Christie McCarthy's Lyrics

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The Released Work of Christie McCarthy

Copyright Recline Records. All Rights Reserved

Backroads of Georgia

Cause & Effect
Faith & Politics

If Jesus Came Today

Nothing Moves Me

The Rainy Season

Backroads of Georgia

On the way back from Hartsfield, these country roads ain,t my home
Two bluebirds landed in my lane just as I felt the carnage like a bomb
And looking back in my mirror from this heaving life taker of lead
One bluebird tried with all its heart to raise the other from the dead
And on and on in my head

I,m a rose in the desert, bleed me till I dry
I,m a bird on the backroads of Georgia watching the trucks fly

You never know what a choice is until it,s too late
A subtle hand in the mind of your plans and baby don,t leave it up to fate
You gotta make it all happen, every second, every soul
And everything I ever thought I knew is changing with this road
On and on so it goes

I,m a rose in the desert, bleed me till I dry
I,m a bird on the backroads of Georgia watching the trucks fly

My love you,re too far out of reach, I want you safe and next to me
I wish I could hold you inside and keep you deprived of all that which I worry

Now I,m on my way to anywhere but you can,t go back from where you came
So as I drive I,m aware of all the closing distance of this terrain
And I'll drive till the Maker calls my name

I,m a rose in the desert, bleed me till I dry
I,m a bird on the backroads of Georgia watching the trucks fly

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Vulnerable

My friends tell me that the use of a life plan
Like a blanket you can wrap yourself inside of
Is to pick you up when you don't really wanna stand
And explain away the things that you cannot comprehend

Sometimes you rise, sometimes you fall
Vulnerable like a baby in a cradle
If you could be anything at all what would you be
Find what you seek by the grace of vulnerability

Late at night with the thoughts racing in my head
If I don't get some sleep tomorrow I'll be useless
Most of the time my worrying gets me nowhere
And hangs on the vine so long that it's fruitless

Sometimes you rise, sometimes you fall
Vulnerable like a baby in a cradle
If you could be anything at all what would you be
Find what you seek by the grace of vulnerability

And while you're on the road of life keep your love alive

Sometimes you rise, sometimes you fall
Vulnerable like a baby in a cradle
If you could be anything at all what would you be
Find what you seek by the grace of vulnerability

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What,s your favorite holiday my angel wants to know

Is it Christmas morning or Easter day, I say no it ain,t any of those

It ain,t the halo of lights round my town, birthday cake ribbons or bows

No, my favorite holiday is when angel,s holding me close

And what,s your favorite book to read my angel wants to know

Is it Atlas Shrugged or Confederacy I say no it ain,t any of those

Now the seers and sages of pages and pages carry my consummate load

But my favorite book to read is angel,s beautiful soul

And what,s your favorite song to sing my angel wants to know

Is it one of your own or another,s you glean, I say no it ain,t any of those

There,s nothing like writing those lines down to sound, innocent words become poem

But my favorite words to sing are angel, hello

Now all of these questions, one single answer this could get very old

But the way that I figure it we got a holy fit, blood, muscle and bone

Life isn,t always so perfect and polished and I got my own lumps to show

But the day that I don,t thank the stars for my angel bury me far below

Better bury me cause what I know

Kingdom,s will rise and fall, nothing remains but the true love of angel

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Fold

These are the years I was warned about, these are the days of dominoes and searching souls
This is the path that I,m on right now and I,m in a hole, I,m in a hole
These are the tears I,ve been holding back, the fears that grip me like a glove
And you my better half, these are the times that I need your love

Baby please, hold your head up when I,ve fallen to my knees
Baby please, hold your heart out and be strong when I,m weak
And if I fold, don,t let me go, don,t let me go

Funny how the time winds blow, to think when I was younger
All I wanted was to be old and now all I want is to pull it together
And if I never make the grade will you love me just that same
Will you still feel that spark, trust me with your heart

I was just thinking about when I started out and every twist and turn of the road
It may take a minor miracle but one thing I know, everyone grows

