Written and recorded on cassette in '84 or so.

High overhead the red hawk flies,
Wheeling on wings formed for the skies.
He with the overview seen through ancient eyes.
Here stands this fir of noble birth
Tall, like the main mast of this earth
There, where the free winds work
I will make my berth.
     And there in the upper boughs
     I'll wait on wisdom's wings.
Deep in the dark and verdant vale
Always the well-worn path prevails
Over the loneliness of the untried trail.
     Here in the upper boughs 
     I wait on wisdom's wings.
What of the yearning heart's discord?
Is it resolved or soon ignored?
Or does the battling bear it's own reward?
      Here in the upper boughs
      I wait on wisdom's wings.

I Wait On Wisdom's Wings

Guitar recorded at Dockside Studios, Maurice, Louisiana. 6/30/06 All else recorded at JoyRide in Chicago. Bill Robinson Mandolin. All other by MO'
   Alcohol, Testosterone and Gasoline   6/30/06

Bent my bumper, dent in my door
Bangin’ on  the gear shift lever so hard I’m as like to pull the thing right out' the floor
Just another moron playin’ James Dean
Runnin’ on alcohol, testosterone and gasoline

Now I am so far gone I don’t know just how close I came
To combusting  in a ball of flame
And I am mad as in crazy, me n’ my rumblin’ machine
Runnin’ on alcohol, testosterone and gasoline

Always been a good boy, just so’s I could be bad,
By my wreckage I reckon how much fun I’ve had
Heavy on the throttle since I’s thirteen
Runnin’ on alcohol, testosterone and gasoline

Now  I am so far gone I don’t know just how close I came
To combusting  in a ball of flame
And I am mad as in crazy, me n’ my rumblin’ machine
Runnin’ on alcohol, testosterone and gasoline


I have a hunger for that thing
Lord, I love to hear that heavenly choir when the bed springs sing
Don’cha hear the rumble of my machine
Runnin’ on alcohol, testosterone and gasoline

Now I am so far gone I don’t know just how close I came
To combusting  in a ball of flame
And I am mad as in crazy, me n’ my rumblin’ machine
Runnin’ on alcohol, testosterone and gasoline

Alcohol, Testosterone and Gasoline

West of Nowhere		   
		
Guess it wouldn’t really matter if I didn’t care
Watch your dust settle right into thin air
Hopin’ someone will come and save you from yourself
When I say you I mean me and everyone else  

   I wanna be that strong and silent man, 				
   I wanna be the old couple walkin’ hand in hand
   But in this hard and broken land 
   I’m still lookin for a trail of bootprints in the sand
   West of nowhere, where I am

Mind me revin’ my motor like I’m on the move
Find me pushin’ my plow back down that same old groove
Savin’ that last little bit of love in reserve	
Hopin’ to find the kind I think I deserve 

   I wanna be that strong and silent man, 
   I wanna be the old couple walkin’ hand in hand
   But in this hard and broken land 
   I’m still lookin for a trail of bootprints in the sand
   West of nowhere, where I am

Everybody wanna be loved for who they are	
Celebrated for the song within their heart
When you try to get to know someone else
You end up findin’ out more about yourself

   I wanna be that strong and silent man, 
   I wanna be the old couple walkin’ hand in hand
   But in this hard and broken land 
   I’m still lookin for a trail of bootprints in the sand
   West of nowhere, where I am

West Of Nowhere

I Can’t Fix That

Throw a heavy chain around a big tree in the back yard
Pull that motor right there, hell, that ain’t so hard
Watch them boys real close, you’re bound to learn some
Find you can take something broke and you can make it run

   Gimme somethin’ broke I can take a look at
   ‘Most anything I’ll take a whack at
   But I can’t fix that, it’s a cold, hard fact
   Oh, my lord, I can’t fix that

Gimme somethin’ I can put back together with my hands
I’ll stand back, admire my work and be one proud man
But I wish I had the tools to repair some broken emotions
May as well try to conjure up some magic potion

   Gimme somethin’ broke I can take a look at
   ‘Most anything I’ll take a whack at
   But I can’t fix that, it’s a cold, hard fact
   Oh, my lord, I can’t fix that

They say a kind word to someone ev’ry now and then’ll work wonders
‘Most times dealin’ with feelin’s I just make blunders
Doin’ everything you can to try to be someone’s hero
End up feelin’ like you’re nothin’ but a big fat zero 

   Gimme somethin’ broke I can take a look at
   ‘Most anything I’ll take a whack at
   But I can’t fix that, it’s a cold, hard fact
   Oh, my lord, I can’t fix that

