"I JUST TRY TO MOVE THE CHAINS"

by Meyer and McGuire

Verse 1
Bill has run a restaurant
For nearly all his life
His kids are grown, they’ve flown the coop
It’s just him and his wife
He’s served both kings and paupers
He as seen it all
The key to happiness for him
Is simply living small.

Chorus
He said,
“I used to sit and drink all day
And then I’d drink all night
I used to party hearty with all my friends
‘Til the early morning light
I always went for the touchdown,
The fortune, and the fame
Now when I am on the field
I just try to move the chains.”

Verse 2
Stu is a screen writer
Who scored a few hits on TV
He writes twenty pages every day
For him that is the key
He has to go to L.A.
But he really likes it here
Sharin’ stories with his friends
And sippin’ a few beers

Chorus
Instrumental Break

Verse 3
Geno is an ex-con
Who’s done time for murder 2
He killed the man who stole his wife
And then he paid his dues
Now he has a day job
Hunts and fishes with his friends
He used to be a mighty oak
But he’s a willow now who bends

Chorus

Verse 4
Gretchen owns a bakery
In the middle of the town
Her cookies, pies, and wedding cakes
Are the best that can be found
She was a rich young housewife
But it really cramped her style
She belongs behind a counter
Making all her patrons smile

Chorus
Instrumental Break

Verse 5
Now me, I play this old guitar
In a little two piece band
My lady plays the bass
And most nights that we play are grand
We’ve never won a Grammy
We just play the best we can
The music is a way
Of having good times with our friends

Chorus (twice)

"I Just Try to Move the Chains"©2007 Frank Meyer

 

https://open.spotify.com/track/6jIFEVy1J1MBfV3crncQG4?si=942f516b8fbc48b9

 

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"A Little Thought I'd Like to Share"

"A Little Thought I'd Like to Share"” by Meyer and McGuire

Verse 1:
I have coffee with my dad, sometimes it’s good and sometimes bad
He tells me about all his aches and pains
The news never seems too good, people don’t do what they should
And he wishes that our leaders had some brains
And when the coffee’s done, well it’s time for him to run
He has to get out there to greet the day
After finishing his chores, it’s to the bank and grocery store
Then a visit with some friends at the VA

Chorus:
Just keep moving, don’t stand still
It doesn’t matter if you’re headed up or down the hill
There’s always something you can do
To help a friend in need get through
A little thought I’d like to share with you

Instrumental Break

Verse 2:
We dine with my mother-in-law, and break into a big guffaw
Whenever she gets going on a rant
She hates Republicans, and all guns should be banned
Women should not go to church in pants
And then she settles in, and with a Cheshire grin
She tells us how she’s going to right some wrongs
She’s headed to DC, to change the country
So everyone can feel that they belong

Chorus

Instrumental Break

Verse 3:
As I’m growing older, the world keeps getting colder
The lows and highs seem just about the same
,The lows have no deep drops, the highs never reach the top
And I wonder if I should be in the game
But I get out of bed, and I move on ahead
‘Cause there is still a flickerin’ in me
To do what I can do, write a song to play for you
‘Cause right here is still where I need to be

Chorus x 2

©2020 Frank Meyer

 

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"All They Say Is Progress"

        "All They Say Is Progress"  by Frank Meyer

Verse 1
Well, I hear the shell fish are dyin'
Down on the ocean floor
And I hear there is garbage
Washin' up that Jersey shore
And I hear the oil slicks are awful big
Down off of Galveston
And I hear the place that's worst of all
Is that harbor in B-Town

Chorus
Yet, all they say is, "Progress!
"We're gettin' better every day."
Well, there sure seems to be a difference
In what I hear and what they say.
In what I hear and what they say.

Verse 2
Well, I hear they got these CFC's
Ruinin' the atmosphere
And I hear that our ozone
Well, it just might disappear
And I hear they got these tannin' booths
That brown your skin real fast
And I hear that the tan you get
Well, it just could be your last

Chorus
Break

Verse 3
Well, I hear that the food we eat
Is sprayed with pesticides
And I hear it is harmless
'Cause only the birds die
And I hear they got these dumpin' grounds
That produce glowin' snakes
And I hear that this acid rain
Is killin' all our lakes

Chorus

Verse 4
Well, I hear that there's radon
Down beneath my feet
And I hear soon a greenhouse
Will be on every street
And I hear they got the power plants
Under control
And I hear land is awfully cheap
Outside Chernobyl

Chorus
©1993 Frank Meyer

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"CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE"

"Caught in the Middle"    by Meyer & McGuire

Verse 1
I like to play for the rednecks ‘cause they clap and sing along,
And if you don’t play what they want, they’ll tell you that you’re wrong,
And when you miss a note or two, they don’t really care,
As long as they can stomp their feet, they’re glad to have you there.
They like their country music, a bluegrass tune or two,
Some rock, some blues, a few dirty songs will always get you through,
And when your gig is over, and it’s time for you to go,
They’ll nod their heads to let you know how much they loved your show.

