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Steve Temmel

Member since 2026
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About

Steve Temmel is a Los Angeles/Hawaii –based songwriter, guitarist, and producer whose work spans Country, Rock, Pop and Americana. Known for blending soulful melodies with emotionally direct lyrics, his songs range from stripped-down ballads to driving, radio-ready anthems anchored by blues-tinged, groove-forward guitar work. Steve has performed and recorded on numerous studio projects and has worked as a hired guitarist for major Country and Rock acts.
Influences Everyone and No-one
Genres Country, Singer Songwriter, Pop
Instruments Guitar, Piano/Keyboard, Percussion/Drums, Mandolin
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12 songs

My Favorite Gift Wears Boots

Plays: 1
Lyrics
My Favorite Gift Wears Boots
Steve Temmel (BMI, IPI#00422315107) & Clare Steffen (ASCAP, IPI#368116943)

Verse
Wrapping up the last couple gifts tonight
Waiting on you by the pine-tree lights
You walk in shakin’ off the winter cold
Wearin’ that smile that says baby I’m home
You lean in close with a hello kiss
And before we even know it
We fell right into our holiday bliss

Chorus
Those snow tracks on the kitchen floor
That hard-heel sound says baby I’m yours
Two-steppin’ me around like a Christmas tune
Laughin' at the way we're actin' twenty-two
Don’t matter what Santa’s got on his list
’Cause the truth is…
My favorite gift wears boots

Verse 2
The fire light keeps flickerin’ low
As our shadows dance near the mistletoe
We’re tangled up talkin’ ‘bout nothin’ at all
Letting the hours drift as the embers fall
Your hand finds mine without thinkin’ twice
Making this moment feel like a lifetime

Chorus
Those snow tracks on the kitchen floor
That hard-heel sound says baby I’m yours
Two-steppin’ me around like a Christmas tune
Laughin' at the way we're actin' twenty-two
Don’t matter what Santa’s got on his list
’Cause the truth is…
My favorite gift wears boots

Bridge
Let’s not rush tonight
This magic don’t have to end
’Cause when the morning comes
I’ll unwrap my favorite gift again

Chorus
Those snow tracks on the kitchen floor
That hard-heel sound says baby I’m yours
Two-steppin’ me around like a Christmas tune
Laughin' at the way we're actin' twenty-two
Don’t matter what Santa’s got on his list
’Cause the truth is…
My favorite gift wears boots

Outro
My favorite gift wears boots
Yeah, my favorite gift is you

Break Me

Plays: 0
Backstory
This is a song about letting someone close enough to break through the armor, so the heart you’ve been guarding can finally grow into the version of yourself you never believed you could become.
Lyrics
Break Me
Stephen C. Temmel - (BMI, IPI#00422315107)

VERSE 1
I built these walls one cold stone at a time
Till I couldn’t see who I had become
I made a real mess of sayin’ goodbye
Like I forgot how to trust anyone

PRE-CHORUS
I can’t hide every piece of who I am
When your heart’s the place they’re gonna land

CHORUS
If you can break me, break me in two
You’ll find the part of me that can love you
Let my armor fall away, take me to the place
Where I can be the man you always saw in me
If you can break me…just break me carefully

VERSE 2
I wore a smile that never reached my eyes
Those scars were harder than steel
No one ever made it that far inside
Or touched the place I never let myself heal

CHORUS
If you can break me, break me in two
You’ll find the part of me that can love you
Let my armor fall away, take me to the place
Where I can be the man you always saw in me
If you can break me…just break me carefully

BRIDGE
I'm starting to believe in who I can become
You make a stranger feel like he belongs
I finally know I’m coming home
Now I don't have to carry this heart alone

FINAL CHORUS
If you can break me, break me in two
You’ll find the part of me that’s finally shining through
Let my armor fall away, take me to the place
Where I can be who I never thought I’d be
If you can break me…just break me carefully

OUTRO
When you break me...
Break me carefully

BE EVERYTHING YOU ARE

Plays: 0
Lyrics
Verse
Little girl in the mirror, growin’ like a homegrown seed
Mama said, “Baby, don’t let anyone, tell you who to be”
She sang in the kitchen, with Sunday in her voice
Taught me to keep on dreaming life is full of choice

