|
Since lyrics are hard to print big enough in CD booklets, they are
included on this page. Simply click on a song title in the
list below to read its lyrics. Click again to hide the lyrics for that
song.
"The
Agent" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Another person is following you now
Such a contrast you can’t imagine how
Yet every time you cannot wait to let him out
Another mind is managing affairs
Getting tongue-tied as he stumbles down the stairs
All of the fun and none of the cares
The agent has come back again
Just in time for another event
A stronger ego you don’t think you can find
He’s forcing their attention while you unwind
Another night and he closes the deal
Barely remembering the hearts he tried to steal
Without you around to be a third wheel
Another morning you reap all the rewards
Information you’d never ask for
Was it worth it to wake up on the floor
The bill comes in
When you sitting hunched over and holding your aching head
‘Cause his fee is not cheap
Just another dragging day of feeling mostly dead
Another evening you don’t know what to say
Glazed expressions directed your way
She wonders all about that guy that went away
The agent has left you again
Just in time for another regret
They all leave you alone in the end
Sitting there naked and you can’t pretend
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
"And
Life Goes On" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
You try to close your eyes
You try to free your mind
You try anything to forget
But you realize
He won’t be coming back
And once again you grow upset
And life goes on
And you no longer can stand still
Dragged along
You’re pulled against your will
You know it is unfair
That he be taken now
Far too soon to say goodbye
But you know he hears
When you still softly weep
The tears of a love that’ll never die
And life goes on
And you no longer can stand still
Dragged along
You’re pulling against your will
To a place where you can try to rest
And wake up feeling calm
In the sunlight with a soothing breeze
That whisks the nightmares on away
Tragedy can jail your heart
But time can pick the lock
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
"The Best of Him" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
He walks through the door like he owns the place
An attitude and a smiling face
He gets himself a beer and he stirs up the crowd
Telling jokes and stories that he could have read aloud
Is it really him or just a disguise
Something to impress his friends
A life or a lie
Do they suspect the person within
Deep inside
The best of him
He brought his guitar and he sings a song
Their mouths gaping wide
He knows he can't go wrong
They cheer him on as he dances away
A great entertainer with still so much to say
He imitates and acts so well
They ought to give him a prize
Can it be that no one can tell
The issues behind those eyes
It's 2 am and he tries to go
He gets his coat but all the people moan
They ask him why it is he has to leave
But he's so tired of trying to deceive
So he tells them all the story of his life
How he hopes someday that he'll have a wife
How he volunteered his time for those needing him
The things held back
The best of him
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"The Blinds Drawn" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Under night's blanket he rides the wind
His way lit by the moon
Sins lead his way
Sins brought him here
Made him run away
Shouts in the distance
The anger of many
Bloody murder screamed
Cries for his soul
Give him death
Lecher, rapist, thief
Hunger for justice
Hunger for malice
Work of Him
Work of him
They drew the blinds and closed their hearts
He made for the woods
The dark of the woods
Torches lit behind
They for their part have not forgotten
Forgotten to close their blinds
Helpless, hapless is the young man
He must stand alone
Stand up against their mercilessness
For theirs are hearts of stone
Hold in the road he did not see
Comes tumbling down
Covered in mud
Chilled to the bone
Approaching villagers' sounds
He is their prey, their sacrifice
As is body sinks
Justice is served
The Lord is pleased
Or so they think
Here lies the sinner
The worst of the worst
Bottom of the sound
He was no different from all the rest
But he was the one they found
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Cold Shoulder" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Top of lungs but no one seems to hear
Eternity comes in a year
All the words in the world couldn't say what's on my mind
I'm crying out to you but you aren't here
Talk to anyone but my point won't come across
Where are the loved ones that it seems that I have lost
No one to catch me when I'm falling in my pain
No one about to stop my runaway train
When I find you
No I cannot wait to begin
But every word I say is lost in the wind