So, baby please, hold your head up when I buckle at the knees
And if I,m cold, don,t let me go, don,t let me go

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Nothing Moves Me

Baby let,s not go out to that party tonight

I,d rather stay and look into your eyes

Over dinner and a fine wine, with you alone and lay you down

Like a road, take you where it is you want to go

Come dance with me fearless and fancy free

You must be an angel cause heaven knows

Nothing moves me like you do me

Nothing grooves me to my soul as your kisses so sweet

We got all night, now we could dance ourselves into the light

Like Christmas day in Santro Pe where I supply what you desire

Nothing moves me like you do me

Nothing grooves me high or low as your kisses so sweet

My love you take my love and give it back to me

So let,s lock the door on the world tonight

Let,s steal away and move by candlelight

Let,s celebrate, intoxicate, like shooting stars and lullabies

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Anniversary

Seems a shame to leave you here the day so soft and warm

The sun comes through the restless leaves and rolls across the lawn

I finally see the difference now between myself and you

And darlin, it just breaks my heart in two

And so I reach for you baby on this day of remembrance and rhyme

Take these words that I,m singing, turn em into a raised glass of wine

You know I ain,t much for ritual but this one makes me cry

So, happy anniversary and goodbye

I hear tell of moving on and somehow it sounds right

Still I long to kiss away the tears from your eyes

And talk about old memories, honey one at a time

Anything to warm this cold, dark heart of mine

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I Can See

I listen to the traffic on down below

See the hands on the wheels and the eyes on the road

I look at all those people chasing down their goals

Inside tiny boxes with tiny windows

I can see the future and it don,t look good from here

I can,t make you believe after all these years

And so my eyes like Frankenstein,s behold a monster

I see the porch light on, I see him coming home

Meal in the oven, kids off in slumberland

I see you kiss em goodnight, and in the morning you rise

Up fore the traffic flies and out fore you see the whites of their eyes

But I can see your future son, and your past in spite of me

And all that you believe come crashing into the

Lives of your kids and their kid,s families

Maybe someday things will be different

Maybe someday things will be different

Maybe one day you,ll see me different

Maybe, but who am I kidding

I can see all the hatred and the beauty,

I can see every kindness, every envy

All the giving, all the greedy, all at once for all eternity

And though sometimes I wish I was blind, I can see

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Big Blue Sea

It don,t matter where you are, it don,t matter what you do

It don,t matter who you know or who says that they know you

I don,t even have to share your point of view to be in love with you

It don,t matter much to me if you drink beer or you drink tea

It don,t matter but I,m glad that you love the big blue sea

It don,t matter if I,m bound or if I,m free cause you,re in love with me

Honey, when we,re together hours pass like minutes

And I wouldn,t want to live a single day without you in it

It don,t matter bout the past cause this time the cards you drew

Are gonna make you happy instead of feeling blue

And it don,t matter that this song is almost through

Cause baby the way I feel about you, I,ll keep loving you

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Flood Gates

I don,t remember who I was then, but I think I,m about to find out

Could be the sweat of this hot summer wind or maybe just this taste in my mouth

But the floodgates they won,t wait for you

And maybe I don,t know myself, but the floodgates do

Very old and residual, a rain,s been falling and no one noticing, everybody keeping dry inside

So here,s a metaphor, I,ve got a reservoir chained to my soul and it,s overflowing, everybody gonna watch me cry

But the floodgates, they won,t wait for me

And maybe I,m blind to the vision of myself, but the floodgates see

They see right through you like an angel in the sky

Staring through and daring you to lie

And the floodgates, they won,t wait, they won,t wait for you

And maybe I don,t know myself, but the floodgates do

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Cause & Effect

There,s a little thing called cause and effect, says that what you do now

Determines what happens next, the cause and effect

Well, the bashful boy likes the pretty girl, if he don,t say hello

You bet somebody else will, it,s the way of the world

And if you don,t want to have any regrets

Follow your heart to the cause and effect

I was walking down by the avenue when all my negative thoughts

Put me in a bad mood, a very bad mood

Who could think of a better way to ruin a perfectly ok day

Just thinking that way

And if you don,t wanna have any regrets

Open your mind to the cause and effect

Now, to get results with a minimum toil, you just plant the seed in the fertile soil

