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| Harvest | Riding The Wave |
| Rich Man | Lunch |
| Not In The Budget | Black September |
| Don't Waste This Day | All These Things |
| Ogre | Imagine That |
| Misconceptions | |
HARVEST |
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I
wrote this song in 1972 while touring in Europe with The Sheep. It was
recorded in England in 1973 and published on Myrrh/Word records. I sold
the publishing rights along with my other songs from the rock musical Lonesome
Stone to Deo Gloria Trust. This version is updated with insights
gained after years spent in
the working class rat race.
Sitting
on my backside waiting for my ship to come in
Time has been a waistin' my
patience has begun to wear thin
Sleepin'
in the church pew waitin' for the sermon to end
Standin'
on the street corner goin' for a ride in your car
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RICH MAN |
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This
song is not based on personal experience, but from images portrayed on
network TV. In the year 2000, the most popular show was Who Wants to be
a Millionaire. We watched it
all the time. It was fun to answer a question correctly and imagine that
you just won big money.
This
song is a commentary on the whole phenomenon of wanting to be rich. At
what point do you have enough? I also like watching VH1 when they do biographies
of rock stars. Seems like most people are doing fine until they hit the
big time. When the money starts coming in, friendships start falling out.
Financial success is often accompanied by personal failure.
Now
that I'm a rich man
Now that I'm a rich man I want to have more money I'm sure I'll never have enough But I suppose you think it's kind of funny I want a bigger house I want to have I want to have more stuff I wanna have I wanna have more Now
that I'm a rich man
Now
that I'm a rich man
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| NOT IN THE BUDGET | |
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This
song is so old (1978) that we only had two kids and they were both in diapers.
I was lying on the couch and
Mary was headed out shopping. She said, "Honey, I need some money." I said,
"I can't afford it. It's not in the Budget." I had the song done by the
time she got back from the store. Now we have four kids. They're all grown
up, driving cars and off to college. And guess what: It's still not in
the budget and I'm still lying on the couch.
Spending
is so easy
Buy just about whatever you see
Seen
it on the TV
The
mailbox is filled up with bills
The
pastor was here from the church
Now
here's what I'm talkin' about
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| DON'T WASTE THIS DAY | |
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I
was 16 when I left home, but 17 fits the rhythmn of this tune. I didn't
actually run away. I left with the encouragement of my father. He gave
me a '57 Chevy that he'd won in a poker game and told me to go far. I was
accompanied by my friend, Dennis, the drummer in our band, The Fugitives.
We drove west on Route 66, just like the song says. The Chevy died in the
Arizona desert and was laid to rest in the town of Quartzite. Walking through
my garage, surrounded by car payments and lawn tools, I remembered the
freedom of those days and that's what inspired this song, written in 2000.
Our
money clearly states in God we trust
Sometimes I think this might be true
When
I was seventeen I ran away
A
lot of water passed beneath this bridge by now since then
Now
I'm an older and a wiser man
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| OGRE | |
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Ogre's
real name was Marvin William Radloff - the Third. He
looked like Hagar the Horrible. He's one of the funniest people I've ever
met. One night, he got high with a couple of friends in Milwaukee and went
for a drive. He had no money, no clothes, no toothbrush, no plan, no problem.
He picked me up hitchhiking on Venice Boulevard. He stayed with
us for awhile at 227 Horizon Avenue, a few blocks from Venice beach . The
year was 1969.
I
was thinking about him in 1999 so I wrote this song and went to Milwaukee
and sang it at an open mike. There were only a few people in the 'crowd'.
One of them came up to me and said, "I hate to tell you, but your friend
Ogre died several years ago. He was a legend in this town."
