Joe Stroffolino Selection

A song about growing older and looking back and asking myself: Were the good old days really that great.

Rose Colored Glasses

A slightly twisted tail of a boy who wanted a pet dog but instead his dad bought him a cabbage plant￼.

Link to music video 
https://youtu.be/Tdib-_Y1qJo?si=oQjdQmqB_0Q6zTN-

The Cabbage Song

I hope that heaven is a place where everyone can share the same space​
And liberals and conservatives can exist in perfect harmony​
Cause if you live a good life and you seal the deal​
and you end up in heaven how are you going to feel​
If when you get there there’s people who want to argue​
with you about politics
***
Why can’t we just all get along​
Why can’t we live and let be​
Why can’t we just all mind our own business​
And agree to disagree
***
Will you let it go or will you keep on fighting even after your first Saint Peter sighting​
Or will you check the TV to see if there’s CNN or Fox News in Heaven​
They had to pry your gun from your cold dead hand but now that you’re a soul in a spiritual land​
Will you still demand your second amendment rights to protect yourself in heaven​
***
I hope that in in heaven you can eat real steak with a bunch of vegans eating meat that’s fake​
As you pose for a photo with Jesus trying to re-enact that painting of the last supper.​
If you bump into that undocumented guy who you sent back to his country will you look him in the eye.​
will you tell he’s not welcome in the United States part of heaven?
***
All these people with extreme positions shouting to their hearts content​
Like demented performance artists in a circus tent​
They can try to push our buttons be we don’t have to let them​
They can invite us to their party but we don’t have to show up.​
***
Why can’t we just all get along​
Why can’t we live and let be​
Why can’t we just all mind our own business​
And agree to disagree
***
Why can’t we just all get along​
Why can’t we live and let be​
Why can’t we just all mind our own business​
And agree to disagree

Heaven

Feels like today the sky's the limit.  Things are getting better by the minute.  If I was an emoji I'd be a smiley face.

Things Are Looking Up

I lived in Rhode Island for several years and I would occasionally drive on I-95 past a giant fiberglass termite perched atop a building  which inspired me to write this song.

Link to wikipedia article titled "Big Blue Bug"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Blue_Bug

Big Blue Bug

Copyright 2024 Joe Stroffolino

Lots of people moving to the state of AZ
The desert seems like a nice a nice place to be
The only problem is there’s not enough H20
One day you’ll turn the tap and it’s not gonna flow
The climate keeps getting drier every single year
I guess we’ll have to take fewer showers and drink more beer

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you.
The sun up in the sky is 93 million miles away
But it feels a lot closer on a hot Arizona day

There’s not enough snowpack on the mountains up high
They say the Colorado river’s running dry
They’re ripping up lawns, replacing them with rocks
Instead of going barefoot, you walk around in crocs
The polar glaciers are melting in to the sea
I wish that they could scoop up an iceberg and drop it down on me

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you

Most of the rain falls in the summer
Monsoon season can be a real bummer
You get a big dust storm, they call it a haboob
You can watch scary videos on You Tube
You’ll be driving and suddenly you can’t see
You gotta make sure you don’t crash into a cactus or a tree

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you

A long time a ago, it must have been tough without air conditioning
People just had to sit around all day moaning and bitching 
Now the biggest thing we complain about is our high electric bill
As we lie on the couch watching Netflix enjoying the comfortable chill

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you
The sun up in the sky is 93 million miles away
But it feels a lot closer on a hot Arizona day

Can't Stand the Heat

This is a bit of an experiment. Just me and my guitar recorded on my iPhone 16 pro.
Link to. video below.
https://youtu.be/4lXvHYD5VAA

All It Takes is A Smile (+ video)

There was a scientist, he invented a time machine
he was looking to go back to those days wen life was not nearly so complex
He got inside, he pushed the button but his calculations were wrong
He ended up in the Juriasic era and was eaten by a T-Rex

Sometimes things don't turn out quite the way you expected
Sometmes you just gotta jump before all the dots are connected

Sometimes the answer's right in front of your snout
Sometimes you just gotta let those bottled feelings come out
Sometimes the truth is there but you just don't want to see it
Sometimes you gotta open up your mind and make a decision to free it

There was a prince who had royal blood and he was destined to become king and he wasn't very interested in taking on that job
One day he just got on his horse and he rode away and he never came back
he assumed a new identity and became a working class slob

Sometimes things don't turn out quite the way you expected
Sometmes you just gotta jump before all the dots are connected

