The Secret Garden

Words & Music by M. Williams

Official website: www.LaborOfLoveMusic.com
Email Mike: leavingdystopia@aol.com

Release date:
11 January 2018
P-line:
℗ 2018 M. Williams - All Rights Reserved

I Want To Fly

SOFT RAIN [LIVE] COPYRIGHT SCRT RECORDS 2011

This bouncy song, Light in the Darkness by Dr. Elliot Lach, captures the active nature of light, its power over darkness, and how even the smallest glimmer can bring transformation.

Light in the Darkness

Written and produced by © Don Minolta // Minolta Records

Under these city lights
I dream of you tonight
and think about the ways
I'm gonna hold you tight
oh I'm dreaming by the bay
I think of things you say
you take my heart away
to another place

You know when i see you
I will be so lost inside your eyes
Sweet like candy
Always on mind

into these fantasies
I cannot help but see
the way that things could be
if you were here with me
now i know you're really far
but you are like a shooting star
making your way to my heart
when we are apart

You know when i see you
I will be so lost inside your eyes
Sweet like candy
Always on mind
you know when i see you
I'll never let you go
just wanted you to know
You're always on my mind 

And my heart dances
along to your romances
I'll take my chances 
on a broken heart

You know when i see you
I will be so lost inside your eyes
Sweet like candy
Always on mind
you know when i see you
I'll never let you go
just wanted you to know
You're always on my mind

Sweet Like Candy

"This song isn’t about performance... it’s about survival.
I live with autism, constant mental noise, and the pain of losing my ability to create with my hands. When the chaos inside becomes too much, the only peace I find is in music.
This track is how I process, how I breathe, how I stay.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, unseen, or like you’re running from your own thoughts…
I made this for you too."
💙🎷💭 #NeurodivergentVoices #AutisticArtist #MusicAsMedicine

****Lyrics****

My brain’s not wired the way it should be,
It hums and flickers constantly.
Patterns flood me, sounds collide,
So I shape the storm I hold inside.
My dad saw the blueprints in my stare,
Let me build, let me breathe, let me repair.
Where others saw mess, I saw machines,
And he saw the music in my in-betweens.

I used to draw, to twist, to weld,
My hands could echo what my mind held.
And when the noise got too loud to bear,
I’d pick up my sax, and I was there.
No sheet music, just me and the sound,
Playing what I felt, not what I’d found.
I’d slip into songs like a second skin,
And the world would hush from deep within.

I don’t write songs to sing along,
I write when I’ve held it in too long.
It’s not for fame, or a radio track,
It’s to help my mind find its way back.
When I don’t write, I start to drown,
So I turn my overload into sound.

You see talent, I see weight,
Thoughts that crash and reverberate.
I hear harmony in the sound of fans,
Basslines in pipes, chords in hands.
Ideas claw at me when I try to sleep,
Rhythms that haunt instead of keep.
So I write not to create, but to release,
To bargain for just one hour of peace.

Some call me a genius, it makes me flinch,
There’s a thin line here, and it’s barely an inch.
Passed out at my desk more times than I know,
Because the noise won’t stop, and I can’t let go.
But your words hold me like steady hands,
You listen, you lift, and that still stands.
You don’t just like what I create,
You remind me I can still translate.

I don’t write songs to feel adored,
I write because I’m coming apart at the core.
It’s not performance, it’s not control,
It’s how I channel what’s stolen my soul.
So if you hear my work and feel seen,
Know I wrote it just to stay between.

There’s no off switch in my skull.
No quiet room. No empty hull.
But Music makes it breathable.
Makes it bearable.
Makes me visible.

I don’t write songs to entertain,
I write because they buffer the pain.
You think it’s talent, but it’s how I cope.
I turn the flood into fragile hope.
And if my music helped you sleep tonight…
Then maybe, I’ll sleep too.
Just for a while.
That’s enough.

I don’t sing.
I survive.
And this,
This is how I stay alive.

I Don’t Write Songs "I Survive”

"Carry On" - From the "Hinter uns das Land" / "Behind Us The Land" Project

This is "Carry On," an epic metal rock ballad (5:57 min) by Beyond & Before Music, inspired by the novel "Hinter uns das Land" ("Behind Us The Land") by Frank Talmon l'Armée.

