Feel the rhythm pulse and sway, where dreams and reality dismay
As drums and keys join the fray, crafting tales in a splendid array
Lost in the echoes, lost in the groove, where jazz’s heart will always prove
A connection deep, an endless love, swirling through like stars above
They say she’s lucky—famous, flawless, rich.
But they don’t see the bruises behind the glitter.
I’ve had it bad too… but not like her.
They say she’s lucky—famous, flawless, rich.
But they don’t see the bruises behind the glitter.
I’ve had it bad too… but not like her.
Velvet curtains, high-heeled dreams
Sequins stitched to silent screams
She paints her smile in cherry red
But cries in cursive when she’s in bed
They cheer her name, they want her glow
But never ask what she let go
It’s the life of a showgirl, dancing through fire
Living for love, but sold to desire
She spins in the glitter, breaks in the dark
Every ovation just hides the mark
She’s grace on a wire, tears in disguise
The life of a showgirl—truth in her eyes
Backstage roses, perfume lies
She trades her soul for lullabies
The spotlight’s warm, but never stays
She’s chasing echoes through matinee haze
I’ve had my nights, I’ve felt the sting
But I never wore pain like a diamond ring
She walks through fame like it’s a storm
I just watched from somewhere warm
She’s not your doll, she’s not your muse
She’s got her scars, she’s paid her dues
And when the curtain falls tonight
She’ll walk away, bathed in moonlight
Am I overexposed? Yes.
Do I try to make as much money as I can
Selling new trinkets to my fans?
Yeah.
But that’s just part of the life of a showgirl.
It’s the life of a showgirl, fierce and alone
Built from the ashes, carved into stone
She sings for the broken, dances for grace
Wears every heartbreak like lace on her face
She’s grace on a wire, tears in disguise
The life of a showgirl—truth in her eyes
a showgirl—truth in her eyes
grace on a wire, tears in disguise
a showgirl—a showgirl—a showgirl—truth in her eyes
grace on a wire, tears in disguisea showgirl—a showgirl—a showgirl—truth in her eyes
 tears in disguise...showgirl...showgirl....showgirl

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

Poor Poor Poor Taylor Swift

Black lace moon, candy wine
I’m dressed to haunt, you’re dressed to shine
October’s calling, hearts in disguise
Tonight we dance where memory lies
[Verse 1 – The Costume Box]
Found my old mask in a cedar chest
Lipstick smudged, a velvet vest
I wore it once to kiss a ghost
He vanished when I loved him most
[spooky solo]
[Chorus]
Thrill me, treat me, trick me right
Give me chills and candlelight
I’m not afraid of what I feel
This Halloween it’s all too real
Thrill me, treat me, take your bite
Maybe I’m yours for just one night
[Verse 2 – The Haunted Party]
We crashed a party in hunted dive
Dressed as sins that came alive
You said I looked like heartbreak’s bride
I laughed and danced, but died inside
[spooky solo]
[Hook]
Maybe it’s magic, maybe it’s fright
Maybe it’s just my Maybelle night
I’m not a spell, I’m not a scream
I’m just the echo of your dream
[spooky solo]

[Verse 3 – The Candy Confession]
I stole your Snickers, you stole my grace
We kissed with chocolate on our face
You said “forever” in fake blood ink
I saved the wrapper, made me think
[Bridge]
Cobwebs in the chandelier
Truth gets louder every year
We dress it up, we play pretend
But ghosts don’t care how stories end

[spooky solo]
[Final Chorus]
Thrill me, treat me, trick me right
Give me chills and candlelight
I’m not afraid of what I feel
This Halloween,  it’s all too real
Thrill me, treat me, take your bite
Maybe I’m yours for just one night
[spooky solo]
[Outro]
So light the lantern, dim the shame
Tonight we play the sweetest game
Thrill me, treat me—don’t be tame
This Halloween,(Halloween) I want your to scream your
This Halloween (Halloween)This Halloween(Halloween) This Halloween

