New release
decemBER 1, 2023

FIRE ON THE WATER

“Michael Dane Hager Displays Resonating Blend Of Wisdom & Vulnerability On New Album ‘Fire On The Water’” - HANNAH BOHN, Music Mecca, December 7, 2023 - Article Here

Fire on the Water braids folk, Americana and country, together into a classic sounding collection infused with Michael Dane Hager’s unique musical personality and sensitivity. His dense and cathartic prose is woven throughout his songs starting with the lonesome nostalgic song Smoke & Mirrors. Hager makes the most of this sprawling canvas with his impassioned, textured voice that fills every forlorn lyric with the feeling of what would an echo of our inner thoughts sound like. He’s a songwriter determined to imbue each song with a kind of hard-won authority while not afraid to show his vulnerability, as best reflected in his song Dazed & Confused.

The album is governed more by mood than genre as illustrated by the juxtaposition of the plaintive, reflective commentary in Fire on the Water to the country lament of Lonesome Cowboy. Hager is not afraid of sharing his romantic sentimentality in Loving You Is Easy, which should be on everyone’s list of wedding/anniversary love songs. The richly textured arrangements in this series of yearning songs ask questions about vulnerability, being present, and lost and found love.

This album feels like a conversation with a close friend who’s been through it, who’s searched through the light and shadows….and is better for it.

Track Listing
1.  Smoke & Mirrors – 4:25
2.  Fire on the Water – 5:27
3.  Dazed & Confused – 4:22
4.  Loving You Is Easy – 4:12
5.  Pavement Princess – 4:52
6.  Settle Down – 3:11
7.  Nothing as Good as a Friend – 2:33
8.  You Left Me Half Crazy – 4:27
9.  There Is This Thing Called Music – 1:03
10. Lonesome Cowboy – 4:21
11. Night Dreams – 4:20

Album Credits
Executive Producer: Michael Dane Hager
Producer: Zach Balch
Sound Engineer: Zach Balch
Mastering: Jeff Gross
Cover Art: Stephen Goodfellow

Lead Vocals - Michael Dane Hager (1-11)
Harmony Vocals: Karyna Balch (1-8,10,11), Zach Balch (1-5,7,10,11)
Acoustic Guitars: Michael Dane Hager (1-8,10,11), Zach Balch (1-8,10,11)
Lead Electric and Acoustic Guitars:  Zach Balch (1-8,10,11)
Harmonica: Steve Eaton (1,3,7,10)
Keyboards: Zach Balch (4)
Percussions: Zach Balch (1-8,10,11)
Cello: James Hoskins (3,6,8)
Harmonium: Zach Balch (2,9)

Song Arrangements: Michael Dane Hager, Zach Balch
Recorded at Cinder Sound Studio, Longmont, CO

All song lyrics & music written by Michael Dane Hager

Lyrics

Smoke & Mirrors

now you sit alone, my old friend
like a stranger I never knew
I watch you almost every single night
at the coffee shop downtown
the place we planned all our dreams
laughing at our crazy, crazy lives
but now I see the shadows of a fading love,
falling into passing time

I guess it was all just smoke and mirrors
the rise and fall
of two hearts slowly breaking down
of two hearts slowly breaking down

I’m driving down this desert highway
where the is sun is pouring out
my thoughts are raging like a firestorm
trying to chase you out of my mind.
like the thunder busting through the sky
nothing but the echoes of our lives
I can feel the tears their crashing in
memories of better times

what is it about love?
that we can’t tame
what about a heartache?
that never fades away

I guess it was all just smoke and mirrors
the rise and fall
of two hearts slowly breaking down
of two hearts slowly breaking down

the cool of the night closing in on me
as I chase these highway signs
in the distance I can see
the reflections of our dreams
I hear the whisper of a lonely wind,
singing out those same old blues
of a sweet love that could have been
and all the things we left behind

I guess it was all just smoke and mirrors
the rise and fall
of two hearts slowly breaking down
of two hearts slowly breaking down
of two hearts slowly breaking down

