Hourglass

Description: I wrote this song shortly after I arrived in Boston to begin medical school. As I awoke and looked out at the early morning, these words described both the feeling of the new day dawning as well as the new chapter beginning in my life.

You slowly open up your eyes, you watch the starlight leave the skies

A special magic fills the air, there's nothing else in all the world that can compare
With the way you're feeling when a new day's begun

You feel the dewdrops on the ground, you listen closely, there's not a sound
The morning colors run in trails across the sky
You feel so full of life you almost want to cry
Such is the feeling that surrounds you when a new day's begun

The day ahead is filled with happiness or tears, you know not which it's going to be
But for now you do away with all your fears, 'cause now's your moment to be free

The birds awaken in the trees, a ray of sunlight, a gentle breeze
All around you, all around, there's a message in the morning coming down
A voice is calling out, telling each and everyone
That a new day's begun

Description:: As we go through life, we never really feel the passage of time, except through our children, whether they are our own children or the children of others around us. As they grow, we can measure the time as "marks on the wall".

A child's hand, I helped you stand, and now you've gone on your own
Where did you run, my little one? I closed my eyes and you'd grown

The games we played, the laughter made, it seems like just the other day Yet here you are, a shooting star, now I must send you on your way

And the sands of time keep on running down
Counting off the moments that go by
And every grain that falls is another mark on the wall
Another mark on the wall in your mind, of time gone by

The times we cry, the times we try, but we just can't understand
The bird must fly, or it will die, it can't have life in your hand

And the sands of time keep on running down
Counting off the moments that go by
And every grain that falls is another mark on the wall
Another mark on the wall in your mind, of time gone by

Description::I wrote this song initially to be a children's song, but after listening to it I decided that it could apply to people of all ages.

Would you offer your umbrella if the rain begins to pour
Would you laugh at all my corny jokes and tell me some of yours
Would you pick me up a soda when you stop into the store
If you'd really do those things for me, I couldn't ask for more

Would you share with me your ice cream if mine falls down on the ground
Would you give me half your sandwich if my lunch can't be found
Would you help me put a bandaid on if I should cut my knee
If you'd really do those things for me
How happy I would be

Will you, will you be my friend, I really need a friend
Someone to help me get on through
I really need you here with me to lend a helping hand
Will you, will you be my friend

Would you tell me if i have a spot of ketchup on my mouth
Would you help me with directions, would you tell north from south
Would you fill my head with stories of adventures that you've had
If you'd really do those things for me
Then i would be so glad

Will you, will you be my friend, I really need a friend
Someone to tell my troubles to
I know that i can call on you, i know you'll understand
Will you, will you be my friend

Will you, will you be my friend, I really need a friend
Someone to add another view
I really need to talk to you to tell you what i've planned
Will you, will you be my friend

I really need a friend
Someone to make my life seem new

Will you, will you be my friend

Will you, will you be my friend

I really hope you'll be my friend

Description::This song is what I call a "rock and roll love song with a cynical twist". It is a parody of the good and bad in a relationship, taken to an extreme in this song. The saxophonist is Richie Cannata, the former saxophonist player for Billy Joel (New York State of Mind)

I took a walk on a moonlit night and it made me think of you
I saw the city, what a beautiful sight, and it made me think of you
I read a book by candlelight and it made me think of you
I took my pillow and held it tight and it made me think of you

I wrote a song and I sang it proud 'cause it made me think of you
I saw a face in a subway crowd and it made me think of you
I heard music and I played it loud 'cause it made me think of you
I saw a shape in a passing cloud and it made me think of you

Think of you, think of you, everything i do makes me think of you
Think of you, think of you, everything i do makes me think of you
Think of you, think of you, everything i do makes me think of you
Think of you, baby, think of you, everything i do makes me think of you

Now I'm sitting here so sad, I gave everything I had
And it really makes me mad, that you treated me so bad

I hit my head on a cabinet door and it made me think of youv I broke an egg all over the floor and it made me think of you
I cut my hand while closing the car door and it made me think of you
I took less when I needed more and it made me think of you

