COLLABTUNES.COM

collaborhythm

(4 of 10 read my stuff best to worse)

****WARNING EXPLICIT LYRICS, ADULT THEMES,

DIRTY THOUGHTS & SHIT THEY DON'T WANT

YOU TO KNOW IS IN THIS M*THAF*CKA********

"I'm not gonna lie... I wrote and read all this shit...

and I'm kinda f*cked up!" - Tom Jensen, collaborhythm

HALF FULL by Tom Jensen

My glass is still half-full

Though my heart's half-empty

My castle's falling down

After standing for centuries

My faith is still strong

As love has not been forgotten

I see many trees cut down

Yet their fruit has not turned rotten

My smile I wear is real

My arms are still open

I've revealed to you how I feel

And even my difficulties coping

In this ever-changing world

With you not being in it

We both know how hard it can be

To start over at the beginning

Yet we must carry on

Without malice or regret

Without shame or self-pity

Come on!

Yes we must be strong

Picking ourselves up

 whenever we get stuck 

or start stumbling along

For when it comes to life

Obstacles... There can be many...

When I say 

I have the ability

To handle any and all adversity

To be the candle on the darkest night

Just hold my hand and trust in me

And I will try my best to

Guide you towards the light

And I will lead the battle charge 

If there comes a time when we must fight

FRIEND By Tom Jensen

I spread my words so let them be heard

All across the land...

All across these lands...

My advice is right and nice 

I'll have you understand

When it comes to giving

Give as much as you can...

When it comes to women 

sure my heart's been broken

Each time I try to fix it

And carry on the best I can...

Suddenly I feel empowered

Get inspired to spend the next hour

Sitting here and making song

Hoping you will come and sing along

A friend told me a story 

over coffee one morning

From one of the books she was reading

And, oh, how the pages were turning

Oh my friend is very lovely

If only you had a chance to meet her

You would understand it

How I feel when I see her

She was blessed with one of those faces

Possessed by only those truly lovely people

That when softly caressed 

it somehow erases

Time itself and everything - all that's evil

Someone once asked me

What the secret to my life is

I answered without thinking

"Learning love is priceless"

Share what you have with everyone:

And send flowers to yourself

Just a little "thank you" for being you

Now go and give them to someone else...

I spread my words so let them be heard

All across the land...

All across these lands...

My advice is right and nice 

I'll have you understand

When it comes to giving

Give as much as you can...

HAPPY PLACE by Tom Jensen

It was a rainy day

Not unlike today

Do do do

I was by myself

But she was on her way / But he was on his way

Do do do

It was the month of March

But felt more like April than May`

Do do do

I was in my happy place

As if I had to say

Do do do

This is the song

Whose melody can be repeated 

when needed

You don’t even need words

Words just describe pictures 

to the state of the mind

This is the song

Whose melody can be hummed 

in defeat or retreat

Offering a calming peace

During the most troubling 

and trying of times

This is the song

That everyone can sing

The poorest of paupers

The richest of kings

This is the song

That’s one big fairytale

But only if you want it to be

This is the song

That when we all sing along

Turns out to become reality

This is the song

That everyone can agree on

This is the song

That can save the world…

This is the song

That everyone can depend on

For it’s the song we hummed

Way back when we were young

Even though at the time

We didn’t know the words…

Do do do

This is the song

That everyone can agree on

This is the song

That is there from the start

Deep in our heart

It’s the first song

We learned by ourselves

And then we sang together

All the little boys

And all the little girls…

Do do do

FATE IS A WORD by Tom Jensen

Passion's found in 

many shapes and forms

Within a tight black dress, 

within a uniform

In the eyes of a mother

In the sighs of a lover

At three in the morning

Oh yeah...

Virtue can't be found 

in all eyes of men

Nor in their statues 

or great monuments

Only through tough

times and trial

Will we find ourselves

without denial

Or false compliments

Oh yeah...

Naked truth often hides 

where you least expect

Never in the lavish palace 

but in the cellar of neglect

Those of us living in glass houses 

should be careful of bricks

For some who are

 'the chosen ones'

Aren't the ones we'd pick

Oh no...

Fate is a word made up 

by the scared

As the reason 

why they failed

Or the reason 

they never dared

To summon the courage 

to follow the voice

They didn't always 

want to hear

Oh yeah...

I am a man who 

loves dishing it out

Yet I always have problems 

when it comes to myself

When it comes to stepping up 

I'm the first one to speak

When it comes to the children 

I try my best to teach

They say practice makes perfect 

so it's time to practice what I preach

HERESY SPEAKS NO EVIL By Tom Jensen

Government sponsored torture

is kind of hard to ignore

Especially when you're held prisoner

of a misguided war

Lobbyists sit with

wads of cash in their fists

For any politicians who

find it too hard to resist

Seems that tax cuts

for corporations

and also the rich

Is the only way to build

true bipartisanship

For our money system

The Fed is privately owned

Backed by paper not gold

And every day us indebt

wage slaves are sold

When you're afraid of

not being afraid

The "terrorists" win

Their best weapon is fear

They watch our civil liberties

become stripped away so fast

through the most unpatriotic of acts

Soon we won't be able to

speak, see or hear

If this is the state of the union

I think a state of emergency

should be declared

On second thought...

that's not such a great idea

And I haven't even

gotten to distribution of wealth

Inflation, funding for education

or health care

Why are so many more

concerned with the

theft of their identity

Than the loss of free will, 

dignity and humanity

When you lack

any great substance

I guess you dress to impress

And fill yourself with vanity

This misinformation generation

eats up whatever they feed ya

Be it Mickey D's, MTV,

shows based on "reality"

Yum Yum...

spoon fed by a controlled media

We're infatuated by celebrities

and American Idols

Fox News, LeBron's shoes,

natural disasters

and let us not forget...

the crazy homicidal

If this is the state of the union

I think a state of emergency

should be declared

On second thought...

that's not such a great idea

And I haven't even

gotten to distribution of wealth

Inflation, funding for education

or health care

I am growing tired of this throw away

disposable consumer society

Why are those who say

our globe isn't warming

Still trying to lie to me?

