I put new strings on my Brother's Yamaha FG 180 (Bought in 1968) and wrote this little tune on it! The Guitar is a Dreadnought with a really big sound! Lisa McGlinn then added a stunning Flute Track!

Like The Arrow To The Bow

Country Like Nobody's Watchin'

Back to my favourite genre, I absolutely love this. Still not managing to get the AI engine to sing the lyrics exactly as I want, I would generate more iterations but the AI seems to get stuck in a rut after a very few versions. Yes I can change the backing, and with it the melodies but the way the lyrica are scanned seems to be a fait accompli after the first iteration. Original song written  August 2023.

I really need to know

IF I TOLD YOU THAT I LOVE YOU
Words & Music by Rhob Elliott
©2025, Awful Racket Music (ASCAP)

[Verse 1]
I’ve rehearsed it a thousand times
In the quiet of my mind
Watched you laugh
Watched you cry
But never crossed that fragile line
I don’t wanna lose what we are
But I’m lost keeping it in this heart

[Pre-Chorus]
Every glance is a maybe
Every word just might betray me
And I wonder late at night
Would it be wrong to say it right?

[Chorus]
If I told you that I love you
Would the world stop turning?
Would your heart start burning?
Would you run or would you stay?
Would you smile or walk away?
If I told you that I love you
Would it break the silence?
Would it start a riot
In your soul like it does in mine?
I've been waiting for a sign...
To tell you that... 
I love you

[Verse 2]
You’re the calm in my hurricane
The light that cuts through all my pain
And I’ve tried to just be strong
But this quiet’s gone on too long
If you feel it too, then say
But if you don’t, I’ll walk away

[Pre-Chorus]
Still I hold this hope so tight
Like a candle in the night
Flickering but holding true
Every flame still burns for you

[Chorus]
If I told you that I love you
Would the world stop turning?
Would your heart start burning?
Would you run or would you stay?
Would you smile or walk away?
If I told you that I love you
Would it break the silence?
Would it start a riot
In your soul like it does in mine?
I've been waiting for a sign...
To tell you that... 
I love you

[Bridge]
What if this is our one chance?
To turn the page, to take a stand
To let the truth fall like the rain
And wash away the fear and pain

[Chorus]
If I told you that I love you
Would the past still haunt us?
Would the future want us?
Could we build something brand new
Out of everything we’ve both been through?
If I told you that I love you
Would you say it back to me?
Would it set us free…
If I told you…
That I love you

IF I TOLD YOU THAT I LOVE YOU

[Verse 1]
How do you say I love you
When you know they’ll look away?
When the moment’s passed, the door is shut
And words just float astray?
How do you shout I love you
When it echoes back as shame?
When silence hugs the air so tight
You’re scared to speak its name?

[Chorus]
So I hold it like a secret
Buried deep beneath my skin
A truth too loud to whisper
But too sacred to give in
If I say it—will it vanish?
If I don’t—will it remain?
How do you say I love you
When it only brings you pain?

[Verse 2]
How do you say I love you
When the one you love won’t hear?
When “I miss you” sounds pathetic
And “I’m sorry” feeds their fear
How do you still keep hoping
When the facts all say you can’t?
When you’re dancing with delusion
But you never learned to plant?

[Chorus]
So I hold it like a secret
Carved in pages I don’t send
A prayer I tell the night sky
That will never reach its end
If I scream it—will it cheapen?
If I write it—will it fade?
How do you say I love you
When there’s nothing left to say?

[Bridge]
Why do words mean more to some
And to others just feel light?
Why does love become a burden
When it once had given flight?
Why does pain become a prison
When it only wants release?
Why can’t we just say I love you
And let that be our peace?

[Final Chorus]
So I sing it through the silence
In a song you’ll never hear
But it’s all I have to offer
And it’s all I hold dear
If I never say I love you
Know it still beats in my chest
How do you say I love you
When your heart won’t let it rest?

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How Do You Say I Love You (When It’s Already Too Late)

🔻 Song Insight – “Fire” by 4Me2BeFree
“Fire” is a visceral unraveling of emotional collapse and resurrection. Told through a cinematic alt-rock performance with Broadway-staged intensity, the song pulls no punches. It journeys through addiction, shame, memory, and self-reclamation.

The lyrics are raw and theatrical—each line delivered like a confession shouted under a stage spotlight. From whispered breakdowns to eruptive declarations of survival, “Fire” burns through past trauma in order to make space for transformation. It's not about being okay—it's about choosing to live anyway.

