Walking  ..walking  shadow
 How The Silence Sounds  by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
"Funny how the silence sounds when the world stops spinning 'round..."
(how the silence sounds)
I held the phone like a loaded gun,
Your voice just static, the damage done.
The clock ticked retribution—
A hollow, weightless resolution.
You swore you’d stay through the undertow,
But the tide don’t bargain, I should know.
(how the silence sounds)
Oh, the wolves don’t howl when the moon’s alive,
They just watch you shiver, barely survive.
But you—...
You showed up with a floodlight grin,
Tore the dark apart to crawl back in.
funny how the real ones linger, 
Not like ghosts, but like firelight fingers.
They don’t just remember—
They rearrange the embers.
Third-floor apartment, sink full of doubt,
The pipes all groaned when the water ran out.
You brought a jug of redemption,
Poured it slow—no exemption.
Laid your coat across the drafty floor,
Said, "Ain’t no storm I ain’t walked before.";;;
Oh, the wolves don’t howl when the moon’s alive,
They just watch you shiver, barely survive.
But you—
You showed up with a floodlight grin,
Tore the dark apart to crawl back in.
funny how the real ones linger, 
Not like ghosts, but like firelight fingers.
They don’t just remember—
They rearrange the embers.
(how the silence sounds)...
(how the silence sounds)...
Now the winters don’t bite like they did,
Your name’s a scar that the frost can’t rid.
You left me ammunition—
Not for war, just recognition.
That love ain’t just when the sun’s aligned,
It’s who stays to dig when you’re trapped in time.
(how the silence sounds)...
Oh, (oh)the wolves don’t howl...
They just disappear.
But you—
You’re still here.
(how the silence sounds)
Oh, the wolves don’t howl...
They just disappear.
But you—
You’re still here......
(You’re still here.)
You’re still here.


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

How The Silence Sounds  by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Left your map to me on the side of the road

Where Am I in This? by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
"I’m a shadow in a photograph nobody took..." 

The jukebox plays a melody I don’t recall, 

A half-remembered whisper through a fractured wall. 

You left your fingerprints in dust upon the shelf, 

Now I’m talking to the echoes, asking for your help. 

Where am I in this? 

A stranger in the frame, a ghost inside the kiss. 

The map we drew got swallowed by the mist— 

Now I’m just a question mark on your list. 

The coffee’s cold, the steam long since retired, 

Your absence hums like a live wire. 

I sift through every silence for a clue, 

But the past just hums a tune I never knew. 

Where am I in this? 

A footnote in the script, a name you might’ve missed. 

The compass spins but won’t admit— 

I’m still the wound beneath the scar you kissed. 


I built a house of maybes in the in-between, 

Where the doors don’t close and the walls stay lean. 

You’re a silhouette in every windowpane, 

But the glass won’t break, and the rain won’t explain. 


The clock hands fold like a losing bet, 

Time’s a thief who hasn’t cashed in yet. 

I wear your memory like a borrowed coat, 

Too thin for winter, too heavy to float. 


Where am I in this? 

Just a flicker in the film, a pause inside the twist. 

The credits roll, the reels persist— 

But the story’s yours, and I don’t exist

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

Where Am I in This? by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

This song and others you will find on the "Too Hip For The Room Playlist' are songs I loved but others felt were too outside the mainstream to move to the release stage. Well I saw The Boss was releasing old tracks so why not me. Each song in this collection is loved by the songwriter but so often that is not enough/ Be Well /Do well /Stay safe and know I love you all...EdAll rights reserved by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder(Lyric sheet available on request- Thanks to all the studio players)