I heard a good friend tell me a lie and it made me think of you
I watched a beautiful flower die and it made me think of you
I saw a spoiled little child cry and it made me think of you
I sold my soul and I wonder why it made me think of you

Think of you, think of you, everything I do makes me think of you
Think of you, think of you, everything I do makes me think of you
Think of you, think of you, everything I do makes me think of you
Think of you, baby, think of you, everything I do makes me think of you

Now I'm sitting here so sad, I gave everything I had
And it really makes me mad, that you treated me so bad

I took a walk on a moonlit night and it made me think of you
I saw the city, what a beautiful sight, and it made me think of you
I read a book by candlelight and it made me think of you
I took my pillow and held it tight and it made me think of you

Description::This song tells the story of two tragic lovers who died embracing each other over 5,000 years ago. Their skeletons were discovered and preserved so others could share in their love. Read all about it here!

Many years ago in a village in what is now northern Italy
A young man and woman found themselves trapped in a world that was soon to end
Whether it was due to disease, war, famine, or act of nature
They both knew they would not live to see another night

So they made a vow to face the end together
They awoke early the next morning and went to a field overlooking their village
A place where they had spent many an afternoon together
They lay down in the moist grass, held each other tightly, and gave each other one last kiss

(sung)
And they knew their lives were ending and they knew they couldn't run
So they made a vow to stay together 'till their world was done
And they lay down and embraced each other in the morning mist
And they gave each other one forever kiss

Forever kiss, forever kiss, to be together arm in arm is all they ever wished
They lay down and embraced each other in the morning mist
And they gave each other one forever kiss

(spoken)
Five thousand years later while excavating the site
Workers discovered two skeletons lying together in the ground
They found them side by side and arm in arm
Exactly as they had been so many years earlier
When their lives ended on that fateful day

Her hand still rested gently on his cheek, his arm caressed her shoulder
But the striking thing about them was that you could still see the expression of love in their faces
As they looked into each other's eyes
The love that these two shared as they gave each other one forever kiss

And they knew their lives were ending and they knew they couldn't run
So they made a vow to stay together 'till their world was done
And they lay down and embraced each other in the morning mist
And they gave each other one forever kiss

Forever kiss, forever kiss, to be together arm in arm is all they ever wished
Five thousand years have come and gone and still the story's this
That they gave each other one forever kiss

Their bodies lie there in the ground five thousand years before they're found
The only thing that's left of them, a pile of broken bones
But the spirit of undying love is there in those remains
And forever it will be 'till the end of time

And they knew their lives were ending and they knew they couldn't run
So they made a vow to stay together 'till their world was done
And they lay down and embraced each other in the morning mist
And they gave each other one forever kiss

Forever kiss, forever kiss, to be together arm in arm is all they ever wished
Five thousand years have come and gone and still the story's this
That they gave each other one forever kiss, they gave each other one forever kiss

They will always be together in a kiss

Description:This is a song about a man who gets a letter from a woman who has left him and broken his heart several times before. In the letter, she asks him to take her back one more time. Even though he knows that he shouldn't take her back because she will only break his heart again, he also knows that he will have no choice but to take her back because he is still the same person he has always been and she knows that.

There it was on the floor,
A folded envelope as you walked in the door
You've seen that writing before
She took a part of you, and now she's back for more

She says she's sorry for the things that she has done
She was trying to just find her way
And all the time that she was out there having fun
In the end there's a price you must pay

Don't give in to it, there's no win to it
Throw that letter away
But in your mind you know that every time you go
And you will ask her to stay

You're still the same, you're still the same
Whenever she starts to deal the cards, you get right back in the game
You're still the same

Now you stand at the door
You've said these words to her a thousand times before
You'll tell her that you're over her, that the past is dead and done
That you're happy and have peace of mind
But soon as you see her face, then you know that it's just begun
And you know that you'll go one more time

Don't give in to it, there's no win to it
Keep your heart locked away
But then you touch, then you
, You feel so much in you
And now you must find a way

You're still the same, you're still the same
No matter how far down the road you've gone,
you go right back where you came
You're still the same
You're still the same, you're still the same
You know that you're never going to tell her no,
And she knows that about you too
You're still the same

Description:This is just a song about a group of guys sitting around drinking and playing music all night long.

