
I arrived, but far from what I dreamed,
The road I walked split at the seams.
I’m still, but thoughts keep drifting on—
Life and truth don’t get along.

The beauty I believed in fades,
We trade our hearts for darker games.
Betray the kids, betray the soul—
For power's fire and bitter gold.

But I’m here anyway,
With a dream I won’t betray.
Though the peace is hard to hold,
I keep walking through the cold.
Love this life, curse it too—
Find some grace in what is true.
I’m not done, I’m not afraid—
I’m here anyway.

We are too many, maybe too blind,
Fighting for what leaves us behind.
I wanna thrive outside the war,
In love, in peace, in something more.

Yeah, I’m here anyway,
With a dream I won’t betray.
Though the peace is hard to hold,
I keep walking through the cold.
Love this life, curse it too—
Find some grace in what is true.
I’m not done, I’m not afraid—
I’m here anyway.

Limited life, limited time—
But still I trust this path is mine.
The dream may change, the stars may fall,
I’ll rise again and take it all.

So I’m here anyway,
With my soul and what I say.
Every breath, a kind of grace—
In this strange and sacred place.
Love this life, curse it too—
But I’m still showing up for you.
I’m not done, I’m here to stay—
I’m here anyway.

Here Anyway

Slow-burn R&B about two “just friends” telling themselves it’s nothing when it’s definitely something. Little white lies, Pinocchio noses, hands that shake when they touch. Late-night song for anybody stuck in the almost.

You say, “I’m good,” but your eyes look tired,
Laugh a little hard like the room’s on fire.
Hand on my arm just a beat too long,
We call it nothing but it feels too strong.

You talk new plans and your weekend dates,
Smile on your lips but your heartbeat shakes.
I play along like I’m doin’ fine,
But every small joke hits the same old line.

We keep it light, we keep it low,
Smiles stay smooth while the noses grow.

White lies hangin’ in the air tonight,
Soft words hidin’ what we feel inside.
Say “it’s nothing,” but it cuts so high,
We’re both bleedin’ out in black and white.
If it’s just “hey” and it’s just “goodbye,”
Why do we shake when our hands collide?
We keep standin’ in this borrowed light,
Livin’ on white lies… white lies.

You say, “We’re friends,” when you take that seat,
Knee hits mine and you don’t move your feet.
You drop that joke that you know I love,
I fake a smile when it’s not enough.

Phone lights up but I let it ring,
No one else hits like this almost-thing.
You twist your ring when you meet my eyes,
Both of us hidin’ behind that smile.

We keep it light, we keep it low,
Smiles stay smooth while the noses grow.

White lies hangin’ in the air tonight,
Soft words hidin’ what we feel inside.
Say “it’s nothing,” but it cuts so high,
We’re both bleedin’ out in black and white.
If it’s just “hey” and it’s just “goodbye,”
Why do we shake when our hands collide?
We keep standin’ in this borrowed light,
Livin’ on white lies… white lies.

What if I said I still replay
Every little touch from yesterday?
What if you dropped that “just a friend”
And let this almost finally begin?

Are we really keepin’ each other safe,
Or just scared of what we’d really make?
All this almost, all this might—
We can’t live forever in this half-light.

White lies fallin’ from our lips tonight,
No more “I’m fine,” no “it’s all right.”
If it’s nothing, why’s my heart this loud
When I pull you in from the middle of the crowd?
Say my name and don’t disguise,
No more cover for these honest eyes.
Let the truth come floodin’ out inside—
Burn through these white lies… white lies.

You say, “No more,” and it sounds like “stay.”

White Lies

“The Echo We Once Knew” is a quiet conversation spoken out loud a song of memory, worry, and hope.

Mary Amber Adair and Jonas Redfoot share something deeper than friendship with Echo Wiggins.
They remember him before the cameras… before the politics… before the noise.
Back when he listened to the river, helped strangers without applause, and carried a quiet goodness that didn’t need a spotlight.

This song is their heart laid bare.

They see the man he’s become polished, distant, shaped by a world that rewards harshness and ambition.
But they also see flickers of the boy they loved, the boy the wind once followed.

This song captures the moment before Echo’s awakening before the dream, before the watchers, before the choices that will shape the trilogy.
Mary and Jonas are calling out to him in the only way they can,
through memory, through compassion, through hope.

It’s a reminder that beneath all the layers we build to survive,
the truest parts of us still live… waiting for the right moment to rise again.