Sometimes the answer's right in front of your snout
Sometimes you just gotta let those bottled feelings come out
Sometimes the truth is there but you just don't want to see it
Sometimes you gotta open up your mind and make a decision to free it

Sometimes you gotta step out of the box and see which way the wind is blowing. Head in the opposite direction and convince yourself to get going
Sometimes you gotta march to a brand new beat. Sometimes you gotta make a U-turn and head down a different street

Sometimes the answer's right in front of your snout
Sometimes you just gotta let those bottled feelings come out
Sometimes the truth is there but you just don't want to see it
Sometimes you gotta open up your mind and make a decision to free it

Snout

You get on the internet and you initiate a chat
You  might think you're talking to a dog but its actually a cat
You strike up a conversation with someone who seems real nice
But when you're surfing on the internet you're rolling the dice

You just who you're dealing with on the internet 
You try to be skeptical but it's easy to forget

It used to be if you wanted to con somebody you had to get out of your chair, but now you can do it from the comfort of home while you sit in your underwear

A window pops up on your screen, there's a prize , it says you've been selected, so you click on the link and your computer gets infected
You get a fake email from your bank asking you to update your account
And when you log in the next day your balance shows a zero amount

You just who you're dealing with on the internet 
You try to be skeptical but it's easy to forget

It used to be if you wanted to con somebody you had to get out of your chair, but now you can do it from the comfort of home while you sit in your underwear

People giving all sorts of questionable  advice about how you can eliminate bedbugs, acne and lice.
If you're bald as a cueball, don't worry, they can regrow your hair
but when it comes to the internet it's buyer beware.

The internet can be a crazy place, for all you know you could be chatting with an alien from outer space.
There could be an alien ship on the dark side of the moon
Trying to steal your credit card so they can get an amazon prime order soon

You just who you're dealing with on the internet
You try to be skeptical but it's easy to forget

You just who you're dealing with on the internet 
You try to be skeptical but it's easy to forget

You Just Don't Know

Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
Guitar strumming tracks and picking tracks Taylor 114ce: Joe Stroffolino
Vocals & Backup Vocals:  Joe Stroffolino
Drums:  EZ Drummer 3
Bass:  PG music Real track

Hey sugar, hope you’re doing alright. I’ve been thinking about you.
Hey sugar hope you’re doing okay. Wonder what you’ve been up to.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your face, and you had me under your spell.
We’ve both taken a quite a few trips around the sun. Hope time has treated you well.
As for me, I’m a little worse for wear, I’ve gained some weight and lost some hair
But I try to watch my diet and exercise and take care of myself. 
You’re just a memory, it would probably ruin my fantasy, if we were to meet up one day and try to rekindle that old chemistry.
Cause chemicals have an expiration date and it’s probably too late to put ourselves in
 a test tube and get that reaction going again.
Hey, sugar I’ve been thinking about you.  Do you ever think about me too.
Time passes and my memory fades and you become more beautiful
I feel like a boxer who’s past his prime and I’m looking for one last fight
Sometimes I wake up and I think about you in the dark and lonely night
Time keeps on passing and there’s not much you can do
It’s easy to look back and regret those options you didn’t pursue
You can spend your days waxing nostalgic, you can cling to your fantasy
Or you can jump in that water under the bridge and take a chance on reality
You’re just a memory, it would probably ruin my fantasy, if we were to meet up one day and try to rekindle that old chemistry.  
Cause chemicals have an expiration date and it’s probably too late to put ourselves in
 a test tube and get that reaction going again.
You’re just a memory, it would probably ruin my fantasy, but it sure would be nice to rekindle that chemistry.

Just a Memory

Music and Lyrics Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
Vocals Joe Stroffolino
Guitar's: Fender Squire picking track  and Taylor 114ce strumming track Joe Stroffolino
Violin and Bass PG Music real tracks
Drums EZ drummer 3
Piano Logic Pro Session Player track 

