Sucks being the shy guy....
I Turn Back To The Wall   by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

just looking for some kind of sign 

too shy to ask so I stay behind 

music's loud the room moves fast 

I catch a glance but never ask 

she laughs with friends hair in flame 

I shrink before she knows my name 

I think of steps I never take 

then tuck my hands and walk away 

i turn back to the wall 

like I've done every time 

a shadow in the light 

a name without a line 

i dream the dance i feel the call 

but my feet stay still 

i turn back to the wall 

they flirt like language comes with ease 

i speak in silence aching knees 

i wonder if shell notice me 

or see just space where i should be 

been the background all my life 

a quiet hum the silent type 

but sometimes hope just slips its chain 

and i almost speak but fade again 

i turn back to the wall 

like I've done every time 

a breath away from brave 

but still not crossing lines 

i dream the dance i feel the call 

but my feet stay still 

i turn back to the wall 

where do you find the brave 

when the fear holds tight 

where do you build the will 

when the dream don't feel right 

what gives you movement 

when you're stuck standing still 

how do you learn to trust 

when you never think you will 

is courage quiet is love blind 

can i be seen when i don't shine 

she looked once i swear she did 

a smile that reached beneath my ribs 

but i froze up like i always do 

so close to more then lost the view 

but maybe next time i won't fall 

back to the silence back to the wall 

i turn back to the wall 

but not as far this time 

a heartbeat closer now 

to stepping.. past.. that.. line 


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

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



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

I Turn Back To The Wall   by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Come Back Billy   by Edwin H. Balder
Come back
Come back home
Come back
Come back home
Billy left town
Summer before
Said he'd write
Never did more
Truck broke down
Miles away
Still believe
He'll come today
Back roads home
Call his name
Back roads home
Nothing's changed
Fields still wait
Porch light on
Back roads home
He belongs
Mama asks me
Every week
If I heard from
Billy's feet
Walking paths
We used to run
Chasing light
Setting sun
Back roads home
Call his name
Back roads home
Nothing's changed
Fields still wait
Porch light on
Back roads home
He belongs
All the letters
Never sent
All the words
That we meant
Back roads home
Call his name
Back roads home
Nothing's changed
Fields still wait
Porch light on
Back roads home
He belongs
Come back Billy
Come back now
Come back Billy
Show me how
Friends forever
That's what we said
Friends forever
In my head
Come back Billy
Come back home
Come back Billy
You're not alone
Twenty years
Have passed us by
Still I scan
The evening sky
For headlights
Coming round the bend
Billy coming
Home again
Back roads home
Call his name
Back roads home
Nothing's changed
Fields still wait
Porch light on
Back roads home
He belongs
Come back
Come back home
Back roads home
Come back
Come back home
Back roads home
He belongs
He belongs

Please check out our other albums...!
https://soundcloud.com/cookiehot/sets/dream-and-pretend?si=ec8b6a32f93441429b79cf315810a28b&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
All rights reserved and protected by ZproMur LLC, doing business as Pinky's Picks. Copyright 2024 by ZproMur. For cover inquiries and use in films, commercials, or other marketing, promotional, or musical applications of this material in any part, please direct message 



