Never said "no salt " at a bar till LA....
Mixing Up My Life by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
Came out west with a guitar and a dream
Now I’m standing here in a bar so clean
They said, “Son, you made it, now pour a drink”
I said, “Back home, we just grab what don’t stink”
They handed me a shaker, said, “Make a Sidecar”
I said, “Buddy, I drive a truck, not a fancy car”
Asked for a Negroni, I said, “What’s that mean?”
Sounds like something that don’t belong in my canteen
Then they said, “Try a Ramos Gin Fizz”
I said, “That’s too many words for whatever this is”
They laughed, they cheered, they raised their glass
I just smiled, thinking ‘bout my past
Mixing up my life, stirring up my fate
Country boy in Hollywood, trying to navigate
From whiskey neat to cocktails tall
Trying to make sense of it all
Mixing up my life, shaking up my name
Pouring drinks while chasing fame
Thinking ‘bout that college fund
And how country music takes you far from home
They asked for a Boulevardier, I said, “Spell that twice”
They said, “It’s bourbon, Campari, and vermouth on ice”
I said, “Sounds like trouble, but I’ll give it a spin”
Just like this whole damn town I’m in
Then they said, “Make a Vieux Carré”
I said, “That’s French, and I don’t parlez”
But I’m learning fast, I’m catching on
Just like this dream I’m holding strong
Mixing up my life, stirring up my fate
Country boy in Hollywood, trying to navigate
From whiskey neat to cocktails tall
Trying to make sense of it all
Mixing up my life, shaking up my name
Pouring drinks while chasing fame
Thinking ‘bout that college fund
And how country music takes you far from home
Back home, it was beer and shine
Now it’s bitters, gin, and lemon rind
But whether it’s a bar or a stage so bright
I still play my songs, I still hold tight
So here’s to the dreams, here’s to the ride
Here’s to the cowboy who swallowed his pride
Mixed up a drink, mixed up his fate
And found his name in neon slate
Mixing up my life, stirring up my fate
Country boy in Hollywood, trying to navigate
From whiskey neat to cocktails tall
Trying to make sense of it all
Mixing up my life, shaking up my name
Pouring drinks while chasing fame
Thinking ‘bout that college fund
And how country music takes you far from home


Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&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


Mixing Up My Life by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

This song is Open Source and free for anyone to cover!
Living Inside a Country Song by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
they hold their hearts like silver shields
smile wide, don’t check the fields
they call it freedom, call it pride
but never ask who’s left outside
what a fool protests, protests like stuff don’t stick
like folks never blink when things turn sick
they stand on stage, they play along
pretend real life is just their song
boots polished, lines well spun
never break, never run
living inside a country song
where nothing's right, but nothing's wrong
where the problems fade with a guitar string
where the truth don’t cut, but only sings
hands on hearts, flags in hands
never question where they stand
rhyming freedom, rhyming grace
but never looking past their place
boots polished, lines well spun
never break, never run
living inside a country song
where nothing's right, but nothing's wrong
where the problems fade with a guitar string
where the truth don’t cut, but only sings
but the dust don’t lie, and the streets still crack
the bills pile up, and the sky turns black
the farms dry out, the wages thin
but they dance like nothing’s wearing in
the stories ache, the voices cry
the hollow halls don’t ask them why
they take the stage, they take the mic
but never take the other side
so tell me now, tell me straight
who’s gonna change, who’s gonna wait?
who’s gonna write the song that sees
the world beyond the melodies?
living inside a country song
where nothing's right, but nothing's wrong
where the problems fade with a guitar string
where the truth don’t cut, but only sing
singing loud, standing tall
but never seeing truth at all
living inside a country song
where nothing's right, but nothing's wrong
where the problems fade with a guitar string
where the truth don’t cut, but only sings

