Welcome to:
Scattershot Symphony
The Music of Peter Link
(That’s me.)

People ask me, “Why “Symphony? You’re not a classical composer.” Well, Wikipedia defines “Symphony” as: an extended musical composition most often written by composers for orchestra – often presented in several movements.
And so, I bring you the music of a lifetime of composition – often presented in several movements. That’s the nature of these podcasts – a scattershot look at a lifetime of music …

So, strap on them headphones.
We’re 90% music with just a smattering of commentary.

So for god sakes,
(Crowd)
Turn it up!

This week being the nineteenth episode of this podcast, I prefer to let the music do the talkin’. However, if you need to know more about me, please visit Wikipedia.com – Peter Link.

This episode is entitled
“Songs From The Trunk”
A Little Unfinished Business

Today we’re going interactive. I’m hoping that each of you will join in on the fun. Songs from the trunk presents some older, but promising material that begs to be reworked, brought up to date, and developed further. Or, for that matter, perhaps just left in the trunk. So I’m asking you, our devoted listeners, to weigh in and vote on possible next steps for each song. At the end of the podcast we’ll give you a link to write in and share your thoughts on your favorites and even throw me a thumbs down if you like. Don’t worry, it’ll just be a short questionaire with a few multiple choice boxes to check.

I’m not asking you to collaborate, mind you, just seeing if there might be some potentials that might work for people today!

So what you’ll be hearing (and I hope enjoying) today will be unpublished works from as far back as 40 years ago — some songs fully produced that somehow got stuck on the shelf, and others with just me an’ ma’ ol’ guitar throwin’ it down on a two-track.

Lots to listen to, so let’s get on it.

To put us all in the mood, I’m gonna open today’s episode with a song that does not qualify as being “from the trunk”. It is the title song from my last album. Think of it as a table setter, perhaps even an appetizer. At my young age, looking back over 50 years of music making, it has perhaps become one of life’s theme songs.

Remnants
Performed by Peter Link
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

And now I bring to you the remnants of a lifetime
The remnants of a lifetime
The fragments
The leftovers
The crumbs from the table
The leavings and remains
Of a time gone by

Songs of promise
Never finished
Molding away in old discolored notebooks
Once upon a time …
Once upon a time

Yeah once upon a time
They clamored for refinement
Some polish and revisions
My much-forgotten verses
And half-baked ideas
They cried, “Don’t leave me now!
Left behind
Never to find my way
Lost in the pages
Good for nothing
Fading away
And left alone to die”

So have a little listen to the remnants of my mind
Have a little listen to the remnants of a lifetime

[Interlude]

Yes these were songs and scraps of songs
That never found a home
Words that never made enough sense
Melodies left unattended
Until one day
I dreamt of resurrection
I could not leave my friends behind
And have them fade away
Fade away
Fade away
Fade away

So I had a little listen to the remnants of my mind
I had a little listen to the remnants of a lifetime

And so they rose on up from the ashes of a lifetime
These scraps and notes on napkins
Those scribbles on margins
Never remembered
Those musings of the mind
And the tunes left behind

So have a little listen to the remnants of my mind
Have a little listen to the remnants of a lifetime
Please enjoy my remnants
Please applaud their renaissance
Come celebrate their reincarnation
It’s not often that we all get a second chance
So grab on to the moment
Cuz It’s never too late to be born again

Please enjoy my remnants
Please applaud their renaissance
Come celebrate their reincarnation
It’s not often that we all get a second chance
So grab on to the moment
Cuz It’s never too late to be born again

Have a little listen to the remnants of my mind
Have a little listen to my mind
Have a little listen to the remnants
Cuz It’s never too late to be born again

Have a little listen to the remnants of my mind
Have a little listen to my mind
Have a little listen to the moments
Cuz It’s never too late to be born again

Listen up people
To the Remnants
Have a little listen
Whoa!
It’s never too late
It’s never too late
It’s never too late

Have a little listen to the remnants of my mind
Have a little listen to my mind
Have a little listen to the moments
Cuz It’s never too late to be born again

You might want to keep track of your reactions to each song as we move along, so here’s a quick peak at our grading system: It ranges from one to five — one being the lowest number.

