CLOSER TO MADNESS
Words & Music By Rhob Elliott
©2011, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
Another night
Same old fight
Chasing demons in the neon light
Words you said 
Still burn my skin
I let you in
I let you win

[Pre-Chorus]
And I know, and I know
You're the chaos that I chose
Pulling me under slow
But I can’t let you go

[Chorus]
The closer I get
The more I fall
Lost in the dark
Can't see it at all
Breaking apart
Just to feel your sadness
Pull me closer
Closer to madness
Closer to madness...

[Verse 2]
Lies taste sweet 
When I'm this numb
I wear the scars like they're tattoos on my lungs
You’re a fire 
I can’t outrun
Still, I’m reaching 
For the sun

[Pre-Chorus]
And I know, and I know
You're the chaos that I chose
Pulling me under slow
But I can’t let you go

[Chorus]
The closer I get
The more I fall
Lost in the dark
Can't see it at all
Breaking apart 
Just to feel your sadness
Pull me closer
Closer to madness
Closer to madness...

[Bridge]
Tie my hands
Steal my breath
I don't care about the rest
You're the poison I confess
Still
I want it
Want it
Want!

[Chorus]
The closer I get
The more I fall
Drown in your storm
Answer your call
Breaking apart 
Just to feel your sadness
Pull me closer
Closer to madness
Closer to madness...

[Outro]
Closer... closer... closer to madness...

CLOSER TO MADNESS

CRAZY MIND
Words & Music By Rhob Elliott
©2021, Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
Woke up with thunder
Rolling through my brain
Static thoughts so deafening
Things I can’t contain
Spinning wheels and twisted dreams
Nothing here is ever what it seems

[Pre-Chorus]
Can’t silence the noise
Can’t trust my own voice
Every shadow feels like truth
While I keep chasing the proof

[Chorus]
Crazy mind
Where the dark and light collide
It’s a war I fight inside
Every day
Every night
No escape
No rewind
Caught in the storm I can't define
You can run
But I reside
Inside this crazy mind

[Verse 2]
Mirrors crack when I look in
Trying to find where I begin
Voices whisper doubt and fire
Fueling fear and fake desire

[Pre-Chorus]
Tried pills
Tried prayer
But I’m still trapped in there
If I scream 
Will someone hear?
Or just add to this fear

[Chorus]
Crazy mind
Where the dark and light collide
It’s a war I fight inside
Every day
Every night
No escape
No rewind
Caught in the storm I can't define
You can run
But I reside
Inside this crazy mind

[Bridge]
Don't tell me “calm down,” 
Don’t say “it’s all fine”
This chaos is carved in every line
It’s not a phase
It’s how I breathe
These damn demons don’t ever leave

[Breakdown - whispered/spoken]
Tick-tock, tick-tock
Hear the time bend
Sanity’s a thread that I pretend
Hold me back 
Or set me free
This is who I’ll always be

[Chorus]
Crazy mind
Where the truth and lies entwine
It’s a fire that never dies
Raging deep behind my eyes
No escape
No rewind
Still I live
Still I survive
Love me 
Or leave me behind
Inside this crazy mind

[Outro]
Love me 
Or leave me behind
Inside this crazy mind


CRAZY MIND

FLOWERS IN DANGER
Words & Music By Rhob Elliott
©2008, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
She planted dreams in broken ground
With trembling hands
Without a sound
Petals reaching for the sky
Under clouds that never cry
As she hummed her favorite song

[Pre-Chorus]
And every step she took was brave
But every rose still feared the grave
Gave them all the love she could
But she knew they would always be

[Chorus]
Flowers in danger
Blooming in the path of rage
Too soft for all this anger
Too pure for such a wicked stage
Beauty growing through the pain
But thunder always finds the rain
Flowers in danger
No one sees them fade
Until one day
They all fade away

[Verse 2]
He held her heart like porcelain
Said love was strong
But wore it thin
The wind grew sharp
The roots grew weak
And silence fell 
Where truth should speak