[Verse 1 ]
He used to sit by the river bend
Bare feet hanging off the shore
He'd listen to the water talk
like it whispered something more
He’d help the old man down the street
Never asked for praise or pay
Just a quiet heart with open hands
That’s the Echo of yesterday

[Verse 2]
He never raised his voice to win
But he always stood his ground
Didn’t follow crowds or trends
He made his own way around
I watched him stare down bigger men
Who pushed the weak aside
That boy had fire behind his calm
A truth he didn’t try to hide

[Chorus]
But the man we see on the screen
He looks polished, sharp, and new
So different from the boy we knew
In the summers where the tall grass grew
Where is the one who walked these hills
With eyes that saw the world so true
We still hold hope inside our hearts
For the Echo we once knew

[Verse 3]
I saw a clip the other night
He smiled, but not like he used to do
Looked like a man wearing someone else’s suit
Chasing someone else’s view.
The wind don’t move around him now
Like it used to follow everything he’d do.
But somewhere in that distant gaze
I swear the old Echo flickered through

[Verse 4]
People change when the world gets loud
When the voices pull their will
But I don’t believe he’s lost for good
There’s a heartbeat in him still
If he comes back to La Crosse one day
I know the land will speak his name
And everything he used to be
Might rise in him again

[Chorus]
But the man we see on the screen
He looks polished, sharp, and new
Still we feel that buried spark
Like an ember breaking through
Where is the one who walked these hills
With eyes that saw the world so true
We’re sending every prayer we have
For the Echo we once knew

[Bridge]
Sometimes the wind remembers more than we do
Sometimes a soul just waits for the right moment to break through
 If he hears us, he’ll come home
 He just needs a sign to find his way back to true

[Final Chorus]
And the man we see on the screen
Maybe he’s broken, maybe he’s bruised
But deep inside, we still believe
The old Echo’s in there too
So here we stand in the La Crosse dusk
Sending our voices into the blue
Hoping the wind will carry it back
To the Echo we once knew

The Echo We Once Knew

For everyone spending Christmas under bar lights instead of a fireplace – this one’s for you. 🌟

“Neon Mistletoe” is a barroom Christmas love story:
tinsel around the jukebox, cheap beer, a red coat in the doorway,
and a crooked neon mistletoe sign that changes the whole night.

Will you spin it, save it, and let me know if it hits?

Lyrics below 👇

They got tinsel ’round the jukebox, Santa on the wall,
Plastic reindeer on the beer taps, blinking down the hall.
Bartender wearin’ antlers, pourin’ one more jolly round,
Same old faces, same old stories in this same old good old town.

I’m nursin’ what’s left of a long hard year,
Tryna drown the noise in this cheap cold beer.
Then you walk in wearin’ that red coat glow,
And stop right under that neon mistletoe.

It ain’t no silent night in here,
But my heart went quiet when you came near.

Under neon mistletoe in that barroom glow,
Where the snow’s just foam and the nights run slow.
You laughed and said, “Guess the sign says so,”
Then you leaned in close, real close.
Didn’t need no choir or church bell ring,
Just your lips on mine and the hush they bring.
In a world this loud, it’s a mercy, though—
Losing myself under neon mistletoe.

TV’s playin’ re-runs of a hometown game,
Couple in the corner don’t remember my name.
You hang your coat on a rusted stool,
Suddenly this rundown place feels cool.

You say, “I almost stayed home tonight,”
“I’m tired of chasin’ that picture-perfect light.”
I say, “Same here, I like it dim,”
“Less shine out there, more truth in here with you and them.”

All these crooked lights and secondhand cheer,
But somehow my path feels clearer here.

Under neon mistletoe in that barroom glow,
Where the snow’s just foam and the nights run slow.
You laughed and said, “Guess the sign says so,”
Then you leaned in close, real close.
Didn’t need no choir or church bell ring,
Just your hand in mine and the warmth it brings.
In a world this cold, it’s a mercy, though—
Finding your heart under neon mistletoe.

Maybe we’re just two worn souls on a stool,
Trying to make some kind of magic out of ordinary cool.
But if Christmas is hope in a borrowed light,
I found a little of it with you tonight.

Under neon mistletoe in that barroom glow,
Let the rest of the world keep its perfect snow.
We’ve got jukebox hymns and a soft hello,
And the courage to stay when it’s time to go.
If I only get one wish before the closing show,
Let it be another night under neon mistletoe.

Tinsel ’round the jukebox, last round poured slow,
You smile and say, “See you soon,” and I know.
If Christmas lives anywhere I can go,
It’s right here with you under neon mistletoe.

Neon Mistletoe

Christmas on the county line. 🎄🔥

Two small towns, one long string of lights, bonfire cracklin’, red dirt boots and a whole lot of twang.