This song by Edwin H. Balder is Open source and free for anyone to cover

Living Inside a Country Song by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

mighty fine, working all the time, mighty fine...
Mighty Fine by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
five forty-five, hit the second clock
already spilled half the coffee on my socks
boots by the door, lunch in a bag
truck’s runnin’ hot, check engine tag
my boy needs cleats, jersey's near two bills
guess they play like pros now in the kids' leagues still
his eyes lit up—I said “we’ll see”
which means I’ll skip lunch the rest of the week
[pre-chorus]
and i’m just tryin’ to stay ahead
stackin’ hours on a thread
they say we’re doin’ mighty fine
got a roof, got the power line
kids don’t know that bills don’t bend
i just work, repeat, pretend
every Saturday I swap for gold
old jeans turned into winter coats
you ask how I am—I toe the line
smile and say,
“we’re doin’ mighty fine”
second shift ends past midnight light
grab a six-pack, head home right
dog’s been fed but stares like more
wife’s asleep by the sliding door
stepped on a toy in the hallway dark
thought about college and how we’ll start
daughter’s got dance and her shoes don’t fit
but she twirls like she don’t notice it
[pre-chorus]
and i sit on the back porch rail
countin’ stars I let derail
they say we’re doin’ mighty fine
got the bills stacked in a halfway line
kids still laugh, wife still sings
dog still barks when the front bell rings
every Sunday, we stretch what’s left
watch cartoons, try to rest
you ask how I am—I sip the wine
shrug and say,
“we’re doin’ mighty fine”
i once dreamed bigger, once dreamed bold
with guitars, stages, stories told
but now it’s band-aids and cereal spills
weekend markets and overdue bills
sometimes I stare and don’t quite speak
think about knees that used to be knees
but then my boy kicks the ball just right
and damn if that don’t feel like light
my daughter smiles, calls me her king
my wife hums joy into the simplest things
this ain’t the life I drew in pen
but it sure beats not livin’ again
they say we’re doin’ mighty fine
and maybe this hurt’s by design
kids still grow, love still shows
even when the garden won’t grow
every scar’s another vow
every “how” becomes a “somehow”
you ask how I am—I ain’t lyin’
I smile and say,
“we’re doin’ mighty fine”
mighty fine...
we’re doin’ mighty fine...
might be tired, might be broke
but there’s still laughter in the smoke
mighty fine...
we’re doin’ mighty fine..
mighty fine...
we’re doin’ mighty fine..mighty fine...
we’re... doin’ ....mighty ......fine.........

Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&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

Mighty Fine by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Every day this is the stroy...
One Line Away  by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
from the midnight gold to the headline day
it's pen to the page with a prayer to stay
yeah, we live, and we bleed
for just one line away
wrote my rent in a diner booth
paid in rhymes and unpaid truth
this ain't fame, it's faith in ink
where you live on less so the words don’t shrink
we steal from silence, borrow pain
and let that heartbreak ride the train
then dress it up in chords and grace
like we never lost in the first place
so if you hear that echo land
know it started in shaky hands
'cause we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
from the voice in the dark to a stadium sway
from a half-worn dream to a billboard stay
it’s a four-chord fight
and we write it our way
we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
i’ve rhymed regret with “stay instead”
shared my shame like daily bread
texted demos no one played
but still found light in the chords I made
sold the heartbreak, kept the grief
found catharsis under beat
don’t need much, just room to try
'cause a song don’t lie when the tears still dry
and when they say it’s too cliché
we just spin it anyway
we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
from a tear on stage to a wedding day
from scribbled notes on a café tray
to the verse they tattoo
‘cause it won’t fade away
we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
maybe it’s lonely
maybe it’s mad
to spend your best metaphors on a pen and a pad
but someone will hear it
and finally feel seen
that’s the trade we make
for this old machine
it ain’t about charts
ain’t about names
it’s about stitching hearts
into refrain
so give me the pain
and I’ll trade it for rhyme
one word, one pulse—
it's worth the time
yeah, we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
where the truth gets loud and the doubt decays
where the world leans in to what we say
from the quiet rooms
to the bright parade
we’re one line away from the line they’ll replay
one line away...
one line away...
one line away from the line they’ll replay...
yeah, we live and we bleed
for just one line away
one line away...
one line away...
one line away from... the ....line.... they’ll..... replay...replay...replay...


