chorus
hit the lights

verse 1
Life is a stage 
Some of us fall off 
again and again and again
Act your age
Trying not to grow up
Again and again and again 

pre Ch
The Curtain goes up and I run a mile 
Far away far out of sight 
Forgetting my lines I freeze every time 
Until I hear them say
CH-Hit the lights 

V2
Life is a stage 
Some of us shine on 
again and again and again
At your age 
Take every moment 
Again and again and again 

The particles swoon inside the room
Caught in a brilliant white
Bathe in its bloom 
The shows not over 
Til you hear them say 
Hit the lights

the shows not over

hit the lights 27 SAW 20

Copyright 2020
All Rights Reserved

Lyrics & Music: Erin Wolf
Guitar & Vocals: Erin Wolf
Photo credit: Jennifer Groth 
(Photo description: James, Erin, and Ryan back in the day, sometime between '06-'07, ready to rock out at some event we made the music at in Oconomowoc, WI)

james
i know you probably don't remember
how we met in the summer of '03
we met in the woods
in the middle of wisconsin
a far cry from your roots in boston

you didn't say much
lest music was involved
then you jumped right in 
and you evolved
strumming your guitar
or beating the drums
clearly this is what you loved

we were outside
a small town called wautoma
used to be known as webb
now it's called camp lakotah
singing by the campfire
swimming in the lake
that's the story
of how i met james

james
look how far we've come
after all the years and all you've done
you started song-a-week
you welcomed people in
i'm so proud of you
my friend

and to think
we were outside
a small town called wautoma
used to be known as webb
now it's called camp lakotah
singing by the campfire
swimming in the lake
that's the story
of how i met james

we were outside a small town
little place called wautoma
used to be known as webb
now it's called camp lakotah
singing by the campfire
swimming in the lake
that's the story
of how i met james

James

"With A Sigh" (#374, 200717)

Not every story can sound like a fairy tale
Sometimes the lovers don't love in the end
Not every promise lasts but I believe anyway
Somehow someday that I'll see you again

We couldn't have guessed
But nevertheless
I sing to the wind
As the raindrops roll off my skin

With a sigh and a kiss as the train leaves the station
I know I'm gonna' miss you it's hard to be patient
While the hands on the clock and the seasons are changin'
But me and my kiss we will be right here waitin' with a sigh

Maybe it's early a little too soon to tell
Or maybe I'm late how would I know
Pick me a rose and I'll pick you a daffodil
Before they all freeze under the snow

You brought me to life
Totally opened my eyes
Left hours ago
But I'm never letting you go

Week 29b - With A Sigh (200717)

"Don't Threaten Me" (#378, 200719)

Seems like today everything's a competition
From money and careers to huntin' and fishin'
If you're comin' after me I got a warning for you
When my back's against the wall I know exactly what to do

So don't threaten me because I'll kill you with kindness
Tell dad jokes 'til you're laughin', hug you 'til you're cryin'
As soon as you think I'm about to let up
I'll say somethin' sweet and you'll feel like a million bucks

Everybody wants to be a big deal
Top dog big cheese king of the hill
Doesn't seem to last though when we step on each other
So check it out if you come at me you'll see my true colors

Oh don't threaten me man I'll kill you with kindness
Tell dad jokes 'til you're laughin', hug you 'til you're cryin'
As soon as you think I'm about to let up
I'll say somethin' sweet and you'll feel like a million bucks

Here's an idea what if we work together
And rise above the rest in any kinda' weather
Show 'em how it's done they might learn a thing or two
But if not I'm gonna' tell 'em the same thing I told you

Week 30b - Don’t Threaten Me (200719)

Copyright 2020
All Rights Reserved

Lyrics & Music: Erin Wolf
Guitar & Vocals: Erin Wolf

This is a follow-up of sorts from my 2019 offering, "Hold Her for You" (https://soundcloud.com/erinwolf/hold-her-for-you), which was written following the death of my friend, Nick, in October 2019. Grief is a weird and complex companion. 

nine months you've been gone
somehow life keeps moving on
thunder and sun
i can hear one

5-4-3-2-1
that refrains still goes on
i kept my word and i still do
holding her for you
holding her for you

tonight tears run down my face
i can feel your spirit in this place
you don't threaten me
if anything, with you, i find peace
if anything, i find peace

i know that you 
are beyond the veil
that i'm not yet meant to cross

i know that you
you are home

Nine Months In...

