People Are People

I’ve traveled the world – Seen almost everything that I could see

I’ve seen all kinds of people who are not so different from me

Everybody hurts – And though divided by oceans

We all laugh and love and share a common bond of emotions

 

People are people all over the place – Imagine yourself in a different space

Driving on the left – Driving on the right – Drinking a litre – Or downing a pint

Does it really matter in the least

If people are people and we only want to live in peace

 

Ignorance is bliss – When we run around with blinders on

If we never leave home, how’re we ever gonna see beyond

And it’s the same everywhere – We depend on what we see on the air

The facts get distorted and exaggerated just to scare

 

People are people all over the place – Imagine yourself in a different space

Living in the East – Living in the West – Bathed in riches – Or living on less

Does it really matter in the least

If people are people and we only want to live in peace

 

People are basically good but we’re all sinners

And sometimes prejudice rules and there are no winners

History tells us to judge by the way people live

But can’t we agree most everyone has something to give

 

We see another side – We don’t always understand their ways

But the world’s getting smaller and it never ceases to amaze

We think we have the answers – We think everything we do is right

But different isn’t wrong and not everything is black and white

 

People are people all over the place – Imagine yourself in a different space

Children are children wherever they’re from – Bound to a faith or no religion for some

It doesn’t really matter in the least

‘Cause people are people and we only want to live in peace

People are people - We all want to live in peace

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Back to Innocence

Time machines and magazines take me back to where I used to be

Won’t you come with me

The hits on AM radio; Rock ‘n roll and black and white TV

And it was free

 

Walking to the candy store; Pixie sticks and bubble gum cigars

And nickel Hershey bars

Stickball in the street; Imagination up against the wall

With a Spaldeen ball

 

All the sights and sounds – They’re coming back to me

Making all the rounds – Thru ancient history

Going back to innocence again

To people, places, things from way back when

 

Hoola Hoops and TinkerToys; Captain Kangeroo was in his prime

We’re going back in time

Khrushchev and the Kennedy’s; Viet Nam and Martin Luther King

Oh what the times would bring

 

Twenty five cent gasoline; Seatbelts just an option you could buy

How did we survive

The milkman came at five A.M.; And Mr. Chips brought pretzels in a can

Then came the soda man

 

Life was so much simpler back then

Technology was paper and a pen

Cars were hot and war was cold; The age of fifty seemed so old

There’ll never be a time like that again

 

Record players, forty fives; Dial phones and roller skates with keys

How I skinned my knees

Pitching pennies, flipping cards, training wheels and candy cigarettes

I’ve no regrets

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Abbey Road

I’ve got a ticket to ride to Maryelbone Station – Then I hop a cab to St. John’s Wood

When I see the crosswalk, there’s no mistaking – It’s a celebrated neighborhood

All the people try to reenact it – That famous scene from yesterday

They cross the street and they hold up traffic – And pose for pictures on the way

 

As I walk across to number three – I see the writing on the walls

Every color there, every word, I see – It’s only love, and that is all

Feeling all the envy of the crowd – Up thru the private entryway

It’s so surreal, I’m in a cloud – A nowhere man, I’m miles away

           

I’m talking ‘bout Abbey Road – For the sound of a generation

Walkin’ thru Abbey Road – A backstage pass for me

Am I really at Abbey Road – Or is it just my imagination

Seeing Abbey Road – Like it was nineteen sixty three

 

So I roam about the hallowed hallways – Photos hanging from a distant time

Sessions past, remembered always – All these legends here and I feel fine

The sacred corridors and rooms – The magic lives in number two

With every step, the story looms – So many memories since Love Me Do

           

I’m thinking ‘bout Abbey Road – It was part of the revolution

Checking out Abbey Road – Its fortunes on display

Chilling at Abbey Road – Where we saw an evolution

Lookin’ at Abbey Road – It’s a treasure still today

                       

Mrs. Mills still sits against the wall – The fabled four-tracks aging in the hall

And if I close my eyes and concentrate – I can hear the music resonate

 

