HOPELESS TROUBADOUR LYRICS

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

I wake up in the morning
Alone another day
Make my way to the piano
I’m funny that way
I’m thinking bout you baby
Wherever you are
In my imagination
You aren’t that far

Your arms slip around me
You smile and hold me tight
I’m lost in your eyes little girl
Everything, everything feels so right
Now were dancing in the kitchen
To a Sunday morning song
Don’t wake me from this dream
Cause alone feels so wrong

Chorus
What about love?
Two hearts believing
What about love?
In the passion and the fire
What about love
Deny all logic and reason
What about love?
In the name of desire
What about love?

We’re sitting on the porch
The sun is going down
Nothing really matters
Except you are still around
It’s a story never-ending
Two souls fly away
Find a new beginning
Go home a different way

Chorus

What about love?
Two hearts believing
What about love?
In the passion and the fire
What about love?
Deny all logic and reason

What about love?
In the name of desire
What about love?
A fool’s heart believing
What about love?
Love will find a way
What about love?
Don’t I deserve the feeling?
What about love?
Of no more lonely days
What about love?

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

You came to me, like a vision in the night
Out of my head, I was filled with desire
Scorched by your flame,
I was, cleansed by your fire
Born again in the salvation of love

A saint or a sinner, it’s all just a name
A winner, a loser, it’s all part of the game
You gave me hope and took away my shame
I was saved by the salvation of love

The wind can howl, let the rain pour
The dam may break, let the tempest roar
And death has no sting, despair has no scorn
Compared to the power of love

Some folks say, you’ve got time,
You can wait
But, love is lost when you, hesitate
Finding heaven, came down to
A leap of faith
I was saved by the power of love
Lifted up by the salvation of love
I was saved, by the salvation of love

Written by Johnnie Taylor
Copyright 2009

This is Stevie saying If you’re tied up
You’d better stay tied up
Cause it’s cheaper to keep her

It’s cheaper to keep her
It’s cheaper to keep her
When that little
Girl make you mad
And you get an attitude
And pack your bags
Five lovely children
That you’re leaving behind
you’re gonna pay some
Alimony or do some time

That’s why
It’s cheaper to keep her
Cheaper to keep her

When you get through
Staring that judge in the face
You’re gonna wanna cuss
The whole human race
That’s why
It’s cheaper to keep her=
(It’s cheaper to keep her)
(It’s cheaper to keep her)
(It’s cheaper, it’s cheaper)
(It’s cheaper, it’s cheaper)
(It’s cheaper to keep her)

You didn’t pay but two dollars
To bring the little girl home
Now you’re about to pay
Two thousand to leave her alone

You see another woman out there
And you wanna make a change
She ain’t gonna want you cause
You won’t have a damn thing

That’s why it’s cheaper to keep her
Everybody sing along with me
It’s cheaper to keep her
(It’s cheaper to keep her)
By the time you get through
Looking that judge in the face
You’re gonna wanna cuss
The whole human race

That’s why
It’s cheaper to keep her
(It’s cheaper to keep her)
Its cheaper to keep her
(It’s cheaper to keep her)
(It’s cheaper, it’s cheaper)
(It’s cheaper, it’s cheaper)
(It’s cheaper to keep her)

I know you think the grass is greener
Way over on the other side
When that Judge give
You that dirty look
You may as well put your
Money in momma’s pocketbook

That’s why it’s cheaper to keep her
(It’s cheaper to keep her)
Cost too much to leave the little girl home
I know it’s cheaper to keep her
Remember what’s her’s is her’s
And what’s yours is her’s
You don’t want to make that little girl mad

It’s cheaper to keep her

Cheaper to keep her cheaper to keep her

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

Young man, standing on the corner
Watching the world go by
A pretty girl looks at him and smiles
All he can say is my, my, my

Life is unpredictable
As she boards a bus and rides away
What could have been has now become
Too little too late

Timing is everything
All is lost when you hesitate
You gotta strike while the iron is hot
Or end up with too little too late

Desiree is a good woman
She treats James like a king
James is always on the prowl
Lookin for a new fine thing

You know D ain’t no fool
And today is judgment day
James will soon come to understand
Too little too late

Timing is everything
All is lost when you hesitate
You gotta strike while the iron is hot
Or end up with too little too late

Politicians never understand
Who there’re working for
(shame, shame, shame)
Why do we let them steal us blind
And never show them to the door

It’s unforgiveable
That we choose to look the other way
(Look away)
That Rome burned is the lesson learned
About too little too late

Timing is everything
All is lost when you hesitate
You gotta strike while the iron is hot
Or end up with too little too late

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009
I want to smile; please someone take my hand
Teach me how to cry, how to cry

I should be dancing, all I want to do is sing
I should have wings to fly, wings to fly

Chorus
How do I cry, without tears?
Teach me how to cry, without fear

Words are spoken, the secret language of the heart
There is no reply, teach me how to cry

Chorus

How do I cry, without tears?
How do I cry, when no one hears?