One = Leave it in the trunk
Two = Got a long way to go
Three = Got Possibilities
Four = A definite Rework, Re-record, Re-master
Five = Release it today as is!

OK, let’s dive way down to the bottom of the trunk and pull out our first offering — probably from the late 60s or early 70s. Not at all a finished product, but perhaps a small indication of what was to come. Definitely a one take with jus’ me an’ my guitar. Check it out!

Keepin’ My Body Warm
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

Every night when the sun goes down
I long to have you near
Every night when the moon comes out
I’m lonely
Every night when I’m in my bed
I hold you close to me
In my dreams I touch your face to mine

And when you’re gone
Gone away
Lordee I miss my woman and
A11 night long
Wishin’ the time away
I dream of baby
Layin’ beside me
Keepin’ my body warm

Every morning when the sun comes up
I wake to find you gone
Lay around and think of you
And I’m lonely
Every day is a long long road to walk
Without you near
There’s a cold wind blowin’ through my heart

And when you’re gone away
Lordee I miss my woman and
All night long
Wishin’ the time away
I dream of baby
Layin’ beside me
Keepin’ my body warm

By this time y’all know that I’m an eclectic writer. I’ve written music in a scattershot of directions — to coin a phrase. This next song is from the theater — From the musical, Island, that played out of town as we developed it over the years sometimes critically successfully and sometimes not. It never made it to New York, but always succeeded in providing audiences with a delightful and relatively inexpensive trip to the Caribbean.

A little preface here: I owned a house on an isolated beach in Antigua for about ten years and spent many months a year there writing and just hanging out. Sparks, who is the character that sings this next song, was our Sweet Caribbean butler and is married to Delia who was our cook and housekeeper. My favorite saying from the Islands was “Soon come, Mon, soon come.” That meant it will NOT soon come, but in fact will never get here. This was Spark’s favorite saying. When will you get to fixing the gutter, Sparks? “Oh … Soon come, Mon, soon come.” It was a way of life. It never bothered me, for it was also his answer over the years to his wife, Delia regarding the painting of a boat.

This recording that you will now hear was recorded by me as a demo for Actor/Singer, Byron Utley one of the stars of the Broadway Production of Rent, who played the role of Sparks magnificently in Island production after production over the years. It is a demo, so I also sing the role of Delia as well. Lastly, Moses is Sparks’ voodoo shaman and Delia is a good Christian woman.

I Paint De Boat
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

[Sparks]
I paint de boat
I really work it
I give it all my time
I’ll get it right
No matter what you know
But it be one long climb

Cuz I no can get de color of her eyes
De way I see dem in me mind
I tink I must be colorblind

I paint de boat for Delia
I do it for me wife
I’ll get it right for Delia
If it takes all me life

And I will not leave this world
Until I catch de soul of her
And together we go sailin’ on de sea

(spoken)
Me fix it

[Delia]
He paints de boat
While I do all de work
He disappears each day
And like a child
Who lives in fantasy
He trows de world away

And we see not eye to eye
On what be sacred, what be holy, what be real
He pays no heed to how I feel

He gives his life to Moses
A phantom of de mind
He be obsessed with Moses
And leave me far behind

But I will not leave dis world
Til I redeem de soul of him
And together we go sailin’ on de sea

(spoken)
Me fix it

Sparks
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
[Sparks]
I really work it
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
While I do all de work
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
[Sparks]
I give it all my time
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
He disappears each day
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)

(together)
Me fix it

Next is another song from Island that Jenny Burton also sang in concert for a decade or so. This is a live recording from a concert in Stamford, Conneticut, performed by Jenny Burton and The Other Brothers back in the late 70s. Yes, it is a song from a musical, but it works in isolation as well.