This song is open source ..go an play it and make it yours...be well and know I am glad to be in this space with you all...Ed

One Line Away  by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Men..right?
Can’t Handle You Anymore  by  Tina Talone
Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
can’t handle this, can’t handle that
can’t understand why you came back
you said I wasn’t the woman for you—
'cause I won’t do what you tell me to do
now you're standing at our old front door
well here’s one thing that’s still for sure...
I can’t handle you
or your late-night truths
or the blame you wrap
like a bouquet bruise
you wore my love like a convenience store
but baby,
I can’t handle you anymore
you hated how I laughed too loud
said my dreams were just unproud
never liked how I talked with my hands
or that I never quite stuck to your plan
you brought flowers on apology days
then clipped my roots when I bloomed anyway
told our friends I was always “too much”
but kissed me quiet when I called your bluff
and I bent like steam for your approval,
but love ain't love when it's removal
I can’t handle you
or your curated moods
your half-meant lines
and fixed attitudes
you turned my heart into a revolving door
but sweetheart—
I can’t handle you anymore
I kept a note you wrote in spring
the ink ran wild, but it still stings
you said, "you're lightning in a barn of straw"
well—turns out you just feared the awe
you liked me softer when I agreed
but grit and grace grow side by seed
you counted strength as insubmission
but truth ain’t treason—it’s precision
I made a home from what you left
a kitchen filled with second guess
a mirror smeared with old goodbye
and a bedroom full of lullabies
you said I changed—and baby, yes
I changed the locks
and changed my dress
I changed the weight I used to bear
and now I breathe like open air
I can’t handle you
or your side-door view
of what love is
when it’s half-true
I gave, I grew, I went ignored—
now I’m done keeping score
I can’t handle you anymore
can’t handle this, can’t handle that
can’t understand why you came back
you called it crazy—
well I call it
closing the door
and baby—
I can’t handle you anymore
can’t.. handle... you...... anymore...(anymore) anymore

Featured on this playlist... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/song-of-the-year-songs/s-nHnOhgihNMF?si=4291b2cc4f594dc6bf698009de58504b&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Can’t Handle You Anymore  by  Tina Talone

I heard that said for sure...
That Dog Won’t Hunt by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
bless your heart if you think i’m slow
i’ve been busier than a bullfrog wranglin’ rodeo
you can’t put lipstick on a pig, my friend
but you can roll down these windows and drive again
granddaddy said it with a wink and a grin
"boy, if it ain’t broke, don't fix it again"
i learned the truth in a tackle box
and how to find heaven in a chicken-fried thought
we don’t dress it up, we don’t fake the clay
this dirt grows pride the fancy folks throw away
ain’t got cattle, but i’ve worn the hat
and if you doubt me, well—bless that
‘cause that dog won’t hunt, but we still do
with muddy boots and nothin’ to prove
we drink sweet tea like it’s holy wine
and talk in sayings that age like shine
so if you’re lost, or just passin’ through—
we’re all hat, and a little bit of truth
that dog won’t hunt, but we still do
knee-high to a grasshopper I learned the ropes
how to fix a fence and hope with jokes
they say I’m all y’all, fixin’ to fly
but I’m just frog hair fine—multiply that by five
we slow cook our wisdom in cast iron truth
don’t need your fancy—got our roots
ain’t no silk purse from this ol’ sow’s ear
but we’ll out-sing your fears from here to next year
‘cause that dog won’t hunt, but we still do
with spit, grit, and barbecue
we run on faith and diesel fumes
and pour our heart into sawdust rooms
so if you think we’re all just hay and dew—
step on in, we’ll educate you
that dog won’t hunt,
but we still do
you can chase the big lights, paint the sky
call us hicks while your soul runs dry
but we got joy in the small and true
like Friday night under county fair blue
we toast to “pretty as a peach”
live in the lessons our grandmas preach
no TikTok fame, no fashion game—
just homegrown pride in our last name
yeah that dog won’t hunt, but we still do
singin’ old truths like they’re brand new
we don’t run, we don’t pretend
just hold the line and call it kin
from the front porch swing to the county pew—
we may not trend,
but we sure come through
that dog won’t hunt…
but we still do
that dog won’t hunt... but we still do
with a pocket of sayings and a backroad view
might be plain talk—but it’s pure and true...
that dog won’t hunt...
but we still do
that dog won’t hunt... but we still do
with a pocket of sayings and a backroad view
might be plain talk—but it’s pure and true...
well (well) well
that dog won’t hunt...
but we still do
well (well) well
that dog won’t hunt...
but we still do

That Dog Won’t Hunt by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

73rd birthday, June 30, 2025
This song was strummed in the shadow of ghosts and gatekeepers. It’s a whisper of gratitude and grit—born from the silence imposed by those who once dressed fear in robes and dared to draw a line through my music. But the notes are flowing again. This piece isn't just about age, or time survived—it's about the truth that outlasts suppression. Played with nothing but wood, wire, and an open soul, it’s for the ones who’ve made it further than anyone thought they would. Thanks for hearing it. Thanks for letting me still ...


