1. |
Juliet's on Fire
04:34
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Juliet’s On Fire
Juliet's on fire, she's head over heels
Romeo's a nice kid, but he doesn't know how he feels.
He writes her poems; they lie laughing in the grass.
They feel the sunlight disappear they feel the moment pass
And she's on fire.
As they go walking hand in hand the sun is sliding down
She says it doesn't matter he's from the other side of town
They watch the clouds turn violet in each other's eyes
He tries to whisper love songs he can only manage sighs
He's on fire.
Don't run away from love, there's nowhere you can hide.
Don't try to bottle up the things you feel inside.
And if it turns to ashes, there's no one you can blame
so open up your heart and reach out for the flame.
Juliet is sleeping and her head is full of dreams.
Romeo's in the garden splitting at the seams.
He reaches out to touch her and he softly calls her name.
Juliet is tumbling and her head is filled with flames.
They're on fire
He's gazing at the window and he's dazzled by the light
and flames leap up around him as he runs off through the night
and somewhere in the darkness Romeo grows cold
Juliet's a spirit he didn't have the strength to hold.
Don't run away from love, there's nowhere you can hide.
Don't try to bottle up the things you feel inside.
And if it turns to ashes, there's no one you can blame
so open up your heart and reach out for the flame.
1986, Austin
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2. |
Who's This Stranger
05:23
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Who’s this Stranger
Woke up this morning, opened up my eyes
Rough around the edges under threatening skies
Looked in the mirror, didn’t feel quite the same
When I looked again I couldn’t remember my name
Who’s this stranger in my skin?
Where did I go, who let you in?
Was I blown away on some evil wind?
Who’s this stranger in my skin?
Did I leave a note; tell you where I’d gone?
Did I kiss you goodbye; did I say how long?
Am I hanging around here like some hungry ghost;
Or did I wander off or take the last train to the coast?
Who’s this stranger in my skin?
Where did I go, who let you in?
Was I blown away on some evil wind?
Who’s this stranger in my skin?
It used to be so easy, seems so long ago
Can’t quite remember all the things I used to know
People and places fading into the gray
Hanging on tight, but it’s all slipping away
Who’s this stranger in my skin?
Where did I go, who let you in?
Was I blown away on some evil wind?
Who’s this stranger in my skin?
How’d you get in?
Through some mystical door
Through the soles of my feet
Or a hole in the floor?
How’d you get in?
How was I unaware?
When I look in the mirror
Why are you standing there?
October 2006, Myrtle Beach, SC and Alexandria, VA
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3. |
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Don't Know Where I'm Bound
I'm going down the road and I don't know where I'm bound
I'm going down the road and I can't say what I've found
I'm going down the road riding straight into the sun
and I'll be tired and thirsty Lord when the day is done.
I can see the vultures circling over my head
they're dreaming of picking my bones, they're wishing me dead
Well they can have this weary flesh when my time has come
but until that day, I'm bound to be moving on
And I know that the road is long and the road is hard
I've got all these things in my heart I can't bear to discard
but there's a cool sweet breeze blowing way up in the sky
the light's shining so bright it brings tears of joy to my eyes.
The spirit is willing but too often the flesh is weak
we talk about dreams but it's something else we seek
I hope someday I can recover all the gifts that I've lost
let go of this pain and stop counting the cost.
And I know that the road is long and the road is hard
I've got all these things in my heart I can't bear to discard
but there's a cool sweet breeze blowing way up in the sky
the light's shining so bright it brings tears of joy to my eyes.
I'm going down the road and I don't know where I'm bound
I'm going down the road and I can't say what I've found
I'm going down the road riding straight into the sun
and I'll be tired and thirsty Lord when the day is done.
And I know that the road is long and the road is hard
I've got all these things in my heart I can't bear to discard
but there's a cool sweet breeze blowing way up in the sky
the light's shining so bright it brings tears of joy to my eyes.
