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)

Fix It by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Museum Of Shadows by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

What A Time It Was by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

The Almost By songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Edwin H. Balder gives this song's rights free to all no strings BUT rock the solos in your cover..OK!
New York Makes You Live Life   by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
Sun hits the Brooklyn Bridge like a spotlight
Bodega coffee steaming in my hand
Sidewalk saxophone starts my morning right
Another magic hour in this promised land

I trade hellos with the newsstand king
His wrinkled hands know every headline's weight
The bagel guy sings off-key to Springsteen
As cream cheese drips on my "I love NY" plate

Hot grease dances on the halal cart grill
While Wall Street taps their Oxford shoes in line
That ballerina rushing to Lincoln Center
Pirouettes around a construction sign


It's another wonderful day in New York
Where every block's a scene from your favorite movie
From Harlem's stoops to SoHo's chalkboard menus
The whole world lives here - crowded and groovy (groovy)
Yeah it's loud, it's proud, it's in-your-face alive
New York  (New York) makes you live life(

 (HERE ARE THE LYRICS WE CUT TO HAVE LONGER SOLOS...FEEL FREE TO ADD THEM IN YOUR COVER...)

he Met steps bloom with TikTok poets
Their rhymes battling taxi horns for air
While downtown, some jazz cat's free-styling
Key changes tangled in her magenta hair

That Ukrainian grandma at Veselka's counter
Winks as she slips me extra pierogi
Across the booth, a Broadway understudy
Practices lines with her latte foam logo

[CHORUS]
It's another wonderful day in New York
Where every block's a scene from your favorite movie
From Harlem's stoops to SoHo's chalkboard menus
The whole world lives here - crowded and groovy (groovy)
Yeah it's loud, it's proud, it's in-your-face alive
New York (New York)  makes you live life electrified

[BRIDGE]
The Empire State blushes pink at twilight
to Washington Square's guitar tip jar delight
That couple's first kiss under Grand Central's ceiling
Mingles with the N train's delay as New York'ers keep dealing

And me? I'm just grinning on this fire escape
Watching eight million stories rewrite their fate
[VERSE 3]
Chinatown's lanterns glow like fallen constellations
As dumpling steam curls into midnight's script
Somewhere in Queens, a salsa band's temptations
Make laundry lines swing in time... shaking hips

The High Line's laughing with stolen first dates
While the Staten Island Ferry winks at Lady Liberty
And deep in some basement, the next big thing's waits
Between a poet, a punk, and New York philosophy 

[OUTRO]
The city hums me to sleep with sirens and guitar
Already dreaming of tomorrow's bagels and battle scars
This messy, magnificent concrete constellation
Where else could all these lights burn into sensation
 New York....( love... New York) ....New.. York..
( love... New York)  love... New York....


Thanks TO : Hot Cookie!

New York Makes You Live Life   by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

Did I say thank you to You today....
Bend The Light By songwriter Edwin H. Balder
I was strumming in the dark, stealing chords from the greats,
Christopher Cross on the tape deck, Sailing through my mistakes.
You don’t write the waves, you just let them roll in,
A lesson I borrowed but couldn’t begin.
But the song I wrote today—
It got a heartbeat, it got a name.
And the man who taught me how to bend the light
I hope thinks I got it right...
Almost got it right.
Years like freight trains, but the tracks never stick,
Just a ghost of a chorus and a cheap guitar pick.
I’d kneel at the altar of every half-written tune,
Praying for magic, but settling for moon.
But the song I wrote today—
It got a heartbeat, it got a name.
And the man who taught me how to bend the light
I hope thinks I got it right...
Almost (got it right.)
I thinks I got it right...
(Almost) got it right.
Now the sun’s leaning west, and the critics all say
That the best songs feel like something you forgot to save.
But I smiled through the static, through the years I’d erased, hoping to hear
"Kid, you finally got out of your own damn way."
So I’m stitching the silence with the threads  left loose,
Not a metaphor borrowed, not a word I could misuse.
Just the hum of the highway, the bend in the phrase,
And the joy in the getting there, not just the praise.

And the song I wrote today—
It got a heartbeat, it got a name.
And the man who taught me how to bend the light
I hope thinks I got it right...
Almost (got it right.)
I thinks I got it right...
(Almost) got it right....right


Bend The Light

The tide takes us when we are lost
Drifting Away by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder
Soft winds call, tide runs slow
Golden light where the waters glow
A whisper deep, a name untold
Drifting away where the stories fold
Somewhere past the silver line
Somewhere lost in waves and time
A melody hums, a dream takes flight
Carried far beyond the night
No weight, no chains, no need to stay
Just the rhythm of the open bay
A voice that lingers, a song that sways
Drifting away in endless days
Drifting away, lost in blue
Let the tide pull, let the sky move
No past, no fear, no need to say
Just the wind and waves—drifting away
(drifting away) drifting away...
Soft as velvet, strong as tide
Something whispers deep inside
A name unspoken, a promise thin
A shadow where the light had been
Was it the moment, was it the face?
Was it the lines we never traced?
Did the answers sink too low?
Where do the echoes go?
Drifting away, lost in blue
Let the tide pull, let the sky move
No past, no fear, no need to say
Just the wind and waves—drifting away
(drifting away) drifting away...
If the wind still sings, if the stars still shine
If the ocean breathes, if the hands still climb
If a voice can call, if a name can rise
Then maybe the echoes can still survive
Soft as silver, lost in blue
A voice drifts wide, but who sings through?
One step closer, one last light
Will the echoes find us tonight?
Drifting away, lost in blue
Let the tide pull, let the sky move
No past, no fear, no need to say
Just the wind and waves—drifting away
(drifting away) drifting away...
Soft winds call, tide runs slow
Golden light where the waters glow
A whisper deep, a name untold
Drifting away where the stories fold
(drifting away) drifting away...(drifting away) drifting away...