Chorus
I’m a man caught in the middle ‘cause I like the left and right,
It doesn’t matter much to me if your collar’s blue or white,
I use to have a struggle over just where I should be,
But now I know up on the fence is the only place for me.

Instrumental Break

Verse 2
I like to play for the folkies in those smoke-free concert halls,
They listen to the lyrics, and they do not talk at all,
They like to see what you can do on your old flattop guitar,
They analyze every word just to find out who you are.
They like to hear old Woody, and those Dylan melodies,
And when you try a sing-along, you get perfect harmonies,
And when the night is over, and it’s time to say goodbye,
They’ll tell you all the songs they liked, and they’ll give you reasons why.

Chorus
Instrumental Break

Verse 3
The rednecks and the folkies, hey, they’re not so far apart,
For when I play my music, it heads right straight for their hearts,
The music drains the blues away, and brings them pure delight,
And both forget the struggles that they often have to fight.
The rednecks and the folkies often mock each other’s fun,
It’s clear to me, but they wouldn’t agree, they both are really one,
They’re just people out there strugglin’, tryin’ to reach their goals,
And along the way the music helps to soothe and heal their souls.

Chorus (Two Times)
©1998 Frank Meyer

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"SOMETIMES IT'S NEVER OVER"

"Sometimes It's Never Over"    

Verse 1:
We sat out on the back deck in the quiet of twilight
Watching as the sun slowly set and the day slipped into night
The summer air was so oppressive, but not as heavy as our hearts
The sad sound of a mourning dove hinted soon we'd be apart

Chorus:
They say nothing last forever, and I wish that this was so
But sometimes it's never over, 'cause we just cannot let go

Verse 2:
We looked off into the distance, neither uttering a word
Truth had come to visit us, and he wanted to be heard
"Is there something I can do?" she sat still and did not speak
Then I saw her body start to shake, and the tears rolled down her cheeks
"I can't take the way they look at you with such pity in their eyes
I am not strong enough for this; so, I have to say goodbye."

Chorus
Instrumental Break

Verse 3:
As I sit here in this tavern, staring down into my beer
I am thinking of her final words; it's been over forty years
Though I do not want to think of them, they just still invade my mind
Just like a life-long affliction, they will stay with me through time

Chorus

©2022 Frank Meyer

 

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THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

"The Road Less Traveled" 

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Verse 1
I remember, it was in the spring
For all my friends those wedding bells did ring
But for me, nothing came along
Except this guitar and a chance to write some songs
So, I sat down, let my words flow
And just like little children, watched them grow
And as I guided them with my heart and hands
They began to spread their joy throughout the land

Chorus
There are many roads to travel
Many things to be
It seems the road less traveled
Has worked the best for me

Verse 2
And I remember, it was summer time
She came along, I knew she was a sign
For when I told her of my chosen road
She said she'd like to help me bear the load
So, together we wrote more tunes
And some nights we’d just play them for the moon
Then it came time to set them free
To find their place in this society

Chorus
Instrumental Break

Verse 3
I reflect now as I feel the fall
It won't be long 'til old man winter calls
And I know that when we're dead and gone
These songs we've left behind will still live on
For it's quite clear nothing gold can stay
And like time, everything slips away
But the word, it does survive
It's the only way old ideas are revived.

Chorus

 

 

  

"SET YOURSELF FREE"

"Set Yourself Free"

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Verse 1
I like the country; she likes the city life
I wish she told me this before she became my wife
She likes to wander those canyons made of steel
I like to analyze the way those breezes feel
Chorus
And I'm not feelin' so good
And I don't get the peace I should
And my heart keeps on tellin' me,
"Set yourself free"
Instrumental
Verse 2
She likes the big house, pool out in the yard
I'm not the kind of guy who likes to work that hard
She likes to socialize just about every night
I like to sit at home by that firelight
Chorus
Instrumental
Verse 3
She likes those fancy drinks; I like those homemade wines
She worries 'bout most things when I think things are fine
I guess it's time for me to move on down the line
Yes, it's time to let my heart rule my mind
Chorus Twice
Instrumental

©1993 Frank Meyer