1. |
Fear of Flight
03:43
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The Fear of Flight
I stand alone on the edge of night,
Face to face with what's not right
There's no denyin what is now so clear -
I've been overwhelmed by an awesome fear.
It's not the fear of being right or wrong.
It's not the fear of being weak or strong.
There's just one fear that I face tonight...
It's an overwhelming fear of flight.
On solid ground I stand and gaze
Encouraged by the sun's first rays
But in the dawn's new light now I can see so clear
Just one challenge. Just this fear.
I can fly, and so can you
But are we ever going to
Spread our wings?
It's gonna be alright
Once we overcome our fears of flight.
For too many years I have ached inside
Wanting just to run and hide
But after all this runnin now I can finally see\
I cannot hide from what I see in me.
And if you just look inside of you,
You're gonna see the same thing too.
You'll see your heart and your soul so clear
Challenged by one single fear...
I can fly, and so can you
But are we ever going to
Spread our wings?
It's gonna be alright
Once we overcome our fear of flight.
You can call your fears whatever you may
But you just can't make them go away
But accept your fears and you'll feel so light
That you can rise above your greastest fright
The Fear of Flight
©1993 Jerry Mills
Boom Zing
Reprinted with permission
www.jerrymills.com
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2. |
Urgent Reply
04:06
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Urgent Reply
The call came through on the telephone
About a kid in big trouble, he was no one I'd known,
And the caller explained that the kid's friends had said
That he was tellin' them all that real soon he'd be dead,
And he'd even showed them he'd assembled a list
Of all his possessions to leave them as gifts,
But he hadn't included his favorite knife,
Because he wanted to use it to take his own life...
All of my crowded thoughts s c a t t e r e d...
Cuz somebody somewhere was wantin' to die
And suddenly all that seemed to matter
Was that somebody somewhere needed an urgent reply...
It's that somebody somewhere needed an urgent reply!
So I called up this kid on the telephone,
Said, "I'd like to stop by if you think you'll be home."
And I told him, "I know you must think it's bizarre
That a stranger would call you to see how you are
But if you'll just give me the time of the day
I'll stop by to get you and we'll get away
And I'll tell you a tale that opened my eyes
and ears to those calls needin urgent replies.
Cuz there are times when we can't seem to figure things out,
And we find ourselves wonderin what life's all about,
But it's right then and there that we most need a friend
To help us find a solution that'll make the pain end ......
So I'll say to you now what I said to that kid,
I don't know if it mattered, but I hope that it did.
I told him that he and he alone was the key
To breakin the chains of his life's misery.
And I shared with him how it had taken me years
To see through the shadows of all my worst fears.
But how once I could see with a clear, naked eye
I found I could answer my own urgent replies
And how all my scattered thoughts gathered
There was too much to live for for wantin to die
And now all that seems to matter
is that somebody somewhere needs an urgent reply.
It's that somebody somewhere who needs an urgent reply......
The call came through on the telephone
About a kid in big trouble couldn't make it alone................
Urgent Reply
©1990 Jerry Mills
Boom Zing
Reprinted with permission
www.jerrymills.com
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3. |
Just the Dreams
03:24
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Just the Dreams
I have dreams when I could swear I’m wide awake
Dreams appear along the path my mind must take.
And I’ve probably got a hundred things
on my list of things to do,
But it’s really just the dreams that pull me through.
My head spins like a helicopter blade
My mind whirls through the world of plans I’ve laid.
My heart aches from mistakes I might have made
But my soul sings and all my sorrowful memories fade
Cuz I have dreams when I could swear I’m wide awake ...
Dreams appear along the path my mind must take.
And I’ve probably got a hundred things
on my list of things to do,
But it’s really just the dreams that pull me through
In our lives, we all must live through pain
How will we grow if we don’t feel the rain
In those moments we all might go insane
In your heart, you’ll hear a voice that’s saying
I have dreams when I could swear I’m wide awake
Dreams appear along the path my mind must take.
And I’ve probably got a hundred things
on my list of things to do,
But it’s really just the dreams that pull me through.
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4. |
What You See
03:09
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What You See
It’s the first day of school, and I can hardly wait
to meet my teachers for the year.
I wonder if they’ve heard what I was like before,
What kind of stories did they hear?
Cuz I’ve had a lot of problems
with some of my teachers in the past.
But this is gonna be a great year. At least I hope it is at last!
And when I finally meet my teachers,
when that school bell rings today
I’m gonna ask them just one question
And I wonder what they’ll say...
“Teacher, tell me what you see...
Won’t you tell me what you see?
Teacher, tell me what you see ... in Me !”
Well I’m the first kid at the school, cuz I can hardly wait
To meet my teachers for the year.
I wonder if they know about what I was like before,
or am I finally in the clear?
Cuz I’ve had a lot of problems
With some of my teachers in the past
But this is gonna be my best year
At least I hope it is at last !
And when I finally meet my teachers
When that school bell rings today
I’m gonna ask them for a favor
And I wonder what they’ll say,
“Teacher, tell me what you see...