Castaway
Performed by Jenny Burton and the Other Brothers
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

I am floating floating
Aimlessly
Aimlessly wandering
Wandering astray
I am a castaway

I am drifting drifting
Through it all
Through the uncertainty
Slipping through the haze
I am a castaway
Wishing something would show me the way
Maybe my time is soon
Maybe it’s just begun
I am castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor
Searching for a safe and sheltered harbor
For this castaway

I am vapor vapor
All of me
All of me silently
Slipping away
I am a castaway
Slipping further and further away
Sometimes beyond the moon
Sometimes beyond the sun
I am a castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor
Searching for a safe and sheltered harbor
For this castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor
Searching for a safe and sheltered harbor
For this castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor

Send me a sign
Show me where the lighthouse lay
Send me a sign
Shine a little light my way

I found this next song just last week tucked away in a back corner of the trunk. At first, seeing its title, I thought that it must have just been a song I only produced. I did not remember the title or having written the song at all. The reason being that the song never made it into the production of the musical, Sundown, for which it was written. I don’t know why. I love the song. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind now since hearing it. The lyrics were written by Sundown lyricist Larry Rosler and the demo sung by me.

My present day writing partner, Ragan Courtney, recently had a heart attack and died on the operating table in the hospital. As the surgeons were cleaning up after giving up, Ragan decided to come back. He is alive and well today. Though the song was originally written for Doc Holiday to sing in the musical, Sundown, a musicalization of the Gunfight at the OK Corral, the song stands alone today as a tribute to those many who have lived to come back.

Walkin’ On The Earth Again
Music by Peter Link
Lyrics by Larry Rosler

Yesterday I crossed over heaven’s line
Somethin’ deep inside me died
Yesterday I nearly lost this life of mine
But now I’ve come back, I’ve come back from the other side

Now I’m free
I’m no longer tied in chains
A change in my life has cleared my mind
I can feel the power in my veins

The man I used to be
I left behind

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Yesterday the glow faded from my face
And my heart had turned to stone
Yesterday my spirit floated into space
But now I’ve come back, I’ve come back from the great unknown

I feel the light
I feel it beneath my skin
I’ve opened my eyes
No longer blind
Cuz the light is shinin’ from within

The man I used to be
I left behind

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Fred Coffin was a 6 foot 5 inch 280 pound very successful Broadway and movie actor who was one of my best friends for years. He was an amazing Human Being. He defined “being full of life.” A chain smoker, I bitched and moaned at him for years warning him that his habit could some day kill him. He paid me no heed. And so it did. He died from it far too early in life leaving a giant hole in my life.

He was one of two sets of twin boys all about the same size and flamboyant personality, and along with their father, they all five played the accordian. On top of it all, Fred was a songwriter — all on accordian. He was good. He wanted me to produce his album, but an album of accordian music was just not where I wanted to spend my time … if you know what I mean. I did end up producing that album, but convinced Fred that there might be something beyond the accordian that would work for his songs. That album never got released. He died too soon.

Some day I will devote a whole episode to that album … for Fred.

As an actor, Fred could play anything … In this particular instance … a roach … on vacation.

Roach Motel
Performed by Fred Coffin
Music and Lyrics by Fred Coffin
Produced by Peter Link

I’m angry as hell and I ain’t puttin’ up with it no more
People are out to kill us man, can ya dig it?
I mean I thought I’d seen the worst of it
But then they come out with this thing called the roach motel?
They say the roaches check in, but they don’t check out
Boy does that suck!
They even put it in Spanish
Las cucarachas entran, pero no pueden salir
Boy does that suck!

Life’s a drag
Through the muck
The world stinks
And people suck

It’s all a trap
Each day you learn
Acid blinds and poisons burn
But the roach motel
That’s a torture without an end

It’s the pits man
Well, except for death
And death sucks!

I seen this ad
Weekend for two
Discount price
A room with a view
But it was all a lie
Nothin’ but a scam
Just another vicious exterminatin’ plan
The roach motel
What a creepy thing to do

Don’t you call it paranoia
No no no don’t you write it off as fear
Las cucarachas entra, pero no pueden salir

Me and my family
We were movin’ out West
We were sick of the city
We were cold and depressed
We traveled a mile
Our little legs so sore
We got us a room at the roach motel
But it wasn’t what we had bargained for
We’re permanent guests
And the service really sucks too

Housepets get the ASPCA now now now now
Elephants and tigers get the zoos
Squirrels get the park
Owls get the dark
But roaches don’t get nothin’ but the glue

Welcome to the roach motel
We have the economy special, the gourmet deluxe, or the honeymoon retreat
Complete with special trappings
It’s to die
Take the stairs to the left