73 ... By Edwin H Balder

This song is open source ...Cover Away!
The Land of Close and Almost  by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
played my part just off the stage
behind the lights and center page
steel string, low key, old sunburst wood
made a lot of stars sound good
i've had stadium crowds on their feet
for a solo that never had my name on the seat
then I slide back down, no bow, no boast
just another face in the land of close and almost
rode the bus through a thousand towns
tuned the set while they wrote it down
shared my soul with neon halls
while the headliner soaked it all
knew better than to wait for a wave
some stories just ain’t made to save
you shake the hand, you lift the load
then disappear on a different road
but it’s been almost wonderful to me
this life just shy of marquee
no gold-plated name, no fan mail flood
but I’ve bled truth in every chord I strummed
in the shadow of the spotlight’s ghost
I found my home
in the land of close and almost
there’s a brotherhood behind that mic
where late-night jokes outlive the likes
we raise our cups to second takes
and harmonies the star can’t fake
we play for rent, and for the hush
when a room goes still in a quiet rush
no interviews, no headlines bold—
just worn-down calluses and gold
i’ve watched the glitz, i’ve seen the fall
signed names on vinyl with no call
stood behind a singer in rhinestone light
while my chord held up their biggest night
but I learned a thing the front don’t teach—
the deepest love don’t need a speech
there’s glory in the hidden hand
that helps a stranger take a stand
so to the drummers, techs, and pedal men
the ones who try, then try again
we built this whole damn song by host—
this land of close
and almost
yeah, it’s been almost wonderful to me
a patchwork prayer in every key
i’ve earned my keep in grace and grit
and left no stage without a bit
may not be the name they toast
but I belong
in the land of close and almost
still I belong...
in the land of close and almost
close and almost (close and almost) close and almost
still I belong...(belong)
in the land of close and almost
close.. and.. almost.. (close and almost) ...close ...and ...almost......


More country songs you can cover : https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/song-of-the-year-songs?si=15ee4215ebcd4cdcb9004bd452a2c2d7&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing


The Land of Close and Almost  by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

A Lady is ready to win..
Just Need a Minute by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
you can break my heart
but you don’t get to keep it
Read his text sitt'en on the porch chair
said “it’s not you,” like that makes it fair
he packed his pride, left me the lease
and a coffee mug that still says “peace”
so i cried real low, slammed one drawer
sat in silence like a funeral floor
but hurt don't get the final say
‘cause sorrow moves—and so do i, babe
i’m not done—just need a minute
got knocked back but i’m still in it
took a hit, but it don’t define
the kind of steel in this spine
you might see tears, but don’t confuse it—
this girl ain’t broke, just reboots through music
so write me off, and i’ll rewrite it
i’m not done—just need a minute
yeah, i’ve been overdrawn and overguessed
wore doubt like denim, learned to rest
folks say “move on,” but they never knew
the kind of mess love can undo
but i paid rent with second chances
stayed soft through all advances
and what they miss in all that pain—
is how a woman runs through the rain
i’m not done—just need a minute
lost my breath but never my spirit
you can take the key, but not the flame
this heart still hums my mama’s name
you might hear quiet—but it’s deliberate
i load my fire slow and infinite
i’m not done—just need a minute
there’s power in the pause
in the slumped-shoulder cause
in the lipstick left on a whiskey rim
and in the stare that says “don’t try me again”
i've been dam early and been dam late
A rib you bends but never breaks
i've been gaslighted, ghosted, spun—
but never, never, ....undone!
i’m not done—just found my footing
you thought i’d fold, but now i’m lookin’
right in the mirror sayin’ “hell yes, that's me"
with every scar a badge, my soal can see
so here's to fire that never quits it
and to every woman who ever lived it:
i’m not done—
just need a minute
just need a minute
but never done...
just need a minute
but i'm not the one
you forget
or finish
‘cause i’m not done...
just need a minute
‘cause i’m not done...
just need a minute (just need a minute)just..need ...a.... minute......

Thanks to the Del Studio team!

