Josie's in a rush
Sitting in a crowded bus
She's gathering her hair up
Putting on her makeup

Some people look away
Some are a little dismayed
The things people show you
As long as they don't know you

Chorus:
It's OK, do your thing
Don't worry what people think
Those who judge don't matter
Those who matter do not judge

She gets to her stop
Grabs her things and gets off
Her boyfriend's there to meet her
Hugs her when he sees her

She says:
I'm permanently broke
Still living with my folks, eegad!
No keys in my pocket
No dreams in my wallet

Her banes and her woes
The stains on her clothes
Her doubts and her demons
They came out to meet him
Saying "Hey buddy, howd'ya like her now?"

Chorus

Bridge:

The look in his eyes
Full of fear and surprise
Tears in her makeup
Now here come's the breakup

Your life is a mess
And I don't need the stress
You gotta lotta guts though
We're not giving up, no
And baby if you must know
I've got my problems too

Chorus

Those Who Matter

An ambitious, moody but cohesive collection of original music (plus one cover) spanning West-African, Bluegrass, Classical, Celtic and  acoustic Rock styles.

Billie Jean (Instrumental)

You're ready to talk
Things are cooling off
No fingers are shaking
A fever is breaking

A tumbling rock
It doesn't know how to stop
I don't want you falling
Right to the bottom

There there, now now
There there, now now

Forget what she said
The girl musta lost her head
Words that you swallow
Can't hurt you tomorrow

There there, now now
There there, now now
There there, now now
There there, now now

La la la la la la la...

'Cuz you never know
'Cuz you never know
'Cuz you never know
'Cuz you never know

The Human Touch

There There Now

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/tqklhy7_dEE

They say the chances
Were very very small
That any form of life
Could form at all

Kinda makes you feel
Lucky to be here
Who am I to feel
Lucky to be here?

When I look around me
I see a lotta luck gone down the drain

Maybe you're the kind
Who feels the need
For luxury and power
To fuel your greed

Or you could be the kind
Who lends a hand
Lifting others up
The best you can

You're a free man
And no two are the same

We climbed out of the ocean
And got up on our feet
Some live in mansions
Some in the street

In case you take a stand
There's something you should know
We will always have
A long way to go

This random
A random serenade

Ip opsip alaya
Ip opsip clip clop aday
We're bouncing bumping away
Like the molecules inside of you

Random Serenade

Eats lunch at her desk today
Like she did yesterday
Sips her tea, looks outside
All the people walking by

She has no big plans tonight
Tells herself that's allright
Her friends are all out of town
They never call anyhow 

She’ll just swing by Trader Joe's
Still wearing her office clothes
Try to start a little chat
If the cashier has time for that

Frozen dinner, glass of wine
Netflix to the finish line
In the end, she’ll tuck herself
Into bed

Chorus:
When the road you’re on
Is a lonely one

 

Sitting in the red cafe
Sipping on her Saturday
People come and people go
Nobody she ever knows

Standing at the sunlit door
There's a man she's seen before
He looks at her, she looks away
A trace smile on her face

He walks in, gets in line
She looks at him from behind
What's he like? Hard to say
Looks deceive anyway

Wondering what to say to him
If their eyes should meet again
As he sets down his coffee cup
Next to hers

Chorus:
When the road you’re on
Is a lonely one
Speak your mind and then
You might find a friend

 

Bridge:
Who feels you, believes you
Is eager to hear you
To coax you back into the light
So show them your freedom
And maybe you'll meet them
They're waiting, they're waiting

 

Come here often? yes I do
'Love the vibe, I do too
'Feel like I've seen you before
Maybe at the record store

I can’t believe the sky is clear
How long you been living here
Just arrived a year ago
Do you like it, I don't know

What's yer story, what's yer deal
Everybody keep it real
Raise the veil, drop the mask
Everybody's got a past

It could sparkle, it could shine
It could be a waste of time
But you know, it’s the only way to go 