Black Lace Halloween by ♨️ 🍪

Every heart’s got a soundtrack
Every tear’s got a tune
Love ballads don’t ask permission
They just walk into the room
She met him at a record store
He said “You like vinyl?” She said “I like more”
They danced to Etta in the kitchen light
That ballad played every Friday night
It was trust, it was bloom, it was fire
It was music that lifted her higher
She gave her heart to a traveling man
He sang her songs but never had a plan
She heard their ballad on the radio
And knew he’d left her long ago
It was ache, it was hush, it was gone
But she still hums it when she’s alone
She found a letter in a secondhand book
Lyrics scribbled in a lover’s look
She never met him, never knew her name
But that ballad lit her just the same
It was soft, it was strange, it was true
And it opened her heart to something new
Love ballads open closed hearts
To wonder or dark
They’re the afterglow of hear and gone
The echo of right and wrong
They’re music, mood, and trust
They’re the dust we never brush
Love ballads—joy or sad
They’re the best and worst we’ve ever had
Some love ballads make you cry
Some make you dance, some make you lie
But every one leaves a mark
A little light, a little dark
Love ballads open closed hearts
To wonder or dark
They’re the afterglow of hear and gone
The echo of right and wrong
They’re music, mood, and trust
They’re the dust we never brush
Love ballads—joy or sad
They’re the best and worst we’ve ever had
So sing me one I haven’t heard
Make it soft, make it absurd
Love ballads never ask to stay
But they never (never) really (really) go away
go away... (go away) ....go.. away....
[building riff by piano solo then biger sting and harmony build background]
go away... (go away) ....go.. away
Love.. ballads (Love... ballads) 
Love.. ballads 
never ask to stay.. 
(never )ask to stay
 they never (never) really (really) go away
go away... (go away) ....go.. away....(never ) ask ..to... stay
Love ballads—joy or sad
They’re the best and worst we’ve ever had
(go away)... (go away) ...(.go.. away) never ..stay

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 

Love Ballads by ♨️ 🍪

Looking for serious relationship
Not just a spark, but a steady flame
Someone who sees the storm and stays
Someone who knows my real name
Looking for serious relationship
I’ve been the guy with the easy smile
But I’m tired of dates that fade in style
I want someone who reads my silence
Who knows my past and still walks beside it
I’ve built walls out of charm and jokes
But I’m ready to speak in honest strokes
Looking for serious relationship
Not just a fling or a filtered trip
I want the mess, the grace, the grit
The late-night talks, the candlelit
I want the truth, not just the show
I want to stay when others go
Looking for serious relationship
Where love’s the seed, and trust can grow
Looking for serious relationship
I’ve played the muse, the mystery role
But I’m more than verses and sugar soul
I want someone who sees my scars
Who doesn’t flinch when I fall apart
I’ve been the dream they chase, then leave
Now I want roots, not make-believe
Looking for serious relationship
Not just a fling or a filtered trip
I want the mess, the grace, the grit
The late-night talks, the candlelit
I want the truth, not just the show
I want to stay when others go
Looking for serious relationship
Where love’s the seed, and trust can grow
Looking for serious relationship
I’ve had the highs, the neon nights
But none of them held me right
I want someone who asks, not assumes
Who doesn’t leave when I lose my tune
I’ve been the chorus in someone’s song
But I want a verse that lasts lifelong
We’ve both been burned, we’ve both been brave
We’ve both been ghosts in love’s parade
But maybe now, with open hands
We’ll write a vow that understands
Looking for serious relationship
I’ve been the girl they almost chose
The one they loved in prose, not close
I want someone who stays through change
Who doesn’t fear my deeper range
I’ve been the echo, not the call
Now I want love that holds it all
Looking for serious relationship
Not just a fling or a filtered trip
I want the mess, the grace, the grit
The late-night talks, the candlelit
I want the truth, not just the show
I want to stay when others go
Looking for serious relationship
Where love’s the seed, and trust can grow
Looking for serious relationship
If you’re out there, hear this song
We’re not perfect, but we belong
In something real, in something strong
Looking for serious relationship
Where two hearts learn to sing along