Using up energy sources

that will not be soon replaced

Did you know that plastic

is gonna be the fossil

of the entire human race?

Our seas are overfished

and rainforests destroyed

Why? So men can make money

Mother Nature gets lucky when

people are unemployed

If this is the state of the union

I think a state of emergency

should be declared

On second thought...

that's not such a great idea

And I haven't even

gotten to distribution of wealth

Inflation, funding for education

or health care

Time to step off my soapbox

And walk down the road yonder

But before I go

two final questions to ponder:

Might seven billion people

be considered overpopulation?

How can we have all-you-can-eat buffets

AND sufferers of starvation?

JEWELRY BOX By Tom Jensen 

I'm not an underachiever

More what you call 

a late bloomer

Took me a long time

to become a believer

Otherwise I'd have been here 

a whole lot sooner

I heard it said that 

I was past my prime

But now I know 

it was just a rumor

Such harsh words have 

strengthened me over time

Good thing I still have 

a sense of humor

When I said "take it 

or leave it..." she left it

Never cared about money...

but she cost me time

Ring's in the jewelry box...

I don't regret it

Replacements for me...

I'm sure they're waiting in line

Sacrifices had to be made...

but I'm at peace

You only live once...

I'm back to chasing my dream

After what we both held inside 

had been released

Gave her half of everything...

but my self-esteem

When I said "take it 

or leave it..." she left it

Never cared about money...

but she cost me time

Ring's in the jewelry box... 

I don't regret it

Replacements for me...

she's got them waiting in line

Sacrifices had to be made...

but I'm at peace

You only live once...

I'm back to chasing my dream

After what we both held inside 

had been released

Gave her half of everything...

but my self-esteem

I heard it said that 

I was past my prime

But now I know 

it was just a rumor

Such harsh words have 

strengthened me over time

Good thing I still have 

a sense of humor

I'm not an underachiever

More what you call 

a late bloomer

Took me a long time 

to become a believer

Otherwise we'd have been 

here a whole lot sooner

When differences 

in opinions increased

And they soon become 

known to be extreme

As you find you own what 

really should only 

have been leased

Yes, opposites attract 

yet it's best to 

share common themes

Sacrifices had to be made....

But I'm at peace

You only live once...

I'm back to chasing my dream

PRETTY TOYS

by Tom Jensen

With every hurled stone that is cast

I walk one step closer to becoming broken

With every coming sunset 

I manage to outlast

Ahead lies a sunrise

by which I may not be awoken

With every cigarette I smoke

I see another small sign of cancer

With every question that I ask

I find I come closer to the answer

As I look within your empty eyes

You create a new fantasy to fill the void

You play some music to cover your sighs

and fill your room 

with all those pretty toys...

Hey rich girl...Throw the keys 

to your Mercedes down to me

You'll have to leave it all behind 

if you really want to be free 

I look at my hands 

they're all beaten and torn

Sometimes you must get dirty 

if you want to be reborn

Hey rich girl... tell me what did you see 

when you traveled the world?

Did you do all you were told 

like daddy's good little girl?

Come away with me 

and maybe I'll write you a song

I've come here to teach you 

that everything they taught you was wrong...

Hey rich girl... Just what makes you think 

Father always knows best?

Sure you've found some answers 

but you still must take the test

With every hurled stone that you cast

You walk one step closer 

to becoming broken

With every coming sunset 

you manage to outlast

Ahead lies a sunrise by which 

you may not be awoken

With every cigarette you smoke

You see another small sign of cancer

With every question that you ask

You come much closer to the answer

Look within your empty eyes

A new fantasy to fill the void?

Play some music to cover your sighs

Fill your room with more pretty toys...

Pretty toys…Pretty toys…Pretty toys

IT IS YOUR TURN by Tom Jensen

If you don't know yet who I am

Don't worry that will change

I am a very simple man

Both on and off this stage

My life's work and my fun are one

That's why I am so happy

We all regret something we've done

Won't let that entrap me

I just look ahead... and never behind

Helps keep me from wasting all my time

Best for your body, soul and your mind

Can't press fast forward... I can't hit rewind

Leave something they will remember you by

Like those who were the first to fly

Or the first man on the moon

Now it's your turn what will you do?

You won't find me living in the past

Too much to do time runs by so fast

We never know how long it'll last

So little sand in this hour glass

Don't live life doing something you hate

That is the best advice I can give

Work is a four letter word - yeah, great!

Some live to work and some work to live...

Spend your life doing something you love

If it don't exist then make it up

You only walk this trail one time 'round

Don't let your dreams fade to the foreground

You won't find me living in the past

Too much to do - time runs so fast

We never know how long it'll last

So little sand in this hour glass

We never know how long it'll last

So little sand in this hour glass

BELIEVE ME by Tom Jensen

I could tell you all about my life…

But you probably wouldn’t believe me

You find me always doing right…

And you think it comes easy

You, who finds something new…

And becomes afraid

With that view…

There’s not a lot I can say

You’ll find out the hard way

That’s the price that some pay

When you play it too safe

Sometimes you don’t get to play

If you knew what I could do…

You wouldn’t throw me away

You’d say:

I’ll make some time…

Let’s spend the day…

Entwined

But still you judge me like all the rest

I would have given you my best

We’ll never put it to the test

I failed to peak or keep your interest

You never leave yourself exposed

Always someone else out in the cold

Hell, people feel lucky if you just show

I think we all know how this is gonna go…

WAMER WATERS

by Tom Jensen

While looking for a role model

While looking for a good hobby

Ended up picking up a bottle

Ended up hurting my body

I tried to save a lost cause

I guess I got a little carried away

Ended up losing myself

And let another one slip away

Looking for the sacred river

Looking for warmer waters

Ended up a disbeliever 

And being led to the slaughter

ooh oh oh oh ooh ooh

ooh oh oh oh ooh ooh

Tried to help them climb out from the valley

Tried to bring them to my level

Every time I get close - my God

They introduce me to the Devil

Looking to transcend my existence

Looking to find Heaven on earth

Ended up finding a sign: 

NO ADMITTANCE

I couldn't break the curse

I guess you shouldn't try to be a shepherd

When all your sheep jump off the cliff

But you can't see inside my conscience

And all the pain I'm living with

Alright!

