Oh the rivers rising 
oh the light is dying
oh my faith is trying
When does it end

laying in my bed, my sins right there beside me
morals playing dead, i know freedoms long behind me
id never imagine this thing playing in a dream
when i wake up from it, i could still feel her steam

Oh the rivers rising 
oh the light is dying
oh my faith is trying
When does it end

praying for the day, my fears will subside me
struggles still remain, i cant even hide it
ill reimagine every awful dreaded scene
flash before my eyes while the river bursts the seams

Oh the rivers rising 
oh the light is dying
oh my faith is trying
When does it end

MAJOR CHORDS G, C, G, D
oh well you cant say i never tried
the river rose and i climbed so high
then i dove down stream and it took me for a ride
where i end up is my next try
as long as i manage to stay dry
there aint no use fighting a damn river

The River

Blessed Are The Bank Robbers

my only regret, it aint no secret
all my fault, went in for the vault
lost track of the ticking time
my greedy outlaw mind, broke the code of the crime
do i sit and wait, or plan my escape, for the next damn bag of cash im gonna take

Blessed are the Bank Robbers, no good thievin jobbers
Livin on the lawless side of life
Blessed are the Bank Robbers, no good thievin jobbers
put em in the clink, more time think
of the next damn bag of cash theyre gonna take

I used to hit the drawer, no need to hit the floor
this'll only take a second if ya just do what i say
when its all good its fun, no need to use my gun
then i hit that open road and leave my troubles far behind 

well a little more grit, if ya ain't got the wits
ya gotta have the stones.
sometimes its tough to get them guts,
and move it right along

gotta hit the right bank, gotta time that flank
by the highway or a train
get in, get out, can't cast no doubt
you only got yourself to blame

now ya only gotta minute, so ya better get to it
get the cash and on the run
sheriff round the corner, he's looking to swarm ya
so you best be fast and gone

Inspired by the book "Blessed are the bank robbers" by Chas Smith. Out now, wherever books are sold.

Blessed Are The Bank Robbers

"DARK BEFORE DAWN" - Recorded live at SpeakEasy ATX Open Mic via iphone 6/23/25

It's safe to say the only place I ever wanna go is where I'm alone
I miss the sunshine pleasing my mind, the sky is always dark before the dawn
The in's and out's were never made sure, the dice I roll them every single time

CHORUS
And another come along the way to wash away the great mistakes that were made 
and i'll take the other side of anything at all, if it means something

Walk the same streets every morning, always find the dead end of the road
Perhaps a new way on this new day, won't hurt if I ain't go nowhere to go

(Chorus+breakdown)

Sun go down again, a lonely friend appears on the horizon everytime
A perfect view of Mr. Moon, now tell where my lucky star's tonight?

(Chorus)

Outro spoken word:
...and so it begins, day or night
fight or flight, feeling strong
in the dark before dawn

Dark Before Dawn

First week submission to SWU Online. Prompt "Concrete"

"Ball of Concrete"
Throw an anchor off the starboard side of your heart
maybe this ship was heading in, the wrong direction
not for nothing, i feel i did something a little bit more to deserve what i got

tie my feet up to a ball, of concrete
sink me deep so i can think, alone in peace
rest in the bottom of a new solution
no time to really think about it, i hope i got it right

been walkin down the wrong side of lifes road
stepped on a crack, broke my back, too many times before
the sun will shine bright and fine, on everyone i know - but me

at the bottom, i got to thinkin, its a little hard to breathe
i wish i would have just refrained, now im strapped to this concrete
its to easy to throw your problems overboard
now i used up my last cry, and "Nooooo!"

been walkin down the wrong side of lifes road
stepped on a crack, broke my back, too many times before
the sun will shine bright and fine, on everyone i know - but me

"Ball of Concrete"

For a time in my life, I was right
and I might have thought the world was all mine.
By the time I realized that it was passing me by
Well I wasn't blind,  just thought everything was alright 

No man can see the change when the lines of laughter turn to an aging smile
The memory is like a fugitive with no place to run to, til hes caught and tried

Everyday I cry
Everyday I lie
And Everyday I sit and wonder why
But Everyday I try

The island paradise I was dreaming of, was more like a place to hide
And a hurricane is always brewing somewhere beyond the horizon
At least for now  I got something to hold onto, seems better for two
And when I question that its just the devil inside me playing the game like he always does.

Better For Two

its all fire and the fury, whatever happened to the peaceful waters
the breaking waves on the shore
i know for certain, life is missing, just a few rays of 
sunshine and a little bit of conversation

forgot the times when, none of this mattered
it was brighter days, and youthful laughter
now we're embracing nothing but
the fire and the fury, its burning our souls away

now im standing alone, with a broken ego, and i dont have a good friend around
which way did i go, when i took to low road, and made up my last mind
and now i hang my head to the ground
ive lost what cant be found

the tired and the lonely, i wish the story was   
the ending of a movie when the audience cries
cause the hero won the day and nothing was taken for granted

Fire, Fury, and Peaceful Water

wasting my time, wasting my mind
wasting my life, wasting my prime

all of the times, id iike to believe im being something
more, than what everyone else finds, 
a waste of time

using my time, not losing my mind
skating through life, enjoying my prime

all of the times, id like to believe in being something
more than everyone else finds
a waste of time

My Time

Feel it coming on, distant stormy calm
especially in the breathing
a never ending fall, anchored to it all
hits like morning sober

I will set the hook and pull you in
You wont even try to fight
The more you get to me, your will is done
you can run but you cant hide

take you for a ride, the cold wind in my eyes
but heart is burning madly
theres nowhere to hide, from a poisoned mind
i want to scream so badly

wish i could unlearn, this reality burn
hindering my freedom 
switch to living hell, restricted to a bell
we ring when it comes calling

Set The Hook

ill go away for awhile
ill go away for awhile, i think ill just be alone

take a break for awhile,
take a break for awhile, i cant chase these ghosts all night

its easy to believe, a fear that cant be seen, but at least ill get some sleep 



oh no somethings wrong
feel the shaking in my bones
ive tried everything i know
to drop the blinders down 


in a way, this dissarrray, has left me with a satisfaction of being left out and strangely ok

Island Mind

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