I turn my eyes to the western skies where I long to be
A HEART IN THE RAIN
words and music byJohn Carpino
Eyes on the horizon
A cold autumn day
Storm clouds in the distance
They got somethin' to say
A bus stop in a small Wyoming town
The smell of diesel and dust
Hands start to shakin'
Fields turn to rust
And he's not gettin' younger
The shadows remain
After lightning and thunder
A heart in the rain
An old motel by the roadside
Refuge for a night
Thoughts of a loved one
He holds on tight
A quiet street through a window
Worn, tattered shades
Winds increase now
Darkness invades
And he's not gettin' younger
The shadows remain
After lightning and thunder
A heart in the rain
ROCK AND ROLL HIGHWAY
words and by music John Carpino
Sister got a ride with a reggae band
Sister got a golden band from the band's bass man
Sound checks and bounced checks and bouncers checkin' at the door
No we won't see sister 'round here no more
Brother got a ticket on an east bound bus
Brother says he doesn't give a damn about us
He's part-time working parking Kansas City cars
Savin' all his money for and electric guitar
Seems like everybody out there's got a place to move
Everybody's lookin' for a way
It really doesn't matter what direction you choose
We can all find a place to play
On the Rock and Roll Highway
There's a smokey little bar on the edge of town
I spend a lot of time slammin' whiskey down
Singin' 'bout Lodi and the Thunder Road
Everybody knows that I'm about to explode
Payson
THE REDEMPTION ROAD
words and music by John Carpino
Standing at the edge of this mountain
Lookin' out across this land Miles and miles of bitter-sweet smiles People tryin' to understand
And we carry the load On the redemption road Yeah, we carry the load On the redemption road
Standing at the edge of my country Lookin' from the East to the West Lately all I can see in the land of the free People tryin' to get some rest
Still we carry the load
On the redemption road Yeah, we carry the load On the redemption road
Lay down your pride and vanity Walk a mile with me On the redemption road
I still believe in our future I still believe in our fate I still believe that the dreams that we share Can conquer fear and hate
Standing at the edge of my country Lookin' from the West to the East We give and we take and we make our mistakes In our sruggle with war and peace
And we carry the load On the redemption road Yeah, we carry the load On the redemption road
Lay down your pride and vanity And walk a mile with me.
On the redemption road
DESENSITIZED words and music by John Carpino
I've been runnin' round in circles Tryin' to stop on that dime I fear my good intentions Were just a waste of my time I've been readin' all the headlines I've been tryin' to catch my breath And I've been listenin' to the newsman and he scares me half to death Too many of us take this all for granted and we skate on by for free Too many of us don't believe it's real until we watch it on TV It's a media circus And they juggle fact and fiction All the while smilin' at the camera On the six O'clock edition
It's just a version of the truth And the shove it down our throats And it's a politicians fantasy world And then he stands around and gloats I change the channel for the details on the latest dysfunctional Hollywood star I tell myself that it's a needed distraction From Iraq, Rwanda and Dar fur We're all desensitized We're all desensitized Over-loaded with half-truth lies We're all desensitized So I'll throw on an extra blanket And try to get a good night's rest I can function in this screwed up world At least I'll do my best Still it's tappin' on my shoulder And lurkin' in my rear-view mirror It's the great American monster Born of ignorance and fear The TV bigots and the self-righteous Tell me how to vote and what to feel Still it seems like the more I watch The less I comprehend and the less seems real. We're all desensitized We're all desensitized Over-loaded with half-truth lies We're all desensitized