Hand That Life Dealt Me by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

When asked and you can't...
Midnight hums in my dim-lit room,
My pen dances, but the chords won’t swoon.
Empty coffee cups, crossed-out lines,
A voice too soft for the spotlight’s shrine.
“Play it louder,” they say with a grin,
But my heart’s a storm buried deep within.
I wear these dreams like a second skin,
But the mirror whispers, “Where do you begin?”
Every “no” is a scratch on my guitar,
Still, I’m tuning hope to a shooting star.
Check back with me on that—
When these melodies crawl out the shadows,
And the words I bleed finally catch.
I’m more than a girl with a notebook heart,
But tonight, the doubt’s a work of art.
Yeah, check back with me on that.
Yeah, ( Yeah Yeah Yeah) check back with me on that.
I’m a symphony half-built, still in combat,
But darling, just… check back with me on that.
I’ve played bars where the crowds don’t stay,
Sang my truth while the jukebox played.
Label suits said, “Smile, rewrite the track,”
But my soul’s a fire that won’t cut slack.
I write anthems for ghosts of my past,
Every chorus a bridge I’m hell-bent to pass.
My hands shake, but the mic won’t tell,
And the road’s a lonelier place to dwell.
I’m a hurricane in a whispered sigh,
Mapping constellations who gives a shit why
Check back with me on that—
When these melodies crawl out the shadows,
And the words I bleed finally catch.
I’m more than a girl with a notebook heart,
But tonight, the doubt’s a work of art.
Yeah, check back with me on that.
Yeah, ( Yeah Yeah Yeah) check back with me on that.
I’m a symphony half-built, still in combat,
But darling, just… check back with me on that.
One day, I’ll crack the radio’s code,
Turn “too delicate” into a crescendo bold.
For now, I’m the echo before the roar,
A phoenix in verses, rising through the floor.
Check back when the world sings along,
My name in the rhythm, my pain in the song.
Check back when the doubts finally fade—
I’ll be the wildfire the shadows made.

I’m a symphony half-built, still in combat,
But darling, just… check back with me on that.
Yeah, check back with me on that.
Yeah, ( Yeah Yeah Yeah) check back with me on that.

Yeah, ( Yeah ....Yeah ......Yeah)............ check..... back..... with me...... on that.......

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

Yeah , Check Back by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

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

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
Hope to find us on your playlist...Here is ours : https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/american-k-pop-boys?si=1f86507fcf0147d8847ed4aed1a4f470&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

The Lake Don’t Lie By A-K-B

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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

There’s a name I whisper when no one’s around
A face I carry in the quiet sound
Of footsteps, laughter, and old perfume
Of lessons learned in a classroom gloom
Mama’s hands were cracked and kind
Daddy’s silence spoke his mind
My brother fought, my sister prayed
And I tried to earn the love they gave
The school bell rang, I stood up straight
For a teacher who believed in fate
She said, “You’ve got a voice, don’t waste it, son”
So I wrote my truth and tried to run
Just for you, I showed up clean
I played the part, I chased the dream
I held my tongue, I bit my pride
I stayed up late, I let things slide
Just for you, I gave my best
Even when my soul needed rest
You may not know ...what I’ve been through
But I did it all… just for you...
There was a crew that held me tight
Through smoky rooms and Friday nights
We laughed too loud, we cried too hard
We stitched our names into each other’s hearts
A coach who saw me past the game
Said, “Win or lose, you’re more than fame”
I ran that field like it was grace
Just to see the pride light up his face
Just for you, I took the hit
I wore the blame, I didn’t quit
I broke my heart, I fixed the tune
I danced alone beneath the moon
Just for you, I made it through
Even when I barely knew
Why I kept on doing what I do
I did it all… just for you...
Devotion ain’t a vow you speak
It’s the quiet things you do each week
It’s the call you make, the fight you lose
The shoes you shine, the truth you choose
It’s not for glory, not for show
It’s what you give ...and never owe...
It’s the part of you that stays behind
In every soul you helped along the line]
Sweet wife of mine.... still hums that lullaby
To grand-kids who don’t ask why
They just know love when it’s near
And I see my past in how they hear
There’s someone else I won’t name yet
A shadow I’ve not quite met
But when I go, I’ll leave a light
For them to follow through the night
Just for you, I held the line
I gave my years, I gave my time
I wrote these songs, I told these tales
I bore the weight when others failed
Just for you, I stayed the course
Even when I knew you lost
You may not know what I’ve been through
But I did it all… just for you
So if you hear a voice that’s true
Know it’s mine…
Just for you... just for you