Sweet dreams ha ha ha ha

We’ve reached our limit
It’s the final straw
We got no exit
Our backs against the wall
We’re gonna form a union
Gonna get it right
Get ourselves a lawyer
And go to court and fight

Stop the roach motel
It’s the only human thing to do

Don’t you call it paranoia
No no no don’t you write it off as fear
Las cucarachas entra, pero no pueden salir
Las cucarachas entra, pero no pueden salir

Hey, what kinda motel is this?
I got no towels, I got no bed
And where the hell is room service?
I don’t even got a phone to call room service
Boy, boy it stinks in here
I’m suffocatin’
Where’s the window?
My God, there’s no window!
I’m gettin’ out of this dump!
Where’s the door?
How’d I get in here anyway?
Oh no, I gotta get outta here
I gotta get help
Help, I can’t breathe!
Medic, medic, aaaaaaaaaugggggggh

Doncha just love all the background singing roaches on that song? Good job, Roaches, good job!

Another song from Island — this a duet. Here we use the metaphor of a coming rainstorm to depict a marriage in trouble. Our couple, on this particular demo, played by my best friend in music, Margaret Dorn and me, struggle to refind the balance in their relationship within the beauty and simplicity of the Island paradise.

Rain
Performed by Margaret Dorn and Peter Link
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

There’s a storm coming
There’s a chill in the air
Walk a little faster
We’re almost there
Look over yonder
The sky is turning brown
Wish we didn’t go so far
Wish we’d turned around a little sooner
Heaven only knows how much time there is to go
Til the sky falls in

You can almost hear the thunder
You can almost taste the rain
You can almost see the lightning
I wish I were home again
Listenin’ to the wind
Through my bedroom window
Hurry now we’re almost there my friend

Here’s a storm blowing
There’s a drop on my arm
Run a little faster
We can make it to the barn
Look on up ahead
The clouds are closing in
Maybe we can make it now
But I think we ought to move a little faster
Heaven only knows how much time there is to go
Til the sky falls in

Listen to the thunder
Howlin’ in the wind
Look out for the lightning
I think we should be inside
Lookin’ at the rain
Through our bedroom window
Hurry now we’re almost there my friend
There’s a rain comin’
Rain
On the rooftop
On the window
Rain
Goes where the wind blows
Rain
On the wet ground
Rain
I can’t believe the sound of the rain
Rain
Rain
Rain
Rain
Rain

For five years while still in my late 20s I served as the Composer-In-Residence under producer Joseph Papp at the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theater. In those 5 years I wrote music for 40 shows. It was my Masters education in music composition — education on the job. After Two years, Joe came to me and said, “Why don’t you do a concert of your music at the Delacourt Theater in Central Park? We’ll produce it for you.” I jumped at the opportunity. The Delacourt Theater is the out-of-doors theater in Central Park that is so famous for presenting Shakespeare in the Park every summer.

Joe gave us an 11:00 pm time slot on a late August Saturday night after the Shakespeare play was over.
We also had to use the Shakespeare play’s set and lighting but that turned out to be a real plus. The great Broadway set designer, Santo Loquasto, had created an all whie, gorgeous single set of various levels and stairways that we were to use much to our delight. I hired a cast of 8 singers including Andre DeShields, David Lasley, who became one of James Taylor’s background singers for decades, Broadway ingenue, Marta Heflin (leading roles in Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair) and a 14 year old Irene Cara to join me … and a band.

I decided to call the evening, Please Don’t Let It Rain for obvious reasons. We sold out weeks before the event. An 11:00 PM concert is not too late for New Yorkers.

We rehearsed the show for weeks.

The morning of, the weather forecast was not promising. By 7 pm they were considering cancelling the Shakespeare play that night. Though the sky was full of dark clouds, it was not raining, so they started the play. Shakespeare plays are often 3 hours and 3 acts. By the end of the 2nd act it began to rain. The sky opened up and poured buckets. The audience all went home. We were crushed.

At 10 o’clock on the nose that night it stopped raining, though the heavy clouds were still threatening. So we got busy and prepared the stage for the improbable 11 o’clock concert. At 10:45 the clouds simply evaporated, the stars came out and the full moon rose majestically over the white set and stage in glorious splendor and the New Yorkers turned out and packed the house.