More NEW "song of the year" vibe country songs you can cover : soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/song-of-the-year-songs?si=15ee4215ebcd4cdcb9004bd452a2c2d7&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&ut

Just Need a Minute by Tina Talone

This song is open source and free to cover!
Love from Above by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
hi mom, how’s it goin’ up there in the sky?
are the gardenias bloomin’ and the biscuits still high?
are the grandpas playing real train like toys
still tellin’ fish tales like stubborn boys?
did Frosty-dog finally catch that tail?
is aunt helen at last getting to sail
i picture her grinnin’ out on that lake—
not a worry in sight, not a single heartbreak
send a little love from above
on a westbound breeze or a mourning dove
i talk to the stars when the night’s turned tight
just hopin’ y’all hear me alright
i miss your laugh, your hands, your calm
so this song’s just a letter to heaven—
hi mom...(hi mom)...Hi Mom...
Paul, john, and aunt virginia too
are throwin’ the best kind of backyard do
potato salad with a twist of sass
and cousins dancin’ barefoot in the grass
is jj pourin’ a jack real tall
while tellin’ that joke that don’t land at all?
i hope they saved me my old spot
right by the shade,  not that Arizona hot
send a little love from above
in a Sunday breeze or a memory tug
i call on your name when the night falls deep
in the still of my soul where the heartstrings weep
the porch feels wide, but the house feels small
just whisper you’re hearin’ me
that’s all
i’m still tryin’, ma—still makin’ due
some days i walk like i’m walkin’ with you
i hear your voice in the way i care
and i see your eyes when my daughter stares
we lost so many in that holiday drift
when big family strong turned into a gift
of three or four with chairs pulled tight
but the love still glows in the Christmas light
so if you see 'em, mom, do me one—
tell 'em i miss ‘em
and i won’t run
but if y’all come callin' on a soft moonbeam...
i'll leave the door open
and drift into that dream
send a little love from above
in a laughter trail or a kitchen hug
tell 'em i’m hangin’ on, but i could use
a little heaven in my daily blues
i ain’t ready yet, but i feel that pull
in the hush between
the quiet and the full
hi mom…
how’s it goin’ up there in the sky?
hi mom...(hi mom)...Hi Mom...

More NEW "song of the year" vibe country songs you can cover : soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/song-of-the-year-songs?si=15ee4215ebcd4cdcb9004bd452a2c2d7&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=t

Love from Above by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

When the ouline of broken is as black as the the pain
Just Mascara by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
mascara on the pillowcase
says more than words ever could say
when love runs out, it don’t walk away—
it stains, it streaks... it stays
she left the bathroom light still on
and half a curl in the flat iron gone
her perfume like a last goodbye
hauntin’ the mirror while i ask why
that streak of black beneath the glass
told me more than her lips ever has
it wasn’t the fight that broke our spark—
it was the way she smeared the dark
mascara, runnin’ like a river down her face
screamin’ secrets we both tried to erase
she wept in colors—black and brave
and every tear was a vow she gave
no goodbye note, no morning sun
just mascara… sayin’ “we’re done.”
i cleaned the sink but left that line
as if erasin’ her would cross a line
some loves end sharp, some loves get loud
but this one whispered from a cloud
no slammed door, no midnight call
just makeup trails on a peach-toned wall
she broke in silence, soft and stark—
and signed her exit in the dark
mascara, fallin’ like a ribbon through the pain
tellin’ truths our tongues couldn’t explain
she cried the verse i couldn't write
a ballad born in bathroom light
she didn’t shout, she didn’t run—
her mascara… said, “i’m done.”
black lines curl where courage bends
and all that’s left are might-have-beens
a woman don’t break all at once
she fades in streaks and haunted fronts
if you ever see those painted tears
don’t ask “what’s wrong” if you weren’t near
that line don’t lie, it don’t pretend—
it’s love that leaked
when trust hit end
mascara, rainin’ down in velvet ache
in every droplet, a vow she’d break
she wore goodbye in that shade of night
and left a love too dark to fight
no curtain call, no second drum—
just mascara... sayin' "i'm done."
mascara on the pillowcase...
it stains, ....it streaks... it stays....

Link to best of our country hits that you can cover to get to the top... https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/country-hits-you-might-need?si=307edea8be674dc3bedee9345a814080&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

Just Mascara  by Hot Cookie

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes 

I all alone beweep my outcast state, 

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, 

And look upon myself and curse my fate, 

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, 

Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, 

Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, 

With what I most enjoy contented least; 

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, 

Haply I think on thee, and then my state, 

Like to the lark at break of day arising 

From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate; 

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings 

That then I scorn to change my state with kings. 

