I’ll Drive

I can’t take it anymore
I’m so bored
This ain’t what life’s suppose to be
The routine of it all
Drives me up a wall
Morning alarms and dinner bells
Honey don’t get me wrong, you know I love you
Sometimes we need a change in view
Grab your things let’s go

Run Coors to Atlanta
Chase ghosts in Savannah
Hop a boat down in the Keys
Rock away in Nashville
Hang with hippies up in Asheville
It all sounds good to me
I just want to be with you
Go out and see the world, feel alive
I’ll get the car and spending money
You man the radio honey
I’ll drive

I need a break from it all
Schedules and the conference calls
To not care what time it is
I’ll drive and hold your hand
And we’ll play “name that band”
Sing along to the ones we know
Put the pedal down in a southern valley
I’ll be Burt and you’ll be Sally 
Grab your things let’s go

Run Coors to Atlanta
Chase ghosts in Savannah
Hop a boat down in the Keys
Rock away in Nashville
Hang with hippies up in Asheville
It all sounds good to me
I just want to be with you
Go out and see the world, feel alive
I’ll get the car and spending money
You man the radio honey
I’ll drive

You know I get lost sometimes
And need to find new air 
Anywhere we want to go
I’ll take us there

Run Coors to Atlanta
Chase ghosts in Savannah
Hop a boat down in the Keys
Rock away in Nashville
Hang with hippies up in Asheville
It all sounds good to me
I just want to be with you
Go out and see the world, feel alive
Run the wheels off car, spend all the money
You man the radio honey
I’ll drive
I’ll Drive

Turn the radio on
I’ll drive
Turn the radio on
I’ll drive

Word and Music by Daniel O'Conor
August 2021

I'll Drive (Home Demo)

In Our Backyard
Word and Music by Daniel O'Connor

(Verse one)
In our backyard, it’s where I like to be
With you Honey, under a sweet gum tree
If you follow it up, about 25 yards
All the way up to the top, it points to the stars
I need you tonight

(Verse two)
In our backyard, Honey me and you
If the world locked down, we’ve got plenty to do
Got a porch for chill’n, got ol' Webster grill’n
It’s such simple livin’, here in our backyard
I need you tonight
Honey you know 

(Chorus)
I don’t need a crowded bar
Light up stage or a 5 star hotel room
I’ve got you in our backyard
So put your arms around me, oh yeah 
Right here under the stars
I need you tonight
In our backyard

(Verse 3)
In our backyard, when the weekend comes
I’ll strum the guitar and you bang the drums
We've got a cool garage, got a couple cool cars
That we leave parked out all night under them stars
I need you tonight
Honey you know 

(Chorus)
I don’t need a crowded bar
Light up stage or a 5 star hotel room
I’ve got you in our backyard
So put your arms around me, oh yeah 
Right here under the stars
I need you tonight
In our backyard
In our backyard

(Verse 4)
Sure sometimes I miss my old party days
Staying out all night long, lost in the haze
Yeah life’s slower now, and I find it’s better to be
Rooted down in our backyard Honey, like that sweet gum tree
And I need you tonight
Honey you know 

(Chorus)
I don’t need a crowded bar
Light up stage or a 5 star hotel room
I’ve got you in our backyard
So put your arms around me, oh yeah 
Right here under the stars
I need you tonight
I need you tonight
In our backyard
In our backyard

In Our Backyard

Lake Norman Summer

When I say I don’t like winter 
What I mean to say, I dislike like the cold
Cuz when it’s cold I’m wearing layers 
When I wanna wear flip flops
And pop tops off beers in the sun

February’s no fun out on the lake
Come on May
Bring the Carolina sun my way 
So I can go out and play
 
In a Lake Norman summer
I’m always thinking of ya
Counting down days till June
When the sun on my my skin gets hotter
I jump in the water
And if the clouds keep clear, I’ll stay there all day
Hey, September don’t take
My Lake Norman summer away

Hey hey
Hey hey Oh 

It’s hot as a firecracker come July 
Hit the water
I’ve got the cooler packed, throttle pulled back
It’s on, it’s so on
Tie up next to Marty, he’s the King of the party
An American flag flies in the sun

Everybody’s having fun out on the lake
With nothing in our way
We’ll be jammin in the sun 
All day, this is how we play