And step aside for the moon and the sun, and water your roots

With happiness and fun, don,t forget the fun

And if you don,t wanna have any regrets

Take my advice and show some respect

For the law of creation, the key to success

Concentrate attention on cause and effect

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Faith & Politics

I search for the words every day and I talk to all of my friends
What about the victim pool, give the woman some defense
It happened when I was younger I had no harsh words for him
You say free will has a place here but what if I was taught to believe in

Faith and politics cause honey I,ve been hit
And you know if it was up to me I would change reality
Broken by a myth, honey I,ve been hit
I could use a little free will now to change your faith and politics

We use our instincts as weapons we feel the system ain,t fair
What about the fists of hunger save the woman some despair
It happens when I go out and I don,t think you understand
You say free will has a place here but what if I was taught to believe in

Faith and politics cause honey I,ve been hit
And you know if it was up to me I would change reality
Broken by a myth, honey I,ve been hit
I could use a little free will now to change your faith and politics

You talk about my dignity like it,s a bleeding policy
And when they take me down they,ll be no worse than you for killing me

The truth don,t come to you like a shout or like a powerful light
As hard as your looking out it,s harder to look inside
It happens every day, I,m holding my head in my hands
You say free will has a place here but what if I was taught to believe in

Faith and politics cause honey I,ve been hit
And you know if it was up to me I would change history
Broken by a myth, honey I,ve been hit
I could use a little free will now to change your faith and politics

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Ask You Out

I was wondering how you felt about short hair and the movies baby
And I was wondering about that smile guess it,s seen a lot of lovers
Maybe it,s been longer than I thought, guess I got a lot of doubt
But would you mind if I asked you out

Now, every breakup has its memory just like points along a graph
You came in at just the right time it,s been so long since I laughed
You might be important to me, besides that you,re well endowed
So would you mind if I asked you out

I haven,t been alone for too long baby and the past ain,t far behind
So we should take it slowly now really or you could spend the night tonight

So tell me that you love the ocean, sleeping under starry sky
Say that you ain,t got no big dog, knock me down and drink my wine
You can start a fire in my heart better than any boy scout
So would you mind if I asked you out

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The Ribbon

You gave it to me when I was young
Before our ribbon of love had come undone
And the strain of aloneness boxed me in
The bright colored flowers and the cool winter leaves
Still hang on my wall and beckon me please
Don,t let me go now this is my way to begin again

And it,s not the same anymore you don,t know me as I am
Better take all those ways I cared for you and comfort for myself instead
Pull my heart in off the line and outta your line of fire
I ain,t afraid to face my emotions but I am becoming quite tired

Now the things that catch up with you are things you don,t count on
Like knots in a plan after the ribbon all along your rocky trail of clues
Cause the barrier this time is a big knot from last time
And I try to go round it but there,s more to untie
That,s why I can,t stand loosing you

And it,s not the same anymore you don,t love me as I am
Better take all those ways I cared for you and care for myself instead
Pull my heart in off the line and outta your line of fire
I ain,t afraid to face my emotions but this time I gotta move higher

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Sad Song

This morning when I woke up I felt just like a runaway truck
Had come and run right over my life
Tire tracks and gasoline, a picture,s worth a thousand screams
But oh honey it,s alright
Cause I believe, I believe in a sad, sad song

Who stole the color from my day gonna paint my canvas black and gray
And oh, I,m gonna jump right in
A picture,s worth a thousand sighs and now every time I close my eyes
I see you leaving me again
But I believe, I believe in a sad, sad song

I,m gonna write this song like a cut-rate five and dime rhyme
I,m gonna write it down even if I,m lying

This morning when I awoke I felt a little inside like a busted spoke
That,s got nowhere to be
So I believe and I believe and I believe and I believe in a sad, sad song

