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Songs & Lyrics
(Click on titles to hear songs)
What rings true for you, what gets you going
Keep asking yourself, get it through, start the flow,
Going round and round, say it out loud --
What you’re wanting.
And the closer I get to the truth
A clap of thunder turns me around, I pursue,
Aware of the way doubt preys in the haze --
But still I’m wanting, how I’m wanting….
‘Cant watch yourself dance, no
Gotta keep on movin’ to what moves you,
Let go, let go and dance, dance
Turn attention away and you’ll lose it
(‘can’t watch yourself).
In the wake of what some will say
Always hoping that they’ll leave me be to my fate,
These voices goin’ round and round, they love talkin’ out loud --
Without knowing.
And is simplicity really so hard?
It seems when ego gets in the way the heart’s forgotten
In some lonely sea of trying to please, yeah, without knowing --
I want to be knowing….
(Chorus 1 and:)
‘Can’t watch yourself dance, no
Gotta keep on doin’ just what soothes you,
Let go, let go and dance, dance
Turn attention away and you’ll lose it….
Oh, it’s the undoing, having to have
When you take it in your hands, just one glance,
Then turn fear away
‘Can’t watch yourself dance, no no….
Inspired by the book "Out of the Trap" by Alan Watts
-- and dance like no one’s watching (Leslie Caron?)
She put on her mother’s fancy garter belt
She was only eight and a half years old,
All the girls were told it was the motif of the party.
Everybody loathed the boy’s belligerence
He was often not doing what he was told,
Babysitter’s scolding was his only true attention.
Is there something wrong
When you get the feeling that you don’t belong?
Where is all the lost emotion
You hide away from me?
Where is all the lost emotion?
(How can I give you my devotion – 2nd time)
You can come out now so I can see who you are.
You pay the price when you roll the dice on yesterday
Which memory’s gonna come up in the clouds?
Oh, these daydreams are like duties,
Are they doin’ it for ya now?
No guidelines, no starting signs, no audience
Could you leave life to its own device?
Oh, you’ve got to go on living, baby, try to melt the ice.
Is there something wrong
When you get the feeling that you can’t go on…(Chorus)
Wake up in today, say the things you want to say
All these years floating by your weary mind,
This once stilettoed soul, turned out in the cold
Gonna find it now, oh
Where is all the, where is all….
(Chorus 1 and:)
All of the lost emotion
You hide so carefully,
How can I give you my devotion
Unless you come out now so I can see,
All the love you hide from me --
Rock a bye baby, in his sweet arms…oh, lost emotion….
Dys-function, dat function, can’t we just function? ! Love the
children, listen to your children, and maybe tragedies such as Columbine
can be spared….
Sitting in the dark room
Her head in her hands, she’s in a strange land,
Now what’s she into, the photographs are like blueprint plans
And she thinks that no one understands,
But you know I do.
Something as simple
As jasmine tea and a little of me, yeah,
Notice the twinkle, see how easy this life can be
When you think that someone understands
Like you know I do, oh….
If he calls he’ll call again
Oh I can’t keep Jennifer waiting,
If he calls I’ll be a friend
No, I can’t keep Jennifer.
And it’s a stark room
A table, and a chair, and a TV set, oh,
She does what she wants to, skinny dip on a midnight bet
And we laugh until we cry, see how time flies
With a fine friend, oh…(Chorus)
So many times I’d wait forever
But, oh, what a foolish heart,
Didn’t I know from the start, hey
Jennifer listen now.
Lovers, lovers come and go
But I am certain I will know (repeat)
Jennifer, listen now, I won’t be late
If he wants to see me he’s gonna have to wait
Jennifer, listen now, I’m not afraid
If he wants to see me…
But I will know Jennifer forever.
Friendship is the main title, everything else is a sub-title….
Something happened before the time
I closed my mind to this melody and,
As the music began to play
I found you smiling at me.
Something startling it's so familiar
But will you play me the whole song,
I was drifting on a sea of sorrow
Then someone called out to me.
Was I dreaming
Could it be something that I can't see?
Dreaming
Could there be something waiting for me?
