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LYRICS
WHY SHOULD I SETTLE FOR LESS?
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
All
that light
The teardrops and potential
And the saltiness I tasted on her neck
She shines in the night like moonfire in my chest
Why should I - why should I settle for less
Results are what you hope for
Answers are what you pray for
But a consequence is what you usually get
Her eyes in the night were deep as Karmic debt
Why should I - why should I settle for less
Dreams have wings
To lift you in the night
But there aint nothin there to catch you if you fall
And I fear someday I might fall to my death
Why should I - why should I settle for less
Every time we fall in love
We light a sacred fire
And that crazy flame may wane
But it never dies
When its all said and done, love is just a whisper
That pushes all the stars from east to west
And even now, I feel it on my flesh
Why should I - why should I settle for less
I LOVE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
Woody
lived near the mine
When he kissed me on the neck
I let him take what he could find
I dont remember what he said but he changed my mind
Woody had that special way
When the heart does all the talking
There aint much else to say
We both left school, we left Southwest PA
Aint got no reason left to love him
Aint got no reason left to pine - cause its over
But I love what could have been
Woody liked to keep me home
I let him do my thinking
though I know he never done his own
But it sure got quiet when the love was all done growin
Them images sure burn bright
They fill my eyes and make me cry
Drop by drop we watched that well run dry
Chorus
By 1955
Didnt know if he was happy
Didnt know if he was still alive
A part of me was smarter
And a part of me had died
WELCOME TO THE USA
King & Harmon © 2013 - Tremblestem Music
(BMI)
Lyrics - Mike King
He had
no work so he disappeared
He took a long-shot gamble and he overcame fear
And fear is freedoms rival
He made his break in the midnight cold
He had to deal with the dogs and the border patrol
And the spark inside himself and its survival
Oooh - welcome to the USA
To the golden grain and the purple of the mountains
With his brothers compass and a childhood dream
He ran all morning through desert ravines
And his only fuel was accumulated anger
It isnt easy being kind in the world
He had to steal some money from a teenage girl
I guess the view from the cross
Is different than the view from the manger
Chorus
Theres a halo over San Diego
Shining like Bethlehem
Good news, glad tidings, freedom
Freedoms writings are written in the sand
So heres what I see and heres what I know
The brighter the light
The darker the shadow
Chorus
Why must I work like a slave for my freedom
Why must I work like a slave to be free
I miss the warm nights
When I slept with my brothers and sisters
And the moonlight
That slid through the door to be with us
Am I just a pair of arms, am I just a pair of legs
Am I just another pair of hands
Working - working so hard in my new land
WHAT CRIME AM I PAYING FOR NOW?
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
You wont
change your mind
You only change your mood
All you ever gave me was a virus
And a lousy attitude
You aint got no shame
Aint it a shame youre not ashamed
You havent got the wisdom to be different
Or the guts to change
I dont know the what for
The why, the who or the how
But tell me what crime, Lord, am I paying for now
You, you aint no genius
Aint got no high IQ
You remember all the arguments and anger
But you forget about the truth
I gotta keep my head up, chin up, shoulders back
Im haulin my heart around
'Cause even lousy fighters get respected
If they dont fall down
Chorus
When Im dead and I am gone
And my heart dont beat any more
Im gonna glide through your window on a dark night
Sorta even up the score
You wont know the what for
The why, the who or the when
But it is this crime, baby - youll be paying for then
GOIN TO GUATEMALA
King & Harmon © 2013 - Tremblestem Music
(BMI)
Lyrics - Mike King
New
land everywhere
So we took it from the natives who were living there
And Love Thy Neighbor never had a prayer
Hey, aint it bold
To build a fence around the land we stole
Hey, I gotta go
Where life is kinda different and slow
Im going to Chi- Chi- Chichicastenango
Im gonna to Guatemala, la
I was an architect
But I said what the heck its time to go
To Guatemala, la, la, la
God is good and God is wise
And triangles think God has three sides
Politicians use him like a gun
Hey, more and more
When we dont know what to do we go to war
Hey, shine a light
Would we rather be rich than right
Chorus
Those same lies sound like facts when repeated
and repeated, and repeated, outta whack
And those without a conscience
Tend to benefit from that
Hey, dont it get old
When the truth cannot compete with what were told