Want to express myself but how
Cannot find my shoulder now
Not even the stars are sympathetic to my pain
I'll die to find
Oh this I vow
Building up inside but I cannot pull it out
I just won't be heard
Not even if I shout
An ear is all I need to speak my mind
A friend is all I need to speak my mind
An ear is all I need
You got yours but I got mine
You are all I need
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Cozumel" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
First time in a foreign land
As sun descends upon sea
I walk to the place I know
Where music and spirits will be
So bring me another tall one
A taste that I don’t suspect
Could bring me down upon my knees
And leave me all but wrecked
I see the patrons dance
But my head it won’t keep still
And soon I realize
That I’m bound to be taking ill
Don’t bring me another tall one
How could I expect
It would bring me down upon my knees
And leave me all but wrecked
I saunter down the street at night
Uneasiness comes too
Mexícanos laugh at me
They knew what I couldn’t do
They shouted "Too much tequila"
As anyone would have known
So here I sit upon the curb
And hoping I make it home
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
"Distant Echo" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
You’re fumbling through a darkness
You can’t tell if it’s a tunnel or a cave
You’re peering into the blackness
Just searching for a pinhole light of day
I try calling into the darkness
A guiding voice to help you find your way
So here’s to hoping that you can you hear me when I say
That I wish that I could take you far away
From this place of unending doubts
But can I get you out
You’re balancing on the boulders
Not knowing if the floor will fall away
You’re clinging to the wall for guidance
Whatever can aid in your escape
You listen to a distant echo
Just enough to keep you on your way
Is there nothing that I can do
To aid or comfort you
It doesn’t mean that I can’t try
I’ll keep calling into the darkness
A caring voice to get you through the day
So here’s to hoping that you can you hear me when I say
That I wish that I could take you far away
From a life of unending doubts
We can make it out some way
© 2007 James P. Balcerek
|
"Falling" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
I started on ahead and thought I'd lead the way
Thinking it would be like yesterday
I tripped upon a root and fell flat on my face
I thought I heard them laugh
I felt disgraced
I felt disgraced
My being effaced
I felt disgraced
And if I fall am I able to get up again
If I fall does it mean that it was for nothing
Am I more than I thought
Not what they could see
Can I live with the chance that it can't always be
What would I become to their critiquing eyes
Who only know of me as seeming so wise
Can I take the chance
Take a little risk
And not begin again if I think I might miss
What if I miss a thing such as this
What if I miss
And if I fall I am able to get up again
If I fall it won't mean that it was for nothing
I am more than I thought
Not what they could see
Guess I'll live with the chance that it won't always be
And I'll brush off the dirt and be on my way
I'll remember and learn from mistakes that I made
Who was I to believe that I wasn't prone
Well now maybe I will not feel so alone
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Fault Lines" Lyrics by Jim Balcerek; Music by Jim Balcerek & Keith Stetson
|
A thousand pieces lie around
They’re beckoning, they’re calling out
Can you hear their sound
And on the rug the empty frame
Your object of torment
The thing you blame
You can’t bear to hear them tell you you’re wrong
Won’t believe that maybe they’re right all along
Looks like you’ve built up your wall of self-defense
To protect yourself from guilt and punishment
You’re playing upon the mercy of us all
Well don’t you know it’s really all your fault
If I had told you you were mad
Would that give you a reason to be so bad
So you were beaten as a kid
Well do these causes justify the things you did
You can’t bear to hear them tell you you’re wrong
Won’t believe that maybe they’re right all along
Looks like you’ve built up your wall of self-defense
To protect yourself from guilt and punishments
You’re playing upon the mercy of us all
Well don’t you know it’s really all your fault
You try to get us to pity you all we can
But that won’t wash away the blood still on your hands
© 2000 James P. Balcerek and Keith E. Stetson |
"Invisible Man" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
A single man in a crowded room
Sits alone and watches everyone around
People sitting here and there
And chatting with another they had found
Wondering why he is stuck here
In a void that he can call his very own
His impatience increasing
As he foresees a destiny of being alone
So how many evenings will it take
How many times to sit and wait
