seventeen long years I called you home I bade you my farewell some time ago fate had let me slip from your ever gentle grip to help me go astray to help me find my way it‘s safe to say things turned out for the best I‘m better than the man who packed and left a love I‘ve come to find that stands the test of time that‘s sunk into the bone I‘m never coming home

my heroes are dying a slow and painful death I guess that evolution is vital no matter how hard it gets you’re gonna break our hearts while you conquer the charts gonna rise to the sky while we slip out a sigh you’re going straight to the top you’re gonna drift into pop all the hopes that we found will get lost in the sound I hope that you’re happy triumph at last but do you think of the future while we long for the past you’re gonna break our hearts while you conquer the charts gonna rise to the sky while we slip out a sigh you’re going straight to the top you’re gonna drift into pop all the hopes that we found will get lost in the sound we’ll be wiping our eyes while you win every prize you’re perfection of sound Is just bringing us down despite the love for the art I fear we’re drifting apart the memory is alive and we won’t let it die

regulated militias as protection of the states from a crooked government trying to raise the stakes but these folks, they ain't no minutemen, they ain't no national guard they're diciples of the bullet preaching to their choir and the saints are marching in, they're blaring 'bout their rights gun-toting missionaries out to pick a fight a disciplined militia Looks differnt, so I'm told they're just bearers of an outdated torch, for all I know ghosts and guns, guns and ghosts follow one another from coast to golden coast I'm sure the founding fathers are turning in their graves that amendment seems to only take, although it's meant to save the lives of the innocent, the lives of the young are forcefully ended with the crack of a gun they tell you that it's tragic and there's nothing to be done only thoughts and prayers can help the grieving overcome and the NRA condolences painfully hover over all our broken-hearted, teary-eyed mothers and the ghost of every single kid that's taken by a gun shall haunt those lobby bastards until their days are done ghosts and guns, guns and ghosts follow one another from coast to golden coast I'm sure the founding fathers are turning in their graves that amendment seems to only take, although it's meant to save and the saints are back in town, but the sermon isn't new constitutional rights wrapped in red, white and blue but a bright new generation has taken to the streets fed up with a system bowing down to lobby needs ghosts and guns, guns and ghosts follow one another from coast to golden coast I'm sure the founding fathers are turning in their graves that amendment seems to only take, although it's meant to save

when you think about your life you think about regrets your horse never came in first on any of your bets don’t linger on the past, don’t question every turn the ups, the downs, the turn-arounds just set your past ablaze and watch the whole thing burn tonight we ride, we ride tonight with the rising of the moon and the dying of the light we’ll find our place and we’ll stay there for a while we’ll live for today and hope to die with a smile reflection on your past is screened by angst and doubt waiting in the wings ain’t as hard as reaching out don’t scorn the days gone by, don’t rue decisions made the dos, the don’ts, the can’ts, the won’ts you can’t thrive in the light when you’re holed up in the shade tonight we ride, we ride tonight with the rising of the moon and the dying of the light we’ll find our place and we’ll stay there for a while we’ll live for today and hope to die with a smile tonight we ride, we ride tonight with the rising of the moon and the dying of the light we’ll find our place and we’ll stay there for a while we’ll live for today and hope to die with a smile

midnight and dimmed light, I’m back on the floor boozed-up and strung-out and eyes on the door but you just don’t come around here anymore back-flashed and whip-lashed and sentenced to be caught in the torment of each memory forced to see everything I don’t want to see and here’s to you, my one true love my in-between, my below and above and I would do anything, but that’s not enough to make you see who I can be chewed-up and spit-out and lost in a sea of polaroid memories and vinyl debris a madman out chasing his own sanity and here’s to you, my one true love my in-between, my below and above and I would do anything, but that’s not enough to make you see who I can be and here’s to you, my one true love my in-between, my below and above and I would do anything, but that’s not enough and here’s to you, the ballad gone wrong the note that I missed while playing our song and I would do anything to just move along but the thoughts remain and fuel the pain and here’s to you, the unanswered prayer directed and written by hope and despair and I would do anything, if you would just care to try to see what’s underneath and here’s to you, my one true love my in-between, my below and above and I would do anything, but that’s not enough to make you see who I can be

have you met my buddy Alex? he’s over at the bar here’s a guy who’s cheated death a couple times so far I know just what your thinkin’: that’s one lucky son of a gun well, the story I’m about to tell is as crazy as they come first time Alex cheated death he was working on some pipes elevated ‘neath the ceiling up in nauseating heights duly fastened to his lift he’d never lose his grip but someone fucked up royally and the thing began to tip before he had a chance to grasp the “who”, the “when”, the “how” Alex and his trusty lift went crashing towards the ground he had fractures in his face, he had fractures all around but no matter from which height he falls you can’t keep a good man down Alexander, Alexander, look out for yourself we’re like expensive wine: we ain’t the youngest on the shelf I know the truth is tough and it’s a size that doesn’t fit don’t push your luck too far we’re getting too old for this shit next time Alex cheated death was at Punk Rock Holiday he plunged into that Madball sound by leaping from the stage stage dive number one was good, as was number two but number three went straight to hell and nearly put him in his tomb he woke up in a hospital in the middle of the day with stiffness and a headache doctors sent him on his way. the boys came round to pick him up, they took the road back home but after half a week of pain Alex knew something was wrong he went to get a x-ray to rule out any bad the image showed his vertebrae broken in two halves doctors reinforced his neck with plates and nails of steel after days of living on the edge his broken neck began to heal Alexander, Alexander, look out for yourself we’re like expensive wine: we ain’t the youngest on the shelf I know the truth is tough and it’s a size that doesn’t fit don’t push your luck too far we’re getting too old for this shit bee sting in the mouth, but just a swollen lip ceramic shards in his arm, but nothing serious 18-wheeler dead ahead blows out straight into the ditch and Alex keeps truckin’ on, that lucky son of a bitch