Fire on the Water

The times they are a changing
sang the jester with his crooked smile
his mocking words are fading fast
as we slowly burn these highway miles

we’re listening to a different drummer
Mr. Greed is pounding out the beat
to trade in our laid-back lives
for fancy cars and a rich man’s dream

there is fire on the water
we’re stranded on the shore
our hearts heavy with confusion
as we watch the burning boats 
there is fire on the water
but we’ve lost our nerve to go  

can you feel a rumbling underground?
it’s warning that we’re losing faith
deceit is raging all around us
tempting us to another fate

we are paralyzed with fear
of a future that’s blowing in the wind
in the distance echoes sweet redemption
but instead, we choose the road of sin

there is fire on the water
we’re stranded on the shore
our hearts heavy with confusion
as we watch the burning boats
there is fire on the water
but we’ve lost our nerve to go

the wiseman’s voice trapped in silence
muted by the lies in our heads
blocking out the truth of his words
forgetting everything that he said

we think we know the punch line
but we’re blinded by our foolish pride
we’ll never solve this puzzle
when all the answers are hidden behind our lies

there is fire on the water
we’re stranded on the shore      
our hearts heavy with confusion
as we watch the burning boats
there is fire on the water
but we’ve lost our nerve to go
but we’ve lost our nerve to go

Dazed & Confused

there are angels on the stairway
there are voices in the hall
there are strangers in the shadows
that I cannot recognize

there are lovers with no wings
like diamonds in the dark
there’s a child in my past
that I cannot reconcile

there are friends I have forsaken
without knowing what I’ve have lost
there are pieces to my future
that I am sure I’ve sacrificed

now I am looking through the mirror at the stages of my life
and somewhere along the line I lost track of paradise
now I am dazed and confused and I need to have a rest
could you lay down beside me so I can feel safe again
would you lay down beside me so I can be whole again

there are fears that are hiding
in the corners of my mind
there are prisoners of my age
that I cannot rectify

there are roads that I have taken
that I wish I could forget
there are bridges I have broken
and I cannot reconnect

There are times that I have forgot
to hear the echoes of my heart
there are tears that I have wasted
that I cannot justify

now I am looking through the mirror at the stages of my life
and somewhere along the line I lost track of paradise
now I am dazed and confused and I need to have a rest
could you lay down beside me so I can feel safe again
would you lay down beside me so I can be whole again
could you lay down beside me so I can feel safe again

Loving You Is Easy

I wanted you to know on this special day
To leave no question in your mind
That your everything to me
You’re a woman one of a kind
my hero, my lover,
all that matters in my life

They say love is hard
That love can fade with time
But loving you babe is so easy
But loving you girl is so easy

When I wake to see your face
I know I’m a lucky man
To have you in my life
I know sometimes I drive you crazy
you just open up your heart
And take it all in stride

They say love is hard
That love can fade with time
But loving you babe is so easy
But loving you girl is so easy

When I found you it was like a dream
I can’t believe you chose
To spend your life with me
You’re always there when I need you
There’s no way to thank you
For all that you’ve given me

They say love is hard
That love can fade with time
But loving you babe is so easy
But loving you girl is so easy
But loving you babe is so easy
But loving you girl is so easy

Pavement Princess

I was truckin’ down the road I’d just emptied my freight
I’ve been drinking hundred-mile coffee since I left my home
then I saw the neon lights that said
The Truck Stop Hotel and Cowboy Bar and Grill
well I pulled myself off the road and put my rig to bed
then I headed for the bar to drink my late- night blues away

I walked inside and no ones there, just a lady at the bar
I took a seat next her and had a drink or two
then she leaned over on me and this is what she said
“Hey mister won’t you buy me a drink,
I’ve had hard life I know you can see”
Well I said to myself “What the hell I guess it can’t hurt”

she’s a pavement princess, a truck-stop woman
and I know that she would love me if I’d give her the time
she’s a pavement princess, a truck-stop woman
and I know that she would love me if I’d give her the time

now the next thing I knew I was in room number seven
she smiled at me and said “This ones on the house”
then she took me in her arms and chased the night away
made all of my sad times not seem so bad
and we told each other’s troubles until we got bored
then she got up and got dressed and walked out the door

she’s a pavement princess, a truck-stop woman
and I know that she would love me if I’d give her the time

I got myself together when the morning came
and I was warming up my truck when she walked in front of me
she had her arms around another lonely man
and I knew she’d love him the best that she can
well I went up to say goodbye, but I know she didn’t care
cause she just kept on walkin’ like no one was there

she’s a pavement princess, a truck-stop woman
and I know that she would love me if I’d give her the time 
she’s a pavement princess, a truck-stop woman
and I know that she would love me if I’d give her the time

