All The Above
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2020

I was the new kid
At your high school
The "Who are you?" kid
I wasn't cool, I was
Losing the game when you came to my rescue

You were sixteen
Going on twenty-one
Bit of a drama queen
Whole lotta fun, it was the
Fall of oh nine, I spent it trying to impress you

               You were the light around my shadow
               You were the air under my feet
               I knew the truth would be hard to handle
               I wanted you to see

Sitting beside you
On the quad grass
A little breakthrough
When I made you laugh and
Once in a while a look in your eye inspired me

You wrote me haikus
I wrote you paragraphs
I said I love you
That was the epitaph that
Ruined our fun by jumping the gun so you fired me

               You were the light around my shadow
               You were the air under my feet
               I knew the truth would be hard to handle
               I wanted you to see
               The beautiful in me

                              Oh, the planets and the stars
                              And matters of the heart
                              They don't always align

                              But oh, the thunder and the rain
                              The memory of the pain
                              Stay with you all the time

It's twenty sixteen
I'm doing okay
You live in Red Bluff
I live in Green Bay when
Out of the blue this letter from you finds me

You say in high school
I was pretty rad
You didn't see it then
You wish you had.
Well the trouble with love is all the above, don't remind me.

              You were the light around my shadow
              You were the air under my feet
              And now you think you can stoke the embers

              You were the light around my shadow
              You were the honey in my tea
              Some things I'd just rather not remember
              I wanted you to see
              It wasn't up to me

A God Like This
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2019

You held it in your hand
A tiny little speck
But did you understand?
And what did you expect?

You issued the command
You turned a magic key
It started with a bang
Big and bright and free

What an explosion
It was sensational, insatiable
And light years away from your loving hand
A no man's land

Yet here we are today
Trying to keep the peace
The simple give and take
Is harder than it seems

If you had a reason
A reason to pioneer this grand idea
Then I want to know
What in the world was going through your mind
I want to believe in you, agree with you
And see in you a gentle loving heart
But I've come to believe
That a god like this
Might not exist
A god like this
Might not exist

[top]

Banana Smoothie
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2021

I did all the dishes
And the laundry too
I made a banana smoothie
Just for you

You took out the garbage
And you mopped the floor
We never used to work this hard before

              Show me your honey do list
              I'll show you mine
              But let's not be busy all the time

We cleaned out the gutters
And watered the plants
And murdered the bathroom counter, covered in ants

Now I'll do the shopping
While you fix the stove
Why don't we kick back in that humble abode

              Show me your honey do list
              I'll show you mine
              Let's not be busy all the time

              Here on my honey do list
              My favorite line
              Cuddle your body next to mine

I did all the dishes
And the laundry too
I made a banana smoothie
I love how you honey do me
I made a banana smoothie
Just for you

[top]

Billionaires with Megaphones
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2024

Here's to you
Likely voter number 7257409
You're no fool
One look and we could tell
You are the reasonable kind

May we please
Have a moment of your time to share our point of view
Shoot the breeze
We're reaching out today to hard-working citizens like you

We understand
You were once better off
Now you've fallen on hard times
Such a sham
A patriot like you should
Not be wanting for a dime

Look at you!
More deserving and refined
Than some others we won't name
Why should you
Sit there swallowing your pride
When they're the ones to blame?

chorus:
Billionaires with megaphones
Demagogues and xenophobes
Hawkers on talk radio
Gotta keep the money flowing
Courting you around the clock
With promises and doubletalk
As if they gave a damn about you

You're okay
  Consumer Number 50937218
By the way
Your phone and your clothes and your home
Are a little out of date

Have no fear
We will bring you up to speed on all the latest trends
We are here to keep you in the race
The race that never ends

[chorus]

Let us pray
Wretched sinner number 7627915
You've gone astray
Follow us and we’ll tap you into a magic afterlife

In the face
Of your suffering today
Try to look ahead
There's a place
Where everything is good
Just wait until you're dead

[Double chorus]

[top]

Business and Pleasure
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2007

I'm on a mini vacation
I'll be away from my desk
A little gratification
Keeps me working my best

Chorus:
I'm mixing business & pleasure
I'm going from one to the other
And if I need you to follow me
I'll be sure to let you know
'Mixing business & pleasure
I'm going from one to the other
And if I need you to follow me
I'll be sure to let you know

It's 10 o'clock in the morning
I'm on my second glass
Of soda water and bourbon
But I'm still up to the task

Chorus

I'm making personal phonecalls
On the company's dime
My professional downfall
Is just a matter of time

Chorus

Oooooh, Oooooh, Oooooh, Oooooh,

I'm on a mini vacation
A gratuitous day
A little me stimulation
While the boss is away-ay-ay-ay

Chorus

[top]

Chameleons and Butterflies
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2007

There's a window to my soul
Inside everyone I know
I've been gazing through those windows all my life

But I'm beginning to break free
Of their influence on me
I can't please everybody all the time

In the company of chameleons and butterflies
You'll find that I do not do well at all
Yet I don't suppose that I'd prefer to be with those
Who only want to pin me to the wall

