We were the gang you didn’t want to cross, not because we were loud, but because we were final.
I didn’t carry a weapon—I carried history, and that was enough.
My dope kept me steady when the world spun too fast.
My drink kept me warm when the cold came from inside.
You better think twice before stepping between me and what keeps me upright.
You don’t want to see what happens when the last thread snaps.
I don’t ask for forgiveness—I leave wrong in the gutter and keep walking.
I don’t explain myself—I let the bruises do the talking.
I’ve walked through towns where my name was a warning.
I’ve stared down men who thought they were ready and left them wondering.
I’ve made deals in alleys and promises in silence.
I’ve watched good people fall because they thought they could fix me.
I’ve buried regrets under motel mattresses and bar tabs.
I’ve seen the sunrise from jail cells and the sunset from rooftops.
I’ve never begged, never pleaded, never folded.
I’ve just moved to the next showdown like it was Sunday morning.
don’t believe in redemption—I believe in rhythm.
 don’t chase peace—I chase the pulse that keeps me alive.
don’t mourn what I lost—I wear it like a second skin.
Idon’t walk alone—I walk with my dope and my drink.
 been the villain in stories told by people who never knew me.
 been the hero in moments no one saw.
 held the line when it wasn’t mine to hold.
spit blood and kept singing.
 watched love walk away and never asked it to turn around.
 danced with danger and called it Tuesday.
 built a life out of ashes and attitude.
I’ve never been safe, but I’ve always been true.
To walk with me
is to walk with my dope
and my drink.
And trust me—
you don’t want to see what that does.

All rights reserved by songwriter and producer Edwin H. Balder.
For more ride-and-rock tracks, click here: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/rusty-marshall-band?si=c5040230a7334213b5d7609527997d7c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

My Dope and My Drink Rusty Marshall Band

My Metalcore/rock album THE DARK SIDE Of THOMAS GT is out NOW🤘😊🔥

A heartfelt thank you to all of you lovely people who listen, share my music and promote it. Without YOU, this “adventure” would never be possible. YOU are the best listeners imaginable. 🫶🔥🎶❤️


Listen to me on Spotify: 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kRT3RYNwYvpnK3INSSWNb?si=isCsqLkTTMqr9xG_-Ailzw

Follow me on insta:

https://www.instagram.com/thomas.g.thomsen?igsh=NGplYnhmbWhuczB5&utm_source=qr


My Musical Journey – Thomas GT

I was born in the 1960s and grew up with music flowing through my veins. From an early age, rock was more than just sound—it was a way of life. At 12 years old, I picked up my first guitar, inspired by the roaring energy of the rock scene—bands like KISS, Judas Priest, Saxon, and Iron Maiden lit the fire in my soul.

Through the years that followed, I played in several bands, living for the thrill of the stage and the camaraderie of creating music together. Those were unforgettable days—loud, passionate, and full of life.

At 28, my life took a new turn when I became a father. My focus shifted entirely to raising my children and caring for my dear family, and music quietly moved to the background. The guitars gathered dust, but the melodies never truly left my heart.

Now, at 60, that spark has reignited. The passion is back—but the hands don’t quite move like they used to. Thankfully, modern text-based music technology (AI) has opened a whole new door. Through it, I can craft music with words, bringing my feelings, my lyric and my ideas to life in ways I never thought possible.

Today, my inspirations have evolved—artists like Peter Cetera, Dayseeker, and Wind Walkers now shape the sound and emotion of my work. For me, this is more than just making music again—it’s finding my voice after all these years, and finally sharing the emotions I once kept inside.

All of my songs are created as demos—sketches of ideas meant to capture and express the emotions I carry, and have carried, throughout my life. They are my way of painting feelings in sound, of telling stories that my words alone cannot hold.

My greatest wish is for real musicians to one day perform and interpret these songs, breathing their own life and artistry into my stories. To hear my lyric/music brought to life in that way would be the proudest moment of my life.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to read my story.

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

My Dope and My Drink Rusty Marshall Band

Edwin Balder