Pre Chorus
I’m finding all the pieces that were always mine
Learning to be someone I can stand behind

Chorus
Be everything you are
Like a diamond, in your heart
The road is yours to ride
It’s always been inside
You have the wings to fly
Every dream is a shooting star
Be everything you are

Verse
Stepping out into the world with a steady stride
Learning how to trust the woman I used to hide
Voices all around me trying to draw the lines
But I’m the one who chooses what becomes of mine

Chorus
Be everything you are
Like a diamond, in your heart
The road is yours to ride
It’s always been inside
You have the wings to fly
Every dream is a shooting star
Be everything you are

Bridge
All the quiet parts I carried in my chest
Are rising up to tell me I was meant for this
Every moment somehow led me to the light
Now I’m standing in the truth of who I am tonight

Chorus
Be everything you are
Like a diamond, in your heart
The road is yours to ride
It’s always been inside
You have the wings to fly
Every dream is a shooting star
Be everything you are

Outro
Every dream’s a shooting star
Be everything you are

Blue Grass Blood

Plays: 0
Lyrics
BLUE GRASS BLOOD
Steve Temmel (BMI, IPI#00422315107)

VERSE 1
Daddy prayed on days that would break most men
Mama held our world together when it fell apart again
The whole town showed up when trouble hit our street
That’s the backbone that made a man out of me

CHORUS
I got that Blue Grass Blood
The kind that's church-pew strong
Where a handshake truth is enough
It pours into the ones I'm raisin' up
Built in the heart of where I'm from
Born in the roots that I'm made of
Blue Grass Blood

VERSE 2
These boots find the porch after givin' all I've got
My wife meets me with a smile then the kids pile on
That's when I feel the pride in my last name
Every lesson they lived still runs through my veins

CHORUS
I got that Blue Grass Blood
The kind that's church-pew strong
Where a handshake truth is enough
It pours into the ones I'm raisin' up
Built in the heart of where I'm from
Born in the roots that I'm made of
Blue Grass Blood

BRIDGE
My folks left behind this old farmhouse
Their prayers find me when I need them now
I hear those words when I’m tellin’ my kids
Bout growin’ up Kentucky proud

FINAL CHORUS
We got that blue grass blood
The kind that's church-pew strong
Where a handshake truth is enough
It pours into the ones we’re raisin' up
Built in the heart of where we’re from
Born in the roots that we’re made of
Blue grass blood

It’s what we’re made of
That blue grass blood

BUTTERFLIES

Plays: 0
Lyrics
Verse 1
Saw a butterfly in the wildflowers
Glowing in the rising sun
Grandma used to say your wishes
Ride on little things you trust
So I whispered soft and said your name
Let the morning carry it away

Pre-Chorus
Then it drifted past the tree line
Till it faded in the sky

Chorus
If you hear my prayer
Floating on that summer air
Let it find you where you’re dreaming tonight
I lay these words on silver wings
So you’ll know what my silence means
I send my heart to you in flight
On butterflies

Verse 2
Every night I sit in the moonlight
Waiting on you to come home
I replay the words I held onto
Wishing I had let them go
Maybe that little hope can find you
Still thinking about me too

Pre-Chorus
See it gliding like our goodbye
Never had the chance to fly

Chorus
If you hear my prayer,
Floating on that summer air
Let it find you where you’re dreaming tonight
I lay these words on silver wings
So you’ll know what my silence means
I send my heart to you in flight
On butterflies

Bridge
Did you feel something in the midnight breeze
Like a memory brushing your cheek
Does love ever really leave
Or does it wait for the moment to be free

Chorus
If you hear my prayer
Floating on that summer air
Let it find you where you’re dreaming tonight
I lay my love on silver wings
Wishing it would bring you back to me
I send my heart to you in flight
On butterflies

Outro
I lay my love on silver wings
Wishing it would bring you back to me
I send my heart to you in flight
On butterflies

Can You Cowboy

Plays: 0
Lyrics
Intro
Can you cowboy?