In the halls of social grace
No one mentions to your face
Any words that might offend or bring you down

But they'll talk behind your back
About the qualities you lack
All the feathers in your cap are tumbling down

In the company of chameleons and butterflies
You'll find that I am not an easy sell
There may come a time when I'll be more inclined to buy
Into the little lies that people tell

              I walk alone by the water's edge
              To find a little peace
              And healing colors fill the sky

And perhaps it's just as well
I don't ask and you don't tell
Safe and cozy in our shells we carry on
We carry on
We carry on
Like nothing's wrong

In the company of chameleons and butterflies
Now finally I'm feeling right at home
For now I understand that there are things about a man
That nobody would ever wanna know

[top]

Close Your Eyes
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2016

When Sunny was a child
She was carefree and wild
She hardly had a worry in the world

In her house it was clear
When she looked into the mirror
A proud girl was looking back at her

Her mama said she was precious
Don't you forget it
She knew what her Mama said was true

When Sunny was a child
She was carefree and wild
She didn't worry the way some people do

It was only later on
Like a low rolling fog
Society started creeping in

She didn't tell nobody else
But when looking at herself
She felt uncomfortable in her own skin

Her mama said she was precious
Don't you dare forget it
She wanted to believe it was true

But all she'd ever seen on a television screen
Were beauty queens that made her feel
Not good enough not good enough

Chorus:
Sometimes your eyes
They tell you lies
Sometimes you see more with them closed
Than when they're open wide
Close your eyes
And open your heart

Well the music was pumpin'
And everybody’s jumpin
As the party started getting off the ground

Sunny was dancing
With Wendy and Frances
Moving and grooving to the sound

And then in walks Earl
All alone in the world
Looking for a girl he could ask out

Sizing up the place
Searching for a pretty face
Checking everybody up and down

He’s not interested in Sunny
She’s intelligent and funny
But some belly fat is showing through her clothes

He’s written off Wendy
She seems real friendly
But she’s got a pretty prominent nose

And he likes the way she dances
But he doesn't flirt with Frances
She’s got a little acne on her face

And all he's ever seen
On a television screen
Are beauty queens and no one else is
Good enough not good enough

               Chorus

He’s almost out the door
When upon the dance floor
Sprang a vision that took his breath away

He stared in her direction
Her flawless complexion
A goddess, a dreamgirl, a babe

He said your eyes are like diamonds
Your hair is like a river
Your body is so slender and sublime

Of all the women in the room
I have eyes only for you
You and me could have a good time

And the music kept pumpin'
And everybody's jumpin'
And after an uncomfortable delay

She got all up in his face
Put him in his place
Here’s what his dreamgirl had to say

Double Chorus

[top]

Complicated
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2020

She says she loves me, why's she treating me bad
I made her happy, now I just make her mad
Am I unlucky or just especially dense?
The world around me, sure wish it made more sense

I've got some habits I would shake if I could
They do some damage but feel so damn good
I lost some money to some kinda scam
Now I know how gullible I am

Chorus:
I wouldn't say I'm educated
But one thing I know
Is that the world is complicated
So here I go

The planet's warming and some are fanning the flames
The perpetators they only shift the blame
While billionaires take joy rides to the stars
They're pitching tents on the boulevard

Chorus

Bridge:
But I'm learning, observing, discerning how it is
But I'm learning, observing, disturbing how it is

In the garden, there's a shimmering pond
Two shiny turtles sleeping on a log
I go there often for to clear my mind
Complications, I leave 'em all behind

Bridge

[top]

DIY Song
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2017

The chords are written
The form, the rhythm
The melody are all figured out
I just need the lyric
Can't seem to hear it
What's this song all about?

The waltzing meter
And calm demeanor
They give it a mournful mood
But here in the verses
Under the surface
I can hear happiness too

Jaded lovers
Crave each other
Afraid of letting it show
The story's compelling
And ripe for the telling
I could give it a go

But I'm no poet
You might as well know it
My quill is best left on the shelf
If you want meaning
To go with my singing
You'd better provide it yourself

Chorus:
Forget all your struggles
Your toils and troubles
And let this sweet melody swing you around
Hold onto the feeling
For all it's revealing
And that's what the song is about

I know it's crazy
A little bit lazy
Not what you thought it would be
I'm just a musician
With a writer's ambition
This isn't easy for me

Joy and sadness
And moments of madness
Are roaming around in your heart
I could describe them
Endeavour to rhyme them
Why don't you do your part?

Double chorus:
Forget all your struggles
Your toils and troubles
And let this sweet melody swing you around
Hold onto this feeling
For all it's revealing
And that's what the song is about

Forget all your struggles
Your toils and troubles
And let this sweet melody swing you around
Remember the feeling
However revealing
And that's what the song is about

[top]

Evader
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2022

Oh no my friend, look who's late again
You shoulda left the house by nine not ten
Little light of mine, why can't you just be on time
When are you gonna change

Don't kick yourself
Find a compassionate voice in your head
Forgive yourself
You will be glad that you did

Oh no your tummy's mad at you again
'Cuz you didn't get the shopping in
Now all there is to eat
Is celery and cream of wheat
Why can't you plan ahead?