In a Lake Norman summer
I’m always thinking of ya
Counting down days till June
When the sun on my my skin gets hotter
I jump in the water
And if the clouds keep clear, I’ll stay there all day
September don’t take
My Lake Norman summer away

The sun goes down in the August sky
Above the wake in the lake 
Color shoots across the sky
Don’t want to go
So we’re comin’ back out early
On the water by noon 
In Snowdy’s pontoon to North 40

Lake Norman summer yeah
I’m always thinking of ya
I’m counting down days till June
When the sun on my my skin gets hotter
I’m gonna jump in the water
Hey throw me a beer, I ain’t leaving here all day
No, September don’t take
My Lake Norman summer away

Hey hey
Hey hey Oh
Hey hey
Hey hey Oh

Lake Norman Summer

Strange World (It’s alright)
by Daniel O’Connor

It’s a strange world that were in
4 billion years in the making
Neanderthals and dodo birds
Dinosaurs that ruled the world

And now, just like then, time goes on
Spin around the sun til we’re all gone
In a strange world, it’s hard to know what to do
In a strange world, I want to hold onto you

When I get overwhelmed sometimes
I wanna fly high toward the sun
And look down around 
At the strange and beautiful world for a while
Till it’s alright

If pigs could fly and fish had feet
The farmer’d look to the sky, the bear to the street
In a strange world, it’s hard to know what’s real
In a strange world, hard to know how to feel
It’s alright

Sail to Spain, drink the wine
Climb the Eiffel tower in the summer time
Imagine how it feels to sand at the feet of the pyramids
To see the Northern Lights

It’s a strange world that were in
It’s a strange world that were in

When I get overwhelmed sometimes
I wanna fly high toward the sun
And look down around 
At the strange and beautiful world for a while
Till it’s alright
It’s alright
It’s alright
It’s alright
It’s alright

Strange World (It's Alright)

Tricks Up Your Sleeve

The days of our running
The good times we’ve chased
Have left me with memories 
That no one could replace  

When we first met
I knew you were different
A conjurer of surprises, a smile that couldn’t hide
And I hopped on for the ride

I must have laughed a 1000 times
‘Til I couldn’t breathe
To be in that moment with you
And your magic
The tricks up your sleeve

I’ve lost a father
My mind now and then
I once lost a job, my pride
But never you my friend

And each time I lose lose lose lose
You never leave
You lift me up up up up
With your magic
The tricks up your sleeve

I lose track of time when I’m hangin’ round with you
The sun comes up and there we are still smiling
Not wanting to leave the moment that we are in
You’re a reason I’m afraid of dying

I must have laughed a 1000 times
’Til I couldn’t breathe
To be in that moment with you
And your magic 
The tricks up your sleeve

Sometimes I wonder 
And I’m sure, so do you
How much time do we have left
To have the fun we do

And when one of us is gone gone gone gone
And we have reached the end 
The other will go on on on on
And live for their best friend

And I know I’ve laughed a 1000 times
’Til I couldn’t breathe
To be in that moment with you
Ah the tricks up your sleeve

And I hope to laugh a 1000 more times
’Til we can’t breathe
You’ve taken my life and added shine
With your magic
The tricks up your sleeve

Songwriters: Daniel F O'Connor

Tricks Up Your Sleeve

The Music Lets Me Be

Well I ain’t country, it’s easy to see 
My boots aren’t cowboy
And I live in the city 
The hustle and bustle
But when I listen to those old country songs
I can be country 
Just for a while 
If only in my mind

Yeah my favorites are the stories of outlaws
Heartbreak and the joys of being free
Well I ain’t country, but the music lets me be

When I listen to Waylon, Johnny, Merle, or Willie
I head out on the road again
Far away from the city
The Hustle and Bustle
I can taste homemade cookin’, whiskey from Tennessee 
Sleep under stars I can see 
Far away from the city
If just for a while

I can don an old cowboy hat
Ride a horse through fields of green￼
Well I ain’t country, but the music lets me be

Well I ain’t country, no crop in the field
I’ve never been in love with Amanda, 
Jessi,  Lucille, 
Jolene or June
Through those old country songs I know what it’s like to be
With a woman who you’d give your heart to
Completely
If just for a while

Those old songs are filled with women like that
Full of fire and intensity 
Well I ain’t country, but they sound good to me

