LThe following lyrics were created for the musical stories which were published as our fourth collection in 2005 under the title of “Where I Need to Be.” Simply click on the images below to go directly to the original story, music and complete lyrics along with other related links.
Back to The Way to Love Forward to Reason to Stay
Where I Need to Be
Sometimes I feel friendless and alone
Fragile, yet heavy as a stone
When I am lonely, then I see
Maybe I’m just where I need to be
Maybe I’m right where I need to be
Sometimes I feel desperate and confused
Thinking there’s nothing left to lose
Angry and moody, then I see
Maybe I’m just where I need to be
Maybe I’m right where I need to be
All my worries seem to be in the way
As I hopelessly try to escape
With clever words, regrets, apologies
Attempts at breaking free
Slip from me, it seems
But when I see things a different way
My cares, one by one
Somehow become just what I need
Sometimes I’m impatient, filled with doubt
Pressing to make things all work out
Restless and edgy, then I see
Maybe I’m just where I need to be
Maybe I’m right where I need to be
“Where I Need to Be” explores how accepting emotional distress can lead to inner peace, framing anxiety, isolation, and self-doubt not as failures, but as necessary steps for personal growth. Rather than exhausting oneself by trying to escape or force solutions through clever excuses, the lyrics advocate for a shift in perspective. By adopting the central mantra—”Maybe I’m right where I need to be”—the song suggests that true resilience comes from surrendering the need for constant control and trusting that current struggles are exactly what we need to move forward.
The Fever Breaks
Into the night
Sleepless and shivering
The room spins and takes me with it
Such a fiery feeling
This fever burning
It can’t go on
No, it’s got to stop
And the fever aches
And the fever shakes
And the fever takes me
Falling into shallow sleep
I feel my body fall
Into familiar dreams and places I recall
Drifting in and out of thoughts
I feel my body ease
Breaking through this endless night
At last I am released
As the fever fades
And it slips away
Then the fever breaks
Into the light
Relieved, awakening
The room stills and I remember
Such a fiery feeling
That fever burning
It will return
And return again
And the fever aches
And the fever shakes
And the fever wakes me
“The Fever Breaks” uses the visceral experience of a high fever as a metaphor for the recurring cycles of emotional burnout, mental turmoil, and healing. Moving from disorienting physical distress to a peaceful moment of relief as the fever subsides, the song highlights the essential role rest plays in recovering from personal crises. However, the final realization that the fever “will return” and ultimately “wakes me” frames these intense periods not as permanent defeats, but as inevitable, transformative trials that sharpen our self-awareness and resilience over time.
Notes in the Margin
In for the evening
By the fire
Music is playing low
Open a favorite book to read
I see notes in the margin
Random phrases, passages underlined
Entries to keep in mind some day
But they went away
Slipped from the page
Neglected, left to lay
Lost in the days
Gone away
Living as though time was endless
Hopes on hold
Handwritten notes, good intentions
Holding them close
Gathered and composed
Collected and arranged just so
Wait for tomorrow
Tomorrow
Notes in the margin
Random phrases
Passages underlined
Entries to keep in mind some day
But they went away
Slipped from the page
Neglected, left to lay
Lost in the days
Gone away
Ultimately, this song serves as a gentle caution against quiet regret and chronic procrastination. By comparing unfulfilled dreams to abandoned notes in a book, it illustrates how easily our best intentions can fade away when we constantly defer living to an uncertain future.
Each Cell
Simple life
That is humble, yet chosen
Solitary, alone in myself
Time has stopped
And reality frozen
In each cell
Waiting
Listening for words
To release me
From myself
Open with anticipation
Light shines from within me
Flows through my hand onto the page
Enlightened
My words fall silent
Voices speak
But are hushed in a whisper
Silence broken, offering chants
Common language
A song as a vesper
In each cell
Waiting
Listening for words
To release me
From myself
Now there is waiting
Inspiration
Will release me
To myself
Now there is waiting
Ultimately, this song reflects on the meditative journey of artistic and spiritual surrender. It illustrates how patient solitude, quiet devotion, and waiting for creative inspiration can free a person from the noise of their own ego, ultimately restoring them to their true self. That solitude literally makes its way deep into “each cell” of your body.