Looking to begin another day

Looking to be the voice of reason

Ended up denying many things I say

Ended up my own victim of treason

Looking at myself in the mirror to see 

If I could recognize my face

Finally seeing everything much clearer

And finding the self I had misplaced

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Looking for the sacred river

Looking for warmer waters

Ended up a disbeliever 

And being led to the slaughter

Looking for the sacred river

Looking for warmer waters

Ended up a disbeliever 

Being led to the slaughter

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Looking for warmer waters

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Looking for warmer waters

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Looking for warmer waters

ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Looking for warmer waters

BLESSING IN DISGUISE 

by Tom Jensen

Maybe you'll see him again when all is well

Up there in heaven 

or maybe down here in hell

There's no telling 

what the tide will bring to shore

No way to know if you'll meet again 

Once you walk out that door

Think of the one you loved 

whom you now despise

Believing that a heart grown cold 

is a heart grown wise

Yet before the flood Mother Nature sighs

For she holds a power that no man denies

Soaked to the bone 

as you're on your way home

With the umbrella that you hold 

at least you are not alone

Yet you're soaked to the bone 

as you're on your way home

With the umbrella that you hold 

at least you are not alone

Everything happens for a reason 

soon you will realize

That even your worst nightmare 

could be a blessing in disguise

And that after it rains the sun will rise

Allowing you to gaze up at brighter skies

Your soul will guide you 

when your heart tells you lies

Sometimes when you search 

you have to close your eyes

There is no such path 

straight as the crow flies

This journey you make 

is filled with lows and highs

Soaked to the bone 

as you're on your way home

With the umbrella that you hold 

at least you are not alone

Yet you're soaked to the bone 

as you're on your way home

With the umbrella that you hold 

at least you are not alone

So much for talking

You had better start walking

With the clouds rolling in 

pretty soon it'll pour

As all the dirt washes down the street

Like tears cried over a battle 

that was lost in defeat

Maybe you'll see him again when all is well

Up there in heaven 

or maybe down here in hell

There's no telling 

what the tide will bring to shore

No way to know if you'll meet again 

once you walk out that door

Soaked to the bone 

as you're on your way home

With the umbrella that you hold 

at least you are not alone

STILL THINKING OF YOU TONIGHT

by Tom Jensen

Lately it's been getting 

The better of me

Wondering how long

It'll take 'til she sees

That we're soul mates

If there ever was, is or could be

For I feel in my heart

One day she'll think differently

So patiently... 

So very patiently...

I bide my time...

Within this endless rhyme:

These feelings inside 

I can no longer fight 

Can you tell, does it show… 

I’m still thinking of you tonight 

So patiently... 

So very patiently...

I bide my time...

Within this endless rhyme:

Searching in my soul 

Trying to find my inner light 

Sitting here by myself… 

I’m still thinking of you tonight 

I sit here and then 

My pen begins to write 

I just want you to know… 

I’m still thinking of you tonight 

So patiently... 

So very patiently...

I bide my time...

Within this endless rhyme:

Waiting for you here 

With just this line that I recite 

Nothing's changed how I feel… 

I’m still thinking of you tonight 

I’m still thinking of you tonight 

BETRAYAL By Tom Jensen

What will her friends say?

What wild rumors will be spread?

Where lies her escape?

These thoughts run ‘round in her head

She had been bruised inside

Blood trickled down the side of her face

He was twice her size

She was just half his age

She fought so hard 

but she was unable to resist

That’s okay,

I like it better this way, he hissed

When she tried to say no with her knee

He said yes with his fist

But luckily, when he swung he had missed…

At least the first time

He pinned her down

Leaving red welts on her wrists?

To mom and dad she cried:

I’m sorry to have to tell you this:

But Jesus wasn’t the only one

Who was betrayed by a kiss

Yet never in Sunday school 

did they ever cover this…

And this was her first time

What will her friends say?

What wild rumors will be spread?

Where lies her escape?

So many thoughts run round in her head

Once it was known

That his seed had been sewn

She carried the child like a disease

For when the baby came

How could she explain

That a rapist’s eyes were all that she sees

What will her friends say?

What wild rumors will be spread?

Where lies her escape?

So many thoughts run

round in her head

Conflicting voices whisper in her ear

She tries to drown them out 

but they won’t disappear

Her pastor’s sermons 

and a voice that she hadn’t heard before

Every day that voice

Speaks louder…

She knows soon

It will speak no more…

GYPSY MAMMA

by Tom Jensen

I met a gypsy mamma

One day while I was driving down the road 

Would have mistaken her for a farmer

Had her tire not felt the need 

to suddenly explode

There she sat stranded

With her young boy in tow

This summer trip they had both planned it

But this was not how it was supposed to go

"Can I help you out little lady?

I got a face that you can trust

And soft spot in my heart

For people down on their luck"

With these words she smiled

And proceeded in telling me

She didn't know where she was headed

Only that she had a date 

with fate and destiny

Said she lived in the same state 

for far too long

And that she was a singer 

but lately all the words kept coming out wrong

With her life lacking harmony 

she had since stopped writing songs

That's what she said...

With that I paused and took a breath

I said yeah, I play too, 

and I'm heading out west

Where the sky is the limit 

and sun shines bright

And all the people like to party 

like it's friday night

With big brown eyes 

she looked at me and said:

"Hey man, you're alright!"