      Don't kick yourself
      Find a compassionate voice in your head
      Forgive yourself
      You will be glad very glad that you did
      Forgive yourself
      Assist yourself
      Uplift yourself
      Don't leave it til later
      Evader
      Cuz later is here

Bridge:
Who am I
Songwriter in the sky
Talking down from on high
Telling you want to do

Not at all
A plain ordinary slob
‘Don't even have a real job
I'm no better than you

But I said I'd write a song one day
For somebody who procrastinates
Not to badger you
Just to help you follow through
Glad I got that out of the way

      Don't kick yourself
      Find a compassionate voice in your head
      Forgive yourself
      You will be glad very glad that you did
      Forgive yourself
      Equip yourself
      Stick with yourself
      Don't leave it til later
      Evader
      Cuz later is here

[top]

Every Mile
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2007

Another day on the road
There's still a long way to go
I am so looking forward to being home

But I'm remembering a child
Who devoured every mile
Even on some neverending family drives

I could while away the time
Staring at the power lines
Swooping up and down like sparrows while Dad drove

And all the rows in the fields
Looked like spokes on a wheel
I could almost feel the world spin around me

Every car on the road
Had two eyes and a nose
Litte me he could see into their souls

Mercedes Benz's looked afraid
Like they had nowhere to turn
And Chevrolets had the gaze of a sad girl

[top]

Feather In The Breeze
Music & lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2023

I'm not a dummy I'm not a fraud
I'm not a pawn I'm not a cog
I'm not addicted to no pill
‘Not chronically ill
I'm not obnoxious or mundane
I’m not particularly vain
I'm not the owner of a yacht
These are things that I am not

I am reserved and polite
Conscientious and contrite
I am logical and wry
I keep a lot inside
I am funny I am flawed
I can sometimes be a snob
Though I am fond of raisin bran
These are all things I am

More aesthetic, more awake
More decisive, never late
More connected, more in tune
Less affected by the gloom
More glib and easy going
More upbeat and less annoying
Now my mind is all abuzz with
All the things I wish I was

Paranoid, prone to worry
Somehow always in a hurry
Immature, ill-at-ease
A little hard to please
A little sly a little lazy
It can drive some people crazy
I could list 'em by the dozen
Oh the things I wish I wasn't

There is daylight in between
Who I am and who I wanna be
If I did it all again
What could I do differently?
I used to lie awake
Looking back at the choices I have made
Now it's plain to see
I am who I was meant to be
Oooooh, ooooh, oooooh, ooooooh

What's the message in these lines?
Your guess is good as mine
I’m just a feather in the breeze
Contemplating these
Observations and laments
And here are my two cents
In the absence of a plan
I’ll take me as I am.
I’ll take me as I am.
I’ll take me as I am.

[top]

Goodnight Hemisphere
Music & lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2022

Time and space
With luck and grace
Made the stars and the water
And the Earth and her sons and her daughters

Now we glide
From day to night
Having seen the horizon
Now we fear for our very survival

Joy or sorrow
Which will we choose tomorrow
Good night
Sleep tight hemisphere

Time and space
With luck and grace
Made the stars and the water
And the Earth and her sons and her daughters

Now we sway
From night to day
As we rise from our slumber
May we find how to cherish each other

Peace forever
We live and dream together
New day
Be brave hemisphere

[top]

Heart Of Gold
Music & lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2020

Lovable, untouchable
Conscientious
Out in the trenches
Heart of gold I am sold on you

Sensual, intentional
Such a charmer
Organic farmer
Heart of gold, you're too good to be true

I need some dirt on you
How's it gonna feel to be hurt by you
Oh the careless things you might say and do
I wanna know you at your worst
Before falling headfirst for you

Dignified, flying high
Relatively purty
So unworthy
Around you, that is how I feel

Spare the trees, save the bees,
We'll clean up the Atlantic
It's so romantic
But Heart of Gold, why this slow reveal

I need some dirt on you
How's it gonna feel to be hurt by you
Oh the careless things you might say and do
I wanna know you at your worst
Before falling headfirst for you

You run around, you can't slow down
Your moral conviction
Is like an addiction
But Heart of Gold, I think I can deal

Political, elliptical
You're very superstitious
You never do your dishes
But Heart of Gold, it's nice to know you're real

I found some dirt on you
I know how it feels to be hurt by you
And the careless things you can say and do
And baby no bubble did burst
I'm still falling head first for you

[top]

Ice Cream On Your Cereal
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2021

Good morning students, please take your seats quietly
Open your books to page eight hundred and four
Today you'll learn about the Macedoean dynasty
Tomorrow it's the Peloponnesian Wars

Now if these subjects don't exactly resonate
Well my friends, you are out of luck
So up until the day you graduate
You better suck it up

Chorus:
You just want to be yourself but that's not who they want you to be

Thank you for coming, please make yourself comfortable
Give us a minute to review your resume
Around here we need folks to be flexible
How do you deal when things don't go your way

Have you ever been convicted of a felony
And would you mind peeing into this cup
How attached are you to your dignity ?
Prepare to give it up

Chorus

Bridge:
You just wanna be yourself, not some
Over-ambitious
Highly fictitious
Superhuman rising star
Why won't anybody take you as you are?