[Pre-Chorus]
Still she stood through every storm
But even sunlight can’t stay warm
Tried to nourish their souls
But eventually even she let go of the

[Chorus]
Flowers in danger
Blooming in the path of rage
Too soft for all this anger
Too pure for such a wicked stage
Beauty growing through the pain
But thunder always finds the rain
Flowers in danger
No one sees them fade
Until one day
They all fade away

[Bridge]
Don’t tell them they should be stronger
(They're just hanging on)
They’ve been holding on far too long
(Soon they will be gone)
What looks like breaking
Is just their way of staying strong

[Chorus]
Flowers in danger
With thorns that cry, not cut
Rooted in a world of strangers
Where love is never enough
Still they rise through the soil and the fear
Still they bloom when no one else is even near
Flowers in danger
But somehow they’re still here...

[Outro]
So if you see one standing tall
In the cracks of a crumbling wall
Don’t just pass it by
That’s a flower... learning not to fall

FLOWERS IN DANGER

SCENES IN A CUP OF TEA
Words & Music By Rhob Elliott
©1995, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)

[Verse 1]
Steam curls like ghosts 
From porcelain hands
I watch a kingdom crumble 
In those strands
A shipwreck drifting
On swirling leaves
Tiny screams caught 
Beneath the sieve

[Pre-Chorus]
Sugar melts like silent cries
In this stillness
Something dies

[Chorus]
Scenes in a cup of tea
Storms and shadows staring back at me
Little truths that twist and steep
Whispered secrets I can’t keep
Mirror moons and haunted seas
All inside this bitter heat
Scenes in a cup of tea
Dreaming while the world drinks me

[Verse 2]
A dancer spins in amber rain
She bows to sorrow
Sips the pain
Time collapses in each sip
As memories burn 
My trembling lip

[Pre-Chorus]
A thousand lives in every pour
But no one's knocking at my door

[Chorus]
Scenes in a cup of tea
Lonely kingdoms on a paper sea
Tales unravel, lost in steam
Stirring fragments of a dream
Faded voices calling me
From the bottom endlessly
Scenes in a cup of tea
Brewing ghosts that long to be

[Bridge]
And if I drink too deep tonight
Will I fall into the light?
Or will the cup consume my soul
And leave me hollow, never whole?

[Chorus]
Scenes in a cup of tea
Where silence paints a tragedy
Swallowed stars and silent cries
Melt into the morning skies
Still I sit and sip alone
As shadows make this house their home
Scenes in a cup of tea
Are all that’s left of me

[Outro]
Watch the leaves
Don’t stir too fast
Or you’ll see the future... or the past
Go slow, you know
It's all how it steeps
Scenes in a cup of tea


SCENES IN A CUP OF TEA

WARM HEART, COLD FEELING
Words & Music by Rhob Elliott
©1993, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Right Reserved

[Verse 1]
You say the words, but they don’t land
Like smoke 
Just slipping through my hands
You’re here, but not the way you were
Your silence cuts
But doesn’t hurt

[Verse 2]
I give and give
You fade away
You hold your breath
I beg you to stay
There’s a fire still burning in my chest
But you walk by like all the rest

[Chorus]
Warm heart
Cold feeling
Loving you is like bleeding
Through a smile
Through the night
Hoping wrong will turn to right
I reach out
You disappear
Close enough
But never near
Warm heart
Cold feeling
And I’m breaking without healing

[Verse 3]
The bed still holds the shape of you
But all that’s left is empty truth
I talk to ghosts in this dim light
You pull the shades
I chase the night

[Verse 4]
I write your name in fogged-up glass
Watch it fade like all that’s passed
You said forever soft and slow
Now I’m just someone you used to know

[Chorus]
Warm heart
Cold feeling
Loving you is like pleading
With the wind
With the rain
Trying to feel through the pain
I reach out
You disappear
Close enough
But never near
Warm heart
Cold feeling
And I’m numb from all this reeling

[Bridge]
If I were ice
I’d understand
But I’m still fire in shaking hands
You locked the door
Threw out the key
While I stood burning quietly