Won’t you tell me what you see?
Teacher, tell me what you see ... in Me !”
What You See
©1993 Jerry Mills
Boom Zing Music
www.jerrymills.com
Reprinted with permission
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5. |
Impulse
02:43
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Impulse
Well I wake up every morning, I’ve got my best laid plans all made.
But before I even hit full stride... my mind has strayed
And like a pinball on the ricochet, I bounce around my life.
But I usually end up home again in my bed at night!
My life’s an impulse
So don’t ask me what my life’s about.
Cuz life is certainly one thing I can’t figure out,
So I figure I’d stop to rest awhile, but I won’t be stopping long
Cuz I’ll be catchin another impulse and like... that I’m gone.
Now I never wanted to be this way,
it’s just the way my brain is wired.
And don’t think because I’m happy now that I don’t get tired
Of never ever knowin where I’m goin - how far or how long,
But I usually end up home at night with another song.
My life’s an impulse
And in a heart beat I can change my mind
And head off on some whim to see what I can find.
So I figured I’d rest my brain awhile
But instead I wrote this song
About catchin another impulse and like... that I’m gone
My life’s an impulse.
We need more impulse to get us movin again.
And one day soon we’ll all look back here to where we’ve been.
And it’ll blow our minds the day we find
That we’ve moved light years straight ahead.
And all because we followed where our impulse led
My life’s an impulse.
So don’t ask me what my life’s about.
Cuz life is certainly one thing I can’t figure out,
So I figured I’d stop to rest awhile but I won’t be stopping long
Cuz I’ll be catchin another impulse and like... that I’m gone.
Cuz I’ll be catchin another impulse and like... that I’m gone.
I’ll be catchin another impulse and like...
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6. |
A Little Peace of Mind
04:18
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A Little Peace of Mind
How can simple words explain, the ceaseless thoughts, the endless pain,
The doubts that you were sometimes sane, while never bein' sure?
Your thoughts were racin round and round, feet were rarely on the ground
Your mind a spring that was overwound and your whole darn life a blur.
And though no one ever understood you,
How could they when not even you could?
You couldn't slow down , though you wished you would,
So you could just unwind.
But a million thoughts would fill your head
And distract you from the life you led.
When in fact you'd only wished instead
That someday you could find -
A little peace of mind.
As a kid you went to school but you couldn't sit still.
Soon the teacher had had her fill!
So she used her whip to crack your will,
And, at six years old, you cried.
And with each new year what would it bring?
Nothing but the same old thing!
And like a puppet tangled in its strings
You got all tied up inside.
Because while you were always geared to go,
The word you always heard was, "NO!"
And so you even came to doubt, the things that you might think about..
You'd see yourself as out of place, a loser in the human race
Until you even lost all hope that you would ever learn to cope
You couldn't seem to keep your cool,
You'd cry inside while playin the fool,
You'd walk alone, behind, ahead
And soon regret hard words you'd said.
And as the days and weeks and years
Fueled frustrations, festered fears,
Deep within your dark despair
The will to persevere was there...
So you'd sit and count the ceiling holes,
Race along with restless souls,
While some set sights on dreams and goals, you were runnin blind.
Until you met a boy who happened to be
Diagnosed with A.D.D.
And thanks to Michael, now you see that finally you can find
A little peace of mind...
Finally, I'm learnin to find... A little peace of mind.
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7. |
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The Line (Don't Doubt the Dream)
I’ve got pockets full of post it notes covered with words
From thoughts I’ve encountered or things that I’ve overheard
And I fill up my pockets each day, all day long
With words and ideas and possible songs.
So I emptied my pockets when I got home today
To read once again what the post it notes say.
But I only found one note with only one line;
Just four simple words in search of a rhyme.
And I’ll tell you the line if you promise that you
Will do what the message is telling you to.
It’s just one lonely line, but it’s more than it seems -
The line on the post it note says
“Don’t doubt the dream!”
Don’t doubt the dream or it’ll never come true,
Your dream is the work you’ve been longing to do.
So just shoulder your burdens they’re as light as they seem
And do what you must do but don’t...
Don’t doubt the dream!
Like an old locomotive running full steam ahead
We’ve gotta follow our dreams and see where we’re led.
We’ve got so much potential and so little time,
But the future looks bright if we follow the line...
Don’t doubt the dream! Cuz it’s the best you can be,
Your dream is the you that you want them to see.
You can show the whole world how to build self esteem
If you do what you must do, but don’t...
Just do what you must do, but don’t...
You’ve gotta do what you must do, but don’t...
Don’t doubt the dream! .... .... ....
Don’t doubt the dream... or it’ll never come true!
Don’t Doubt the Dream
©1993 Jerry Mills
Boom Zing Music
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8. |
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I Wrote My Own Name Wrong
I knew that something wasn’t right, whenever I wrote my own name wrong.
And though I tried with all my might, I wondered if I would ever belong
With the kids who could learn how to read and write,
Who wrote their words in black and white.
