THE KETTLE'S ALREADY ON 

Well it sure seems like it took too long to find you                                                                        
Yea like a  worn clothes-line I was witherin' in the wind                                                                
But then you took me by surprise with those come and get me eyes                                                                              
Now I'll be playin' your song like a warmed up symphony
                                                                                      
So come on, pack up your bags and lets go, the kettle's already on                                                                                                                        
It's strong enough to right your wrongs, lets drink it up before it's gone           
And if you need anything that this poor ol' boy can't bring                                                                    
Aww  we'll cook it up baby, the kettle's already on, yeah it’s on.
                                                                  
Well I heard someone say true love can wait forever                                                                             
And if this is just a worn out song then forever here I come                                                                                                   
But if you 'aint got it figured out, baby come and let me show you how                                                                                               
Yea' it could be just like a daydream from now until kingdom come

So come on, pack up your bags and lets go, the kettle's already on                                                                
It's strong enough to right your wrongs, lets drink it up before it's gone
And if you need anything that this poor ol' boy can't bring                                              
Aww  we'll cook it up baby, the kettle's already on. Yeah it’s on. 

Uhm Uhm ummm, the kettle’s already on.  


The Kettle's Already On

THIS IS OUR LOVE               

Verse 1: More than distance that separates, or the past we can't erase,
More than anyone could ever hope to find or to replace.
This is our love.  This is our love.

A bridge that can't be broken, a word that can't be spoken, 
and a dream that we had wanted all our lives to find hope in
this our love.    This is our love.

Chorus: So please,   please believe in me. I want the truth to set you free.
‘Cause there's power in the love we share, 
and we’ve found a strength beyond compare.
In a  bond that reaches higher than the heavens above.
This is our love.  This is our love.
                               
Verse 2: More than words that come and go, or time can ever show,
More than anything that we had ever hoped that we might know.
This is our love.    This is our love.
          
It's a love no one can take, no lie could ever break, when it's found inside two hearts 
Who took a chance and found their way to this our love.     This is our love.
                   
Chorus: So please,  please believe in me. I want the truth to set you free.
There's a  power in the love we share, and we’ve found a peace beyond compare.
In a  bond that reaches higher than the heavens above. 
                  
This is our love.  This is our love. This is our love.  This is our love.

This is Our Love

HEART OF GLASS

Verse One:
Here comes that old man memory, he won’t ever leave me be.
Why can’t he see those broken chains?
What’s that you say I’ve got to pay, I think I’d rather run today. 
I don’t owe you for all this pain.

You think that you can break me with self-sympathetic trash.
I’m already wise to your games.
You think that you can take me out with silly smoke and ash.
I’ll send you out the way you came.

Verse Two:
The circus came to town tonight, and how I’d love to hitch a ride.
Take off and see that open road.
But the man in charge just told me how he would have to break me down
Before I could fit into his show. 

Chorus:
Well, look away, heart of glass, though you think that’s what you asked.
Just give yourself a chance and see how strong, how strong you’ll become. *
 (*Look away heart of glass) ‘Cause you know those things won’t last.
Don’t you dare be downcast, my heart of glass
Let the memories walk on past,  and look away
My heart, my heart of glass.

Verse Three:
What’s that another stranger knockin’ on my door in anger,
Tryin’ to steal the laces from my shoes.
Well I’ll give him a taste of all my fury to his face and just
Leave him holdin’ handfuls of my blues

Chorus:
Look away heart of glass, there’s no need to wear that mask.
Just give yourself a chance and see how strong, how strong you’ll become.
Look away heart of glass, and you just might learn to dance.
Don’t you dare be downcast, my heart of glass.
Let the imitations pass, and look away 
my heart, my heart of glass.

Heart Of Glass

Shake It Away

Put those tickets away now baby, you aint catchin’ no train
Save your money for somethin’ better when things aint quite so insane
Write a letter to your crazy sister, and tell her you aint comin’ back again

 ‘Cause you’ve got warm feet by the fire with me
and you’ve got somethin’ that them folks back home aint never seen
and you gotta  warm heart, I can feel the degrees darlin’
Wait a minute now before you say it, I think you need another reason to delay it away.

You gotta shake it away
Aww, You gotta shake it now
 You gotta shake it away

Shake the monkeys from the trees behind ya’ and lock ‘em all in a cage.
Aint no use in lookin’ back for nothin’ darlin’, now you’re comin’ of age.
All you need is right here beside me, somethin’ nobody else can take away


‘Cause you’ve got warm feet by the fire with me
and you’ve got somethin’ that them folks back home aint never seen
and you’ve got a warm heart, I can feel the degrees darlin’
Wait a minute now before you say it, I think you need another reason to delay it away

You gotta shake it away
Aww, You gotta shake it now
You gotta shake it away

Shake It Away

TAKE TIME   
 
Break all the edges down enough that you can hear the sound of lessons learned.   
Two thousand miles away, someone else just found the fate of stones unturned.
Your restless hours only try to take the dignity you’ve earned so far.
I see a candle burning bright, serve a course of what your soul can spark.

Take time before time takes you.
Hit the ground before it starts to rise.
Take time before the sky falls on you,
and steals the tears away from your eyes.
When it steals away the tears from your eyes
Take time to heal yourself.

So here’s to the “wasted time”. The face of fear just sacrificed his last demands.
Cheers for the missing link that kept us standing on the brink of something, 
something so grand.
Each and every moment found a place, a time to catapult you to the sky.
Deep in the palm of saving grace, love was lifted in its’ perfect time.

Take time before time takes you.
Hit the ground before it starts to rise.
Take time before the sky falls on you,
and steals the tears away from your eyes.
When it steals away the tears from your eyes
Take time to hear yourself.