Chorus

Speak Your Mind

Watch the live video at https://youtu.be/BlJzv4dEWDE

A Day By The Sea

Watch the live video at https://youtu.be/Eye_SsePfzg

Dude's running in the rain
Trying to catch the morning train
Blood boils in his veins
As he heard it pull away

Less time fixing his hair
Figuring what to wear
A second here, a second there
He mighta made that train

Meanwhile some poor guy
Is in jail, doing time
Each minute dribbles by
Like molasses from a spoon 

Funny thing about time
Doesn't move in a straight line
Just ask albert einstein
He'll break it down for you

Pre-chorus:
Give a little bit, take a little bit
Move a little bit, shake a little bit
doesn't matter what you do with it
It's always going by

Chorus:
But I soothe my sorrow and cool my anger some other way
Cuz Time, the great revealer, is not the healer that everyone claims

Some folks hyperventilate
If the sun comes up too late
For them we manipulate
The measure of time

Spring forward, fall back
Sleep schedule’s outta wack
Walk home in the pitch black
For their peace of mind

[pre-chorus]

[chorus]

I'm like a little child
On a one-way pony ride
My darling’s by my side
Things are pretty chill

Wish time could stand still
Never has, never will
I'll bide my time until
There's none left to bide


[pre-chorus]

[chorus]

Yes I soothe my sorrow and cool my anger by some other means
Cuz Time, the great revealer, is a lousy healer from what I've seen

The One-Way Pony Ride

I was once a young man
In spite of myself
Playing drums in a band
From Anaheim to San Rafael
Long days and sweet nights
The music made us feel alright
Hmmm, way back when
I think about it now and then

I met a woman in the city one night
She was wilder than me
We drove to Ocean Beach
Went skinny dipping in the sea
Good times but bad luck
Our clothes got locked inside her truck!
Hmmm way back when
I think about it now and then

I was woken in the middle of the night
When my telephone rang
I picked up and when I heard
My Dad's voice on the line
I knew right there and then
I'd never see my mom again
Hmmm far away
I think about her everyday

Well now, I'm getting on
My hair's turning grey
It's all gonna slow down,
Memories start to fade
Some say to have a good day
They throw their sad thoughts all away
Mmmm mmmm, ironclad, these memories I have
Mmmm mmmm, good and bad, these memories I have
Mmmm mmmm funny sad, these memories I have

Ironclad

Recorded in Oakland in late 2019
Adrian West on vocals, guitar, violin, percussion
Chris Haag on alto sax
Jodi Durst on upright bass & vocals
Jae Jackson on drums

Watch the live video at https://youtu.be/eSWabBXkll0

Saturday morning
I lay in my bed
All warm and cozy
My toes to my head

No trepidation
Nowhere to be
A lucky sensation
All over me

La la la la la la

I looked out my window
At the city below
So many people
Places to go

I got out my notebook
My beat up guitar
My innocent outlook
I strummed a few bars

La la la la la la
La la la la la la

Chorus:
When the sky is falling down
And there's trouble all around
I find the reasons why
It's good to be alive

I walk to the corner
To get me a snack
I chat with my neighbor
On the way back

A sweet avocado
A warm summer breeze
An eloquent novel
I'm easy to please

Chorus

Turn up the music
Play with a friend
Love it or lose it
Stay 'til the end

The planet's in danger
She's clean out of time
I wanna save her
The pleasure is mine

Chorus

Pleasure Is Mine

Oakland-based Adrian West Band is a four-piece acoustic rock ensemble that plays uplifting originals, catchy instrumentals and the odd cover song. Some say they sound like a cross between Paul Simon and Dave Matthews Band.  

Adrian's approach to songwriting starts with the music. To be engaging, a song must stand on its own musically, independent of the lyrics. He usually composes the underlying music, including the melody that will be sung, from start to finish before writing a single lyric. It's only once he has something with solid musical "legs" that he will start toying with lyrics that reflect the mood of the music and his own musings, passions and concerns of the day. 

Ever the realist, Adrian's lyrics strike a delicate balance between hope and despair, between poetic language and social justice messaging. He takes peculiar delight in setting serious topics to joyful music.

adrianwest

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