Water’s Edge
Just at the water’s edge
One small boat brings home its catch
In the net with fish, there lay
An ordinary bowl of clay
Red figures on the rim
Shades of grey surrounding them
Now recovered from the sand
Lost and rescued, as if planned
Crusty fragment release
Then fall away from the bowl
And the story lives again
Told in relief, tale to believe
History, his story
And the story lives again
Told in relief tale to believe
History, his story
Beyond the water’s edge
We can find another world
Fishing nets cast out to sea
Capture treasures meant for me
Ultimately, the song reflects on how the past can unexpectedly bridge the gap to the present through moments of quiet discovery. By portraying the recovery of an ancient, decorated clay bowl from the sea, it suggests that venturing beyond our familiar boundaries allows us to uncover forgotten human stories and find deeper, destined meaning in our own lives.
Shoebox
In a dusty old shoebox
Filled with pictures and stashed high on a shelf
Lid slides; inside, take another good look at myself
Spilling onto the table
Moving near the window for better light
Eyes squint, a hint: something there
Something not quite right
A few well-chosen changes
Make them fit my frame
And I tell myself
It’s basically the same
Sharp scissors follow
A coincidental tear
Clipping each detail
No longer needed there
No longer there
Familiar scenes, the story’s mine
Imaginary moments captured in time
I write and read my picture diary
The story of me
In a dusty old shoebox
Filled with pictures and stashed high on a shelf
Lid slides; inside, take another good look at myself
In a dusty old shoebox
These lyrics detail the process of emotionally editing the past to make memory bearable. By taking scissors to old photographs and cutting away unwanted details, the narrator actively reshapes an authentic history into a curated “picture diary”—trading painful truths for a comforting, controlled narrative of self. Whether done literally, or in our mind makes no difference, the result is a permanent alteration of inconvenient truths.
Main Street
Distant cadence in a small town
Drums roll, bugles sound
Just in sight
Holiday parade
Eyes right
Soldiers march
Flags wave
Marching on Main Street
The whole town hears the same old beat
Common rhythm, matching feet
Tradition marches on, and on
Marching on
Speeches by the brave
Tell how lives were saved
Long ago and far away
Open cars pass by
Sleepy children cry
Fireworks and apple pie
Fire engines wail, dogs bark
Old Glory stars, kites sail
Kites sail
Marching on Main Street
The whole town hears the same old beat
Common rhythm, matching feet
Tradition marches on, and on
Marching on
Local heroes in a bandstand
Memories, freedom land
Rank and file
We fall in behind
Meanwhile
Long to be front line
Front line
Marching on Main Street
The whole town hears the same old beat
Common rhythm, matching feet
Tradition marches on, and on
Marching on
On Main Street
These lyrics portray small-town Americana as a double-edged ritual of comforting patriotism and rigid conformity. Set against the backdrop of a holiday parade, the imagery of marching drums, flags, and local speeches highlights how tradition binds a community to a shared rhythm, while the closing desire to break out of the “rank and file” subtly captures the tension between blending into the crowd and forging one’s own identity.
End of the Line
In this world of black and white, I see shades of gray
We determine wrong from right, we know how to play
We know just how to play
When will it ever end, this battle waged within again
Conflict resolved, problem solved, tension dissolved.
