Met you in the static, neon lights on the floor,
You came up to me like I’d been waiting before.
Eyes locked heavy, I forgot myself,
Said I’d follow you to heaven, even follow to hell.
Every beat was a promise, every look was a flame,
I thought we were writing forever, you were playing a game.
I gave you my nights, gave you my fight,
But you were already planning your exit flight.
I gave you my Friday nights,
You gave me your maybe’s.
I built a future in my mind,
You built escape routes daily.
I wore your name like a promise,
Hung your words like stars.
Thought I was more than a moment,
But I was just spare parts.
You said I lit up your darkness,
But you never stayed for the light.
You kissed me like a secret,
Then left… left in the… night.
Waste of time, waste of tears,
Wasted months, wasted years.
I thought I mattered, thought I fit,
But I was just your counterfeit.
Waste of hope, waste of grace,
Wasted love you won’t replace.
I gave you truth, you gave me spin,
I thought I’d lose you—never knew I’d never begin.
Waste of time…
[Beat cut]
And I’m done letting you define
What I was,
What I am,
What… I’ll… be…
Next time (next time).
I saw forever in your silence,
Heard forever in your lies.
I kept showing up for nothing,
Kept mistaking lows for highs.
You said I was your anchor,
But you never stopped the boat.
I was the one who stayed,
While you wrote your exit note.
You don’t get to call it love,
Just because I stayed.
You don’t get to call it truth,
Just because I prayed.
Waste of time, waste of tears,
Wasted months, wasted years.
I thought I mattered, thought I fit,
But I was just your counterfeit.
Waste of hope, waste of grace,
Wasted love you won’t replace.
I gave you truth, you gave me spin,
I thought I’d lose you—never knew I’d never begin.
Waste of time…
And I’m done letting you define
What I was,
What I am,
What I’ll be…
Next time… What… I’ll… be…
Next time (next time)… next… time!
I was never yours (never yours),
You were never mine (never mine).
Just a beautiful…
Waste of time (waste of time).
Yeah, I followed you to hell,
But I found myself again.
Your lies were neon,
But my truth is the flame.
Waste of time…
But I’m done letting you define me.

Please Dance this on to your playlist ..So much thanks... WHY🎧 SPACE
All rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Link to our Album..YES it's free..do we seem famous?
https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/masquerade-and-more?si=7f86e3876c484824abac69745d79d9d3&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The Next Time  by WHY🎧 SPACE

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

The Next Time by WHY🎧 SPACE

Edwin Balder