This is a story of two men whose life choices collide in the Mojave Desert—one pays the ultimate price, while the other is left to wrestle with the weight of having taken a life in the line of duty.

Many of us, whether in the military, law enforcement, or business, find ourselves in situations where duty demands difficult decisions—decisions that alter not just one life, but the lives of everyone connected to it.

For me, it wasn’t life or death in the moment, but the consequences were just as real. As a young manager, I had to enforce company policy, suspending an employee without pay for three days. The next infraction meant termination. While on suspension, they made the decision to end their own life.

I didn’t pull the trigger—but 25 years later, I still carry the weight of that moment. I often wonder: What if I had asked more questions? What if I had taken the time to understand? Could a moment of kindness have given them the hope to keep fighting?

Some choices stay with us forever.

Verse 1: The Outlaw]
Dust in my lungs, blood on my chest
Riding hard through the desert’s test
Bullets whistling, death closing in
Regrets start creeping like a long-lost sin

I see her eyes, summer and gold
That riverbank where secrets told
First time I kissed her, stars hung low
Now I’m dyin’ alone where shadows grow

[Chorus]
Love lost and chances missed
Watch my life in the sun’s last kiss
Fading light and a hollow sky
Mojave winds whisper goodbye

[Verse 2: The Sheriff]
I pulled the trigger, straight and true
Watched him fall, God forgive what I do
His horse went running, wild and free
But chains of guilt got a hold on me

I see my pa, stern and proud
Taught me right from wrong, never bowed
Fishing poles and laughter’s sound
Now this tin star feels heavy bound

[Chorus]
Love lost and chances missed
Watch my life in the sun’s last kiss
Fading light and a hollow sky
Mojave winds whisper goodbye

[Bridge: The Outlaw & The Sheriff]
Outlaw: Mama, can you hear me call?
Your boy’s gone wrong, bound to fall
Scenes of home in a fiery haze
Innocence buried beneath my ways

Sheriff: Lord, is this justice served?
Or just a soul undeserved?
Whiskey won’t drown what’s been done
Haunted eyes in the setting sun

[Verse 3: The Outlaw]
Sand turns cold, breath slowing down
Eyes on stars, sky turning brown
Wishing for one last embrace
That girl, that kiss, that sacred place

[Verse 4: The Sheriff]
I kneel down slow, hat in hand
Cursed by the weight of this barren land
A sinner, a judge, a coward’s crown
Killing a man don’t make you sound

[Chorus]
Love lost and chances missed
Watch my life in the sun’s last kiss
Fading light and a hollow sky
Mojave winds whisper goodbye

[Outro: Both]
Dust to dust, sins and prayers
Two lives tangled in desert airs
God have mercy where shadows lie
Mojave winds whisper goodbye

Wherever You Go

Last Kiss

Aces & Eights

Whiskey on the Rocks

Left your map to me on the side of the road

Where Am I in This? by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
"I’m a shadow in a photograph nobody took..." 

The jukebox plays a melody I don’t recall, 

A half-remembered whisper through a fractured wall. 

You left your fingerprints in dust upon the shelf, 

Now I’m talking to the echoes, asking for your help. 

Where am I in this? 

A stranger in the frame, a ghost inside the kiss. 

The map we drew got swallowed by the mist— 

Now I’m just a question mark on your list. 

The coffee’s cold, the steam long since retired, 

Your absence hums like a live wire. 

I sift through every silence for a clue, 

But the past just hums a tune I never knew. 

Where am I in this? 

A footnote in the script, a name you might’ve missed. 

The compass spins but won’t admit— 

I’m still the wound beneath the scar you kissed. 


I built a house of maybes in the in-between, 

Where the doors don’t close and the walls stay lean. 

You’re a silhouette in every windowpane, 

But the glass won’t break, and the rain won’t explain. 


The clock hands fold like a losing bet, 

Time’s a thief who hasn’t cashed in yet. 

