Edwin McCain Album

Whispered from my heart and soul to my unwilling eyes
Lift my vision from the ground lift it to the sky
Skies they used to be so ugly rain that stings my face
Opens up their glory just earth and sky and space
And your passionate embraces absolve me of my sin
Your life lifts me up so I can see
See the sky again
And I've lived through all the flash-fire set off like lightening spark
Yes they burn so brightly and oh they burn so HOT
And these fantasies of all our love tearing at the ground
Wrapped up in the vortex of sweat and sex and sound
And your passionate embraces absolve me of my sin
Your life lifts me up so I can see, see the sky again
Hide Me
from the love I'm too scared to send
Hide Me
'til I see the sky again
And your passionate embraces absolve me of my sin
Your life lifts me up so I can see
See the sky again

I'm holding my last breath
It's burning in my lungs
Clenching up my eyes
Bloody up my tongue
For the words that might escape
Are ringing in my ears
Grinds me to a pulp
Grind me in the gears
My frozen spirit aches
I slip another day
Start to lose my grip
Find another way
For the life that might escape
Has been echoing for years
Grinds me to a pulp
Grind me in the gears
I've seen all the faces
They mirror me
And I've felt the tearing — tearing of the teeth
I've given up my ghosts
Barely breathe your name
Offer up myself
Pray you'll do the same
For the love that might escape
Well that's the biggest fear
Grinds me to a pulp
Grinds me in the gears

Pacing gently, summer wind
The king stares softly to the sky
Will he ever see his home again
Deep from his heart he starts to cry
As his songs hit the air and young hearts are awake
Soon they join in the chorus sharing all his ache
There's a lifetime out there somewhere
Somewhere in the dark
And summer's on, the lion's song
Sung from Cleveland Park
And the high school kids ignore it
They have their own tune
They're just showing off the speakers in their ride
I know what I'm sayin'
I grew up too soon
And youth goes hand in hand with foolish pride
As their song hits the air and young hearts start to break
The lions join in the chorus sharing all their ache
There's a lifetime out there somewhere
Somewhere in the dark
And summer's on, the lion's song
Sung from Cleveland Park
In Cleveland Park trees breathe a sigh of all the summers gone
Skeletons in wintertime, they sing the lions song
There's a lifetime out there somewhere
Somewhere in the dark
And summer's on, the lion's song
Sung from Cleveland Park

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth
Tell me that we belong together Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

Rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival, you're my living proof
My love is alive and not dead
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up in the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

Chorus

I've dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead
Tuned in, turned on, remembered the thing you said

Chorus

I'm A hack driver in New York City
I've got seven kids on the lower east side
I'm not a strong man, I'm not very pretty
But in rush hour hell you should see me drive

I'm a dressmaker in Louisiana
Stick my finger ain't that a shame
People come to haggle and paw on my artwork
But no two of my dresses are ever the same
How strange it seems to be me
If tomorrow I opened my eyes
And found myself somewhere else
I wonder who I'd be
I'm the house man at a place called the exit
The last band I heard bored me to tears
But every so often I hear one that moves me
Love for the music is what keeps me here
How strange it seems to be me
I f tomorrow I opened my eyes
And found myself somewhere else
I wonder who I'd be
I'm a rich man
I ain't talking 'bout money
I'm blues singer at the Eight by Ten
You go out searching for some grand tomorrow
Don't worry 'bout me just drop by now and then
How strange it seems to be me
I f tomorrow I opened my eyes
And found myself somewhere else
I wonder who I'd be

The Rhythm of Life
Heaven withstanding and smiling we're all swept away
The Rhythm of Life
Is not so demanding as some caught in narrows would say
Fragile as ships as we pass through Gibraltar
The sirens have long given way
Dark as the murky graveyard of sailors
Whispering secrets told in the crashing waves
The Beating of Hearts
Set walls to trembling the power of silence persuades
The Stumbling Feet
Stagger predestined we all end up wild eyed and crazed
And from the madness most jaded of vision
Reflections of horror invade
Running and falling relinquish your venom
The antidote surely will cause your affliction to fade
How little we know of what we are blessed with
Our shimmering island it turns
How little we look at what we see clearly
Of tragedy's lessons not learned

Sleeping through classes we'll make it up later
There's still so much time left to go
MISGUIDED ROSES we bloom in October
Emerging triumphant in time for the season's first snow

Do I fuel my hunger deprive my dreams
Live my lonely worn out seam
Stitches weary and the scars they leave
I'm the only one deceived
Please stand clear from the blast
As I purge demons from my past
Don't aspire to relieve
Do your worst and Punish Me
So I run fast I can
Die tomorrow half a man
Finish the story she said to me
I can't sit here and watch you bleed
Please stand clear from the blast
As I purge demons from my past
Don't aspire to relieve
Do your worst and Punish Me
Do I fuel my hunger deprive my dreams
Live my lonely worn out seam
Stitches weary and the scars they leave
I'm the only one deceived
Please stand clear from the blast
As I purge demons from my past
Don't aspire to relieve
Do your worst and Punish Me