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 




Looking for Serious Relationship by ♨️ 🍪

Coffee gone cold, bills on the floor
Same damn knock at the same old door
Lipstick cracked, mirror won’t lie
She’s still here, but she don’t know why
In the quiet dawn, echoes rise
A gentle hum beneath the skies
Waves of sound that call and swell
Whisper stories they long to tell
Kids in the yard, dog needs fed
She hums a tune she half regrets
Dreams in the drawer with the unpaid debt
Nothing left but the sun to set
She don’t scream, she don’t shout
She just waits for the light to run out
Nothing left but the sun to set
No more tears, no more threat
She gave her best, she gave it all
Now she’s just watching shadows fall
Nothing left but the sun to set 
Oooh yeah   Oh Yeah ...did her best.....
No more tears, no more threat
She gave her best, she gave it all
Now she’s just watching shadows fall
Nothing left but the sun to set 
She’s not broken, just bent
She’s not gone, just spent
She’s not lost, just waiting
For something worth saving
She wore that dress for no one to see
Hung it back up like a memory
The radio plays a song she wrote
But no one knows, and no one spoke]
Nothing left but the sun to set
Holding on to what she can get
Her heart still beats beneath the weight
Hoping for dawn’s new slate
Nothing left but the sun to set
Oooh yeah   Oh Yeah ....did her best
No more tears, no more threat
She gave her best, she gave it all
Now she’s just watching shadows fall
Nothing left but the sun to set 
She gave her best…
She gave it all…Nothing left Nothing left
Nothing left but the sun to set
Oooh yeah   Oh Yeah ...did her best.....
Nothing left but the sun to set
She gave her best…
She gave it all…Nothing left Nothing left
Nothing left but the sun to set
She gave her best…
She gave it all…Nothing left Nothing left
Nothing left but the sun to set
Oooh yeah   Oh Yeah ...did her best.....
Nothing left but the sun to set

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 

Nothing Left but the Sun to Set by ♨️ 🍪

He outran the law in a pickup with no brakes.
She danced on a bar in Reno just to pay for her sister’s mistakes
He built a house with his bare hands and lost it in a flood.
She buried three husbands and still sends Christmas cards. signed love
They met at a bus stop, argued about jazz, and never stopped together walking
He’s got a scar from a jukebox fight — she’s got one  but she's not talk'en
You wouldn’t believe the stories they carry.
 wouldn’t believe what they’ve seen.
They look like porch chairs and quiet prayers —
But they’ve lived like kings and queens.
You wouldn’t believe the fire still burning.
 wouldn’t believe the roads they’ve run.
Old folks don’t brag —
cause they’ve already won.
She  hitchhiked to Memphis with a guitar and a broken heart.
He played poker with a preacher and lost before the start
She lost a child .
He lost his sight 
were beyond broken  but got back in the fight
They’ve been cheated, praised, forgotten, and forgiven.
been the storm and the shelter. and kept on giving
They don’t talk much —
But when they do, the room changes.(the room changes.)
You lean in,
 time leans back.... time rearranges (time rearranges )
You wouldn’t believe the stories they carry.
 wouldn’t believe what they’ve seen.
They look like porch chairs and quiet prayers —
But they’ve lived like kings and queens.
You wouldn’t believe the fire still burning.
 wouldn’t believe the roads they’ve run.
Old folks don’t brag —
cause they’ve already won.
So next time you pass  by,
Say hello.
You might just hear
The best story you’ll ever know
 [ long epic acoustic riff]
 mmm(mmm)mmm
You wouldn’t believe the stories they carry.
 wouldn’t believe what they’ve seen.
They look like porch chairs and quiet prayers —
But they’ve lived like kings and queens.
You wouldn’t believe the fire still burning.
 wouldn’t believe the roads they’ve run.
Old folks don’t brag —
cause they’ve already won.  (already won.)  already won.  
 mmm(mmm)mmm
already won.  (already won.)  already won.  