Wrote this for the folks who spend the holidays on back roads with friends, family, and whoever shows up by the fire. If you’ve ever two-stepped under a cold sky with a cheap drink in your hand, this one’s for you.

Let me know where you’re listenin’ from and if you’ve got your own “county line” Christmas spot. 🤠

Christmas on the County Line

[Verse 1]
Out past the fields where the fence lines meet  
There’s a gravel road off the old main street  
Both town names on the same green sign  
That’s where we throw down Christmas time  

[Pre-Chorus]
Half your town, half of mine  
All mixed up at the county line  

[Chorus]
It’s Christmas on the county line  
Two small towns, one long string of lights  
Bonfire cracklin’, your hand in mine  
Red dirt hummin’ to that old guitar  

We pass that bottle and we pass the time  
Whiskey carolin’ with that twang just right  
World’s sittin’ still, it ain’t a Silent Night  
Spendin’ Christmas on the county line  

[Verse 2]
Old man Bobbitt’s got his fiddle out  
Kids play tag in the smoke and shout  
Your little sister’s pourin’ hot chocolate cups  
Granny’s dog snatchin’ all the marshmallows up  

[Pre-Chorus]
Your hands on my shoulders when the band kicks in  
We spin ‘round in that firelight glow  
You say, “Best dang Christmas I’ve ever known”  
Just dirt-road joy in the fire we made  

[Chorus]
It’s Christmas on the county line  
Two small towns, one long string of lights  
Bonfire cracklin’, your hand in mine  
Red dirt hummin’ to that old guitar  

We pass that bottle and we pass the time  
Whistlin’ tunes to our “Holy Night”  
We’re the needle on this record tonight  
Spendin’ Christmas on the county line  

[Bridge]
Someday we might move to some big bright place  
High-rise windows and a faster pace  
But every year when December rolls back ’round  
We’ll hear that fire, feel that small-town sound  

So if you’re lost and lookin’ for a sign  
There’s room for you at the county line  
Follow that glow where the dust kicks up  
We’ve got a spot by the flames and a solo cup  

[Final Chorus]
It’s Christmas on the county line  
Two small towns, one long string of lights  
Bonfire cracklin’ on a chilly night  
Red dirt boots under a neon sky  

Hot toddy cozy, hearts full of cheer  
Nobody worried ’bout a closin’ time  
Yeah, peace comes easy tonight  
When it’s Christmas  
On the county line  

[Outro]
Just an old dirt road, a fire, and your hand in mine…  
I love this Christmas, yeah,  
Christmas, mmm-hmm,  
On the county line.


Christmas on the County Line

Warm-weather Texas Christmas song about lights, tamales, and doin’ December in shorts.

“Christmas in Shorts” – part of my Tinsel & Twang: A Country Christmas EP. No snow, just Dr Pepper, porch lights, and big Texas sky.

🔔 Country / Holiday / Texas Country
🤠 Vocals: Male, laid-back, conversational
🌵 For everybody spendin’ Christmas in a T-shirt

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
It’s late December but the yard says June
Ceiling fan hummin’ in the afternoon
Mama in the kitchen with the oven on roast
I’m standin’ in the driveway in a t-shirt, doin’ the most

Neighbor’s blow-up Grinch layin’ on his back
Kids tossin’ a football down the cul-de-sac
Radio singin’ ’bout a "silent night"
But the sun’s still up and the sky’s burnin’ bright

[Chorus]
It’s Christmas in shorts again
Bare feet tappin’ on the porch in the south wind
Lights on the gutters, star on the door
But it’s seventy-somethin’, maybe a little bit more
Yeah, it might look wrong on a postcard scene
But it feels like home if you know what I mean
Under big Texas sky and tangled cords
We’re doin’ Christmas in shorts

[Verse 2]
Pickin’ up tamales from the corner store
Uncle with a cooler by the screen-door floor
Granddad in a lawn chair, socks and slides
"Turn that game up," watchin’ trucks roll by

Church lot’s full but the coats stay light
Hoodies in the trunk in case it flips tonight
We hang one more strand on that leanin’ pine
Sun drops slow on the county line

[Chorus]
It’s Christmas in shorts again
Cold Dr Pepper in my right hand
Smoke from the pit driftin’ over the yard
Cousins throwin’ passes in the sticker grass hard
Yeah, it ain’t the snow from the TV shows
But the love runs deep and the warm wind blows
Under big Texas sky and tangled cords
We’re doin’ Christmas in shorts

[Bridge]
Let ’em have their white Christmas up north
We got porch light halos and mosquitos, of course
If the good Lord’s watchin’ how we do what we do
He knows this warm little Christmas still counts too

[Chorus]
It’s Christmas in shorts again
You laugh at my sunburn, I just grin
Under big Texas sky and a heart like yours
I’ll take Christmas in shorts

Christmas in Shorts

This song was written from memory, not nostalgia.