   Gimme somethin’ broke I can take a look at
   ‘Most anything I’ll take a whack at
   But I can’t fix that, it’s a cold, hard fact
   Oh, my lord, I can’t fix that
   Oh, my lord, I can’t fix that

I Can't Fix That

Bad  Attitude

Stay away from me, whoa!
You may not like what you see
I do not fit in the fold
I do not do what I’m told

“Cause I’m rude, crude, 
Or that’s how I’m viewed
I’m unglued, lewd, whew!
I gotta bad attitude

If I pray the way they say
Play like they play I’m A-OK
But if I should dare to disagree
I receive the third degree

‘Cause I’m rude, crude, 
Or that’s how I’m viewed
I’m unglued, lewd, whew!
I gotta bad attitude
It’s true, there’s no latitude
In their view, taboo!
It’s my bad attitude

It isn’t wrong, it isn’t right, 
it isn’t black, it isn’t white
“You need us!” Oh no I don’t!
“You will obey!” Oh no I won’t, won’t, won’t!”

‘Cause I’m rude, crude, 
Or that’s how I’m viewed
I’m unglued, lewd, whew!
I gotta bad attitude
It’s true, there’s no latitude, 
In their view, taboo!
It’s my bad attitude

Bad Attitude

Can’t Tell the Story from the Truth

Who do you believe? How do you verify?
For every good and honest man, a hundred more will lie

Power tells the tale         
And protects himself without fail            
He prettifies lies, pulls the wool over our eyes 
Till we can’t tell the story from the truth

Here in the “Land of the Free”, when did we agree
To dedicate our lives to lies in some surveillance state?

Power tells the tale         
And protects himself without fail            
Sanctifies lies, right before our very eyes
Till we can’t tell the story from the truth

Now when your best defense can’t even see the evidence,
We’re only told a name to blame, some sucker who gave away the game.

Power tells the tale         
And protects himself without fail            
Televises lies, keeps us hypnotized 
Till we can’t tell the story from the truth

Go ahead and count the cost, try to measure what’s been lost 
Lies revealed leave just disgust and have evaporated trust                                                  

Power tells the tale         
And protects himself without fail            
Glorifies lies right before our very eyes
Till we can’t tell the story from the truth

Can't Tell The Story Amity Tribe Version

Face By Firelight

The Farm Lies Silent

The barn stands solemn against the sky
The hayloft empty, the feed bins bare
And undisturbed in this sad
Season of disrepair
Where once the echo of grain pails rang
And the spirited stamping of hooves was heard
Down the dark stone aisles,
There now is silence and the dust is unstirred

The old barn, the big farm
Demanded strength that old age would not allow
With no eager young hands to carry on
The farm lies silent now

Where once the wheat and barley stood 
And waved as the welcome wind would blow
From Canada, the fields lie fallow 
And only weeds now grow
No more the fresh mown clover hay
Lying on the fields to dry
In long windrows beneath that
Great big blue Huron sky

 The old barn, the big farm
Demanded strength that old age would not allow
With no eager young hands to carry on
The farm lies silent now

Through the house once drifted the aroma of
Cinnamon rolls and fresh baked bread
Near a warm oak fire. An uneasy mustiness
Now reigns in their stead
And so it is since she’s been gone
Her kitchen quiet, her rocker still
The emptiness and all the memories
War on the old man’s will

The old barn, the big farm
Demanded strength that old age would not allow
With no eager young hands to carry on
The farm lies silent now

The Farm Lies Silent

Let’s Pretend
Let’s pretend we’re in another time and place
Fashioned with confidence and grace
Amid scenes pastoral and green
With swordplay, romance and intrigue
   
Let’s pretend for awhile!

I’ll portray a buccaneer of wealth
Impassioned by your general good health
Or you can play a lady of high birth
And I’ll be the gentleman who brings you mirth

Let’s pretend for awhile!

Or you can be a sweet milking maid
And I’ll be as a shepherd boy arrayed
In fair fields of loving we’ll play
Laughing and rolling in the hay

Let’s pretend for awhile!

