Letters from North of Town

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Ada Hayden Sunset

The Road Home (Prayers and Meditations, Vol.1) is the first of a what will be a series of instrumental albums of music to help sooth your heart, calm your mind, help you slow down, and to enrich your time with God.  All too often we find our days loaded with activity – these simple melodies and rhythms are for the quiet times that we all need.
Prayer and The Road have been themes in my music for a long time; likely from growing up in a family that loved God and took many road trips both near and far.   Being on the road is a way I can clear my head and get away from the stress of life.   Prayer as a lifestyle of worship and love has become very dear and much more important to me over the years.  I believe that our heavenly Father loves to hear from His children and greatly cherishes intimacy with us.
Take a moment to slow down and savor the quiet times.

The Road Home

Night on the Mountain

Iced Rain Tears

Gravel Road Meditations (Autumn Paths)

Pool of Siloam

Southbound Harvest Road

First Morning Light

Before The Dawn (Ante Auroram)

Good Friday Prelude - April 2023
Christ Community Church - Ames IA
composed by Ryan Sheeler
conducted by Chris Akers

Alina Markutsya - violin
Carter Peterson - cello
Nancy Janney - piano
Ryan Sheeler - guitar

Photo by Alicia Quan</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/kBybHJ3CEWI?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Good Friday Prelude

Skies and Shadows

Moon Over Texas

I Wish You Knew - words and music by Ryan Sheeler

Verse 1
Café window, street corner sign
People seeing something or they walk right by
Missing people disappear
(in a) city full of strangers where no one hears

Pre-Chorus
The sound of one heart crying…
Do you see them sitting over there?

Chorus
How many times have you said -- I wish you knew, I wish you knew
Is it your last chance to tell someone -- I wish you knew, I wish you knew
He’s the One who loves you - He’s sitting right beside you
I need to hear this too…oh how I wish you knew

Verse 2
Last-minute errands, cell phone rings
A moment rushes by and you’ve lost something
Conversations over coffee and tea
Tables separate the lives that no one sees (Pre-Chorus – Chorus)

Bridge
Tell me friend, what’s on your mind
I’ll listen in the quiet, give you all of my time  (Chorus – End)

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

Roads We've Taken

I Wish You Knew

Walking in the Rain - words and music by Ryan Sheeler

She found herself out in it…walking to who knows where
looking for a flower's bloom…hoping to see it there

For so many years it rained inside of her own mind
love pushed away, and locked…without a key to find

The rain of all the hidden hurt fell like a thousand tiny drops
A step in each puddle sounded as if her heart would stop

Each and every drop will fall into a living well
The vessel is empty now, but someday the rain will dwell

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

Walking In The Rain

I Never Got To Say Goodbye  - words and music by Ryan Sheeler

Verse 1
It seems like yesterday when you had to raise us alone
It was you against the world with my brother and I along
Just an ordinary family....we got along ok
you and Dad didn't have a lot, but you loved us anyway

Chorus
These tears of mine keep falling; I can't keep them all inside
all the years keep flooding back, before I dry my eyes
You held my little hand to make tears into a smile
let me hug you one last time...I never got to say goodbye

Verse 2
When we sat in church that Sunday, after dad passed away
I know your heart was heavy; you held my hand anyway
Those years you worked so hard to give us everything
they didn't go unnoticed; your love became our wings  (Chorus)

Verse 3
I got the call last Wednesday; My brother said you were gone
So many things just slipped away, on the other end of the phone
Today it hurts so much to see that empty chair
Mom, I'll always love you, I know you'll be waiting there.  (Chorus – End)

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

I Never Got To Say Goodbye

These Streets Have Changed - words and music by Ryan Sheeler 

Verse 1
I spend a lot of time looking backwards
Down across the sidewalks that lead to memory lane
Friends have come and gone, (we) lost some old houses
New roads springing up as I look out my windowpane