It was meant to be. I had asked all the cast members to wear nothing but white and be creative. Andre DeShields, always flamboyant, came as a Jamaican police man — white shorts and top, repleat with white knee socks and shoes.

The show performed flawlessly … without a hitch.

At its high point, Marta Heflin stopped the show and at the end of her number, the audience stood and would not stop clapping. She turned and looked at me after her fourth bow as if to say, “Well what do I do now?’

Here is her performance that night of a song I wrote on two chords — lyrics by director, AJ Antoon.

Fire Engine 34
Performed by Marta Heflin
Music by Peter Link
Lyrics by A.J. Antoon

Fire Engine 34
Just around the corner from me
Patrick McGowan
Rear-end driver
Tipped his hat said hi to me
Gave a smile said hi to me today

If you don’t believe me
Just ask my brother
He was walkin’ me home after school
He has to walk me home after school each day

I feel so strange
He never noticed me before
But I have loved him
For three weeks now, maybe more

I’m young I know
And my breasts are small
But they will grow
You can ask my pa

I could be a lady so easy
I could tie my hair back and stand real tall
Maybe he would even think I was older
Maybe I could even act a bit bolder

I could be a lady
I could be a lady
I could be a lady so fast

I could make Patrick McGowan love me
Love me, love me, love me, love me

There are matches in the kitchen
Curtains in my room
I could set the house on fire
Wave to him as the flames grow higher
He will come and rescue me
He will come and carry me away

Fire Engine 34
Just around the corner from me

I don’t know much about this next song. It certainly has that 70’s synth sound that captures the late 70s and disco 80s. Could it work with a different orchestration today? Your thoughts?

Out on the Edge
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

You’re the one
Licensed to kill the pain
Who shines the sun
Into the pourin’ rain

Without your love
I ain’t got nothin’ left inside
Losin’ control
And I don’t know how long I can hold on

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge
And losin’ my hold on the lifeline
Out on the edge
And I don’t know where to turn

Say you will
Promise you’ll stay by me
Hold me still
That’s where I want to be

Without you near
I am in mortal fear of fallin’
So please take it slow
Don’t let me go
I’m needing you so
And I don’t know how long I can hold on

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge
And losin’ my hold on the lifeline
Out on the edge
And I don’t know where to turn

Hold on (I’m holdin’)
Hold on (Hangin’ on)
Hold on (Help me please)
Cuz I don’t know how long I can hold on

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge
And losin’ my hold on the lifeline
Out on the edge
And I don’t know where to turn

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge

Can ya’ take another? This is a very simple song with some form of modal system behind it. It feels very original to me. I’d like to re-record it with a Brazillian groove. I think it’s sticky. Agree?

The Way Is In Your Heart
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

You will not find it with your eyes
The way is not within the skies
The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

Won’t you stop and hush your mind
To find your peace be quiet inside
The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

And when you find your quiet place
You feel the peace and joyous space
So seek it not in part
But find the whole of glory in your heart

You will not find it in the world
You will not find it in the air
The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

And deep within your heart you’ll find
A river running fast and wide
That takes you on your way
The way is in your heart

The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

OK, let’s end with a song that really should have NOT gotten lost in the trunk. In an interesting way, it serves as the perfect closer for today’s podcast. I’d love to remix it if I still had the multitrack. It’s fully produced, but probably never got a final mix. Why? It must’ve just been lost and forgotten in the trunk of over a thousand songs.

Start All Over
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

As hard as you’ve tried
To know what it’s all about
As hard as you’ve worked
To figure the damn thing out
You’ve fretted and failed and fallen
And given up hope
And now you’re on your knees an’ crawlin’
At the end of your rope

Sometimes you got to start all over
Sometimes it works better that way
Perhaps you’re just a little bit wiser
Perhaps you got something more to say
Just try it again
Cause ev’ry time you do
You get one step closer
Sometimes you got to start all over
Sometimes it works better that way

Stop an’ look around ya’
Take some time ta’
Think the whole thing through
Leave no bridges burned
Leave no stone unturned
Take the lessons learned
And put the past behind you
It will only blind you

And then begin to start all over
It might just work better that way
And when you go through fire and water
And watch all your chances slip away

Time after time
The strong will out as the weak ones fade
And those that can start all over
Well sometimes it works better that way

If ya wanna breathe new life
Cause it all fell through

You can move heaven and earth
If ya’ start all over
Go through the fire
If ya’ start all over
Take it up higher
If ya’ start all over again

From this moment on
Just start all over
Let your troubles be gone
And start all over
Go on go on and start all over again

So when you’ve fretted and failed and fallen
And given up hope

Sometimes you got to start all over
Sometimes it works better that way

So there you have it.

