"That Summer"

I went to work for her that summer
A teenage kid so far from home
She was a lonely widow woman
Hell-bent to make it on her own
We were a thousand miles from nowhere
Wheat fields as far as I could see
Both needing something from each other
Not knowing yet what that might be

'Til she came to me one evening
Hot cup of coffee and a smile
In a dress that I was certain
She hadn't worn in quite a while
There was a difference in her laughter
There was a softness in her eyes
And on the air there was a hunger
Even a boy could recognize

She had a need to feel the thunder
To chase the lightning from the sky
To watch a storm with all its wonder
Raging in her lover's eyes
She had to ride the heat of passion

"Night Rider's Lament"

One night while I was out a ridin'
The grave yard shift, midnight 'til dawn
The moon was bright as a readin' light
For a letter from an old friend back home
And he asked me
Why do you ride for your money
Tell me why do you rope for short pay
You ain't a'gettin' nowhere
And you're loosin' your share
Boy, you must have gone crazy out there
He said last night I ran on to Jenny
She's married and has a good life
And boy you sure missed the track
When you never come back
She's the perfect professional's wife
And she asked me
Why does he ride for his money
And tell me why does he rope for short pay
He ain't a'gettin' nowhere
And he's loosin' his share
Boy he must've gone crazy out there
Ah but they've never seen the Northern Lights

"Face To Face"

There was a bad boy in the school yard
Waited on you every day
Seemed like every time you turned around
Well he was standin' in your way
Well he broke your glasses
The girls all laughed
As he pushed you to the floor
But then you stood up one day knowin'
You couldn't stand it anymore
And your gentle hand was finally clenched in rage
You were face to face
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
Eye to eye finally has arrived
But bad as it was, well now brother wasn't it better
Dealin' with him face to face
Your date showed up with flowers
And you thought your dreams had come
But with every passing hour
You felt it come undone
Then the night exploded and you begged him no
But he forever changed your life
And now he waits a judge and jury
Thinkin' you'll break down inside
And with a finger you can put his fists away

"Standing Outside The Fire"

We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned

We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned

But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire

We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all

"Kickin' And Screamin'"

Well, I don't know what my uncle did
But he must have done it right
They sure strung him up one Saturday night
He had spent his whole life fussin'
Would have spent his last breath cussin'
'Til he realized the deal was really done
He started screamin' "hallelujah"
Tryin' to make his peace with everyone
Yeah, he was kickin' and screamin'
Just like he came in
He was kickin' and screamin', darlin'
Right to the bitter end
Ain't it funny how we come in kickin' giddyup
And go out hollerin' whoa
Lord, we never want to be here
Sure don't ever want to go
Well, I could hear those church bells ringin'
To my best friend I was clingin'
Screamin' "If you love me brother don't let me go"
Well then the whole scene was repeated
Two years later I begged and pleaded
Screamin' "If you love me, honey,
Now you know you wouldn't want to let me go"
No, I didn't want to do it
But I sure don't want to see it come undone
Yeah, I was kickin' and screamin'

"The Red Strokes"

Moonlight on canvas, midnight and wine
Two shadows starting to softly combine
The picture they're painting
Is one of the heart
And to those who have seen it
It's a true work of art

Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Tempered and strong (Fearlessly drawn)
Burning the night like the dawn

Steam on the window, salt in a kiss
Two hearts have never pounded like this
Inspired by a vision
That they can't command
Erasing the borders
With each brush of a hand

Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Tempered and strong (Fearlessly drawn)

"The Cowboy Song"

Pushin horns weren't easy like the movie said it was
And I don't recall no dance hall girls
Or hotel rooms with rugs
You worked hot and tired and nasty
Rode your pony's head too low
There were all the nights you couldn't sleep
'Cause it was too damn cold
And you'd sing "Strawberry Roan" and "Little Joe"
Like the time we hit the river
And the rains began to fall
And the water was risin' so damn fast
We thought it'd drown us all
We lost a lot of steers that day
And four to five good mounts
But when all the boys rode into camp
We knew that's what counts
And we sang, yippie ti yi yay and "Amazing Grace"
Or the night they broke behind us
And then took us by surprise
I whistled out to Bonner, I seen the terror in his eyes
And he rode for all his horse would ride
And I know he done his best
But he crossed over Jordan ridin' Dunny to his death
And we sang "Bringing in the Sheaves" and "The Rugged Cr

"That Ol' Wind"

She dropped her boy at school on time
One less worry on her mind
Now it's off to work and on the radio
Come's an old familiar song
And then the D.J.'s voice comes on
And say's he's back in town tonight for one last show

Her eyes well up with tears
God could it be it's been ten years
Since that Autumn night outside the county fair
When two strangers shared a night
And in the darkness found a light
That to this day is still alive and burning there

He asked her twice to come along
They said good-bye at the break of dawn
'Cause you can't hold back the wind
If it's meant to be again
Then someday he'll find his way back to her arms

The marquee misspelled his name
And not too many people came
But that didn't matter to them
They laughed and loved all through the night
And as they faced the morning light
They found themselves standing there again

"Rollin'"

She was born to a mother trucker
Raised behind the wheel
So you can blame it on the highway
For the way she can't sit still
She says life is like a windshield
It ain't no rear view mirror
The only way to get where you're goin'
Is find that higher gear
And keep it

Rollin'
Life's gonna run you over if you don't get goin'
She said I wanna fell the earth move under me
Movin' with the motion of a melody
Oh I get the blues if the rhythm ain't got no soul
You got to keep it
Rollin'

Well I knew that I was in trouble
When she told me that talk was cheap
Said if you're tired get on the sofa
'Cause the bed's no place to sleep
Then she reached down and she kissed
Lord it knocked me to my knees
And I knew if I was gonna get naked

"The Change"

One hand
Reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

This heart
Still believes
The love and mercy still exist
While all the hatred rage and so many say
That love is all but pointless in madness such as this
It's like trying to stop a fire
With the moisture from a kiss

And I hear them saying you'll never change things