When I listen to Waylon, Johnny, Merle, or Willie
I head out on the road again
Far away from the city
The Hustle and Bustle
I can taste homemade cookin’, whiskey from Tennessee 
Sleep under stars I can see 
Far away from the city
If just for a while

I can don an old cowboy hat
Ride a horse through fields of green￼
Well I ain’t country, but the music lets me be
I ain’t country, but the music lets me be

When I listen to those old country songs
I can be country 
Just for a while 
If only in my mind

Songwriters: Daniel F O'Connor
Copyright® 2020

The Music Lets Me Be

Vodka, Club Soda, With a Lime

Well ever since I was a young man 
I’ve always enjoyed having a cold drink in my hand
And good friends around 
When it’s quitn’ time

So when the work is done, I grab the ol’ lady
And head to Muddy’s, find a spot that’s shady
And peer over the bar
At all the bottles in line 

And I’ve never had much a taste for the beer
But hell I’ll drink it if it’s sitting right here
And if the mood is right
Shoot, I’ll drink a glass of wine

But like my momma always said, if I had my druthers
There’s one drink I prefer above all the others
And that’s vodka, club soda, with a lime

Vodka, club soda, with a lime
Every time I drink ‘em I have me a damn good time
Now I can’t say that I remember it all
Cuz that’s one of the effects of drinking alcohol 
But I’d rather forget that I had fun
Than remember that I had none

Well it’s always been my favorite drink
And I have the first two and I starts to think 
Just how damn good
Drinking a third one sounds

And before you know it I’m on to number four
And I make my way out to the dance floor
I snap my fingers 
And boogie on down to the ground

And just when you think I can’t get back up
Well I flip my hair and stand right up
And then shake my hips
Hell I can turn on dime

I strut on over to the bar like a boss
And when the bartender says “Hey, whatcha need hoss?”
I tell him vodka, club soda, with a lime 
Vodka, club soda, with a lime
Every time I drink ‘em I have me a damn good time
Now I can’t say that I remember it all
Cuz that’s one of the effects of drinking alcohol 
But I’d rather forget that I had fun
Than remember that I had none

Well I’ll admit they’ve got me in trouble 
When I drink em too fast or order me a double
And my machismo 
Starts a coming through

And I’ve tried to slow down, but I just can’t
And my good friends are sure glad I ain’t
Like John, Brad, and Danny
Just to name a few

Well that John he sure smiles a lot
And Brads always “Let’s do a shot!”
And that Danny
Gawd, he makes me stay out till two

We go from bar to bar all over the town
And I get drunker than cooter brown
On vodka, club soda, with a lime

Vodka, club soda, with a lime
Every time I drink ‘em I have me a damn good time
Now I can’t say that I remember it all
Cuz that’s one of the effects of drinking alcohol 
But I’d rather forget that I had fun
Than remember that I had none

Yes I’d rather forget that I had fun
Then remember that I had none

Vodka, Club Soda, With A Lime

“You Are Home”

It’s often said of home, there’s no place like it
And the further you are the more you find it’s true
And it’s not just a place, it’s the warmth of your face
And I’d travel to space just to see you

‘Cause you are home, you’re where my heart is
And where it will always be
Just look into my eyes and you will see

(Chorus)
To me, you are home
And home is where you want to be back to
You’re the calm in a storm
You bring me back to norm’
And it feels like home when I’m around you 
Lucky I am to have found you 
You are home 

You’re the game I love to play, the joy in my heart on a holiday
You’re warm apple pie and a cozy bed

You’re always in my head, and you’re where my heart is
And where it will always be
Just look into my eyes and you will see

(Chorus)
To me, you are home
And home is where you want to be back to
You’re the calm in a storm
You bring me back to norm’
And it feels like home when I’m around you 
Lucky I am to have found you 
You are home 

Yes you’re my lucky find, and I wish I could slow the time
But time will roll on and we’ll grow old
And that’s OK, makes me love you more anyway
And I want to spend the time that I have left with you 

‘Cause you are home
You’re where my heart is
And that’s where it will always be
Just look into my eyes and you will see

(Chorus)
To me, you are home
And home is where you want to be back to
You’re the calm in a storm
You bring me back to norm’
And it feels like home when I’m around you 
How lucky I am to have found you 
You are home 
 
Words and Music by Daniel O'Connor

You Are Home (Acoustic Version)

"Trucker Hat"

When I get up in the morning
I don’t bother with my hair
I throw on an ol’ trucker hat
It’s my favorite thing to wear￼