All these people who claim they were abducted by alien UFO’s
They say they took them up onto the spaceship and examined them from head to toe.
Most people think those stories are made up, but what if they’re actually true
It kind of makes you wonder what motivates those aliens to do the things they do
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
People who believe we couldn’t have built the pyramids without alien assistance
There’s days when I can’t find my car keys without lots of searching and persistence. 
Maybe we’re just 2 legged creatures and the earth’s an exotic alien zoo. 
And they come here on safari to see what we’re up to
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
Even if they don’t consider me to be much better than a trained monkey
I could play my guitar to cheer them up whenever they feel grumpy.
They say the speed of light is as fast as you can possibly go
Maybe those aliens have access to information we don’t know
Maybe they just look at us in the same way scientists study bugs
They read the work of our most brilliant minds and they just shrug
Maybe someday if we start World War three, they’ll stop the missiles from firing
Or maybe they’ll just let us blow ourselves up because they find our behavior so tiring
Maybe someday if they think we’re ready, they’ll land a spaceship in times square
And although they’re usually naked, they’ll put on some underwear
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
Even if they don’t consider me to be much better than a trained monkey
I could play my guitar to cheer them up whenever they feel grumpy.
There's days on earth when it feels like it might be kind of nice to get away
And getting abducted by aliens just might be okay.

If I Ever Get Abducted

Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino 
***
Vocals, Strumming and picking tracks (Taylor 114ce): Joe Stroffolino
Additional Picking Track: Native Instruments Sunburst Guitar
Bass, Drums and Keys: Toontrack EZ Bass, EZ drummer and EZ Keys
Fiddle: PG Music Real track (viola)
Recorded using Logic Pro 11 and mastered with Ozone 11
***
All those times when you tried to play at the at top of your game
lately your enthusiasm’s starting to wane
You’ve been trying so hard to re-ignite that fire in your belly
lately your resolve, it’s turning into jelly 
You've been trying to be the best that you can be
but maybe you’ve been barking up the wrong tree
if your Spidey sense starts to tingle, maybe it’s a sign 
that you should open up the curtains and let in some sunshine
Sometimes you need to listen to your inner voice
Every morning that you wake up you still have a choice 
You’ve been swinging for a home run, but you can’t even seem to get to first base
You feel stuck like a rat in a race, like one of those monkey’s they shot into outer space
There’s days when it feels like you’re hanging by the end of your rope
And you struggling so hard to find a solution so you can cope
if your Spidey sense starts to tingle, maybe it’s a sign 
that you should open up the curtains and let in some sunshine
Sometimes you need to listen to your inner voice
Every morning that you wake up you still have a choice 
You try to make it through each day and sometimes you feel like the missing link
White knuckling your way through all the changes, trying not to be the first to blink
People doing things fast with AI that you're sure would take you several weeks
But you swear you’re going keep doing things the old-fashioned way with your luddite techniques
Your life is like a river that’s constantly flowing, 
You get swept along by the current You’re never sure where it’s going
Sometimes it feels like you’re playing a game of musical chairs
You’re afraid that when the music stops, you’ll be the one whose left standing there

If your Spidey sense starts to tingle, maybe it’s a sign 
that you should open up the curtains and let in some sunshine
Sometimes you need to listen to your inner voice
Every morning that you wake up you still have a choice

All Those Times

Link to video where I tell the story behind the song : https://youtu.be/cilXaNM0IoI?si=IbBwc2wlxYTwoADH 


In Catholic school, whenever I misbehaved, the nuns used to pull my hair.
If I could go back in time and do it all again, I’d gab some clippers and shave my head bare.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic school
I was never the kid who was considered cool
Eight straight years of Catholic School and somehow, I survived
Eight straight years of Catholic School.  Thank God I’m still alive  
My first-grade teacher was a nun, who if you’re penmanship was sloppy
She’d make you take all your books and stand there holding them in the back of the room.
She was like a witch except instead of a pointy hat she wore a habit
She carried a crucifix instead of broom.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic School
I was never the kid who was considered cool
The cafeteria food tasted horrible, but I had to eat it
I had to wash it down with milk that was warm and sour
I’d try to fold my plate in half and throw it away, but the nuns would catch me and make me eat it
It’s like they had this secret food wasting detection superpower
Every year your birthday, it was customary for the kids in the recess yard,
To grab you and kick you and punch you for every year of your age.
I still have flashbacks of a girl with pointy hard black shoes kicking me really hard in my rib cage.
My fifth-grade teacher Sister Margaret she’d been teaching for way too long
It was time for her to retire but they let her teach another year and that was wrong
She had long grey whiskers growing out of her chin
She’d sit at her desk and trim them with of scissors and you sure as hell better not grin
She’d tell cautionary tales about innocent kids who got into cars strangers
She seemed to enjoy describing all the bloody graphic details of the danger.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic school
I was never the kid who was considered cool
Eight straight years of Catholic School and somehow, I survived
Eight straight years of Catholic School.  Thank God I’m still alive

Catholic School

For my sixth birthday for weeks and weeks I begged my dad for a dog
But my dad didn’t think I was responsible enough and he was also kind of cheap
But I kept asking him constantly and finally he broke down
He gave me a little cabbage plant growing in a Styrofoam cup

He said if you take good care of this cabbage plant
Next year I’ll consider buying you a dog

I named him Charlie and I planted him in the flowerbed in the front yard
And every morning I’d go outside, and I’d feed him water and fertilizer
I’d update him on what was going on inside the house
And as far as cabbages go Charlie was a patient listener

Every night before I went to bed
I’d stick my head out the window and say goodnight to Charlie.