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

Drifting Away by Songwriter Edwin H. Balder

You are best when you are you you know...
It Matters that You Matter by songwriter Edwin H. Balder
They tell you don’t shake, don’t break, stand tall
Like your name don’t weigh a thing at all
But I see you, I hear you
Your voice cuts through, your fire’s true
It ain't just noise, ain't just dust
A quiet heart still knows its trust
You hold space, you hold light
Even in the loneliest night
It matters that you matter
That your words still carve the sky
That your footsteps, that your laughter
Are more than passing time
It matters that you matter
That the stars still know your name
That you're seen, that you're remembered
That your fire burns the same
Some days you drown in the weight they throw
Some nights you stand where no one goes
But even then, even there
You are more than thin air
So don’t let the quiet tell you wrong
Don’t let the world erase your song
You exist, you rise
Even through the dark disguise
It matters that you matter
That your words still carve the sky
That your footsteps, that your laughter
Are more than passing time
It matters that you matter
That the stars still know your name
That you're seen, that you're remembered
That your fire burns the same
If you fall, if you fade
Know this truth won’t drift away
Every heart, every spark
Leaves a mark in the dark
So stand here, stand proud
Let them hear, say it loud
You are here, you are light
You are meant for more than night
It matters that you matter
That your words still carve the sky
That your footsteps, that your laughter
Are more than passing time
It matters that you matter
That the stars still know your name
That you're seen, that you're remembered
That your fire burns the same
When the world moves fast and leaves you behind
When the echoes don’t answer, when silence climbs
Know this truth, hold it close
You’re worth more than they’ll ever know
It matters that you matter
That your words still carve the sky
That your footsteps, that your laughter
Are more than passing time
It matters that you matter
That the stars still know your name
That you're seen, that you're remembered
That your fire burns the same
It matters that you matter, (it always will)
matters that you matter
matters ...that ...you ....matter
matters .....that .....you....... matter


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

It Matters that You Matter by songwriter Edwin H. Balder

She walks past the café in October light
Two kids at home, a ring that fits just right
But the smell of cinnamon and steam
Still pulls her back into a dream
She doesn’t cry, she doesn’t call
But the wind still knows it all
Now and then, I think about you
Not to rewind, just to feel what was true
Love moves on, but memory stays
Now and then… you find your way
oh...Now and then...
He’s on stage in a velvet suit
Crowd’s alive, the lights are mute
But in the dressing room alone
He hears your voice in undertone
He’s got someone who loves him loud
But your name still plays beneath the crowd
Now and then, I think about you
Not to rewind, just to feel what was true
Love moves on, but memory stays
Now and then… you find your way
oh...Now and then...
We all move on, we all rebuild
We learn to love, we learn to yield
But in the quiet, in the haze
A name returns, a face replays
Not to haunt, not to undo
Just to remind what once was true
She’s dancing slow at her best friend’s wedding
New love in hand, no need for regretting
But when the band plays that old refrain
She sees your eyes in the champagne
She doesn’t wish to turn back time
But memory’s not a straight line
Now and then, I think about you
Not to rewind, just to feel what was true
Love moves on, but memory stays
Now and then… you find your way
oh...Now and then...
(Now and then…) oh...Now and then...
You find your way...(You find your way...)
Into the quiet...(into the quiet...)
Where hearts still sway...(Where hearts still sway...)
Now and then…oh...Now and then..
(Now and then…) oh...Now and then..

🌹Thanks to the players from H.C. and Del's studio

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. 

Be sure to visit Tina's playlist here: 
https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/tina-talone-may-this-kind-of?si=c962a19838244cafab03c08ba110c75f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

And Tina's new music video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZvNm4nfdQ

Oh...Now and Then by 🌹Tina Talone🌹

Vagrant in the sky… no one to follow, no one to cry…
Vagrant in the sky… flew too far, forgot goodbye…
She flew off course one autumn day
The wind was wrong, the clouds gave way
No flock to call, no song to hear
Just empty sky and rising fear
She crossed the lines no map had drawn
Past every place she once belonged
The stars looked down but didn’t speak
And home grew farther every week
Vagrant in the sky…
No one to follow, no one to cry
Vagrant in the sky…
Flew too far, forgot goodbye
She’s a whisper in the wind
A shadow lost, too thin to mend
Vagrant in the sky…
Where do the broken fly?
She found a tree with foreign leaves
A nest of thorns, a bed of grief
No songs like hers, no calls returned
Just silence where her wings had burned
She sang alone to empty air
A melody too lost to share
The sky grew cold, the nights grew long
She faded into someone’s song
She wasn’t meant to die this way
So far from those who knew her name
But vagrants fly where hearts won’t stay
And vanish in the ache of rain
She was the note that missed the chord
The echo no one waited for
She was the verse that broke apart
Still singing with a shattered heart
Vagrant in the sky…
No one to follow, no one to cry
Vagrant in the sky…
Flew too far, forgot goodbye
She’s a whisper in the wind
A shadow lost, too thin to mend
Vagrant in the sky…
Where do the broken fly?
Vagrant in the sky…
Vagrant in the sky…
Vagrant in the sky…
Where do the broken fly…

🌹Thanks to the players from H.C. and Del's studio

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. 

Be sure to visit Tina's playlist here: 

https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/tina-talone-may-this-kind-of?si=c962a19838244cafab03c08ba110c75f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

And Tina's new music video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZvNm4nfdQ

Vagrant by 🌹Tina Talone🌹

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 #pop #indiepop #indierock #popmusic