You said this morning was your last
Once again
And now there’s just nothing left here for you
That flame once burning blew out oh so fast
And you’re now believing in something new

You know I just can’t stay
Can’t keep going on this way
Into the dark
So I’m blowing away
I’m blowing away from you
On my own wind

I’ll leave tomorrow and I’ll make a plan
That works for others, so I’ve been told
What inspiration will I need to stand?
What motivation to break that old mold?

Well you know I just can’t stay
Can’t keep going on this way
Into the dark
So I’m blowing away
I’m blowing away from you
On my own wind

There must be some place I can hide away
Some place where no one knows your name
There must be someplace where I’ll want to stay
Some place I just won’t feel the same
Old mourning game
I just might find a treasure of my own
So I’m blowing away
I’m blowing away

In Tom’s Words:
This opening track is a straightforward break up song about dusting yourself off, walking away from a toxic relationship, and reclaiming your own strength and independence. I love the soulful sax interpretation Alex Milsted brought to this song to elevate the whole vibe.

When the winds of change are calling
And it’s time for moving on
You can stay or you can slowly walk away
Just remember the good way home

And you may find somebody better
Who may not do the things I do
There’s a chance
You can find a true romance
Just remember the good way home

We never thought that it could happen
Not to us or so it seemed
Now we see that it’s only you and me
And only we can change the dream

There may be other times of trouble
And you’ll face it all again
Then you’ll know
There is nowhere left to go
So remember the good way home

There may be time to find an answer
And to reconcile the past
We will know
Everyone we need to know
When we remember the good way home

We never thought that it could happen
Not to us or so it seemed
Now we see that it’s only you and me
And only we can change the dream

When you look into tomorrow
There is nothing left to fear
You’ll find peace
Yes it’s such a sweet release
Just remember the good way home

Well now the time has come for leaving
And to try this on my own
It’s a start
And I can mend a broken heart
If I remember the good way home
If I remember the good way home

In Tom’s Words:
The title track of the album is a heartfelt thank-you note to my adult children who lifted me up through a rough patch in my life and reminded me of what truly matters. To me, the “home” isn’t a physical place with a roof and four walls; it’s the relationships we build with family or other special people who make you feel safe and loved.  

Things are changing so much faster
What’s another big disaster?
Hurricanes and lightning flashing
Icebergs way up north are crashing

Buy me a ticket, I’m on the last train
out of town

I can’t tell what you’ve been seeing
I don’t know what you’re believing
I just know the water’s boiling
Tension everywhere is roiling
Buy me a ticket, I’m on the last train
out of town

Someday everyone will see it
Someday everyone will feel it
Till we’re ready just holding steady
Now’s the time to start it
Take a small part of it
We can put it back on track

Seas are warming it’s a danger
Seems like everyone’s a stranger
Everybody has their own side
All I see is a rising tide
Buy me a ticket, I’m on the last train
out of town

Someday everyone will see it
Someday everyone will feel it
Till we’re ready just holding steady
Now’s the time to start it
Take a small part of it
We can put it back on track

When we see the tidal wave
Which ones will we try to save?
Only those of us who found
Some new place on higher ground
Buy me a ticket, I’m on the last train
Out of town
Buy me a ticket, I’m on the last train
Out of town

In Tom’s Words:
I wrote this one as a bit of a wakeup call about climate change and the frustrating disconnect between solid science and the folks who choose to ignore it. Musically, though, it’s a fun, driving 12-bar blues shuffle featuring some cool harmonica work by Dan Kaufman. And Jenni and Amanda Price, (writing and performing as the brilliant “Acoustic Minds”), layered in some gorgeous harmonies with a call-and-response style, and I threw in a guitar solo of my own.

You want to have everything
You want to know God above
You want to make poetry
You want to make love

There’s going to be a rude awakening
There’s going to be a price to pay
There’s nothing that comes for nothing
You know you’ve got to pay to play the game
You know you’ve got to pay to play uh-huh

You want to have fame and glory
You want to be rich
It’s always the same old story
Life is a bitch

There’s going to be a rude awakening
There’s going to be a price to pay
There’s nothing that comes for nothing
You know you’ve got to pay to play the game
You know you’ve got to pay to play uh-huh

Welcome to the world where freedom rings
Welcome to the time when no one sings
Now you know the joy that fortune brings
And you still want everything

One, two, three, four

You want to have all your freedoms
You want to have peace
You want to sing loud for justice
But who pays the lease?

