They were waitin’ on a legend, boots and all
A name that filled the posters on the wall
The crowd came dressed in denim and in pride
To hear the hits that made ‘em feel alive
But word came down, he’s stuck somewhere unknown
A flight delay, a busted mic, who knows
And now it’s me, a solo act, no fame
Just a harmonica and a borrowed name
I stepped out with my heart inside my throat
A borrowed stool, a secondhand coat
I heard the boos before I hit the chord
They didn’t want a stranger, they wanted more
But I got nothin’ left to lose tonight
So I played my truth beneath the stage light
I sang of love, I sang of loss and war
Of every door I never walked before
And I played, and I played
And I sang, and I sang
Every story, every scar
Filling in for a big time star
And I gave, and I gave
Till the silence turned to flame
Now they’re clappin’ not for who I ain’t
But for the songs that bear my name
I saw a woman wipe her tears away
A man nod slow like he knew what I’d say
A kid leaned close to hear the rhyme
Like maybe pain could heal in time
I sang of wrongs I never made quite right
Of lonely roads and sleepless nights
Of dreams that cracked but didn’t die
Of how I learned to say goodbye
They came for hits they knew by heart
But found a stranger torn apart
And in that break, I found my grace
A thousand strangers, one shared place
I ain’t the name they came to see
But I gave ‘em all the soul in me
And when the lights began to fade
I knew I’d earned the songs I played
And I played, and I played
And I sang, and I sang
Every story, every scar
Filling in for a big time star
And I gave, and I gave
Till the silence turned to flame
Now they’re clappin’ not for who I ain’t
But for the songs that bear my name
Filling in…
Just filling in…
For a name they thought they knew
But maybe tonight…
They saw me too......maybe.....They ..saw.. me ..too...


All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Link to more of our Singer/songwriter style hits you can cover into fame because of your take!

https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/best-new-folk-americana?si=04e0155163644977b37cf8c0a04f3c53&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Filling In for a Big Time Star

Remembering Willy de Ville R.I.P. " I call your Name"🎤🙏
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=eXVSgjWlldM&feature=shared

Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not
 wisdom, wisdom is not truth, truth Is not beauty, beauty is not love, love is not music, music is the best" (Frank Zappa)


Lyrics for Stytz Syndicate, W. Dannemann (TOX!), Rusty Stone and many more..
Rock/Metal/Blues/Poprock/Reggae/Soul/Funk/Americana//World/Folk/Country
Hint.. use ear./headphones for better sound transparency and enjoy.. comments always welcome!
My motto is.. good music matters.. even if it doesn´t pay you moneywise.. and I love good stories and have deep respect for lyric/ songwriters who really have to say something. John Hiatt is one of my alltime favs.
The majority of the songillustrations are personal photos taken by me !

If you like you can check out more of our music:  
First of all a tribute to Jimi Hendrix by Stytz: Castles Made Of Sand

https://youtu.be/9Qp9gJsElNk?feature=shared

Stytz /Stytz Syndicate on: spotify. youtube.
Stytz also represented by =Fuego Music" since 2023
www.stytz.com https://youtu.be/s0iWCPIQIwA?feature=shared

Rusty Stone/Rev. Rusty&The Case on youtube and spotify
Rusty Stone:  on  Bandcamp and youtube. https://youtu.be/bXaGoJ6Adtg?feature=shared
recommended Video on YouTube "Nighttime"!https://youtu.be/FJ0P3A8rNtw?feature=shared and
https://youtu.be/qNprIPofKNk?feature=sharednd live with "THE CASE"
https://youtu.be/UYqLAVrW7DA?feature=shared



" Prince Of Darkness 1985 and Tox 1986"  by ZYX-music/ Golden Core Records : re-released 08/ 2024.  also on Youtube and Spotify!https://youtu.be/jb6GsSGtydo?feature=shared


Last but not least.. my personal fav. band when it comes to metal.. melodic death metal...to be clear.. "Craving for Chaos" Band Munich ..on youtube, spotify.instagram, facebook and bandcamp..check them out!
live:  https://youtu.be/Swi9S7eqytM?feature=sharedhttps://youtu.be/Swi9S7eqytM?feature=shared
and back to the roots..Leadguitarist Jeremy at the age of 16
https://youtu.be/RRnsa-SSkoo?feature=shared (recorded with a simple photo camera- and the original camerasound ..no overdubs/ lol)
also:
Metal Virtuosos !" Voodoo Gods"    https://youtu.be/k31qUslUyck?feature=shared

In the shadows of Apache Junction, at the foot of the majestic Superstition Mountains, sits a weathered hacienda. This desert oasis is home to an enigmatic figure, a songwriter whose journey reads like a long, dusty road of honky-tonk bars and college cafeterias. He wasn't chasing fame or glitter; instead, he chose the soul-crushing beauty of music for music's sake.

Years spent hunched over sticky barroom tables and scribbling lyrics on napkins earned him a reputation—not in the spotlight but in the back rooms where deals are made. He wrote melodies that found their way into the hearts of stars who had lost their own muse. He sold his creations for cash, with no recognition, but the whisper of his songs carried the weight of his soul.

Finally, he bought this piece of desert paradise—a stable income from his timeless songs allowed him to live comfortably, if anonymously. Here in this hacienda, with his family beside him and the mountains as his backdrop, he found the peace to write hits under his own name. He chuckled at the irony that now, without chasing fame, he could create music that brought him joy.

In the end, it was never about the spotlight. It was about the journey, the stories, and the songs that wrote themselves through his life. As the sun set behind the Superstitions, casting long shadows over the hacienda, he strummed his guitar and sang—content, unknown, and unburdened by the world's gaze.


Copyright 2019 Edwin H. Balder

I may be dead when fame comes but my real glory was always JULIE & The Kids. Thank you for such love

Filling In for a Big Time Star

Edwin Balder