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes 

I all alone beweep my outcast state, 


Thank Bill! for every word I state

Sonnet 29  by Bill Shakespeare & EHB

Forever under water in loss...
The Flood    by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
the river rose in silence first
a whisper stretched through thirsty dirt
no thunder, no parade of grief—
just homes forgettin' their belief
miss earlene’s porch began to float
where she once read Psalms and hung her coat
her rocking chair, the mat she made
now drift like words she couldn’t say
the mailbox wept beneath the tide
letters sealed but stripped of pride
and every fence that stood for years
now leans like someone caught in tears
the flood don’t knock, it just becomes
it don’t explain the things it’s done
it flows like loss through every room
where pictures fade and flowers bloom
it ain’t the water, it ain’t the mud—
it’s what ain’t comin' back ,my love
the diner roof crumbled like straw
old men cursed and walked the floor
the jukebox played but only air
the waitress whispered a final prayer
a swing set gone, a road erased
a photo swept without a face
and in the church, the hymn was drowned
but somehow grace still hung around
the flood don’t break, it redefines
makes memory a crooked line
it flows like loss through quiet steps
through cedar beams and unpaid debts
it don’t shout loud, it don’t accuse—
just carries off what we still use
darryl built boats from metal scrap
to chase what sank but won’t come back
he said, “some things just float away—”
“others are ghosts that never stay”
kids draw rivers with no banks
and count friends lost in skipping ranks
a mother folds a shirt once worn
beneath a name her voice has sworn
the flood don’t beg, it just insists
it rains where reason won’t exist
it flows like loss through how we cope—
replaces ground with borrowed hope
no need for thunder, crash, or flame—
it carves our hearts, forgets our name
it touched the land like hands unshaken
left no map, just faith forsaken
we plant again, but not the same—
we speak of it without its name
the flood still moves beneath our feet
through stories we forgot to keep
not just the water, not the sound—
it’s every silence that we found

Thanks to all who made this happen...Love ya all...This is an Open source song free to cover by songwriter Edwin H. Balder in hopes you send some of the money you make covering "The Flood"...  to help

The Flood  by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Oh for another Saranac Lake summer...
Campfire Testimony by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
we packed our hope and halfway shoes
and climbed where trees outgrew the news
a hammock swings like time on pause
with laughter tucked in firelight gauze
the trail had tests, the path got steep
but every sigh was memory’s keep
we cooked up tales with open flame
and whispered jokes that had no shame
on the edge of sky and dirt, we stayed
where hearts got full and lists got laid
breathed it in, let silence talk—
and strolled with stars beside the walk
lake like glass, canoe like soul—
in the land where wonder stole control
fishing lines in hush of dawn
our shadows cast where dreams had drawn
the fire cracked, the pans sang right
with food and fun and friendly night
we made a mess of marshmallow art
told ghostly tales that missed their mark
but still we smiled, and felt that grace
of being lost in the right place
on the edge of sky and dirt, we stayed
where hearts got full and lists got laid
breathed it in, let silence talk—
and strolled with stars beside the walk
lake like glass, canoe like soul—
in the land where wonder stole control
the climb took breath, the view gave more
a trail that knew what trees were for
we carved our names in gentle stone
and found in stars we’re not alone
on the edge of sky and dirt, we stayed
where nothing needed to be saved
just stories shared and laughs set free—
our campfire sung like memory
lake like glass, canoe like soul—
the stars… oh, the stars—made us whole

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All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to my band: Hot Cookie
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Campfire Testimony by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