Settle Down

 oh when the pain stops rolling like thunder
and the rain stops pouring down
and the voices start calling out
that everything will be all right

then I’ll know it all settle down
yes, I’ll know my life will straighten out

when my dreams stop fighting the night
and the fire is burning down
and the tears in my broken heart
can wash away all the doubt
then I’ll know it all settle down
yes I’ll know my life will straighten out

I guess I knew right from the start
You would take me down
You would tear it all apart

when my days stop screaming with rage
and the blame has faded away
and sun starts to breaking the cold
so I can find my way back home

then I’ll know it all settle down
yes, I’ll know my life will straighten out

its took a long time of reaching for hope
to get my life back again
now the moon’s stopped crying the blues
so I can close the case on you

now I know it all settle down
yes I know my life will straighten out
yes I know it will all settle down

 Nothing as Good as a Friend

I’ve traveled around this world
I’ve had my share of thrills
I’ve tasted the joys of life
I’ve treasured all the good times

But there’s nothing as good as a friend
No, there’s nothing as true as my friends

I’ve spent life living free
Chasing down my dreams
I’ve drank my share of booze
Laughed at a joke or two

But there’s nothing as good as a friend
No there’s nothing as true as my friends

I’ve been lucky with my woman
Had some good times along the way
I’ve been blessed by her grace
And the smiles on her face

No there’s nothing as good as a friend
No, there’s nothing as true as my friends

I’ve walked with a lot of good men
Lost a few along the way
I know one damn thing
That’ll stand by me till the end

No, there’s nothing as good as a friend
No there’s nothing as true as my friends
No, there’s nothing as good as a friend

You Left Me Half Crazy

sprongtime was on its way when we first met
I can see you walking there along the beach
you never saw me there
you never knew how much I cared

late at night I’d find you there down at the wharf
dancing round and round you’d go
in your secret place
I’m so glad you smiled at me
when you caught me looking right through you

Oh how I miss you my lady
you know you left me half crazy
I never knew the cost of love before losing you, before you

we’d go to a place out on the coast
summer dreams I’ve always had of someone like you
I guess I couldn’t see
how much I’d lose myself in you

you taught me how to love when I’d lost faith
I thought time would stop just for me and you
I wish I could have known
That your life was burning down inside

Oh how I miss you my lady
you know you left me half crazy
I never knew the cost of love before losing you, before you

we spent our last days in the early fall
watching the winter storms as they rolled in
wonder if they ever knew
the sadness they left me and you

when the sun is pouring down I dream of you
holding your tender heart like a precious stone
memories of a lost love
hidden in the shadows of my pain

Oh how I miss you my lady
you know you left me half crazy 
I never knew the cost of love before losing you, before you
Oh how I miss you my lady
you know you left me half crazy
I never knew the cost of love before losing you, before you

There Is This Thing Called Music

There is this thing called music
that keeps playing in my head
it grooves, it moves
and it damn well soothes
it’s a melody posed in a line
a well written rhyme
it crashes and shatters
the walls of space and time
the notes can take me past,
way past the borderline
as “Sweet Lucille”
brings tears to my smiling eyes

one voice alone,
two that harmonize,
a whole crazy choir
raising up the sky
singing out in joy,
raging with the blues,
dancing to the tango,
prancing through the night

I have heard a country devil
play a fiddle in a flaming firestorm
I have felt the thunder of rock ‘n’ roll
drumming through my bones
I have raced down the highway
with the radio blasting loud
“The King” tearing at my soul,
pouring his holy song into my heart

I rejoice,
I rejoice,
spirits calling from a neon sky
cascading words of wisdom
deep into the canyons of my mind
There is this thing called music,
that keeps playing in my head.