I’m thinking ‘bout Abbey Road – It was part of the revolution

Checking out Abbey Road – Where Sargent Pepper taught the band to play

Chilling at Abbey Road – Where we saw an evolution

Lookin’ at Abbey Road – It’s a treasure still today

 

I’m talking ‘bout Abbey Road – For the sound of a generation

Walkin’ thru Abbey Road – A backstage pass for me

Was I really at Abbey Road – Or was it just my imagination

Seeing Abbey Road – Like it was nineteen sixty three

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Break the Devil's Spell

You came from riches and you came from rags – From both sides of the tracks

You had a future and you had a past – Are you ever going back

All of the reasons for your state of mind – We can read them in a book

Hindsight is clear and there were many signs – But we had to know to look

 

Your parents they don’t understand – Where did they go wrong

They tried to lend a loving hand – To help you get along

But you chose another path – Temptation won the day

You yielded to the devil’s touch – And you sold your world away

 

Spiraling downward – Falling Fast

Into the darkness – The die is cast

Can you turn back now – Is there light ahead

Do you have a chance or have you made your bed

 

Seems a hopeless situation – You’re living on the street

Pushed to desperation – To find shelter and something to eat

You feed your brain with the devil’s brew – You can’t seem to get enough

So indebted to who knows who – You’ve got to pay before things get rough

 

Your mother’s filled with sadness – Your father wants to turn the page

They remember how it used to be – Back in your younger days

They’re sick inside at the circumstance – Losing sleep and shedding tears

But raising kids is a game of chance – It takes some luck to make it thru the years

 

You chose your own direction – No one else can set you straight

And now your resurrection, is up to you and the choice you make

 

At the end of the road is it left or right – Everything is on the line

Will you meet your fate or see the light – Your guess is as good as mine

 ‘Cause it takes a lot of courage – to flee that living hell

To climb back to the surface – And break the devil’s spell

You’ve got to break the devil’s spell…

  

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Behold the Invisible Man

Do I live in your space – Do you know that I’m here

Do my words make a difference – Can you sense when I’m near

Do you hear what I’m saying – Do you know how I feel

Would it change where you stand – If you noticed I was real

 

Take a look – Take a listen – Take the time to understand

Then you’ll know what you’re missing – Behold the invisible man          

Take a look – Take a listen – To a voice from no-man’s land

Can’t you see what you’ve been missing – Behold the invisible man

 

Do you take me for granted – Do you know my point of view

Do I have any purpose – Or is it all about you

Will you come to your senses – Can you stop running blind

Will you dignify my presence – And leave the apathy behind

                               

Take a look – Take a listen – Take the time to understand        

Then you’ll know what you’re missing – Behold the invisible man

Take a look – Take a listen – To a voice from no-man’s land

Can’t you see what you’ve been missing – Behold the invisible man

                                   

It’s all I ask – It’s all I need – A little of your time    

To realize you notice me – And finally feel you know that I’m alive

 

Take a look – Take a listen – Take the time to understand                    

Then you’ll know what you’re missing – Behold the invisible man                      

Take a look – Take a listen – To a voice from no-man’s land

Can’t you see what you’ve been missing – Behold the invisible man

           

Take a look – Take a listen – To a voice from no-man’s land    

Can’t you see what you’ve been missing - Behold the invisible man

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Caroga Lake

Let me take you on a journey to a place I used to go when I was young

With the memories or summer, reflecting all the senses overcome

Nestled in the mountains - The wilderness – The Beauty all around

The cool clear water kissed the shore – The pine trees - The needles on the ground

 

Like a sanctuary hidden by a landscape that defends its sacred space

It's a sentimental memory more vivid in my mind than anyplace

Whether sitting on the shore or drifting out upon the quiet water's tide

I remember every moment with the images embedded in my mind

 

Caroga Lake it glistened with the sunset

At dawn its stillness like a sheet of ice

Caroga Lake in quiet isolation

A peaceful solitude in paradise

 

