Lyric Contest Winners: July/August 2018

Congratulations to all of our July/August 2018 winners! Click here to enter the September/October 2018 contest.

1st Place
“Which Way Is Home?”
by Brett Gurzick
Seattle, Washington

There’s nothing here
But open road
Rudderless
And frozen cold

My fists are clenched
To fight old ghosts
In a house with doors
That never close

Been here before
Been here before

Wind blows the sand
Gravity pulls
Inside my glass
The pile grows

My mother is gone
My father is broke
If only God can judge
Then the devil is hope

Which way is home?
Which way is home?

Fear is disguised
In the shadows of my mind
Each echoed voice
Is my own

The math of my soul
Is binary code
Infinite forks
In an infinite road

I’m all alone
I’m all alone

2nd Place
“Don’t Tell Me”
by George Abel
Zionsville, Indiana

Don’t tell me not to cry
Don’t tell me time will heal
You can never truly know
Exactly how I feel

Don’t tell me this will pass
That sadness fades away
Don’t tell me things will ever be
The same as yesterday

Tell me that I’ll see her soul
In the innocence of a child
Or in a flowering dogwood tree
Or in a passing smile
Tell me all her hurt is gone
She’s not in any pain
Tell me when my time is done
I’ll hold her once again

Don’t tell me this is a home
It isn’t anymore
It’s just the bones of an empty house
With darkness at the door

Don’t tell me love will come again
Don’t make a single sound
The love that made my spirit soar
Lies broken on the ground

Tell me that I’ll hear her voice
In a songbird singing high
Or in a rushing waterfall
Or in a baby’s sigh
Tell me all her hurt is gone
She’s not in any pain
Tell me when my time is done
I’ll hold her once again
Tell me when my time is done
She’ll hold me once again

3rd Place
“The Possum’s Gone To Heaven”
by Scott Despain
Jonesboro, Arkansas

I found myself in Nashville on the day that George Jones died.
It was just a twist of fate, not really by design.
As I made my way down Music Row,
I felt the teardrops start to well,
The Possum’s gone to heaven and country music’s gone to hell.

It wasn’t very long ago, you walk past the Broadway bars
Through each doorway hear the fiddles,
and the moanin’ steel guitars.
But these days you hear a different sound,
that makes it plain to tell,
The Possum’s gone to heaven,
and country music has gone to hell.

(chorus)
Yeah I was raised on Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and George Jones
But today when you turn the radio on,
it’s hard to find a country song.
They just don’t play the great ones, so I guess it’s just as well
That the Possum’s gone to heaven,
cause county music has gone to hell.

But I know my days are numbered, and it won’t be very long.
I’ll cross that Jordan River, and I’ll sing a happy song.
And there on Heaven’s golden shores, for eternity I’ll dwell.
I’ll sing praises with the Possum,
where country music is alive and well.

(repeat chorus)

Yeah I was raised on Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and George Jones
But today when you turn the radio on,
it’s hard to find a country song.
They just don’t play the great ones,
so I guess it’s just as well
That the Possum’s gone to heaven,
cause county music has gone to hell.

(tag)

I’ll sing Amazing Grace with ol’ George Jones
Where country music is alive and well.

4th Place
“Somewhere In The Neighborhood”
by Steven Huff
Middletown, Ohio

Wandering around in my hometown
Wondering if old memories can still be found
Trying to remember where I had my first kiss
Where I dreamed a dream, and wished a wish
I thought I knew exactly where I stood
Or at least somewhere, in the neighborhood

Walked by the ballpark it was getting late
The lights were off, I jumped the gate
Trying to remember when I had my first home run
The bases were loaded, the game was won
I’d go back to that same time if I could
Or at least somewhere, in the neighborhood

B Section:

Catching fireflies and playing kick the can
Staying up late and watching Peter Pan
We really believed we could fly
Putting playing cards in the spokes of our wheels
We loved playing army until we played it for real
And found out sometimes the heroes die

If I didn’t know better I’d say I was getting old
When the past seems alive, and the future seems cold
When people ask me if I’m doing okay
I turn around, look at them and say
I’m feeling like a grown man should
Or at least somewhere, in the neighborhood

It’s getting to the point these days
Every move I make seems to be sideways
I’m tired of looking back, I want to look ahead
But something keeps me coming back here instead
I really need to have something good
Or at least somewhere, in the neighborhood

I really need to have something good
Or at least somewhere, in the neighborhood

Honorable Mention

“Back To Me”
Daniella Beckwith
Hayward, Wisconsin

“Rhinestones In The Rain”
Lo Carmen
Los Angeles, California

“Washed By The Water”
Russ Parrish
Burnsville, Minnesota

“June”
Mary Ann Guidry
Wimberley, Texas

“The World Changed Forever”
Mark Rogers
Williamsburg, Virginia

“Mine Will Always Be Yours”
Sergio Soto
Los Angeles, California

“The Elephant In The Room”
Mike Guiney
Gananoque, Ontario, Canada

“Cardboard Cutout”
Pamela Machala
Boulder, Colorado

“Counting Crazy Lovers”
Michael Triandafils
Titusville, Florida

“Gonna Die Young At Heart”
Mario Zecca
Torrington, Connecticut