Lonesome Cowboy

I remember the way the west used to be
blue skies just as far as you can see
but now your cities have drowned my prairies
but this old cowboy says that ain’t the way it used to be

I remember feeling young and strong
I’d brake those broncos all day long
they say they don’t need my kind anymore
sometimes I wonder what I am working for

I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to ride
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to hide 
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to ride

Stetson hats, chaps and old rusty spurs
we’d ride those horses driving that herd
come the evening time sitting around the fire
drinking rot got whiskey, feeling awful tired
we’d tell our stories and laugh at our lies
then old Frank he’d sing and song or two
plucking’ that guitar singing the cowboy blues

I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to ride
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to hide 
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to ride

dusty roads and broken hearts and too many fights
closing down all those bars hoping I don’t dream tonight
thinking back it’s kind of sad the way my life’s ending
too many long nights, too many hard times
but don’t think I crying over the wrongs that I did
I think I’m lucky to have lived the life I lived

I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to ride
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to hide
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to ride
I’m just a lost lonely cowboy looking for a place to hide

Night Dreams

 Self-made smile, shining pair of boots,
my father’s guitar that’s all I claim
looking for my fortune, a sentimental dream
not really knowing where I’ve really been
I’ve had my chance, my share of fame
but I lost it all, along the way

night dreams you driven me way to far
I am tired of holding on, to this fading star 
half living, half dying most of my life
half saving, half wasting most of my time

some say I got the style, others say I am just a fool
a gambling man playing out my hand
I’ve cheated and lied so many times
enemies and strangers aren’t hard to find
I’ve had some love, I’ve caused some pain
I guess it’s all part of the game

day dreams you given me everything I need
to steal away from reality
half living, half dying most of my life
half saving, half wasting most of my time

walking down these crowded streets, counting hollow smiles
makes me feel like giving down deep inside
I’ve lost my chance nothing left to lose
life’s getting old, ain’t nothing new

night dreams you driven me way to far
I am tired of holding on, to this fading star
half living, half dying most of my life
half saving, half wasting most of my time
half saving, half wasting most of my life
half saving, half wasting most of my time
half saving, half wasting most of my life

Michael Dane Hager

Here's an article review just published on Music Insider about Echoes Across the Divide.

Michael Dane Hager's Album 'Echoes Across the Divide' Changing Lives

In a world threatened by so many troublesome issues, The Age of Indifference challenges us to take action and not be indifferent to the problems we all share as humans.

Special Note
All the artist's proceeds from the sale of the album Echoes Across the Divide go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Please support this important cause.

"Michael Dane Hager shares with his listeners his message of hope and concern around important issues of our time and invites us to contemplate our daily lives from a compassionate perspective. Conveyed in simple yet eloquent rock and folk settings, this collection of songs presents an acoustic/electric sound that is the ideal background for Michael's plaintive outcry and soulful vocals. The result is a thoughtful and introspective effort that is sure to please." -San Francisco Chronicle

Michael Dane Hager’s new album, Echoes Across the Divide is a collection of new compilations and remastered songs that have been long awaited by his dedicated followers. They vary in theme from heartfelt reflections of fleeting romance in Swept Away to a tribute to Congressman John Lewis in Simple Man to the healing lyrics of dealing with personal tragedy in Beginning to Every Ending.

 “Tender Love, clearly demonstrates Michael’s dedication to the craft of songwriting. There are few songs that speak so deeply about the struggles and complexity of maintaining a faltering relationship” - Steve Eaton, Gold and Platinum Singer/Songwriter

 “There are few albums that demand the full attention of the listeners as Echoes Across the Divide. Whether speaking to important issues of the today or drilling down deep into our emotions, these songs provide a place to reflect on our place in the world.” Michael Sanders, Former Executive MTA Records.

Michael Dane Hager, besides being a successful songwriter with over 40 songs recorded by a variety of artists in 2004 turned his creative talents to writing novels and theatrical plays. His first novel Just Beyond the Edge, published in 2011 received rave reviews from both reviewers and readers alike. His theatrical play, The Last Ride, was produced in 2008 and received rave reviews from sold out audiences and critics alike. 

Special Note: A significant portion from the sales of this album will go to charitable organizations supporting suicide prevention.

“There are so many people that I need to thank besides the wonderful musicians that made this labor of love and my dreams come true. Special thanks to: Christina, my loving partner and muse, for her unyielding support and compassion, Mike Sanders and Steve Eaton, who always inspire, Tyson, my son and Chloe and Ayanna, my granddaughters, for reminding me that there is a next generation we need to nurture and care for. A special thanks to Aldoush Alpanian at X DOT 25 Music, Zach Balch and John McVey at Cinder Sound Studios for asking me to always reach deeper when I doubted myself, and to Max Ahmadi at X DOT 25 Music, who had a vision and didn't let adversity stop him in his dream to share music with the world. This album is dedicated to everyone who is inspired by this music to save a homeless child from another cold night or contribute their energy saving our fragile earth or to nurture a friend through a broken heart. Lastly, I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to my music and hopefully sharing it with family and friends.” - Michael Dane Hager

Recording Sessions at X DO T 25 Music Recording Studio @ 1240 Powell Street in Emeryville, California and Cinder Sound Studios, 9769 Schlagle St. Longmont, Colorado.

