heartbeat’s drowning out the band / You know it’s raining here in Nashville, this town ain’t ever felt like home / There’s a sweet small town a waiting just across that plateau // Now every sweet memory brings back a lonely tear / ‘Cause you don’t know what you have got until it disappears // It don’t ever get no sweeter than it was back when / You lose yourself as you get older just dreaming ‘bout what might have been // I wish I was back, back down at Jack’s / sipping on some ice-cold beer / Where the faces all look familiar to me / and the songs never fell on deaf ears // Where every sweet memory brings back a lonely tear / ‘Cause you don’t know what you have got until it disappears
6. Three Reasons
There’s a bottle in the cupboard up on the top shelf / There’s another down in my pickup when I just can’t help myself / Been twenty years of heartache, twenty years of pain / If that bottle don’t kill me I think I’ll die from the shame / Think I’ll die from the shame // Last Saturday morning, I’s just a face in the crowd / I’s wondering what the Hell I might say when my time came around / The conversation kept moving ‘til I was the only one / But once I started talking the heartaches rolled off my tongue / The heartaches rolled off my tongue // Shadows creepin’ up behind me and I’ve no more tears left to cry / I may never break these chains that bind me / But I’ve got three reasons, I’ve got three reasons to try // You know one is my woman and I’ve got two darling girls / You put ‘em all together sir, you’ve got my whole world / And you don’t have to tell me it’s a long hard road / For the first time in my life I gotta see where it goes / Gotta see just where it goes // Shadows creepin’ up behind me and I’ve no more tears left to cry / I may never break these chains that bind me / But I’ve got three reasons, I’ve got three reasons to try // I was born at the end of a dead-end road / And those dark clouds follow me wherever I go / I’ve still got dreams runnin’ through my head / But every night when I get home the devil’s sleepin’ in my bed / He’s in my bed // I got a job with the county I make an honest wage / There’s a tavern out on the turnpike I don’t stop there these days / I go on home most evenings, hold my children and I kiss my wife / I gotta say it feels so good to be gettin’ on with my life / It feels so good gettin’ on with life // Shadows creepin’ up behind me and I’ve no more tears left to cry / I may never break these chains that bind me / But I’ve got three reasons, I’ve got three reasons to try
7. Something I Never Say
A table for two by the window you sit all alone / One leg high across the other with an upturned palm / And I envy the book your reading you’ve got me feeling like a fool / Peering over my sport’s section but for you there’s not a soul in the room // Not a couple in the corner or the man thumbing through his magazine / Nor the barista standing guard between the cashbox and the coffee machine / Surely not a lonely boy with more than his share of regrets / Who lives and dies in box scores and smokes too many cigarettes / Still I’ll go searching for some magic word that might make you stay / You’ll pack up your belongings and then you’ll be on your way / And I’ll be left with cold coffee and something I never say / Yes I’ll be sipping on cold coffee with something I never say
8. Homebody
Well come over here and sit right down with me / Well, it’s Saturday night I could use a little company / Looking fine ain’t easy but you do it so naturally // Turned every head in this place when you walked right in the door / I took a good long look and picked my chin up off the floor / I was headed on home but I guess I’ll have just one more // I’m just a homebody, take me home / I’ve been sitting up on this stool just a little too long / I’m just a homebody baby, won’t you ride me on home sweet home // I’m in over my head and you’re dripping with style and grace / But I’m deep enough in my cup to think I got a chance anyway / So tell me little darlin’ just exactly what it’s gonna take / I’m just a homebody, take me home / I’ve been sitting up on this stool just a little too long / I’m just a homebody baby, won’t you ride me on home sweet home
9. Sure Feels Right
Workin’ in the city, livin’ in the country / Honey-dos on Saturday, church on Sunday / Out on the road all week long / Just tryin’ to make a dime so I can come on home / Kiss your cheek and hold them babies tight // Me and J.B. on a Friday night / We sing a few old songs, we drink a few more Miller Lites / You’re sittin’ there with that old look in your eyes / Pullin’ me close as you turn out the light / It ain’t how I planned it, but is sure feels right // Sure feels right with you by my side / Green grass all around, little babies sleeping sound / Sure feels good, better than I thought it would / Just workin’ on our dreams in a small-town neighborhood / Might not be just like I planned it, but it sure feels right // A far cry from here, I used to play and sing / I saved the money from a tip jar and bought you that ring / Your momma didn’t like me, your daddy wouldn’t say / But you climbed up in that Bronco we took the long road anyway / Weren’t how you planned it, I guess it just felt right // Sure feels right with you by my side / Green grass all around, little babies sleeping sound / Sure feels good, better than I thought it would / Just workin’ on our dreams in a small-town neighborhood / Might not be just like I planned it, but it sure feels right // Now one of these days, when we’re old and gray / When the children are grown and the bills have all been paid / Will you sit beside me and stare up at the sky / Let me sing you one more song before he turns out the light / Ain’t how we planned it, but it sure felt right // Sure feels right with you by my side / Got the Green grass all around, sweet babies sleeping sound / Sure feels good, better than I thought it would / Just workin’ on our dreams in a small-town neighborhood / Might not be just like I planned it, but it sure feels right