So we just kept on driving

No, she never looked back

That was exactly ten years ago today

As a matter of fact

If it wasn't for a tire 

I'd have just kept on driving by

And if I was liar 

she'd have left me high and dry

(That's what she could have done)

If she was a farmer 

she could have lived off of the land

Yet she was gypsy mamma

Albeit one with a plan

Now ten years we've been together

Creating and writing and playing songs

(gypsy mamma)

As both our lives keep getting better…

To think that all this started 

'cause one day everything went wrong...

woh ooh

USED TO BE by Tom Jensen

I used to be really rockin'

I used to be rollin'

I had it

I lost it

I found it…aAnd then it was stolen

So now I'm back out lookin'

Down the avenue I'm strollin'

Still got the fire but nothing's cookin'

I had it once but I no longer hold it

Gone, gone, gone away

I found it once but I no longer own it

Led, led, led astray

Let everybody see it

When I never should have shown it

No, no, no way

And if you can't clone it

Then you better lock it away

That's why today

Is just the price we have to pay

For yesterday's mistakes

For jumping in the lake

When it was far too shallow and much too cold

Didn't pay for the ticket but ride is getting old

All right everyone gather around

Everybody's gotta play their part

Go starting looking all over the ground

And don't stop looking until you find my heart

I once gave it away but it was disregarded

And the way I see it yYou'll probably find it in pieces

'Cause she left me here so brokenhearted

I used to be really rockin'

I used to be rollin'

PICTURE SOMETHING NICE By Tom Jensen

Homeless mand in the alley

He's paying his dues

While he was sleeping

The children took his shoes

When he wakes up

He looks so confused

His pride is hurt

What's left of his ego is bruised

Yeah, every hour

of every day

The faces change

But the story's the same

You live it, you breathe it

You hear it, you see it

You learn to accept it

And soon you expect it

Just as the sun rises

Just as the moon shines bright

There's no need to worry

You're doing all right

Don't pay attention

Just walk on by

Picture something nice

Don't you bat an eye

It's not your problem

Someone else will solve it

It's not your problem

Someone else will fix it

You just leave the worrying to me

I'll worry about the way thing ought to be

It's not your problem

So go on and make your exit

You think that you're perfect?

In everything you say

In everything you do

Some say what you don't know

Cannot hurt you

And you believe it to be true

Oh, but the price you will pay

You will find out some day

That day maybe today

Or could still be far away

So you better keep on your toes

Because there is something

That everybody knows

Inside there's a monster that grows

Beneath your pretty clothes

A vanity affair

But there is no one else there

You're only cheating yourself

A vanity affair

Either make amends

Or keep playing pretend

You're only cheating yourself

When you think you win

Then you really lose

So either apply some more makeup

Or think of changing your shoes

A vanity affair

You're not just cheating yourself

You're dragging down

Everybody else

WHAT WE SHARE

by Tom Jensen

A passing daydream floated by

I plucked it clean out of thin air

Only an hour ago I heard your voice

And at this moment..... 

It felt like you were here...

So many precious times... 

What I hold dear has disappeared

But to let someone so close to your heart 

Very few have ever dared... 

Share what we share

My memories are my company

Whenever I turn and you're not there

Wherever I come to find myself

I hold them tight... When I am scared

Then I feel a calmness in the air

Oh, how sweet the taste

As I stare into a beautiful daydream

I hear your voice, I see your face

Yes, I could spend just a day with you

That would be enough to see me through

All the anger and pain

from the rest of the week

All the horror and madness 

that we must face

After an hour or two with you 

it has all been erased

So I've come up with a plan 

to get us through

Put your trust in me and I'll trust in you

My memories are my company

Whenever I turn and you're not there

Wherever I come to find myself

I hold them tight... When I am scared

Then I feel a calmness in the air

Oh, how sweet the taste

As I stare into a beautiful daydream

I hear your voice, I see your face

For I can take you to the place you see

We could both be there living in harmony

No longer would we have 

to search our memories

Together we can turn dreams into reality

My memories are my company

Whenever I turn and you're not there

Wherever I come to find myself

I hold them tight... When I am scared

Then I feel a calmness in the air

Oh, how sweet the taste

As I stare into a beautiful daydream

I hear your voice, I see your face

ONE NIGHT STAN by Tom Jensen

Well I’m going out tonight

And I look ‘aight

It’s time to give the ladies hell

We’ll catch one under our spell

And then maybe take her home

You know I love to bone!

The next morning I’ll drop her off

And never call her on the phone 

You can call me ‘one night Stan”

Hey baby, I’m YOUR man!

Let’s have a little fling

Who get the girls to sing?

And as you’re calling out my name

We’ll get this kitten tamed

I’ll give you the best day of your life

Then sneak out in the middle of the night

Yeah, you get just one day then I’m afraid

I’ll have to go star on another stage

Today it’s ALL the rage

So don’t feel like YOU’VE been played

They call me ‘wrong number Bill’

Hey baby come and get your fill!

They call me ‘long gone John’

It may not be right…

But you can’t tell me that it’s wrong!

HISTORY TO ME by Tom Jensen

I remember when Ice Cube and T were black

And rapped...now they act...like crap...

I remember when The Rock he cooked

And then he'd call us all funny names

Eye brow raised with that funny look...

Now he acts...like crap…it’s a fact…

Everything is coming back

But changed...

They're calling it the same name

But it's strange...

I remember when it was cool to say hello

To somebody new I didn't know

Now they're all plugged in to their phones

Which is plugged in where? They don't know...

They don't care. I say hello. They don't say hello.

So I stare...

Uh Oh...

I need more than a good chiropractor

To fix this fractured broken soul

I need more than skilled psychiatrists

To bandage up these mentally slit wrists

And net all these knotted thoughts

I watch spin and twist out of my control

So look out… all up, down and around

Both near and far, hey you up there, look out below!

Everything is coming back

But changed...

They're calling it the same name

But it's strange...