You're not a go getter,
You're no trendsetter
But you keep up with the pack
Why won't anybody cut you a little slack?

She don't care that you put ice cream on your cereal
She don't mind what time you come to bed
Your misdemeanours are by no means trivial
But she don't hold them over your head

And you can tell her every little stupid thing
She will listen, or at least pretend
You better buy that girl a wedding ring
'Cuz in the end

You can be yourself with her and that's exactly where you want to be
You can be yourself with her and that's exactly where you want to be
You can be yourself with her and that's exactly who you want to be
You can be yourself with her and that's exactly where you want to be

[top]

In My Heart
Music by Adrian West
Lyrics by Adrian West and Ira Marlowe
Copyright 2013

Yeah, I've been dancing with loneliness
And yeah, I've held her as close as this
Because I want her to know
What is in my heart

Oh, I wish she would talk to me
To know all the layers she cannot see
Because on the inside
Love is what she'd find

She doesn't know a thing about
The way, the way it'll all turn out
Because, then she would see
And find her way to me

[top]

Ironclad
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2018

I was once a young man
In spite of myself
Playing drums in a band
From Anaheim to San Rafael
Long days and sweet nights
The music made us feel alright
Hmmm, way back when
I think about it now and then

I met a woman in the Mission one night
She was wilder than me
We drove to Ocean Beach
Went skinny dipping in the sea
Good times but bad luck
Our clothes got locked inside her truck!
Hmmm way back when
I think about it now and then

I was woken in the middle of the night
When my telephone rang
I picked up and when I heard
My Dad's voice on the line
I knew right there and then
I'd never see my mom again
Hmmm far away
I think about her everyday

Well now, I'm getting on
My hair's turning grey
It's all gonna slow down,
Memories start to fade
Some say to have a good day
They throw their sad thoughts all away
Mmm ironclad, these memories I have
Mmm good and bad, these memories I have
Mmm funny sad, these memories I have

[top]

Ironclad V2
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2024

When I was a young man
I raised a little hell
Played drums in a rock band
From Anaheim to San Rafael
Those were sweet nights
The band got real tight
Oooh, looking back
Those days were just right

'Met a gal one night
Wild and free 
We drove to Ocean Beach
Went skinny dipping in the sea
Come time to cover up
Our shiny moonlit butts
‘Come into some bad luck
Our clothes were locked inside her truck!

I've kissed under the moon
I've been to Saskatoon
I have driven to the rhythm of my own tune
Sure I've had a ball but
The writing's on the wall
Into this life...

Bridge:

A little rain must fall

Middle of the night
My cell phone rang
I picked up and heard
My dad's voice on the line
I knew right then
I'd never see mom again
She's far away
I miss her every day

oooh, oooh

Now I'm getting on
My hairs are turning grey
Life is slowing down
And memories fade
Some say it’s okay
Let the sad ones fall away
Ironclad, these memories I have
Good and bad, these memories i have

[top]

Light Your Fires
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2007

When I start dreaming
I go a little too far
Wind up believing
I'm some kinda rock star

And my head was in the clouds with this vanity
When you brought me back around to reality

I'll do the laundry
You do the dishes
I'm lucky I found me
Somebody who listens
When I share the tribulations of another day
When I'm quiet cuz I find I don't have much to say

Chorus:
There's no time for looking back, life is for living
I don't try to reconcile taking and giving

Lavish the children
With our affections
We see in their lives
Our own reflections

We are working for the good of all humanity
We're indulging one another's little fantasies

Chorus

Bridge:
Light your fires while you are young
Keep you warm when you grow older
Light your fires while you are young
Your spark is hot now make it smolder
Light your fires while you are young
Keep you warm when you grow older
Light your fires while you are young
Your spark is hot now make it smolder

[top]

Lose It All
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2022

Skipping out of school
Hanging at the pool
Us and all our friends

Staying up all hours
Claiming what was ours
Things were lighter then

It started at a crawl
A stumble not a fall
A glimmer in my mind

Soon it gathered steam
And I began to dream
That I could make you mine one day

            But if I get much closer
            I fear I'm going to lose it all

The cowlick in your hair
The question in the air
The wilderness you bring

The edges of your soul
Are beautiful and bold
I wanna jump right in
Let me in!

Chorus

Bridge:
Like a sailor praying for land
Like a gambler hoping for the perfect hand
It doesn't do a thing
But still a boy can dream
So I dream of you

All the world's a stage
Ephemoral and strange
We players come and go

You were just playing your part
When you stole my heart
How are you to know?