Our friendship was more than one of those passing fads
And every day Charlie grew until his head was bigger than my dad’s

And I guess my dad must have noticed too because one crisp autumn afternoon
Me and Charlie were sitting in the flowerbed listening to a baseball game
My dad came outside, and he said to me, it’s time for you to become a man

He reached down and he ripped my best friend Charlie out of the ground
For a couple of seconds, I could see his little roots gasping for soil 
Then we took him in the house and we cleaned and we gutted him

 And I swore that would be the last time I’d ever have a personal relationship
 with a vegetable of the cruciferous type
And as we sat around the table, eating our cabbage soup
It occurred to me I was so glad my dad hadn’t bought be a dog

I dedicate this song to Charlie because he made such a big impression on me
Those months we spent together made me so happy.
I go down the produce aisle at the grocery store.  I see those cabbages and it makes sad
I’m glad for the time we spent together.  Sorry it had to end up so bad.

Charlie (Cabbage Song)

Cast of Characters:
Joe Stroffolino-- @joseph-stroffolino -- Taylor 114ce acoustic guitar, main vocals, harmony vocals, lyrics, composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- four string Fender Precision Bass, and Roland organ
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, mix, mastering, and production

This song began when Joe, feeling a bit nostalgic, wrote the lyrics and composed it on his acoustic guitar. He recorded it and sang it with expert harmonies, then decided to share it with Eclectic Collective. We were all very excited to get work on our second song with Joe, as we all admire his songwriting.
First up was Tez this time, oddly enough. He was able to identify all the fill spots and light up the solo without the rest of us even adding anything yet. Next came Ken, who usually goes first, adding his steady grooving drums and tasty percussion. Once the drums were down, Josh completed the rhythm section by adding his fretted bass. He also worked out an organ part to give the whole sound a bit of thickness. Also adding some thickness and texture, Stephen added a clean electric rhythm part, as well.
Once we had it in can we asked Stephen to mix and produce it for us, which he did in his always expert fashion.
This, as mentioned, is Eclectic Collective's second song with Joe, and we all enjoyed bringing it to life with him. He's a wonderful collaborator and an all around good dude. Do yourself a favor and go check out his page, which is rich in great songs. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it.

Original lyrics by Joe Stroffolino:

If you find yourself in trouble and you think you've lost your way.
Here's hoping that you find a path to a better day.
I sure hope that you're happy. I'm wishing you the best.
I hope you find what you're looking for as you continue on your quest.
I hope you find all the answers to all those questions vexing you.
I hope you can find a way not to bite off more than you can chew.
I sure hope that you're happy. I'm wishing you the best.
I hope you find what you're looking for as you continue on your quest.
You spread your wings and you flew so far away from me.
I hope that you're enjoying your new reality
All those places that you said that you wanted to see.
I hope they're as good as you expected them to be.
I want you to know that you hold a special place in my heart.
I think about you often even though we are apart.
They say that when you love somebody sometimes you gotta be willing to let them go.
You gotta let them spread their wings and fly wherever the wind decides to blow.
I sure hope that you're happy. I'm wishing you the best.
I hope you find what you're looking for as you continue on your quest.
I hope that you're happy. I hope that you're doing well. I sure hope that you're doing swell.You spread your wings and you flew so far away from me.
I hope that you're enjoying your new reality