Well, I'm going downtown to the five and dime
Going to buy me a tape machine
Going to get together with some buddies of mine
We're going to make us a music scene

We're going to jam around
We're going to try to find that sound
And we're going to keep on playing 'till wev Lay that music down

Well, one's got a fiddle, I've got my guitar,
and another's got a mandolin
And I've got a bag with a bottle of whiskey
And a half-full bottle of gin

We're going to jam around
We're going to try to find that sound
And we're going to keep on playing 'till we
Lay that music down

Well we played all day and we played all night
And we drank that whiskey and gin
we started playing music when the sun came up
And we were playing when it rose again

And we jammed around
We kept trying to find that sound
And we just kept on playing 'till we
Layed that music down

Well we played all day and we played all night
And we drank that whiskey and ginv We started playing music when the sun came up
And we were playing when it rose again

And we jammed around
We kept trying to find that sound
And we just kept on playing 'till we
Layed that music down
We all just kept on playing 'till we
Layed that music down

Description:I stumbled onto this guitar riff while trying to come up with music for another song I was writing.This song is an instrumental.

Description: Although I have never served in the armed forces, I tried to capture some of the feelings I thought service men and women must experience when hearing that they are going home.

Eighteen months I've been here in this dusty desert war
Seeing things and doing things I never have before
And every day I 've been here what keeps me going on
Is the thought that some day you would see me walking through your door

I have never been a man who backs down from a fight
And I'm the type who does a thing until i get it right
But when they came and told us that our group was going home
Well, I got so damn excited that i couldn't sleep all night

I'm coming home
Baby, now, I'm coming home, I'm coming home to you
I'm coming home
Baby, now, I'm coming home, I'm coming home to you

I have thought so many times that I'd be next to die
And still it hasn't happened yet, and still I wonder why
So many friends I made here I'll never see again
There are times when I just need a place where i can go to cry

Now the day has finally come and I am on my way
Now I need to think about the things I need to say
I have seen the evil in the world, I'm ready for the good
And i want to have you by my side every single day

I'm coming home
Baby, now, I'm coming home, I'm coming home to you
I'm coming home
Baby, now, I'm coming home, I'm coming home to you

Description:I wrote this song when I was 23 years old, when it seemed that every woman I was meeting was a single mother with a young child, looking for a daddy. Although not politically correct, it reflects how I was feeling at that time.

Where there's a will, there's a way
And maybe someday you're going to find what you're looking for
But baby listen here, I'm going to make it very clear before i walk out the door
I know you're looking for a man who's going to do all he can to make your dreams come true
Someone who'll come home every night, kiss and hold you tight, and make love to you

Well let me tell you, I'm chicken
I mean to tell you I'm chicken
I ain't biting on you're bait, your dreams are going to have to wait
'Cause I'm chicken

Well, I once knew a girl who took me for a whirl
She was a real humdinger
I met her in a bar, we made love in my car
Whew, what a swinger!
Then she took me to her home where I thought we'd be alone
But when I got inside
There was a scrawny little kid who looked at me and said
"Daddy, take me for a ride"

Well I got out 'cause I was chicken
I mean to tell you I'm chicken
I told her thank you kindly ma'am, but I've really got to scram
'Cause I'm chicken
I want to say that I'm chicken
Really, really, really chicken
You know you're nice to have around but don't you try to tie me down
'Cause I'm chicken

Description:This song was one of the first few songs I wrote. It began as a poem I wrote for an English class in college.

As I pass by the lovers my mind wanders away
A beautiful magic, at least so they say
They say that love is two minds fusing together as one
Loving is free and easily done

A power that sweeps away reason and sorrow
But lovers may change, they may differ tomorrow
A wife who's unsatisfied, a husband who lies
A child who watches her parents and cries

A cloud full of thunder, lightning, and rain
A power that hurts and drives people insane

Yes, falling in love is so easy to do
But I don't think that I'd call it free
Would you? Would you?