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

Best Story by ♨️ 🍪

There’s this moment…
When you stop asking why.
And just whisper — thank you.
We were down to one lightbulb and a half-tank of gas,
No answers, no roadmap, just praying we’d last.
Kids asleep in the backseat, dreams in their Christmas list
I held your hand tighter, afraid we’d missed.
But the morning came soft, with a job and a call,
And somehow, we stood — didn’t stumble, didn’t fall.
No fireworks, no grand parade,
Just a quiet shift in the mess we made.
And I knew, right then,
We were gonna be okay.
This moment somehow —
No way to explain it, no need to know how.
Just thankful, just still,
Just breathing it in now.
This moment somehow —
It’s enough, it’s real, it’s ours....Thank ..you..
We hung second hand curtains , made dinners from scraps,
Laughed at the chaos, took joy in the gaps.
You fixed the porch with duct tape and a prayer
I found peace in knowing you were there
We didn’t climb mountains or sail the seas,
we built  back  from each broken breeze
No spotlight, no magazine spread,
Just a roof, a hug, and a warm bed.
And I knew, right then,
We were rich in every way....... thank you
This moment somehow —
No way to explain it, no need to know how.
Just thankful, just still,
Just breathing it in now.
This moment somehow —
It’s enough, it’s real, it’s ours.   Thank you
Now the kids have their own keys, their own roads to run,
We sit on the porch, watching the setting sun.
They ask how we made it, what magic we knew —
We just smile and say, “We trusted what’s true.”
No perfect answers, no flawless plan,
Just love, and luck, and holding hands.
There were nights we cried in silence,
Days we danced in debt.
But we never let go,
Not once, not yet.
We stitched this life with laughter and tears,
And it’s stronger than all those lost years.
So if you’re wondering how we made it through —
We didn’t.
It made us.....thank you....thank you....thank you....
This moment somehow —
No way to explain it, no need to know how.
Just thankful, just still,
Just breathing it in now.
This moment somehow —
It’s enough, it’s real, it’s ours. Thank.. you
We didn’t ask for perfect.
We asked for possible.
And somehow…
we got here ..thank you....thank you....thank you....

Hear Our full Christmas Album here with one click: soundcloud.com/cookiehot/sets/yuletide-revival-christmas?si=4aaa80670e064c4595f0fac03702826e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

All rights reserved by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Thank You Thank You Thank You by♨️ 🍪

Preview track from the upcoming Album "Homecoming Heart"
You ever look down at your life and realize…
You’ve been chewing on the same dry sandwich for years?
Yeah.
Me too.
I made his lunch for twelve straight years.
Cut the crusts, bit my tongue, swallowed tears.
He said “thanks” like I owed him the air.
I said “you’re welcome” like I wasn’t even there.
The bread was stale, the meat was thin.
And I started to taste the life I was in.
It ain’t about food — it’s about being fed.
And I was starving in a house with a king-sized bed.
I’m done with bologna skin sandwiches,
With dry white lies and half-hearted wishes.
I want spice, I want heat, I want something real.
Not a life that’s wrapped in plastic and sealed.
So I’m walking out with my name and my keys —
And leaving the crusts and the crumbs and the please.
He watched the game while I watched the clock.
Dinner got cold, and so did the talk.
He said, “You’re lucky I come home at all.”
I said, “You’re lucky I ain’t burned it all.”
I used to dream in color and sing in the rain.
Now I hum to the sound of a leaky drain.
It ain’t about love — it’s about being seen.
And I was fading in a life that felt routine.
I’m done with bologna skin sandwiches,
With dry white lies and half-hearted wishes.
I want spice, I want heat, I want something real.
Not a life that’s wrapped in plastic and sealed.
So I’m walking out with my name and my keys —
And leaving the crusts and the crumbs and the please.
I packed my bags in a paper sack,
Left a note on the fridge that said, “I ain’t coming back.”
Took the long road, windows down,
Singing to myself like I owned this town.
I found a diner with a jukebox soul,
And a waitress who said, “Girl, I too have been told
We laughed about men and the meals we make,
And how freedom tastes like a char grilled steak.
I’m done with bologna skin sandwiches,
With dry white lies and half-hearted wishes.
I want spice, I want heat, I want something real.
Not a life that’s wrapped in plastic and sealed.
So I’m dancing out with my boots and my pride —
And tossing that sandwich out the passenger side.
He can eat alone now.
(bologna skin sandwiches,)
I’ve got better things to chew on.

