DON’T LISTEN “You’re too small, to play ball!” Coach Jackson used to scream, Said I’d never make the team, But I didn’t give up on that dream. I lived in, that old gym, Spent all summer on the court, Up and down that parquet floor, Until the day Coach gave me a uniform. Well, he was the first in a long line, To get it wrong the first time. CHORUS Like every skeptic, every cynic, Every small-time, smart-ass critic, They taught me one lesson, don’t listen. Every insult, every slight, Every wicked word that makes me wanna fight, Taught me one lesson, don’t listen. Kim was eighteen, the prom queen, Way out of my league, That’s what everyone believed, But she saw something they didn’t see. And after ten years, she’s still here, Her diamond ring is my grandmom’s. And everyone that got it wrong, Likes to tell me they knew all along. Funny how people forget, They thought the opposite, REPEAT CHORUS Some people spend their lives on the sidelines, Never try ‘cuz they can’t survive the criticism. The toughest critic you’ll find, is the one in your mind, And you don’t have to listen, to … Every skeptic, every cynic, Every small-time, smart-ass critic, Learn this lesson, don’t listen. Every insult, every slight, Every stick of verbal dynamite, Will teach you one lesson, don’t listen. Yeah, learn this lesson, don’t listen.
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A DAY JOB AND A DREAM She doesn’t tell the boss where she goes, After work when the office is closed, She tries to keep the secret to herself. She spends weeknights in crowded bars, At open mics, strumming her guitar, And she plays, a small stage, for spare change, And the strain is showing. But she sings, ‘cause two things are keeping, Her spirit going. CHORUS She’s got a day job and a dream, That’s how she survives, Trying to live a different life, With a pocketful of faith, That someday she’ll succeed, Until then she’s stuck between a day job and a dream. She’s been a temp for seven years, It pays the rent but it’s no career, She knows there are other lives to lead. She could give it up and get her degree, Or find love and raise a family, And someday, she may awake, With a different passion. But ‘til then, she’ll spend every second, Making this one happen. REPEAT CHORUS The race is long, it’s a marathon, Most will drop out before she does. But she carries on, keeps running strong, all because … FINAL CHORUS She has a day job and a dream, That’s how she survives, Trying to live a different life, With a pocketful of faith, That someday she’ll succeed, Until then she will believe, She can make the final leap, From her day job to her dream.
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LIQUID SUNSHINE She floats off the ground in her silk white gown, on her wedding day, Dressed in dreams she designed in junior high. But black clouds loom on this muggy June, guess the weatherman gave, Another piece of bad advice. But as the thunder and lightning play their duet, Before she breaks down or gets upset, She remembers what her mama said. CHORUS Think of the rain as liquid sunshine, It comes down cold but you grow stronger over time, Life will contain, many more days of rain, But add a sunny state of mind, And now it’s liquid sunshine. A decade has passed, the marriage didn’t last, so she’s struggling, Trying to raise a son all alone. The bills are unpaid and the bed’s unmade, ‘cause she’s juggling, Being mom and dad on her own. But she's calm in the eye of the hurricane, Doesn't ask for help, or the right to complain, Ask her how and she’ll explain, CHORUS She thinks of the rain as liquid sunshine, It comes down cold but she grows stronger over time, Life will contain, many more days of rain, But add a sunny state of mind, And now it’s liquid sunshine. BRIDGE So here’s to that lady, The same fine woman who raised me, Here’s to the troubles she overcame, Life gave her lemons and she made champagne CHORUS ‘Cause she thought of the rain as liquid sunshine, It came down cold but she grew stronger over time, She knows that life will contain, many more days of rain, But add a sunny state of mind, And now it’s liquid sunshine.