Chorus
These streets have changed from now and then
We used to be neighbors, now we’re not even friends
We wonder all our lives, if what our parents said was true
Now we know…it’s passed on to me and you

Verse 2
Every day we used to walk to school
Across the street and down the block – we’d be on our way
Now we watch every corner, and look twice at every car
And we wonder how we’ve lost our way (Chorus)

Verse 3
Every night before I go to bed
I stand out on my front step and I look out at the sky
Maybe I’m just sentimental
But I’ll always pray to Heaven as I watch the cars drive by  (Chorus-End)

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

These Streets Have Changed

Set The Rain On Fire - words and music by Ryan Sheeler

Verse 1
What kind of water is in the well?
If it’s empty can you tell?
Drive down the road a ways…
To find the home the lost or can you stay?

Chorus
Set the Rain on Fire – and don’t chase the wind
Don’t let the fear consume you – before you even begin
If you could do it all again
Say something nice – find a new friend

Verse 2
Why does the map say “you are here” 😊
When your head isn’t really clear.
Maybe we just don’t want the right things
What we want is not what we really need?  (Chorus)

Bridge
Sometimes we hoped for something else…
Back then what would you tell yourself?

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

Set The Rain On Fire

Road’s We’ve Taken - words and music by Ryan Sheeler

Verse 1
We were all a little younger than, younger than our dreams
We thought our lives would last forever ‘least that’s the way it seemed
Little kids in shoes and snow boots…barely knew each other’s names
Every day we walked to school, and smiled on all our days
Chorus
(We were) reading a story and writing one ourselves
Scenes would come alive in the book on those shelves
This is our playground, and these are the times of our lives
After all the roads we’ve taken…now we see…the love of friends survives

Verse2
These are the soccer fields and ball games where we used to play
Part of me remembers, and part of me wants to stay
I hold all the old pictures that my mind’s eye sees
I won’t forget the memories of when we were young and free  (Chorus)

Bridge  (*for our teachers!)
You may not realize just what you gave to us
You held our hands and shaped our lives – we gave you all our trust

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

Route 65 (instrumental)

c.2020 Highway 30 Music ASCAP

Route 65

LNT [2021 Remaster] liner notes

This newly remastered version of Ryan’s breakthrough 2008 album Letters From North of Town features enhanced sonic quality, along with a brand-new cover design and artwork.    Several of Ryan’s most cherished and well-known songs are all here; “Chasing Heaven”, “Always Have The Moon”, “In My Eyes”, “Rain Down”, and the title track.
From the original notes…
Acoustic-driven, electric-tinged, singer-songwriter in the style of Fogelberg, Steven Curtis Chapman and the Eagles. Songs about the journey of life and God's gifts to us.

Letters From North of Town is a travelogue/prayer journal set to music.  Songs about traveling, praying, living, and searching for God and finding Him in some of the most unexpected of places! :)   

From the country-rock of "Chasing Heaven" and Gospel/R&B-tinged "Rain Down" to the quiet solace of "In My Eyes", these songs are a reflection of God's love and patience. These songs are from some of those times, struggling, searching, and finding Him.  I hope that they inspire and uplift you.
1.	Ada Hayden Sunset
2.	…To a Friend
3.	North of Town	
4.	Highway 30 Blues
5.	Always Have The Moon
6.	Questions
7.	Rain Down (feat. Anna Arnold)
8.	Chasing Heaven
9.	Still Hold My Hand
10.	In My Eyes

Ryan Sheeler – acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, harmonica and vocals
With:
Anna Arnold – additional lead and backing vocals
Clark Bishop – drums and percussion 
Randy Baumeister – bass guitar 
Scott Draper – piano on “North of Town” and “Chasing Heaven”
Andy Kvernen – sax solo on “In My Eyes”

All songs and compositions by Ryan Sheeler, c. 2008 except –  “Rain Down” – words and music by Ryan Sheeler and Anna Arnold

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