Boots hit gravel before the sun could rise.
Hands found work where prayers once lay.
Fields stood dry beneath a silent sky.
Dust clung tight to yesterday.
One day marked for rest and reverence
now holds sweat and borrowed time.
Guilt rides shotgun in the silence
while hope hums low beneath the grime.
Three mouths wait for bread and shelter.
Two small dresses hang to dry.
One newborn sleeps beside his mother
while bills stack high and dreams run shy.
Some folks kneel with polished shoes.
Others bend where labor calls.
The rich pass by with empty glances.
The poor still try to make that hall.
A man can love without a steeple.
A soul can shine through sweat and clay.
The heart still knows what’s sacred,
even when it works on Sunday.
Rain forgot the rows this season.
Crops bowed down without a fight.
Faith feels thin beneath the burden
but still walks forward toward the light.
Scripture waits inside the kitchen.
Grace lives quiet on the floor.
Truth don’t mind a rearrangement
if the spirit’s at the core.
Four Sundays circle every calendar.
One might bend to feed the rest.
The heavens know the weight of hunger.
The heavens honor honest sweat.
Forgiveness isn’t bound by timing.
Devotion doesn’t wear a clock.
The sacred lives in every moment
where love and labor never stop.
Hope ain’t dressed in robes or ribbons.
Peace don’t ask for perfect form.
The big man sees the shifting rhythm
and walks beside the working worn.
Doing the best a man can manage.
Holding tight to what is true.
Always first in heart and honor—
but today, the soil... needs ....tending too....soil... needs ....tending too....

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Four Sundays written by Edwin H. Balder

amen (amen) ..Holy Truth..  (again) amen (amen)
Born beneath the weight of silence.
Raised inside a room of rules.
Taught to smile through every sentence.
Judged by hands that sharpened tools.
Chairs were filled before the asking.
Names were chosen without grace.
Doors were closed with no explaining.
Truth was buried in a case.
Songs were written without credit.
Steps were taken in the dark.
Fires were lit with no permission.
Hope was hidden in the bark.
Eyes were turned when pain was spoken.
Crowns were passed without a vote.
Laws were carved in stone by strangers.
Shame was stitched into a coat.
 breath became a burden.
any glance a quiet test.
each hour held a verdict.
Every boss denied each request
Hands that held the weight of nations
never asked to be adored.
Feet that walked through burning cities
never begged to be restored.
 breath became a burden.
any glance a quiet test.
each hour held a verdict.
Every boss denied each request
Voices cracked but kept on singing.
Hearts were bruised but stayed in time.
Names were lost but still remembered.
Faith was forged without a sign.
Judgment waits beyond the steeple.
Mercy knows the ones who bled.
Power fades when truth is rising.
Honor lives where love was fed.
Those who mock the womb that bore them
build their kingdoms out of sand.
Those who ..spit ..on.. sacred ..labor
will one day be taught  to understand.
 breath became a burden.
any glance a quiet test.
each hour held a verdict.
Every boss denied each request
 Strength was never theirs to borrow.
 Grace was never theirs to steal. Light was never theirs to silence.  Holy Truth gonna seal their better then us deal.
 Amen. Amen. Amen... Holy Truth..again ...again ....amen...Holy Truth gonna seal their deal.... amen... amen...Amen. Amen. Amen.... again ...again ....amen.... amen... amen...Holy Truth gonna seal their  better then us deal...amen... amen...Holy Truth...amen... amen.

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Amen Amen Amen written by Edwin H. Balder

I have been you.
I’ve stood where the path disappears.
I’ve watched the light retreat like it owed me nothing.
I’ve whispered to the sky and heard no reply.
But I kept walking.
And something walked with me.
The forest was quiet, but not kind.
Branches reached like questions I couldn’t answer.
The sun had left without a warning,
and the shadows moved like they had purpose.
I looked up for stars, but the sky was empty.
No moon, no map, no mercy.
I stepped where the ground felt unsure.
The wind carried voices I didn’t recognize.
I thought about turning back,
but the way behind me had vanished.
I closed my eyes and whispered the word I always say—
not loud, not proud, just true.
I trust you now to care for me
when I don’t know what care looks like.
I trust you to take my hand
even when I don’t reach for it.
I trust you to lead me where I ought to be,
not where I planned to go.
I’ve followed maps that betrayed me.
I’ve chased light that never stayed.
I’ve stood in storms that didn’t ask my name
but still knew how to shake me.
I’ve walked through dust that clung like memory
and left me changed.
You don’t need to shout to be heard.
You don’t need to shine to be seen.
You don’t need to prove you’re real—
you just need to stay when I fall.
I’ve learned that faith isn’t loud.
It’s the quiet step forward when nothing feels certain.
I’ve been the man who doubted the dawn.
I’ve been the voice that questioned the silence.
I’ve been the one who asked for signs
and missed the ones already given.
But I’ve also been the one who kept walking
because something inside said “go.”
The forest didn’t change, but I did.
The night didn’t end, but I found light.
The path didn’t appear, but I moved forward.
The dust didn’t clear, but I breathed through it.
I didn’t find the answer—
but I found the one who walks with me.....the one... who walks... with me......