There’s going to be a rude awakening
There’s going to be a price to pay
There’s nothing that comes for nothing
You know you’ve got to pay to play the game
You know you’ve got to pay to play uh-huh

Welcome to the world where freedom rings
Welcome to the time when no one sings
Now you know the joy that fortune brings
And you still want everything

One, two, three, four

You want to have everything
You want to have everything
You want to have everything today
Today
Today

In Tom’s Words:
This one leans into the protest song tradition tackling the heavy weight of greed and power against the steep cost and frustrations of fighting for equal justice when you’re just trying to keep up with everyday bills. We gave it some energy in the studio with some fun percussion, handclaps on the chorus, and a few multitrack guitars parts I laid down myself.

It started out so easy like
Walking through the park
All I ever needed was your smile
Then it got complicated like
Walking through the dark
We held it all together for awhile

In a hurry we were young
With all the world ahead
The last thing that we thought was looking back
In the fury we were stung by
All the things we said
That’s when all the hope just fell off track

All you ever gave me was
The time to realize
No one ever wins if no one tries
You taught me that the winners
Could just be losers too
Now I know I’m finally over you

You made a lot of promises and
Most of them were lies
I should have seen it looking in your eyes
We could have done much better
To make the dream come true,
But now I know I’m finally over you

All you ever gave me was
The time to realize
No one ever wins if no one tries
You taught me that the winners
Could just be losers too
Now I know I’m finally over you

I’ve tried to think about the good times
There were some of those I know we had
But they were few and far between and then they disappeared
Now I’m left with those that made me sad

So many friends and lovers locked in litigation war
Can’t recall just what they’re fighting for
Up one day and down the next it’s
Over and they’re poor
I just don’t get so tangled up no more

All you ever gave me was
The time to realize
No one ever wins if no one tries
You taught me that the winners
Could just be losers too
Now I know I’m finally over you
Yes, now I know I’m finally over you

In Tom’s Words:
My favorite Bob Dylan tune is Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright and that’s the spirit behind this track. It’s a breakup song that looks back and says “hey, it’s over, and I’m completely ok with that.” It turned out a bit more of country than I originally planned but I’m happy with how it turned out. We swapped out the bass guitar for a stand-up acoustic bass that gave the song a richer, earthier heartbeat.

All along I’ve been waiting for someone to believe
All I had was a part inside of me to be received
And the road I was on could seem lonely and long
There were those on the way who wondered why
There were times I could see giving up the hope for me
Then I found you and I knew why

Now the bells are going to ring
And the birds are going to sing
And you’ll know you’ll always be my everything

What’s the past but a moment that won’t last unless we heed it
We can yearn for those things we want to learn if we need it
All those memories are clear when we keep an open ear
And we both see just what we know is real
All we need is each other and everything we trust
To show us what we hope to feel

Now the bells are going to ring
And the birds are going to sing
And you’ll know you’ll always be my everything

Now the bells are going to ring
And the birds are going to sing
And you’ll know you’ll always be my everything

Now it’s time that I let the world know you’re by my side
You’re the one that I need to have along for this ride
From now on you will always know exactly where I’ll be
From now on you’ll get just what you see
We’ll be two friends and lovers with all our hopes and dreams
And we’ll make it – you and me

Now the bells are going to ring
And the birds are going to sing
And you’ll know you’ll always be my everything

In Tom’s Words:
I wrote this one for my son and his fiancé (who I’m proud to call my daughter-in-law, now) for their wedding day. The beautiful, sweeping strings were brought to life by Eri on violin, Nik on cello, and Alberta on viola, with some wonderful scoring help from Chris Thomas. For a little extra magic, we tacked on the sound of church bells and songbirds at the very end.