Verse1
Red dirt fields and fence posts
That’s what I grew up on
Feelin’ thunder under my feet
Watching the wild horses run
Rode hard, stayed true to my word
Stood tall when the wind blows cold
Before you take on the world out there
Boy, the land will test your soul

Pre Chorus
You figure out fast what you’re made of
When the stakes start closing in
Every fall is just a lesson
If you’re built for it

Chorus
Can you cowboy when it’s rough out here
Hold the reins when the ride goes south
Dig deep when the dust rolls in
And the devil tries to wear you down
Don’t give in, ’cause you don’t break
Get back up when you hit the ground
Still hanging on when the lights go out
Can you cowboy?

Verse 2
Girl I caught that fire in your eyes
Barrel racing at the county fair
Moved like you were raised on grit
Not scared to take a chance out there
You told me, “Boys all talk real tough
But that don’t mean they’ll stick around
Before you try to ride with me
You better be made for the life I’ve found

Chorus
Can you cowboy when it’s rough out here
Hold the reins when the ride goes south
Dig deep when the dust rolls in
And the devil tries to wear you down
Don’t give in, ’cause you don’t break
Get back up when you hit the ground
Still hanging on when the lights go out
Can you cowboy?

Bridge
It’s not the life you choose
It’s the spirit that chooses you
It’s those boots that get you through
When there’s nothing left but the truth

Chorus
Can you cowboy when it’s rough out here
Hold the reins when the ride goes south
Dig deep when the dust rolls in
And the devil tries to wear you down
Don’t give in, ’cause you don’t break
Get back up when you hit the ground
Still carrying scars you don’t talk about
Can you cowboy?

Outro
Some do but most don’t know how
Takes a real one to ride it out
Can you cowboy?

Every Road Leads To The Water

Plays: 0
Backstory
A breezy, feel-good summer country anthem about escaping to the water and letting life slow down.
Lyrics
Every Road Leads To The Water
Stephen C. Temmel - (BMI, IPI#00422315107)

V1
Windows down, warm breeze blowing
Last stretch of highway yet to go
Palm trees showing up like old friends
Fast pace fading, just taking it slow
Cooler rattling in the backseat
Flip-flops kicking on the dash
First sight of that blue horizon
All my worries gone in a flash

PC
I can feel it getting closer
Like the tide is pulling me in
There’s something about that ocean
That brings me home again

CH
Every road leads to the water
Where I can finally let go
Salt air makes you smarter
You remember what you didn’t know
We’re all chasing that harbor
Back to where a soul can breathe
Every road leads to the water
And the water leads back to me
La la la, just letting it roll
La la la, out where the trade winds blow

V2
Walking barefoot along the shore
Fishing boats rocking by the pier
Girls laughing on a paddle board
Sunset melting into my beer
Music floating from the beach bar
Rum soaked smiles fill the air
Nobody knows what day it is
That’s kinda the point down here

CH
Every road leads to the water
Where I can finally let go
Salt air makes you smarter
You remember what you didn’t know
We’re all chasing that harbor
Back to where a soul can breathe
Every road leads to the water
And the water leads back to me
La la la, just letting it roll
La la la, out where the trade winds blow

Bridge
A little sand in my pockets
A little sun on my skin
Soon as life gets complicated
I drift back here again

CH
Every road leads to the water
Where I can finally let go
Salt air makes you smarter
You remember what you didn’t know
We’re all chasing that harbor
Back to where a soul can breathe
Yeah every road leads to the water
And the water leads back to me

Outro
La la la, just letting it roll
La la la, real nice and slow
La la la, Out where the trade winds blow

(c) Stephen C. Temmel - (BMI, IPI#00422315107)

HILLBILLY

Plays: 0
Lyrics
INTRO:
Humble hillbilly
With a backwoods past
Humble hillbilly
I ain’t lookin’ back

V1:
Grew up where the sticks ran deeper
Than the money ever did
Made somethin’ outta nothin’
Mama stretched a dollar thin
Daddy kept that old truck breathin’
With a wrench and borrowed time
We were loud on Sunday morning
Half in faith, half outta line