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Storm and Dust written by Edwin H. Balder

He was standin’ on a milk crate, coat too thin for the wind.
Didn’t ask for coins, didn’t shout—just let the words begin.
I was halfway through my coffee, halfway out the day.
Didn’t mean to stop and listen, but hey…
What did that guy just say?
He said, “You think you’re free ‘cause you’re movin’ fast.”
I said, “Brother, I got bills and a tank of gas.”
He said, “You think you’re whole ‘cause you don’t feel pain.”
I said, “Man, I got work and a windowpane.”
He said, “You think you’re good ‘cause you don’t get caught.”
I said, “I ain’t got time for the guilt you brought.”
He said, “You think you’re livin’—but you’re just on play.”
I said, “Whatever, man… anyway…”
But what did that guy just say?
I keep movin’, keep talkin’, keep dodgin’ the light.
Keep my head down, keep my wrongs outta sight.
But the way he stood there, like he knew my name—
Like the wind was listenin’, like the sky felt shame.
I didn’t ask for truth today.
But what did that guy just say?
He said, “You carry weight that ain’t even yours.”
I said, “I know, but I still hold the doors.”
He said, “You pray in silence, then curse the sound.”
I said, “I walk alone, but I cover ground.”
He said, “You want a sign, but ignore the sky.”
I said, “I’m just tired, man—I don’t know why.”
He said, “You think you’re lost, but you’re on your way.”
I didn’t answer. I just stayed.
What did that guy just say?
I keep movin’, keep talkin’, keep dodgin’ the light.
Keep my head down, keep my wrongs outta sight.
But the way he paused, like the world took a breath—
Like the truth was quiet, like love outlived death.
I didn’t ask for grace today.
But what did that guy just say?
I’ve heard sermons dressed in velvet, dressed in shame.
I’ve heard rabbis, preachers, prophets call my name.
But this one didn’t ask for change or praise.
He just spoke like the wind, and walked away.
I went back to my coffee, but it tasted thin.
I looked up at the sky, and it pulled me in.
I walked past the crate, but I felt the weight.
I didn’t stop him. It was too late.
But I carry his words like a song I replay.
What did that guy just say?

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

What Did That Guy Just Say written by Edwin H. Balder (1)

The One Who Stayed written by Edwin H. Balder

Almighty....
Wind carried no name, but stayed.
Sky held no tears, but gave shade.
Branches whispered without sound.
Light bent low and touched the ground.
Rooms echoed with no reply.
Truths unraveled mid-goodbye.
Night stretched long without a door.
Faith kept breathing through the floor.
Breath sank deep beneath the wave.
Stars forgot the light they gave.
Tongues spoke prayers in borrowed tone.
Signs kept changing, left unknown.
Fire held mercy in its glow.
Dust remembered long ago.
Ashes shaped a name once claimed.
Flame stood still, but never blamed.
Light curved softly through the trees.
Ground moved quiet under knees.
Steps were taken, none were planned.
Paths were lifted by a hand.
Thunder never made the case.
Proof was never asked for grace.
Names dissolved in silent air.
Presence lived in being there.
Storm broke loud, then bowed away.
Silence answered, “Not today.”
Echo rose from shadow’s seam.
Voice replied through unseen stream:
Almighty.
Wind wrapped round like sacred thread.
Light stepped forward, softly said:
Almighty now.
 Path held firm beneath the weight.
 Sky remained beyond the gate.
 Dust gave shape to what was lost.
 Dark knelt down and paid the cost.
 Question asked, and answer came:
 Almighty.