Album Details: 

Echoes Across the Divide

Style/Genre: Americana/Folk/Rock
Instrumentation: Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Sax, Drums, Harmonica, Keyboards, Violin, Percussion, Tabla, Dumbak/Daf.

Tracks:

1. Swept Away (4:44)
2. Tender Love (4:07)
3. Bums on 42nd Street (4:42)
4. Beginning to Every Ending (4:25)
5. The Age of Indifference (5:31)
6. Shadows of Your Heart (4:47)
7. High Flying Man (3:43)
8. Simple Man (3:16)
9. Cantos (4:40)
10. Let Your Heart Be Your Guide (4:17)
11. Born in 1978 (5:05)

ALBUM CRDEITS:

Executive Producer: X DOT 25 Music
Producer: Aldoush Alpanian, X DOT 25 Music
Producers: Zach Balch, John McVey, Cinder Sound Studios
Mastered at Rocket Lab San Francisco (songs 1,3,5,6,9,11): Michael Romanowski 
Additional Mastering Los Angeles (songs 2,4,7,8,10): Jeff Gross
Album Cover: Christina Hager, Michael Dane Hager

Vocals: Michael Dane Hager
Acoustic Guitar: Michael Dane Hager
Harmony Vocals: Jim Featherstone (3,6), Johnny Smith (9), Aldoush Alpanian (1,3,5,6), Karyna Balch (2,4,7,10), Leigh Wyckoff (8)
Lead Guitars: Aldoush Alpanian (1,3,5,6,11), Zach Balch (2,4,7,10), Michael Hager (9), Leigh Wyckoff, Mark Schleunes (8)
Bass: Jeff Obee (5,6,11), Bradley Morse (2,4,7,10)
Sax: Larry De La Cruz (6,11), Scott Hill (5)
Drums: Joe Brigandi (5,6), Alphonse Meredith (11), Kevin Mattews (2,4,7,10)
Harmonica: Stevie Gurr (1), Steve Eaton (2)
Keyboards: Larry De La Cruz (6), Jeff Obee (11), Ryan Pool (2,4,7,10)
Violin: Anthony (9)
Percussion: Art Cavagnaro (3,5), Kevin Dillon (8)
Tabla: Brad Van Cleave (5)
Dumbak/Daf: Hooshmand Saki (5)
Arrangements: Aldoush Alpanian, Michael Dane Hager (1,3,5,6,9,11) – Michael Dane Hager, Zach Balch (2,4,7,10) - Michael Dane Hager (8)
Choir Arrangements. on "The Age of Indifference": Heros Minasian

All Song Lyrics and Music by Michael Dane Hager

LYRICS:

Swept Away

I was thinking about the day we left each other standing in the rain 
and I was wondering how you are and how much you've really changed 
and I remember the things we said and thought we both understood 
and I tried to love you all the way, you know I did the best that I could

(Chorus)
now I've been swept away by the memories of you 
and I'm crying for help, is there anything you can do 
I've been swept away by the memories of you 
and I'm asking for love, is there anything you can do

well I look in the mirror and sometimes there ain't nobody there 
and I'm waiting for the day all this confusion will clear 
and I can't forget the look you had on your face when you went away 
it haunts me everywhere I go and I try and try and try to forget

(Chorus)

well the pictures on my wall they tell me it was not a dream 
and I know I'm not the fool, but sometimes that's just the way it seems 
well I was thinking about the day we left each other standing in the rain
and I was wondering how you are and how much you've really changed

(Chorus)

TENDER LOVE

there’s a cold wind blowing through my heart
as I watch the games go down
and all across the room the scene unfolds of empty smiles and faithless love
now a soldier and his young bride have given up the fight
they’re looking for salvation from endless days and long goodbyes
now they have lost the battle, they’re prisoners of their past
having never heard the voices that could give them sweet romance

(Chorus)
Oh tender love, another broken heart
Oh tender love another sleepless night

it’s hard to trace the steps of love
as you chase them through your life
when you’re living in the shadows of foolish fears and lonely nights
now the answers don’t come easy when you hiding behind your lies
and you’re running away from the mistakes you made
counting dreams and losing time