[Chorus]
Warm heart
Cold feeling
No more begging
No more kneeling
I gave you the best of me
But love alone won’t set you free
I reached out
You stayed withdrawn
Now the warmth I had is gone
Warm heart
Cold feeling
And now I'm the one who’s 
Leaving

[Outro (for live)]
You’ll wake and wonder where I went
Trace the air
Catch my scent
But cold can only last so long…
Before the warmth is finally gone
With these warm hearts and cold feelings

WARM HEART, COLD FEELING

GOOD MORNING, MY LOVE
Words & Music by Rhob Elliott
©1998, 2025, Awful Racket Music (ASCAP) , All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
The sunlight's dancing through the blinds
You're still lost in dreams
Your hand in mine
I lie here quietly
Just watching you breathe
The world can wait 
It's these moment’s that I need

[Pre-Chorus]
No grand parade
No loud alarms
Just the quiet rhythm 
Of your arms

[Chorus]
Good morning, my love
You’re the reason I wake up
With a heart so full 
It overflows
In a world that moves too fast
You’re the stillness that will last
You're my anchor 
And my open sky above
Good morning
My love

[Verse 2]
Your hair’s a mess
You’d laugh if you knew
But to me, there’s nothing more beautiful than you
Coffee’s brewing
The day’s just begun
But I’ve already found my rising sun

[Pre-Chorus]
Let the world outside spin its tale
We’ve got forever in this fragile spell

[Chorus]
Good morning, my love
You’re the reason I wake up
With a heart so full 
It overflows
In a world that moves too fast
You’re the stillness that will last
You're my anchor 
And my open sky above
Good morning
My love

[Bridge]
No need for promises we can’t keep
Just one more kiss before you leave
A moment like this, soft and true
I get to start each day with you

[Chorus]
Good morning
My love
You’re the reason I wake up
With a soul that knows 
It’s safe and known
In this crazy, wild life
You're the peace
You’re the light
My beginning 
And the home I’m always dreaming of
Good morning
My love

[Outro]
Yes… good morning, my love...
Let’s stay here just a little longer... just because

GOOD MORNING, MY LOVE

I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE
Words & Music by Rhob Elliott
©2017, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Right Reserved

[Verse 1]
We used to fight for love
Like it meant something
Now we just fall silent
Then say nothing
You turn away 
Before I even speak
Like you’re rehearsing 
Your next retreat

[Pre-Chorus]
I’ve memorized 
The closing scene
Another night
Another dream torn at the seam

[Chorus]
I can’t do this anymore
Keep watching you walk out the door
Inventing new ways to say goodbye
So many times now we don't even cry
What we had is lost, not worth fighting for
I can’t do this anymore

[Verse 2]
Your coffee cup still warm
Your chair still turned away
But the warmth between us 
So long ago has faded
We used to talk
Until the dark turned light
Now we just vanish 
Like ghosts into the night

[Pre-Chorus]
I keep hoping you’ll turn around
But love doesn’t echo in this house anymore
It just drowns

[Chorus]
I can’t do this anymore
Keep watching you walk out the door
Inventing new ways to say goodbye
So many times now we don't even cry
We’re ghosts in a love
That’s been washed ashore
I can’t do this anymore

[Bridge]
I gave you chances
I gave you space
But now I just feel out of place
You say you’re tired 
Well, so am I
Tired of pretending 
In our dreams we’re still alive

[Chorus]
I can’t do this anymore
Keep losing you like I did before
Another goodbye with no reason why
No spark left to even try
It’s not hate
It’s just an empty core
And I just can't
Do this anymore

[Outro]
So I’ll be the one who finally leaves
Before love becomes just memories
You don’t have to say a word
I see the score...
And I can’t do this anymore

I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE

I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE

IGNITE THE FIRE
Words & Music By Rhob Elliott
©2016, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)

[Verse 1]
I walked the edge of silence
Felt the chill of doubt and fear
But in the shadow's her whisper
Was the spark that drew me near
Ashes of old battles
Still burning in my chest
I won't let the past define me
Still trying to be my best