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Al Mighty written by Edwin H. Balder

I saw a man sleepin’ under neon,
wrapped in a coat that used to fit.
He whispered something to the sky,
and I swear the stars leaned in a bit.
I passed a woman on the corner
with a paper sign and quiet eyes.
She didn’t beg, she didn’t barter—
just watched the world like it was wise.
I’ve walked through alleys full of stories
that never made it to the page.
I’ve heard a laugh behind a dumpster
that sounded like it broke the cage.
I’ve seen a kid with shoes half missing
kick a can like it was gold.
He didn’t ask for anything—
just danced like he’d been told.
There’s someone up there who sees the cracks.
There’s someone who knows where mercy lacks.
There’s someone who walks where the light won’t go.
There’s someone who stays when the cold wind blows.
I don’t name him, I don’t preach.
But I know he’s got a longer reach.
I’ve cursed the sky and slammed the door
on nights that didn’t make much sense.
But something always held me still
before I jumped the fence.
I’ve prayed in ways that don’t sound holy—
like muttered words and silent tears.
But every time I thought I’d vanished,
I was carried through the years.
It’s not about the steeple or the sermon.
It’s not about the robe or the ring.
It’s about the way the broken whisper
and still get heard by something.
I’ve got a buddy upstairs who listens
when I don’t know what to say.
He’s the reason I keep walking
when the world says “turn away.”
I’ve got a buddy upstairs who watches
when the lights go out too soon.
He’s the reason I keep singing
when the song feels out of tune.
There’s someone up there who sees the cracks.
There’s someone who knows where mercy lacks.
There’s someone who walks where the light won’t go.
There’s someone who stays when the cold wind blows.
I don’t name him, I don’t preach.
But I know he’s got a longer reach.
 I’ve seen him in the quiet.
 I’ve felt him in the fall.
 I’ve heard him in the laughter.
 I’ve known him through it all.
 I got a buddy upstairs who cares.
 I got a buddy upstairs who cares.
I got a buddy upstairs who cares.
I got a buddy upstairs who cares.
I got a buddy upstairs who cares.
I got a buddy upstairs who cares.
I got a buddy..... upstairs........ who cares.......

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I Got a Buddy Upstairs Who Cares written by Edwin H. Balder

mom's old roses started to  bloom.
The radio played my father’s tune.
The kettle sang before the sun came up.
I watched the steam curl like a question.
The dog blinked twice before he stood.
I didn’t answer. I just listened.
I used to think the sky was just a ceiling.
I never knew it changed its mind.
My mother’s hands would hum while peeling
apples she swore were past their prime.
The porch would creak like it was grieving
every time I stepped outside.
I thought the wind was just deceiving—
now I know it  always tried.
mom's old roses started to  bloom.
The radio played my father’s tune.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when the toast came out just right.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when I slept through half the night.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when I stayed instead of ran.
But now I see the miracles
were always in my hands.
I see the miracles
were always.... in.. my ..hands......... in.. my ..hands......my hands
I left a note beside by bed
on the back of a grocery slip.
I said, “I’m fine,” but i'm not stronger
than the ink that tried to grip.
The mirror caught me mid-forgiving
someone who never asked me to.
I thought I’d lost the thread of living—
but it was pulling me through.
mom's old roses started to  bloom.
The radio played my father’s tune.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when the toast came out just right.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when I slept through half the night.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when I stayed instead of ran.
But now I see the miracles
were always in my hands.
I thought the signs would come in thunder,
in burning bushes, parted seas.
But they were tucked beneath the mundane—
in folded shirts and and wispered in the breeze
I missed the voice that spoke in silence
because I only listened loud.
But now I hear it in the quiet
and I don’t need a crowd.]
The coffee cooled before I drank it.
The light fell soft across my shoe.
The mailman smiled like he meant it.
And I smiled .....too.And I smiled .....too.
[ pre Chorus – Small Miracles, Unnamed]
mom's old roses started to  bloom.
The radio played my father’s tune.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when the toast came out just right.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when I slept through half the night.
I didn’t know it was a miracle
when I stayed instead of ran.
But now I see the miracles
were always in my hands.
I see the miracles
were always.... in.. my ..hands.......[catchy riff].. in.. my ..hands......my hands
mom's old roses started to  bloom.
The radio played my.. father’s... tune.