I’m seeing so many faces playing charades

Believing they’ve found a new game in a new age…

Hahaha… It’s just history to me…

Written on a fresh page

CUTIE PIE by Tom Jensen

Since a miss by an inch 

Is as good as a mile

I’ll die wearing hip dirty clothes

Opposed to clean ones out of style

You can tell as much about me from my eyes 

As you can from my smile

I don’t mind being hypnotized

By a cutie pie for awhile

I’ll have you understand

I found my weakness as a man

Running my fingers through your hair

As your breath became my air

Every time I closed my eyes

You’d be there inside my eyelids

As your voice became my music

I’d hear piano, harp and violins

No longer am I lonely

Since our hearts were joined souly

Even apart we’re still together

From now until forever

I don’t know what could be better?                                                                                                                                                                                      t

part

two

BIRD ON A STRING By Tom Jensen

He held a bird on a string

But it's not what you might think

It was only for her own protection

Oh how she could sing

And how she loved to soar

Oh how high she could fly

When she knew she need not

Look down anymore

He would always be there to catch her

When she fell back to earth

For in his life he had learned many lessons

But to him nothing had ever meant more

Than when this his most prized possession

Once released from her cage

He'd get to go and see all the places

That she would take him to explore

He held a bird on a string

She became to him his everything

He let her out every morning

Then each evening she'd return

Every day she would fly higher

So then the string became longer

The song she sang became louder

As her wings grew stronger and stronger

Oh how high she could fly

When she knew she need not look down anymore

He would always be there to catch her

Whenever she fell back to earth

HOUSE OF SHATTERED GLASS

by Tom Jensen

I'm feeling trapped 

Within myself

Within my heart and within my own head...

I'm feeling surrounded 

With this sense of hurt, this sense of loss 

and the feeling of dread

I'm waiting for your letter 

The one that I'll cry as I read:

The one that says:

"I'll always love you... 

But you're something that I don't need"

And it is filling me with misery

And I still feel nothing but love

Love for you... but not for me

That part of my heart is empty

There's nothing there it's null and void

I worked so hard to get you to love me

Yet here I am left unemployed

I don't feel bitter 

I just feel let down

I've never been a quitter 

I'm a lover not a leaver

But now I'm leaving town...

'Cause I just can't bear to be around

In you... 

I am your greatest believer

In me... 

I'm my own greatest deceiver

As everyone told me it was a fairytale world

From inside this house of shattered glass 

I stood up to every stone they hurled

And we both know it hurts

Watching your blood make mud

As it mixes with the dirt

That they also threw at you

But I knew what it was that I had to do

Still, through all of this 

I only know of one truth:

I will never stop loving you

But what's even worse:

Is that you know it, too

BETTER THAN IT SEEMS By Tom Jensen

I am trying to unlearn

What all the teachers have taught me

I am trying to unlock

An original thought but I have no key

I am trying to believe

That it's better than it seems

(Or at least what I can see)

I am trying to achieve

The American Dream

Of leaving a legacy behind me

Look out the man's got the pen again

Pulls it out every now and then

Smokes some pot as your thoughts

Become your friends

Keep on looking for answers

Until the questions end

So what pulls you through?

Is it something bigger than you?

Or is it lesser than you?

It could be that, too

For so many this is true

Oh, so what am I to do?

Lock myself in a vault

And point my finger at you

Screaming everything is your fault

Sure, you're soul searching

Yet you haven't found a clue

Finally my inner turmoil is at peace

I slayed the dragon

I conquered the beast

Fought so many things

That I could and couldn't see

That which I once believed

Would one day get the best of me

Has now been left behind

I always knew it was just a matter of time

Now that I'm finally where I want to be

I still can't really say that I'm doing fine

With all this free time plaguing my mind

I get to dig a little deeper inside

Still afraid of what I'll find

RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES

by Tom Jensen

I don't read the paper

Hell I don't even watch the news

Everyone's used to horror 

and everyone's got the blues

Always another plane crash

Or gunman on a rage

I never pick up the paper 

unless it's lining for a cage

I used one for my birdcage

And my bird spoke of death and hate

I wish I'd used the comics... 

But I realized this too late

The worst is on the cover 

seen by children of every age...

If I was editor of the paper, 

I'd put the good things on the front page!

Then maybe it'd rub off 

and people would treat each other kind

Have you heard the expression, 

out of sight and out of mind'?

When violence is on TV

Then children will play with guns

Yet when they're watching Sesame Street

That's when they're having fun

I'm moving to the mountains

So I can watch the trees

Where you don't have any doors 

and you don't have any keys

House of wood, Bed of straw

When I see a pig, 

it won't remind me of the LAW!

I won't use no roads 

-- I'll set off on my own course

Trading my ford for a six pack and a horse

I took that walk through the wilderness 

to escape a world of lies

I proposed to Mother Nature 

but I only heard her sigh...

Felt the swaying of the trees 

as I walked on fallen leaves

She reminded me of the death 

of everything that breathes

There are those who try to play God

Shoot everything that moves

The fact that men can make rifles 

Is the only thing it proves

I traded my gun for a camera -- 

That should come as no surprise

A deer I watched drinking from a stream -- 

I shot him right between the... eyes

Now it lives on forever

Does not die today

Captured in a picture 

that will never fade away

FACE TO FACE By Tom Jensen

You can run and you can hide

But I know your face 

It always shows

That you can’t lie…

So I don’t call you

On the phone

And now you know

The reason why…

I read your letters

So full of love

You tell me I’m the one

That you’re thinking of

Yet I know your gift

When it comes to the pen

As I think to myself

You’re at it again

One line leads to another line

One lie leads to another lie

I know all the walls

You use to hide behind -

It’s true

So I wait outside your place

To meet and greet you face-to-face

So I know whether to cry or laugh

When I look back 

at all those paragraphs –

From you

As I think back to all 

the things you’ve said

For I long to know 

what’s really inside your head

What you’re thinking to yourself 

and also about me

When you say that destiny 

is what we were meant to be

Together and forever 

for it was written in the stars

Yes, this is the true you 

and this is what you really are

Or whether this is just another plot 

and I am just your toy

Am I really your man 

or just a silly little boy?