PC1:
Ain’t ashamed of the drawl
Red clay in my veins
Every scar, every flaw
Hell, that’s how I was made

CH1:
Humble hillbilly, backwoods past
Raised in the dirt, made to last
I ain’t changin’, ain’t lookin’ back
If you don’t like what you see
That’s alright, I’m built to be me
You can’t shame a humble hillbilly

V2:
Some folks from the city
Said I’d never pass their test
Turned my roots into a problem
But I don’t settle for second best
Still show up to church
In boots and denim, sendin’ up prayers
With a back-porch swagger
And my wild hillbilly hair

CH2:
Humble hillbilly, backwoods past
Raised in the dirt, made to last
I ain’t changin’, ain’t lookin’ back
If you don’t like what you see
That’s alright, I’m built to be me
You can’t shame a humble hillbilly

BRIDGE:
Call us every name you’ve got
Yeah, we’ve heard ’em all twice
We turned ’em into nick-names
And stuck ’em on our trucks for life

CH3
Humble hillbilly, backwoods past
Raised in the dirt, made to last
I ain’t changin’, ain’t lookin’ back
If you don’t like what you see
That’s alright, I’m built to be me
You can’t shame a humble hillbilly

OUTRO:
Humble hillbilly
With a backwoods past
Humble hillbilly
I ain’t never lookin’ back
Humble hillbilly

OLD SOUL RADIO

Plays: 0
Backstory
Listening back to the songs of the 70's
Lyrics
V1
Caught a canyon wind blowing in the breeze
Sun-bleached denim and the past calling me
Old school harmony, rolling low and slow
Like riding on a long California road

Pre Chorus
And there I was, in the hum of yesterday
A younger me in every note they played

C1
Old Soul Radio
Spinning me around
Pulling up the pieces of me
I swore were buried down
Give me that song on an open road
Don’t let go till you carry me home
Old Soul Radio

V2
Hit a stretch of highway where the years unwind
Dust on the dashboard and the truth on my mind
Every faded ending felt like déjà vu
Like a postcard from the kid I never knew

Pre Chorus
It only takes a moment on the dial
To bring you back a thousand miles

C2
Old Soul Radio
Spinning me around
Pulling up the pieces of me
I swore were buried down
Give me that song on an open road
Don’t let go till you carry me home
Old Soul Radio

Bridge
Maybe I got lost somewhere along the line
Chasing every detour I could find
But one small signal in that summer air
Reminds me there’s still some hope left out there

C3
Old Soul Radio
Spinning me around
Pulling up the pieces of me
I swore were buried down
Give me that song on an open road
Don’t let go till you carry me home
Old Soul Radio
I’m coming home

Give me that song on an open road
Don’t let go till you carry me home
Old Soul Radio
I’m coming home

THE MAN I’M TRYIN’ TO BE

Plays: 0
Lyrics
VERSE 1
I’ve cussed in traffic, slammed the door
Blew my cool, been lost before
Took damn near twenty years of tryin’
To leave that hard head pride behind
Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy
Starin’ down the man behind my eyes

PRE-CHORUS
I’ve seen daddy’s hands and his mistakes
And a son still figurin’ out what it all takes

CHORUS
Lord, I ain’t the man I’m tryin’ to be
But you keep givin’ grace, I don’t deserve
I ain’t got it all together, but now I see
You’ve been showin’ up at every turn
Yeah, always workin’ on me
To find the man I’m tryin’ to be

VERSE 2
She’s holdin’ down, our family home
While I’m chasin’ songs out on the road
Making two a.m. hotel room calls
She still answers every time
Her tired voice on the other line
Gives me strength when I’m losin’ my mind

CHORUS
Lord, I ain’t the man I’m tryin’ to be
But you keep givin’ grace I don’t deserve
I ain’t got it all together, but now I see
You’ve been showin’ up at every turn
Yeah, always workin’ on me
To find the man I’m tryin’ to be

BRIDGE
Some days I’m better, some days I fall short
But I’m done runnin’ from the truth I can’t ignore