Take Time

WEEKEND OVERDUE

What’s on the bottom of this bottle in my hand?
What’s on the table that all my labors will demand?
Well I’ve seen it comin’, comin’ through just like a weekend overdue.

Troubles may come, but I’ve got time to shake ‘em off my back.
Like an old freight train, I’ll go steamin’ right on down the tracks.
I know that I’ll find somethin’ new, I hope it’s my weekend overdue.
So don’t even try to get me back in line, ‘cause I’m just passin’ through.

Too many choices, they just seem to slow my whole life down.
Time to get focused, and get these wheels all spinnin’ ‘round and ‘round.
Well I know I’ll do what I got to do, lookin’ for a weekend overdue.
And I’ve made my mind ‘cause I know the time is right now, yea my time is due.

Bring it back on through. 

I just don’t know if I deserve another day,
but I’ll make the best of whatever seems to come my way.
Maybe it’s here or there or right in front of me.
All that I know is that my soul has got to roll on to be free.
Oh To be free, to be free.

So what’s on the bottom of this bottle in my hand, tell me?
What’s on the table now that all my labors will demand? 
Well I’ve seen it and it’s comin’ through, just like a weekend overdue.
So don’t even try to get me back in line now, I’m just passin’ through.
Yea I've made my mind, 'cause I know the time is right now, yea my time is due
You can speak your mind but don’t get me behind. I’m comin’ through.

Weekend Overdue

RIVERSONG - 11-12-13

VERSE 1 - A song of liquid longing calls out from the darkest night

stroking strings of ancient melodies.

The hopes and fears and wanting. The joy and pain of every life

flowing through in a timeless symphony.

CHORUS - Was it something, something in the dirt,

Something that birthed this Riversong?

Will it's secrets see the light or be a prisoner of the night?

'Til the Riversong is carried further on.

VERSE 2 - I hear the fading whispers begging me to make it right,

To say the magic words to set them free.

To give their songs a reason before they drift out of my sight

and the river takes it's songs far out to sea.

CHORUS - I know it's something, something in the dirt

Something that birthed this Riversong?

Will it's secrets see the light again, 

Will it's secrets see the light or be a prisoner of the night,

'Til the Riversong is carried further on.

VERSE 3 - Now I paint a picture with the colors of the mud and mire

and ask the River just to let it be.


Riversong

YOUR VOICE THAT I HEAR         Chris Monk       8-26-11 

VERSE 1 – Dust on a mirror blurs a reflection once true
Like mist in the morning giving it’s way to the dew
And the sound of my heart is relentless, as the moments roll into the days
And the longing inside me blinds my heart in a haze.

CHORUS – In this place life has left us far from the places we knew
Where the winds and the sea caressed us, now just memories carry me through.
Through this place time has left us, your faintest scent lingers so near.
When my hope has grown soft as a whisper, I’m sure it’s your voice that I hear,
Yes I know it’s your voice that I hear. 
La-dai-de-da-da-da La-dai-de-dai-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-dai-de-da-da-da La-dai-de-dai-da-da-da-da-da-da

VERSE 2 – It’s a terrible thing to awaken and find once again I’m alone
In a tower of solitude waiting for you to come home.
But a castle is only a stack of old stones held by the mud and the time
It’s halls only echo the melodies you left behind.

CHORUS – In this place life has left us far from the places we knew
Where the winds and the sea caressed us, now just memories carry me through.
Through this place time has left us, your faintest scent lingers so near.
When my hope has grown soft as a whisper, I’m sure it’s your voice that I hear,
Yes I know it’s your voice that I hear. 
La-dai-de-da-da-da La-dai-de-dai-da-da-da-da-da-da
La-dai-de-da-da-da La-dai-de-dai-da-da-da-da-da-da

Your Voice That I Hear

I have recorded several versions of this song. This one is from 2003.
Here are the lyrics:

CABBAGE TOWN 
Music by Chris Monk, Jeff Brooks, John Lowe  
Lyrics by Chris Monk

Down in Cabbage town I hear voices howlin’ in the night, 
I wear my daily news and advertise all my fright.
I’ve seen their shadows fall, sometimes they’re screamin’ walls. 
I’ve ‘gotta to leave this place tonight, yeah.

For sure. I’m sittin’ like a number in the barrel of a gun on the streets of Cabbage Town
Hear what I’m tellin’ you now, said I gotta’ find some way out, and leave Cabbage town.

I can still recall life before this God-forsaken town. 
So long ago before this curse was handed down.
I’ve seen their fine machines and Lord knows I’ve felt their pain                  
But that Peachtree crowd don’t know what’s goin’ down. No, no, no they don’t

For sure. I’m sittin’ like a number in the barrel of a gun on the streets of Cabbage Town
Hear what I’m tellin’ you now, said I gotta’ find some way out, and leave Cabbage town.

‘Cause it's time I make a break before I drown with sorrow face to face. And try.
I'll go seal the lips of every lie that left me here with one lone reply. Why?  I gotta get away.
                                                
Down in Cabbage town I hear voices howlin’ in the night.
I fear the lines they lay might shove me clean out of sight.
I’ll tend my task at hand, but I’m not insane
For some fool talk ‘bout the way it might have been. 
Well, what might have been is not good enough. It’s not good enough, no.

It’s not good enough for you and me and the faces we see out on the streets of Cabbage Town
Hear what I’m tellin’ you now, said I gotta’ find some, some way out, and leave Cabbage town.
Ooh Ooh Ooh I can’t stand no more, I gotta’ leave Cabbage Town
I’m not insane, I gotta leave this, gotta leave this place, gotta leave this Cabbage Town.

Cabbage Town

Still working on this one, but it has come so far.

cmonk66007