"This Is Not A Song" (191208, #308)

This is not a song no it's a credit card
Plastic with a hologram and a watermark
Good to fill the tank or empty out a shopping cart
The perfect silent partner to finish anything you start

This is not a song it's a new pair of shoes
Laces in a bow lily white and baby blue
Waiting in their little box patiently for you
Ready to walk anywhere do anything you wanna' do

This is not a song no it's a pack of smokes
Light one up and take a drag feel it in your throat
Toss 'em with a matchbook or a lighter in the pocket of your coat
You got a secret weapon now hit the road and go for broke

This is not a song it's an IOU
Not green or gold just a pledge from me to you
Still workin' out what it's worth if you want the truth
May not buy you anything but it sure wants to

Week 50 - This Is Not A Song (191208)

"Heart Unspoken" (200223, #321)

 * co-written with @shane-willinger *

I was drowning in fear I was so full of sorrow
Livin in’ the dark feelin’ frozen and hollow
All my mistakes all the tears I was cryin’
Brought me to a place where I couldn’t keep hidin’

Though we met before another time another place
Seemed like you made the sun shine on my face
Looking in your eyes there was no denying
Gotta' say it out loud how I'm feelin' inside

So grab my hand tight as we walk down the road
There ain’t no telling how far we can go
It might be forever or it might be just today
But one thing I know is I’ll never be the same

My feet might grow tired, my legs they might ache
But as long as you’re with me I’d walk ‘til they break
I’d rather be ragged, tattered and broken
Than spend one more day with heart unspoken

Your story fit perfectly right next to mine
Almost like they were written line after line
So call out my name, I can hear you now
My eyes and my ears have been opened somehow

Now the light in your eyes and the shine in your smile
They got me believin’ in dreams like a child
So look into mine, and you'll see the truth
I can’t imagine my life without you

So grab my hand tight as we walk down the road
There ain’t no telling how far we can go
It might be forever or it might be just today
But one thing I know is I’ll never be the same

My feet might grow tired, my legs they might ache
But as long as you’re with me I’d walk ‘til they break
I’d rather be ragged, tattered and broken
Than spend one more day with heart unspoken

So grab my hand and walk down this path
We’ll get where we’re going though it may not be fast
But if you come with me I’ll promise you this
You’ll know by the end that pure love exists

Week 09 - Heart Unspoken (200223)

"Lookin' Forward To Missin' You" (200308, #323)

 * Co-written with @finolamusic, @emmagale, & @user-915309055 *

It's all I ever think about
Can't believe I'm gonna' say it out loud
Avoiding your gaze and I cant take the sound of the silence

Doesn't matter who was wrong
What's important is I'm almost gone
And this time around you ain't gonna' see me cryin'

You're probably gonna' ask me to stay
Save your breath there ain't nothin' to say

Now I'm drinkin' that bottle of red you were saving
Thinkin' 'bout the way I always hated
Those little white lies it's time to face the truth

Sick and tired of waitin' on you to call
Tonight I'm sayin' to hell with it all
Been a long time comin' but I finally know what to do
I'm lookin' forward to missin' you

Used to be easy, used to be sweet
Now we're headin' down a one way street
Wrapped up in a moment but it disappeared

We knew that it was comin' to this
Never mind that goodbye kiss
Only sayin' this once gonna' make it clear

Spent so long circling the drain
We had it all before we threw it away

Now I'm drinkin' that bottle of red you were saving
Thinkin' 'bout the way I always hated
Those little white lies it's time to face the truth

Sick and tired of waitin' on you to call
Tonight I'm sayin' to hell with it all
Been a long time comin' but I finally know what to do
I'm lookin' forward to missin' you

And if it makes you feel any better
There was a time it felt like forever
We had some good times but forget about them
It'll never be like that again

Week 11 - Lookin’ Forward To Missin’ You (200308)

"You Can't Stop Me Now" (#326, 200315)

 * Co-written with @shane-willinger * 

A million hollow faces each one down and out
I'd be right there with 'em oh without a doubt
I was taught to tell my story like a child spells their name
And there's a lot of freedom in talkin' about the pain

I know that I ain't perfect I'll probably never be
But I'm stronger every mornin' and that's enough for me
Raisin' up my voice to share the freedom that I found
You don't need to like it but you can't stop me now