CHORUS
Lord, I ain’t the man I’m tryin’ to be
But you keep givin’ grace I don’t deserve.
I ain’t got it all together, but now I see
You’ve been showin’ up at every turn
Yeah, always workin’ on me
To find the man I’m tryin’ to be

Yeah, always workin’ on me
To be the man I’m tryin’ to be

THIS HOUSE STILL KNOWS YOUR NAME

Plays: 2
Backstory
“This House Still Knows Your Name” is a song about living with absence after a deep loss. It captures how a familiar home becomes a keeper of memories when someone is gone, holding echoes of love, comfort, and shared life in every room. The house itself becomes a quiet witness to what once was, refusing to forget even as time moves forward.

Emotionally, the song sits in a place of tender grief and enduring love. It balances sadness with gratitude, mourning what’s lost while honoring how meaningful the connection was. There’s no anger or drama, just a steady ache, acceptance, and the comfort of knowing that real love leaves a permanent mark. The feeling is intimate, reflective, and quietly devastating, offering listeners a sense of shared understanding rather than despair.
Lyrics
This House Still Knows Your Name
John W Selleck BMI, Steve Temmel BMI

The front door closes a little slow
Like it’s waiting on you to walk in
The porch light stays on at night
Like it always has been
I catch myself listening still
For a sound that used to come
Funny how the silence can feel
Like it’s missing someone  

Every corner holds a moment
I can’t seem to outrun
This place remembers everything
What we were, and what we had become 

This house still knows your name
It will never forget
All the moments we spent together
Every laugh, and every breath
My hardest days all found you
In strength and in times of need
Since you went away
Life will never be the same
But this house, still knows your name

We all have a limit
On the time we‘ve been given
Now that you are gone
I still need to keep on livin’
When I'm all alone in here
How do I face your empty chair
As I move through these rooms
Somehow you’re everywhere

This house still knows your name
It will never forget
All the moments we spent together
Every laugh, and every breath
My hardest days all found you
In strength and in times of need
Since you went away
Life will never be the same
But this house, still knows your name

If these walls could talk
They’d tell me what I know
That love like this doesn’t fade
It has no other place to go
Each memory is a fingerprint
That time can’t erase
You may be gone from my arms
But never from this place  

This house still knows your name
It will never forget
All the moments we spent together
Every laugh, and every breath
My hardest days all found you
In strength and in times of need
Since you went away
Life will never be the same
But this house, still knows your name

Life will never be the same
But this house, still knows your name

When Sunday Comes Around - Bluegrass Gospel

Plays: 0
Backstory
This is a bluegrass gospel song about finding clarity, strength, and forgiveness in the quiet rhythm of Sunday morning.
Lyrics
Stephen C. Temmel - BMI, IPI#00422315107

Verse 1
I'm runnin' on empty
Tryin' to keep my head on straight
Dust collectin' on my Bible
While today tests my faith

Feels like I'm haulin' more heartache
Than a half ton truck should hold
Waitin' on a quiet sermon
So I can rest my soul

Chorus
When Sunday comes around
I slow it down breathe it in
Let the whole world fade out

There's a mercy I've found
In His grace that lifts me up
Says I'm loved and I'm forgiven now
Yeah I find what I've been missin'
When Sunday comes around

Verse 2
I sit in that same old pew
Second row on the right
Holdin' my childrens' hand
While the preacher speaks to my life

Hearin' that choir rise up
Like Heaven callin' me home
Gives me somethin I can lean on
Cause I cant stand alone

Chorus
When Sunday comes around
I slow it down breathe it in
Let the whole world fade out

There's a mercy I've found
In His grace that lifts me up
Says I'm loved and I'm forgiven now
Yeah I find what I've been missin'
When Sunday comes around

Bridge
One day my time will come
And this worn out body's laid to rest
I pray He knows I kept believin'
I gave Him my all I gave Him my best

Chorus
When Sunday comes around
I slow it down breathe it in
Let the whole world fade out

There's a mercy I've found
In His grace that lifts me up
Says I'm loved and I'm forgiven now
Yeah I find who I've been missin'
When Sunday comes around

Outro
Yeah I find who I've been missin'
When Sunday comes around

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