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Didn’t Know It Was A Miracle written by Edwin H. Balder

Words were spoken that cut too deep.
Time moved forward but left a scar.
Peace was promised but stayed behind.
Truth kept knocking on a door ajar.
Hands were raised but never welcomed.
Grace was offered but not received.
Pain became a quiet anthem.
Hope was something few believed.
Forgiveness isn’t soft or simple.
Forgiveness doesn’t come on cue.
Forgiveness asks for strength and silence.
Forgiveness walks with those who knew.
Never forget forgiveness.
Never forget the climb.
Never forget the ones who hurt you
and still gave back their time.
Never forget forgiveness.
Never forget the cost.
Never forget the love that saved you
when everything felt lost.
Eyes were turned when truth was spoken.
Doors were closed without a sound.
Shame was stitched into the silence.
Faith kept rising from the ground.
Steps were taken without guidance.
Songs were sung through broken breath.
Peace was found in quiet moments
where love refused to fear regret.
Forgiveness isn’t earned or borrowed.
Forgiveness doesn’t wear a crown.
Forgiveness lives in every heartbeat
that chooses not to tear you down.
Never forget forgiveness.
Never forget the grace.
Never forget the ones who held you
when you couldn’t face the place.
Never forget forgiveness.
Never forget the light.
Never forget the voice that told you
you were worthy in the fight.
 The test was harder than expected.
 The wound was deeper than it seemed.
 The choice to stay was not the weakness.
 The strength was found inside the dream.
 Forgiveness moves like holy thunder.
 Forgiveness sings when words won’t come.
Forgiveness walks beside the broken
and lifts the soul that thought it done.
Never forget forgiveness.
Never forget the flame.
Never forget the ones who loved you
even when they knew your name.
Never forget forgiveness.
Never forget the sound.
Never forget the joy that found you
when the world had turned around.

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Never Forget Forgiveness written by Edwin H. Balder

A spark ignites where silence lingers.
A whisper grows into the flame.
Each step we take carves out a promise.
The trail we walk will earn its name.
Shadows stretch across the morning.
Stars still shine beyond the haze.
Echoes rise from distant dreaming.
The path ahead deserves our praise.
Thunder rolls but doesn’t shake us.
Rain may fall but won’t erase.
The song returns in quiet moments.
The melody restores our place.
In our hearts a thread is woven.
Guiding through the highs and lows.
Side by side we rise in rhythm.
Every note becomes what grows.
Hand in hand through stormy weather.
Every climb reveals the view.
In our hearts the sound is sacred.
This melody belongs to me and you.
Every fall becomes a chorus.
Every scar a line we sing.
Harmony is born from struggle.
Hope is carried on the wing.
Light bends gently through the branches.
Faith walks boldly through the dust.
Truth is found in quiet choices.
Love is built on sacred trust.
Sing it loud, the song of rising.
No silence breaks what we believe.
The rhythm holds through every trial.
The melody will never leave.
Every voice becomes a beacon.
Every soul a sacred flame.
This music lives beyond the moment.
This melody will know our name.
We climb higher, higher together.
Hand in hand through storm and grace.
Side by side we rise in glory.
Every step becomes our place.
In our hearts the sound is shining.
Guided by the love we show.
This melody is ever-binding.
This melody we always know.

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Melody Binding Written By Edwin H. Balder

In the shadows of Apache Junction, at the foot of the majestic Superstition Mountains, sits a weathered hacienda. This desert oasis is home to an enigmatic figure, a songwriter whose journey reads like a long, dusty road of honky-tonk bars and college cafeterias. He wasn't chasing fame or glitter; instead, he chose the soul-crushing beauty of music for music's sake.

Years spent hunched over sticky barroom tables and scribbling lyrics on napkins earned him a reputation—not in the spotlight but in the back rooms where deals are made. He wrote melodies that found their way into the hearts of stars who had lost their own muse. He sold his creations for cash, with no recognition, but the whisper of his songs carried the weight of his soul.

Finally, he bought this piece of desert paradise—a stable income from his timeless songs allowed him to live comfortably, if anonymously. Here in this hacienda, with his family beside him and the mountains as his backdrop, he found the peace to write hits under his own name. He chuckled at the irony that now, without chasing fame, he could create music that brought him joy.

In the end, it was never about the spotlight. It was about the journey, the stories, and the songs that wrote themselves through his life. As the sun set behind the Superstitions, casting long shadows over the hacienda, he strummed his guitar and sang—content, unknown, and unburdened by the world's gaze.


Copyright 2019 Edwin H. Balder

I may be dead when fame comes but my real glory was always JULIE & The Kids. Thank you for such love

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