“That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” – Carly Simon
My friends from college they’re all married now;
They have their houses and their lawns.
They have their silent noons,
Tearful nights, angry dawns.
Their children hate them for the things they’re not;
They hate themselves for what they are-
And yet they drink, they laugh,
Close the wound, hide the scar.
*
“Slip Slidin’ Away” – Paul Simon
I know a woman, (who) became a wife
These are the very words she uses to describe her life
She said a good day ain’t got no rain
She said a bad day is when I lie in the bed And I think of things that might have been
*
“At Seventeen” – Janis Ian
To those of us who knew the pain
Of valentines that never came
And those whose names were never called
When choosing sides for basketball
It was long ago and far away
The world was younger than today
And dreams were all they gave for free
To ugly duckling girls like me
We all play the game and when we dare
We cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
That call and say – Come dance with me
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me, at seventeen
*
“Vincent” – Don McLean
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life, as lovers often do
But I could’ve told you Vincent
This world was never meant for One as beautiful as you
*
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” – Bonnie Raitt
I’ll close my eyes ‘Cause then I won’t see
The love you don’t feel When you’re home with me
Morning will come And I’ll do what’s right
Just give me till then To give up this fight
And I will give up this fight
‘Cause I can’t make you love me if you don’t
You can’t make your heart feel Somethin’ that it won’t
And here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart I’ll feel the power,
but you won’t
No you won’t
‘Cause I can’t make you love me
When you don’t
*
“Two Black Cadillacs” – Carrie Underwood
Two months ago his wife called the number on his phone
Turns out he’d been lying to both of them for oh so long
They decided then he’d never get away with doing this to them
Two black Cadillacs waiting for the right time, right time
And the preacher said he was a good man
And his brother said he was a good friend
But the women in the two black veils didn’t bother to cry (Bye bye, Bye bye)
Yeah they took turns laying a rose down
Threw a handful of dirt into the deep ground
He’s not the only one who had a secret to hide (Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye)
It was the first and the last time they saw each other face to face
They shared a crimson smile and just walked away
And left the secret at the grave
*
“Hungry Heart” – Bruce Springsteen
Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack
I went out for a ride and I never went back
Like a river that don’t know where it’s flowing
I took a wrong turn and I just kept going
*
“Lyin’ Eyes” – The Eagles
She gets up and pours herself a strong one
And stares out at the stars up in the sky
Another night, it’s gonna be a long one
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry
She wonders how it ever got this crazy
She thinks about a boy she knew in school
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy?
She’s so far gone she feels just like a fool
My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things
You set it up so well, so carefully
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things
You’re still the same old girl you used to be
*
“Fast Car” – Tracy Chapman
See my old man’s got a problem
He live with the bottle that’s the way it is
He says his body’s too old for working
His body’s too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody’s got to take care of him
So I quit school and that’s what I did
You got a fast car Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision Leave tonight or live and die this way
*
“Diary” – Bread
I found her diary underneath a tree
And started reading about me
The words began to stick
and tears to flow
Her meaning now was clear to see
The love she’d waited for
was someone else not me
Wouldn’t you know it
She wouldn’t show it
Bjcorbin's Blog 