Let's Pretend

No Good Deed

You know it’s your nature  
You’re generous to a fault
No wonder your best intentions
Are always under assault

Nice guys get brutalized as they’re 
Pushed and poked and prodded to the end of the line
They’re used and abused and then they stand accused of 
Holding back that last little bit of their pride

No good deed goes unpunished, no matter how hard you try
Someone’s gonna be happy, someone’s bound to cry

You give and you give and then you give up
Then torture yourself by thinking that you didn’t give enough
They take and they take without a word of thanks
Looking for love you only lose respect while breaking the bank

When that bill comes due they will hand it right to you
It’s a bitter pill but by now you know the drill
The only one to blame is the man who bears your name
If you don’t take care of yourself why no-one else will

No good deed goes unpunished, no matter how hard you try
Someone’s gonna be happy, someone’s bound to cry

That Golden Rule is unkind and cruel if you 
Think everybody’s gonna treat you the way you treat them
Karma can wait but for you it may be too late
How people treat you is only how you allow them to. Amen

No good deed goes unpunished, no matter how hard you try
Someone’s gonna be happy, someone’s bound to cry
No good deed goes unpunished, no matter how hard you try
Someone’s gonna be happy, someone’s bound to cry

No Good Deed

Lo and Behold! 
Everything I see baffles me
‘Cause nothing I see is anything like it used to be.
Everywhere I go, just how I got there I don’t know,
Nowhere is anywhere near where it was a while ago.

         Oh, Lo and Behold!
         Am I so behind the times my existence is a crime
         And whatever I have to say ain’t worth a dime?
         As if everyone knows a secret I was never told
         Lo and Behold! I’m old!
          
Everything I hear just joins the ringing in my ears,
I’ve heard things so stupid they’d bring an old man to tears.
Oh, the things I’ve thought; to think what we’ve been taught 
Was just some sick Marcusean shit our betters bought.

        Chorus

As my fate unfolds it leaves me cold and hurts my soul 
To consider now just how badly I’ve been rolled.
Well now am I bound to live on shaky ground
As a rag-tag relic relegated to the lost and found?
       Chorus

Lo And Behold

When She Looks at Me That Way

When she looks at me that way
My heart skips like a child at play
The sun breaks out into a thousand rays
When she looks at me that way

And when I hear her laugh like that
I’m a purrin’ pussy cat
I want to curl up and warm her lap
When I hear her laugh like that 

If she were free to ride with me
Then she would see what she means to me
But even I can see it may never be, 
And I’m not free to tell her that I want her and I love her
When she looks at me that way

And when I watch her walk away
I want to roll her in the hay
‘Cause she wiggles in the most delightful way
When I watch her walk away

If she were free to ride with me
Then she would see what she means to me
But even I can see it may never be, 
And I’m not free to tell her that I love her and I want her
When she looks at me that way

So while my heart breaks, I live without her
While my heart aches to tell her
That I love her, and I want her
When she looks at me that way

If she were free to ride with me
Then she would see what she means to me
But even I can see it may never be, 
And I’m not free to tell her that I love her and I want her
When she looks at me that way

When She Looks At Me That Way

Real world heroes all around us, fighting everyday battles.
          The World to Me
I've seen whiskey beat my Daddy down, bring him to his knees
I watched him battle back and beat that disease,
I see him standing just as tall as you please,
That may not seem like all that much to you, but it means the world to me

I've seen my momma raise us kids up all alone
Give us what we needed with what little that she owned
She cried, but we never knew it 'till we'd grown
That may not seem like all that much to you, but it means the world to me

I've seen my little girl fight to find her way
Through the darkness into the light of day
She cried out what she could not say
That may not seem like all that much to you, but it means the world to me

I've seen whiskey beat my brothers down, bring them to their knees
I watched them battle back and beat that disease
I see them standing just as tall as you please
That may not seem like all that much to you, but it means the world to me

03:04

The World To Me

Demo quality recordings here, folks.  They are what they is.
                      FAMILY MAN

I could-a been a hard-drivin’ tough-talkin 
rough-ridin fist-fightin’ self-centered son of a gun
Just pleasin’ myself, never anyone else, 
havin’ fun lookin’ out for number one

But I’d have never heard my children sing
Or seen ‘em runnin’ through the flowers in the spring
Growing up before my eyes
Now they come and gather all around me, settin’ grandbabies on my knee
Sayin’ they love me and surprise,
I’m a Family Man									

I must admit I had a little fit 
thinkin’ about how I’d miss out 
But that doubt just melted on out 
when my little ones began to gather about 

‘Cause I’d have never heard my children sing
Or seen ‘em runnin’ through the flowers in the spring
Growing up before my eyes
Now they come and gather all around me, settin’ grandbabies on my knee
Sayin’ they love me and surprise,
I’m a Family Man	

No, not every would-be gunslingin’ 
cowboy’s life unfolds accordin’ to plan
But a guy couldn’t do much better 
than to turn out to be a good family man

‘Cause I’d have never heard my children sing
Or seen ‘em runnin’ through the flowers in the spring
Growing up before my eyes
Now they come and gather all around me, settin’ grandbabies on my knee
Sayin’ they love me and surprise,
I’m a Family Man