[Pre-Chorus]
No more waiting for a sign
No more standing in that line

[Chorus]
IGNITE THE FIRE
Light it up inside
Let the flames of purpose be my guide
Fuel the night 
With every dream I hold
Turn this heart into something bold
IGNITE THE FIRE
Hear the thunder call
I'll rise again even if I fall
This is the moment 
I’ve waited for
To IGNITE THE FIRE 
And be so much more

[Verse 2]
The world may try to break me
But it can’t steal my soul
Each scar a story written
In the fight to be whole
I’m done with second-guessing
With chains that held me down
Now I move like lightning
Breaking through this town

[Pre-Chorus]
No more fear behind my eyes
Only truth that never dies

[Chorus]
IGNITE THE FIRE
Light it up inside
Let the flames of purpose be my guide
Fuel the night 
With every dream I hold
Turn this heart into something bold
IGNITE THE FIRE
Hear the thunder call
I'll rise again even if I fall
This is the moment 
I’ve waited for
To IGNITE THE FIRE 
And be so much more

[Bridge]
From ember to inferno
From whisper to the roar
I’m not who I was
I’m stronger than before
Let the world take notice
As I blaze my way through
I IGNITE THE FIRE
And there's nothing I can't do

[Chorus]
IGNITE THE FIRE
Light it up inside
Let the flames of purpose be my guide
Fuel the night 
With every dream I hold
Turn this heart into something bold
IGNITE THE FIRE
Hear the thunder call
I'll rise again even if I fall
This is the moment 
I’ve waited for
To IGNITE THE FIRE 
And be so much more

[Outro]
IGNITE THE FIRE 
And be so much more


IGNITE THE FIRE

EVERYONE GOES AWAY SOMETIMES
Music and Lyrics by Rhob Elliott
©2017, 2025,Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
You didn’t slam the door
You didn’t yell
You just said you needed time 
And wished me well
I didn’t know what to say
So I said “okay”
But I kinda knew 
You weren’t coming back anyway

[Verse 2]
I’ve been staring at this coffee cup
Thinking maybe I messed things up
But I guess you’d already made your plan
Long before I took your hand

[Chorus]
Everyone goes away sometimes
Doesn’t mean they’re wrong or right
Just means they’re not meant to stay
At least not in the same old way
It hurts, yeah, I won’t lie
But I don’t hate you, not this time
Everyone goes away sometimes

[Verse 3]
You left your sweater on the kitchen chair
Still smells like your shampoo and the summer air
And I’ve been walking ‘round like I’m fine
But I’m not… and that’s alright

[Chorus]
Everyone goes away sometimes
Some leave fast, some take their time
Some say goodbye with a wave
Some with silence and a smile that fades
And maybe we just reached the line
Where your road stopped crossing mine
Everyone goes away sometimes

[Bridge]
Doesn’t mean the love was fake
Or that we made some big mistake
It just means we had our day
And now it’s gone… and that’s okay

[Chorus]
Everyone goes away sometimes
But the good stuff’s still stuck in my mind
The laughs, the fights, the songs you played
All the things I’d never trade
So I’ll raise a glass and toast our time
Even if it wasn’t meant to shine
Everyone goes away sometimes

[Outro]
Yeah… and sometimes, so do I
EVERYONE GOES AWAY SOMETIMES

EVERYONE GOES AWAY SOMETIME

EVERYONE GOES AWAY SOMETIMES

NO ONE BUT YOU
Words & Music by Rhob Elliott
©2025, Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
I've been down a thousand roads
Chased a dream, let a few things go
But nothing felt quite like this
A spark that I can't dismiss

[Verse 2]
Tried to play the game, keep cool
Wore a smile like a golden rule
But every time you look my way
I forget what I meant to say

[Pre-Chorus]
You're the calm in the noise
The light in the haze
The reason I’m lost in a million ways

