I gave my all to a love that broke
Built a house of dreams, now it’s filled with smoke
Kept the lights on, waited by the phone
But silence became my second home
I wore the weight like a second skin
Smiled through the ache, let the hurt sink in
But I’m done with the shadows, done with the doubt
Tonight’s the night I’m walking out
Let’s make this toast, let’s celebrate the most
Everybody get a dose, everybody feel real close
Everybody time to boast
Let’s make this toast, make this toast, make this toast
I danced alone in a crowded room
Played our song, but it felt like doom
You said forever, then disappeared
Now I’m raising glass to the wasted years
I cried in colors you’ll never see
Painted pain into melody
But I’m done with the waiting, done with the ache
Tonight’s the night I finally break
 Let’s make this toast, let’s celebrate the most
Everybody get a dose, everybody feel real close
Everybody time to boast
Let’s make this toast, make this toast, make this toast
I kept your secrets, swallowed pride
Held the line while you chose sides
But I’m not your echo, not your ghost
I’m the fire you feared the most
I gave you verses, you gave me blur
Now I’m singing what I deserve
Done with the silence, done with the cost
Tonight’s the night I count the loss
Let’s make this toast, let’s celebrate the most
Everybody get a dose, everybody feel real close
Everybody time to boast
Let’s make this toast, make this toast, make this toast
Here’s to the tears that taught me grace
To the scars that found their place
To the love I gave that never grew
To the strength I never knew
May that shit be over.
May the hurt be gone.
May the truth feel louder
Than the lies we leaned on.
Let’s make this toast, let’s celebrate the most
Everybody get a dose, everybody feel real close
Everybody time to boast
Let’s make this toast, make this toast, make this toast
Raise it high, let it shine
We survived, now it’s our time
No more ghosts, no more pain
Let the love pour like champagne
Let’s make this toast…
Make this toast…
Make this toast…
🌹🥂Thanks to the players from H.C. and Del's studio🥂

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder.

Be sure to visit Tina's playlist here:
soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/tina-talone-may-this-kind-of?si=c962a19838244cafab03c08ba110c75f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=t

Let’s Make This Toast 🥂Tina Talone🥂

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

Let’s Make This Toast 🥂Tina Talone🥂

Edwin Balder