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 



Bologna Skin Sandwiches ♨️ 🍪

I remember the first time I saw the flags fly.
Daddy lifted me high, said, “That’s freedom in the sky.”
Now I’m the one lifting someone of my own —
And the band plays on.
There’s a man in a cap with a faraway stare,
His daughter’s on his shoulders, ribbons in her hair.
He doesn’t cheer, just nods at the drum,
Thinking of brothers who’ll never come.
His wife wipes a tear, but she won’t let it fall —
For them, this parade says it all.
It’s more than floats and marching feet,
It’s memory, meaning, and hearts that beat.
This is what the parade means —
To the ones who gave, to the ones who dream.
It’s a song in the street, a flag in the sky,
A reason to laugh, a reason to cry.
It’s not just a show, it’s a sign we’re still here,
Holding on to hope, year after year.
This is what the parade means.
There’s a mother with a blanket and pride in her eyes,
Her first July under American skies.
She whispers, “We made it,” as the colors roll past,
Her children wave flags, their joy rising fast.
No mansion, no riches, just a patch of green —
But for them, this parade is a dream.
It’s more than floats and marching feet,
It’s memory, meaning, and hearts that beat.
This is what the parade means —
To the ones who gave, to the ones who dream.
It’s a song in the street, a flag in the sky,
A reason to laugh, a reason to cry.
It’s not just a show, it’s a sign we’re still here,
Holding on to hope, year after year.
This is what the parade means.
There’s a boy with a trumpet and tears in his eyes,
Marching alone ‘neath the summer skies.
His brother’s face on a pin by his heart,
Gone too soon, but never apart.
Their mother stands still, hands folded tight —
Three families, three stories, one street, one sound.
Different hearts, but common ground.
We don’t just gather to cheer and wave —
We gather to honor the lives this moment gave.
This is what the parade means —
To the ones who gave, to the ones who dream.
It’s a song in the street, a flag in the sky,
A reason to laugh, a reason to cry.
It’s not just a show, it’s a sign we’re still here,
Holding on to hope, year after year.
This is what the parade means.
Next year, a new baby will hear the drums.
A new family will find their place.
And the band will play on.
Because this…
This is what the parade means.
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

The Parade by ♨️ 🍪

Funny thing to watch the new wave roll,
Short skirts shining, chasing radio gold.
Reformed drunks preaching how they’ve changed,
Rapping with a twang just to rearrange.
But out past the neon, past the city line,
There’s a fiddle crying, and the sound is mine.
It ain’t on the razor, it ain’t on the charts,
It’s in the smoke‑filled bars and the beating hearts.
Real country’s still alive,
It’s in the back of barns on Friday nights.
It’s in the hands that play for free,
It’s in the songs that set you free.
Don’t worry, we’re looking too,
When we find that sound, we’ll stick with you.
They talk about image, they talk about fame,
But the steel guitar don’t play that game.
Lose a little weight, sell a little soul,
But the truth don’t bend, it just takes hold.
In a small‑town bar, with a worn‑out stage,
The real thing sings, it don’t fade with age.
It ain’t on the razor, it ain’t on the charts,
It’s in the smoke‑filled bars and the beating hearts.
Real country’s still alive,
It’s in the back of barns on Friday nights.
It’s in the hands that play for free,
It’s in the songs that set you free.
Don’t worry, we’re looking too,
When we find that sound, we’ll stick with you.
I’ve seen the stars rise fast and fade,
Trading roots for a masquerade.
But the old men still pick, the young ones still learn,
And the fire in the fiddle still burns and burns.
It’s not a costume, it’s not a show,
It’s the dirt road truth that the real ones know.
It’s the echo of voices in the midnight air,
The cry of a song when nobody’s there.
It’s the ghost of a hymn in a lonesome hall,
It’s the sound of forever that outlives us all.
Real country’s still alive,
It’s in the back of barns on Friday nights.
It’s in the hands that play for free,
It’s in the songs that set you free.
Don’t worry, we’re looking too,
When we find that sound, we’ll stick with you.
Real country… still alive.
Real country… still alive.
Not on Spotify, not on the charts,
It’s in the small‑town bars, it’s in our hearts.
Real country… still alive.

All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Here is a link to the rest of the new tunes in our love quest: soundcloud.com/cookiehot/sets/want-this/s-mFHXc37DmUj?si=7e5f74e3e8934c8c997d99ee6af3ca22&utm_source=clipboard

Real Country by Hot Cookie♨️ 🍪

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

New tracks tagged #folkcountry #countryrock #countrypop #indiecountry #countryplaylist #newcountry