It comes from a time when Christmas slowed the world down when waiting was part of the gift, when neighborhoods glowed quietly under fresh snow, and when the warmth of the season came from shared moments more than wrapped ones.

Echoes of the Christmas Heart isn’t about wishing for the past to return.
It’s about listening for what never really left.

The smells from the kitchen.
The patience before the morning began.
The way joy showed up in each other’s faces, not in what was held.

As the years move faster, this song pauses just long enough to remember that the heart of Christmas still lives in simple things: time, attention, and love freely given.

If there’s an echo here, it’s the reminder that the season’s meaning doesn’t disappear.
It waits quietly for us to slow down and hear it again.

[Verse 1]
I remember a time, not so long ago
When the world would slow down beneath the snow
No Christmas songs in September’s air
No neon trees or flash-sale glare
The stores stayed dark on Christmas Eve
You planned ahead, then you’d believe
That for one quiet day, the town would part
 Gather around… and open their hearts

[Verse 2]
Small, sturdy bungalows lined up tight
Chicago blocks glowing soft in the night
I’d lean on the sill of that picture frame wide
Watching folks come and go from the warmth inside
Every house on the street had lights all aglow
Wreaths on the doors and the sidewalks in snow
Later that day, we’d gather outside
Us kids trading stories ’bout what Santa supplied

[Verse 3]
I remember the smell of bread in the oven
Gnocchi boiling, ham slow-roastin’, love in
The kitchen where Mom would bake all night
With biscotti cookies stacked just right
The tree was dressed in reds and gold
Santa’s gifts stacked high and bold
And we’d wait by the morning light
For Dad to lift his camera and capture it right

[Chorus]
We’d take turns with the gifts, not rushing through
One by one, we shared that view
It wasn’t about who got the biggest prize
It was seeing the joy in each other’s eyes
And back then, it wasn’t about shopping carts
It was about giving straight from the heart

[Verse 4 – Christmas Eve & Morning]
We went to bed early on Christmas Eve
Hearts pounding fast in make-believe
Waiting for sleigh bells we swore we heard
Believing in magic without a word
The morning would come, we’d stare at the tree
But we wouldn’t dare wake Mom and Dad sat patiently
We waited together for Christmas to start
Those quiet moments etched deep in my heart

[Verse 5 – Adulthood Reflection]
Somewhere along this winding road
I learned how fast a year can go
How easy it is to hurry past
The kind of moments meant to last
So now I stop when December starts
And listen again
For the heart

[Bridge]
I don’t mean to say the wonder’s gone
I still feel it when the lights come on
In old familiar songs, in the falling snow
In the simplest love we already know

[Final Chorus]
So I’ll hold onto the warmth I knew
And pass it along in the ways I do
Through stories and laughter, through time well spent
Through love that’s freely given, not measured or meant
If the world forgets where to start
We still carry on
The echo of a Christmas heart

[Outro]
Yeah
It never really left us
We just have to listen

Echoes of the Christmas Heart (Revised)

Callaron las balas

La huella que no se borra

This song isn’t about Christmas presents.
It’s about presence.

It’s for the quiet moment when the lights are low, the world finally slows down, and you realize the greatest gift in your life is sitting right beside you. No wish list. No receipts. Just years of love, shared memories, and the comfort of knowing you don’t have to chase anything anymore.

It says what money never could that if every store were empty and every ribbon gone, love would still be enough. That watching her smile under the tree is worth more than anything wrapped in paper.

This is a Christmas song for couples who’ve lived some life, learned what lasts, and know that the real miracle isn’t under the tree it’s next to you.