Whose minds never made the words twist and bend
Into images they cannot comprehend.
But that’s exactly what happens whenever I try
To process the words that I see through my eyes.
Letters twisting! Words bending! My mind starts to reel
From the mirrors, the reflections and the way that I feel!
I remember how quickly my smile would melt
When the teacher would ask me to read to the class.
That sickening way my stomach felt,
When I swallowed my pride and asked “Can I please pass...
To the kids who could learn how to read and write
Who read the words in black and white
Whose minds never made the words twist and bend
Into images they cannot comprehend.
But that’s exactly what happens whenever I try
To process the words that I see through my eyes.
Letters twisting! Words bending! My mind starts to reel
From the mirrors, the reflections and the way that I feel!
Imagine not fittin’ where anything is written!
Imagine your need, if you thought you had no way to read
Labels, warnings, signs in the morning,
Letters, postcards, the mail,
Instructions, directions or good book selections
You’d try but the meaning would fail!
Imagine, instead, a reason for why the words dance in your head.
Imagine discovering today,
How to read and to write in your own unique way...
They told me that I wasn’t bright
Whenever I wrote my own name wrong...
I Wrote My Own Name Wrong
1993 Jerry Mills
Boom Zing Music
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9. |
The Ones Responsible
03:42
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The Ones Responsible
In my hometown there was a school that I attended as a child
Where I earned the reputation for bein a little too wild
And even though I left that place over twenty years ago
The memories of it haunt me almost everywhere I go
I went there for nine long years, from kindergarten through eighth grade
And I wish I had a dollar for every screw up that I made
Because maybe with all those riches I'd be able to make some sense
Of just what the hell was goin on! What the hell was goin on?
"Spare the rod and spoil the child." But why couldn't they just let me rot?
Instead of having to endure all of the punishment that I got
For not payin attention, for bein the class clown,
For not obeyin orders when I was told to settle down
For forgetting to do my homework, for not bein ready on time,
For failin to keep my way of life between their dotted lines?
For thirty years it's haunted me until I figured out
Just what the hell was goin on. What the hell was goin on
Heaven help the child who lives his life with a restless, achin soul,
Always acting so impulsively and lacking self control.
Heaven help someone to change this child's nightmare into a dream.
But God help the one's responsible...for destroying his self esteem.
It takes all kinds to make a world and some can make the world unkind.
But there's no one in this world with the right to blow a young kids mind
By treating them like trouble instead of trying to figure out
Just what the hell was goin on.
What the hell was goin on?What the hell was goin on?
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10. |
Intense
04:12
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Intense
Think for a minute that some people don’t,
They would if they could but they can’t so they won’t.
And it’s not like they don’t wish, they usually do
Wish they could think a thought all the way through.
But almost as fast as a thought can occur
A fatal distraction is starting to stir,
Until another idea appears in its place
Each thought in succession so quickly erased.
Picture if you can some little jumping beans
And you’ll get an idea of what I really mean
They just jump all around with no rhyme or sense
Like the thoughts in my mind jumpin round
Well it's kind of intense
In case you aren’t listening, then there’s nothing to hear
And if you are listening you’ve got nothing to fear
But if you’re getting the feeling that this all seems so dense
Then you know how I feel when I say
That it’s kind of intense
It’s kind of intense thinking out of control
And there’s times when I think that it’s taking its toll
As I hang on to one thought to follow it through
But it slips through my mind like so many thoughts do
And as soon as this one thought has found its escape
Another idea starts to take shape
But soon it grows restless and loses its sense
And leaves me with no other thought than
... than it’s kind of intense!
Man, I don’t want your pity, cuz it’s really kind of fun
To be thinking a new thought before the last one is done
But I do want to leave you with some kind of sense
For what it’s like to be stuck in a mind that’s kind of intense!
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11. |
Becoming
03:54
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Becoming
When I was a kid how I wished that I knew
Who I would become when I grew up too.
I never would have dreamed but it looks like I did ...
That I’d be who I am when I was a kid.
When I was a kid how I wished I could see
Albums with pictures of who I would be.
Now the pictures are memories
And there's a few I could hum ...
Songs full of life full of who I’ve become!
Becoming! I'm becoming!
Its numbing! My heartbeats drumming!
And when what I’m strumming begins to ring true
I’ll be coming...
I’ll be coming...
Now I’m still just a kid though my body has grown
Though I’m older and wiser from what I’ve been shown.
Can we see from the pictures in our memoriesThat who we've become is our own history...
Becoming! I'm becoming!
Its numbing! My heart beats drumming!
And when what I’m strumming begins to ring true
I’ll be coming...
I’ll be coming...
Ya know as I have grown I’ve become many things
Some weigh on my mind, some gave me my wings!
But of all I’ve become what I love most, I’d say,
Are the songs I’ve become that I’m living to play...!
Becoming! I'm becoming!
Its numbing! My heartbeats drumming!
And when what I’m strumming begins to ring true
I’ll be coming...
...for you...
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Jerry Mills Marquette Township, Michigan
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