No I won't fear the past or all those ugly lies you told
It's more than worth the price if it saves a single soul
So throw the stones you wanna' throw and twist my words around
The angels took my pride away and the devil burned it down

I know that I ain't perfect I'll probably never be
But I'm stronger every mornin' and that's enough for me
Raisin' up my voice to share the freedom that I found
You don't need to like it but you can't stop me now

You tried to hide my eyes behind a veil of guilt and shame
To drag me through the mud and to put me in my place
But I'm glad for what I've gone through even my darkest days
Taught me like a sunrise how to hit my knees and pray

Week 12b - You Can’t Stop Me Now (200315)

"Where Has Our America Gone" (#355, 200515)

 * Co-written with Dan Rivers * 

Where has our America gone
What happened to the country we always counted on
How do we get back where we belong
It may look a little different but it’s been here all along

It’s the courage in the eyes of the nurses and the doctors
New York City cheering for all those first responders
It’s makin’ time for the ones who’ve gotta’ face this all alone
Or a bittersweet goodbye through the window of a nursing home

Where has our America gone
What happened to the country we always counted on
How do we get back where we belong
It may look a little different but it’s been here all along

It’s a dollar for a woman or a man without a home
Sitting on the sidewalk in the town where you were born
It’s a Sunday wave across the fence one neighbor to another
And callin’ up your mama just to tell her that you love her

Where has our America gone
What happened to the country we always counted on
How do we get back where we belong
It may look a little different but it’s been here all along
Where has our America gone? It’s been here all along

Week 21a - Where Has Our America Gone (200517)

"Ecnatsi Deht Nicisum" (#358, 200523)

Ecnatsi deht nicisum
Raehd luocith gind imretfa
Tresedeh tnigni worg
Nikssat fossmos solbsutcac

Eri fehtnig nilruc
Sesim orpfol lufrepap
Eesd luocis araf
Yksnep oehte ulbtsep eed

Sdribgnik comd nasevod
Efi lfolluf gnitsi wtseh cnarb
Niareht pugni kaos
Dnuor gehtwol ebsni evek ilstoor

Dniweht nog nidir
Llodne doowae kilgni cnad
Nwor bdnad erwolley
Faelyt surasa wiecno

Week 22b - Ecnatsi Deht Nicisum (200525)

"Pretty Much" (#359, 200528)

QVC's got nothin' on you
Baby lemme' tell you what
No the Dollar Tree just won't do
'Cause I need somethin' only you got

Everybody's tryin' but nobody knows
I can't lie to my heart
Seen the rest and nothin' came close
You been the best from the start

I’d be pretty much lost without you
There’s pretty much no one else
And I pretty much think about you
Night and day if you couldn’t tell

Through the worse and the better for pretty much ever
Hope you never give me up
You just happen to be everything I need
Pretty much

Once in a pinch I had to make do
Chillin' with the guys from work
Hammers and wrenches that carried me through
But most of them dudes are jerks

Now don't get me wrong I love a good cookout
Grillin' a steak with my friends
But everybody knows that I'm on the look out
Until you're back again

And I’m pretty much gonna’ say I pretty much wanna’
Do whatever makes you blush
You're my strawberry shake the icin' on my cake
Pretty much

Week 23e - Pretty Much (200528)

"If You Were Here" (#360, 200529)

Co-written with Dan Rivers.

Jet planes makin' smoke trails cross the sky but I can't see 'em
Trains are running every fifteen mins but they won't stop for me
Goin' half crazy without you baby deaf dumb and colorblind
Stuck on rewind in the same old black and white movie in my mind

If you were here, oh the things that I could do
The clouds would clear there'd be miles and miles of blue
Without a sound my doubts would disappear
And all my walls would crumble and they'd fall if you were here

Rain showers dried up hours ago but I'm still soaking wet
Blackbird singin' the songs of spring but I can't hear 'em yet
Feelin' half broken my heart's wide open but I can't feel it beatin'
All because I'm either lost or dreamin' or somewhere in between

If you were here, oh the things that I could do
The clouds would clear there'd be miles and miles of blue
Without a sound my doubts would disappear
And all my walls would crumble and they'd fall if you were here

Quarter after midnight lookin' for something I can't find
I can almost see your face and feel your hand in mine
Every song on the radio sounds like an empty street
Wonder where you are tonight and why not next to me

Week 23a - If You Were Here (200529)

"Let Her Love You" (#361, 200529)

Co-written with Rob Repass.

