Another track from my upcoming album, "Sojourner".

"How Far" tells the story of Job, a man afflicted, but who is ever faithful.  In his talks with God during his tribulation, he continually asks how far this test is going to go on for, and even bargains with the Almighty in order to satisfy the test. 

This song talks about the type, tone and timbre of someone who keeps getting blow after blow in their lives and is representative of those conversations between the afflicted faithful and the divine power that holds those answers.

Lyrics:

VERSE 
Ashes on the wind, I kneel and I remember
Children gone like whispers fading in the flame
The earth shakes beneath me, silence answers thunder
Still I call Your name — still I call Your name

VERSE 
Friends around me speak with voices cold and hollow
Measure out my guilt in scales I cannot see
Yet my heart won’t break, though the night will swallow
Every prayer in me — every prayer in me

PRE-CHORUS
I reach through ruin, through dust and bone
Searching the shadow for a spark unknown

CHORUS 
How far must a soul descend
Before the light will bend?
How deep must the river run
Before it finds the sea again?

VERSE 
Flesh turns to dust, my bones are thin and trembling
Dreams dissolve like rain upon the stone
Yet I find You there — in the pain assembling
All I’ve ever known — all I’ve ever known

PRE-CHORUS 
The stars are silent, but I still believe
That even the dark has something to leave

CHORUS 
How far must a soul descend
Before the light will bend?
How deep must the river run
Before it finds the sea again?


VERSE 
Morning breaks — the ashes turn to silver
Wounds still ache, but the sky begins to clear
I have nothing left, but a faith that shivers
Still I feel You near — still I feel You near

PRE-CHORUS (REPRISE)
Through fire and famine, through the breaking dawn
Faith is the thread I keep holding on

CHORUS
How far must a heart endure
Before its faith is pure?
How deep must the silence fall
Before I hear Your call again?

CHORUS (REPRISE)
How far must the heavens reach
To find the soul they teach?
How deep must the spirit dive
To know it’s still alive again?

Ashes on the wind… still I call Your name.

How Far?

"I Wish I'd Known" tells the story of a man facing a serious health crisis who realizes his time is running out. Burdened by regrets, he decides to confront at least one of them by opening up to his wife about the things left unsaid. As he shares his thoughts, their conversation deepens, and he comes to understand just how much he truly loves her.

Lyrics:

VERSE 1
I got a suitcase full of should-haves
And a heart that's running on fumes
Doc said forever but he means just a few
Now I'm watching the light leave the room
All those years I spent worrying about nothing
Oh, nothing at all

VERSE 2
I never called my friend back
Said I'd visit and I lied
Photographs are yellowing like my skin 
And I never learned to say goodbye
I was saving the good wine for some other day
that day is now not gonna come

PRE-CHORUS
So I'm sitting here with my regrets
Stacked higher than the prayer I should've prayed

CHORUS
I wish I'd loved less careful
I wish I'd danced in the kitchen alone
I wish I'd told them they were enough
I wish I'd known
I wish I'd known

VERSE 3
The nurse brings flowers that I can't smell anymore
Brings the morning news that I just can't read
I'm thinking about the fights that didn't matter
And the words I swallowed down like greed
There's a girl in the hallway laughing with a friend
And I wish I had laughed even more back then

BRIDGE 1
I see faces I hurt, and some who hurt me too
All fading soft in the glow
There are letters I meant to send but never did
And apologies I’ll never know
I hope the love I gave still lingers somewhere
If grace is real, I hope it finds me 

BRIDGE 2
You don't get it till you're running out
Till the hourglass is loud
Till you're counting the good days like coins
And spending them all on regret
But I'm here I'm here I'm still here
And there's still time to say it
Still time to say
I love you without the fear

PRE-CHORUS
So I'm sitting here with my regrets
Stacked higher than the prayer I should've prayed

CHORUS
I wish I'd loved less careful
I wish I'd danced in the kitchen alone
I wish I'd told them they were enough
I wish I'd known
I wish I'd known
I wish I'd loved with more abandon
I wish I'd danced with you even more
I wish I'd told you how much you meant
I wish I'd known
I wish I'd known


I WIsh I'd Known

From the upcoming album Sojourner, “When Nothing Answered” tells the story of a man in the final moments of his life. Instead of encountering what he had been taught to expect, he finds something entirely different. He sees people everywhere, but nothing divine appears. In that moment, he realizes that God is not present in the form shaped by the modern evangelical church. He isn’t afraid—he’s fascinated by what he’s witnessing—but he also understands that he must accept a difficult truth: he doesn’t know everything, and neither do the people who claimed they did.

