I

My Baby’s gone

she crossed the river

she got too tired to hang on

and I don’t know why

my baby’s gone

and I must forgive her

she got too close to the sun

and melted into sky

CHORUS

I got to carry on

it isn’t fair

I got to love again

but I don’t dare

it’s hard to live without her

when she’s always there

II

There for a while

we had perfection

there for a while

we had it all

then that crazy wind

changed direction

like a dying bird

she began to fall

CHORUS

BRIDGE

I mean to tell you

she was all I ever wanted

now I’m aching and I’m empty

and every day is haunted

III

My baby’s gone

she crossed the river

she got too tired to hang on

and I don’t know why

my baby’s gone

and I must forgive her

she got too close to the sun

and melted into sky

CHORUS

I got to carry on

it isn’t fair

I got to love again

but I don’t dare

it’s hard to live without her

it’s hard to live at all

it’s hard to live without her

when she’s always there

she always there

my baby’s always there

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

        I

I’m so tired of foreign affairs

I’m ready for a woman I can really care for

Tell me, honey

You will be the one

I will give you all I’ve got

Till my loving days are done

CHORUS:

I’ve had my fill of foreign affairs

Those silly games of musical chairs

Now that you’re here

I don’t need any foreign affairs

          II

Some people love to live by double-dealing

I always thought that that was just like stealing hearts

Tell me, honey,

We’ll never do that, will we?

If you ever sold a secret

I am sure that it would kill me

CHORUS:

BRIDGE:

For too may years I’ve wandered

Out in the wasted Lands

All of the love I’ve squandered

Now, I understand

CHORUS

CHORUS…

Now that you’re here I don’t need

                (Now that you’re here)

Now that you’re here I don’t need

                (Now that you’re here)

Now that you’re here I don’t need

                (Now that you’re here)

Now that you’re here

I don’t need any foreign affairs

 © 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

        I

My daddy beat his little boy

That’s not what he wanted to teach me

And there were other ways to reach me

But now we’re trying hard

To live without each other

CHORUS:

Something’s just not right

Look where we’re falling to

If we’re trying to kill the light

We are just a pair of fools

Daddy, if we pull this knot of love too tight

We are done for, me and you.

          II

My lover just don’t talk sometimes

That’s not how we want to be living

It’s not at all like giving

But the patterns from the past

Keep slipping out and haunting us

CHORUS:

Something’s just not right

Look where we’re falling to

If we’re trying to kill the light

We are just a pair of fools

Honey, if we pull this knot of love too tight

We are done for, me and you.

          III

People treat their brothers just like stone

and even worse

It’s a cultural kind of madness

It breeds a heart of sadness

And we are limping to our graves without seeing what we can be.

CHORUS:

Something’s just not right

Look where we’re falling to

If we’re trying to kill the light

We are just a ship of fools

People, if we pull this knot of love too tight

We are done for, me and you.

 © 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

        I

When you run into trouble

Or it runs into you

And you are the one

Who is breaking in two

When you have done

All that you can do

Don’t break down crying

Baby, you’re not dying

And I’ll always help you through

CHORUS:

When all else fails

And you want to surrender

When all else fails

Just remember

You have my heart

And you will prevail

You can call on me

When all else fails

          II

When you’re out on the water

And you can’t find land

When you pour out your heart

And no one understands

When your favorite dream

Slips through your hands

When the road gets really  rough

And you don’t feel strong enough

You’d better believe I’m your man

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Oh, darling

I see my destiny

I’m going to love you forever

It’s just got to be

          III

So when you feel

That the world’s gone mad

And all your tomorrows

Start to look pretty bad

You will be right

To feel unbearably sad

But you are not alone

You don’t have to fix it on your own

Think of the love that we have

CHORUS

When all else fails

And you want to surrender

When all else fails

Just remember

Even when the wind 

Doesn’t fill your sails

You can call on me

When all else fails…

You can call on me

When all else fails

 © 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

      I

Everywhere she goes

She sees the shadow of a man

It keeps coming up behind her

A wicked reminder

One she doesn’t understand

So she stumbles through the years

A child without a choice

Afraid to remember

Compelled to surrender

To this evil inner voice

It says:

CHORUS:

Don’t tell anybody

If they ask you lie

Don’t you ever breathe a word

Or one of us will die

Don’t tell anybody

Or you will lose my love

All your life you better keep it

A dirty little secret

A dirty little secret

            II

Guilty memories

Should she have resisted?