Hope That You Are Happy (Eclectic Collective with Joe Stroffolino)

https://youtu.be/dLLddlqKIHc?si=wT5hmEY_W3Fp5ZvI 

This is my attempt at performing this song in a single take with just me and my guitar (Taylor 114 ce)
Also to compare and contrast, here’s a  link to a more polished full band version of this song that I recorded with the help of the Eclectic Collective 
https://soundcloud.com/josh-clary-1/ai-sucks-the-eclectic?si=67d29d363d2a419dacbf860fa471165e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Many thanks to SoundCloud musician Michele Ansani  https://on.soundcloud.com/A24Cig19AVNqQmCk8 who's lyrics inspired me to write this song and collaborated with me to help bring this song to life.
***
Lyrics
When I was thirteen I picked up my first guitar
it was my mother's, it only had one nylon string 
I tried to play it like a rock star
I learned to play the Coca-Cola jingle
So I could teach the world to sing
When I was fourteen, I put on six new strings
I learned to play Beatles, I learned a Bob Dylan song
I sounded out of tune but I tried to carry on
At fifteen I wrote my first original tune 
So bad it sounded like it might have been written by a baboon
When I was sixteen, I got a new guitar for my birthday
The metal strings sawed through my fingers but I continued to play
And as the calluses formed and every day I learned a brand new chord
I was obsessed with that guitar and I never grew bored.
I wrote songs every day and most of them were a mess
But I believed that through hard work, I could achieve success
Malcom Gladwell wrote a book that said it takes ten thousand hours
To become and expert at your craft
And now all it takes is two commands and an enter
And in two minutes you have ten versions of the same damn new song,
You just have to choose the type
folk, rock, rap, pop, metal, jazz, trap or blues.
You don't even need to write the lyrics, 
your push a few buttons let the AI choose.
And people will think your songs are great 
even though you didn’t write or play a single note.
When I was 20, I did my first concert, it was time
it occurred in a village square
there were four cats all friends of mine
I was still using the plectrum and sometimes I got the chords wrong
at thirty I finally wrote what I thought was a decent song
It had a very well thought out structure and a catchy vibe and beat 
It was overly verbose but when I played it people tapped their feet
In my forties I stopped wasting my time
Work was more fun I was doing just fine
I had a steady paycheck that could feed me 
And the record companies didn’t need me
In my fifties once again my musical juices started flowing
I bought the necessary equipment I was eager to get going
I recorded all my strumming and saved it onto my PC
The internet and technology were advancing rapidly
I took those special songs I’d written of which I was most proud
Posted them Instagram, You Tube, Tik Tok and SoundCloud
I asked myself if a tree falls in the forest and no one’s around
Does it make a sound?
But now all it takes is two commands and an enter
And in two minutes you have ten versions of the same damn new song,
You just have to choose the type
folk, rock, rap, pop, metal, jazz, trap or blues.
You don't even need to write the lyrics, 
your push a few buttons let the AI choose.
And people will like your songs even though you didn’t write or play a single note.

AI Sucks Acoustic Live Version

I decided to take another stab at this song and play my guitars.
Guitars: (3 tracks): Taylor 114ce strumming and Fender Squire (strumming and picking) 
Keys: Logic Pro Session Piano  with sounds from Native instruments
Drums (two tracks): EZ Drummer 3 and PG Music (panned left and right)
Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
***
Sea monkey’s are just brine shrimp
Easier to take care of than a pet chimp
You just buy a kit and that’s pretty much it
Much less work than a cat a dog or a pony
But those pictures that they put on the box are definitely phony
Sometimes it feels like we’re just a bunch of sea monkeys in a jar
Living on this great big rock orbiting a star
We pray to God for assistance but what if he’s just a little boy
And this world that we live on is just his latest toy
What if we’re living in some kid’s jar and the sun is a lightbulb
It’s not really a star
What if every time the human race takes it on the chin
There’s some kid looking down staring with a silly grin
Eight billion humans on the planet earth and we’re all trying to get by
I wonder if those sea monkeys knew the truth would they still even try
Did he sprinkle some eggs in the water and wait for the fun to begin
Did he watch he watch us fight our wars and root for the good guys to win
When the black death raged in the thirteenth century and good people started to die and he saw all that pain and and suffering did it ever make him cry
Eight billion humans on the planet earth and we’re all trying to get by
I wonder if those sea monkeys knew the truth would they still even try
Eight billion humans on the planet earth and we’re all trying to get by
I wonder if those sea monkeys knew the truth would they still even try
Sea monkey’s are just brine shrimp
Easier to take care of than a pet chimp
You just buy a kit and that’s pretty much it
You just buy a kit and that’s pretty much it