(Chorus)

there is a constant danger to the heart
that can catch you by surprise
and the secrets of the love you had can be a distant and fading star
they’ll disappear into the dark without a trace of light
leaving nothing of your perfect lives
but the pictures on the wall

(Chorus)

the winners are living out their dreams
in the comfort of their disguise
while the losers on the other hand are struggling to survive
as the victims of this lover’s game hide their faces in their shame
the angels of the god of love
sing a long and silent prayer

(Chorus)

Bums on 42nd Street 

I was talking to the bums on 42nd Street 
I was listening to their sad lives 
it was down at the depot they would meet
it was there they spoke of their strife
and some would drink their old red wine
just to help them pass the time 
some would sing those lonesome blues
cause that's all they really knew

(Chorus)
it's a sad, sad story I've told about the men that stand in the cold
it's a mad, mad world they've known these men with the heavy load
 
well their ragged coats are made of tweed 
stuffed with papers no one needs 
they're called the sidewalk walkers
and they're foul mouth talkers 
they wander through the night as stalkers of the light
well they're poets and dreamers 
hiding from the past
disguising all their lonely fears
behind their laughter and their rags
they ramble through the streets like shadows in the night

(Chorus) 

some get sick in the early dawn 
as their world screams like thunder
they know their life's not long 
so why save each other 
well, I left them in the early day
down at the city park
I didn't know what to say to the lonely men of the dark

(Chorus) 

I was talking to the bums on 42nd Street
I was listening to their sad lives 
it was down at the depot that they would meet 
it was there they spoke of their strife

(Chorus)

beginning to every ending

(Chorus)
There is a beginning to every ending
in all the stages of your life
0and your light will keep on burning
somewhere in the stars at night
there is a beginning to every ending
even when you lost someone you love
so open up your heart and let it shine
so open up your heart and let it shine

there are loved ones that you have cherished
that have helped you through the dark
there are tender words that they have shared
that are treasures in your heart
there are days you might have questions
when you’re lost and running blind
but there are friends that won’t forget you
even in the face of time

(Chorus)

there are friends that you have touched
with all the grace of your life
they hold all your hopes and dreams
that keeps shinning in their eyes
there are times we might have wonder
what is the purpose of this test
well there are no easy answers
just know that you did your best

(Chorus)

The Age of Indifference 

there's a great forest burning to the south of our homeland
they say it's all in the name to promote the lives of man
but the night skies reflect their lies as we turn to close our eyes
too afraid to ask the cost 
too scared to face what we have lost 
to a world of a selfish sin
to a world of a selfish sin

in the townships they are crying to the sound of a distant drum
they say they've lost the answers to the voices of their sons
but the children lie in cold despair, no chance to save their lives
too weak to try and make a stand 
too broken to hold onto a hand
from the arms of deliverance
from the arms of deliverance

(Chorus)
we are on the brink, times when dreams are lost 
and the frontiers are closing down, with every passing glance
it makes no sense, there is no defense
to the age of indifference
to the age of indifference

there's a dark storm that's coming to the heart of our hometowns 
and the gangs are fighting for control to try to take the rich men down 
and in the wake of all these drug wars there's only one way to survive
too late to save their poor souls
too blind to stop what we have bought
from the hands of the innocent 
from the hands of the innocent

(Chorus)

there are heroes that are captured behind the walls of distant shores
and they're calling out for freedom to try to open all the doors
but the politicians try and hide behind the laws of their disgrace
too tempted by their own greed
too trapped to let their prisoners free 
from the chains of their bitterness
from the chains of their bitterness

(Chorus)

Shadows of Your Heart

I can see you walking down the dark avenues past my lonely room
you're like the moonlight shining bright drowning all the stars 
and every time I see you it's like you were never gone
and your know I'm lying here inside but you're too afraid to dance

(Chorus) 
and I try to forget who you are 
and I try to escape from these scars 
but don't you know you're burning a hole in my life
tearing my world apart
oh girl, you're just a shadow in my heart
oh girl, you're just a shadow in my heart

I remember when we first met every night was like a dream
flying free like two angels high above a distant storm 
making love like two crazy fools watching the world go by 
but the memories of that love are quickly fading fast