Scattershot Symphony Episode 19.
Next, Episode 20: Beyond The Pop Song
At some point, in a life of song writing, we all have to ask ourselves, “Where am I going with all this?” How many “I want you, I need you, I love you songs must we write? Can we write? So, to a certain extent, hopefully maintaining structure and foundation and the fundamentals of songwriting, I decided to just write, write anything that comes to mind in any way I want to write it. Don’t ignore the fundamentals — just don’t be stuck to them. Follow impulse and trust that structure will simply be there intuitively. What evolves from this choice is the content of Episode 20. Proven structure to the winds. Like flying in my dreams. Just let go and see where it all takes you … Join me.

Also, PLEASE don’t forget to weigh in and vote on possible next steps for each of the lives of these songs you’ve just heard. Here is the link to share your thoughts on your favorites: Simply go to Watchfiremusic.com forward slash Podcasts where you can help determine the future. It won’t take you more than a couple of minutes! That’s:
Watchfiremusic.com forward slash Podcasts

Also, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts … etc.

A grateful nod goes to Alan Smallwood and the Other Brothers band on Castaway, Marta Heflin and Margaret Dorn for their vocal brilliance, Fred Coffin, wherever you are keepin’ ‘em laughin’, for your enchanting portrayal of a bug, Larry Rosler for a beautiful lyric on Walkin’ On The Earth Again, to Jenny Burton for background vocals on Remnants, and lastly, to AJ Antoon, for his precious story about a little girl who falls in love with a fireman.

Thank you, to all!

A very special thanks also to Stuart Barefoot, our Associate Producer for all your invaluable knowledge and good vibes.
And a posthumous thanks to Ludwig Van Beethoven for your opening 4 bars.

Julia
(over playout music)
This podcast is presented with loving care by the staff at Watchfire Music. If you liked what you heard, we got lots more where that came from. In the meantime, you can find the songs you just heard on watchfiremusic.com. There you can purchase the singles or albums and have access to all the lyrics. Also, there you will find all previous podcasts and future scheduling.

If you just became a Scattershot fan,
tell your friends and Stay tuned!

Every night when the sun goes down
I long to have you near
Every night when the moon comes out
I’m lonely
Every night when I’m in my bed
I hold you close to me
In my dreams I touch your face to mine

And when you’re gone
Gone away
Lordee I miss my woman and
A11 night long
Wishin’ the time away
I dream of baby
Layin’ beside me
Keepin’ my body warm

Every morning when the sun comes up
I wake to find you gone
Lay around and think of you
And I’m lonely
Every day is a long long road to walk
Without you near
There’s a cold wind blowin’ through my heart

And when you’re gone away
Lordee I miss my woman and
All night long
Wishin’ the time away
I dream of baby
Layin’ beside me
Keepin’ my body warm

[Sparks]
I paint de boat
I really work it
I give it all my time
I’ll get it right
No matter what you know
But it be one long climb

Cuz I no can get de color of her eyes
De way I see dem in me mind
I tink I must be colorblind

I paint de boat for Delia
I do it for me wife
I’ll get it right for Delia
If it takes all me life

And I will not leave this world
Until I catch de soul of her
And together we go sailin’ on de sea

(spoken)
Me fix it

[Delia]
He paints de boat
While I do all de work
He disappears each day
And like a child
Who lives in fantasy
He trows de world away

And we see not eye to eye
On what be sacred, what be holy, what be real
He pays no heed to how I feel

He gives his life to Moses
A phantom of de mind
He be obsessed with Moses
And leave me far behind

But I will not leave dis world
Til I redeem de soul of him
And together we go sailin’ on de sea

(spoken)
Me fix it

[Sparks (Delia)]

I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
[Sparks]
I really work it
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
While I do all de work
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
[Sparks]
I give it all my time
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)
He disappears each day
I paint de boat (He paints de boat)