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Jimmy was thirteen going on twenty-one, Every birthday wish he asked that his childhood would soon be done. No more Friday evening curfews, No more Sunday morning church pews, He was tired of being young, His dad said “Have patience, son” CHORUS ‘Cuz everything comes to those who wait, Some gifts get better when you get them late. So don’t rush there, ‘cuz there’ll be time to celebrate, For those who wait. Jimmy was nineteen when Jean walked in his life. He knew right then and he told his friend one day she’d be his wife. The trip took longer than expected, They both got lost and misdirected, But her love was worth the ride, And he knew his dad was right. REPEAT CHORUS Young people wish time moved faster, Then they’re old and want to hold it back. But Jimmy’s dad taught him what matters, Is not when it ends, but how you spend, The time you have. Jimmy was forty when a phone call called him home, He took a midnight plane and a propeller plane but his dad was already gone. And by the plot of earth they laid him, Jimmy found a spot for praying, But he never felt alone, ’Cuz beyond that great unknown, FINAL CHORUS ‘Cuz everything comes to those who wait, Some gifts get better when you get them late. He won’t rush there, ‘cuz there’ll be time, Plenty of time to wait, plenty of time to celebrate, Appreciate, you’ve gotta have faith, Like those who wait
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DO THE RIGHT THING We had a date starting with a J, I was cute and tall and funny. At the end, you asked if you could pay, I said baby save your money. You said you’d call, you didn’t, You thought you’d be forgiven, But I want my money back, Baby, I’m not kidding. CHORUS ‘Cause you ate the food, and you drank the wine, And I think it’s rude, for you to decline another chance to dine, You led me on, then you cut me loose, Like a puppet on a string, So be a mensch, and do the right thing. I sent an email with my demands, I bet you never saw that comin’. Left a message with my master plan, Going to issue you a summons. Then I’ll call up your employer, You better hire a lawyer, Give me back my 50 bucks, Or else I’m coming for ya, REPEAT CHORUS And the FBI will be comin’ by, ‘Cause your replies are threatening. Yeah, be a mensch, and do the right thing.
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ANOTHER WORLD In another language, her first name means happiness, The kind of bliss most men will never find. In another culture, her kiss can cure your loneliness, Help you leave your broken hearts behind. In another world, her eyes, Are an embassy, for a refugee, Searching for a better life. In another world, her smile, Is a galaxy, that far exceeds, The stars that fill the skies. Most men dream they’ll reach her shores before they die, But I don’t dream ‘cause that other world is mine. In every way, I’m the model citizen, My loyalty to her will never die. I obey all her laws ‘cause I know the punishment, Banished to a solitary life. In another world, her voice, Is the melody, the harmony, The anthem of my life. In another world, her joy, Is the energy, that fills the streets, With floods of amber light. Some men fear their search for her has run out of time, But I have no fear ‘cause that other world is mine. Nations change, they fall into disorder But her natural borders remain the same. In another world, her eyes, Find a way to keep me energized, My life’s complete, in another world.
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Gettin’ Lost Well you told me to ask those old Texans For a better set of directions And if I did we'd be in Oklahoma today But we woulda missed out on the best ribs And that bluegrass band playin Zeppelin Makes me wonder what else we've missed along the way Chorus So let’s throw away the old maps, Wander off the old paths, And if we’ve been here before let’s turn around. There's no wrong direction, The right road's the next one, Every border's waiting to be crossed, Look at all we've found gettin' lost. I didn't know you knew all seven Verses to stairway to heaven Or about your weakness for deep-fried oreos. And I told you about all those road trips, When I followed the Dead back in college, We’ve got a million miles of memories left to go. Repeat Chorus Now we pulled into this roadside room, But the explorin’ don’t have to end. I want to run my hands down your unmarked roads I ain’t been down yet. Repeat Chorus
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There's a dream that's unspoken, Been burning in my heart, A flame that wouldn't die. Now the silence has been broken, And the show's about to start, On the stage of my new life. I can't replace the years I've wasted, Now this time is mine. CHORUS Going to dive into the deep, Wash away my fear, Going to climb to the peak, To let them know I'm here. I'll fill every moment with a memory that lasts, Even as the sands run out, I'm going to make it count. Got the key to finally open, The possibilities I thought I'd never find. I'm going to love with deep emotion Be fearless in defeat Have faith that I'll survive. All these changes fill empty pages, So much more to write. REPEAT CHORUS I'm going to make it count, 'Cuz that's what this life is about, Going to make it count. REPEAT CHORUS
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I never trusted fairy tales Or throwing coins in wishing wells That all changed when you came my into my life A happiness I never knew A fantasy, a dream come true A love I never felt comes alive Now I’m walking beside you Our future starts tonight CHORUS Tonight is the highlight Of my life, of my life You are the sunshine in my sky In my sky When my lights were going out You’re the one who didn’t doubt You would turn my darkness into day When I thirst you fill my cup When I fall you pick me up You’re the sun that drives away the rain Now I’m walking beside you Our future starts tonight REPEAT CHORUS Forever we will always be, Two hearts intertwined. Tonight is the highlight Of my life, of my life Tonight is the highlight Of our lives, of our lives You are the sunshine in my sky In my sky
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