Drowning in shame

Why is she to blame?

Funny how things gets twisted

She has a habit in her heart

Love is her addiction

She spends her days in aggression

Her nights in confession

Always true to his conviction

CHORUS

BRIDGE

She doesn’t have many choices

Holding a losing hand

She can give her love away

Or take it like a man

Don’t Tell. Don’t tell.

Never, never

Keep it buried forever

CHORUS

 © 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

Snow is falling on the lake

and darkness on the town

the steeple bell is warning

that it’s time to settle down

but I’m mulling over memories

of something lost and found

a jewel on the highway of heart

II

I stand alone without you now

soft in disbelief

there’s no one else to take your place

close the door upon my grief

but after all is said and done

I find myself at peace

with a jewel on the highway of heart

CHORUS

Noting worth keeping

in life ever stays

so, my friend, I am lucky to

be loving you this way

III

The news has come out from the coast

you’re glad you made the move

you’re getting married in the spring

you’re life is very smooth

but I know you must be missing

what I am too

a jewel on the highway of heart

CHORUS

BRIDGE

The jewel may be gone

but the memory lives

only dying can take it away

I gave you my heart

and the peace it brings 

only dying can take it away

CHORUS  

CHORUS

CHORUS

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

Little old lady loves a little old man

he comes by whenever he can

they go out walking

and chatter like a couple of birds

Sam thinks Suzy’s quite a girl

she still gives his heart a whirl

when they’re together

he hangs on every word

CHORUS

The fire of love keeps burning

as long as the world is turning

as long as there’s a woman and a man

the magic and the mystery

have long been shaping history

as long as ocean waves

still hit the sand

II

Sam puts on his very best

shiny shoes and a satin vest

he hardly knows

the years have passed

Suzy does her hair up nice

puts a little wine on ice

when he comes

her heart is beating fast

CHORUS

III

Sam knows how to say goodbye

looks his lady in the eye

and promises her

it won’t be long

Suzy understands her man

tenderly she holds his hand

one sweet moment

and he’s gone

CHORUS

The fire of love keeps burning

as long as the world is turning

as long as there’s a woman and a man

the magic and the mystery

will go on shaping history

and turning lead to gold

this story will be told

as long as ocean waves

still hit the sand.

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

The spell is broken

I miss the caring

our love is falling through the cracks

you and I

got to do something daring

if we ever want that magic back

I can’t be bothered with worn out ways

I’m not the hero in a tragic play

CHORUS

I am a fighter

when it comes to loving you

I won’t give up

if it’s the last thing I do

I am a fighter

say you’re a fighter too.

II

We made a promise

way back when

And I’m going to stand by you

I still feel

like I did then

You’re the only woman I will make love to

These two hearts took years to make

and I’d rather die than let them break

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Don’t get me wrong

I will never hurt you

I will never be a man of war

I have a mission

to make you see

this love is worth fighting for

III 

It’s essential

we stop the hiding

and let our aching go

every heart

does a little colliding

that’s the only way the thing can grow

I have been just a little blind

but you know I’m not the quitting kind

 CHORUS . . .

I am a fighter

I am a fighter

I am a fighter

say you’re a fighter too.

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

There was nobody left

we were the last people on Earth

and I lay down and wept

and I beat my hands in the dirt

a song was coming to me

and my head was ringing

as the words came through

I started singing

CHORUS

Never again will the way of men be evil

never again will the poison arrows fly

and I swear on my mother’s grave

and I promise to the sky

I’m gonna live by the river of wisdom

till I die

live by the river

II

I was sure I would find

scars all over the land

but the berries were thick

and I saw a newborn lamb

On the top of a mountain

I realized

what had been missing

in our lives

CHORUS

III 

Then I woke from the dream

and I found myself in a room

in the western sky was

Venus in the crescent moon

the song of the city 

came up from the street

people in motion

sounded so sweet

’cause I was hearing.