Description:I wrote this song as a children's song and wanted to do it in the style of bluegrass. We found a bluegrass band through the Bluegrass Society of Long Island and brought them into the studio to do the song.

While walking through a country field I thought I heard a squeak
And so I went on over just to have myself a peek
And there I saw a mother mouse just lying with her young
Hiding in the long tall grass

And from the corner of my eye I saw a feral cat
He knew the mice were hiding but he didn't know where at
And so he slowly crept on toward the mother and her pups
Hiding in the long tall grass

Hiding in the long tall, hiding in the long tall, hiding in the long tall
grass

And just as he was going to pounce the neighbor's big old dog
Came running up and saw the cat behind a rotting log
He started barking at the cat and off they both did go
Running through the long tall grass

They crossed a little creek where there were lots of pollywogs
On some their tails were almost gone, so they were almost frogs
That dog and cat they sure could run, a howling as they went
Running through the long tall grass

Running through the long tall, running through the long tall, running through
the long tall grass
I tried to catch up with those two but they were running fast
Running through the long tall grass

Eventually that dog got tired of chasing that old cat
And so he found a shady spot and on his rump he satv But that old cat kept running on as if he were possessed
Running through the long tall grass

And so I went back to the spot where first began the race
But mother mouse had moved her brood to another hiding place
So I sat down and wrote a song about that crazy chase
Running through the long tall grass

Running through the long tall, running through the long tall, running through
the long tall grass
And when I'm feeling down and out I think about the past
Running through the long tall grass

Description:This was the first song I ever wrote. It was the title song for a play I had written as part of an English assignment in College.

What will you do when there's nothing to do anymore?
What will you do when the world has fallen to war?
What good is a man who is skilled at a trade,
when no one can buy all the things that he's made?
You can't make a doorknob and sell it to someone
Who can't even buy the door
What will you do when there's nothing to do anymore?

What will you eat when there's nothing to eat anymore?
What will you do when you can't buy your food at the store?
How long can you live in a city of steel, where you can't even grow what's to be your next meal?
It's hard to imagine the things you will do when there's nothing to eat anymore

Where will you run when there's nowhere to run anymore?
You can't run away from a world that's starving and poor
Well what would you do and what would you say
If all of the people all withered away
Who will you love when there's no one to love anymore?

Description:This song is about the question we all have about what awaits us after death. Do we have an afterlife or are we just in a "dreamless sleep"?

From the time we make our entrance and we utter our first cry
To the time we make our exit we will always wonder why
Are we only meant to be here for the blinking of an eye
Or is something really waiting when we finally say goodbye?

We each of us experience this life in our own way
We are each of us unique in how we journey through each day
But we share a common mystery beginning at our birth
With every other living thing to ever walk the earth

We've all been taught that lesson that there's heaven and there's hell
And to that end we all can pray
And though i do believe it's true, I learned that lesson well
Still i think it's best just to live each day

Like the elephant that's sitting in the room behind a chair
We all try our best to turn our eyes, pretend it isn't there
But the never-ending question still arises from the deep
is there really something after this or just a dreamless sleep?

Dreamless sleep, dreamless sleep, dreamless sleep, dreamless sleep (fade)

Description:I wrote this lullabye when my son was an infant. When he had trouble going to sleep, his older sister would sing the "la la la" part to him and he would soon drift off.

The sun comes up, the day begins
A little boy opens up his eyes and grins
The flowers bloom, the children play
A little boy welcomes in a brand new day

Mother and father and sister too
All of them happy just to be with you
A house of love, a house of joy
And all of it centered on a little boy

Little boy Derek come blow your horn
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn
Where's the little boy who looks after the sheep
He's lying in the cradle fast asleep

Singing la la la, la la la la

And now it's time to say goodnight
I'll sing this song to you and hold you tight
A man you'll grow to be someday
And you'll show the world a different way

Mother and father and sister too
All of them happy just to be with youv A house of love, a house of joy
And all of it centered on a little boy

Little boy Derek come blow your horn
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn
Where's the little boy who looks after the sheep
He's lying in his cradle fast asleep

Singing la la la, la la la la
Little boy Derek how I love you