What’s the harm in me just believing
If I’m feeling better today
It may hurt me less while you’re leaving
Like pretending there’s nothing to say

You can tell your story just as if it’s true
But you’re always going to have to live with you

And when people tell me “don’t worry”
And when they tempt me with their lies
I listen closer for there’s no hurry
There will be laughter after the cries

You can tell your story just as if it’s true
But you’re always going to have to live with you

There may come a day you
Want to know what’s right
And remember what we planned
That day you may wonder
Just what threw us under
That day you might understand

In the meantime I go on living
And I’m happy living this way
Some regrets but I’m more forgiving
Now I’m saying what I want to say

You can tell your story just as if it’s true
But you’re always going to have to live with you
Yes you’re always going to have to live with you

In Tom’s Words:
Yep, another breakup song – but this one is a celebration backed up by an upbeat sax that captures the genuine joy and excitement of turning the page and moving on to a brand-new life. It also expresses a little bit of lingering sass for an ex who keeps spinning tales nobody is buying, only to find that they’re stuck with themselves.

Some time passes slowly and
We know each other so well
Some time goes so quickly
When it’s gone, no one can tell

You can’t remember when we met
When we first came eye to eye
I knew right then I loved you so
That I’d never say goodbye

And when the sun goes down for good
It won’t be soon
I’ll see your face again just
Bring me the moon, oh yes, bring me the moon

The darkness overtook you
You reckless, fearless child
An angel in the morning
Spared us the greatest trial

Tonight I nearly lost you
And you almost slipped away
Our last words were so useless
Now I don’t know what to say

And when the sun goes down for good
It won’t be soon
I’ll see your face again just
Bring me the moon, oh yes, bring me the moon

I never heard you singing love songs
But I never heard you really try
And I never saw you lonely
I only heard at times you cry
Sometimes you cried

Your final chapter now delayed
As we mend our broken hearts
And my promise stays the same to you
That never will we part

Tonight I almost lost you
It’s a night I won’t forget
And the time that’s lost between us
Will long be my regret

And when the sun goes down for good
It won’t be soon
I’ll see your face again just
Bring me the moon, oh yes, bring me the moon

In Tom’s Words:
This is a deeply personal song written for someone I deeply love who was nearly taken from me in a terrible car accident. Thankfully, they recovered. The metaphor of the sun and the moon is pretty obvious.  It took me a while before I could sing this track in the studio without my voice cracking.

Emma, can you see the sunlight shining down?
Can you see the rainbow touch the ground?
And brighten up the sky

Emma, can you feel the warmth of my embrace?
Can you see the smile that’s on my face?
Whenever I’m with you

You may always be a child to me
One I wish would always stay
You may seek adventure everywhere
Just come back again my way

Emma, you will always be there in my mind
Glowing with a smile so warm and kind
That brightens every day

Emma, there will be a million things to do
There will be so many who love you
Just keep an open eye

You may always be a child to me
One I wish would always stay
You may seek adventure everywhere
Just come back again my way
Just come back again my way
Just come back again my way

In Tom’s Words:
A simple, sweet love lullaby written straight from the heart for my granddaughter.

Whatever you believe
Is not so simple now
I know how it may seem
But hear me out somehow
Those hurtful things we said
Now in the distant past
It makes no difference now
Who said “I’m sorry” last

Where will you go tonight?
Will you spend it all alone?
You know it isn’t right
When I need you here at home

You should know that I’ll be staying
And you’ll never be too late
Everyone can see what you mean to me
Everybody knows

I’ll never make you wait
All you need to do is come back home to me
And say you love me too

I’ll never make you wait
All you need to do is come back home to me
And say you love me too

There’s something you should hear
But it seems so hard to say
There’s so much that we fear
That I need you every day

So remember all our past
And the passion that we knew
There’s a way to make it last
When we start with something new

You should know that I’ll be staying
And you’ll never be too late
Everyone can see what you mean to me
Everybody knows

I’ll never make you wait
All you need to do is come back home to me
And say you love me too

I’ll never make you wait
All you need to do is come back home to me
And say you love me too

In Tom’s Words:
This is a love story about an estranged couple who take a step back, realize now how devoted they still are to one another, and decide it’s not too late to mend the fences. We had some fun in the studio experimenting with some virtual musical features, adding some unique textures like a muted trumpet and – of all things – a glockenspiel.