LYRICS:

VERSE 1
I slipped beneath
A waking tide
The world grew thin
And opened wide
A drifting leaf
In winter air
A brittle hush
No presence there

VERSE 2
I waited long
For gold to bloom
A whispered dawn
To cut the gloom
But dark held on
With iron hands
No open gate
No promised lands

PRE-CHORUS
I reached for heaven
Like it was mine
But found a desert
Without a sign

CHORUS
When nothing answered
I drifted further inside
When nothing answered
I learned the quiet could guide

VERSE 3
The sacred hush
Became a wall
A hollow sky
Too vast to call
And in that void
Where God should be
I saw a truth
Not taught to me

BRIDGE
The truth was softer
Than sermon hands
Not fire above
Nor strict commands
The God I sought
Was shaped by fear
And in the dark
That shadow disappeared

PRE-CHORUS
I reached for heaven
Like it was mine
But found a desert
With a different sign

CHORUS
When nothing answered
I drifted further inside
When nothing answered
I learned the quiet could guide

CHORUS REPRISE
When nothing answered
I drifted nearer the outside
When nothing answered
I found the strength to survive

When Nothing Answered

“Smile Thru the Fog” reflects the experience many families face today with relatives who have become deeply entrenched in misinformation. Regardless of how much credible evidence you present, they dismiss it and insist they are “just telling you the truth,” often with an unwavering smile. The song was inspired by a family member of mine who is firmly committed to QAnon beliefs and once told me that my having worked at Microsoft made me a demon, that Bill Gates is a child molester, and that Donald Trump is a divinely guided figure I should be grateful for—along with a host of other unfounded claims.

Lyrics:

VERSE 1
She’s got halos made of headlines she reads online,
Speaking tongues of Fox and Newsmax divine,
Says I’m a demon ‘cause I used to code in blue,
Redmond took away my soul, who knew?
She’s saving souls through a broadband prayer,
While truth just buffers in the air.

VERSE 2
She’s preaching freedom from her easy chair,
Disability checks and holy flares,
Rewriting history in her echo room,
Founding fathers wearing MAGA plumes,
Every fact that dares to show its face,
Gets baptized out of time and space.

PRECHORUS 1
She says the end is any day now,
But  she’s shopping for a crown,
Building castles out of gaslight dreams,
Paying homage to a gassy orange clown

CHORUS 1
Oh, smile through the fog, girl, smile through the fog,
Your laughter’s the armor that hides every flaw,
You’re burning your bridges but call it love,
Oh, smile through the fog — when push comes to shove.

VERSE 3
You bought a kingdom made of someone else's trust,
Turned love to ashes, faith to dust,
All your saints are shouting in your feed,
But only the ghosts echo your creed,
Every mirror cracks beneath your gaze,
But you call it Rapture’s blaze.

PRECHORUS 2
She says that truth’s a state of mind,
Non-scripture written by the blind,
Every scar she paints is gold,
And says it's God’s to hold.

CHORUS
Oh, smile through the fog, girl, smile through the fog,
Your laughter’s the armor that hides every flaw,
You’re burning your bridges call it love,
Oh, smile through the fog — when push comes to shove.

CHORUS
Smile through the fog, girl, smile through the fog,
Your heaven’s a stage and your script is law,
Keep laughing loud till the lights all go off,
Smile through the fog — even when you see what you’ve lost.


Smile Thru the Fog

Another track from my upcoming album Sojourner, this title track reflects on the journey we all undertake in life. So much of our path is shaped by our upbringing, our communities, and the beliefs we inherit. Along the way, we do our best to shape ourselves into who we hope to become — yet some of the choices we make can lead us far from the destination we imagined. When those paths grow dark or uncertain, we often turn to faith to restore peace within our spirit. And if we’re fortunate, we may even experience the grace of redemption firsthand.

Lyrics

VERSE 1
Been walkin’ this road, dust on my shoes,
Tryin’ to find my way, searchin’ for truth.
Every step I take seems to fade away,
Leavin’ me wonderin’ what to say.

VERSE 2
Found a little peace in the quiet of night,
Learned a little grace when nothing felt right.
I’ve wandered so far, but I’m still here,
Every road I take pulls me near.