Constantly this or that is so extreme
Better to be in-between, that’s where
I understand your view and you see mine
Never just drawing the line
End of the line
In this scheme of up and down, I see middle ground
Never simple in or out, empty all around
There’s empty all around
When will it ever end, this battle waged within again
Conflict resolved, problem solved, tension dissolved
Constantly this or that is so extreme
Better to be in-between, that’s where
I understand your view and you see mine
Never just drawing the line
End of the line
Just beyond the cut and dried there is something more
Everyday what we decide is rarely either/or
It’s rarely either/or
When will it ever end, this battle waged within again
Conflict resolved, problem solved, tension dissolved
Tension dissolved
These lyrics advocate for nuance and mutual empathy over rigid, polarized thinking. By rejecting strict dualities like black-and-white or either-or choices, the narrator champions the “middle ground” as the true space for understanding, offering a path to dissolve internal and interpersonal conflict by embracing life’s inherent complexities. We live in a conundrum: our physical existence is fundamentally created as a radical duality, yet we long for unity and peace. That constant tension and struggle becomes the fuel that generates higher expressions of Consciousness—the end of the line.
Live Again
How did it all begin
Where does it end
Simply a promise kept
Or part of some prevailing plan
Maybe tomorrow morning
I’ll take a different view
It might be safe to live again
Turn from the light, I see shadows cast again
Chasing time, racing time, pacing me
Turn toward the light, I see shadows follow my lead
Taking time, making time, enough time, facing me
Is there reason or rhyme
Just cause, just time
Simply promises kept
Or taking a courageous stand
Maybe tomorrow morning
I’ll take a different view
It might be safe to live again
I know tomorrow morning
Will bring another point of view
It will be safe to live again
Safe to live again
Live again
These lyrics chart a gentle journey from emotional self-protection to the brave reclaiming of one’s life. By shifting perspective—moving from running from the shadows to facing the light directly—the narrator transforms time from a source of pressure into a space of abundance, ultimately moving past existential uncertainty to confidently declare that it is finally safe to step back into the world and live again—overcoming fear and hesitation by choosing courage.
Lover’s Leap
Nudge me, shake me
Just don’t forget to wake me
Please don’t leave me alone
With what might have been
I can hardly afford to be late again
I imagine my days full of promise
Feeling maybe that this is the one
All I hope for are moments of passion
That last until my life is done
Standing ready, on the brink of a canyon
Where the next step is a lover’s leap
No Rip van Winkle with a hibernating heart
No cold feet, no regrets, and no twenty-year sleep
Nudge me, shake me
Just don’t forget to wake me
Please don’t leave me alone
With what might have been
I can hardly afford to be late again
These lyrics serve as an urgent plea against emotional inertia and passivity, rejecting a quiet, “hibernating” life in favor of radical vulnerability. Fearing the lasting regret of missed opportunities and what might have been, the narrator implores to be kept wide awake—ready to reject hesitation, step to the edge, and take the daring leap into passion and fully felt connection.
Uncommon Promise
When you promised you’d be there
You were there
To see I made it through
When I panicked and feared
I was running scared, you were there
Unwavering and true, just you
As the years pass we have come to know
When we are together days hold uncommon promise
I swear a solitary
Solemn vow to you, I’ll be there
Unfaltering yet free, just me
On my life’s journey
There have been many moments
When I felt alone, searching for meaning
When I went to discover my way
I returned to find you there
Waiting for me
Patiently waiting
Anticipating, we’d be
Friends and lovers forever and a day
Sharing plenty
And times of longing, we’ll be
Lovers and friends for always
When I imagine my life
You are always there, ever there
For without you I’m alone
Even without you I’m alone with you
With you
These lyrics celebrate an enduring, deeply grounded partnership built on steady support and mutual freedom. Through fear, personal searches, and the passage of time, the narrator’s partner remains an unwavering anchor—transforming ordinary days into a life of “uncommon promise” where friendship, love, and belonging deeply integrate to ensure neither ever has to walk alone. This is also a song sung from the conscious body/mind to the internal Divine Spark that motivates a life and faithfully guides every moment of your earthly existence.
Quality time is undeniably great for relationships. We've discovered that quantity of time can provide that quality. Perhaps it takes Time to Partner.