A caring and noble-hearted man
Lost in the bustle of the land
He gets up and moves around
The liquid in his cup has just run out
People wandering everywhere
But connections appear to be in doubt
Is it true that he stands here
No reactions to his presence come at all
Wayward eyes looking past him
Taking more of an interest in the wall
It’s a trial of persistence
In this court of indifference to reserve
Looking for another witness
To see how much more deserves
A single man in an empty room
Sits alone when everybody else has gone
Closing time has come again
In a ritual that continues dragging on
© 2007 James P. Balcerek
|
"Just
A Dream" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
I thought I saw you beyond a door within my head
I couldn’t tell if it was your face or just a mask
I said hello and you smiled as you walked right to my side
You said you’d waited but you thought I’d never ask
What could we be doing here
Standing in these private spaces
In the firings of my mind
In anachronistic places
The door had vanished in a counterclockwise spin
And left a small boy’s room that I remember well
Not a word was offered or called for at that time
The mirror showed me more than either of us could tell
What could we be doing here
Setting wishes in their places
Turning reality aside
Putting desires through their paces
And I wonder what this could mean
Just an inconsequential scene
Nothing more than but a dream
A random moment or epiphany unforeseen
The memories spin me in circles
Passion and Reason fight
The air had thickened to a fog
In that ephemeral night
My arms had warmly embraced you
But now I’d push you away
You tried to tell me how I felt
And now I’ve nothing to say
I stand alone with the memory
You’d never suspect a thing
I had to remind myself that day
It never came into being
And life goes on in the real world
I carry on as before
But this I’ll take with me to my grave
I’m never opening that door
Still I wonder what it could mean
Just an inconsequential scene
Nothing more than but a dream
A random moment or epiphany unforeseen
© 2007 James P. Balcerek
|
"Lakshadweep" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
A vision of oceans
Some never end
What is it we've got
That we can defend
I know this place
And I embrace
My home life long
Now it is gone
A vision of deserts
No end I can see
I am a nomad
From a home under sea
I knew that place
I once embraced
My home no more
Washed me ashore
Left behind me
The open sea
Strange lands I find
These aren't my kind
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Pawn" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
You lead me straight into the fire
And then you walk away
So I'm the one that you admire
But what part do I play
You make me grab what you won't touch
I bleed so you can live
And now I'm sure I've had enough
This I cannot forgive
I won't be your puppet
I won't be your pawn
I won't be the wicked you anymore
What can I do to make you see
Let me out of this cage
It's about time that I was free
I want you to turn the page
Tired of being your dark side
Tired of being your slave
Tired of being the wicked you
This I abhor
Evil of two
Both me and you
Want to be free from the sin of thee
Release the chains
Release from the shame
Your hate I hate
I will not wait
Into the depths is where I head
As I follow your lead
There is so much I now regret
Await the day I'm free
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Pedestal"
Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
So I think I have found you
The girl of my dreams
How that aura surrounds you
How it shimmers and beams
Can’t believe how I lucked out to finally meet
Someone of such promise on Lonely-Hearts Street
You had caught my eye a couple times before
When I got to talk to you I caught so much more
My amazement increasing
Every time that I find
One more thing about you
On the list in my mind
A wonderful future I clearly can see
I imagine me with you
And you always with me
I’ll put you on a pedestal so high
Nobody else comes close but neither can I
Did you say the air is thin up there
As I point you to the dark clouds in my sky
Raining down with my unworthiness
Now you’re telling me you want to say goodbye
No one can stand upon a pedestal so long
There’s nowhere else to go and soon you’ll be gone
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
"Playing
Life By Ear" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Take a moment to think about
How you got where you are now
And where you had thought you’d be
Recollect all the choices made
Opportunities turned away
And things you could not foresee
Count the things that you sacrificed
I’m not saying to think twice
About what you had to do
But hold onto a dream or two
Someday they might come true
If you keep them a part of you
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