ENDLESS CHORUS By Tom Jensen

I'm as deep as the day is long

That's why it hurt me

To find myself becoming weak

When I needed to be strong

This long day and my long face

Shows you that I know no other way

So it's back to bed with a worried head

An unsteady mind and too much time

I think too much about the past

Of broken trust and how things don't last

I'm as deep as the day is long

That's why I rarely sleep

And I only dream in song

Then I wake up

And I try to play along

To the melody

That my heart weeps

Since you and me

We broke our bond

I find your ghost

Keeps haunting me

With rattling chains

And shaking keys

I try to hide

But to no avail

Just an endless chorus

About how we failed...

ENEMY OF THIS STATE By Tom Jensen

I share my darkness with the morning

It’s about time to set back the clocks

I can see now that the world's been turning

Through this tiny hole inside my prison box

Yes, I'd rather sit here within my own seclusion

Then go chasing after some make believe dream

So many have become entrapped by the false illusion

That what we think we see is what it appears to be

For all of the freedoms

That we once held dear

With one lie and one swipe of the pen

I have watched them disappear

Life sure has changed

So much since yesteryear

I'll become an enemy of this state

When hope can no longer conquer our fear

Perhaps I’m being too critical

Of this society in which we live

But sometimes it becomes too hard to take

When those who have the least 

are the only ones who give

Yes, life sure has changed

So much since yesteryear

I’ll become an enemy of this state

When hope can no longer conquer our fear

BEST LEFT By Tom Jensen

One single ray of light 

broke through the clouds

Touched down upon the ground 

that I was standing upon

My lover right beside me 

just stood in my shadow

By the time she made up her mind 

to move the light was gone

Though it was never discussed

This scene said so much about us

This strange phenomenon

Either she didn't notice or else didn't care

Just stood there in the cool, crisp air

At six minutes past dawn

But I know another girl 

who is made up of sunshine

She's waiting but I'm not sure 

if she's been waiting for me

She's someone who knows

Just how I'm feeling

Yet she's uncertain

If we were ever meant to be

So I asked her if I could come and see her

For it seems she's now ready to settle down

After five years of traveling 

across the country

She picked out a state

And said, "No more moving around"

And I've been searching for inspiration

For a new picture to place inside my frame

I have grown bored 

with everything around me

But I'm unsure of whom or what I blame

I've been seeking a new set of surroundings

A new life, a fresh face, a new name

I'm getting tired of waiting

For the time to be perfectly right

I'm packing my bags when I get home

And I'll be leaving some time later tonight

I'm unsure of my exact destination

I desire somewhere with a warmer locale

Maybe then I'll kick these winter time blues

And brighten up my entire morale

Yes, I've been searching for inspiration

For a new picture to place inside my frame

I have grown bored 

of everything around me

I've decided that things 

just can't stay the same

So I won't say that this story's finished

Only that soon 

I'll be heading west on a train

Sometimes you can't wait 

you must create your own fate

Find out if some things are best left...

Unexplained

ALISON'S AIRPLANE 

by Tom Jensen

I find my religion in the basement of churches

Never mind a pew

Here I sit trying to learn from my mistakes

God knows I've made a few

If you'd made as many as I have

Then you'd probably sit here, too

Here I sit and reminisce it all

Biding my time by reading slogans on the wall

Maybe a higher power is what I need

Perhaps placing something above myself will set me free

For you can only tell what you're really worth

When you realize you're not the center of the earth

The sun does not rise for you

No matter how much you want it to

Then the rest is up to you

Use your better judgment if you want to

MATCH MAKER

by Tom Jensen

I'm inspired...again

By the flame of a fire at least it's not the rain

I'm inspired...again

Will this song that I sing just sound the same?

The same as all the other songs 

That I used to write

Where the melody was truly beautiful

But the words were never right

Or maybe it was just the name

What if I change it?

And yet let the lyrics remain

Perhaps then all would be In perfect harmony

If instead of her and I 

I wrote about you and me...

I'm inspired...again to open my heart

And with this new start another song would begin

Or it could all come to an end

And instead of an old love song

This time I could start my new rhyme:

A poem freshly penned for a friend

Either way I would write with words full of love

Hoping that you and I unite

Sharing all the dreams we've been thinking of...

I'm inspired...again

By the flame of a fire at least it's not the rain

I'm inspired...again

Will this song that I sing just sound the same?

ALCOHOL By Tom Jensen

I am a victim though I feel like a hero

You make me feel like number one yet I'm a zero

All this you put me through and still I go back to you

What is wrong with me? Why can't you let me be?

I saw you once and then I saw you twice

Now I see you all the time

When everything is said and done

I'm the one who pays the price

You never treated me kind

I had to descend from the highest mountains

Just to come back to earth

I climbed up the slopes of the valleys

For what any of it is worth

Still I come back to you 

after all that you put me through

You and I walked hand in hand 

and I picked you up when you fell

I thought you were my ticket to heaven 

and still I landed here in hell

Our conversations were one-sided…

I never tried to hide it

You've never given me good advice

Still I come back to you

When everything is said and done… 

I'm the one who pays the price

Every time I try to stay away 

you cross my path nearly everyday

I fight so hard to walk a straight line

I fight so hard to leave you behind

Once false step and I'm back again 

and no further on then where I began

Still I come back to you 

after all that you put me through

What is wrong with me? 

Why won't you let me be?

MICHELANGELO AND MARBLE

by Tom Jensen

Alright…When it comes to minds 

and going exploring...

I raised my hand in the air 

and yell out I'm all for it

You may leave the room now 

to avoid a mind full of questions

You may leave the room 

and pace the halls with the rest of 'em

So many men don't understand

What we hold in our hands 

or what I'm speaking of

As this world keeps turning

There's a fire burning 

within minds like mine yearning for love

Like Michelangelo's marble

She possessed only the finest of features

Now I've found what I seek

All my life I've been a student

And now I have a teacher

I love the way her mind dances

Perhaps in time I'll reach her

Seems when she sings a song

I can't help but sing along

Now I proudly call myself a believer

We had a little talk about

Our creeds and our codes

I read to her a poem

That I once wrote about

following what little light that still glowed

Oh...Like Michelangelo's marble

She possessed only the finest of features

Now I've found what I seek

All my life I've been a student

And now I have a teacher

Oh...