(together)
Me fix it

I am floating floating
Aimlessly
Aimlessly wandering
Wandering astray
I am a castaway

I am drifting drifting
Through it all
Through the uncertainty
Slipping through the haze
I am a castaway
Wishing something would show me the way
Maybe my time is soon
Maybe it’s just begun
I am castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor
Searching for a safe and sheltered harbor
For this castaway

I am vapor vapor
All of me
All of me silently
Slipping away
I am a castaway
Slipping further and further away
Sometimes beyond the moon
Sometimes beyond the sun
I am a castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor
Searching for a safe and sheltered harbor
For this castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor
Searching for a safe and sheltered harbor
For this castaway

Harbor harbor
Searching for a harbor harbor

Send me a sign
Show me where the lighthouse lay
Send me a sign
Shine a little light my way

Yesterday I crossed over heaven’s line
Somethin’ deep inside me died
Yesterday I nearly lost this life of mine
But now I’ve come back, I’ve come back from the other side

Now I’m free
I’m no longer tied in chains
A change in my life has cleared my mind
I can feel the power in my veins

The man I used to be
I left behind

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Yesterday the glow faded from my face
And my heart had turned to stone
Yesterday my spirit floated into space
But now I’ve come back, I’ve come back from the great unknown

I feel the light
I feel it beneath my skin
I’ve opened my eyes
No longer blind
Cuz the light is shinin’ from within

The man I used to be
I left behind

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

Here I am, a brand new man
Under the sun
Walkin’ on the earth again

I’m angry as hell and I ain’t puttin’ up with it no more
People are out to kill us man, can ya dig it?
I mean I thought I’d seen the worst of it
But then they come out with this thing called the roach motel?
They say the roaches check in, but they don’t check out
Boy does that suck!
They even put it in Spanish
Las cucarachas entran, pero no pueden salir
Boy does that suck!

Life’s a drag
Through the muck
The world stinks
And people suck

It’s all a trap
Each day you learn
Acid blinds and poisons burn
But the roach motel
That’s a torture without an end

It’s the pits man
Well, except for death
And death sucks!

I seen this ad
Weekend for two
Discount price
A room with a view
But it was all a lie
Nothin’ but a scam
Just another vicious exterminatin’ plan
The roach motel
What a creepy thing to do

Don’t you call it paranoia
No no no don’t you write it off as fear
Las cucarachas entra, pero no pueden salir

Me and my family
We were movin’ out West
We were sick of the city
We were cold and depressed
We traveled a mile
Our little legs so sore
We got us a room at the roach motel
But it wasn’t what we had bargained for
We’re permanent guests
And the service really sucks too

Housepets get the ASPCA now now now now
Elephants and tigers get the zoos
Squirrels get the park
Owls get the dark
But roaches don’t get nothin’ but the glue

Welcome to the roach motel
We have the economy special, the gourmet deluxe, or the honeymoon retreat
Complete with special trappings
It’s to die
Take the stairs to the left

Sweet dreams ha ha ha ha

We’ve reached our limit
It’s the final straw
We got no exit
Our backs against the wall
We’re gonna form a union
Gonna get it right
Get ourselves a lawyer
And go to court and fight

Stop the roach motel
It’s the only human thing to do

Don’t you call it paranoia
No no no don’t you write it off as fear
Las cucarachas entra, pero no pueden salir
Las cucarachas entra, pero no pueden salir

Hey, what kinda motel is this?
I got no towels, I got no bed
And where the hell is room service?
I don’t even got a phone to call room service
Boy, boy it stinks in here
I’m suffocatin’
Where’s the window?
My God, there’s no window!
I’m gettin’ out of this dump!
Where’s the door?
How’d I get in here anyway?
Oh no, I gotta get outta here
I gotta get help
Help, I can’t breathe!
Medic, medic, aaaaaaaaaugggggggh

Rain
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

There’s a storm coming
There’s a chill in the air
Walk a little faster
We’re almost there
Look over yonder
The sky is turning brown
Wish we didn’t go so far
Wish we’d turned around a little sooner
Heaven only knows how much time there is to go
Til the sky falls in

