The following lyrics were created for the musical stories which were published as our twelfth collection in 2009 under the title of “By Invitation.” Simply click on the images below to go directly to the original story, music and complete lyrics along with other related links.
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By Invitation
Got a letter addressed in fancy script
Ripped it open with a style to match its flair
Words so fluid that they dripped and ran right off the page
The honor of my presence is requested
Laughed out loud when I read who it was from
Earlier this morning, I mailed them an invitation of my own
Including them, letting in
Then I find that they’re inclined
To pen these lines of invitation, let me in
Sat down at the desk to write out my reply
And to thank them for including me
With words so fluid that they flowed between my pen and page
Wrote of invitations coming and going
I imagine basking in your presence
Sharing all of our lives by invitation
The pleasure of your company
“By Invitation” is a warm, lighthearted exploration of mutual affection and synchronized connection. Spurred by the ironic coincidence of two people mailing formal invitations to each other on the exact same morning, the song celebrates the joy of reciprocal effort in a relationship. Through the metaphor of “fluid words and open doors,” it portrays connection as a continuous, welcoming exchange where both individuals eagerly make space to enjoy each other’s company.
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Sparks
Across the room our eyes meet
Distance closes
As we slowly, step by step
Make our way together
Drawn by piercing dark eyes
Time suspended
As the crowd begins to dim
Fades then finally melts away
In the middle of the room
With our fingers touching
Sparks of something new
Yet we’ve both known all along
I feel pulled into a place I want to stay
Offered secretly
So compelling I can’t break away
Can’t imagine that I’d want to
It seems there’s no beginning
And there is no end
No beginning
Somehow without end
It seems there’s no beginning
And there is no end
No beginning
Somehow without end
Saying not a single word
I know his story
Why we both are here tonight
And we won’t go home alone
As we climb into the car
My heartbeat races
He softly says to me
“Dear, I think you have the keys.”
“Sparks” captures the magnetic pull of an instant romantic connection, tracing how a crowded room fades away as two people are drawn together by an undeniable attraction. The song explores themes of timeless passion and unspoken understanding, describing a deep connection that feels both brand-new, yet familiar. Ultimately, after building an atmosphere of intense romance and anticipation as they leave together, the narrative lands on a charming, lighthearted note when real-world practicality gently interrupts the mood and you realize that despite their seemingly New romantic fling, they have actually been together for years.
Open Mind
There’s a moment when
I know it’s time for me to go
Something beckons me
Toward the open door
I wonder what it is that I might find
As I hit the open road, with an open mind
Knowing, There’s nothing to prove
Just me and the road ahead
Aren’t we all just passing through
To somewhere else we’d rather be instead
Maybe I’ll be back
On another day
Until then I’ll go my way alone
With an open mind, along the open road
Feeling, sometimes the lonely times
Make me want to stay
But the time has come
For me to walk away
With an open mind
Off to find my way
On the open road
With an open mind
Off to find my way
With an open mind
“Open Mind” is a contemplative exploration of independence, personal growth, and the courage to step into the unknown. Driven by an intuitive inner calling rather than a need to run away or prove anything to others, the protagonist leaves behind familiar comforts to set out on the open road. While acknowledging the bittersweet pull of nostalgia and the occasional weight of solitude, the song ultimately celebrates the liberation found in embracing life as a journey, trusting that curiosity and an open mind will guide the way forward.
