Railroad Watch
Lyrics by Dave Berry and Ken Owen
Music by Ken Owen
© BMI / Van Niddy Press

Musicians
Eddie Kendrick: vocal
Dave Zirbel: electric guitars (steel, rhythm, solo, and baritone)
Ken Owen: acoustic guitar, bass, drums

Acoustic Guitar Intro (capo on recording = 3rd fret)
|  C (add 9)  |  B6  |  Am7  -   C  |   D   |

Verses
|  G  |  D  |  Am7 - C  |  G  - D  |   G   |   D   |   Am7  -  C   |   G   |

Chorus
|  C (add 9)  |  B6  |  Am7  -   C  |  G  |  C (add 9)  |  Em  |  Am7  -  D  |  G

1st Verse
When he got a new gold watch from the railroad
after 40 years of workin’ in the sun,
my mama called and gave her news rejoicing
the arrival of his very first grandson.

2nd Verse
Now he could be home sittin’ at the table
having dinner with his family every day,
there’d be no more long nights in that rail yard 
watching time with family slip away.

Chorus
The years were flying by
like the lonesome whistle cry
of the trains that he sent down the line,
as the days went down the track
there’d be lots of looking back
and a shiny railroad watch to count the time.

3rd Verse
Some-days the time passed slow and we’d get restless,
there was only so much fishin’ you could do,
so he’d take me down to that dusty rail yard,
and tell of things he could no longer do.

Chorus
The years were flying by
like the lonesome whistle cry
of the trains that he sent down the line,
as the days went down the track
there’d be lots of looking back
and a shiny railroad watch to count the time.

Split Solos Over Chorus

4th Verse
The kids have started families of their own,
my days of workin’ hard have long been through,
but when the grandkids come around
(spoken) Well, I’m the luckiest guy in town
when they ask about the things I used to do.

Chorus
The years are flying by
like the lonesome whistle cry
of the trains that he sent down the line,
as the days go down the track
there’d be lots of looking back
and a shiny railroad watch to count the time.

Tag
Yes a shiny railroad watch to count the time.

Railroad Watch

Brokenhearted Lullaby (Go to Sleep)
Music by Paul Griffiths
Lyrics and performance by Ken Owen

go to sleep
try to keep 
dreams away,
count the scars
curse the stars
one more day.

hearts that bleed
cry and plead
make no sound,
lost caress
loneliness
swim or drown.

on the edge
chasm deep
on the edge
darkest sleep
dreamland waits
show your fate
promises of love were all in vain
yesterday’s tomorrow never came.

broken flower
subtle power
looks deceive,
in disguise
love is lies
you believe.

climb the stairs
burdened cares
bring the night,
climb the stars
lonely hours
say good night.

on the edge
chasm deep
on the edge
darkest sleep
dreamland waits
show your fate
promises of love were all in vain
yesterday’s tomorrow never came.

count the scars
curse the stars
one more day,
go to sleep
try to keep
dreams away.



Go To Sleep

Another Piece of My Heart
Music, lyrics, and performance by Ken Owen
(solo by My Dog Jack)...   ;-)


[1st verse]
I'll never forget...the night that you said we were through,
that was the end..of the wonderful  life I knew.
I couldn’t believe...the damage a lost love could do,
thats when you took...a piece of my heart with you.

[2nd verse]
Tonight my eyes saw...what my heart new was true,
I’‘ll never be ready...to see you with somebody new.
Just when I thought...my tear drops and heartaches were through,
there goes another...piece of my heart with you.

[bridge]
How many pieces...can a broken heart make?
How many pieces...of my heart can you take?

Just when I thought...my tear drops and heartaches were through,
there goes another...piece of my heart with you.

repeat intro

[bridge]
How many pieces...can a broken heart make?
How much pieces...of my heart can you take?

Just when I thought...my tear drops and heartaches were through,
there goes another...piece of my heart with you.


Another Piece Of My Heart

Music and performance by Ken Owen
© Van Niddy Music

Bundy Con Carne

Lyrics by James Marshall Hendrix, performance by Ken Owen

Are You X. Perry Henced?

Lyrics, music, and performance by Ken Owen
© Van Niddy Music

I Quit (No More Songs About You)

Ken Owen: lyrics, music, vocals, bass and drum programming, production
Robert Kennedy: piano, B3 organ
Based on a story by Michael Oliver Warren.

I Saw Jesus On My Way Down
Van Niddy Music ©

I saw Jesus on my way down,
I was coming back from Judgement where I never made a sound.
They wanted pleas for mercy but I ain't that kind of clown.
I saw Jesus on my way down.

I saw Jesus on The Judgement Day,
he wished that he could help me but I had a price to pay.
I told him not to worry 'cause I had a lovely stay.
I saw Jesus on The Judgement Day

He stood there real quiet,
he never made a move.
I told him if I gotta go
I'm gonna take my groove,
shuffle down the road
hold my head up high,
'cause it's much too late to worry,
ain't no sense to cry.

He looked me in the eyes
and gave me that sad frown,
he was sad to see me go
but I couldn't stick around.
I really wasn't worried 
'cause as far as I could tell
they were wearing horns in heaven
and halos down in hell.

I saw Jesus on my way down,
he was headed off to Glory, I was headed out of town.
He said that I should call him if I came back around,
I saw Jesus on my way down.