🔻 Lyrics
mathematica
Copy
Edit
[Intro]  
I go to give—but my arms feel numb  
Flashbacks hit like a loaded gun  
What the hell was wrong with my brain?  
In triage now—I see the haze  
I let go, and lost it all in flames  

[Verse 1]  
I see that man looking back at me  
Just a ghost—just a shell of who I used to be  
The rush is gone, no chaos left  
Laid out flat, gasping for breath  
Eyes shut tight—I had to let go  

[Verse 2]  
Fire in my chest, pain in my veins  
Memories loop like a runaway train  
Burn crawls deep into my lungs  
Takes what’s left—leaves me none  
Losing breath—it’s all I had  

[Chorus]  
I let it burn, I let it break  
I lost myself for someone’s sake  
But I won’t go down, not like this  
With blood and breath—I still exist  

[Bridge]  
*heartbeat*  
Skin pulled tight, I look away  
Can’t face that mirror today  
Feed me passion, feed me pain  
Drag me out of this place I hate  

[Breakdown]  
You looked at me with sorrow  
I said, “F*** that—come back tomorrow”  
You claim you know me, won’t let me speak  
Call me an open book you never read deep  

[Verse 3]  
Pride drips out from inside  
Mixed with joy I used to hide  
A transfusion of a life I never chose  
Something I did in the name of love  

[Bridge 2]  
You jammed the vein, heat pressed in  
My arms go numb, I lose my skin  
I’m staring back—but I’m not there  
This isn't home, and I don't care  

[Verse 4]  
Shadows rise from roads I walked  
That wasn’t me—I never talked  
The world fades, I scream to hell  
I’ll f***ing fly if I have to  
I’ll f***ing die if I have to  
I’ll cry… if I have to  

[Instrumental – *glass shatters*]

[Verse 5]  
The cabinet slammed, and then it broke  
Glass on the floor, and blood that spoke  
A skeleton standing in my place  
Dripping rage and a shattered face  

[Bridge 3]  
I saw their eyes—my babies’ eyes  
The ones who love through every lie  
I can’t be this—I won’t stay  
I can’t die, not this way  

[Final Chorus]  
I let it burn, I let it die  
Then rose again beneath the sky  
I won’t go down, not like this  
With all I am—I choose to live  

[Outro]  
With glass still glowing in the light  
I made a choice—I chose to fight  
With all I had left, I made my stand  
And I swore… I’ll be a better man
🔻 Personal Reflection
I wrote “Fire” out of one of the darkest emotional places I’ve ever stood in. There were moments in my life where everything I loved—everything that made me me—was slipping away. And I didn’t fight back. I let it burn.

This song is my reckoning with those choices. The numbness. The silence. The self-inflicted wounds. It's about trying to reclaim power when you’ve already thrown it away. And somewhere inside that wreckage, realizing there’s still something worth saving.

The hardest part wasn’t the trauma—it was waking up and facing it without looking away. This song is for anyone who’s ever thought “I can’t do this anymore” and then… did it anyway.

It’s not about survival being beautiful—it’s about survival being necessary.


🔻 Copyright Notice
All lyrics and content featured in this post are protected under copyright (© 2025) and have been securely time-locked and validated through a crypto-based verification system to ensure originality and ownership. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of any part of these works without explicit consent is strictly prohibited.

FIRE - Explicit

Before I Do
TimothyMichaelMusic
08 JUL 2025

V1.
Still ain’t got life figured out
B S’ing my way through
If you told me I look lost
I’d tell you that’s the truth
I keep flashing my fake smile
That seems to get me by
But inside I’m just wondering
If it’s even worth the try

Chorus
Over-thinking, over-drinking
I’ve got too much on my mind
Dark thoughts running through my head
Ain’t the most productive kind
I pray this prayer when I lay down
If you want to know the truth
I hope in the morning God gets in my head 
… Before I do.

V2.
My self-sabotaging nature
Wish that I knew why
But if God don’t get in here quick
I’m fearful I might die

Chorus
Over-thinking, over-drinking
I’ve got too much on my mind
Dark thoughts running through my head
Ain’t the most productive kind
I pray this prayer when I lay down
If you want to know the truth
I hope in the morning God gets in my head 
… Before I do.

Bridge
I need some help
I need to fill the emptiness inside
Maybe that’s something God can provide

Chorus
Over-thinking, over-drinking
I’ve got too much on my mind
Dark thoughts running through my head
Ain’t the most productive kind
I pray this prayer when I lay down
If you want to know the truth
I hope in the morning God gets in my head 
… Before I do.

I hope in the morning God gets in my head 
… Before I do.

Before I Do (2025) (Remix)

A new take on the old generational conflict. Breakdown within families

mother and child

An electrifying country power ballad where love strikes without warning. With bold vocals, driving guitars, and an unforgettable hook, “Kissed By Lightning” is a feel-good anthem for anyone who’s been blindsided by something beautiful.

Support the artist: paypal.me/johnlockhartmusic

#1285472919
🎧 Stream it now
🔥 Turn it up loud
👢 And let the world know where you stand

Released by: JLM Records
Release date: 25 August 2025
P-line: ℗ 2025 John Lockhart Music (JLM)

Support John Lockhart 

Kissed By Lightning

Holy is the Lord.

Ode to the Old Guy

Lyricist looking to connect with artists in the country genre that are searching for great songs to record. Also open to co-writes. Regularly pitching music to Nashville publishers and song pluggers. Primarily country genre. Mid 50s, married. 6 kids and 10 grandkids in a beautifully blended family. Enjoys golf, working out, nature/lakes, and listening to live music every chance I get!

Before I Do (2025) (Remix)

Timothy Michael Music - SONGWRITER

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