The Lake Don’t Lie By American K-POP BOYS
All rights held by Edwin H. Balder
i used to sit beside this shore
and swear i’d feel, but not too much more
my voice would float, just light and kind
while currents pulled me from my mind
the breeze would ask me, “is this truth?”
but i just dressed my hurt in youth
and if you saw me on that edge—
you’d call me calm… not near the ledge
the lake don’t lie, but it don’t speak loud
it wears its grief beneath the proud
we look for peace and find a mask
we call it calm—it’s just the ask
to stay afloat while secrets wave
the lake… it knows what we forgave
there’s thunder tiptoeing through the reeds
like shame that hides in quiet needs
someone cried here, someone changed
but kept their posture pre-arranged
we bring our fears in sunlit jars
we hide our cracks in memoir stars
and wonder why we still feel drowned
in places meant for spinning round
the lake don’t break, but it erodes slow
the truth below, the high above show
we watch reflections, not the source
and call restraint a show of force
to seem okay, to never shake—
the lake… it holds what we forsake
[electric dulcimer solo]
[bridge] (spoken over faded chords)
you said “i’m fine,” like it was proof
but the wind heard you from the roof
and whispered back: “it’s not a crime…
to feel the storm and call it time”
i built a home on shallow ground
then dug for depth without a sound
and found myself beneath that skin
where wanting ends and truth begins
the lake ain’t soft, it’s glass with teeth
it knows the storm, it knows beneath
and maybe that’s the human flaw—
to fear what beauty might withdraw
the lake don’t cry, but it reflects pain
its silence hums in memory’s lane
we’re all just waves inside a shell
pretending not to know too well
but every glance, every mistake—
the lake… it saw what we forsake
so if you ask me why i stare—
it’s ‘cause the lake still meets me there
and even now, through glass and stone—
it tells me… i was never alone

American K-POP BOYS 2025
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Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

The Lake Don’t Lie By A-K-B

A thank you to the Oak Ridge Boys!
Glad you stopped by  Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
Glad you stopped by
Been a long week, working hard just to make ends meet
Coffee's getting cold, same old story that I repeat
Then I hear your footsteps walking up my gravel drive
And suddenly this tired heart comes back alive
Don't know what it is about you
But you make everything feel right
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
When the world gets heavy and I can't see the sky
You bring the sunshine, you bring the light
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
Kitchen table conversations lasting past midnight
Telling stories about the good times and the fights
You remind me who I am when I lose my way
Turn my darkest moments into brighter days
Don't know what it is about you
But you make everything feel right
Chorus
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
When the world gets heavy and I can't see the sky
You bring the sunshine, you bring the light
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
From my mama's Sunday dinners to my daddy's working hands
To my brother's midnight phone calls when life don't go as planned
From my sister's crazy laughter to my best friend's honest words
Every face that shows up here is the greatest gift I've heard
So I'm grateful for the moments, for the love that comes my way
For the folks who choose to stay when others walk away
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
When the world gets heavy and I can't see the sky
You bring the sunshine, you bring the light
Glad you stopped by, glad you stopped by
Outro
Don't be a stranger now
Glad you stopped by
Keep coming around
Glad you stopped by

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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



Glad you stopped by  Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

I'll drink to that....how bout you Blake?
Outlaw’s Tide By songwriter Edwin H. Balder
Blacktop cold. Headlights bold.
Loadin’ up shine, never doin’ what we’re told.
Just a ghost on wheels, born to slide—
I ride the burn… of the outlaw’s tide.
The night was black as a widow’s veil
Tires hissed on gravel, never left a trail
A trunk full of shine, a heart full of pride
Running them roads where the law won’t abide
Moonlight danced on the hood of my Ford
Shadows stretched out like a silent accord
Every turn was a gamble, a game
Chasing my freedom, outrunning my name
On whiskey roads, where the devil rides
The law can’t catch what the night provides
With a lead foot down and the throttle wide
I’m bound by the burn of... the... outlaw’s.... tide...
Daddy taught me how to twist that jar
Said, “Son, this life’ll take you far”
“But trust your clutch—not the crowd or badge”
“Just the hum of your motor, loud and brash”
Sirens wail in the rearview glass
Blue lights tryin’ to rewrite my past
Radio static, their voices in vain
But I know these backroads like blood in my veins
On whiskey roads, where the devil rides
The law can’t catch what the truth divides
With a rebel’s grin and the throttle wide
I’m sworn by sweat to ...the... outlaw’s ....tide....
This ain’t a life for the faint of breath
It’s moonlight mercy and motor death
The law writes rules—this road writes mine
Each bottle, each bend, each outlaw sign
My hands smell like fuel and pine
My thoughts run cold like homemade shine
From Carolina curves to Kentucky bends
This ride ain’t over—it just depends
You can brand me rogue, you can call it sin
But this wheel’s a prayer I’m baptized in
And every chase, every sunrise ride—
Proves I’m alive in.. the... outlaw’s... tide...
On whiskey roads, where the devil rides
I haunt the edge where truth collides
With a lead foot down and the throttle wide
I live by the pull of the outlaw’s tide
the outlaw’s tide the outlaw’s tide live by the pull of ...the ..outlaw’s... tide