1991, Austin
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4. |
Barcelona
04:43
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Barcelona
Strolling down Las Ramblas feeling warm and free,
Columbus strikes a pose, gazes out to the sea
Grab a table on the Plaza in the warm sunshine
pollo en ajillo, with a glass of wine
In Barcelona
Climb a thousand steps to Parc Guell
Gaudi smiles and the sea glitters like a jewel
Flamenco, reggae and didgeridoo on the breeze
Dancing and laughing as we wander through the trees
In Barcelona
Take me back, take me back
You and I we were so free
Moonlight kisses underneath the trees
in Barcelona
There’s a Sea of umbrellas in the early morning rain
We duck into the subway, catch a waiting train
Cathedral Cherubs, resurrection, sun breaks through
Stained glass and spires glistening gold, red, and blue
In Barcelona
Sitting in the 4 Gats, having one last round
Picasso looks up from the Bar without a sound
Espinaca and garbanzos, ajillo and some bread
Moonlight kisses, a thousand pictures in our heads
In Barcelona
Take me back, take me back
You and I we were so free
Moonlight kisses underneath the trees
in Barcelona
May 2011, Alexandria, VA
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5. |
It's Great to be Alive
03:35
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It’s Great to be Alive (Ginger & Fred part 2)
Let’s fly away to our own private island
Hear the roar of the waves on glistening sand
Far away from the radio, papers, and TV
We’ll have Pelicans, blue sky, Caribbean sea
A bouquet of roses, a bottle of wine
Let’s go for a stroll, we’ve got plenty of time
The moon on your shoulders, soft breeze in your hair
Just take my hand, let’s get out of these chairs
You’re never too old, it’s never too late
You’re as young as you feel, and tonight I feel great
Charleston, quick step, tango, or jive
If you’re moving your feet, it’s great to be alive
Full moon shimmers on the water tonight
Your fingers in mine, the stars out of sight
Dancing on the beach, creaky knees and aching feet
Like Ginger & Fred just a little off beat
You’re never too old, it’s never too late
You’re as young as you feel, and tonight I feel great
Charleston, quick step, tango, or jive
If you’re moving your feet, it’s great to be alive
Samba, or mambo, better shake those hips
Feel the beat of the waves in your fingertips
The years melt away, we’re refreshed and renewed
A toast of champagne, ‘cause we’re both in the mood
You’re never too old, it’s never too late
You’re as young as you feel, and tonight I feel great
Charleston, quick step, tango, or jive
If you’re moving your feet, it’s great to be alive
May 2011, Alexandria, VA
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6. |
I Had a Dream Last Night
04:17
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I Had a Dream Last Night
I had a dream last night, I was lying in bed
Looking at the fan spinning over my head
I put down my book and I closed my eyes
The roof disappeared and I was gazing at the sky
The bed floated off like a boat on the sea
On the waves of a breeze rising over the trees
Past the cars on the freeway and twinkling street lights
Past freight trains and factories and toxic waste sites
Do you remember your dreams?
Are they just what they are,
Are they more than they seem?
Firing synapses in your animal brain
Or visions of the future, mysteries explained?
We sailed over the moon and on towards the stars
Over men on dark corners who were playing guitars
Their songs filled the night with harmonious sounds
Thousands of voices joining into the round
Do you remember your dreams?
Are they just what they are,
Are they more than they seem?
Firing synapses in your lizard brain
Or visions of the future, mysteries explained?
The bed and the roof have returned to their places
Books and guitars have returned to their cases
I open my eyes on another new morning
And flashbacks of dreams return without warning
Do you remember your dreams?
Are they just what they are,
Are they more than they seem?
Firing synapses in your animal brain
Or visions of the future, mysteries explained.
October 2006, Alexandria, VA
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7. |
The Cool Midnight
04:12
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The Cool Midnight
Everybody's rockin' in the cool midnight
the full moon's shining with a ghostly light.
I'm holding you close and it feels so good
I want you, I want you; baby please say you would.
Down by the river the fog is rolling in
I don't know where we're going and I don't care where we've been.
I've heard the whole's greater than the sum of the parts
and this music's like a wild dream beating in our hearts.
Everybody's rockin in the cool midnight;
heat waves rolling in on thundering drums.
Everybody's rockin, Everybody's rockin tonight;
Everybody's rockin in the cool midnight.
You say that you're waiting, waiting til the time is right
but I've got the apple, baby come and take a bite.
All that I'm asking is just one kiss;
the moon's shining on your lips and I can't resist.
Everybody's rockin in the cool midnight;
Heat waves rolling in on thundering drums.
Everybody's rockin, Everybody's rockin tonight;
Everybody's rockin in the cool midnight.
The dawn's coming on and baby I’m hold you tight.
The sun's about to burst right through the chains of night.
Our bodies in flames, so hot to the touch.
This must be heaven, baby, I love you so much.
Everybody's rockin in the cool midnight;
heat waves rolling in on thundering drums.
Everybody's rockin, Everybody's rockin tonight;
Everybody's rockin in the cool midnight.
January 2, 1991, Austin
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8. |
Takes Me Away
03:04
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Takes Me Away from You
I woke up this morning looked around the room
the alarm clock was wailing like the trumpets of doom
I've got to get up but it's much too soon
It takes me away from you.
I've got a hot cup of coffee and the morning news
a glimpse of your shoulders as I'm tying my shoes
Keep your kisses on ice til the work day's through
It takes me away from you.
The water keeps on rising
we can barely keep afloat
what happened to that gentle tide
was gonna lift up every boat.
I put on a tie, took the inside track
now I'm rumbling like a train toward a heart attack.
I've come so far that I can't look back
and it keeps me away from you.