I could lie and say it's workin' but we both know it ain't
Lemme' wipe away those tears and I'll tell it to you straight
If I'm bein' honest we both held on too long
Probably for the best I guess that one of us moves on

If you love somebody set 'em free and see if they come back
Well I'm lookin' at the tail lights of a beat up Pontiac
It's hell on earth just sittin' here punishing my mind
Missin' you and wishin' I woulda' kissed you one more time

I know we've had our share of ups and downs
And I know there was somebody else you wanted anyhow
If she walks back through that door again
Tell her that you're hers and then
Ask her if her heart's been dreamin' of you
Let her love you
Let her love you

We'll always have the memory of those trips to Alabama
Sure did love the Sunday drives and most of all your mama
I'm sorry 'bout the times I made you feel like you were wrong
Didn't see it comin' I just woke up and you were gone

I know we've had our share of ups and downs
And I know there was somebody else you wanted anyhow
If she walks back through that door again
Tell her that you're hers and then
Ask her if her heart's been dreamin' of you
Let her love you
Let her love you

You only cheat the one you love when hold your cards too tight
When the chance comes around again don't let it pass you by

Week 23b - Let Her Love You (200529)

"Katy (May I)" (#362, 200530)

Katy has these eyes that light up half the sky
And a smile that illuminates the rest
From Michigan to Brooklyn Wisconsin to Tennessee
Still shinin' bravely even when the sun sets

Katy has this voice ever since I was a boy
Somewhere in the distance I could hear
It's subtle and it's strong like the feathers of a swan
And makes all my confusion disappear

May I offer something beautiful anytime she needs
May I give her subtle tears of laughter and follow where she leads
May I not forgot her birthday and make her something sweet
May I always spell her name correctly and listen when she speaks

When I woke today I didn't know the grace
She might give so quietly
Beautiful and strange it is now everything has changed
Never to return to how it used to be

And I may never know the brilliant afterglow
Or feel the heat of standing by her side
Still grateful I will be that for I once got to see
Both her darkness and her light

May I offer something beautiful anytime she needs
May I give her subtle tears of laughter and follow where she leads
May I not forgot her birthday and make her something sweet
May I always spell her name correctly and listen when she speaks

Week 23d - Katy (May I) 200530

"You Ain't Changed At All" (#363, 200531)

Co-written with David Easterling.

40 watt bulb in the kitchen ceilin' burnt out hell I know the feelin'
Nothin' ever lasts the way it should
Found the remote for the TV set just my luck battery's dead
Didn't I tell you they weren't any good

Still twelve o'clock on the microwave
Calendar's stuck in the good old days
Your telephone don't seem to take my calls
Why'd you leave what's wrong with you
Ghost me like you always do
You ain't changed you ain't changed at all

Ain't no cream coffee's bitter can't recall where you kept the filters
I been tyin' my boots with fishin' line
Car needs oil sheets are dirty you sure walked out in a hurry
Quick to change your nails but not your mind

Still twelve o'clock on the microwave
Calendar's stuck in the good old days
Your telephone don't seem to take my calls
Can't you see how hard I tried
You just can't be satisfied
You ain't changed you ain't changed at all

Everyone says by their best guess the problem here is me
If we're placin' blame none of them change far as I can see

Still twelve o'clock on the microwave
Calendar's stuck in the good old days
Your telephone don't seem to take my calls
Mama loves me the way I am
Howcome you don't give a damn
You ain't changed you ain't changed at all

Week 23c - You Ain't Changed At All (200531)

"Did You Get That Memo" (#364, 200604)

Life looks pretty weird right now New York to Sacramenno
Kinda' like a script by Quentin Tarantenno
With murder hornets looting riots and Covid Ninetenno
Preachers who predicted it keep askin' did you get that memo

Stuck indoors for months livin' life in quarantenno
Netflixin' and chillin' never mind the innuenno
Wonderin' if we'll win or lose or somewhere in betwenno
But we're openin' up America ain't we now did you get that memo