Imagine a conceptual band, "Adelheid's Wisdom," performing this track: A powerful, emotional male lead vocal tells a story of overcoming adversity, of stumbling and rising again. He's supported by haunting, mystical female and male vocals and an epic soundscape blending the intimacy of piano and cello with the power of distorted guitars, driving drums, and orchestral elements.

The song features dynamic shifts, a spoken word interlude with thunderous undertones, a soaring guitar solo (melodic building to a shred), and a massive final chorus. It's a song about the scars that make us stronger, the battles within, and the unbreakable spirit that carries us on, together.

This track is a deep dive into themes of resilience, inner strength, and the hope that endures even in the darkest of times.

Music & Concept: Beyond & Before Music (Frank Talmon l'Armée)
Inspired by the novel: "Hinter uns das Land" / "Behind Us The Land"

Follow Beyond & Before Music for more!

© 2025 Beyond and Before

"Carry On" (Complete Epic Rock Ballad Lyrics)

[MYSTIC INTRO – André] 
There’s a road where shadows whisper...
Where the lost and lonely gather...
Every scar a buried secret...
Every step... a choice to matter...

[VERSE 1 -André] 
The road of life, a winding, rugged track,
Sometimes a gentle slope, sometimes no turning back.
You see the storm clouds gather, feel the chilling breeze,
And stumble over stones that bring you to your knees.
A heart can shatter... 
(Echo - Elfriede) shatter...
Like fragile, fallen glass...
(Echo - Elfriede) glass… 
Hopes can dim and falter...
Watch the moments... pass... 

[PRE-CHORUS 1 - Adelheide] 
But in that silence, when you’re standing all alone...
You hear a whisper... 
a voice you’ve always known...
A spark to light the darkness...
To re-ignite... the flame... 

[CHORUS 1 – André] 
WE CARRY ON! WE CARRY ON! Together! Side by side!
Through the deepest valleys! Across the raging tide!
Every scar... a lesson! 
Every tear... a sign!
This unbreakable spirit...
(Adelheide) Yours... and... mine!

[VERSE 2 - Adelheide] 
You might have built your fortress... upon the shifting sand...
Watched it wash away... 
(Echo) away...
By forces... you can’t command...
(André) The echoes of a promise... 
A dream you held... so tight...
Fades into the shadows...
Of an endless... lonely night...

[MYSTIC INTERLUDE 2 - André] 
The storm you fear... is already inside...
(Adelheide and André) It carved your courage... from the mountain of pride...

(Adelheide) 
The chains that bind you... are forged by your hand...
Now strike the anvil... and reshape... the land...

[INTRO – REPRISE – André and Adelheide in the back]

There’s a road where shadows whisper...
Where the lost and lonely gather...
Every scar a buried secret...
Every step... a choice to matter...

[BRIDGE] (Full Band But Adelheide Lead)
Oh, the world will test you...
(Echo:) test you...
Try to break your will...
(Echo) break...
Push you to the limits...
Stand you on that hill!

[[FINAL CHORUS - André]
WE CARRY ON! WE CARRY ON! WE CARRY ON! TOGETHER! WE ARE STRONG!
This is where we rise!
(André and Adelheide) THIS IS WHERE... WE BELOOOOONG! (Hold note)

[OUTRO – Adelheide and André] 
The road still winds... (Breathy)
But now we walk it...
Together...

Carry On

The song We've All Grown Old was originally recorded in 1992 on four tracks at my brother's home studio. The dialogue at the beginning and end of the song is between me and my daughter, who was 6 years old at the time. 

In May 2025, thirty-three years later, the song was re-recorded and will be released in June 2025. In the new version, the dialogue at the beginning and end of the song will be with my grandchildren.

Words and Music by M. Williams
Performed, arranged and produced by M. Williams and P. Williams

© 1992 M. Williams - All Rights Reserved

Due to a SoundCloud system glitch, the number of plays for We've All Grown Old (1992) is understated. The estimated number of plays (based on previous LIKE, REPOST, and COMMENT ratios) is approximately 18.5K (versus 3.5K).

