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THE SONGS OF DAVID SIMMONDS AND SJEF FRENKEN
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A PROPOSAL
PAISLEY AND POLKA-DOT
BE A CHILD INSTEAD
THE MAN AT THE PIANO
RARE AS GEMS
ONE MORE TIME
NO PARACHUTE
THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE
SAMOSAS IN SAMOA
LOVE TO BE WASTED
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
GOD HAS A PLAN
GAZING AT THE PEAK
GEOMETRY
AS IF TIME
SLIP AWAY
OLDER THAN METHUSELAH
NO WORDS
BIG BOX STORE
A LOT TO DO
EVERY WAKING MINUTE
BROKEN IN TWO
LET IT FLOW
I BELIEVE IN
THE GIRL IN THE WELLINGTON BOOTS
RHODODENDRONS
RANDOM ACTS OF CRUELTY
LASH ME TO THE MAST
WASTING MY BREATH
TIME TO UP AND LEAVE
MAKING MY PEACE
HALF MEASURES
A PROPOSAL Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I’m a little bit shy; I’m no Fred Astaire
While you on the other hand radiate charm
If I sound a bit bold
Don’t turn me down cold
Would you dance with me arm-on-arm
When the music’s playing my body’s in charge
And my awkwardness seems to flutter away
So I take any chance
To show I can dance
That my two feet are not made of clay
Just waltz with me round the dance floor
I’ll lead and you’ll follow along
I won’t stumble and fall
At this high fashion ball
So nothing on earth could go wrong
We’ll not do the foxtrot or Lambeth walk
No jitterbug, Charleston, rhumba or swing
We won’t tango or twist
At least till we’ve kissed
Or a nightingale ventures to sing
You know we might make it as partners, dear,
Our moves are as graceful as two birds in flight
To the left, to the right,
To the left one more time
To the right, then the left, then the right.
Just waltz with me round the dance floor
You and I make up far more than two
I don’t want to make trouble
But don’t burst my bubble,
Indulge me by saying “I do”
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PAISLEY AND POLKA-DOT Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Darby and Joanie were joined at the hip,
They both loved jazz and exotic trips.
Their tastes were identical, but next thing you knew
They told all their friends that they were through.
Now Darby's on a dairy farm in New South Wales
With a lady who writes horoscopes and New Age tales.
Joanie's moved to Windsor 'cause she's head-over-heels
For a bluegrass picker who drives 18 wheels.
Like a paisley shirt with a polka-dot tie,
Or a fancy French dinner and blueberry pie,
Who knows what will flop and what will fly
Till you knuckle down and give it a try.
I play Django, you play Brahms,
You eat yoghurt, I eat Lucky Charms.
Our interests don't fit like a dovetail joint,
But then that's really beside the point.
Remember the tale of Jack Spratt and his wife,
They got along well the whole of their life.
You can't tell who's gonna match with what,
Till you up and give it your best shot.
Like a paisley shirt with a polka-dot tie,
Or a fancy French dinner and blueberry pie,
Who knows what will flop and what will fly
Till you knuckle down and give it a try.
Frankie and Johnny both had hot heads,
But Frankie's fried 'cause Johnnie's dead.
Donald and Lydia worked up a sweat,
Problem was they never met.
Make your match in heaven or make it on earth
Just no telling what the deal is worth
Only rule of thumb that you can apply
It's not gonna work unless you try.
Like a paisley shirt with a polka-dot tie,
Or a fancy French dinner and blueberry pie,
Who knows what will flop and what wi ll fly
Till you knuckle down and give it a try.
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BE A CHILD INSTEAD Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
She was pumped up for the interview
It was a job she'd hungered for
But when they offered her some coffee
She spilled it all on the floor.
There were frowns of consternation
She was hanging by a thread
When she heard a voice inside her heart
Saying "be a child instead"
So she said "Whoops!" "oh my!" and "darn it!"
"Somebody get me a mop
And I'll be Cinderella"
Started laughing and couldn't stop.
Your child still lives inside you
Can't throw the key away
So when life gets all too grown-up
Ask it to come out and play.
She had trained for just this moment
Practised each twist and spin
All the skaters who'd gone before her
Showed their mettle was forged from tin
She stepped on the ice and it froze her
And the fear flooded deep in her head
When a tiny voice inside her heart
Said "be a child instead"
So she said "dang me, don't care if they hang me"
As she felt a great wave of relief
No more jumps no more bumps she was Lara
Skating with Omar Shariff.