Hey, I gotta go
Where life is kinda different and slow
CHOPPING BLOCK
King & Harmon © 2013 - Cardio Music (BMI)
Lyrics - Mike King
Moans
sound the same
Whether you are making love
Or whether you are in pain
And I been moanin lately - but thats alright
It keeps me nice and busy in the night
Nice and busy at night
From a cute little hottie - to a lot of hot air
You forgot how to try, you forgot how to care
But thats all right sugar, we all make mistakes
We all leave behind some damage
Some kind of damage in our wake
Its time to pack, walk, another true love
To the chopping block
Like a hefty ballerina movin much too fast
Our love had all the moves but none of the class
And its a sorry lookin dance
When the music fades away
Like the slow, slow unravel
Of a lonely strand of DNA
Chorus
A flesh wound feels the same
Whether from a battle
Or whether from a game
And weve all been wounded lately, but thats okay
The lamentation keeps my heart in shape
RIDIN' THROUGH THE PINES
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
The
sun made love to a wave
While the sky warmed her fingers in the blaze
Did that water boil away
Or did it get wetter in the yellow haze
Oooh - rock'n roll rhythms intertwine
Oooh - ridin through the pines with my baby
On my mind
The curve of earth and sky lies hiding in the night
Until the lightning makes the two of them collide
The reconnection of the fire
The heart and the voltage of the broken wires
Oooh - headlights slide between the pines
Oooh - ridin through the night with my baby
On my mind
Aint nothin else I need
Aint nothin else I need
Kamikaze raindrops hit the windshield and expand
Feeling somewhat more than they had planned
Hearts tumble in the wind
Prayin that they tumblin to their twin
Oooh - lightning flickers from behind
Oooh - ridin through the pines with my baby
On my mind
Lucky, lucky me
JAZZ HEART, PURPLE HEART
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
I was
fresh outta basic, out on patrol
Marchin with the others, tryin to do what I was told
And we was kickin down doors
Kickin, kickin thru the sand
Fightin in a war I didnt really understand
And I say yeah, yeah yeah
Say don't our star-spangled wrangles tear us apart
We was dead on our feet, we was dirty and tired
When rounds start clippin thru the concertina wire
The last thing I remember we was tryin to regroup
Shootin at the silhouettes of enemy troops
Sayin yeah, yeah yeah
I miss my old life, my beautiful wife
And sunny days that just kept getting better
Hey, I dont wanna gripe, I dont wanna complain
But I miss my world when it was still together
Say don't our star-spangled wrangles tear us apart
But we gotta do what we gotta do
The moon up above and the stars in their courses
Were shinin down upon all the Coalition Forces
Me, I was flyin in a C-17
Strapped to a litter on the way to Walter Reed
Sayin yeah, yeah yeah
I miss my old life, my beautiful wife
And sunny days that kept on getting better
Hey, I dont wanna gripe, I dont wanna complain
But theres a couple little things I cant remember
I cant remember
And I cannot forget
Say don't our star-spangled wrangles tear us apart
And Im blue from the bottom
Blue from the bottom
Blue from the bottom of my purple heart
But we gotta do what we gotta do
I LOVE THAT BOY
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
I
was riding in the car
My parents were in the front
I wanna cry - when I think of all the good theyve done
But sometimes I hear them moan
When they fall in bed together
Why should I be alone
I love that boy
I heard some voices in the front seat
Say to look at this or that
My imagination cleaned up its act
And jumped back like an acrobat
We were alone again
I was thinking bout the muscles
And the veins in his hand
Oooh - I love that boy, its right
I guess Im never ever gonna stop thinking
About me and him that way
Sometimes I wanna laugh out loud
Sometimes I want to get down on my knees and pray
Sometimes I dont know why
I follow what Im feeling
And it tears me up inside
Chorus
Every now and then I get angry
And I dont know why
And every now and then, I cry
Autumn all around me, the end of another year
The oak trees stand straight up, puncture the sky
And feel no shame or fear
Look at them go to seed, they bring new life
And make the mountains bleed
BEVERLY TREMBLESTEMS - THE SWINGIN VEGETARIAN
Based on a character from Blues & Grace, another
book by Mikey.
Mike King © 2013 - Tremblestem Music (BMI)
Hey!
Beverly Tremblestems
A swingin vegetarian
The toast of western Gettysburg, its true
Hey! Beverly Tremblestems
Dancing with them extra limbs
Is easy for mosquitoes in the groove
Hey! Beverly Tremblestems
Swingin with her spider friend
And a centipede who played some wicked blues
Hey! Beverly Tremblestems
Irascible contrarian
Watchin all them soldiers pay their dues
Hey! Beverly Tremblestems
Hey Beverly, I understand youre in a book...