Don't look away
Forget all the fire

Hold me on the way home
The cross won't count for nothing

I didn't want to be one
Laying all the way down
Keeping all the words in
Letting all the ghosts out

Don't walk away
Every time you're tired

Forget all the phone calls
Let's make it count for something

I didn't want to be one
Laying all the way down
Keeping all the words in
Letting all the ghosts out

So forget what I said
About leaving it behind

I didn't want to be one
I didn't want to be the one

There's a million singing that
And there's a million shouting back
It's either none
Or a million and one

I didn't want to be one
Laying all the way down
Keeping all the words in
Letting all the ghosts out

So forget what I said
About leaving it behind

I didn't want to be one
I didn't want to be the one

I didn't want to be one
I didn't want to say yes
I didn't want to be one
I couldn't let there be less

(then Kiwi barks softly)

Million and One - Song a Week 2020, Week 30

Week 30 #songaweek2020. For Julia's mom Rebecca Tindall, who retired this week! This is a list my dad and I compiled of jobs she’s had over the years. It may seem like a lot but I don’t think it’s exhaustive!

Photo is of my mother in 2013, by Tara Berg (TGB Photography)

Waiting on the truckers at the Hilltop Diner
Ironing some woman’s husband’s underwear
Making cases for the pill at the plastics factory
Baking shoo-fly pies and cutting college boys’ hair

Working like you mean it for fifty years
I propose to raise a hundred thousand cheers
Hip hip hip (hooray!)
Hip hip hip (hooray!)

Detective’s secretary, pastor’s wife
You supervised the laundromat and raised two kids
you processed appraisals, and some data for the glass plant
Taught yourself to be a church organist

Working like you mean it for fifty years
I propose to raise a hundred thousand cheers
Hip hip hip (hooray!)
Hip hip hip (hooray!)

Receptionist for engineers
Who smoked cigars while you were pregnant
Sewing sleeves on menswear 
working in the mail room 
Office work for school and church, real estate and college
And one insurance company that hired you three times

Working like you mean it for fifty years
I propose to raise a hundred thousand cheers
Hip hip hip (hooray!)
Hip hip hip (hooray!)
You could write a book on how to persevere
Go on and do whatever’s next, push those frontiers!

Working Like You Mean It

"Help Somebody" (#379, 200719)

 * Co-written with Pete & Pat Luboff * 

Ever get a feeling like everything is wrong
Everybody joined the club and you just don't belong
You're cold and lonely on the outside looking in
When it all feels like it's over where do you begin

Help somebody it'll turn your world around
Help somebody get your feet on solid ground
When you're down and out and upside down reach out to someone else
Help somebody and you help yourself
Help somebody and you help yourself

Got a God shaped hole and I can't fix it with food
Can't fill it up with money or drown it in booze
I dreamed someone could love me and make it all okay
Never knew there was a way out 'til I heard somebody say

Help somebody it'll turn your world around
Help somebody get your feet on solid ground
When you're down/out upside/down reach out to someone else
Help somebody and you help yourself
Help somebody and you help yourself

Maybe you think I've got it all together
Don't believe what you think you see
Because we could both get to feelin' better
If you'll help somebody like me

Week 30a - Help Somebody (200724)

Me, I never seem to see
Those creatures creeping up on me
Mostly in reality 
it's just my personality again
What if there are people peeping
That could give me trouble sleeping
And sluggish like a drunk
I’d be more vulnerable to monkeys on my back
But when I see them, I’m free….

Same old monkey, always worrying
Sometimes quietly, sometimes loud,
It's ok, monkey - I will handle it
You can put your burdens down now

If i leave it 
What will happen?
They might think I'm dot dot dot
Think I'd better make it better
Act in time to stop the rot
Unless it’s inside me?

Same old monkey, always worrying
Sometimes quietly, sometimes loud,
It's ok, monkey - I will handle it
You can put your burdens down now

Someday it'll all be over
Someday I won't be this monkey man
But I don't really think that 
someday it will be over - this is who I am 
I will end as I began
Same old same old

Same old monkey, always worrying
Sometimes quietly, sometimes loud,
It's ok, monkey - I will handle it
You can put your burdens down now

Ok Monkey

song a week wk30

sometimes I forget to breathe

Million and One - Song a Week 2020, Week 30

Charlatan, PE