That’s my hat
I’m talking about my trucker hat
￼￼￼￼￼
And I’ve got quite the collection
Hats for my favorite teams
Beers I drink, bands I love
And everything in between is on my hat

I’m talking about my trucker hat
Now listen

You could call it a fashion statement
But to me it’s identity 
Snap back plastic
With a bill curved perfectly
My trucker hat’s always been a good friend to me￼

I got a hat that says "Go Big Red"
And a hat that says "Go CHIEFS"
I got one from a World Series run
That reminds me to “Believe”

It’s on my hat
I’m talking about my trucker hat

I might wear Coors Banquet
A PBR hat gets me cheers
And when I wear The High Life
I’m drinkin’ the champagne of beers

In my hat
I’m talking about my trucker hat
Come on now

You could say it’s a fashion statement
But to me it’s identity 
Snap back plastic
With a bill curved perfectly
My trucker hat’s always been a good friend to me￼

￼￼And it ain’t just about the message￼
What’s more important is how you wear it son
To see what I mean, check out the girl in the skin tight jeans
Her southern strut and trucker hat

I’ve got the Stones
ZZ Top and Tom Petty
But my Waylon Jennings logo hat
Is the baddest you’ll ever see

It’s a badass hat
Yeah I’m alking about my trucker hat

And I could pull out a classic
Like John Deere or Bass Pro
Or my Von Dutch hat 
That I haven’t worn since 2004￼

Remember that?
I’m talking about that trucker hat

You could say it’s a fashion statement
But to me it’s identity 
Snap back plastic
With a bill curved perfectly
My trucker hat’s always been a good friend to me￼

Words and Music by Daniel O'Connor

Trucker Hat

"Banging My Head Over You"

Is it me?￼
Am I not doing the right thing?￼￼
What else should I do?￼
Banging my head over you￼
Is it me?

One day you’re sunshine hello
A happy hue of yellow
And the next, a sad shade of blue
What did I do￼?
Is it me?

I keep banging my head 
Hoping the answer will appear
It’s all part of loving you dear￼
You, banging my head over you
You, banging my head over you￼
My head spins round

It’s one day off, next day on
I keep banging my head￼
Sometimes right, then I’m wrong￼
￼Always banging my head￼
￼You’re a complicated creature
￼You push me out then pull me near
It’s all part of loving you dear￼

Is it me?
Am I not doing the right thing?
Same questions everyday
What did I do?
Banging my head over you￼

Try and ask you I could lose it
So I put it down in music
But I know it’s really not your thing 
So you how will you know?
And so 

These thoughts that I have
You might not ever hear￼￼
It’s all part of loving you dear￼
You, banging my head over you
You, banging my head over you￼
My head spins round

It’s one day off, next day on
I keep banging my head￼
Sometimes right, then I’m wrong￼
￼Always banging my head￼
What I should’ve said when we’re in bed￼
I keep banging my head￼
When you won’t show, how can I know?
Always banging my head￼￼￼
But in all the confusion
One thing remains clear￼
I will always love you dear
￼
You, banging my head over you
You, banging my head over you
Banging my head over you
Banging my head over you￼￼￼

Words and music by Daniel O'Connor

Banging My Head Over You

Simple
Words and Music by Daniel O'Connor

On the front porch swinging
Lazy dog under our feet
And no telephone ringing
No place we have to be
It’s simple, we’ve got all day

Out the gate to the field
Lazy come-a-runnin’ when I whistle
Giggle as we drop to the ground
Hiding in the purple thistle
It's simple, his nose leads the way
Oh it’s simple living life this way

Hey let’s play in the simple
Skip rocks across the water
Watch it ripple perfect rounds
Listen to the sounds
That surround us
It’s just us
Simple

Dip a toe in the river
Shiver cold to the touch
A double dog dare to jump
Well, ain’t quite enough
Ah but a triple, and it’s bombs away!
Oh it’s simple living life this way 

Hey let’s play in the simple
Skip rocks across the water
Watch it ripple perfect rounds
Listen to the sounds
That surround us
It’s just us
Simple

Hey let’s play in the simple
Skip rocks across the water
Watch it ripple perfect rounds
Listen to the sounds
That surround us
It’s just us
Simple
Simple

Hey let’s play in the simple
Hey let’s play in the simple

The Music Lets Me Be

Daniel O

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