            That if I get much closer
            And let my heart take over
            I fear I'm going to lose it all
           
            If I get much closer
            Before the song is over
            I fear I'm going to lose it all

[top]

Lovers Of The World
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2020

Lovers of the world
Lovers of the broken world
Lovers of the world
Lovers of the world
Lovers of the broken world

Take a look around
Touch it with your fingers
Wallow in the sound
Let your senses linger

The colors in the sky
Stop and admire them
The wings you desire
Go out and find them

Lovers of the world
Lovers of the broken world
Lovers of the world
Lovers of the world
Lovers of the broken world

Cold-hearted fools
Who never think of others
They plunder the Earth
Look at how she suffers
Do not be afraid
We can defend her
We will find a way
To make her better
Together

Bridge:
They pretend everything's alright
But they know, they know, they know
'Cuz they don't wanna sacrifice
They know, they know
They pretend that everything's alright
But they know, they know, they know
And guess who's gonna pay the price
They know, they know, they know
They know!

Lovers of the world
Lovers of the world
Lovers of the world
The broken world

Lovers of the world
Lovers of the world
Lovers of the world
The broken world

[top]

Pleasure Is Mine
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2019

Saturday morning
I lay in my bed
All warm and cozy
My toes to my head

No trepidation
Nowhere to be
A lucky sensation
All over me

I looked out my window
At the city below
So many people
Places to go

I got out my notebook
My beat up guitar
My innocent outlook
I strummed a few bars

La la la la la la
La la la la la la

Chorus:
When the sky is falling down
And there's trouble all around
I find the reasons why
It's good to be alive

I walk to the corner
To get me a snack
I talk to my neighbors
All the way back

A ripe avocado
A cool summer breeze
An eloquent novel
I'm easy to please

Chorus

Turn up the music
Dance with a friend
Love it or lose it
Stay 'til the end

The planet's in danger
She's clean out of time
I wanna save her
The pleasure is mine

Chorus

[top]

Random Serenade
by Adrian West
(c) 2015 All Rights Reserved

They say the chances
Were very very small
That any form of life
Could form at all

Kinda makes you feel
Lucky to be here
Who am I to feel
Lucky to be here?

When I look around me
I see a lotta luck gone down the drain

Maybe you're the kind
Who feels the need
For luxury and power
To fuel your greed

Or you could be the kind
Who lends a hand
Lifting others up
The best you can

You're a free man
And no two are the same

We climbed out of the ocean
And got up on our feet
Some live in mansions
Some in the street

In case you take a stand
There's something you should know
We will always have
A long way to go

This random
A random serenade

Ip opsip alaya
Ip opsip clip clop aday
We're bouncing bumping away
Like the molecules inside of you

[top]

Rhymes With Love
by Adrian West

I saw her through my window
Walking to my door
I feltl alive and dreamy
Like all the times before

Higher than an eagle
Lighter than a dove
This elevated feeling
Could it rhyme with love?

I'm cloudy with emotions
Whenever she's around
I keep having notions
I'm sure I'm not allowed

What I wanna tell her
What I'm dreaming of
If it overwhelms her
Let it be with love

My heart is seeking shelter
My walls are falling in
This time if I don't tell her
Then by this time tomorrow
I'll just be wishing that I did

She's the kinda person
Who knows what she wants
If I don't deserve her
I won't last for long

Her devastating laughter
Grips me like a drug
So I'm courting disaster
In the name of love

My heart is beating faster
My walls are falling in
This time if I don't ask her
Then by this time tomorrow
I'll just be wishing that I did

I looked into her eyes,
Ready to make my confession
She looked away as if to say
Please don't ask your question

I see her through my window
Walking to my door
My head is on my shoulders
My feet are on the floor

I'm trying to move past her
I'm trying to rise above
I'm trying to find an answer
That doesn't rhyme with love
I'm looking for an answer
That doesn't rhyme with...
That doesn't rhyme with love

My heart is seeking shelter
My walls are falling in
This time if I don't tell her
Then by this time tomorrow
I'll just be kicking...

My dreams are torn asunder
My heart is bleeding out
How can I love another
When today and tomorrow
She's all I ever think about
She's all I think about
She's all I think about
She's all I think about
She's all I think about
She's all I think about
She's all I think about
She's all I think about

Safe Streets
by Adrian West

(c) 2015 All Rights Reserved

There's a ruckus in the alleyway
I turn 'round to see what's going down
There's a dirty little huckster
Dealing dope by the dumpster
I roughs him up a couple of uppercuts to the gut'll be
    enough to make him think twice
'Doesn't go like I planned
Now I got blood on my hands

So I lurk in the shadows
Lay low hopin' no one'll ever know
But the word on the street
Is they’re coming for me
One night (bang bang) door's kicked down "get your body
    on the ground now or we take you out!"
And my heart is racing
As we head down to the station

Tiny room at the precinct
Where Captain Samuel Flannigan
Says "Now your ass is mine
And I could make you do time
But there's more work to do, gonna make a deal with you Here's a badge and a shiny Glock 22
You better clean up your 'hood
Or I'll lock you up for good!"