Sea Monkeys In A Jar

There are people who believe you should love your neighbor as yourself
There are people who believe you should share some of your wealth
There are people who believe that only the fittest should survive
And if you’re poor and you’re weak it’s up to you to stay alive
There are people who believe you should teach a man to fish
Instead of giving him all his food in an already cooked dish
There are people who have an empathy deficit
They see people suffering and they don’t care one bit
They wear religion on their sleeves but if you’re in the wrong denomination.  They look at you like you’re an abomination.
People who treat politics the same as a religion and if presented with a new set of facts they don’t even budge a little smidgeon
Billionaires who have enough money where they could end world hunger in one day
Do they see people starving and think it is okay. We’re stronger together than if we are apart
If we could see ourselves as passengers on the same boat that would be a good start
We all share this this tiny rock as it floats through outer space
This planet is the lifeboat for the entire human race
Billionaires who what to create a colony on Mars. Let’s fix things here on earth before we travel to the stars
The world used to be full of undiscovered places but now humans have put footprints everywhere.
The continents touch the same oceans, and we all breathe the same air We live on one planet that we have to share
We’re stronger together than if we are apart
If we could see ourselves as passengers on the same boat that would be a good start
We all share this this tiny rock as it floats through outer space
This planet is the lifeboat for the entire human race. Billionaires who what to create a colony on Mars.   Let’s fix things here on earth before we travel to the stars

Empathy

Rapture is a new collaboration between the Beating Edge and Joe Stroffolino, following the awesome Asteroids (The Original Was Better). Joe wrote both the lyrics and the original music, while the Beating Edge rearranged and recorded it in a punchy rock style, adding driving guitars, strong rhythm, and dynamic choruses. Vocals feature Tom on lead, with Joe and Mary contributing both backing vocals and lead parts on certain verses and the bridge, creating a layered and energetic vocal texture.
The song explores the absurdity and irony of doomsday prophecies, the obsession with the rapture, and the endless cycle of believers and false prophets. It blends satirical storytelling with a critical eye on human behavior, delivering a mix of humor, intensity, and thought-provoking commentary through energetic rock arrangements. 
Rapture is a track that engages both the mind and the ears, combining narrative, power, and fun in equal measure.
Copyright 2025  Joe Stroffolino & The Beating Edge

Lyrics:

These prophets who say the world's gonna end and they set a specific date
And then when it doesn't happen, their followers still think they're great
The sun rises the next morning and people stumble out of bed
Disappointed that the rapture didn't happen and they're still alive instead of dead

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

They claim they have a direct line to God but there was a glitch in the connection
But now they're certain of the expiration date so they issue a correction
The shepherd guides the flock and tries to keep them safe from harm
But how many times can you cry wolf before people ignore your alarm

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

Who cares about the environment if you think the world is gonna end
And you're convinced the second coming is right around the bend
So drill baby drill and chop down all the plants and trees
No need to spend money on curing terrible disease

In every generation throughout history, people were certain that the rapture would come
And they had followers willing to believe them as they fed them each a tiny crumb
In baseball you only get three strikes and then the umpire says you're out
But when it comes to doomsday prophecies, the true believers have no doubt

All these people going through the motions, trying to deal with the daily grind
Hoping the rapture comes soon and they're not the ones who are left behind

Rapture

A stripped down version of this song with just me and my guitar
And here’s a link to a more highly produced version https://on.soundcloud.com/ilKgH0ZJjkQdhPEuk7

Copyright 2025

Verse 1
I’ve never seen the Great Wall; I’ve never been to Japan.
I’ve never seen the Eiffel Tower; it’s not part of my bucket list plan.
I don’t need to stand in line for two hours so I can see the Mona Lisa for thirty seconds.
I can see the same thing at home for free on my computer.

Chorus
I’m perfectly content to stay right here,
Living in the same place year after year.
I’m perfectly content to stay right here.

Verse 2
I don’t want to sit in a pressurized cylinder, with only a bag of peanuts to eat,
As I’m elbowed by a stranger who decides he wants to ventilate his feet.
I don’t want to go to a tourist trap and hang out with a bunch of ugly Americans.
If I want to see ugly Americans, all I’ve gotta do is step outside.

Chorus (Repeat)
I’m perfectly content to stay right here,
Living in the same place year after year.
I’m perfectly content to stay right here.

Bridge
I don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be a rambling man.
I don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be a rambling man.

Verse 3
Waking up early, rushing to the airport, to get on a crowded flight,
Trying to find space in the overhead bin and not get in a fight.
When you get there, you can’t drink the water, and the alcohol can make you go blind.
That doesn’t sound like the optimal place for a person to unwind.
You have to ration your underwear, or you’ll have to wear it inside out again for a second time.
You have to keep your money in a belt or you could be the victim of a pickpocketing crime.

Bridge (Repeat)
I don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be a rambling man.
I don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be, don’t want to be a rambling man.

Joe Stroffolino Selection

The Beautiful Dark