10. Adeline
Adeline, I’ll soon be leaving you / Sweet girl of mine, I just can’t stay / So tonight I’ll sing one song for you / For tomorrow I must be on my way // I still recall those nights out on the square / You made me feel like I was king / When you took me by my trembling hands / And begged to hear the songs I had to sing // And them barroom girls spun round and round / Just like jesters at my command / ‘Til the night gave way and them stars burned out / And my crown of gold turned to sand / Adeline, in your hands // You didn’t always love me like I knew you should / Oh but darlin’ it’s alright / ‘Cause I didn’t always give you everything I could / Adeline // Adeline, I’ll soon be leaving you / These dreams of mine are callin’ me away / So tonight I’ll sing one song for you / For tomorrow I must be on my way // Adeline, remember me I pray / Adeline, remember me I pray
DELUXE TRACKS
11. Trouble Letting Go (feat. Alecia Nugent)
We crossed paths last night downtown / She and I we’re all but strangers now / Had a lump in my throat and I shuffled my feet / Like a lonely lost soul on a dead-end street // I wonder why she keeps on comin’ around / It ain’t that small in this sleepy town / I wonder why she has to linger so / Guess that’s the trouble with letting go // I wonder why he sings those worn out songs / When everything is right that once was wrong / Dragging out heartaches I’ve laid to rest / He puts my poor heart to the test // I wonder why he keeps on comin’ around / It ain’t that small in this sleepy town / I wonder why he has to linger so / Guess that’s the trouble with letting go
12. Die Tryin'
You rolled into my life like a summer storm / Scared me half to death but kept me wanting more/ Then an answered prayer, or two / I haven’t caught my breath since I found you // You’re the guiding light, that keeps me pointed North / You’re the reasons why, I’m always searching for / All my days are yours darlin’, lately they’ve been flyin’ / I could never love you more, but I’ll die trying // I had no business standing on your stair / Lost in disbelief you were even there / I turned her over, you climbed in and off we went / I’ve been chasin’ that feeling ever since // You’re the guiding light, that keeps me pointed North / You’re the living proof, I’m always searching for / All my days are yours darlin’, lately they’ve been flyin’ / I could never love you more, but I’ll die trying // Fifteen years is a long, long time they say / To me it feels like a moment we let slip away // You’re the guiding light, that keeps me pointed North / You’re all the reasons why, I’m always searching for / All my days are yours darlin’, lately they’ve been flyin’ / I could never love you more, but I’ll die trying
13. A Song Like That
One that makes you pull the car over and turn up the dial / One that takes you to a place you haven’t been in quite a while / One that grabs you by your soul and sets you right again / Like a late-night call from a long-lost friend // Yeah, I’ve been searching for a song like that / One that says it all in about three and a half / Bends them old heart strings, stops you in your tracks / Yes, I’ve been searching for a song like that // One to take us back, to a simpler time / Back when wrong was wrong, back when right was right / One that cuts through the B.S. and settles right down in that groove / Just give me three chords and the truth // Yeah, I’ve been searching for a song like that / One that says it all in about three and a half / Bends them old heart strings, stops you in your tracks / Yes, I’ve been searching for a song like that // Yeah, I’ve been searching for a song like that / We all need a little song like that
CREDITS:
All songs written by Michael W. Thomas
except “Cold Anniversary” by Michael W. Thomas & Donald T. Bright
and “Something I Never Say” by Michael W. Thomas & Ashby Tyler
Produced by Tres Sasser
Engineered & Mixed by Joe Costa
Mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering
Recorded at Tresland Studios, Franklin, TN
Cover Design by Keith Brogdon / Thinking Out Loud Design
Album design by Ashley L. Evans
Photos by Elaine Drabik Photography
MUSICIAN CREDITS - ORIGINAL TRACKS:
Mike Thomas – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Harmonica, Vocal
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitars
Tres Sasser – Bass (tracks 2,3,5,6,7,9,10)
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion (2,3,5,6,7,9,10)
Chris Adair – Bass (tracks 1,4,8)
Andrew King – Drums & Percussion (tracks 1,4)
Bo Turner – Mandolin
Michael Sharp – Keys
Sarah Jennings – Vocal (tracks 1,3,4,6)
Weston Woodford – Vocal (tracks 2,5,6,7,9,10)
MUSICIAN CREDITS - DELUXE TRACKS:
Mike Thomas - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Vocal
Dan Baird – Electric Guitar (track 13)
Donald T. Bright – Electric Guitar (track 13)
Dave Colella – Drums & Percussion
Tania Elizabeth – Fiddle (tracks 11 & 12)
Alecia Nugent – Vocal (track 11)
Tres Sasser – Bass
Michael Sharp – Keys
Weston Woodford – Vocal (tracks 12 & 13)