Johnny Smith

“Lonely Voyager” shares with the listeners a message of hope and concern around important issues of our time and invite us to contemplate our daily lives from a compassionate perspective. Conveyed in simple yet eloquent rock and folk settings, this song combines Johnny Tillman Smith's powerful vocals and Michael Dane Hager's complementary songwriting skills and Aldoush Alpanian's typically attentive production.

"This recording, shares with their listeners their message of hope and concern around important issues of our time and invite us to contemplate our daily lives from a compassionate perspective. Conveyed in simple yet eloquent rock and folk settings, this collection of songs combines Johnny Tillman Smith and Michael Dane Hager's complementary songwriting skills and Aldoush Alpanian's typically attentive production. Lonely Voyager puts forth an acoustic/electric sound that is the ideal background for Michael's plaintive outcry and Johnny's forceful, soulful vocals. The result is a thoughtful and introspective effort that is sure to please." San Francisco Chronicle

Johnny Tillman Smith

Artist Johnny Tillman Smith was born in Long Beach California in 1962. He began his musical life at a very young age. Born into a musical family,  A televised performance of Elvis playing “Hound Dog” that truly inspired the 9 year old Smith to pick up the guitar and pursue a life of performance and by the age of 10, he was regularly invited to perform on stage with local professional musicians.

Johnny eventually relocated to San Francisco following his performance of five songs on Sky Cafe’s debut release, formed Alias Smith, a roots/rock influenced band which took first prize in a regional Battle of the Bands competition. Alias Smith’s debut CD (1997) by the same name garnered much praise, and helped the band to secure an 18 date tour throughout Sweden and Finland as well as stage performances alongside such reputable artists as The Beach Boys, Starship, Maria Muldaur, and Roger McGuinn to name a few.  As a solo artist he released the album “Just a Man” (2003) and “Gentlemen X" (2009) and “San Francisco Bay Jazz” (2006) with Mark Holzinger and Chris Justin. Johnny’s maturity as a musician is realized as his sultry, soulful voice weaves throughout songs reminiscent of sophisticated blues melded with upbeat rock tempos. The hit “Love Is like a Rock” became #1 on radio request lines, and the song “Fortune Teller” received honorable mention in the Napa Valley Music Festival Song Writers Competition.

Johnny has won best performer 3 of 3 times at the Northern California Songwriters Association competition, and is a regular on live television and radio broadcasts. Through all of his successes, Smith has never lost “touch” with his roots and still performs on the original Martin D-35 that he’s been playing since age 12.

Album Details: 

Lonley Voyager

Style/Genre: Rock/Americana/Country
Instrumentation: Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Sax, Drums, Keyboards, Accordion.

We are all confronted constantly with the challenges of day to day existence and it would be very easy to ignore our loved ones and the world about us. But every look into our children's faces reflects our past, present and future. The past is our legacy both good and bad. The present is our opportunity to correct our current course and stop worrying about the so called "generation gap" or political differences. The future is determined by how successful we are in making our principles and commitments come to life, and thus create real change.

CRDEITS:

Produced by ALDOUSH ALPANIAN

Executive Producers: X DOT 25 Music

Mastered at Rocket Lab by: Michael Romanowski 
Producer: Aldoush Alpanian
Cover Design: Max Ahmadi
Inside Photo: Tina Campbell Hager

Vocals: Johnny Smith (1,2,3,4,5)
Harmony Vocals: Johnny Smith (4)
Also featuring vocalists Valentina O (Nymphya) and Lilli Oldfield of Screaming Divas (1,2,3,4) 
Lead Guitars: Cedric Curtis (1,2,3,4,5) 
Guitars: Johnny Smith (1,2,3,4,5)
Bass: Scott Ross (1,2,3,4,5)
Sax: Larry De La Cruz (1,2)
Drums: Daryll Borges (1,2,3,4,5)
Keyboards: Larry De La Cruz (1,2,3,4,5)
Accordion: Steve Della-Magera (3)
Arrangements: Johnny Tillman Smith & Michael Dane Hager (1,2,3,4,5)

Tracks:

1. Valley of the Moon (Remastered) (5:42)
2. Come Out (Remastered) (3:33) 
3. Lonely Voyager (Remastered) (8:00)
4. Eyes of a Lonely Hunter (Remastered) (3:43)
5. Out of the Cavern (Remastered) (4:13) 

LYRICS:

Valley of the Moon

Words and Music by: 
Johnny Tillman Smith & Michael Dane Hager

you can see it from a distance 
with its neon signs that burn the sky 
it's a city with no name
whose lies are hidden behind the walls 
some are reaching for their hopes
some are reaching for the bright lights
they're all hiding from their fate 
all hoping for a future that's lost in time
all the alley ways are filled 
with the broken shards of last night’s dreams
and the voices in the dark 
cry out to the strangers in the light
hey mister, can you spare
just one lousy quarter or a dime
so I can fight off those demons 
that are running through my mind

(Chorus) 
in the valley of the moon
there is no place you can hide 
in the valley of the moon 
all your hopes are sacrificed
so you take your heart and run
to a safer place in time 
and leave the valley of the moon
to the prisoners of her light

well the day is like the dark 
when you've lost the secrets to your past 
and the answers to your future
are too vague for you to see the signs
you were hoping it was simple
when you came here to this sacred land 
but now that you have been here
you can see that you never had the chance

(Chorus)
in the valley of the moon
there is no place you can hide
in the valley of the moon
all your hopes are sacrificed
so you take your heart and run
to a safer place in time
and leave the valley of the moon
to the prisoners of her light

now you thought you found some friends
that could save you from these mission lines
so you reached into their hearts 
with the stories of your tragic life
but they just turned away and said
"Did you hear the crazy words he raved?" 
"Yes, I think it was a prayer
from a man whose soul has flown away"