PRE-CHORUS
The light breaks in when I can’t explain,
Hope keeps risin’ through the pain.

CHORUS
I’m a sojourner, seeking my place,
Walkin’ by faith on a winding trace.
Don’t know the answers, but I’ll keep this pace,
I’m a sojourner, bound by grace.

VERSE 3
There’s beauty that grows from ground that’s torn,
Where the lost are found and hearts reborn.
I stumble at times, yet my spirit still sings,
Mercy and love are the gifts that it brings.

BRIDGE
When the nights get long and the roads get rough,
I remember Your love is more than enough.
In the quiet dark where doubts take hold,
You pull me back in, Your hand to my soul.

PRE-CHORUS
The light breaks in when I can’t explain,
Hope keeps risin’ through the pain.

CHORUS
I’m a sojourner, seeking my place,
Walkin’ by faith on a winding trace.
Don’t know the answers, but I’ll keep this pace,
I’m a sojourner, bound by grace.

[Outro]
(Instrumental or vocal ad-lib)

Sojourner

From the upcoming album, "Sojourner": If you were in the musician scene of the last 25 years in Seattle, you probably ran into Steve Dooley.  Steve was arguably one of the very best soundmen in the Emerald City, and he worked with everybody.  He had spent his formulative years living pretty rough, and it cost him.  In about 2004, Steve turned his life completely around, got clean and sober and began a brand-new life where his musical contributions and knowledge just took off.  Steve had arrived and even got married to Beth and settled down a little.

In 2011, after feeling poorly, the whole world caved in.  He was diagnosed with end-stage cancer, and he was told he had about 3 months to live.  Steve took the news with grace and decided that it wouldn't stop him.  He lasted 18 months and passed away in early spring of 2013.

Steve was very much my older brother, and I miss him every, single, solitary day.  This one's for you, Steve.  I love you, and I really miss you.  #FuckCancer

Lyrics:

THE ROAD HOME - For Steve

VERSE 1
He walked out of the shadows with the dawn on his face,  
A lifetime of miles he could never erase.  
Carried his stories in a voice rough and true,  
Every word cut deep, but the light shone through.

VERSE 2
He found new rhythm in the city rain,  
Built his peace in the hum and the gain.  
Ran the boards where the bright lights gleam,  
Kept the band together, kept the sound clean.

PRECHORUS 
The past was a ghost, but he learned to forgive,  
Started to love the life he could live.

CHORUS 1
And the road turned home, after all that pain,  
Like the sky after years of rain.  
He found his light in the sound of the band,  
And learned the grace of a steady hand.

PRECHORUS 2
Then the doctor’s words came soft but clear,  
Three short months, maybe less this year.  
He just smiled and said, Guess I’ll play it out instead,
No fear in his voice, no trace of doubt.

CHORUS 2
The road stayed bright, though the light grew thin,  
He watched the bands like he watched the wind.  
Reading the room with his heart and his hands,  
Kept the mix true to where it should stand.

CHORUS 3
But the road’s gone silent, the soundman’s gone,  
Yet his echo lingers in every song.  
No tears left — just a gentle tone,  
As his road turned home.

The Road Home

From the upcoming album Sojourner:
Some people are blessed with a “guardian angel” — someone whose steady presence guides, supports, and shapes us. For me, that person is my father’s sister. This song honors her enduring strength and the way she’s remained a powerful, uplifting force in my life despite unimaginable loss, including the death of her eldest daughter at age four from cancer, her third daughter's estrangement and a divorce after 30+ years of marriage. Through it all, she has found a way back to joy.

Lyrics

VERSE 1
Born in a prairie wind,
A preacher’s girl with the sunlight within,
You learned to stand where the cold rain falls,
With a tender soul and a heart that calls.

VERSE 2
You met your match in a field of blue green,
Shared quiet dreams and the space between,
Four sweet voices to light your night sky,
But one sweet voice had to say goodbye.

CHORUS
A gale of love that’s forever strong,
A gentle light where the heart belongs,
When my compass broke, you set me straight,
A peg in the storm, my anchor, my faith.

VERSE 3
The years brought silence, but not defeat,
You found your rhythm, your steady beat,
In every loss, you found your grace,
In every scar, a sacred place.

VERSE 4
Now you teach the stars and the brush to dance,
Talk quantum dreams and second chance,
Still holding hearts in your gentle sway,
Still shining through in your quiet way.