I’m back on the street now
Some say my ways are criminal
Civil rights and all that
Whatta big load of crap
And it's all good 'cuz the Brotherhood got me covered in a
    cloud of immunity
They’re gonna feel my taser
‘Til the streets are safer

[top]

Senses
by Adrian West

(c) 2015 All Rights Reserved

Cloudy night in the mountains
Wildfires paint the sky
Gentle breeze on my shoulders
Carries smoke through the pines

Beautiful, it's beautiful, so beautiful, yeah (x2)

Striders glide on the water
Owls fly in the sky
Crickets sing, little sirens
Eerie fog blurs the night

Beautiful, it's beautiful, so beautiful, yeah (x2)

Chorus:

And I owe it all to my senses
To feel all I can in a day
Yes I owe it all to my senses
'Cuz one day they're gonna fade

Fingertips from a warm grasp
Tender lips close to mine
Play with me in the tall grass
Oh your touch is divine

Double Chorus

Beautiful, you're beautiful, so beautiful, yeah (x2)

[top]

Separation
Music by Adrian West
Lyrics by Barbara West
(c) 2006 All Rights Reserved

Come along, go with me, come along go with me
Come along, go with me, to the wide field shining

Leave the trees the great wood and the lake
Leave the trees the great wood

Birds in the morning, bright sky
Birds in the morning overhead

Just bring the few things that you need
Just bring the few things that you need

[top]

Speak Your Mind
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2018

She eats lunch at her desk today
Like she did yesterday
Sips her tea, looks outside
All the people going by

She has no plans tonight
Well, that's allright
Her friends are all out of town
They never call anyhow 

She’ll swing by Trader Joe's
Donning her office clothes
Maybe have a little chat
If a cashier is up for that

Frozen dinner, glass of wine
Netflix to the finish line
Until she tucks herself
Into bed

Chorus:
When the road you’re on
Is a lonely one

Sitting in the red cafe
On a lazy Saturday
People come, people go
No one she ever knows

Standing at the sunlit door
A guy she's seen before
Looks at her, looks away
A little smile on his face

He walks in, gets in line
A shiver runs down her spine
What's he like? Hard to say
Looks deceive anyway

What to say to him
Should their eyes meet again
As he sets down his coffee cup
Next to hers

Chorus:
When the road you’re on
Is a lonely one
Speak your mind and then
You might find a friend

 

Bridge:
Who feels you, believes you
Is eager to hear you
To coax you back into the light
So show them you see them
Your foibles, your freedom
They're waiting, they're waiting

 

Come here often? All the time.
'Love the music. Love the vibe.
I've seen you before.
Down at the record store.

I can’t believe the sky is clear
How long you been living here
I just arrived a year ago
How do you like it? I don't know

What's yer poison, what's yer deal
Everybody keep it real
Lift the veil, lose the mask
Don't be living in the past

It could sparkle, it could shine
It could be a waste of time
There's only way to know  

Chorus

[top]

Summer's Ghost
Music by Adrian West
Lyrics by Barbara West
Copyright 2007

I told her to take it easy on the cigarettes and caffeine
I told her to take a break from the wine and Jim Beam
She didn't listen to me, just kept on
Nothin' good goin' on

She had a fine memorial, plenty of folks turned out
The preacher did a good job, told us all about
Her sunny disposition, her favorite song
All good, no wrong

I'm all alone and holdin', keepin' strong
Summer's ghost comes along

It was two or three months later, kinda like a dream
She walked in my bedroom wearing bright white jeans
She told me it was different being gone
Neither right nor wrong

I'm all alone and holdin' keepin' strong
Summer's ghost comes along

It got to be a habit, she'd come every night
It's not that I was scared, it just didn't seem right
Summer I am sorry that things went wrong
But your time is gone
I'm all alone and holdin,' something strong
Summer's ghost comes along.

[top]

The Dry Spell
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2014

It's a desperate winter
Not a drop of rain
We're dry as tinder
Going up in flames

Can't we run away
To some muggy town
Or is it time to concede that ignorance and greed
Have brought us down?

Chorus:
Even Now
The sun is burning through the clouds
Though it will be harder now
I know somehow
We can work this out

We're out of December
The hills are turning brown
Can hardly remember
When you last came around

How your gentle touch
Made everything new
How the rivers and the streams and every living thing
Now pine for you

It's gonna get better
That's what people say
A change in the weather
Is gonna come our way

If it rains again
We'll open all the doors
And all those things we would do that got a rise out of you
We'll do no more!