The weight of silence, in a house where no one speaks
Teach me how to cry, teach me how to fly

The soul won’t be denied
Teach me how to try
I should have wings to fly
Teach me how to cry

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

When your heart turns from red to blue
Pain and regret work to hide the truth
The answer’s in front of you
I’ll be there

When the angels forget your name
Up and down all seem the same
Joy and peace turn to fear and pain
I’ll be there

I’ll be there
To hear your call
I’ll there
To break your fall
When your back’s against the wall
I’ll be there

Don’t give up the fight
Down there on your knees
That’s when you’ll realize
What tomorrow can be

Things are never what they seem
Silver linings come with broken dreams
Your go around will come around again
I’ll be there

At the point of no return
You’ll find the road to lessons learned
No matter which way you turn,
I’ll be there

I’ll be there
To hear your call
I’ll there
To break your fall
When your back’s against the wall
I’ll be there

I’ll be there
When you can’t go on
I’ll be there
To help you find your song
When hope is lost and faith is gone
I’ll be there

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

I was 6 years old
When I first met Ginny Lee
A tomboy full of animus
A spirit wild and free
I thought she was an angel
In her dirty old blue jeans
Golden hair and bright green eyes
I fell in love with Ginny Lee

The years came and went
I was deep in family
I remember how my heart would soar
When I saw Ginny Lee
She was battling her demons
Trying to pull back from the fire
It seemed the more she struggled
The deeper she got mired

Ginny Lee
Why are you cryin
Ginny Lee
Why are you cryin

There’s a word on the wire
The wind is blowing cold
The news coming down
Shook me to my soul
Not some distant memory
Of something done or said
The voice said unmistakably that Ginny Lee was dead

Ginny Lee
Why are you cryin
Ginny Lee Why are you cryin

Bridge
She greets the morning sun
She wants the darkness gone
Weary of the fight
There’s no end in sight
Bring the memories on
A time to laugh and run
Stayed up to meet the dawn
Let the past be dead and gone
Why can’t the ghosts leave her alone?

I hope she finds some peace
On the other side
I can’t seem to shake this sadness
Or the tears that I have cried
The memory of her smile
Gives some small remedy
Every time I see an angel
I’ll think of Ginny Lee

Ginny Lee
Why are you cryin
Ginny Lee
Why are you cryin

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

When nobody’s knockin at your front door, that’s me
When your phone’s not ringin anymore, that’s me
When no-one arms are holding you tight
And you’re all alone in the morning light
No more passion and sweet goodnight
That’s me, baby, that’s me

When roses aren’t delivered on no special day, that’s me
When songs for you aren’t written or played, that’s me
No one always letting you be right
No more excuses you can’t justify
No one pretending that you didn’t lie
That’s me

I’m not happy till your not happy
I’m not fine, till you’re not fine
Put me out of your misery darlin
And I won’t show you a real good time

When nights last forever and days drag on, that’s me
When you start to wonder bout what went wrong, that’s me
You’ve got a case of too little too late
Those 4 walls won’t forgive your mistake
The give is gone from give and take

I wanted a lifeline, you threw me a noose
You’ve killed and cooked the golden goose
Don’t wave the white flag there can be no truce
That’s me, oh baby that’s me

Don’t come by sometime when I’m not here
I hope I don’t see you sometime baby
I’m not fine till you’re not fine

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith
Copyright 2009

We’ve come this far baby
Can we take much more?
No more I, me, mine
No more keeping score

The time has come, baby
To ask ourselves why
No more running from the truth
We just stopped trying

Here we are
With nothing to say
The high cost of love
We’ve refused to pay
When a flame burns bright
You don’t let it, fade away

Hope dies hard
In the arms of loneliness
Faith can’t survive
In a prison of emptiness
We’re locked up baby
Reprieve denied
There’s no way out
No airtight alibi
We know that love, can’t survive
In a prison of lies

We asked too much
Then we lost our way
The passion couldn’t know
The price we’d have to pay

Pride fights hard
A fool’s heart is blind
There’s no chance of surrender
When you’re out of time

Here we are
With nothing to say
The high cost of love
We refused to pay
When a flame burns bright
You don’t let it, fade away

Hope dies hard
In the arms of loneliness
Faith can’t survive
In a prison of emptiness
We’re locked up baby
Reprieve denied
There’s no way out
No airtight alibi
We know that love, can’t survive
In a prison of lies

Written by Steven Elwyn Smith, Nathaniel Stanley Gawlik, Leslie Welsh

One broken Mom and three broken lives
Her prescription cocktail, looking for a fight
A child’s need for love puts him in harms way
Waiting for the abuse
Praying its different today
She’s set to go off like a sobbing bomb
The child not a man is blown to kingdom come

Broken and beautiful
In every city and town
Broken and beautiful
The power of one can make a difference now

Sister wails at the man in the corner (if this house could talk)
He kisses her and calls her a whore
One pill and her conscious sleeps (blue skies fade to gray)
Until lust and gin make her beg for more
No love from mother or father
What is his name again?
Sweet sleep come and free me
From this world of hunger and pain

Broken and beautiful
In every city and town
Broken and beautiful
We can make a difference in a child’s life now

Will we spend Christmas in the shelter?
Will we be together as a family?
Is the person I see in the mirror?
The person I have to be tomorrow?

Oh, the holidays are here
Thanksgiving for all but us out in the snow
Passing all the shiny houses
Mama, is there someplace warm that we can go?

Broken and beautiful
In every city, in every town
Broken and beautiful
It’s time to make a difference in a child’s life now
Broken and beautiful
Tolerance is ignorance, despair wears no crown
Broken and beautiful

No child should ever have to know
How it feels to be
Broken