Come Back Billy   by Hot Cookie

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

IF you rush ...you get burned
The Pie Was Always Gonna Cool by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
Pie..(oh my)... pie....
mama rose at half past four
barefoot feet on a creaky floor
rolled the dough by window light
said “some truths bake better overnight”
apple peels in a copper pot
cinnamon twist from a jar she got
from aunt lou’s shelf in sixty-two—
said “every bite’s got history, too”
she said, “don’t rush the heat, don’t fight the flame
love takes time, and time takes aim
if you want it sweet, you gotta wait on cool—
the pie was always gonna cool.”
papa came in with boots still wet
said “how long ‘til it’s ready yet?”
she just smiled, wiped flour clean
said “don’t poke at peace like it's something mean”
the fire popped, the coffee brewed
the old dog snored by the chimney flue
kids ran wild, then sat real still
watchin' mama bake what words can’t fill
don’t rush the heat, don’t fight the flame
love takes time, and time takes aim
if you want it sweet, you gotta wait on cool—
the pie was always gonna cool.
neighbor boy with a fast red car
thought he’d earn her heart with a Mason jar
but she knew better than sugar quick—
“fast love crumbles, slow love sticks”
she took a slice, gave him a grin
said “tell me, boy, what’s baked within?”
he shrugged and said, “i’m not quite sure”—
she laughed, “then you best come back for more”
now the years roll by like dust on fence
with lessons steeped in common sense
you can chase the gold or chase the shine
but the good stuff rests in its own time
you can turn the oven high with pride
or let it settle, slow and wide
but what feeds a soul, ain’t ever fast—
it’s the waiting heart that holds the last
so don’t serve hurt before it's healed
don’t cut truth til it's revealed
the finest grace ain’t found in haste—
it’s in the crumbs you chose to taste
don’t rush the heat, don’t fight the flame
love takes time, and time takes aim
if you want it sweet, you gotta wait on cool—
the pie was always gonna cool
the pie was always gonna cool…
let it breathe, let it bless, let it rule…
the pie… was always gonna cool…
 gonna cool…
 let it rule…
 always gonna cool…
 always gonna cool…
 always gonna cool…

The best cross section playlist of our work with new releases added at the end each week:

 https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/future-hits-4u-here?si=df2f5fac47e74c1583a329f4cf12fe51&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



The Pie Was Always Gonna Cool by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

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

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
She Don't Text Me Now  by songwriter Edwin H Balder
last tuesday she sent a smiley face
now my screen’s a ghost with good taste
i still charge my phone just in case—
but she don’t text me now
we used to talk in coffee codes
little gifs, and inside jokes
“meet me out back” meant skip the show
now i just stare where her name won't glow
i write and erase like it’ll change her mind
but silence hits harder the thousandth time
she used to read me without a sound—
but now
she don’t text me now
she don’t text me now, not even a hey
no typo’d heart, no halfway hey
used to get "miss you" out of the blue
now the blue’s just where i talk to truth
tried to play it cool, but i forgot how
she don’t text me now... and it shows somehow
i see her name in my contact list
like a gravestone i can’t resist
tapped it once—then hit backspace
felt like trespassin' on her grace
she don't owe me closure lines
but i still scroll through better times
and all those gifs, those dumb throwdowns—
they live where
she don’t text me now
she don’t text me now, not even a hey
no typo’d heart, no halfway hey
used to get "miss you" out of the blue
now the blue’s just where i talk to truth
tried to play it cool, but i forgot how
she don’t text me now... and it shows somehow
funny how the loudest hurt
don’t come from words that hit like dirt
but from the quiet, slow delete—
like love backed out on two bare feet
i used to think goodbye was loud
but silence?
that’s a thundercloud
i keep her jokes in a hidden file
with screengrabs of her crooked smile
i ain't proud, but i still check
the “last seen” mark like it’s a wreck
there’s no alert, no final vow
just this quiet ache in the here and now
and a song i hum but won’t write down
’cause it ends like
she don’t text me now
she don’t text me now, not even a hey
no midnight call, no “how’s your day?”
i’m still here with that same old phone
like a front porch light that's left alone
used to mean love... i don't know how
but she don’t text me now
maybe someday she’ll drop a line
three words, or just “the weather’s fine”
but ’til then, i don’t ask how
i just breathe slow...
’cause
she don’t text me now

The best cross section playlist of our work with new releases added at the end each week:

 https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/future-hits-4u-here?si=df2f5fac47e74c1583a329f4cf12fe51&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing



All Rights Reserved Edwin H. Balder
Thanks so much to my pals & players at Del's Studio
See Our Music Videos Here> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-509h42heKT05D8egf2U9w