you wrote songs that caught my ear you wrote songs that caught my heart from there on after the work of a master if music is truly an art if music is truly an art words with meaning and depth emotions both darkened and bright a gift you can’t hide that inspires and guides like a beacon in the absence of light like a beacon in the absence of light farewell, farewell safe passage through uncharted lands farewell, farewell safe passage to welcoming hands your legacy travels about on airwaves through space and through time music and word forever preserved in silicon, vinyl and mind in silicon, vinyl and mind followers of every age still lose themselves in the sound speakers a-blaring, users a-sharing your spirit will never fade out your spirit will never fade out farewell, farewell safe passage through uncharted lands farewell, farewell safe passage to welcoming hands farewell, farewell safe passage through uncharted lands farewell, farewell safe passage to welcoming hands you wrote songs that caught my ear you wrote songs that caught my heart

I'll be Thane of Glamis if you be my Lady Macbeth we'll seize the throne with love and won't leave Scotland in a mess we'll plan and we'll scheme we'll act out the scene and leave out all the violent deaths I'll be Thane of Glamis if you be my Lady Macbeth I'll be Winston Smith if you be Julia by my side underneath the chestnut tree two and two is never five we'll skip all of the pain betrayal and shame and stick it to the everspying eye I'll be Winston Smith if you be Julia by my side I'll do everything I can to be the type of man I imagined you had hoped to see in me with your finger on my lips you shut me up real quick 'cause everything is how it's meant to be and you'll say I'll be me and you'll be you and that'll do just fine without any further ado I'll be yours and you'll be mine we'll dodge the bricks they throw we'll keep this thing afloat as long as our hearts are intertwined I'll be me and you'll be you and that'll do just fine and that'll do just fine

hello my friend, I'm back again, I hope you're doing fine I've been alone, away from home with troubles on my mind caught beneath a jet-black sheet of worries, fear and doubt but I blew a kiss and I raised a fist and I battled my way out so make the call and tell them all the district's wide awake let's grab a brew, pick up the crew and re-arrange our fate 'cause old guitars and ragged bars may not help pay the rent but nights and days of restless haze will leave you burnt and bent gather 'round, embrace the sound of these everlasting songs at least tonight forget the fight, join in and sing along we've all come to help you, son, once lost but now you're found we'll do our best, so take a rest, here's another round let's knock 'em down! so make a start and spill your heart and share your pain aloud we'll have a beer and we'll lend an ear and we'll figure something out now we ain't rich and life's a bitch, we struggle till we're sore but that bitch is nice and worth the price and too short to be ignored or at 85 you'll realize you've missed out on the fun so raise your glass and kill it fast, the best is yet to come there is no fate but what we make, that's what a wise man said let's start tonight, let's do it right, let's live before we're dead gather 'round, embrace the sound of these everlasting songs at least tonight forget the fight, join in and sing along play a tune, ignite the room, plunge into the sound propose the toast that matters most, here's another round let's knock 'em down!

bury me in the place I call home bury me in the place I call home they say home is where the heart is and my heart is yours alone let me rest close to home when I’m gone gather all my friends for one last show gather all my friends for one last show drink and laugh, sing and dance to the songs we love the most shed your tears in laughter, not in woe this goes out to whom it may concern this goes out to whom it may concern consider life a blessing, each mistake a lesson learned happiness ain’t granted, it’s earned give my love to my family and friends give my love to my family and friends I don’t know where things are headed or what succeeds the end but I’ll be waving from where ever I am sent yeah, I’ll be waiting for the day we meet again

I‘m really good at picking up bad habits I‘m really bad at letting them go booze, smokes and all my favorite hazmats are nothing compared to this girl that I know addictive, conflicted, restricted and bad for my health but far more soothing, grooving, moving than anyone else I‘m really good at picking up bad habits cutting them loose has never been my shtick an angels face in an anarchist package she‘s as bad as bad habits can get addictive, conflicted, restricted and bad for my health but far more soothing, grooving, moving than anything else like that drag I shouldn‘t take like that smile I shouldn‘t fake that last drink I didn‘t need that bad vibe I shouldn‘t feed that scratch I shouldn‘t itch debate I shouldn‘t win the chords I shouldn‘t use again and again that scab I shouldn‘t pick that nail I shouldn‘t bite I know that it‘s wrong but it feels so goddamn right