You just can’t see forever, when you’re looking down
You just can’t touch the sky if you never leave the ground
You can choose to laugh at life or you can choose to cry
But lift your head and spread your wings and you just might learn to fly

Sing a song that makes you joyful
Sing a song that sets you free
Sing it loud and proud in the darkest cloud
And sing a song for me

You just can’t hide forever, waiting on your fears
You just can’t win the race by relying on your tears
You can take a chance on love and you just might lose
But how you feel and how you deal
That is something you can choose

Sing a song that makes you joyful
Sing a song that sets you free
Sing it loud and proud in the darkest cloud
And sing a song for me

When people try to bind you
And turn a blind eye to you
And your strength is hard to find
I’ll be there right behind you
I’ll be there to remind you
You hold the power of your mind

You just can’t live a lifetime where you feel no pain
Even days in paradise will see a little rain
You can have some attitude and know you’ll pay a price
You can have some gratitude and you’ll never look back twice

Sing a song that makes you joyful
Sing a song that sets you free
Sing it loud and proud in the darkest cloud
And sing a song for me
Oh won’t you sing a song for me?
Oh please sing a song for me

In Tom’s Words:
I wrote this song for another granddaughter one night after babysitting her one evening.  She’s usually a little ray of sunshine, but on this particular night, she was a bit grumpy. So, I put together a tune just for her about the power of positive thinking and the pure joy you can find in music.

Precious time is wasting as we dwell upon our fears
But honey life just ain’t as bad as it appears
Someone’s life and someone’s money
Always looks so right
But honey, we’ve got everything we need tonight

When we get mired in the past
And we worry just how long it’s going to last
We lose the best thing either one of us could do
Cause honey, you believed in me, I believe in you

Sometimes we stumble and we fall down on our face
But honey, I will lift you up to find your place
When the friends you thought you knew
All vanish to the blue
Well honey, you can count on me to stick with you

When we get mired in the past
And we worry just how long it’s going to last
We lose the best thing either one of us could do
Cause honey, you believed in me, I believe in you

And when the sun starts rising on a brand-new day
We’ll help each other find our way
When I was down, you were there to do what lovers do
Cause honey you believed in me, I believe in you

Take a chance, spread your wings now, you can risk a fall
Cause honey, this may be the time we win it all
You can be the one you want
So write the script for you
Now’s the time to do what you must do

When we get mired in the past
And we worry just how long it’s going to last
We lose the best thing either one of us could do
Cause honey, you believed in me, I believe in you

And when the sun starts rising on a brand-new day
We’ll help each other find our way
When I was down, you were there to do what lovers do
Cause honey you believed in me, I believe in you
Honey you believed in me, I believe in you

In Tom’s Words:
This is an unapologetically upbeat, maybe even a little cheesy, celebration of forever love and backing each other up through thick and thin. The lyrics might be sweet enough to make you gag a little bit, but I particularly enjoy the guitar intro and the way the chord progressions should sweep you up.

The world’s going down
I heard it yesterday
Now it’s all over town
I hear everybody say
That it’s happening today
But not without a fight
Yeah they’re burning down the town
And the world’s goin’ down tonight

You say you have solutions
But it’s really superstition
You’re good at mind pollution
‘Cause you’re just a politician

But a change is coming now
And you’ll soon be in a fight
The rebels have the town
And your world’s goin’ down tonight

Tell me what you see
She’s a little refugee
Where’s she gonna sleep tonight?
They don’t know what to do
They just haven’t got a clue
When the kids become the bombs
And the little victims too
Yeah the world’s goin’ down

The students come to school
The bell’s about to ring
The teacher calls the roll
And they all begin to sing

Then a kid arrives and starts to make a scene
He fires to the left then he fires to the right
With a semi-automatic and a double magazine

All the big religions have their own set of rules
You follow what they say or
You’re just a bunch of fools

And they’re fighting for your town
To make you love their god
The border may be stone
But the gates are being blown tonight

Tell me what you see
She’s a little refugee
Where’s she gonna sleep tonight?
They don’t know what to do
They just haven’t got a clue
When the kids become the bombs
And the little victims too
Yeah the world’s goin’ down

Sorry luck has stuck them on the wrong side of the map
Might get hit with poison gas just sitting in this trap
Be careful where you go- you might not get it right
Maybe something that he said made him lose his head tonight

Tell me what you see
She’s a little refugee
Where’s she gonna sleep tonight?
They don’t know what to do
They just haven’t got a clue
When the kids become the bombs
And the little victims too
Yeah the world’s goin’ down

They’re burning down the town
And the world’s goin’ down tonight

They’re burning down the town
And the world’s goin’ down tonight

In Tom’s Words:
The lyrics to this one are about as dark as it gets, but the music was a hell of a lot of fun to play with a band. It’s a gritty 12-bar blues progression with some aggressive guitar work up front and a killer sax solo in the middle. I wrote it one night after watching consecutive news reports detailing one senseless act of violence after another. Frustrated and angry, I grabbed a bottle of Irish whiskey and my guitar, holed up in the den, and stayed awake until dawn chasing this thing down.

