Lyric Contest Winners: March/April 2016

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1ST PLACE
“War Stories”
Kevin Dudley
Arlington, Virginia

2ND PLACE
“You Don’t Know”
Christa Joy
Easthampton, Massachusetts

3RD PLACE
“Not Exactly”
Martin Buchanan
Summerfield, North Carolina

4TH PLACE
“I Think That I’ve Been Here Before”
Bill Buttner
Marlboro, New York[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_accordion collapsible=”yes” disable_keyboard=”” title=”Click below to view the winning lyrics.” active_tab=”0″][vc_accordion_tab title=”1st Place | “War Stories“ by Kevin Dudley”][vc_column_text]I grew up in a town with just as many steeples as bars

Our fathers worked the mills, drove American cars

I was 18 and bored, lookin’ for a ticket out

Went down to the recruiter, joined up with the few and the proud

Fresh outta boot camp with a rifle in my hand

They said “You’ll now be fightin’ for freedom‚” sent me to some foreign land

One thing I learned about this business of war

Your buddy and your next cigarette are all you’re really fightin’ for

Chorus

Now they call me a hero on Independence Day

The high school band leads the parade

They unfurl the flags and reminisce  ‘bout former glories

But I’m sick and tired of tellin’ war stories

I came home with shrapnel my leg and a ringin’ in my ears

Stepped off the bus, the whole town was there to cheer

But the blood and the dust, sure will mess with your head

They don’t know we shot the dogs just to keep ‘em from eatin’ the dead

Chorus

There’s a hole in the bathroom wall and a bottle by the bed

The pills they give me don’t do nothin’ for the voices in my head

In a flag-draped box, my best friend came home to his wife

He never felt the bullet, she will for the rest of her life

Final Chorus:

Now they call me a hero on Independence Day

The high school band leads the parade

They unfurl the flags and reminisce ‘bout former glories,

But I’m sick and tired of tellin’ war stories

Will we ever get tired of tellin’ war stories[/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”2nd Place | “You Don’t Know“ by Christa Joy”][vc_column_text]Life can be a long way off from simple

And time can be a one-way highway

You think you know yourself

From all you’ve thought and all you’ve felt

But honey let me tell you

Oh honey let me tell you

You don’t know the first thing about love

Oh you don’t know the first thing about love

And you can lie and cheat and steal

Make ‘em fall head over heels

But you don’t know the first thing about love

Some people can be mixed-up puzzle pieces

Tryin’ to fit a circle to a square

You can say you’re sorry

You can spin a real good story

But honey let me tell you

Oh honey let me tell you

You don’t know the first thing about love

Oh you don’t know the first thing about love

And you can lie and cheat and steal

Make ‘em fall head over heels

But you don’t know the first thing about love

I’m not talkin’ ‘bout a church and a steeple

Or a fire that can burn between two lonely people

I don’t give a damn

That you built your house on sand

Kickin’ around empties

For a month of Sundays

Skin can feel like sweet satisfaction

And the road can stop your heart from standing still

You can take the long way

Or you can just

Stay away

But honey let me tell you

Oh honey let me tell you

Oh you don’t know the first thing about love

Oh you don’t know the first thing about love

And you can lie and cheat and steal

Make ‘em fall head over heels

But you don’t know the first thing about love

And you can lie and cheat and steal

Make ‘em fall head over heels

But you don’t know the first thing about love[/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”3rd Place | “Not Exactly“ by Martin Buchanan”][vc_column_text]Sometimes words don’t get spoken

Sometimes wants don’t get mentioned

Sometimes it’s too damn much trouble

To stick on your intention

So you stare down into your cup of coffee

Or maybe it’s your second glass of whisky

And you rattle off a fairly long inventory

Of the things you think are missing

Chorus

It’s not exactly your fault

It’s not exactly hers

It’s not exactly what either of you wanted

But it’s too hard to reverse

If you try to think back

Can you recall the last time you were genuinely happy?

Not exactly

Remember that time you danced together in the living room

Remember all those other times that you sat there and didn’t move

Sometimes you have to something you don’t want to do

Because your other half wants to

Chorus

It’s not exactly your fault

It’s not exactly hers

It’s not exactly what either of you wanted

But it’s too hard to reverse

If you try to think back

Can you recall the last time you were genuinely happy?

Not exactly[/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”4th Place | “I Think That I’ve Been Here Before“ by Bill Buttner”][vc_column_text]It’s so familiar these narrow streets

the rolling hills and the frosted peaks

a feed supplier and a ten-cent store

and I think that I’ve been here before

The work was steady if you like the rain

you never once heard me complain

a billboard telling us‚”Christ Is Lord”

and I think that I’ve been here before

(chorus)

I think that I’ve been here before

a frozen moment that I can’t ignore

I can’t be certain but I’m pretty sure

and I think that I’ve been here before

I was full of nerve but I was plenty poor

I did okay but wasn’t keeping score

I was over eighteen but under twenty-four

and I think that I’ve been here before

(bridge)

I can’t remember half of the places that I’ve been

but I hear tell about all the things that I did then

I remember something about a flower dress

her hair was long and it was quite a mess

her little brother had a crippled dog

and I think that I’ve been here before

(chorus)[/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][/vc_accordion][vc_column_text]“Faithless Preacher”
Ian Meadows
Chester, Connecticut

“Broke Man Blues”
Scoot Horton
Peekskill, New York

“Carpe Diem”
Rebecca Chapa
Nantucket, Massachusetts

“Bluebird In A Flock Of Black”
Peter Helfrich
Decatur, Georgia

“King’s Canyon”
Gretchen Pleuss
Wooster, Ohio

“Riding On Moonbeams”
Frost Walker
Coral Gables, Florida

“Too Late Tonight”
Robb McDonald
Steubenville, Ohio

“Dream Prayer”
Caty Hageman
Seattle, Washington

“I’ve Seen It All”
James Pimenta
Taunton, Massachusetts

“Honey You’re Getting Good”
Cash Harrison
Detroit, Michigan

 

Be sure to enter the May/June 2016 Lyric Contest!

 

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