Chorus

[top]

The Human Touch
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2016

Autumn leaves blazing in the sun
Crispy apple sweet and sour on my tongue
A lover's arms hold me in the dark
Open promises and broken hearts
A tender feeling I could have for anyone
Another dozen lives shattered with a gun
Desperate refugees drowning in the sea
How a place can be so magical, tragical is barely understandable

Chorus:

So why, why even try
Try making heads or tails of the human race
The torn expression on its face
I've seen, it's like a big machine
Be aware that you and I don't count for much
But we can share the human touch mmm hmmm

Lucky boy, lights in his shoes
Mommy daddy drive him anywhere he choose
Soccer games, summer trips abroad
Got that college funding from the very start
Half a mile away a girl's without a dad
When her mama's sick, things get pretty bad
So unfortunate but so it will remain
How a place can be so radical, mechanical is barely understandable

Chorus

Bridge:

I have tried to gather it all, fathom it all
The buildings and the wrecking balls
The surge of youth, the pearls of truth
Written on the subway walls
The haunting songs, the falling bombs
The invitation to the prom
The glorious day giving way
To a dark and everlasting calm
The way that I feel when I'm looking above at the stars

If I were you, I'd be on my guard
Never know when things are gonna fall apart
Hold on tight, watch your step
Things are looking bright but
They could darken, they could darken yet
If I were you I'd plan for the worst
You never know when the dam is gonna burst
if I were you, I'd ignore this advice
Lately I've become too cynical and critical and highly analytical

Double Chorus

[top]

The One-Way Pony Ride
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2019

Dude's running in the rain
Trying to catch the morning train
Blood boils in his veins
As he hears it pull away

Less time fixing his hair
Picking out what to wear
A second here, a second there
He mighta made that train

Meanwhile some poor guy
Is downtown, doing time
Each minute dribbles by
Like molasses from a spoon 

Funny thing about time
Doesn't move in a straight line
Just ask Albert Einstein
He'll spell it out for you

Pre-chorus:
Give a little bit, take a little bit
Move a little bit, shake a little bit
doesn't matter what you do with it
It's always going by

Chorus:
But I will ease my sorrow and cool my anger
Some other way
Cuz Time, the great revealer, is not the healer
That everyone claims

Some folks hyperventilate
If the sun comes up too late
For them we manipulate
The passage of time

Spring forward, fall back
Sleep schedule’s outta wack
Walk home in the pitch black
For their peace of mind

[pre-chorus]

[chorus]

I'm like a little child
On a one-way pony ride
My darling’s by my side
Things are pretty chill

Wish time could stand still
Never has, never will
I'll bide my time until
There's none left to bide

[pre-chorus]

[chorus]

Yes I will ease my sorrow and cool my anger
By some other means
Cuz Time, the great revealer, is a lousy healer
From what I've seen

[top]

The River
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2007

The birds are singing a delicate song
A slow current pulls us along
Our love is a river we're drifting on

But it's getting louder, that thundering roar
Is getting too close for us to ignore
We look at each other and race to shore

                'Cuz here on solid ground
                There is nowhere to hide
                From the storms in our lives
                That make it so the river holds
                The kind of love we're dreaming of

Little by little, day after day
The water wears all our edges away
And your blood is running inside my veins

All my obsessions, all of your fears
Crashing down through the valley of tears
They have been with us a million years

                Here on solid ground
                There is no need to hide
                From the storms in our lives
                That make it so the river holds
                The kind of love we're dreaming of

                We're on solid ground
                Where we know we'll survive
                All the storms in our lives
                That make it so it overflows

The kind of love we're dreaming of
The kind of love we're dreaming of
The kind of love we're dreaming of

[top]

Turquoise Mountain Stream
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2012

You were waiting tables
In Santa Cruz
With your dusty notebooks
And your busted muse

I walked in one evening
Guitar in hand
Just a another dreamer
Playing in the band

I got through with soundcheck
Half an hour to doors
I got swept up in that
Lazy smile of yours

Changing my guitar string
When I heard you say
"Can I get you something?"
I just want to ride the...

Waves of green and swirls of blue
You're circling me I'm circling you
Waves of blue and swirls of green
As long this is not a dream
I wonder if you’d spend some time with me?

So we found each other
Every night
Made love and laughter
'Til morning light

And it feels like magic
When I look in your eyes
Can it be so tragic
If differences arise?

You like New York City
New York City’s home
I’m a happy rambler
I just like to roam

I’m a people person
Every party’s fun
You’re the quiet type you’re
Better one on one

You think you want children
Maybe two or three
That’s sure sounds like a
Lotta work to me

You like Chance the Rapper
I like Chrissie Hynde
But it doesn’t matter
We still want to ride the…

Waves of green and swirls of blue
You’re changing me I’m changing you
Waves of blue and swirls of green
As long this is not a dream
I wonder if you’d spend your life with me?

All those little problems
Those seeds of doubt
When you love somebody
You work them out

When two good people
Share a life
The blessings and the burdens
Seem to multiply

Now we have kiddos
Our folks are slowing down
I still play my music
When the time allows

Some nights it’s macaroni
Or lentil soup
Life would feel demanding
Were it not for you

There are those who like us
There are those who don’t
There are those who like us
At each other’s throats

We still love each other
Like water loves the sea
But let me tell you, brother
We no longer need the…

Waves of blue and swirls of green
We long for something more serene
A gentle turquoise mountain stream
As long as this is not dream
I wonder if you’d sit right here with me

[top]

There There Now
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2012

You're ready to talk
Things are cooling off
No fingers are shaking
A fever is breaking

A tumbling rock
It doesn't know how to stop
I don't want you falling
Right to the bottom

There there, now now
There there, now now

Forget what she said
The girl musta lost her head
Words that you swallow
Can't hurt you tomorrow

There there, now now
There there, now now
There there, now now
There there, now now

La la la la la la la...