CHORUS . . .

live by the river

till I die

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

He called you again tonight

ripped you from your sleep

laid that old guilt on your head

now you’re sinking deep

and you want me

to be someone

who comes around

when you’re feeling down

but, babe

CHORUS

I’m not the God of Love

I’m not the Angel of Sweet Release

tell me how can I bring you peace

II

I wake as you come through the door

and you drop your dress

you throw your arms around my neck

saying you’re a mess

and you want me

’cause I’m someone

who’s strong enough

when life gets tough

but, babe

CHORUS

BRIDGE

No matter how I try

you’re gonna let yourself

be ruined by that guy

it’s like banging my head

against a wall

but I keep thinking

if I just treat you right

someday you’re gonna see the light

I just hope it comes

before you fall

III 

He called you again tonight

ripped you from your sleep

laid that old guilt on your head

now you’re sinking deep

and you want me

to be someone

to see you through

when you’ve got the blues

but, babe

CHORUS

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

Dawn is breaking cold and cloudy

the wind is in my face

I wonder if you’re sleepin’ late in Texas

with your curls all tumblin’ round you

on our pillowcase

Yes, it’s still a thrill to tour the country

and I really do love signing autographs

but the price I have to pay is getting heavy

’cause my world is an empty place

without your laugh

CHORUS

Sometimes when the moon comes up

I feel like breaking down

tonight I’ll be singing my songs

in another neon town

I’m living on my memories of you

I’m living on my memories of you

and I wonder if you think about me too.

II

Morning can be dreary in a diner

how I want to feel your loving hands

I think of all the nights we’ve been together

seems like we’ve been making love

since time began

when I’m behind the wheel you’re not beside me

but, honey, I hear your voice on every turn

And I want with all my heart to be back in Texas

’cause I’m past the point 

of having time to burn

CHORUS

INSTRUMENTAL BREAK

And I wonder if you think about me

if you think about me too

CHORUS

CHORUS

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

My Baby’s gone

she crossed the river

she got too tired to hang on

and I don’t know why

my baby’s gone

and I must forgive her

she got too close to the sun

and melted into sky

CHORUS

I got to carry on

it isn’t fair

I got to love again

but I don’t dare

it’s hard to live without her

when she’s always there

II

There for a while

we had perfection

there for a while

we had it all

then that crazy wind

changed direction

like a dying bird

she began to fall

CHORUS

BRIDGE

I mean to tell you

she was all I ever wanted

now I’m aching and I’m empty

and every day is haunted

III

My baby’s gone

she crossed the river

she got too tired to hang on

and I don’t know why

my baby’s gone

and I must forgive her

she got too close to the sun

and melted into sky

CHORUS

I got to carry on

it isn’t fair

I got to love again

but I don’t dare

it’s hard to live without her

it’s hard to live at all

it’s hard to live without her

when she’s always there

she always there

my baby’s always there

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

            I

I’m at the shop

doing overtime

with you working nights

we’re holding the line

but the days and the weeks

they keep coming so fast

sometimes it feels

our love is coming in last

Chorus

Oh I wish the world

would go away just a little

and give us a couple of days

together and free

Oh I wish the nights

were just a little bit longer

I know our love would only get stronger

then we’d be living in a dream

            II

Ten years ago

we had a simpler view

a couple of kids

and a dream for two

but it seems that our life

is a crazy parade

and I look over my shoulder

at the promise we made

Chorus

Bridge

I don’t want to give up on us

‘cause honey we’ve come so far

but we need a rest

in the eye of the storm

to find out where we are

Chorus

Chorus

(This third verse was cut from the recording—

Marketing, you know!)

            III

I know we will be lovers

down through the years

but life should be more

than trouble and tears

we talk on the phone

and we meet in the hall

but lately it seems

I hardly know you at all

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope

I

he is a crazy man

he doesn’t care if he sits or stands

he can stare at an empty wall

and relate to nothing at all

and he lives out in open space

raindrops falling wash his face

the music ringing in his ears

he is here

CHORUS:

smiling

the crazy man is smiling

he knows the cost of living

and he’s not afraid to lose

freedom

he knows the peace in freedom

there’s nothing left to give him

he’s got all he can use

II

the doctors come

and standing in a row

they sympathize

but it’s all for show

and they shake their heads between them

and they go

and so he rides

on his silent train

never gives commands

or pulls the reins

nothing flashes in his brain

like suicidal thoughts or pain

CHORUS

III

oh how I wish

I was a Buddha child

and didn’t care

if I cried or smiled

I’d just be here

I’d just be here

I want to live

like a tree on land

I want to be like you

crazy man

and sit beside you in the sun

until my life is done

I want to watch the river run

until my time has come

CHORUS

© 2018 Thomas Henry Pope