"Quilt" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Scraps torn and tattered
Nothing really mattered to me
Now I live to face the guilt
No thread can help me now
Wish I could somehow restore it
But those wishes won't bring back my quilt
Sometime ago I met a man
He gave me anything I needed
All my cares in the world were for him
Out of a whim we patched a quilt
With a needle and thread
And out of my next whim it was gone
Sun is peeking through the window
Took the man away
Why did he leave me to finish the quilt by myself
My emotions took control of me
And I lost peace of mind
The stitches ripped and the quilt now destroyed
It was an act of pure rage
I took it out on something else
And now I've no one to blame but myself
Sleepless nights they know me well
I've turned and I've tossed
To get back the two that I have lost
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"So
Familiar" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
I don’t want to leave this cabin
Yet I know I can’t bear to stay
These four walls are so familiar
But this rug is old and frayed
Well I get the same old view now
And no one ever visits here
The solitude can be so soothing
Despite the loneliness I fear
Familiarity
Predictability
Hand in hand and toe to toe
Aspirations and reservations
Where else is there to go
Another night I pass in silence
Words I never got to say
There is no need to argue
Doing what I do each day
I know I’ve got to leave this cabin
And now I’m reaching for the door
This silence is unnerving
And I can’t sit in anymore
Familiarity
Predictability
Hand in hand and toe to toe
Aspirations and reservations
There must be somewhere else to go
© 2007 James P. Balcerek
|
"That
Day To Come" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Laying in his bed again
Wondering what went wrong
Anguish and amazement cloud his mind
The room around him looks the same
As seen through different eyes
The glint of a little wisdom paid in kind
He reaches for his diary
And contemplates the words
A tale fantastic he once would have thought
Pages of accomplishments
Pages of regrets
At last his story is starting to have a plot
He took some chances to move along
Not knowing how it felt
Now the world keeps moving on
While he curses the hand that he dealt
A time of joy that seemed sure to last
Yet didn’t quite work out
Could easily be surpassed
But nobody else can erase his doubt
There’s nothing he would rather do
Than smother in sentiment
But sooner or later the body has to breathe
There’s really nothing else to do
But try to walk again
Twinging in hesitation to believe
It’s a struggle to move along
Remembering how it felt
How the world keeps moving on
No matter what hand you are dealt
A time of joy that seemed sure to last
Yet didn’t quite work out
Could easily be surpassed
But nobody else can erase that doubt
He reaches for the attic door
To stow away the past
There’s no point in tripping on it now
Hopefully waiting for that day to come
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
"Ticket" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
A new suitcase is on your bed
Dark and empty inside
You fill it up with your memories
Moments of shame and pride
The walls around you are growing bare
The dust is swirling around
None of your treasures can be seen
As boxes and bags abound
There's a whistle that's carrying on the wind
And a squeal upon the track
Then you look toward the door perking up at the sound
'Cause the conductor's calling "All aboard"
And that train's not soon coming back
You open the door and look back around
The room is vacant and cold
Everyone's gone and the lights are out
You did everything you were told
The book is closed
This chapter is done
The red ink has dried on the page
Knowledge imparted and lessons learned
And you're feeling more of your age
There's a whistle that's carrying on the wind
And a squeal upon the track
So you run out the door and you head for the sound
'Cause the conductor's calling "All aboard"
And that train's not soon coming back
You say goodbye to these decadent days
And those you're leaving behind
They're not sure just how you feel
But they will know it in time
You climb the steps and you take a seat
Your ticket's been handed to you
Now you sit facing straight ahead
The sun is in your view
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Transient Echo" Lyrics by Jim Balcerek; Music by Jim Balcerek & Matt Hefner
|
You wake up
You're not sure where you are
It all seemed clear but quickly fades
And you remember that it was no dream
You were there, but there is years away
A certain smell
A familiar time
Who said time had to move in a line
Back again but not for long
The image temporarily strong
Whispers from the past call you again
They speak of triumphs and regrets
And yet it's like a role that you once played