Sea Change
Upon the waterway
Touching tall reeds passed along the way
Transported, while drifting
Floating gently toward a sea change
Lightly on peaceful waves
Buoyant, afloat I am without weight
Transforming while it moves me
Ever-higher still
Gently toward a sea change
While there are so many ways
Journeys have been taken
Going here to there
On the ebb and flow
Currents, undertow
Carried through locks, wheels and floodgates
Nearly silent gears ratchet
Lifting my vessel higher
Safe passage
From a lower river
Tendered, surrendered am I
Safe passage
From a lower river
Stepping ashore in some other place
Gently delivered
The arms that carried me
Turn back again where I used to be
Transporting another
Floating calmly toward a sea change
“Sea Change” is a serene, metaphorical exploration of personal growth, spiritual elevation, and the grace of surrendering to life’s transitions. Using the imagery of a vessel gently floating through locks and floodgates from a lower river to a higher body of water, the song frames transformation not as a turbulent struggle, but as a peaceful, weightless process of being lifted up. Ultimately, by letting go and stepping ashore into a new phase of life, the narrator recognizes that these transformative currents are part of a continuous, universal cycle that carries everyone forward in their own way and their own time.
Sled of Hay
Through a snow-covered field
Two horses pulled our sleigh
Ambling out from among the grove
A herd of one hundred elk
Appeared to circle our sled of hay
Then as though we weren’t there
They ate the hay beneath us
Nudging to find a better place
They took their share, then stepped aside
So that all of the herd could eat
And so it is each and every day
Someone brought the heavy-laden sleigh
Every winter, through the snow
Sometimes until May or so
When warm days thawed the ground
Budding shoots and grass abound
Calling them home once again
To higher ground
Another winter they have survived
Through a clover-white field
Two horses make their way
Ambling back to that same old grove
To drink from the rushing stream
Where they dream of their sled of hay
Another winter day
Will come and they’ll be waiting
Ready to feed the herd
“Sled of Hay” is a serene, picturesque reflection on the cycles of nature, human stewardship, and the quiet dignity of communal survival. Through vivid imagery of feeding a winter herd of one-hundred elk, the song highlights the unspoken trust between humans and wildlife, as well as the cooperative harmony of the animals as they step aside to share their food. Moving seamlessly from the harsh, snowbound days of winter to the lush abundance of spring, the narrative honors the quiet, repeated acts of care that sustain life through difficult seasons until warmth and renewal return.
Higher the Hair
My mamma told me, Heaven is just a hair away
Don’t you let your troubles get in the way
Wherever you go, Heaven is always there with you
Simply back-comb a halo, an angel-do
Along with prayer, a jumbo can of hair spray
Just tease and spray your way
The Higher the Hair, the Closer to Heaven
Don’t forget to take your brush and comb
The Higher the Hair, the Closer to Heaven
Paradise is worth the journey home
So now I’m sure that, Heaven is just a hair away
And in time I know I’ll get there someday
Wherever I go, Heaven is always there with me
In my crowning glory, reminding me
Don’t hesitate, open the gates of Heaven
I’ll brush and comb my way
The Higher the Hair, the Closer to Heaven
I’m awful glad to have my friends with me
The Higher the Hair, the Closer to Heaven
Goin’ home to Heaven’s family
Goin’ home to Heaven’s sweet family
Don’t you know Heaven is family
“Higher the Hair” is a joyful, tongue-in-cheek country-gospel track that blends Southern humor with themes of faith, fellowship, and family. Leaning into the classic regional adage that big hair brings one closer to the divine, the song playfully presents teasing and hairspray as tools for building a personal “halo” and maintaining an optimistic spirit. Beneath its campy salon metaphors, the narrative delivers a warm message about accessible grace and the comforting promise of ultimately arriving at a heavenly home surrounded by friends and family.
Your Voice
I got a call today, random, empty
Completely lacking anything to tell me
Checking in, just routine contact
Listening for that tone in my voice
Everything’s alright
Picked up the telephone absent-minded
Distracted from my thoughts, not thinking clearly
Surprised a bit by my reluctance
Once she hears my voice she knows that
Everything’s alright
She only wants to hear that
Everything’s alright
Can she know that I had the flu
Concealed from her
Can she tell I’ve been feeling so blue
There is no cause for fretting
No reason to worry
I don’t want to be any bother
No need for losing sleep
Let’s just say everything is alright
Let’s just say everything’s okay
After all, that’s why she calls
That’s why she calls
I made a call today, random, empty
Completely lacking anything to tell her
Checking in, just routine contact
Listening for that tone in her voice
Everything’s alright
Just to hear her voice
That’s why I call
“Your Voice” is a poignant exploration of family connection, silent protection, and the subtle emotional subtext of routine phone calls. The song captures a narrator hiding their physical illness and emotional struggles behind a calm facade, driven by a compassionate desire to shield a loved one from worry. Ultimately, as the perspective shifts and the narrator makes a similar check-in call of their own, the song reveals that these seemingly empty, ordinary conversations are profound lifelines, where the simple, reassuring sound of a familiar voice is all that truly matters.