There's a second wave a'comin' that's another whole dilemmo
While we're brunchin' on the patios and bettin' at the casennos
Packin' in the people like a can of dang sardennos
Look alive we gotta' thrive says forty five did you get that memo

Yes he did it all for us gonna' make this country great againno
Some kinda' Twin Peaks Twilight Zone version of a song by Bruce Sprinstenno
Cross my heart and hope to see a change of office soon amenno
In the meantime I been voicin' my concern did you get that memo

Week 24b - Did You Get That Memo (200607)

We All Got A Debt To Pay (#365, 200608)

 * Co-written with Phil Christiansen. * 

Whoever gave me this old jacket
Probably wonders where it's been
Served me well through fourteen winters
Some nights it's been my only friend

Half my books and all my stories
Crossed my doorstep secondhand
Course I've lost my share of jackets
From Minnesota to Japan

Traded grandpa's leather bible
For a Sergeant Pepper vinyl
With my high school P.I.C. when I moved away
He felt so bad when he sold it
But I just laughed and told him
We all got a debt to pay

Snuck my father's antique wrist watch
Back into his house last week
Never asked me where it'd gone to
Probably guessed somewhere with me

And when I left Sacramento
I gave my old Nintendo
To the girl who swore she'd give it back someday
If I ever get it back maybe
I'll tell her what she meant to me
We all got a debt to pay

There's a bunch of things I owe someone
And a whole lot more I borrowed from
The people that I've met along the way
We both had our share of hurt
But I hope you'll keep my flannel shirt
I miss it now and then and that's okay
We all got a debt to pay

Week 24a - We All Got A Debt To Pay (200608)

"Mansfield 99405" (#367, 200615)

 * Co-written with Mark Narmore * 

You could throw a rock one side of Richland to the other
Half the kids ain’t got no dad the rest ain’t got no mother
I put Richland in the rear view and never turned around
Now me and this old 40 watt gonna’ clean this attic out

Opened up a shoebox my mama musta’ saved
Couple dozen envelopes scribbled with my name
Ripped ‘em open one by one started to understand
Probably scared to death I’d turn out like my old man

Finally met my father in the letters that he wrote
Yeah his memory ain’t too far from me tonight
About a half mile west the return address Reformatory Road
Mansfield 99405

House is empty but it’s fillin’ up my heart
Talkin’ with my daddy up here in the dark
Asked about the science fair and how little league was goin’
What about the girl next door wonder how he coulda’ known

Finally met my father in the letters that he wrote
Yeah his memory ain’t too far from me tonight
About a half mile west the return address Reformatory Road
Mansfield 99405

Never told me what it was what kinda’ line he crossed
That took him from his only son
But that don’t bother me because every single one of us
Is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done

Week 25a - Mansfield 99405 (200615)

"We Were Zombies" (#366, 200614)

It was midnight you were there
Hollow in the looking glass
Trashed and shaking I was scared
Sick and sinking fast

Never know why we didn’t drown
How we ever walked away
Broken voices calling out
First time we ever prayed

We were zombies hiding in the shadows
Marching blindly toward the gruesome gallows
Something saved us I don’t know what it was
Picked our bodies up and carried us across

We were zombies desperate and driven
Burning out somewhere beyond the limit
Grace engaged us lest our beaten bodies
Fall forever like a kamikaze
We were zombies

Tears were running down my face
Heartbeat pounding in my chest
By what miracle did we escape
Almost nothing left

Far behind us through the smoke
We caught his silhouette
Hurry forward feet on the road
Looking straight ahead

We were zombies hiding in the shadows
Marching blindly toward the gruesome gallows
Something saved us I don’t know what it was
Picked our bodies up and carried us across

We were zombies desperate and driven
Burning out somewhere beyond the limit
Grace engaged us lest our beaten bodies
Fall forever like a kamikaze
We were zombies

Week 25b - We Were Zombies (200613)

Nashville songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Godin Guitars Official Artist and Founder of www.songaweek.org.

His catalog of 350+ titles includes collaborations with hit writers Mark Narmore, Pete & Pat Luboff, NSAI Regional Coordinator Dan Rivers, and many others internationally from England to Australia.

Redding's music has landed cuts by numerous recording artists including Dan Whitehouse, Emma Gale, and David Easterling.

James Tristan Redding

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