Since I first heard her voice

It seems I'm not alone

Either by chance or by choice

Her words carve my mind

Like I was a piece of stone

(Like I was a piece of stone)

I recently became a believer

I'm caught under her spell

I recently became a believer

In the lady known as Weaver

(I love the lady Weaver)

Just like Michelangelo's marble

She possessed only the finest of features

Now I've found what I seek

All my life I've been a student

And now I have a teacher

Just like Michelangelo's marble

She possessed only the finest of features

Now I've found what I seek

All my life I've been a student

And now I have a teacher

She's Michelangelo...I'm marble...

Whoa...

She's Michelangelo...I'm marble...

Whoa...

Yeah!

What shape will I take?

Seems it's too early to tell...

I recently became a believer

In the Lady known as Weaver

And I hope you will as well...

I hope you will as well

I hope you will as well

I hope you will as well

She's Michelangelo...I'm marble...

Whoa... Yeah! 

LOST AND FOUND By Tom Jensen

I see what you have

And I want it

It will be mine

For I'll pay any cost

Someday you'll turn around

And she will not be there

For I will have found

What you have lost

You will begin to hate it

But it was all premeditated

Just when you thought

You had everything together

I finally convinced her

That she can do better

Because no matter

where you go

Pick any corner of the world

There's one thing I know...

There are only

four types of girls:

Either...

For now

For later

Forever

Or forget it

And if she's three of the four

Then you're gonna live to regret it

For now comes and then goes

For later keeps you on your toes

Forget it never shows

But when forever arrives

Then everybody knows

There is no such phrase

As setting standards too high

So be forewarned...

When forever appears

She catches everybody's eye

ANOTHER HISTORY LESSON By Tom Jensen

So just what do you want from me?

Another bloody lesson on history?

I am but one man can't you see

Will there be anyone behind me

When I finally make my stand?

Could I see a show of hands?

For I've grown sick and tired

Of laying way back in the cut

When your conscience burns with fire

You reach a point where enough's enough

No more playing follow the leader

I just fell off of the societal ladder

History is cyclical and I'm a big reader

Many say I'm madder than the mad hatter

But to me those vicious

Tongues only flatter

Only what my people say

That's all that really matters

I try to make a difference everyday

Don't let my ego go run off and play

For it may come home

Broken and shattered

I dress myself in rags and tatters

For people see me

More clearly this way

It's a small price to pay

To help keep the monsters at bay

For there's very little that I need

To be free of jealousy and conceit

Just my one true love

And our little ones at our feet

Then I'd sleep well

Knowing I've made a difference

At least to most

Of the people I meet

That's my definition of winning

Living in a box

Saying everything sucks

Now to me that's sinning

Such unfulfillment

Would be my defeat

A human retreat

Having to start all over again

At the beginning

NAMELESS by Tom Jensen

You blew out my candle 

Just so yours could burn brighter

You took my little girl 

And put bad things inside her

Thoughts of not being good enough

Oh how could she measure up

In this morality fashion show

That makes the rules up as they go

Living in the shadows and staying low key

Blending in with all 

the pretty things she sees

It won’t make you famous 

but it will help you stay alive

Sometimes remaining nameless 

is the reason why we thrive

You blew out my candle 

Just so yours could burn brighter

You burdened me with heavy load

Just so you could tread lighter

You laughed, pointed and sneered

When I took the wheel and steered

And as I wandered far off course

You offered no form of support

No helping hand to lend

Not a guiding message sent

Left abandoned on the shore

When not thought useful anymore

You kept looking at me

To see the star I’d never be 

But did you question if your perception

Was in fact reality?

You blew out my candle 

Just so yours could burn brighter

When I offered peace or war

You declared, “Neither!”

We’re locked in a state of paradox

Where the focus has been lost

Always scheming or else screaming 

Trying to get your point across

There’s no more words?

I’m at a loss…

SHE by Tom Jensen

She gently sighs

And then she softly cries

She still denies

That there's a void inside

An only child but not a lonely child

Her horses were chained 

so they never ran wild

An early life full of distractions

And they all offered her protection

But all of her paths were paved in stone

She could never ever find her way all alone

She...oh she...oh she...

She...oh she... could not break free

A child cloned from her environment

Told what not to do without trying it

Second thoughts... 

She never paid them any mind

Just blocked out her memory 

and kept walking her straight line

She was barefoot and pregnant

And now she regrets it

Once every man did want her

Never dreaming her past

Would ever come 

back to haunt her

She...oh she...oh she...

She...oh she... could not break free

The man paid the bills 

and shattered her wills

And broke her down to her simplest form

Now she regrets it… Her life is pathetic

Never thought it herself… 

Though everybody said it

She bended and kneeled

Her fate forever sealed

A true-self never truly revealed

After he left her wounds never healed

Just another sheep left so defenseless

She...oh she...oh she...

She...oh she... could not break free

She gently sighs and then she softly cries

She gently sighs and then she softly cries

She still denies that there's a void inside

An only child but not a lonely child

Her horses were chained 

so they never ran wild

She was battling hard to defeat the day

Seems she wouldn't have it any other way

While trying hard to hide away all the lies

She begins to feel a tear in her eye

She...oh she...oh she...

She...oh she... could not break free

She...oh she...oh she...

She...oh she... could not break free

So she hides the pain away

Has forgotten any other way

Today's reflection still mirrors yesterday

Yet May is another month away

She…

PANDORA'S BOX By Tom Jensen

Closed is Pandora's box

Now there is no

face on the clock

As this new day begins

so surreal and sublime

Glide with the ebb and flow

Watch a once high tide

now grow low

As the sea dances 

in its endless pantomime

On the banks of this shore

One needs one's self

And nothing more

There's no reasons,

no rhymes

And thus everything

is fine

Just four seasons

of sunshine

The only killing is

that of time

There are no words

That can hurt

Nor lessons once taught

Now needing

to be unlearned

Just a fire that burns

Yet does not scorch

Acting as a beacon

And as a torch

Helping to light the way

For all those who've

Been led astray

Neither at work

Nor at play

Is where I've come

to find myself today

Lost freedom has been gained

How could you

ever be the same?