We've All Grown Old

We've All Grown Old (1992)

Not everyone is as lucky as I was to have support chasing their dreams 🌟, but that doesn’t mean you should ever give up 💪. Sometimes the road gets tough, and you might feel alone, but remember, you don’t have to do it all by yourself 🤝. Find those who believe in you, who lift you up, and help you fly 🕊️✨. Keep holding on to your passion and trust the journey, your wings are waiting to soar! 🚀💖

****Lyrics****

I was lucky, my folks, they saw the fire,
Never once told me I’d burn out or tire,
They cheered me on, even when I was scared,
Saw the excitement inside me, how much I cared.

But I’ve seen friends caught in a storm alone,
Doubted by the people they called their own,
Told they’d fail, like they were wasting their time,
Trying to break them down, mess with their mind.

I saw them fight through the noise and doubt,
Holding on when no one was about.

Here’s to the fighters, the quiet and strong,
Holding on tight when everything’s wrong,
You never gave up, you kept pushing through,
And now you’re shining, yeah, that light’s all you.

I know of the nights that felt too damn long,
The whispered doubts that said you don’t belong,
But you found a way, you carved out your place,
Turned every doubt into strength and grace.

It ain’t the voices that tell who we are,
It’s the guts to reach for your own damn star,
With or without their cheers in your ear,
You hold your own light, you must fight through your fear.

Here’s to the fighters, the quiet and strong,
Holding on tight when everything’s wrong,
You never gave up, you kept pushing through,
And now you’re shining, yeah, that light’s all you.

So if you’re listening, and feeling alone,
There’s no need to face this on your own,
Find people who get it, help each other rise,
It’s not easy alone, but together,
Together, we fly.

Find Your Light [💜 100 new followers - thank you]

I searched the world over to find someone new
I thought I found true love when I found you
We had our struggles but I always felt safe
In your arms was my happy place

I thought you would love me no matter what
But then life thru me a punch right to my gut
You came home one day papers in hand
You said "I don't love you," I'm not your man

My heart was shattered I could not breathe
My whole world had ended I fell to my knees
I made mistakes but I loved you so
It was hard for me to have to let go

I stayed in my darkness while you chose new light
I cried as I laid lonely every night
But you never left why I don't know
Your body was here but your heart didn't show

Many years passed the kids have all grown
You were still here but I felt alone
We barely spoke no love was shared
Days went by like nobody cared

I buried my emotions stopped letting them cry
My heart was empty my tears ran dry
I gave up on love, it wasn't for me
Just lived my life the way it would be

Then one day you tell me listen to this song
You want me to think this is where you belong
I didn't want to hear your song at first
I couldn't handle another heart burst

[chorus]
You say you love me bigger, infinitely 
But I don't feel your love the way it should be
My love runs deeper than sand on the shore
That's why I say "I love you more"

Then you wrote another and now I can't hide
The emotions I'm feeling way down inside
Why did this happen, I'm still confused
I wasn't sure how to handle this news

You say that you love me your words I do hear
But actions speak louder and those you make clear
I'm not a convenience for when you have time
I can't wait all night I'm not in my prime
This body gets tired though my love runs deep
I just want to hold you and then go to sleep

[chorus]
You say you love me bigger, infinitely 
But I don't feel your love the way it should be
I don't ask for much so if your love's true
Why can't I be the one you come running to

I won't keep you long into the night
I just need to hold you and feel things are right
Your music can wait it won't fade away
Just come to me first and I'll be okay

[chorus]
You say you love me bigger, infinitely 
But I don't feel your love the way it should be
My love runs deeper than sand on the shore
That's why I say "I love you more"

Love should be more than just spoken words
or songs full of promises waiting to be heard
Sharing some time with those you hold dear
Is what keeps love growing throughout the years

My love runs deeper than sand on the shore
That's why I say "I love you more"

I Love You More

Sweet Blue Eyes is from Mike's Hollow Moon album (released worldwide on February 27, 2018). Remixed/Remastered November 2023.

Words and Music by M. Williams.

Official website: www.LaborOfLoveMusic.com 
Email Mike: leavingdystopia@aol.com

Hollow Moon

Sweet Blue Eyes

Sweet Blue Eyes (Remastered)

Mark & Wendy Cunico:  marcodaddio Creations

Songwriters blending Blues, Rock, Soul, Folk, Gospel, Country & Pop.   Telling real stories through AI-powered music.

I Love You More

marcodaddio (Mark Cunico)

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