Family Man

First half of first three verses is nearly verbatim from each of my three daughters.
       Daddy, Can I Drive the Car

“Daddy, can I drive the car, I wanna drive the car
I know how, it’s not so hard, hard to drive the car
You just grab the wheel, turn up the radio, 
Fiddle with the lever and step on the gas and go.”
Hmmm....Well, alright, I guess it’s time, time to learn to drive
Everybody gets a turn, a turn to learn to drive
But first you buckle up, turn down the radio
Look both ways then easy, eaSY, EASY! Take it nice and slow

My little one has grown 
Someday soon you’ll be on your own
Whether you stay near or you go far
Darlin’ take care where ever you are
When you drive the car

“Dad, I hate this stupid car, stupid, stupid car
All my friends have newer cars, their parents bought them cars
But this car smells bad, it smokes, Dad
It shudders and sputters and putters, Dad, I hate this car”
Hmmm....Where’d you learn to drive so fast, this I don’t allow
“Daddy dear, why do you ask, you know you taught me how
‘Cause you drive fast, Dad, don’t like to get passed, Dad
It’s a blast, Dad, to drive fast, and Daddy, you taught me how!”

My little one has grown 
Someday soon you’ll be on your own
Whether you stay near or you go far
Darlin’ take care where ever you are
When you drive the car
            
“Sorry, Dad, I crashed the car, Dad I crashed the car
The stupid rain came down too hard, it made me crash the car
But don’t get bent, Dad, about a few dents, Dad
That’s why they call them accidents, Dad”
Hmmm.....Sorry that I got so mad when you crashed the car
Honey, I know you feel bad, forget about the car
We can always buy a new one, but can’t buy a new you, hon
I’d bust in two if I’d lose you, ‘cause  honey, I love you

 My little one has grown 
Someday soon you’ll be on your own
Whether you stay near or you go far
Darlin’ take care where ever you are When you drive the car

Daddy Can I Drive

From home-made album "Feel not Deny" circa 1990. Recorded on a Tascam ministudio 4 track cassette.  All instruments played by moi.
 Feel Not Deny

Some come but turn away
Longing to stay 
To feel not deny

Some come like live wires
Hot sparks and full of fire
Feel not deny

Living afraid to dream
To hurt, to love aloud
It’s not real, just lifelike

Feel not deny
Feel not deny

Feel Not Deny

Apologies for horrible sound, home recording circa 1990.

No Never Not I

Market Day
Cupboards are empty
My bins are bare
So I’m gonna be off to market
I will buy there:
Half pints of happiness 
Arm-fulls of hugs
Weigh out some wonder 
and a big loaf of love
Six packs of cheerfulness
Gallons of grace
Two pounds of friendship
I’ll empty this place
Cartloads of laughter
Bags full of grace 
I’ve got coupons 
For kindness
Wisdom and praise
It’s market day
Four cups of wishes
Throw in some smiles
There’s a special on kisses
A sale down the aisles
It’s market day
Ring up my purchase
I’ve cleared off the shelves
But these bags aren’t heavy
They’ll carry themselves
It’s market day

Market Day

One Heat
Lie still in a quiet room soft bosom rise and fall
Lie still to the wind unveiling all
One heat two hearts
Two flames One heat
Unlace the evening let fall the folds
Release the heat I know you hold
One heat two hearts
Two flames One heat
I want heat Bring heat
My my my heat One heat

One Heat

The Ancients
He said they’d been by here long ago
I don’t believe it, I can hear them breath
I’ve seen their footprints all over
The artifacts and the arrowheads
Their campfires are warm
I hear them on the open plain calling
I can feel their light caress as they go slipping by
In the shadows of the family trees and the bloodlines
The origin and the embryo and the gentle moan of love’s embrace
I hear them, I feel them near
I see them, they’re all around me
Far ahead and far behind
Locked in the ritual dance
To the primitive pulse of the primal urge
The fertile egg and the scattered sperm
Handed down in the holy words and war cries
The ancient beat of a distant time
Beats anew in the child’s breast
All the gods and the goddesses
Have mated and merged and given birth
To newer gods so many gods and
Every one the one and only one
Time and time and time again it goes on
If I have my father’s eyes
Who's were they before him?
I hear them, I feel them near
I see them, they’re all around me
It mystifies me
It fills me up 
It terrifies me
It draws me on and on
I hear them,I feel them near
I see them, they’re all around me
I hear them, I feel them near
I see them, they’re all around

MikeOMe

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