Come over
And put your feet up, it’s getting cold
We’ve got the skylights closed
But the spiders still come in
Through the cracks in the walls and the windows

Go slow
We don’t have to act tough anymore
We’ve got bruises and scars
In places we only see 
With our eyes closed
And the lights turned low

And when you look at me
You smile like
Maybe I said something funny
But you tell me it’s nothing
As you lean in to kiss me

Come closer
It’s still too early to need to leave
Let’s put the kettle on
And play our favorite songs
To dance to in the kitchen
While we’re waiting

'Cause when you look at me
You smile like
Maybe I said something funny
But you tell me it’s nothing
As you lean in to kiss me

When You Look At Me

If you'd like

Sleepless Summer

Ocean Breathes Salty (Modest Mouse)

Honey (Ukulele)

Kiss me the way 
You want to and
I will go there with you

The stars, the moon
I do think you
Could be a strong contender

Give me a way to feel much better
Resting my head upon your sweater
I do want to get to know you
Better

I like your mind
We talk all night
I feel at home in your room

Lose track of time
But I don’t mind
I can sleep tomorrow

Give me a way to heal this sorrow
A little joy that I can borrow
Your eyes are blue
Too shy to look
At you

Let’s take this slow
I know we’re both
Worth it in the long run

The Stars, The Moon

Where do you call home when your heart’s in three places? 
Your life’s in the backseat, packed up in suitcases
You call on the phone when I feel far away
And it may be the bad service but I hear your voice start to break

And when hell freezes over they’ll open the Mission
To the people outside with strange voices and visions 
They’re children of God, but they’re strangers to you
They’re praying in the streets and sleeping in the church pews

And all of the people I don’t want to know
And all of the places I don’t want to go
I’ve been looking for something but I don’t know where
I’ve been waiting my whole life but still feel so unprepared 
And all of the songs that remind us of love lost
And all of the courage I swallowed and at what cost?
I died once for someone I want to keep buried
I hope that this burden is one we can carry

Where do you call home when your heart’s in three places
Your life’s in the backseat, packed up in suitcases
Five years on the run and I’m still scared of highways
The scars on my arm are my reason for always 

(Written and recorded January 6, 2014)

Reason for Always

A Case of You (Joni Mitchell)

You left a kiss in the corner of my mouth
When will you come back and get it?
I left a gift for you in my heart
When are you gonna open it?
Life has a way of giving you
Exactly what you wanted 
Right at the moment it’s taking you
All that you’ve got just to hold it

You left an imprint in my skin
When will you come back and fill it?
I left a message in your palm 
Wait til I’m gone ‘fore you read it
Time has a way of taking 
Everything that you never needed
When it hurts try not to hold on
And when it’s good, try to keep it

You left a kiss in the corner of my mouth
When will you come back and get it?

The Gift

Crawl through hell
On my knees 
Trail of red
Where I bleed

And I swear
Upon my blade
Upon my sheath
You needed me

And I swear
Through all your hate
Through all your greed
You loved me

Fight myself
With closed fists
Dance through hell
For your kiss

And I swear
By my two hands
By my two lips
I wanted it

And I swear
From where I stand
From where I’ve been
I asked for this

I lived
And I forgive
Myself for letting you
Back in

I lived
And I forgive
Myself I didn’t 
Deserve it

I lived
I lived
I lived
I lived
I lived
I lived
I lived

Crawled through hell
On my knees

Mercy

We’re so close
I feel the cold of your nose
As the sunset softly glows
And I breathe you into me

Heart beats slow
With the city down below
All my fears are overthrown
As I breathe you into me

When we kiss
Feel my lips start to swell
When you’re gone
You know I miss you like hell
I haven’t done this in a while
Can you tell?

Here in the park
We both stare at the stars
And the trees don’t feel so far
As I breathe you into me

Then in the dark
All my senses disarm
In the backseat of your car
As I breathe you into me

When we kiss
Feel my lips start to swell
When you’re gone
I know I’ll miss you like hell
It’s been a while since I’ve done this
Can you tell?