Now you've taken us out of time
Across the line of uncertainty,
And as the music continues playing
I feel it move through me.
Something startling, it's so peculiar
But will you play me the whole song,
I was drifting on a sea of sorrow
Then someone called out for me …(Chorus)
…And at the end of this dream
I wake up into your arms,
So sweetly
But what if I'm dreaming…
You’re looking through me just as if you’re lost inside a dream
When you open up your eyes I wonder what you’ll really see?
With the blinders on, the perfect picture painted on to me
Oh, I wonder what you’re thinking I should be?
So many times the object of a mindless fantasy
Where some out of control impassioned soul
Shined so bright I can’t see,
And enchanted by the actor caught in his own reverie
Oh, I wonder as I feel your urgency….
When the idol falls will you remember my name?
When the idol falls will it still be the same?
If you’re hearing at all what it is I’m trying to say
When the idol falls will our love fall away?
In moments of uncertainty when weaknesses give out
There’s no holding back, unplanned attack
Recovery on the ground,
And I just don’t know what hit me were the words I used to say
Now, there’s a question - -
It’s gonna be my saving grace…(Chorus)
…When you realize I’m just a human being
Will you want to stay and find an even better way
When the idol falls…
And if you wouldn’t belong to a club that would have you for a member, and
you set up the situation where you’re chasing the ever-evasive carrot, why not
grow your own?
You say the words don’t come easy, that’s okay
I’ve never know anyone to finish a sentence
With a sideways glance,
No sense in saying it to please me If that’s your way
I’ve never shown anyone so much without speaking,
Now I have to say….
If I had the choice between the sound of your voice
And the light that’s shining through,
I know what I’d have to do --
It’s when your eyes stop talking
That’s when our love’s gone away,
When your eyes stop talking to me.
It’s all gently showing
But it won’t be hard to see,
When your eyes stop talking to me.
Come up closer in the twilight so surreal
I’ve never known anyone to look like an angel,
Are my eyes seeing clear?
I know we’re both a little frightened, that’s okay
No reason to run, what are we doing
Chasing this love away?
If I had to choose between a whisper or two
And the sweetness of your gaze,
I know what I’d have to say --
It’s when your eyes stop talking
That’s when our love’s gone away,
When your eyes stop talking to me.
It’s all there for there for the knowing,
But it won’t be hard to see
When your eyes stop talking to me.
Stop talking and hold me,
Soon the morning light will take you from my sight….
(Musical Solo)
Stop talking and show me
There, it’s coming through, I love you, too.
CreditsVocals & Piano Esther Valentine
Keyboards Esther Valentine - prog. strings: oboe, clarinet, flute, etc.
J. D. Bender - prog. strings on "When Your Eyes Stop Talking"
Acoustic Guitar Garrison White
Ken O’Malley - "When Your Eyes Stop Talking"
Elect. Guitar Gregg Montante, David Collins
Flute Robin Rader
Pennywhistle Esther Valentine
Violin Dov – "When Your Eyes Stop Talking"
Darrel Silberman – "When the Idol Falls"
Viola Andrew Picken
Cello Harry Gilbert
Drums Robbie Meyer
Percussion Robbie Meyer – bongos, triangle, tambourine
Jeanne Goodnight - congas (& "vocal" sound effects)
Esther Valentine – prog. drums, bohdran, tambourine, zils)
Electric Bass Joe Caccavo, Mitch Laney, Gary Itri
Stand-up Bass Connie Deeter
Accordion Cindy Collins
All songs written and arranged by Esther Valentine
except the John Dowland Ayre (Trad.)
Produced and recorded by Esther Valentine at Hidden Star Studios
Additional production assistance by David Collins, Ken Allardyce and Gregg Montante
Additional engineering assistance by Gregg Montante & Ken Allardyce
Graphic Artists: Mark Weiss, illustration and design
Matt Gollnick, Photoshop & graphic art
Cover Photography (+ mask): Matt Reagan
Mastered by Paul Tavenner
(c) 2001 Hidden Star Music, BMI
All songs written by Esther Valentine