BRIDGE
Oh, the wind still whispers through the leaves,
Carrying grace on a quiet breeze,
Not just a storm, but a love that saves,
A wind that lifts, and a heart that stays.

CHORUS
A gale of love that’s forever strong,
A steady flame when the world feels wrong,
When my compass broke, you set me straight,
A peg in the storm, my anchor, my faith.

CHORUS - FINAL
A gale of love that’s forever strong,
A quiet glow that guides others on,
When the years drift on and the light grows late,
You’ll be the wind that carries my faith.


Gale of Love

An older tune of mine, in the style of NiN.  I've been a big fan of Trent Reznor for many years and have always loved his "sonic landscape" and how it provides mood and drive.  This one didn't make my new album, but I still think it's a banger.

Lyrics

SHATTERED LIGHT

VERSE 1
I walked through the silence where shadows creep
The ground was cold it cut so deep
Every step felt like a broken vow
I asked the sky but it answered
How?

PRE-CHORUS 1
The weight of it all like a shattered stone
I lost my way I was all alone

CHORUS
But the light came through a crack in the wall
Tiny and trembling but it saved it all
Faith is a whisper not a shout
It found me when I’d drowned it out

VERSE 2
I buried my hope in the ash and rain
Each tear carved rivers of quiet pain
I cursed the stars for their silent glow
Couldn’t see the seeds in the dark they sow

PRE-CHORUS 2
But something stirred in the still of night
A thread of gold in the edge of sight

CHORUS
And the light came through a crack in the wall
Tiny and trembling but it saved it all
Faith is a whisper not a shout
It found me when I’d drowned it out

Shattered Light

'Dead Can't Talk" is a visitation with a man who was wounded badly by his past.  He spends the bulk of his life trying to earn love and acceptance from the people that hurt him, only to realize that the effort itself - if not the people in the effort - are absolutely toxic.  He realizes late in life that he's never going to get that approval, and when the people who hurt him pass away, instead of being plagued by regret, he turns his back on them entirely and walks away to find his own life's path.

Lyrics:

DEAD CAN’T TALK

VERSE 1
Pills on the counter, ghosts in her eyes,
She called it medicine, he called it lies.
The man behind her, belt in his hand,
Preacher of pain, king of quicksand.

Every bruise had a sermon, every tear was a sin,
He kept begging for love that would never begin.
Little boy praying, “Lord, make me enough,”
But mercy don’t live where the hands are rough.

PRE-CHORUS 1
Every scar became a vow,
To never need what broke him down.

CHORUS 1
Now the dead can’t talk, and the silence is clean,
No more poison in his blood, no more chasing that dream.
They took his childhood, but they can’t take his peace,
He walked away, and found release.

VERSE 2
Thirty years later, he broke that spell,
He saw the jail he’d built from that living hell.
Didn’t whisper goodbye, didn’t wish them well,
Just turned from the graves where their shadows fell.

Forgiveness is earned, not a line to repeat,
Peace is a road only found on your feet.
No more pretending, no more disease,
Just a man who finally found his release.

PRE-CHORUS 2
And the boy he was can rest at last,
The chain is broken, his storm has passed.

CHORUS 2
Now the dead can’t talk, and the silence is clean,
No more poison in his blood, no more chasing that dream.
They took his childhood, but they can’t take his peace,
He walked away, and found release.

BRIDGE
He doesn’t hate them, but he won’t defend,
Monsters don’t vanish when their stories end.
They taught him fear, he learned the cost,
And found his soul in what they had lost.

FINAL CHORUS
Now the dead can’t talk, and he don’t need them to,
He’s buried their voices, and built something new.
They took his childhood, but they can’t take his peace,
He walked away,
and found release.

Dead Can't Talk

In 1997, I wrote the soundtrack for a movie being produced by members of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, about Dachau.  For those that don't know, Dachau was the longest operation concentration camp run by the Nazis from 1933 to 1945.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 people were systematically tortured and murdered in the camp.  This was to be the main title theme song, but alas, they dropped the project due to lack of money.  I've seen the first 20 minutes or so, and it's a real shame it wasn't finished.

I visited this camp, and I can tell you that it is one of the most unnerving experiences you'll ever have.  You can feel. touch and smell evil there, and the voices of its victims are still heard in and around the camp.   After I visited it, I sat on the curb in the parking lot and cried for a full 2 hours.

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