[Verse 1]
Snow on the window, fire burnin’ low
Radio hummin’ songs we already know
Years on our shoulders, but baby I see
Every December brings you closer to me

The world keeps talkin’ ‘bout ribbons and gold
But that kind of shine never gets old
I’ve chased a few dreams, watched some fade away
But you’re the one thing that always stayed

[Pre-Chorus]
They can keep their glitter, keep their lights
I already got my miracle tonight

[Chorus]
Cause sittin’ under the tree, just you and me
Watchin’ that smile fall effortlessly
I don’t need a box with a bow tied tight
Your love’s the only gift I need tonight

If I could buy you the stars, the oceans, the sky
It still wouldn’t say what I feel inside
So hold me close, let the world go by
Sittin’ under the tree… you’re all I need in this life

[Verse 2]
I see you laughin’, glowin’ soft and slow
Like angels leaned in just to steal the show
Every little moment, every quiet kiss
Feels like heaven didn’t miss a thing

They sell love cheap this time of year
But ours don’t fade when January’s here
It’s in the way you say my name
Like you still choose me, just the same

[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t need fortune, fame, or fame’s disguise
I found forever in your eyes

[Chorus]
Cause sittin’ under the tree, just you and me
That’s the only kind of luxury
No wrapped-up promises, no midnight flight
Your love’s the only gift I need tonight

If I could buy you the world, lay it at your feet
It still wouldn’t match how you look at me
So let it snow, let the clock unwind
Sittin’ under the tree… you’re all I need in this life

{jazzy guitar solo}

I don’t need diamonds, I don’t need rings
Every breath you take already gives me everything
This old heart learned what the truth can be
Love ain’t what you give it’s who you see

[Final Chorus]
So sittin’ under the tree, candlelight glow
Every year just deepens what we know
No wish list left, no reason to try
Cause I got my answer right by my side

If I could buy you forever wrapped in red and green
It still wouldn’t say what you mean to me
Just stay right here, let the night believe
Sittin’ under the tree… you’re all I’ll ever need

[Outro]
Yeah
Every season leads me back to you
Merry Christmas, baby
You’re my gift… always


Under the Tree (You’re All I Need)

“Still Beginning”
(from the album Missing Chicago)

This song is built from memory not nostalgia, but lived experience.

Growing up in Chicago in the 1960s, life happened outdoors. Doors stayed unlocked. Streetlights told us when to come home. Any open field could turn into a baseball game, and every kid on the block knew the rules or made them up as they went. An ice cream truck, a penny candy store, ten cents in your pocket it was enough.

“Still Beginning” isn’t about wishing we could go back.
It’s about remembering what we learned before we forgot how to slow down, trust each other, and share the same space without fear or labels.

If beginnings once came naturally, maybe they still can when we choose connection over caution, and kindness over retreat.

This song is a reminder that even now, even here, something good can still start.


[Verse 1]
Back in the Day when I was a kid in Chicago 
We spent all our time outside
We didn’t lock the doors behind us
Didn’t count the hours anymore
Streetlights told us when to head home
Summer taught us how to breathe
We didn’t know we were beginning
We were just being free

[Verse 2]
Any open field could turn into a ballgame
You just showed up, that’s all it took
Gloves and bats were passed around
Nobody kept the book
We played tag until the dark came crawling
Made up games, and sometimes our own rules
The whole block was our kingdom
Every kid would play it cool

[Verse 3]
Ice cream truck came rolling slowly
Mister Softee down the street
Soft serve dripping in our hands
While the sun sank in the heat
Penny candy at Johnson’s corner store
Ten cents went a long, long way
Sugar on our fingers, plans in our pockets
Enough to last the day

[Pre-Chorus]
We didn’t call it freedom
Didn’t give it a name
It was just the sound of laughter
Echoing down the lane

[Chorus]
It felt like a beginning
Every time we stepped outside
No maps, no master plan
Just the world and time
I don’t need to go back there
I just want to believe
If love still finds us moving
We’re still beginning

[Bridge]
Maybe we forgot how
To let the good things start
Too busy guarding pieces
Of a once open heart


[Final Chorus]
It feels like a beginning
Every time we choose to stay
Choose a little kindness
Over walking away
I don’t need perfection
Just a reason to believe
If love still finds a rhythm
We’re still beginning

[Outro]
We’re still beginning
Yeah, we’re still beginning

Still Beginning

Mark & Wendy Cunico:  marcodaddio Creations

Songwriters blending Blues, Rock, Soul, Folk, Gospel, Country & Pop.   Telling real stories through AI-powered music.  Check out below regarding information on our newest project...

Echo of the Land

This is a story unfolding through song.

A trilogy rooted in land, memory, and the quiet pull that guides us when we listen.
Not answers.
Not instruction.
Just recognition.

The music is being released as the path reveals itself one step at a time.

If something here feels familiar, trust that feeling.
You’re hearing an echo.

🎧 Listen to the journey so far:
https://soundcloud.com/mark-cunico/sets/echo-of-the-land?si=f5ab3ecda3b746f681189fdb2cd75703&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Still Beginning

marcodaddio (Mark Cunico)

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