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If Jesus Came Today

Every year round Christmas I grow vacant I grow mute
And though I,ve met my conscience I have yet to feel renewed
They say the world is spinning and the mood is one of hope
Still I keep waiting for the punch line to this joke

For if Jesus came today who would not betray
And the star of another memory fades

Silver spoons and gold balloons will never break the chain
When what we take from history is pride instead of shame
You reveal your poverty and I reveal my wealth
But to the sky above us our lives are parallel

Yet we have both become two instead of one
And we drink our wine in allegiance to the kingdom

Jesus is a yardstick nothing more, until we find him washed upon our shore

Every year round Christmas I go out and buy a tree
Take it home and light it up and thank my destiny
But if the world outside explodes and crashes through my walls
I may try to build them again but know they,re bound to fall

And if Jesus came today who would not betray
And the stars of a thousand memories fade

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Fortunate One

Could I be the fortunate one with my bone-white face lying in the sun
I don,t sleep with devils or thorns and I don,t even mind a closed door
Age old comfort wise old fear, I would run that whistle down if I knew where
I don,t sleep with angels and doves but I could lead you to love
But hey don,t you ever leave me if I do
The stars will open up their eyes and shine us through

Could I be the fortunate one, could I wrap myself around you like a lyric in a song
I don,t sleep with diamonds or gold but I,d like to get to know you
All your stories could be told, yes I,d like to see your eyes grow old
But hey don don,t you ever leave me if I do
The stars will open up their eyes and shine us through

Now if I was the fortunate one with my golden mane setting in the California sun
And honey if it was alright I would sleep by you tonight
But hey don,t you ever leave me if I do
The stars will open up their eyes and shine us through

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Save Me

Next to a statue of Buddha angel,s sitting down
Nearby a bust of Jesus can be found
I,ll sing out for Abraham, for Mohammed I,ll turn around
Just give me something to believe in and give it now
And save me, come on now, I can,t save myself
Save me, I,m going down, give me just a little

Don,t you think I,ve worked so hard, I,ve earned all your favors
I support the cause and pay my taxes
I,ve got my ambition fighting for rewards
I know there,s a prize behind each door
So save me, come on now, I can,t save myself
Save me, I,m going down, give me just a little

Today Im just a Christian, tomorrow I,m a saint
Cause I,ll learn all the angles of the game
And I,ll never misunderstand the meaning of the tide
All roads lead to where I keep my pride
So save me, come on now, I don,t know myself
Save me, I,m going down, give me all your wealth
Oh save me, come on now, I can,t save myself
Save me, I,m going down, give me just a little

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Blind to You

I wanted you last night and I dreamed of you and I dreamed of me
You were moving to the rhythm of my heartbeat when suddenly
Broken was the spell and your loving smile buckled and fell
And you became the sad reflection of the need inside of me
And baby I,m blind to you, baby you,re blind to me
It ain,t each other that we really see
I was in half the way, love ain,t a halfway thing
And it took me years to break this chain

The first sign is never clear, you only want to believe in love
And wash your bodies clean with hope and trust
But all the way back home I worried so about myself
Better find my way and find my wings and leave this shell
Cause baby I,m blind to you, baby you,re blind to me
It ain,t each other that we really see
I was in half the way, love ain,t a halfway thing
And it took me years to break this chain

So my hands became a way to reach my goal
Cause when I touched you I swear I touched my soul
But ain,t this the well-known scene
The one where the maestro walks off stage
Because she doesn,t know how to move anymore
Or read the score to her own play
And away, I,ve been hiding and sliding and striving softly away

The wooden frames of houses in a row, Christmas trees and every picture show
I can give so many reasons for not letting you go
But every one comes back at me brandishing a weapon and aiming it in spite
And suddenly it,s too obvious just what is wrong and what is right
Cause baby I,m blind to you, baby you,re blind to me
It ain,t each other that we really see
I was in half the way, love ain,t a halfway thing
And it took me years to break this chain