'Cuz you never know
'Cuz you never know
'Cuz you never know
'Cuz you never know

[top]

Those Who Matter
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2017

Josie's in a rush
Sitting in a crowded bus
She's gathering her hair up
Putting on her makeup

Some people look away
Some are a little dismayed
The things people show you
As long as they don't know you

Chorus:
It's okay, do your thing
Don't worry what people think
Those who judge don't matter
Those who matter do not judge

She gets to her stop
Gathers her things and gets off
Her sweetie's there to meet her
He's just about to greet her

When she says: I'm tired of being broke
Still living with my folks, eegad!
No keys in my pocket
No deed in my wallet

Her banes and her woes
The stains on her clothes
Her debts and her demons
They came out to meet him
Saying "Hey buddy, howd'ya like her now?"

Chorus

The look in his eyes
Full of fear and surprise
Tears ruin her makeup
Now here comes the breakup

Your life is a mess
And I don't need the stress
You gotta lotta guts though
We're not giving up, no
And baby if you must know
I've got my problems too

Chorus

[top]

To Be You
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2011

You make the sunshine
When you walk into the room
Then rolls of thunder
Come pouring out of you

Your mind is changing
Flailing in the wind
But you're not crazy
And I am no fair weather friend

When I was your age 
there was no one I could tell
I learned the hard way 
how to break out of my shell

When you are lonely
Teetering near the edge
I'll be your soul mate
You won't have to pretend 

            Chorus:
            To be you, To be you
            You're gonna find
            A voice inside
            That rings true

Hopeful creatures
they will sink their hooks in you
over-reachers
What's a girl to do?

Make no concessions  
Remain in your own skin 
Your imperfections
Are where it all begins 

[chorus]

Whatever you're doing 
Whatever you say
I'll be your sunshine
I'll be your rain
You're gonna be all right
One of these days

[chorus]

[top]

Us Albatrosses
Music & Lyrics by Adrian West
Copyright 2024

She could see it in his eyes
His fabrications and his lies
Just before she lost her nerve
She kicked him straight to the curb

With no one else to blame
For her anger and his shame
He began to hang around
In the sleezy parts of town

[chorus]
We all accept defeat
We all regret our heavy losses
But we are holding strong
Come in, take a seat
Hang out with us Albatrosses
This is where you belong

Temptation brought him down
To that sketchy underground
Some concoction in his veins
Left him passed out on a train

[chorus]

Some folks need to lose it all
Before they finally heed our call
Through our open doors he came
Dragging on his ball and chain

Double chorus:
Come in off the street
Come out of your isolation
We wanna bring you in

You won't have to speak
Or offer any explanation
Or tell us where you been

We all accept defeat
All of us are bearing crosses
But we are still holding strong
Come in, take a seat
Hang out with us Albatrosses
This is where you belong

[top]

You Come Around
Music by Adrian West
Lyrics by Barbara West
(c) 2006 All Rights Reserved

I sit here and watch as the
neighbor boy passes by in a wagon pulled by
his mother the stoplight changes from red to green
red to green red green red to green red to
the cat she sits the cat she watches
cat she sits the cat she watches
cat she crouches cat she pounces

You come around when the day settles down
Talking gentle and slow to me alone
Good company mmm right here with me
After all this time in back of my mind

You laugh at my fondness for sweet roasted almonds
From my neighbor’s good tree, a little reluctant to share them

You come around when the day settles down
Talking gentle and slow to me alone
Evening comes on hmmm humming a song
Your voice with mine in back of my mind

You laugh at my fondness for chocolate and oranges
Their taste brings you to me sweet sharp and lovely 

Trucks on the freeway the crows settle in and you watch them with me,
I can feel it every time.

Watery World
Music by Adrian West
Lyrics by Barbara West
(c) 2006 All Rights Reserved

Walking along dragging our feet through the sand
Water is warm you feel better once you get in
Watery world offers its riches to you
Caught in a swirl no doubt about what you should do

Chorus:
We're right on time, we're all in line
Pleasure comes in every size
It's happening, the things unseen
They open right before your eyes

Follow the school of sun dappled wandering fish
Eternally cool safety in knowing your niche
Time flows along you don't have to know what to say
Nothing is wrong there's nothing to do in a day

Chorus

Late afternoon it's time to have something to eat
Fork and a spoon everything's picnic complete
Bottle of wine no one's expected to drive
Plenty of time busy just being alive

We're right on time we're all in line
Pleasure playing seek and find
It's happening, the things unseen
Open up release your mind

[top]