Finally Friends
Growing up as kids
They were best of friends
Brother and sister scheming
The way that only they do
Whisked from Indiana
To the western coast
Said goodbye to everyone
Then moved away and apart
Went their different ways and
Both found all new friends
No need for each other
The distance widened with age
So that, they had few things in common
No longer each other’s best friend
They were like oil and water, separate
How could their hearts ever mend
Year after year
Without their heads together scheming
It seemed they’d never make amends
He moved off to Philly
She to Idaho
One day she went to visit
On her way to somewhere else
They began to talk
And they found some things in common
Maybe they still could be friends
They are brother and sister scheming
Just like the way they used to do
Kids again
Finally friends
“Finally Friends” is a heartwarming story of sibling reconciliation, exploring how time, distance, and personal growth can temporarily drift family apart before bringing them back together. After an early childhood closeness gives way to geographic separation and diverging adult lives—leaving the siblings feeling like incompatible “oil and water”—an unplanned visit creates a quiet opportunity for reconnection. By rediscovering their shared roots through simple conversation, they bridge years of emotional distance, reclaiming their playful childhood bond and coming full circle to become true friends once again.
Elegy
I miss the way you looked as you walked toward me
I miss the way you laughed when I told you a story
Though I miss being together
And the times that we shared
Strangely, somehow what I miss most are
The things we didn’t do
We thought maybe we might dream together
Imagined chasing away fears and demons
But they became places we didn’t go
They just became places where we didn’t go
I miss the feeling that you could see through me
I miss the little things I thought had no meaning
Though I miss being together
And the times that we shared
Strangely, somehow what I miss most are
The things we didn’t do
And the things we didn’t say
The way we never were
“Elegy” is a poignant, melancholic meditation on grief, regret, and the haunting weight of unfulfilled potential. While fondly recalling simple moments of past intimacy, like a shared laugh or being truly seen, the narrator discovers that the deepest ache stems from loss of the future they never got to build. Mourning the unspoken words, unaddressed fears, and unreached places that kept the relationship from fully blossoming, the song captures the quiet sorrow of grieving not just what was lost, but “the way we never were.”
Second Chance
If I could do it all over
What would I change
From the way I did things in the past
Who I used to be
Would I take that second chance
If I had just a penny
For every thought
On a sleepless night as I lay awake
Wondering what might have been
If only I had a second chance
Would I take back words
That might have hurt
Or would I say again
What I said there and then
Would my actions be thought kind
Every deed
Or fall short of the mark
Breaking some body’s heart in two
Given the chance
Would I be unfair or just
Different
If I had a good reason
To think my life could be better somehow than it is
Or the way it has been
Then I might want that second chance
Though I imagine other choices
Still I know I’d do everything the same
If I could have a second chance
I’d let it pass
“Second Chance” is a contemplative, deeply philosophical song that explores the universal weight of regret and the ultimate path toward self-acceptance. Moving from restless, sleepless nights spent pondering past mistakes and hurtful words, the narrator gradually comes to understand that changing the past offers no guarantee of a better present. By recognizing that past choices, imperfect as they were, have uniquely shaped who they are today, the song reaches a quiet, empowering resolution: letting go of the desire for a do-over and choosing to embrace their life’s story exactly as it unfolded.
Quality time is undeniably great for relationships. We've discovered that quantity of time can provide that quality. Perhaps it takes Time to Partner.