Now self-aware

of a life without ego or crime

Tension has been released

Finally your mind is at peace

Being here alone 

is like traveling back in time

Our fate still has yet

to be sealed

A glimmer of hope

Has since been revealed

No soldiers on the battlefield

War has ended

And time has healed

Returning to the days of yore

A glimmer of hope

Has since been restored

Neither at work

Nor at play

Is where I've come

to find myself today

Here along the banks

of this shore

One needs one's self

And nothing more

LET IT RIDE by Tom Jensen

I can feel you're growing tired 

Can sense you're getting run down 

As you spoke your brain seemed wired 

So full of scattered thoughts 

bouncing all around

When I called to cheer you up

You seemed so very distant so far away

I thought by now I knew all the words

That could lighten your load 

and brighten up your day

Hence when silence fell upon us

My face took on a peculiar 

and puzzled state

That's when I knew 

to throw away all my words

For it was best for you 

and best for me to wait...

You told me that you needed time

Time alone with just yourself

And not to take it personally

But of course you knew how I felt...

I felt like less of man

And more like a child

Since I always do what I can

To make you smile

Yet I respected your wishes

Your will and desires

As I gave you the space

Which you said you required

For I know you by now

When it comes to troubled times like these

I gracefully bow down

And back away far enough

Until it suits your needs

For that is love...

Learning when to push, when to pull

and when to temporarily retreat

For that is love...

Knowing when to drive 

When to let it ride

And when to take a backseat

MISS YOU KISS YOU by Tom Jensen (and )

a duet… male =1

female = 2 and together = 3

1 Don’t you know I dream about you

When I'm asleep and wide awake

Both when I’m half asleep and wide awake

2 I know for I can tell when you're dreaming

My upper lip starts to quiver and shake

1 Honey, don't you know I'm thinking of you

On these empty, dark, cold and lonely nights?

2 I can tell what you're thinking

As if I have the gift of second sight

3 I miss you… I wish to have you here

So I can kiss you

With passion, deep and sincere

3 And this too…

Let me whisper into your ear

Can't resist you 

Cause you're the love of my life

And it's so clear

1 You know me so well that I don't have to say

When you're away how I toss and turn

Sweetie, that's alright

Yeah baby, that's okay

When out goes the light

It’s for you I yearn

3 I miss you… I wish to have you here

So I can kiss you

With passion, deep and sincere

3 And this too…

Let me whisper into your ear

Can't resist you 

Cause you're the love of my life

And it's so clear

1 I long to have you

I long to hold you

I’d like to see this through

And grow old with you

1 I miss you, I’d kiss you

And this too, I can’t resist you

3 I miss you… I wish to have you here

So I can kiss you

With passion, deep and sincere

3 And this too…

Let me whisper into your ear

Can't resist you 

Cause you're the love of my life

And it's so clear

1 Don't you know I'm thinking of you

On these empty and lonely nights

Yea I can tell what you're thinking

Cause I always got you here inside

2 I miss you 

I want to have you here

So I can kiss you

Don't ever worry my dear 

I can't resist you 

Cause you're the love of my life

And it's so clear

2 I long to have you 

I long to hold you

I'd like to see this through

No one else out there

Makes me feel the way you do

1 I miss you

I want to have you here

So I can kiss you

Don't ever worry my dear

I can't resist you

Cause you're the love of my life

And it's so clear

3 I long to have you

I long to hold you

I'd like to see this thru

No one else out there

Makes me feel the way you do

2 I wanna hold you 

I wanna have you

I'd like to see this thru

2 No one else out there

Makes me feel the way you do

1 I long to have you 

I long to hold you

I'd like to see this through

CLINICAL DEPRESSION By Tom Jensen

Narrator: She finds a bottle of pills

And she holds them in her hand

Daughter: My whole world is falling down

And no one understands

There's only one way

to solve my problems

That's for me to go away

After I'm placed in my grave

I won't hear anyone say...

Parents:

She had the whole world in her hand

But she let all of us down 

Now she's gone to a faraway place

Though she's only six feet underground

Parents:

What on earth would make her think

That we didn't love her so?

What pushed her past the brink

To where there was no place left to go?

Daughter: Mom and dad

I never meant to hurt you

Nor cause you any pain

I guess that I imagined

My loss would be your gain

Parents:

Whatever happened in the past

Is nothing compared to this

That would pass just like the moon

With just a hug and kiss

Parents:

This is your one mistake

That'll never be undone

We used to have two children

Now we're left with only one

Everybody stumbles

When they learn to walk

Everybody mumbles

When they learn to talk

Parents:

What we've learned with age

Is that you give it your best shot

We prayed that you'd be strong

But you never even fought

Did you ever listen

To anything we'd taught?

When swimming against the tide

You give it everything you've got

Daughter:

With expectations oh so high

You nailed me to the wall

You placed me on a pedestal

So I was bound to fall

I ended up lying down

When I tried to stand too tall

And when I needed you the most

I was too afraid to call

Parents:

How could we have missed the truth

With the writing on the wall?

Why did you say nothing

When we should have known it all?

If only you had told us

For we can be so blind

If only had we known

We would have been more kind

Daughter:

Oh no, what have I done?

This shouldn't be my fate…

I realize I've made only one mistake

But now it's far too late

Parents:

Always remember that

You're daddy's little girl

The world would have been

Your oyster and you its pearl

Parents:

I would do anything

To give you a second chance

I would trade my soul eternally

Paying with a pound of flesh in advance

Parents:

Not only were you my daughter

you were my best friend

If only you had known

That it didn't have to end

Daughter:

Goodbye mama…

Goodbye papa…

May we meet again                                                                                                                    t