Seven million years of progress handed down on silver wings
Of gossamer and protein still we haven't learned a thing
Are we caught up in our anger, locked up in our rage
In the opera of selection on this our earthly stage
And Charlie's spinning laughing, laughing in his grave
Laughing at the prophecy, the prophecy he gave
Can we spread our wings like angels, can we break out of the grind
Are we destined to be Darwin's children this time
The ribbons of our cigarettes vanish in the ai
rIn the glow of our great teacher we sit and blankly stare
And the sky could open up and what would we have to say
Something cute about burning out, better than fading away
And Charlie's spinning laughing, laughing in his grave
Laughing at the prophecy, the prophecy he gave
Can we spread our wings like angels, can we break out of the grind
Are we destined to be Darwin's children this time
On the wings of invention now we hurdle toward our fate
As sure as the sunset burns
Collective resignation, evolutionary fate
When will we ever learn
And Charlie's spinning laughing, laughing in his grave
Laughing at the prophecy, the prophecy he gave
Can we spread our wings like angels, can we break out of the grind
Are we destined to be Darwin's children this time

I pull my boots off, throw my weapons on the floor
Cry my eyes out, in my private little war
Well it seems I've been a soldier
Heaven knows I've been no saint
In my camouflage and armor, cold heart and grease paint
To you this has no meaning the Armistice laid down
The armies are all quiet and the guns don't make a sound
'Cause you melted the steel walls, tore down the barbed wire
Filled in the trenches, demanded a cease fire
And now you're leaving, there's nothing I can do
I want you to know you're gonna take me with you
Well now three on a match is suicide in the foxhole of my mind
And way off in the distance the air raid sirens whine
And they sing your song of rescue to my tattered worn out shell
You drag me to your safety from this my front line hell
'Cause you melted the steel walls, tore down the barbed wire
Filled in the trenches, demanded a cease fire
And now you're leaving, there's nothing I can do
I want you to know you're gonna take me with you
The blood that was spilled in the heartache before
Left road maps of scars that I never could ignore
'Cause you melted the steel walls, tore down the barbed wire
Filled in the trenches, demanded a cease fire
And now you're leaving, there's nothing I can do
I want you to know you're gonna take me with you

I like to think about the time I met you
Living with your people down in New Orleans
Mad at your mama cause she'd never let you
Ride in no nasty limousine
Later on the levee with the moon up above
I lost my heart and confessed my love
Oh Lucy, God have mercy
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout that

One summer night in a field of wheat
God's sweet lanterns hanging in the sky
Moving light on your tiny feet
I knew I had to love you till the day I die
They talk about Amazing Grace
It meant something when I saw your face
Oh Lucy, God have mercy
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout that

I think of all the little things that I never told you
I think I may get to hold you someday
It's my brain just like a man possessed
I can't do me no work, I can't get me no rest
I can't understand it baby

Don't like to think about the way it ended
I hate remembering the things that I said
I dream a dream of love so splendid
I wake up hard in an empty bed
I wonder who'll be loving you next
Some fool will be writing bad checks
Oh now Lucy, God have mercy
I've got to stop thinkin' 'bout you

Have you given up on passion living day to day
You keep your dreams locked down inside
Choking on a lifetime of never take a chance
DON'T WAKE UP ONE DAY WISHING YOU TRIED
It ain't about the money, it ain't about the time
It ain't about the love you lost or the things you think you left behind
It ain't about the losing streak, makes you feel like you're falling apart
What matters is your heart
Let's forget about the notion that we're not the same
My blood runs as red as yours
We all get angry, we've all been scared
We've all made big mistakes that can never be repaired
It ain't about the money, it ain't about the time
It ain't about the love you lost or the things you think you left behind
It ain't about the losing streak, makes you feel like you're falling apart
What matters is your heart
Look me in the eye and take my hand
We can make a difference
We can make a difference I know we can
Have you given up on passion living day to day
You keep your dreams locked down inside
Choking on a lifetime of never take a chance
DON'T WAKE UP ONE DAY WISHING YOU TRIED
It ain't about the money, it ain't about the time
It ain't about the love you lost or the things you think you left behind
It ain't about the losing streak, makes you feel like you're falling apart
What matters is your heart

Midnight in the Holy City
playground for restless souls
Graveyards for the sons of Ft. Sumpter
And the ghostly daughters
Wait for their boys to come home
Moonlight in the Holy City
So thick it warms the air
Burned my heart on a sweet southern flame
Like a hug from your mama saying it will be OK
Spilt my blood, in the Holy City
Seen the flood of a thousand rains
I ran away from the Holy City
Heard the spirits in the steeple singing
you'll be back again

Sunrise in the Holy City
The kings and queens shuffle by
I'm born here of my own ashes
Just lay me down here when I die
Spilt my blood, in the Holy City
Seen the flood of a thousand rains
I ran away from the Holy City
Heard the spirits in the steeple singing
you'll be back again
I've seen visions
Lord I've seen visions
Hanging in the summer sky
I fell in love, lost my heart
Laughed until I cried