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Painter,s Eyes

Twenty-five years ago you promised me
A ride on a river that was too close to see
And giving me all your hope the colors bled endlessly
And I watched as your canvasses fell from the walls to weep

So here,s to the castles built too close to the tide
Not one in this place has survived
But if you are standing, well you know that I,ve tried
With a head and a heart and a painter,s eyes

In the heart of a universe with a thousand histories
Who can say our lives are any longer than the average wistful breeze
But give me time to chase down the sun, and the breath for a hundred songs
And all the brightest colors that you used to paint your masterpiece

I wish I could tell you, hey I know how you feel
You got lost, I got cheated in the worst of deals
One day I will lay down and I,ll feel what you feel
Until then I,ll get by with a painter,s eyes

If I sing out from my soul now will you hear the words I cry
And will you always see through my painter,s eyes

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Without You

Here we are baby close enough to see each other,s truths
No more hiding from the pain or leveling out the proof
And whatever we come to now, whatever bridges that burn down
I,m right beside you

Here we are miles from the music and the mite
You used to rock me gently most every time I cried
Cold weather to my bones crying all alone
Oh, how I need you

Here we are I was taught that you can never see
Who you really are from who the world expects you to be
And the closer I get to my shame and to this sad refrain
I know I,m losing you

Still I can,t bring myself to throw in this towel and let you go

So here we are sitting in this solitary place
Standing up for ourselves and seeing if there,s still a single trace
For better and for worse, but we never said those words
Who am I without you

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The Rainy Season

It,s the rainy season and what can I say
My bones are creaking I,ve been inside all day
And lately lazy mind, lazy ass sprawled out like a cat
Dog-eared as my Dharma paperbacks

I was born with my tongue down on the cutting floor
They wanted a daughter who,d think about what she would say before
The truth comes pouring out like moulton lava
When it gets too hot inside bar the door

I,d like to build a wall so I could tear it down
I think about the first thing I will teach my son or daughter
If you don,t have anything that,s nice to say
Go ahead and say it your own way

My soul is the eternal star burst sky
But my body feels restless I never can fall asleep at night until
I sing that little girl a song called Angel
And listen to the stories that she tells

She says come closer I have something that I,ve been wanting to tell you
It,s a secret that I think,s been too well kept
Just look at my perfect face and see God,s art
You know you,re perfect just the way you are

I,d like to build a wall so I could tear it down
I think about the first thing I will teach my son or daughter
All the universe lives inside a pearl in a shell
And honey don,t you ever hide yourself

It,s the rainy season down in my bones
But the pain,s retreating after such a huge and heavy load
Release it if you can, your love will grow
I was a rain cloud I should know

I,d like to build a wall so I could tear it down
I think about the first thing I will teach my son or daughter
Took an old bag of songs turned em into flesh and bone
What you dream is what you own, you,re so right you can,t go wrong

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Burn The Ships

The emperor,s bloodline lasted for just a century
when ships full of warriors and equine landed on the shores in B.C.
their chief and commander Alexander at the helm
looked at his army and said boys I didn,t come here to fail

So burn the ships, burn the ships we,re here to stay
burn the ships, there is no other way
people will follow like little lost sheep long after our annihilation
burn the ships I said, we,re forging a new nation

She looked at the shackles hanging from her pure bred mother
she saw what she,d always oppose for herself and all her daughters
Elizabeth Cady and her army of suffragettes
set sail for equality and once on shore she proudly suggests

Burn the ships, burn the ships we,re here to stay
burn the ships, there is no other way
History will honor the strides that we made long after we,re in our graves
burn the ships I said, go ahead and free the flood gates

Watching time go by in this 9 to 5
Hungry for the heat, trying just to keep the dream alive
Baby, one fine day I,m gonna make that leap of faith
and sing the words I long to say

Burn the ships, burn the ships we,re here to stay
Burn the ships, there is no other way
If you have something to fall back on you well may
So, burn the ships, I said, and throw a little fan on the flame

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© 2007 Christie McCarthy. All rights reserved.