You are the one who needs me
When you’re not alone
You are the one who sees me
Even when I’m gone
You are the one who listens
Till I know I’m heard
You are the one who hears me
Without a single word

And when the nighttime turns to day
I’ll be there with you
And when the daylight slips away
I’ll be there with you now

It took a hundred lifetimes or so it seems
To wander in the place to meet you in my dreams
It took a million moments thinking what could be
It only took an instant to feel your love for me

And when the nighttime turns to day
I’ll be there with you
And when the daylight slips away
I’ll be there with you now

It was a quiet morning in a quiet town
And then the afternoon came roaring back around
We saw the sunset fading in the far-off sea
That was the magic day that you belonged to me

And when the nighttime turns to day
I’ll be there with you
And when the daylight slips away
I’ll be there with you now

And now the day has come to say what we will do
We’ll make a promise that our love will see us through
We’ll live each day as if another may not come
Each one is a blessing till we reach the final one

And when the nighttime turns to day
I’ll be there with you
And when the daylight slips away
I’ll be there with you now

In Tom’s Words:
A love song, pure and simple, that I wrote for my wife and played at our wedding. We should all be lucky enough to find a love that makes us feel this way.

On the street, alone at night
Whatever did you mean?
You know you’re still a kid at seventeen
Right behind a would-be cop
You must have looked the part
Just how did this awful trouble start?

Where’s the car; it’s back again
It’s following so slow
Now you’ve got nowhere you can go
You’ll be home soon, you’ll call a friend
It’s going to be alright—
Safe and sound in your own bed tonight

All alone without a gun
Just the color of your skin
You’re about to join a battle you can’t win
In the wrong place at the wrong time
Hoody on your head
Be careful or you just might end up dead

First your father then your mother
Then the whole world knew
Stand our ground
Would be the end of you
The jury tried, could not decide
At least that’s what they said
So vigilante justice lives instead

All alone without a gun
Just the color of your skin
You’re about to join a battle you can’t win
In the wrong place at the wrong time
Hoody on your head
Be careful or you just might end up dead

Now we hear the verdict’s in, it’s on the news tonight
But we know that our own boy’s tucked in tight
Up in arms for seven days then soon we’ll all forget
We’ll write a song, express our deep regret

All alone without a gun
Just the color of your skin
You’re about to join a battle you can’t win
In the wrong place at the wrong time
Hoody on your head
Be careful or you just might end up dead

In Tom’s Words:
As some of you might guess from the title, this song was born out of raw frustration and grief following the tragic death of Trayvon Martin.  I wanted the music to mirror that weight, so I aimed for a haunting melody, a heavy cello interlude between verses, and a stark, dissonant ending chord.  I am incredibly grateful to the string section for capturing the sound that I heard in my head.

We are looking for what we can’t see
We are searching for who we can be
But the way’s not always clear
Until we know we’re getting near
‘Cause there’s a wanderlust in each of us

There’s a memory of where we’ve been
But we just can’t go back there again
We just want to be back home
When we’re feeling all alone
But there’s a wanderlust in each of us

From the hill across the meadow to that cottage by the sea
I’m trying to recover you and me
And it’s a fight to keep it going on this journey to be free
I think it’s wanderlust, with a grip on me

Now we’re just travelers on a windy sea
Two ships passing by, that’s you and me
We’re just riding out the storm
In the hope of some new norm
But there’s a wanderlust in each of us

From the hill across the meadow to that cottage by the sea
I’m trying to recover you and me
And it’s a fight to keep it going on this journey to be free
I think it’s wanderlust, with a grip on me

So I keep looking for what I can’t see
And I keep searching for who I can be
But the way’s not always clear
Till we know we’re getting near
‘Cause there’s a wanderlust in each of us
Yeah there’s a wanderlust in each of us

In Tom’s Words:
During the pandemic, so many couples found themselves on opposite sides of a coin – either forced apart when they needed each other most or trapped under the same roof long after the spark had died. This song is about that quiet, aching search for whatever it is that feels missing in so many of our lives.