We’re so close
And I want you to know
All the parts that I don’t show
So I breathe you into me

The Park

Photo by Motaz Azaiza

There is no safety 
Under occupation
There is no mercy 
Only segregation

Now here come the big guns
The tanks are rolling in
There is no comfort
When the bombs start falling

There is no safety 
Under occupation
There is no justice 
Until liberation 

Now here come the big men
In their suits, all lying
There is no shelter 
Once the drones start flying

There is no safety 
Under occupation
There is no conscience 
In this forced starvation

Now here come the big trucks
Want to heal through violence
There is no safety
In your silence

No Safety

You’ve got me
Laughing like a child
Heart open and wild
I just want to hold you

You’ve got me
Feeling like a teen again
Parents’ house sneaking in
After kissing you

And we can’t go back
And do any of this differently
I’m just glad you’re here with me
I’m just glad you’re here

Cause you’ve got me
Singing folding laundry
Dreaming of you nightly
Looking at the moon

You’ve Got Me

Why would I do this to myself again?
Why would I bother to take the risk?
I’m still the child with the tear-stained cheeks
A wounded dog, teeth drawn, chattering

And if I see you in my dreams, stay away from me
You’ve had enough and I’d like you to leave
I’m a tender thing, not afraid to bite
A moth that’s gone far too long without light 

Why would I do this to myself again?
I have to believe this can be different
I take a leap and fall on my pride
I want to love, yeah I want to try
I want to love, yeah I want to try

Why did all those crickets sing if not for us? Why did we keep seeing all those 11’s and 1’s? Your love may be heaven sent but you’re no god. I’m no angel, either, I just want what I want.

What was it that made the thunder shake the street? What was it that made the sunset bring me to my knees? And your eyes start to twinkle when you look at me. I think you’re a miracle, what do you want to be?

Running into you was not an accident. Your face is the only one I want to kiss. And if I’d never met you you’re still someone that I’d miss. I want you to want me when I’m just like this.

Why did all those crickets sing if not for us? Why did we keep seeing all those 11’s and 1’s? Your love may be heaven sent but you’re no god. I’m no angel, either, I just want what I want.

No Angel

Ming was a clam
She lived and she swam
Deep in the Icelandic sea

She got her name
One fateful day
From the dynasty she may have seen

But she had no use
For language or books
For humans or their history

But science belongs
To the curious throngs
Who would kill just to conquer a mystery




Ming was a clam
She lived and she swam
Deep in the Icelandic sea

She didn’t know
When she got on that boat
That she would never be returning 

Ancient and strong 
Her shell held her so long 
Til some researchers pulled it away

And oh, what a loss
An incalculable cost
Put to death to determine her age




Ming was a clam
She lived and she swam 
Deep in the Icelandic sea

What is the use
Of knowledge and truth 
When pursuit makes it lose all its meaning

Was it worth it to take
Something precious and make
It into just another specimen?

But at least now we know
And have the data to show
That she was five hundred and seven

Song for Ming

I’m still paying of my credit card debt
Spent everything I didn’t have on you
And I’d do it all again 
For an evening beside you
For a moment of you breathing

Oh baby
Keep waiting to live
Without you

Oh baby
Keep waiting for you
To come back
And live here with me

It gets dark now in the middle of the day
I hate winter more the older I get
But on sunny days I miss you most
Too much to get out of this bed
Or this room where I’m sleeping

Written December 2019
Recorded November 2024

Waiting to Live

The kettle is beeping
The water is hot
My tea steeps, I stand at the sink,
Wait, watch the clock
I know this is hard
I know it’s a lot
And I don’t want to make myself small
When I’m not 
And my body is happiest
When it’s with you
And then turns inside out
Once I’m back in my room
And the past is a camera 
I keep looking through
And I’m trying but I just
Don’t feel close to you

There’s blood on my sheets
There’s blood in the tub
When you tell me you love me
I don’t always feel loved
And the sunset is quiet
I’m lost in the dusk
I miss you sometimes
But I’m not sure how much
And you’re just like the fog
Who knows when you’ll roll through
I keep trying but I just
Don’t feel close to you

I’m tired of talking
There’s too much to say
I’m losing my fight
I’m losing my faith
Honey I haven’t seen you 
In twenty one days
Tell me I’m still worth the wait

Worth the Wait

You don’t feel like a lover
You feel more like family
Like we came from the same star
The same crash landing
I know you’re far away now
But you’re still a part of me
I hope you can feel this
I hope you still love me

I can’t stand to see you
Not because you hurt me
Because you’re the only one
Who sees right through me
There’s something rare about you
I’m lucky I got to see
I hope you can see it, too
I hope you still love me