(Chorus)

two castaways drifting far away from angry lives 
searching for a harbor to soothe our ravaged hearts 
and the voices they are fading from a time of quiet hope 
but the silence of these empty nights just won't let me go

(Chorus)

HIGH FLYING MAN

he left his home just a boy of eighteen-year-old
couldn’t take the family life he was forced to live
struggling to find his dreams like a lost fool in the night
fighting for the love he couldn’t find
hiding from the lies behind their eyes 

(Chorus)
he’s a high-flying man
and he really doesn’t give a damn
couldn’t see the devils in the dark
sheltered from the echoes of his heart1 

he joined the faces in the crowd where you’re just a name
couldn’t find a good friend and his hopes they passed him by
started to feed the beast, cause it soothed his aching mind
didn’t know how hard life could be
couldn’t pay the price of being free 

(Chorus) 

the city finally drowned him on a cold December day
he lie there crying with the tears of a saint
he trusted fate to take him back home
couldn’t fight off all of the shame
lost all his hopes to the game

(Chorus)

Simple Man

(Chorus)
Just a simple man with a simple dream
Hoping the world can see, what it takes to be free
What it takes to have some peace.

free from all the differences,
that is tearing us apart
it's reaching out across the land,
it's like a shadow in the dark
we've got to join our hearts together,
and build a better way,
stop all the lies and hatred,
that brings us back to the ancient days.

 (Chorus)

free from all the children,
that are naked in the night
hoping somebody will save them,
from the evils of their plight
we've got to take them back into our arms,
and show them that we care,
and give them the love and shelter,
that takes away all their empty fear.

(Chorus)

and the winds of tomorrow hold the answers to our fate
and all we have to do is stop
and open up the gate.

(Chorus)

free from all the voices, that are calling out in rage,
they are clinging onto the ravaged lies
by all the words that cause the pain,
we've got to stand up follow my brothers,
and extend a loving hand,
bring an end to all this fighting,
that steals away all our precious time.

I'm just a simple man with a simple dream
Hoping the world can see, what it takes to be free,
What it takes to have some peace,
What it takes to be free,
What it takes to have some peace.
What it takes to be free,
What it takes to have some peace.
What it takes to be free,
What it takes to have some peace.

Cantos

oh the cantos on my bookshelf with the words of a crazy man
don't you know he lived by truth but died alone
and sometimes his words were lost in obscurity 
but to some they made sense out of life

(Chorus) 
but he was just a stranger in a foreign land
the voice of freedom for the common man
but they broke him like a child 
and left him alone with his dreams

and on gray days when I'm feeling like the clouds pouring down
I reach out and take the words of a poet man
from one world to another I ride on his verses
soft colors and some passion he left behind

(Chorus) 

and his friends they passed him by without seeing that look in his eyes
like mirrors they reflected all their lies 
oh the cantos on my bookshelf with the words of a crazy man 
don't you know he lived by truth but died alone

(Chorus)

LET YOUR HEART BE YOUR GUIDE

we’re headed into darker waters
into places we don’t know
but as long as we have each other
we’ll never be alone2
we all have to be a little stronger
help the ones that need a hand2
we know it won’t be easy giving
but we’ve got to make this stand

(Chorus)
take a look in your heart
let it open wide
take a hold of your love
and let it be your guide
let your heart open wide

some days feel like forever
like the walls are closing in
we have to reach out for one another
to stay in touch with our lives.
we’re all in this fight together
even if we’re far apart
mother, father, sisters and brothers
holding on to who we are

(Chorus)

Born in 1978 

born in the year of ninety seventy-eight
a product of a war he never would appreciate
raised on heroes he never knew
in a fantasy land built on empty plans 
poor child never knew the success he was supposed to be
his mother had all the social graces
the father he never knew worked too hard to pay his dues 
forgotten people in forsaken places 
holding onto lies with their empty faces
hidden from all the truth blinded by the masquerade

(Chorus) 
but you don't care what you left astray 
and you wonder why I cry for yesterday
sweet innocence won't you take, take me back again
sweet innocence won't you take, take me back again

generations of time they come and pass 
but ours was supposed to be the golden age
expected to answer all your ancient questions 
when all of your promises faded into false dreams
skeletons of your age still remain to haunt my soul
some say we lost our chance 
that life is just a joke, a passing glance
but I'll keep on struggling to change the ways 
and try and make you understand the pain
of what it feels like to lose what you sought to gain

(Chorus)

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