These songs come from years spent behind the scenes—working the stage, tuning the sound, watching stories unfold in places that didn’t yet call themselves country bars. I wasn’t chasing spotlight. I was listening. Learning. Writing. We’re In It Now is the title track, but every song here carries a piece of that journey. I wrote them for anyone who’s ever felt the truth in a lyric or the weight in a chord. If you find yourself singing back to a line, or sitting quiet with a verse—well, that’s all a songwriter ever hopes for. I’m grateful you’re here. These songs are yours now, too.

We're In It Now Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

They say I’m trouble, say I’m loud  
Say I’m drunk and too damn proud  
But I just call it living strong  
‘Cause I ain’t done nothing wrong  
I cussed out a preacher in Abilene  
Tried to kiss his wife behind the screen  
Got banned from the Opry, twice last year  
But I still sell out and drink free beer  
They write me off, they write me songs  
But I ain’t done nothing wrong  
I ain’t done nothing wrong, just lived a little loud  
Got a fistful of stories and a fanbase crowd  
Yeah, I’ve said dumb things and I’ve swung too wide  
But I’ve never once faked what’s inside  
So pour me a shot and sing along  
I ain’t done nothing wrong  
Bar fights, bad tweets, motel sins  
I’ve lost some teeth and a few good friends  
But I still got my boots and my guitar  
And a heart that’s dumb but shoots for stars  
From dusty roads to neon lights  
I’ve chased dreams and endless nights  
Gambled hearts on the edge of town  
But I won't be the one to slow down  
Saw the sun rise on too many days  
And danced through life's winding maze  
I ain’t your hero, I ain’t your saint  
I’m just the paint on a honky-tonk complaint  
I mess up big, I love too hard  
But I never lied in a country bar  
I ain’t done nothing wrong, just lived a little loud  
Got a fistful of stories and a fanbase crowd  
Yeah, I’ve burned some bridges and I’ve kissed the flame  
But I’d do it all again the same  
So pour me a shot and sing along  
I ain’t done nothing wrong  
So if you see me stumbling through your town  
Just know I’m the fool who won’t stay down  
With a guitar in hand, I'll carry on  
I ain’t done nothing wrong  
Just wrote it all into song  nothing wrong
(nothing wrong)nothing wrong...Just wrote.. it.. all... into song

Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to Del and the Team
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w

They Say I’m Trouble

🌹We weren’t born brothers.
But if I fall, .....they’ll catch me. (catch me)
If I cry, they’ll hear it.(hear it)
If I die, they’ll carry me home. (carry me home)
carry me home
We weren’t born brothers
But we’re closer than others
We’ve held each other through the worst
Through broken bones and unpaid thirst
fought, we’ve laughed, we’ve bled, we’ve healed
kept our word when life concealed
 buried dreams, we’ve raised the dead
said the things no one else said
built our lives on borrowed land
worked with calloused, open hands
hauled the weight that others dropped
kept the beat when music stopped
 stood in courtrooms, stood in bars
 patched each other’s faded scars
 been the voice when one went mute
We’ve been the steel beneath the suit
Closer than blood
Not by birth, but by bond
Not by name, but by need
Not by law, but by creed
We didn’t choose it—we earned it
We didn’t speak it—we turned it
Into something that never breaks
Even when the ..whole ..dam.. world ..shakes...
 watched each other lose it all
 answered every midnight call
held the line when no one came
 taken hits without the fame
 shared the silence, shared the fight
 made it through the darkest night
been the anchor, been the flame
We’ve never asked, we’ve never blamed
One of us lost his job (none of us walked away)
One of us lost his girl (none of us walked away)
One of us lost his mind (none of us walked away)
 none of us walked away (none of us walked away)
We stayed
We stayed
Because ...that’s what ...brothers do
Even when the world ...forgets about you
 weren’t born brothers
But we’re closer than others
 got no medals, got no fame
But we’ve got stories in our name
got a table, got a song
We’ve got a place where we belong
 got a pact that time can’t steal
 got a love that’s raw and real
Closer than blood
Not by birth, but by bond
Not by name, but by need
Not by law, but by creed
We didn’t choose it—we earned it
We didn’t speak it—we turned it
We weren’t born brothers.
We weren’t born brothers.
But if I fall, .....they’ll catch me. (catch me)
If I cry, they’ll hear it.(hear it)
If I die, they’ll carry me home. (carry me home)
carry me home
That’s closer than blood.
That’s everything.
We weren’t born brothers
But we’re closer than others
brothers brothers brothers
something that never breaks
Even when the whole world shakes
brothers brothers brothers
We weren’t born brothers.
But if I fall, .....they’ll catch me. (catch me)
If I cry, they’ll hear it.(hear it)
If I die, they’ll carry me home. (carry me home)
carry me home. (carry me home )brothers brothers
carry... me.... home(brothers brothers)

Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to Del and the Team
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w

Closer Than Blood written by Edwin H. Balder

Been a long, lonely while
Since I’ve seen that smile
The one I used to come home to
Each day before we lost our way
And suddenly, there you are
Getting out of your car
And I’m just standing here
Wondering how I let you go
So, so, so long ago
You looked at me like time stood still
Like the years hadn’t had their fill
Of all the things we didn’t say
Of all the nights we gave away
I felt the wind, I felt the ache
I felt the ground begin to shake
And all I wanted was to know
If you still think of me
From so long ago
So long ago
But I still feel it you know
Like a summer wind
Through the things we didn’t mend
So long ago
But I still what to know
do you ever think of me
and the way we used to be 
so long ago   oooooh
so long..ago
I remember your laugh in the kitchen light
I remember your tears when we used to fight
I remember the way you’d hum that tune
And how we’d dance beneath the moon
I remember the way you’d say my name
Like it was safe, like it was flame
And now you’re here, and I’m undone
By everything we could’ve won
You said, “I wasn’t sure I’d stop”
I said, “I wasn’t sure I’d drop”
But here we are, on this old street
Where memory and silence meet
I’m not asking for a vow
Just wondering if you feel it now
That maybe time was just a thief
That maybe love still hides beneath
So long ago
But I still feel it you know
Like a summer wind
Through the things we didn’t mend
So long ago
But I still what to know
do you ever think of me
and the way we used to be 
so long ago   oooooh
so long..ago
I never stopped loving you
I just stopped saying it
And maybe that’s the same thing
Or maybe it’s the reason
We’re standing here
So long ago
So long ago
So long ago…
So long ago
But I still feel it you know
Like a summer wind
Through the things we didn’t mend
So long ago
But I still what to know
do you ever think of me
and the way we used to be 
so long ago   oooooh
so long..ago


Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to Del and the Team
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w

So Long Ago written by Edwin H. Balder

I watched myself play an old man’s tune
In a bar that smelled like dust and June
The walls were cracked, the lights hung low
The jukebox dead, the clock too slow
My fingers knew what time forgot
Each string a scar, each fret a thought
The stool was crooked, the mic was shy
But I sang like truth was passing by
He sat alone, that man I knew
Long white hair and a soul gone blue
His guitar spoke in broken tones
Of lovers lost and unpaid loans
He didn’t smile, he didn’t cry
Just let the chords drift up and die
And in that hush, I saw myself
Not chasing fame, just chasing help
The last chord played still echoes loud
In every heart that’s faced a crowd
Of empty chairs and silent walls
Of dreams that rise and then they fall
The last chord played, it stays, it stays
In smoky bars and yesterday’s
It’s not the fame, it’s not the stage
It’s what you sing when you’ve turned the page
I saw my youth in him that night
A boy with fire, a man with fight
We shared a song, we shared a breath
We played like love could cheat on death
No one clapped, no one knew
But something old became brand new
And when I left, I took his sound
A melody that won’t back down
It’s not the notes, it’s not the rhyme
It’s how you bleed across the time
It’s how you hold what can’t be held
How you sing what can’t be spelled
It’s how you play when no one stays
How you live through your own phrase
It’s how you hum when hope feels gone
It’s how you keep the music on
The last chord played still echoes loud
In every heart that’s faced a crowd
Of empty chairs and silent walls
Of dreams that rise and then they fall
The last chord played, it stays, it stays
In smoky bars and yesterday’s
It’s not the fame, it’s not the stage
It’s what you sing when you’ve turned the page
The last chord played… the last chord played…
Still echoes loud… still echoes loud…
The last chord played… the last chord played…
Is how I stayed… is how I stayed…

Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to Del and the Team
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w

Last Cord Played by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

  the man they overlook  (they overlook )
  the verse they never took  ( they never took)
 the line that still rings true  (the line that still rings true)  
 the rust that sings for you
  the break that didn’t bend
 the start that won’t pretend
 Friday, cracked and raw
 the dream they never saw
the dream they never saw
the dream they never saw
[Verse 1 two acoutic guitar oly with vocal]
Six-pack and a song on my old guitar
That’s my Friday—not so far
Steel-toed boots kicked off by the door
 hum a tune I’ve sung before
The drywall dust still clings to my skin
But I play like I was born to win
 paycheck’s spent,  fridge is bare
But I’ve got rhythm, I’ve got clean air
I work the line from dawn to dusk
I lift, I haul, I breathe the rust
I clock in dreams and clock out pain
I write my verses in the rain
They say Nashville’s just a myth
But I’ve got chords that 's gonna hit
I’ve got a voice that won’t lay low
I’ve got a fire they’ll never know
My truck’s got dents, my roof leaks slow
But I’ve got songs that still can grow
I play for dogs, for stars, for ghosts
For every dream that hurts the most
I strum like time forgot my name
I sing like loss deserves acclaim
I drink to hope, I toast to scars
I chase the sound beneath the bars
I’ve sent demos, I’ve prayed to tape
I’ve carved my truth in every scrape
I’ve played for crowds of just one chair
I’ve felt the silence, felt the stare
But I keep going, keep the beat
I write in sweat, I rhyme in heat
I know the odds, I know the game
But I still play, I still proclaim
Six-pack and a song on my old guitar
Six-pack and a song on my old guitar
That’s my Friday—not so far
 that won’t sit still I’ve got a dream that won’t sit still
voice that bends the will I’ve got a voice that bends the will
heart that won’t back down I’ve got a heart that won’t back down
I’ve got a sound that owns this town
Six-pack and a song on my old guitar
That’s my Friday—not so far That’s my Friday That’s my Friday
That’s my Friday—not so far
 the man they overlook  (they overlook )
  the verse they never took  ( they never took)
 the line that still rings true  (the line that still rings true)  
 the rust that sings for you
  the break that didn’t bend
 the start that won’t pretend
 Friday, cracked and raw
 dream they never saw
 dream they never saw
the dream they never saw
dream they never saw
dream they never saw
[Verse 3 full band going at it full speed]
play this song ‘til fingers bleed
give this town what it don’t need
sing for those who never tried
For every soul that’s been denied
 ride this chord to where it ends
write for strangers, write for friends
play for Nashville, play for me
play for who ..I’m ..meant..... to be.....
Six-pack and a song on my old guitar
That’s my Friday
 that won’t sit still I’ve got a dream that won’t sit still
voice that bends the will ....I’ve got a voice that bends the will
heart that won’t back down....... I’ve got a heart that won’t back down
I’ve got a sound that should own this town
Six-pack and a song on my old guitar
That’s my Friday—That’s my Friday That’s my Friday
That’s my Friday… 
That’s my Friday… …
Six-pack and a song… 
 still playing… …Six-pack.... ..... a song......  old guitar
Six a song… 
 … …Six-pack.... .... a song......  old guitar

Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to Del and the Team
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w

Six-pack and a song on my old guitar That’s My Friday

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

Six-pack and a song on my old guitar That’s My Friday

Edwin Balder