In the twilight we would sit beneath the stars and watch the fireflies

They hovered neared the trees like imaginary sparkles in our eyes

When morning came the grownups would drive to pick up donuts in the town

They were the best I’ve ever had but there were never quite enough to go around

 

In all of my reflections of the days when I was coming of age

The stories left a mark like nothing I recall from any other phase

All year long I’d look ahead, counting down the days ‘till we could take

That magical excursion to the cabin at that Adirondack Lake

 

In an old and shaky rowboat we would navigate the waters on our own

Baiting hooks and casting lines into marshy bogs so thick and overgrown

We caught a thousand sunfish every summer and it felt like such a crime

But since we had to throw them back I swear I caught the same one every time

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

This One's For Her

This one’s for her – This one is spoken for – This one’s for her

Every year I love her so much more

This one I wrote – I wrote it for the one I love – This one I wrote

To tell her who I’m thinking of

 

And the words – They came – So easily

From the heart – And the soul – They appeared to me

 

This one’s for her – And it’s for all to see – This one’s for her

She means the world to me

This one I sing – I sing a love song – This one I sing

I’ll serenade her all day long

 

And the words – They came – So easily

From the heart – And the soul – They appeared to me

 

And this one’s for her – She makes the house a home

And this one’s for her – She’s got a heart of gold

And this one’s for her – She treats me like a king

And this one’s for her – She is my everything

 

This one’s for her – This one is spoken for – This one’s for her

Every year I love her so much more

This one I wrote – I wrote it for the one I love – This one I wrote

To tell her who I’m thinking of

 

And the words – They came – So easily

From the heart – And the soul – They appeared to me

 

And this one’s for her – She always will astound

And this one’s for her – She makes my world go ‘round

And this one’s for her – She brightens every day

And this one’s for her – She still takes my breath away

 

And the words – They came – So easily

From the heart – And the soul – They appeared to me

 

So I wrote – Them Down – And I found a tune

And I play – Them now – In a song to you

 

But this one’s for her – This one’s for her – This one’s for her

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Just Along For the Ride

Wheels are turning / Wearing a smile / Sun is shining / Taking my time

Celebrating life for a while

 

On road off road / Feeling no pain / I’ve nowhere to be / A beautiful day

With all the twists and turns along the way

 

And I’m feeling so fine / with the passage of time

Looking back on the road left behind

It’s an uphill climb / ‘Til the downhill side

And I’m just along for the ride

 

Making tracks / Seeing the sights / Taking the fast lane / Living the life

No stopping now and it’s alright

 

Uphill downhill / Feeling so strong / The breeze in my face / And singing a song

I could do this all day long

 

Low gear riding / Pedaling fast / Making the grade / The wind at my back

Time to descend now at last

 

Over the hill / A steep decline / Picking up speed / But feeling alive

Coasting to the end of the line

 

The world goes by / Mile after mile

I’m taking the journey in stride

‘Cause I’m just along for the ride

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

They're The Ones

I’ve read a thousand stories and I’ve heard of all the glories

Of the ones who don’t live ordinary lives

They take the heat and don’t think twice of making any sacrifice

They’re all prepared to pay the asking price

 

Their nature is to gravitate to places most can’t contemplate

The call to duty never gets ignored

With skill and with precision – And never indecision

They give themselves for little in reward

 

Can’t you see the infantry and don’t forget the ones at sea

Overhead we hear them roar – Unafraid – They take the shore

 

They are the first responders – They serve with all the honor

Of the heroes who all wear the uniform

And in the face of danger – They’ll risk it all for strangers

Running toward the raging of the storm

 

Courageously they walk a beat - In winter cold or summer heat

Honored to protect and serve – With all their hearts – And all their nerve

 

They’re the ones who protect us – They’re the ones who defend us

The ones we take for granted everyday

They’re the ones who leave their lives behind – Whose loved ones have to compromise

The ones who keep the peace along the way

 

When you see them all around – Or run across them in your town

Stand up and applaud their gallantry

Show appreciation – Express your adulation

For the ones who keep us all so safe and free

 