You can almost hear the thunder
You can almost taste the rain
You can almost see the lightning
I wish I were home again
Listenin’ to the wind
Through my bedroom window
Hurry now we’re almost there my friend

Here’s a storm blowing
There’s a drop on my arm
Run a little faster
We can make it to the barn
Look on up ahead
The clouds are closing in
Maybe we can make it now
But I think we ought to move a little faster
Heaven only knows how much time there is to go
Til the sky falls in

Listen to the thunder
Howlin’ in the wind
Look out for the lightning
I think we should be inside
Lookin’ at the rain
Through our bedroom window
Hurry now we’re almost there my friend
There’s a rain comin’
Rain
On the rooftop
On the window
Rain
Goes where the wind blows
Rain
On the wet ground
Rain
I can’t believe the sound of the rain
Rain
Rain
Rain
Rain
Rain

Fire Engine 34
Just around the corner from me
Patrick McGowan
Rear-end driver
Tipped his hat said hi to me
Gave a smile said hi to me today

If you don’t believe me
Just ask my brother
He was walkin’ me home after school
He has to walk me home after school each day

I feel so strange
He never noticed me before
But I have loved him
For three weeks now, maybe more

I’m young I know
And my breasts are small
But they will grow
You can ask my pa

I could be a lady so easy
I could tie my hair back and stand real tall
Maybe he would even think I was older
Maybe I could even act a bit bolder

I could be a lady
I could be a lady
I could be a lady so fast

I could make Patrick McGowan love me
Love me, love me, love me, love me

There are matches in the kitchen
Curtains in my room
I could set the house on fire
Wave to him as the flames grow higher
He will come and rescue me
He will come and carry me away

Fire Engine 34
Just around the corner from me

You’re the one
Licensed to kill the pain
Who shines the sun
Into the pourin’ rain

Without your love
I ain’t got nothin’ left inside
Losin’ control
And I don’t know how long I can hold on

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge
And losin’ my hold on the lifeline
Out on the edge
And I don’t know where to turn

Say you will
Promise you’ll stay by me
Hold me still
That’s where I want to be

Without you near
I am in mortal fear of fallin’
So please take it slow
Don’t let me go
I’m needing you so
And I don’t know how long I can hold on

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge
And losin’ my hold on the lifeline
Out on the edge
And I don’t know where to turn

Hold on (I’m holdin’)
Hold on (Hangin’ on)
Hold on (Help me please)
Cuz I don’t know how long I can hold on

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge
And losin’ my hold on the lifeline
Out on the edge
And I don’t know where to turn

Out on the edge
Out on the edge
Out on the edge

You will not find it with your eyes
The way is not within the skies
The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

Won’t you stop and hush your mind
To find your peace be quiet inside
The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

And when you find your quiet place
You feel the peace and joyous space
So seek it not in part
But find the whole of glory in your heart

You will not find it in the world
You will not find it in the air
The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

And deep within your heart you’ll find
A river running fast and wide
That takes you on your way
The way is in your heart

The way is in your heart
The way is in your heart

As hard as you’ve tried
To know what it’s all about
As hard as you’ve worked
To figure the damn thing out
You’ve fretted and failed and fallen
And given up hope
And now you’re on your knees an’ crawlin’
At the end of your rope

Sometimes you got to start all over
Sometimes it works better that way
Perhaps you’re just a little bit wiser
Perhaps you got something more to say
Just try it again
Cause ev’ry time you do
You get one step closer
Sometimes you got to start all over
Sometimes it works better that way

Stop an’ look around ya’
Take some time ta’
Think the whole thing through
Leave no bridges burned
Leave no stone unturned
Take the lessons learned
And put the past behind you
It will only blind you

And then begin to start all over
It might just work better that way
And when you go through fire and water
And watch all your chances slip away

Time after time
The strong will out as the weak ones fade
And those that can start all over
Well sometimes it works better that way

If ya wanna breathe new life
Cause it all fell through

You can move heaven and earth
If ya’ start all over
Go through the fire
If ya’ start all over
Take it up higher
If ya’ start all over again

From this moment on
Just start all over
Let your troubles be gone
And start all over
Go on go on and start all over again

So when you’ve fretted and failed and fallen
And given up hope

Sometimes you got to start all over
Sometimes it works better that way