I
had a friend we called him Ogre
Went for a ride it was October He wasn't running from his girlfriend or the law Ran out of gas somewhere in Omaha Nebraska is a long way from Milwaukee don't you know It's almost halfway to Seattle Ogre was up a creek without a paddle He met a guy who said I'll help you I want to go to California You got the wheels and i got money for some gas Just get me out of here and try to make it fast Next
thing you know he had arrived in Hollywood
He
had a car all painted paisley
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| MISCONCEPTIONS | |
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A
lot of people are wrong about a lot of things a lot of the time. You really
have to sift through and figure out for yourself what's real and what isn't;
what matters and what doesn't. I think the crowd is usually wrong. In the
past, Communism was considered by some to be a lofty ideal. In retrospect,
it wasn't such a good idea. A lot of people feel the same way about evolution
and all that it stands for. The list is quite long. We make decisions daily.
Sometimes, a decision can alter the course of your life.
They
used to think the world was flat
but that was long ago
They
thought the moon was made of cheese
The
point that I am making
When
I was young they taught me Darwins evolution
They
used to think that we'd be conquered by the Kremlin
The
point that I am making
There's
been so many misconceptions
They
used to say the world was flat
They
used to watch the sun go down
The
point that I am making here is hard for me to do
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| RIDING THE WAVE | |
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This
is the Harvest song in it's original rhythmn.
I was going to record it as an instrumental, but I needed a title song.
The lyrics review the other
songs.
Hey
there couch potato
you're gonna miss the big show
Sleeping
in the church pew
This
life is short
On
the Serengheti
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| LUNCH | |
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Every
morning on the Serenghetti the predator awakes to the chase and so does
the prey. It's 'run for your life' all over again.
The
business world urges us to pursue profit
with the same intensity. It's dog eat dog .That's OK if you're the predator,
but it's not much fun for the prey. The Bible refers to people as sheep.
We all know that sheep are as good as dead meat if they are not in the
care of their shepherd.
Every
morning on the Serenghetti
You gotta get up and move Get up and go When dawn arrives you'd best be ready It's all survival That's just how it goes You're
either chasing lunch
You
try to get somewhere
I
know its natures way
Somebody
told me that we all are sheep
I
know it's natures way
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| BLACK SEPTEMBER | |
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Our
first reaction to September 11 was shock and horror. Initially there were
no words to express it. As the hours and days passed into weeks, my shock
turned into admiration. This song was inspired by the people of New York.
Mayor Giulliani, the police, rescue workers and firefighters of New York
City and from across the nation made me proud to be an American. Patriotism
was stirred across the country and we should all be proud of that. We've
all had a wake-up call. Things will never be quite the same.
I
was watching on the TV The day 6,000 people died
Words cannot express my sorrow - At this senseless loss
of life
I
always thought New Yorkers were the rudest
I
see the sky Old Glory still is
flying high
These
terrorists are very nasty
Now
has come the time for taking courage
I
see the sky
I'LL
REMEMBER BLACK SEPTEMBER. |
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| ALL THESE THINGS | |
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We
performed this song at our church when I first wrote it in 1980. It was
perceived by some as a protest song. That wasn't my intention. It was just
an observation. We're expected
to blend in with the herd. That's the last time we were invited to sing
at that church.
The
last verse was added after 9-11. I hope nobody still thinks of me as a
hippie-radical
I
grew up in America
In the golden age of technology When man was into outer space And God was dead theology And through it all I learn in school That science had the answer Our country never lost a fight 'cuz we were always right All
these things have left their mark on me
All
these things have left their mark on me
Something
happened on the way
All
these things have left their mark on me
So
I tried to escape it all By
eating drugs instead of meat
All
these things have left their mark on me
Today
I've grown to love this land
All
these things have left their mark on me
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| IMAGINE THAT | |
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John
Lennon asked us to imagine no heaven. Why? What
if there is one? There must be infinite reality beyond our perception.
The belief in an afterlife is as old as mankind itself. Just because it's
old doesn't make it wrong. Just because you don't understand something
is no reason to pretend it isn't there.
Somebody
told me once that God is good
There was a time I didn't know that
Now
can you just imagine that
There
is no power like the love of God
Now
can you just imagine that
A
FATHER'S LOVE SENT HIS SON
They
say a kingdom awaits us in the sky
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