Who were you when you were years away
A certain face once again you meet
Who said memories are lost in deep
Back again but not for long
Reach out before it's gone
The present seems too real
It blocks all else
For other times you grope in vain
And yet inside your mind, you still live there
The part that lives where now is years away
A certain mood brings it all back out
What you forgot you thought about
Records of the times since gone
Times for which you long
© 2000 James P. Balcerek and Matthew J. Hefner |
"True To Me" Lyrics
by Jim Balcerek & Glen Eric Reed; Music by Jim Balcerek
|
Sitting here alone in the candlelight
To carve out a life with a pen
Try to make my words compelling
Over and over again
In a world full of liars and thieves
Who have played upon the masses
Could the truth be so hard to believe
Or is it just true to me
I have been where nobody ventures
Seen some marvelous sights
I could tell you things about them
But you’re just after the rights
Nothing seen from this distance
There are no tales to tell
I’ll be back sooner or later
But you can hold onto the well
Gonna go where the earth seems to breathe
Every lonely cloud that passes
‘Cause nobody here will say what they mean
Another kind of truth to see
© 2007 James P. Balcerek and Glen Eric Reed |
"Went Our Ways" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
We were always hanging around
Saw one another every day
We all knew what we were going through
And not thinking of walking away
And then came the day
When we stood together at last
As we all went our ways
The rain washed away the past
We all traveled different roads
Up the hill or way out west
Sometimes we're back around this place
And our friendships have stood time's test
Remembering the day
When we stood together at last
As we all went our ways
The rain washed away the past
The place is still the same
Beyond it we have grown
As we all went our ways
Our lives became our own
© 2000 James P. Balcerek |
"Wishing Well" Lyrics by Jim Balcerek; Music by Jim Balcerek & Keith Stetson
|
She spreads out letters from months ago
But it's not the same
Without him near her a piece is gone
He is not to blame
So she lays her hopes upon a wishing well
Where somehow all problems could be quelled
She prays for the day she will see him again
Oh when will that day come
In times of trouble a few must fight
Yes it is a shame
Without her near him something is dead
She is not to blame
So he lays his hopes upon a wishing well
Where somehow all problems could be quelled
He prays for the day he will see her again
Oh when will that day come
While she's miles away
Far apart they must stay
Wait to make time again
So they lay their hopes upon a wishing well
If only all problems could be quelled
They pray for the day they will meet again
Oh when will that day come
While he's miles away
Far apart they must stay
Wait to make time again
Only in her dreams
© 2000 James P. Balcerek and Keith E. Stetson |
"World Around" Lyrics by Jim Balcerek; Music by Jim Balcerek & Keith Stetson
|
There you stand and I pay no mind
I barely see your face
In each other's company
We'd both feel out of place
If you spoke I'd answer you
But then I'd walk on by
More than strangers we could be
But we can't seem to try
Can I see the world around
Or am I blind to you
Am I shutting out the sounds
Denying myself the truth
As the tears roll down your face
You're pleading for my help
I don't want to turn away
But must get past myself
Saw you on the news today
Like many times before
Heard the story once again
I can't help but to ignore
My own life is too real to me
And I forget your pain
Selflessness just out of reach
But aren't we all to blame
Why can't I just speak to you
There's so much that I could do for you
Hardened heart is like a stone
That I am choking on
Soul is suffocating now
Is my love almost gone
© 2000 James P. Balcerek and Keith E. Stetson |
"A World I've Known" Lyrics & Music by Jim Balcerek
|
I knew somewhere that you hadn’t been
It’s a place that I’ve often enjoyed
You didn’t have to travel very far
Toward this room that you couldn’t avoid
I tried to reassure you as I held open the door
At this stage have you any notion what you’re in for
Now your eyes beam with delight
Your smiling teeth a gleaming white
As you see for yourself a world I’ve known
What you may have thought you couldn’t do
Is now your dream coming true
When all the fanfare makes you feel right at home
You found somebody else to be
And a whole other life to lead
Changed your name and made up your face
For everyone to see
Forgetting all your problems
As you step out in the light
The curtains and the flats hold back the fright
Escaping from the real world for hours at a time
A different feeling every night
As a new crowd hears your line
So take your bow for you’ve come very far
Doesn’t it feel good to be a star
© 2007 James P. Balcerek |
|