(Chorus)
in the valley of the moon
there is no place you can hide
in the valley of the moon
all your hopes are sacrificed
so you take your heart and run
to a safer place in time
and leave the valley of the moon
to the prisoners of her light

so you take your heart and run
to a safer place in time
and leave the valley of the moon
to the prisoners of her light

Come Out 

(dedicated to my mother: Carolyn Bergseid) 
Words and Music by: Johnny Tillman Smith

you've always been a loner just happy with yourself 
you don't know what you're missing with your life up on the shelf 
come out, you'll be happy that you do 
I'll be happy too 
I just want you to 
come out

(Chorus) 
come out here and see what you're missing 
all you got to do is open the door
take a couple of steps and open your eyes
then you'll see the beauty 
the beauty of the world
 
all your life you've been wondering about it 
wondering about the outside
you don't have to worry I'll be by your side

the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing 
why don't you come out of that lonely place
get up on your feet get out of that chair 
come see the sunshine 
and breathe the air, oh yeah

(Chorus) 
come out here and see what you're missing 
all you got to do is open the door
take a couple of steps and open your eyes
then you'll see the beauty 

the beauty of the world
the beauty of the world
the beauty of the world

Lonely Voyager 

Words and Music by: 
Johnny Tillman Smith & Michael Dane Hager

she was born down by the water 
where the river meets the sea 
they say it was a holy place
just made for raising southern girls
but for her it was a prison
that kept her from her dreams
lost behind those dark walls of old time tradition
she was looking for a reason 
something to have faith in 
now she gave away her innocence
to a blue-eyed boy in blue jeans 
never asking for forgiveness
just looking for answer to her prayer 
a destination from her boredom
that could free her from her fate 
a quiet moment of distraction
that could carry, carry her heart away
she was looking for a reason
something to have faith in

(Chorus) 
she's got secrets in her heart
that she doesn't want exposed
she's got memories in her past that
she'll never let you know 
she's a lonely voyager
just chasing endless dreams
in a firestorm of pain
with nowhere left to hide
she's a lonely voyager
she's a lonely voyager

now she's headed for the bright lights
with her heartaches and her pride 
caught in web of its confusion
with no savior by her side
she was blind to all its dangers 
so she fell into a spell
and gave her grace to strangers
for a chance to paint the moon 
she was looking for a reason 
something to have faith in

(Chorus)
she's got secrets in her heart
that she doesn't want exposed
she's got memories in her past that
she'll never let you know
she's a lonely voyager
just chasing endless dreams
in a firestorm of pain
with nowhere left to hide
she's a lonely voyager
she's a lonely voyager

the nights turned into cold days 
with no love to warm her soul
never knowing what to look for
just wishing for a hero to hold her tight
but the jungle took its toll on her 
and time stole all her youth
and left her just a broken angel 
with no wings, no wings to fly away 
she was looking for a reason 
something to have faith in

(Chorus)
she's got secrets in her heart
that she doesn't want exposed
she's got memories in her past that
she'll never let you know
she's a lonely voyager
just chasing endless dreams
in a firestorm of pain
with nowhere left to hide
she's a lonely voyager
she's a lonely voyager

she's got secrets in her heart
she's got memories in her past that
she's a lonely voyager
she's a lonely voyager

Eyes of a Lonely Hunter 

Music and Words by: 
Michael Dane Hager

well the eyes of a lonely hunter whose love has gone asunder
the heart of a desperate man too weak to make a stand 
now I feel like I'm falling into the arms of disillusion 
down the road without no bends where the pain never ends 
so the light has begun to fade from a love once so bright
that I feel like a blind man in the shadows of the night

(Chorus) 
I need you, I need you tonight 
can't you see that I won't survive 
I need you, I need you tonight, I need you

the anger that lingers in our hearts is like a stranger in our minds
I can hear your voice calling, it's getting stronger every time
but the tears keep on falling like the rain in my eyes 
I can hear your heart pounding it's like a siren in my mind 
but the memories of the bad times are burning down inside
like the wind before the storm
stealing away our love

(Chorus)
I need you, I need you tonight 
can't you see that I won't survive 
I need you, I need you tonight, I need you

well I thought I found the answer to the mystery of our plight
it's learning how to give, it's learning how to compromise 
but that empty look upon your face tells me there's not a chance
gone are the hopes and dreams lost in the games we played

(Chorus)
I need you, I need you tonight 
can't you see that I won't survive 
I need you, I need you tonight, I need you

well the eyes of a lonely hunter whose love has gone asunder
the heart of a desperate man too weak, too weak to make a stand

Out of the Cavern 

Words and Music by: 
Michael Dane Hager

out of the cavern into the light
just like the morning after the night
why do you make me feel this way
I can't solve the games you play
lost somewhere in my empty fear
 
(Chorus)
love's flying by so fast I know I'm losing you
life's rushing by so fast I don't know what to do
 
visions of faces hidden in the past
sweet memories that never last 
searching for things we'll never find
trying to hold onto time
wishing for answers that aren't there 

(Chorus)
love's flying by so fast I know I'm losing you
life's rushing by so fast I don't know what to do

there goes my mind away from me
just like a ship out on the sea
I can't feel with my eyes
how can I tell if you lie 
why can't your emotions be more clear

(Chorus)
love's flying by so fast I know I'm losing you
life's rushing by so fast I don't know what to do

I feel the darkness it's all around 
I know love's been lost, how is it found 
there are no secrets to hide
feelings are just thoughts sacrificed
I just want someone to care

(Chorus)
love's flying by so fast I know I'm losing you
life's rushing by so fast I don't know what to do
love's flying by so fast I know I'm losing you
life's rushing by so fast I don't know what to do