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Outlaw’s Tide By songwriter Edwin H. Balder

We was Mad at Molly at first must say...
Wigging Out by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
pushed all the buttons, heard a click not a chime
the gears spun backwards, lost track of time
they said "stay steady"—but i danced with doubt
here’s what it looks like when you’re wiggin’ out
my coffee went cold, my boots don’t fit
i yelled at a squirrel and forgot to quit
the dog looked worried, the neighbor fled
i tried to fix the porch, broke the shed
left the light on, burned the toast
talked to the mirror like it was a ghost
phone kept ringin’, i just stared
change ain’t clean—it’s loud and bared
i’m wiggin’ out, but i’m not done
the storm comes first, then comes the sun
i tore down walls with trembling grace
just to find my better place
call it messy, call it route—
it’s the gospel of wiggin’ out
i quit my job on a tuesday morn
wrote ten poems and a unicorn
then sold my couch for a mandolin
moved all my madness into a tin
painted peace signs on my sleeve
hugged a stranger who tried to leave
they said, “you okay?” i said, “we’ll see…”
growth ain’t always therapy
i’m wiggin’ out, and that’s alright
change wears boots and sleeps at night
i broke my rules, bent my pride
slipped and stumbled, but didn’t hide
lost my map, found a new route—
ain’t no shame in wiggin’ out
they say it’s chaos 'fore it’s clear
and not every breakdown means fear
i cried in church, laughed in court
finally found what i’d ignored
i learned that roots don’t hate the sky
and you can bloom with weeds nearby
so if you see me spinning wild—
know i’m just learning to be a child
change don’t whisper, it yells in flame
kicks down comfort, won’t play tame
but every crack lets healing through
and every mess might lead to you
i’m wiggin’ out, but i’m not lost
the wind might howl, but i count the cost
i spilled my fears and stitched them loud
found myself beneath the cloud
if freedom’s what this is about—
then bless the soul who’s wiggin’ out
[shredding acoustic flat picking guitar riff]
[Outro – gentle banjo fade]
i built a life from starts and shouts
thank god… for wiggin’ out

This song is free to cover!
This is an open-source song by songwriter Edwin H. Balder ...Thanks to Hot Cookie and The Del wonders...
So glad we saw the show in NY with her new band to change our minds...hope you all do too !

Wigging Out by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

 Un-lock more and more and more
Moments By Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
a half-lit room, the coffee’s cold
the morning holds what time won’t fold
shadows dance on hardwood floors—
a moment’s all we're asking for
that birthday card tucked in a drawer
her voice still echoes through the torn
dad’s old jacket, frayed and stained
smells like the storm that taught me pain
the way she smiled, without a word
the fight we had, the truth that burned
i thought it all would slip away
but moments know how hearts replay
they're just moments / blinking fast
no warning sign, no second pass
but they build you / piece by piece
and echo loud where silence speaks
you don’t need more / than what they give—
these little sparks / become how we live
music solo
first time driving, hands all wrong
but i still felt i could belong
a song played low behind her tears
when she said goodbye through twenty years
a child's laugh down grocery aisles
the kindness in a stranger's smile
a scar that speaks without regret
a promise made, not broken yet
they're just moments / passed in haze
but they replay in quiet ways
the touch you miss / the word you kept
the crack in armor where you wept
no photograph / no name to write—
but they stay with you every night
i saw the sunset paint her hair
the vows we wrote still floating there
the fight we lost, the peace we gained
and everything that love explained
the road grew long, the stars grew thin
but i found grace beneath her grin
she asked me, “do you feel it too?”
i said, “moments are what pulled me through”
you won’t recall the date or street
but you’ll remember who you meet
the things they said, the way you felt
the truth that made your sorrow melt
don’t chase forever—just stand still
it’s moments that decide the will
they're just moments / stolen breath
they fight off time, they soften death
they write your life in quiet ink
they fill the gaps between the brink
so hold them close, like whispered light—
and let them guide you through the night
the fire fades / the voices dim
but moments hum beneath the hymn
they’re all we get / they’re all we need
the story lives… in moments freed
music solo fade out

Moments By Songwriter 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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