douglas brent smith

Collage: World Class Pipes

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(c) 2017 douglas brent smith

Song: Elvis Has Left The Building

it was a hot august night on dorinda's couch in allentown
there was a ring around the moon
the man on the tv said "elvis has left the building,
there'll never be another like him soon."

must be a record of his here somewhere
so we can pay tribute to the vegas king
must be an album of his but i can't find it
i guess i never really liked the way he'd sing

but listen,

chuck berry rocked me fats supplied the rolls
from new york to detroit memphis to muscle shoals
make it hot authentic make it black and real
i like the parts that the king could never steal

if all he were known for were those stupid movies
he'd rank right up there with good old sal mineo
but he brought feeling to the music
when he brought conviction to the theft of soul

but listen,

chuck berry rocked me james brown supplied the soul
from new york to detroit, memphis to muscle shoals
make it hot authentic make it rock and real
i like the parts that the king could never steal

it was a hot august night on dorinda's couch in allentown, new jersey
there was a ring around the moon
the man on the tv said "elvis has left the building,
there'll never be another like him soon."

chuck berry rocked me little richard supplied the rolls
from new york to detroit, memphis to muscle shoals
make it hot authentic make it freaking real
i like the parts that the king could never steal

(c) douglas brent smith

Song: Answered Prayer

the canaanite woman came to the Lord
her daughter was demon owned
the Lord's friends said to send her away
Jesus, just leave her alone

but even the dogs eat the crumbs
that fall from their master's table
and even the lowest low of all
with you Lord, we are able

Moses had troubles on every side
his enemies, even his friends
the Lord was his helper and his guide
from Egypt thru the desert till the end

(chorus)

Elijah was scared and in a cave
hiding from Jezabelle
he'd seed destruction and violence
and now he feared for himself

(chorus)

in these troubled times of woe
the hurt can said us reeling
crippled by causes we can't control
fallen, in need of healing

(chorus)

(c) Douglas Brent Smith

Song: A Happy Man

like an old sailor
who's drawn to the sea
the voice of the highway
whispers to me
i can't give a reason
for why i must go
the life of a drifter
is all that i know

i worked at the factory
the office, the store
i gave it my best shot
couldn't take any more
you can't stop a tiger
from chasing its prey
and you can't stop a drifter
from going away

every day is a road movie
every night is a new story
everyone you touch you hold forever

my kids call me crazy
but they understand
they know that i'm doing
the best that i can
you can't stop the ocean
from meeting the land
and you'll never reform
a happy man

like an old sailor
who's drawn to the sea
the voice of the highway
whispers to me
you can't stop the ocean
from kissing the sand
and you'll never reform
a happy man

whoa...that's all i am
whoa...a happy man

(c) douglas brent smith

she never said

she said that
she loved me
to the moon and back and
to the moon and
back just got a
whole lot shorter

your roundtrip gave me
the bends as

you closed the portal and
swept this sobbing
away
as love choked gasping
on yet another
tripping dream

and

she never said that
what she said
didn't mean a thing

(c) 2017 douglas brent smith

not a couple

every couple fights
about money about attention about
harmless searing flirtations
temptations, indiscretions and
thoughts

every couple fights about passion
and lack of passion
about furniture, fixtures, fantasies and
families
all those dysfunctional families and

we don't fight about any of that
because we are
not a couple
and we fight about that

knowing what i want you
choose to escape and
knowing what you want i
senselessly cling
a mess of depressed repression
unappealing
stealing every ounce of hope
from the air

and you repeat (repeat, repeat) that
we are NOT a couple but

what about this love?

-- douglas brent smith