There are galaxies 
We will never reach 
And there are songs 
I’ll never get to hear you sing

You don’t feel like a lover
You feel more like family
Like we came from the same star
The same crash landing
I know you’re far away now
But you’re still a part of me
I hope you’ll remember 
I hope you’ll miss me
I hope you’re sleeping
Better than me
I hope you’ll let yourself live
Please don’t forget to eat
I hope you can feel this
I hope you still love me

Heart like a Hummingbird

Love me like a wire fence
I can see it but you keep me at a distance 
Your silence is so big
How can this be the end
When every word you said had years in it

Now you’re calling me out of the blue
To tell me that we’re really through
And what do I do with
All that’s still left to give
When every dream seemed to have you in it

So love me like a wire fence
So I can stick my fingers through to feel it
It’s good enough to miss
It’s good enough as is
But I can’t ever be your friend, I mean it

The End

At summer’s end
I breathe again
But the river is colder

And in a year 
I’ll be right here
Just another year older 

Red flash flying
Through the trees
Hey, woodpecker
What do you see
What do you see
When you look at me?

I like the way
You say my name
Like I’m somewhere you dream of

And very soon
I will see you
And we’ll see what we’re made of

Red flash flying
Through the trees
Hey, woodpecker
What do you see
What do you see
When you look at me?

And in the great unknown
I call to you
And you come running

(2024)

Art by Johannes Larsen

The Great Unknown

Many years and many suns
Have come and gone and gone and come
And I’ve grown big and I’ve grown some
And I’m lucky 

Many tears I’ve cried alone
Many times I’ve come back home
To heal and become more my own
And I’m lucky

And if you come through town
I’ll still be around
Come on by
Come say hi

And if you’re ever in the mood
Know I still think of you
Come on by
Come say hi 

I’ve been old and I’ve been young
The days have done all they have done
I’ve loved and lost and lost and loved 
And I’m lucky

Life is long and time goes quick
I want to savor all of it
I knew you when we were just kids
And I’m lucky

Lucky

Do you mind if I rest in your eyes for a while
Let your laughter drown out the room
The past doesn’t have to hurt us anymore
It doesn’t hurt when I look at you

And maybe it’s just
The evening light
Or the smell of the rain in the air

Do you mind if I stay in your life for a while
I really like it there

Do you mind if I rest in your arms for a while
Feel the breath soften deep in your chest
I don’t want to have to drive back home
Want to stay here with you in your bed

And maybe it’s just
The way you look tonight
Or the taste of honey on my lips

Do you mind if I stay in your life for a while
Or at least long enough for one more kiss

When I Look at You

Songs written and performed by Caroline Bauer with accompaniment by Nathan Alef, Milo Fultz, Chris Scherer, and Derick Thomas.
All lyrics and music property of Caroline Bauer. No reproduction without artist's consent.

Home

If You'd Like

Marry You

Honey

Pull me in close
Give me a reason to feel hopeful
You are the light in my room
On the longest night of all

Grab onto my waist
Plant a kiss as strong as cedar
You are the one thing I never knew
I could want the most of all

You run your fingers through my hair
Kiss my neck like communion
I'm drunk on wine and all the ways you're making me feel

Press into my hips
I want this weight to be familiar
Like the song I hope you hear
When you're driving home tonight

Solstice

Original song by Caroline Bauer featuring Andy Stoner on mandolin and Zach Levine on washboard.

Jump Off

I breathe into your mouth,
Scream into the sky,
You give my all the pleasure a body can stand and stay alive.

Send me to heaven
And hell in one breath,
Break me open again while the wounds are still fresh.

Honey dripping from your skin,
I can taste it on your lips,
While you whisper in my ear
What you want to do with this.

Tell me baby.

I breathe into your mouth,
Scream into the sky,
Break me in two, I dare you to try.

Tender

Caroline Bauer is a folk singer/songwriter living and performing in Eugene, OR.

@carolinebauermusic on Instagram and TikTok 
music.by.caroline.mail@gmail.com
Caroline Bauer Music on Facebook

Eugene Weekly Article:
https://eugeneweekly.com/2015/03/12/new-release-caroline-bauer/

All lyrics and music property of Caroline Bauer. No reproduction without artist's consent.

Caroline Bauer

Popular tracks