All rights held by the songwriter Edwin H. Balder

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

Just For You

hope there’s a power to make it better 

light that flickers through the stormy weather 

hand unseen but felt in the fight 

whisper that turns wrong into right 

The ground beneath us shifts & breaks 

Every dream we chase 

Every risk we take 

But the stars 

They still shine through the haze 

Guiding the lost through their darkest days 

Is there a voice beyond the silence 

calm in the raging tide 

We search for answers in the chaos 

Hoping something’s on our side 

Oh 

We hope 

We all hope 

rain falls heavy 

nights grow cold 

stories we tell 

lies we’ve sold 

But in the cracks of a shattered sky 

A single ray breaks through 

Asking why  

Can you hear it 

Can you feel it 

Something calling 

Something real yet 

Is there a voice beyond the silence 

A calm in the raging tide 

We search for answers in the chaos 

Hoping something’s on our side 

Oh 

We hope 

We all hope 

We all hope there is a #power to make it better, 

A light that flickers through the stormy weather. 

A hand unseen, but felt in the fight, 

A whisper that turns wrong into right. 

We hope for healing in the cracks of pain, 

For meaning in the loss, for sun after rain. 

We hope for strength when the world feels thin, 

For love to rise where fear has been. 

And we keep hoping—because hope is how we begin. 

We ..hope 

We... all... hope 

  as far as we can this is an Open source recording with free open to cover rights with no obligation to the songwriter...Edwin H. Balder

We All Hope

Why Did We Trust Them
A story song about betrayal, blind votes, and the price of misplaced faith...
THIS IS AN OPEN SOURCE SONG WITH OPEN RIGHTS TO COVER!
We sent them to Washington with hope in our hands.
They turned their backs, sold out the plans.
Durbin, King, Rosen, Hassan —
We gave them the torch.
They dropped it in the dark.
Durbin smiled while the people bled,
Signed off quick, then turned his head.
King stood tall, but bent like straw,
Caved to pressure, ignored the law.
Rosen talked like she knew our pain,
Then voted to lock us out in the rain.
Hassan’s silence was loud and clear,
She vanished when truth drew near.
There are always traitors, always those who lie,
They dress up betrayal and call it “compromise.”
Sorry to the faithful who came before —
They knew what loyalty was for.
We will remember you —
Every name, every vote, every shame you let through.
We’ll do what we have to do,
Because rights aren’t yours to undo.
You chose the darkness, now live there forever.
We trusted you once —
We won’t again. Ever.
Cortez Masto wore justice proud,
But sold it off to please the crowd.
Fetterman, the fighter, lost his spark,
Now he’s just another suit in the dark.
Kaine once spoke like liberty’s son,
Now he’s just noise when the damage is done.
Shaheen, who we thought would stand,
Folded like paper in a trembling hand.
There are always traitors, always those who lie,
They dress up betrayal and call it “compromise.”
Sorry to the faithful who came before —
They knew what loyalty was for.
We will remember you —
Every name, every vote, every shame you let through.
We’ll do what we have to do,
Because rights aren’t yours to undo.
You chose the darkness, now live there forever.
We trusted you once —
We won’t again. Ever.
Bennet blinked when the moment came,
Let freedom burn to protect his name.
Tester rode in with a working man’s pride,
Then sold out the people he swore to guide.
They turned a blind eye to the bigger truth,
Traded our future for party-proof.
Ten names carved in a wall of shame,
Ten who forgot why they came.
Why did we trust them?
Why did we believe?
They left us in the dark —
And that’s where they’ll grieve.

THIS IS AN OPEN SOURCE SONG WITH OPEN RIGHTS TO COVER!

Why Did We Trust Them by The Indivisibles

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 #folkrock #indierock #vintage