[Chorus]
There’s no one but you
That makes my heart race like you do
No one but you
Who sees through the walls I never knew
You got that something I can’t explain
Like sunshine dancing in the rain
I’ve looked around
But it’s true
There’s no one but you

[Verse 3]
Every laugh
Every late-night call
Every stumble
You caught it all
You turned my silence into song
With you is where I belong

[Pre-Chorus]
You're the fire in my soul
The beat in my chest
The part of my story that fits me best

[Chorus]
There’s no one but you
That makes my whole world feel brand new
No one but you
Who knows what I'm feeling before I do
You’re my always
My favorite view
My midnight sky and my morning blue
I've searched the stars
And it’s true
There’s no one but you

[Bridge]
Maybe it took a little time
To see what was right before my eyes
But now I’m never letting go
You're the only love I’ll ever know

[Chorus]
There’s no one but you
That makes my dreams all come true
No one but you
Who loves me the way that you do
You're every heartbeat
Every rhyme
The reason I'm crossing every line
I gave my heart
And it flew
To no one but you

[Outro]
No one but you…
Forever starts with you

NO ONE LIKE YOU

NO ONE BUT YOU

IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
Words & Music by Rhob Elliott
©2017, 2025 Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved

[Verse 1]
I used to fall like rain in the summer
Fast and wild, no fear of the thunder
Gave too much without thinkin’ twice
Thought love was just paying the price

Now I count red flags like stars at night
Check every word for what don’t feel right
You say “hi,” I smile back slow
But my heart don’t jump like it used to though

[Pre-Chorus]
I’m not cold, I’m just careful now
Learned the hard way what love allows
It gives, it takes, it sometimes breaks
But I still ache for something real

[Chorus]
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
It won’t be rushed, it won’t pretend
I’ll need more truth and less disguise
No hidden past behind your eyes
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
It’ll start with friends, not perfect plans
No fairy tale, just honest ground
If you stay when I break down
Yeah…
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN

[Verse 2]
Don’t ask me to trust with nothin’ to show
Words are cheap and hearts move slow
I’ve been kissed with lips full of lies
Held close while someone else was on their mind

But I still believe in late-night talks
In slow walks, in pillow talks
Just don’t try to save or fix me
Just see me—then maybe you’ll get me

[Pre-Chorus]
It’s not fear, it’s just my pace
I’ve learned to guard my space
But somewhere deep I still believe
Love could feel like peace, not grief

[Chorus]
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
It’ll be deep, it won’t just bend
I’ll want the silence to feel safe
I’ll want the fire without the flames
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
It won’t be games, it won’t be “when”
It’ll be steady, soft and true
And I’ll be all in, if you are too

[Bridge]
I know what I don’t want now
And maybe that’s a start
I don’t need perfection
Just a genuine heart
So if you come close, come slow
Come real
I’m not a maybe—
I'm a “know it when I feel”

[Rap]
Yeah, I’ve been ghosted, gaslit, torn in two
Loved the wrong ones thinkin’ they were true
Left on read when I needed a call
Fell too quick, now I’m scared to fall
But I’m not jaded—I’m refined
I want that soul-to-soul, no mask, no line
If you step, then step with grace
No rush, just vibe—let’s set the pace
Love ain't dead, it's just rare
So if you're real—come prepared

[Final Chorus]
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
It’ll be calm, not sink or swim
Not perfect days, but present ones
Not chasing highs, but building trust
IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN
It won’t erase where I have been
But it’ll make the pain make sense
If love can learn to be a friend

[Outro]
If ever… I love again
I won’t lose myself to win
I'll give slow, but I’ll give true
And maybe… just maybe
It’ll be you

IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN

I am a Songwriter, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Audio Engineer, Producer, Executive, Dad. Contact me if you want to record any so I can come support and check it out! Tag your favorite artist you think would sound great doing the song! Enjoy the variety of my songwriting! All comments welcome and appreciated! Please repost,share, like, follow, push all the buttons! Be kind and spread the love!

IF EVER I LOVE AGAIN

Rhob Elliott - Songwriter

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