She Don't Text Me Now  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

THIS IS AN OPEN SOURCE SONG WITH OPEN RIGHTS TO COVER!
“Ain’t My Fault (It Never Is)”  An Open Source Cover 4U
by The Indivisibles

the levee broke, the warning failed
folks got swept and children wailed
but don’t look here, I just arrived—
it’s ancient wires, not my design
i smiled real big on the nightly stream
said, “thoughts and prayers,” then blamed the team
the system cracked like old dry lips—
but don’t you dare say I’m to blame for this
it ain’t my fault, it never is
i just pose with flags and raise my fist
the truth’s too loud, so I turn the dial
then sell the mess with a market smile
from bad breath spins to deadly biz—
ain’t my fault, it never is
i fired the folks who read the skies
then blamed the storm for being sly
i gutted funds and slammed the breaks
then shouted “they made the big mistakes”
the books all red, but i look green
with photo ops in a tractor scene
the truth's a leak i won’t repair—
too busy sprayin’ my perfect hair
it ain’t my fault, it never is
must’ve been ghosts or journalists
the buck don’t stop—it strolls past me
on gilded trails i fail to see
i change the facts, then blame the quiz—
ain’t my fault, it never is
i blame the weather, i blame the tide
blame every expert i pushed aside
blame the staff i overruled
blame the press for being “cruel”
blame history, fate, the phone that rang
blame the dog, the script, the TV slang
blame the wind, the fence, the note i missed—
but baby, never say I exist
now statues crack and voices rise
and still i squint through TV lies
i blame the past, pretend it’s fate—
while signing bills that deregulate
but truth’s a stone, and wind can’t bend it
and i know deep down who will end it
'cause every con runs out of spin
when the flood comes back and soaks your skin
it ain’t my fault, i swear it ain’t
look at my smile, my holy paint
but when the mirror won’t forgive—
maybe i’ll admit… it always is


THIS IS AN OPEN SOURCE SONG WITH OPEN RIGHTS TO COVER!
Songwriter Edwin H. Balder...contact by DM for free stems

“Ain’t My Fault (It Never Is)”  by The Indivisibles

Trust you fisrt OK!
I Can Do That by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
you say it’s too far, too late, too wild—
but I’ve been stubborn since I was a child
watch me now, no need to chat—
you bet your boots, I can do that!
they said “you ain’t built to chase that dream”
“better settle down and just join a team”
but I got heart that don’t sit still
with a busted truck and an iron will
put gas in hope, set doubt on fire
wrote my plan on a gum wrapper flyer
you blinked once—next thing you know
I got a gig and I’m ready to go
I can do that—yeah, watch me shine
turn no chance into overtime
I don’t bluff, I don’t backtrack
you say it’s hard? I can do that
build it, sing it, flip that flat
you name the mountain—I’ll tip my hat
dare me once, I’ll bring it back
yeah, I can do that
first tour van broke down in the sticks
played a bar where the amp threw bricks
ate dollar fries, sang for tips
learned the hustle from busted lips
they said “maybe you’re just too nice”
but I lit up that open mic twice
signed with grit, stayed unsigned
but made believers outta time
I can do that—make nothing sing
pull a song from a busted string
turn bad breaks into brass tracks
you throw doubt—I throw it back
fix a roof with duct-taped laughs
pour good wine in paper glass
yeah, tell me no, I’ll prove it fast—
I can do that
now my niece wants to build a plane
and my neighbor’s dancing through the pain
every “can’t” I ever knew
just lit the way for what I do
I ain’t perfect, I ain’t clean
but I show up for every scene
with a smile, a flaw, a dream unsaid—
I’ll raise the roof and paint it red
I can do that—yes I can
from broken hearts to marching bands
I don’t need gold to take that track
my fuel is fire and I ain’t lookin’ back
bring your storms, bring your lack—
this small-town soul knows how to stack
you say impossible—then step back
I. Can. Do. That.
can you dream it? (I can do that!)
can you climb it? (I can do that!)
fall and rise and still come back? (watch me now—)
you bet your boots, I can do that
every ounce of soul intact
no plan B, no fear to lack—
just open sky and heart to match

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


I Can Do That by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Meet Hot Cookie, the wonder that’s redefining cool with a fresh blend of reflective lyrics and acoustic-driven power. Our sound is the heartbeat of today's music scene, capturing the essence of raw emotion and musical artistry. With every track, we aim to elevate your listening experience, offering melodies that resonate and lyrics that linger. Get ready to be swept away by Hot Cookie, where every note is a testament to our passion and every song a journey!....Social Contact: https://x.com/HotCookieMusic

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

New tracks tagged #countrywestern