When things get hot and others flee – They heed the call so willingly

Bravely facing danger zones – Risking lives and saving souls

 

We’re thankful for the stories and we’re proud of all the glories

Of the valorous extraordinary ones

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Time to Shine

Do you know how it feels – To be out on your own

Are you ready to deal – With forces unknown

Can you break the ties – Leave it all behind

Now’s your time to shine

 

You’ve been working so hard – As a means to an end

You’ve been doing your part – To amaze and ascend

It’s another day – Now you’re on your way

Now’s your time to shine

 

I can hardly wait – To watch you flying high

To see you make your mark – And I won’t be surprised

Turn another page – Step into the light

Go and change the world – Stand for what is right

 

It’s time to shine – Time to shine – Time to shine

Time to raise the bar up high

It’s time to shine – Time to shine – Time to shine

It’s your time

    

So now it begins – You’re taking the field

You’ll be playing to win – And now it’s all real

The stakes are high – But you will rise

Now’s your time to shine


I can hardly wait – To watch you flying high

To see you make your mark – And I won’t be surprised

Turn another page – Step into the light

Go and change the world – Stand for what is right

 

It’s time to shine – Time to shine – Time to shine

Time to raise the bar up high

It’s time to shine – Time to shine – Time to shine

It’s your time

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

Free Will

So many questions - With answers unknown

We’re learning our lessons - From things we've been told

All of the reasons - For the way that we live

They’re etched in our minds – Well before life begins

 

The race against time – It starts when we're born

Telling truth from lies - Takes our whole life long

Picking up pieces - Of facts on the road

Trying to make sense – And trying to carry the load

 

But no one can tell me how to believe – I think for myself and I see what I see

I’m guided by faith and the golden rule – So don’t judge me and don’t call me a fool

I’ve got free will – I’m marching to my own beat

I’ve got free will – And I’ve taken a lot of heat

I’ve got free will – I make no apology

I’ve got free will – I follow my conscience and go where my heart takes me

 

Whether I’m right – Or whether I’m wrong

I feel I know – Just where I belong

I’m seeking the truth – Like everyone else

But I go it alone – I search by myself

 

It took me a while to find my way

To break the mold that was so ingrained

I may not see the way you see

But I’ve got plenty of faith and it works for me

 

And no one can tell me how to believe – I think for myself and I see what I see

I’m guided by faith and the golden rule – So don’t judge me ‘cause I don’t judge you

 

No one can tell me how to believe – I think for myself and I see what I see

I’m guided by faith and the golden rule – So don’t judge me and I won’t judge you

 

I’ve got free will – I’m marching to my own beat

I’ve got free will – And I’ve taken a lot of heat

I’ve got free will – I make no apology

I’ve got free will – I follow my conscience and go where my heart takes me

  

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger

 

We Can Dance

The room was filled – The lights were low

The music played – But even so

I stood alone – And watched the crowd

A lonely soul – Feeling down and out

 

The night grew old – The hour was late

Then all at once – I saw your face

You captured me – With just one glance

I knew I had – To take a chance

 

I walked across – The crowded hall

I met your eyes – They said it all

I asked if we – Could rendezvous

For just one dance – Before the night was through

 

You took my hand – You felt so warm

We danced in step – Toward the floor

 

But the music stopped before we got too far

And the lights came on

We’d waited all the evening to belong

And now we had no song

But I wasn’t gonna let this go to waste

The silence couldn’t break our embrace

I held you close and whispered in the night

We can dance – We can dance

 

We can dance – To the beat of our hearts – To the heat of the moment – In each other’s arms

We can dance – Like there’s no tomorrow – For as long as we want to – To the edge of the stars

                                    

And so we danced – In this silent place

We moved as one – In our own space

We owned the room – For all the night

And come what may – It felt so right

 

We can dance – To the beat of our hearts – To the heat of the moment – In each other’s arms

We can dance – Like there’s no tomorrow – For as long as we want to – To the edge of the stars

 

© Copyright 2017 Wayne Merdinger