It's lonely at the top and it's a long way down
and there's nowhere to hide in this skyrocket town.
I thought I was up til I hit the ground
and it takes me away from you.
The water keeps on rising
we can barely keep afloat
what happened to that gentle tide
was gonna lift up every boat.
I've got to get out but where can I go
I can feel the flood rising and the cold wind blow
It's all up to me and I just don't know
but it takes me away from you.
What would they do if I called in well?
If I told all my bosses to go to hell?
If I just wasn't there when they rang their bell
cause it keeps me away from you?
I woke up this morning looked around the room
the alarm clock was wailing like the trumpets of doom
I've got to get up but it's much too soon
It takes me away from you.
1986, Austin
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9. |
Last Days of Summer
04:00
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Last Days of Summer
Last days of summer, we're changing our tune;
winter wind's come to burst our balloon.
Lost in our memories of yesterday's sun,
the wind is unraveling the dreams that we'd spun.
I'll try to remember the things that we had.
When I dream of your smile, I'll always be glad.
Take to some shelter whenever it rains,
shake out the cold, and forget all the pain.
So it's out to the highway and stick out my thumb
The slow walk I'm taking will turn to a run,
and the howl of the wind will make my soul numb
so I'll pack up my bags and I'll follow the sun.
The road is so long, where it leads I don't know
but I hope that it leads me away from the snow.
Ice in my heart is beginning to form
erasing our love in the wake of its storm.
So it's out to the highway and stick out my thumb
The slow walk I'm taking will turn to a run,
and the howl of the wind will make my soul numb
so I'll pack up my bags and I'll follow the sun.
Last days of summer, we're changing our tune;
winter wind's come to burst our balloon.
Lost in our memories of yesterday's sun,
the wind is unraveling the dreams that we'd spun.
1984, Chicago
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10. |
Somebody Else's Problem
04:32
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Somebody Else’s Problem
Nothing’s holding you together
Nothing’s tearing you apart
You’re just drifting through this world
Waiting for the games to start
And the landmines and the love affairs
You got through without a scratch
You left the scene of the crime
Now you hope you’re just too fast to catch
And it’s somebody else’s problem; somebody else is to blame
You’re just the stranger who’s staring from the mirror
And you’ve got somebody else’s name
You’re driving down an empty road
The wind is whistling in your ear
Sounds like some kind of melody
A song you haven’t heard in years
And as the sweat rolls down your neck
You pop the top on another can of beer
It’s good you don’t know where you are
Cause if you did you’d want to get straight out of here
And it’s somebody else’s problem; somebody else is to blame
You’re just the stranger who’s staring from the mirror
And you’ve got somebody else’s name
At the truck stop you fill up the tank
And grab another six pack to go
You’ve thrown away your maps and compass
Cause you don’t really want to know
Maybe you’ll wind up in Alaska
Or on the beaches in Mexico
But as the sun slips down over the horizon
You’ll just follow the wind where it blows
And it’s somebody else’s problem; somebody else is to blame
You’re just the stranger who’s staring from the mirror
And you’ve got somebody else’s name
Nothing’s holding you together, nothing’s tearing you apart…
1995, Austin
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11. |
Journey Into Light
05:05
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Journey into Light
Hope and fear colliding every minute of the day;
we're so tied up in struggle we can't see another way.
Terror lurks around the corner, growling in the dark
‘til Beauty snaps her fingers and consumes it with her spark.
Students storm the gates of Heaven as they pursue the dream;
you can't avoid the current once you jump into the stream.
Beyond the smoke and bloodshed, beyond the pain and lies,
a rose grows in the garden and the Sun burns in the skies.
We're all on a journey into light
let go of the struggle, let go of your fright.
The shadows will fade and the stars will shine so bright,
all around us on our journey into light.
The future struggles with the past as the world spins round and round.
We're bombarded with the images til our circuits just break down.
But underneath the surface the healing power spreads,
emerging like the phoenix when the fires are cold and dead.
We're all on a journey into light
let go of the struggle, let go of your fright.
The shadows will fade and the stars will shine so bright,
all around us on our journey into light.
In the darkness of the night when we drift off to sleep,
our bodies gain awareness of the secrets that we keep.
Our souls fly up to heaven on a journey to the stars
and in the brilliance of the passage we find out who we are.
We're all on a journey into light
let go of the struggle, let go of your fright.
The shadows will fade and the stars will shine so bright,
all around us on our journey into light.
July 1989, Austin
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Jim Heald Sarasota, Florida
Originally from New Jersey, with transformative stops in Chicago and Austin, singer-songwriter Jim Heald has covered a lot of ground in his music. He is a two-time finalist at the Kerrville \Folk Festival New Folk Competition. Jim also lived in the DC area for almost 20 years performing at area folk clubs, wineries, coffeehouses and festivals, before moving to Sarasota FL in 2017. ... more
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