I wear your memory like a borrowed coat, 

Too thin for winter, too heavy to float. 


Where am I in this? 

Just a flicker in the film, a pause inside the twist. 

The credits roll, the reels persist— 

But the story’s yours, and I don’t exist

Link to more of our Singer/songwriter style hits you can cover into fame because of your take!

https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/best-new-folk-americana?si=04e0155163644977b37cf8c0a04f3c53&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to my band: Hot Cookie
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w

Where Am I in This? by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

I'm a born and raised Texan, so this is my tribute to the state and the many places in it.

Texas Roads

Fall Into

New York City 99Fm Hyperpop Reflective End

SON, WHAT WILL THE PEOPLE SAY?
A song about growing up under watchful eyes – and choosing to walk your own path anyway. Inspired by a grandfather’s warning and the quiet rebellion of a grandson who just didn’t care what they’d say. Raw, poetic, and real. For everyone who’s ever lived loud in a world that wanted them quiet.


SON, WHAT WILL THE PEOPLE SAY?
Ein Song über das Großwerden unter Blicken von außen – und die Entscheidung, trotzdem den eigenen Weg zu gehen. Inspiriert von einer Großvaterfrage, die nachhallt, und einer stillen Rebellion, die keine Maske mehr braucht. Rau, ehrlich, poetisch. Für alle, die sich je gefragt haben: Und wenn ich einfach ich selbst bin?

Son, what will the people say?

hip-hop, hypnotic basslines, delta blues, blues, psychedelic rock with a blues edge, and rhythmic vocal delivery; male vocals, gritty and raw; a blend of distorted guitar riffs, rock, sparse electro textures, intense and brooding

Shattered Veins

Retribution

Tonight You’re Mine
Lyrics By: Thomas W. Peterson AKA RedHeart 
 ©COPYRIGHT 9-5-25 All Rights Reserved ©

(Verse 1)
 The sun gave up an hour ago, left the sky all bruised and deep 
This whole town's chasin' neon signs, but we've got secrets we can keep 
That harvest moon is climbin' high, the September air is cool 
Got the radio playin' soft and low, breakin' all the rules 
'Cause we should be out with all our friends, makin' noise and standin' in lines 
But all I wanna do right now is get lost inside your eyes

(Chorus) 
'Cause the world can wait outside the door, let the worries fade away 
Let tomorrow handle all the things that it's gonna say 
Time's a thief that's always runnin', but we can steal a little back right now 
Wrapped up in this porch light's golden shine 
I don't know 'bout forever, but tonight you're mine

(Verse 2) 
There's a faint smell of the comin' rain and the dust from this old screen 
Your head is restin' on my chest, the most peaceful thing I've seen
 I trace the lines upon your hand, and you laugh a little low 
It's a secret language no one else will ever get to know 
We both got scars and miles behind, and miles we still have to go 
But right here in this quiet dark, we ain't got nothin' to show

(Chorus) 
'Cause the world can wait outside the door, let the worries fade away 
Let tomorrow handle all the things that it's gonna say 
Time's a thief that's always runnin', but we can steal a little back right now 
Wrapped up in this porch light's golden shine 
I don't know 'bout forever, but tonight you're mine

(Bridge) 
There's bills to pay, there's roads to drive, there's dreams that we're still chasin' 
Life's a storm that's always brewin', a race we're always racin' 
But with your hand held here in mine, the finish line is all I see 
Just this single, perfect moment, is all that's real to me

(Chorus - Softer, more intimate)
 Yeah, the world can wait outside the door, let the worries fade away 
Let tomorrow handle all the things that it's gonna say... 
Time's a thief that's always runnin', but we stole a little back right now 
Wrapped up in this starlight's silver shine 
I don't know 'bout forever, but tonight you're mine

(Outro) Yeah, tonight you're mine... 
Let the world go on by... 
Hmmmm... Tonight you're mine.

Shattered Veins

Philippe Astor