I Saw Jesus On My Way Down

Eddie Kendrick: lead vocals
Dave Zirbel: steel guitar
Ken Owen: lyrics, music, acoustic and bass guitars; drums, piano, and strings programming; background vocals, production.

The Next 8 Hours
© Van Niddy Music

The Next 8 Hours

“Dreaming My Dreams With You"
Written by Allen Reynolds
Recorded by Waylon Jennings, 1975
Arrangement borrowed from the version by Alison Krauss

Attached version by Ken Owen via Garageband

Dreaming My Dreams With You

Long Road Home
Music, lyrics, and performance by Ken Owen   
© Van Niddy Press   June 2015

  
(1st verse)

D                                     G                 D
Hard travels and trials my life has seen,
D                                               E                      A
I've climbed high mountains searching for dreams,
            D                                            G        D
but the view always showed another valley below,
           D                                          A                 D
with a path never-ending and a long way to go.

(chorus) 

Em                           C                    G
Tired, so tired as I lay down my head,
        Em                                    G                      A
with comfort in knowing the words that you said,
      D                                G        D
my soul fulfilled, I was never alone,
   Em               G                       A              D
as I made my journey on the long road home.

(2nd verse)

D                                        G               D
Ive traveled so far for a mighty long time,
       D                                 E                  A
for love in my heart and peace in my mind,
      D                         G                  D
Yes I kept the faith in doing what's right,
           D                                                        A             D
I gave thanks for each day and praised you every night.

(repeat chorus)

(3rd verse)

D                                           G                D
My time here has ended, I bid you farewell,
   D                                          E                A
remember me fondly in the stories you tell,
      D                                     G                   D
my searching is done, my struggles are through,
          D                                          A             D
I give thanks for the road that led me to you.

(4th verse)

        D                                   G             D
Give me to the wind, give me to the sea,
        D                                           E                A
give me to the mountains that watch over thee,
     D                                       G              D
I'll always be with you wherever you roam,
     D                                                  A             D
as you make your journey on the long road home.

(final chorus)

Em                           C                  G
Tired, so tired as I lay down my head,
        Em                                    G                      A
with comfort in knowing the words that you said,
      D                                G       D
my soul is fulfilled, I’m never alone,
       Em                 G                A              D
I've come to the end of the long road home.

(tag)

               Em               G               A/A.  A/A    D
Yes I've come to the end of the long road home.

The Long Road Home

December 2011: Song Writing Class Final Submission
Lyrics, music, and performance by Ken Owen

[V1]
The dark parade left town,
as a flood of tears came down,
and shadows stole the light of our new days dawn.
The young prince gave his final tribute
and we knew with that one small salute
that Camelot was gone, long gone.

[Chorus]
(so we asked)...”Who’ll grab the fallen flag and wave it high,
and rally us around the battle cry of freedom?”

[V2]
His shield with family crest,
marked the man for certain death,
but he showed not fear and sang his brother’s song.
Too close to the throne,
and we’re once again alone,
and the light of hope was gone, long gone.

[Chorus]
(so we asked)...”Who’ll grab the fallen flag and wave it high,
and rally us around the battle cry of freedom?”

[bridge]
And young men fell in far away lands
for reasons we’d not understand
and few came home with no strength left for trying.
And young girls screamed as classmates fell
and cities burned with the fires of hell,
and the mothers cried, while whole world was watching.

[V3]
Their pulpits were the stage,
for songs of peace and rage,
from fields of white to the steps of hallowed halls.
One with his mountain top dreams,
one with change by any means,
but they knew he who rises up should fear the fall.

[Chorus]
(so we asked)...”Who’ll grab the fallen flag and wave it high,
and rally us around the battle cry of freedom?

[V4]
Four score and many more,
since those battles and the war,
before we gathered strength to rise again.
Bad Kings still rule us all,
roam the same old hallowed halls,
as we ready for the battle we must win.

[Chorus]
(so we ask)...”Who’ll grab the fallen flag and wave it high,
and rally us around the battle cry of freedom?

[bridges - 4x] 
Now the question to answer is easy to see,
When bullets take life and give eternity,
will you show them you wont fear their guns in our fight to stay free? 

And the haves and the have nots still battle on
with their same old excuses and tired old songs,
well the times they aint been-a-changin’ it seems to me.

Some scream at the left, some scream at the right
while bankers and lawyers enjoy a good fight
because keeping our house divide is the way that they win.

Now you say its big business who’re robbing us blind,
I say the speech makers enable their crime,
so lets rise together and make them account for their sins.


[V5]
So tell me what have you done
to earn your lazy days in the sun?
Will you still just be sitting there in the next hard reign?
Your justified with rage,
but to break free from this cage,
it takes much more than just rattling your chains.

[Chorus]
(so I ask)...”Who’ll grab the fallen flag and wave it high,
and rally us around the battle cry of freedom?

[Chorus]
(so I ask)...”Who’ll grab the fallen flag and wave it high,
and rally us around the battle cry of freedom?



The Battle Cry Of Freedom

Original Recording: 1993
Tomas Enguidanos: Vocal, Rhythm guitar

Additional Tracks Added: 2021
Ken Owen: Lead and rhythm nylon string guitar, bass, percussion.

ken-owen

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