Your child still lives inside you
Can't throw the key away
So when life gets all too grown-up
Ask it to come out and play.
The armies lined up toe-to-toe
The pipes began to play
The generals said "if war we must
This will be the day"
But the privates on the front lines
Said "Hey, that makes us dead"
And they heard a voice inside their hearts
Say "be a child instead"
So they said "goodness me" and "I'm sorry"
Dropped their weapons right away
Chose teams with their enemies
And played Rover-come-over all day.
Your child still lives inside you
Can't throw the key away
So when life gets all too grown-up
Ask it to come out and play.
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THE MAN AT THE PIANO Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
(David's lyrics with his own music is entitled Ivory Keys)
He shuffled on stage like a crook to the gallows,
Almost collapsed to his knees.
Your heart skipped a beat with each breath that he took
Till his hands touched the ivory keys.
Then a grin crossed his face as they counted the tune in;
He could play any song that he pleased.
Tens of years disappeared in the blink of an eye
When his hands touched the ivory keys.
The song swung along, and the piano and master
Were locked in their own reverie.
The power in his soul could have lit up a city
When his hands touched the ivory keys.
As the final chord sounded, he lifted his hands
Like a fighter in victory.
Wouldn't you do the same if you cheated the reaper
When your hands touched the ivory keys.
But why is it him sitting there on the stage
He should be listening to me!
I want to play in the fountain of youth
When my hands touch the ivory keys.
It's all black and white to me: he's made a deal
To buy himself a reprieve.
He's traded his soul so he'll never feel old
When his hands touch the ivory keys
Why am I spoiling his moment of triumph
What use is jealousy?
That wasn't hellfire, but pure human passion
When his hands touched the ivory keys.
I surely can muster enough of my own
To fight off despair and disease,
And I'll celebrate like the man at the piano
When my hands touch the ivory keys.
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RARE AS GEMS Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Dreams fulfilled are rare as gems
Keep them close and hold them dear.
Dreams unreached are jewels of paste
Shed them coldly; show no fear.
Some dreams fly and some dreams fall
But who'd prefer no dreams at all?
Dreams are born; for dreams to grow
One needs to let some old dreams go.
Broken dreams if kept alive
Weight the soul with pointless pain
While dreams forgotten, though unattained
Free our hearts to love again
Some dreams fly and some dreams fall
But who'd prefer no RARE dreams at all?
Dreams are born; for dreams to grow
One needs to let some old dreams go.
Broken dreams if kept alive
Weight the soul with pointless pain
While dreams forgotten, though unattained
Free our hearts to love again
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ONE MORE TIME Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
So wrapped up in myself, I've failed again
To see how I behave can cause such pain.
I've cut you to the bone
I should have thought, I should have known
My selfishness would tear us both apart.
Your faith in me was hopelessly misplaced
Here stands a sinner humbled and disgraced
I know I must begin
Atonement for my sin
This simple supplication is my start:
Please find it in your power
To forgive my failures one more time
And pour your mercy on my troubled soul.
While it may remain unfinished till we've died
We created something special when we tried
And if I've pushed us past the brink
I'll console myself to think
Though flawed, it's nonetheless a work of art.
Please find it in your power
To forgive my failures one more time
And pour your mercy on my troubled soul.
My future lies entirely in your hands.
Whatever you decide I'll understand
And while I know that you pay heed
Not to empty words but deeds,
Believe I worship you with all my heart.
Please find it in your power
To forgive my failures one more time
And pour your mercy on my troubled soul.
(Yes) Please find it in your power
To forgive my failures one more time ...
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NO PARACHUTE words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
When they shot me out of a cannon
All I saw as I rose was the limitless sky
I was sure in my mind
I’d be certain to find
A way I could learn how to fly
When I found I could travel no higher
My face became creased with a worrisome frown
Which just masked my fear
As it slowly came clear
What goes up must always come down
They never packed me a parachute
I scream at the top of my voice
They never asked what I wanted to do
They never gave me a choice, not a choice
Never a choice, never a choice at all
As the ground looms up ever closer
The outcome is clearly out of my hands
There’s no chance in fact
Of surviving intact
Regardless of where I may land
They never packed me a parachute
I scream at the top of my voice
They never asked what I wanted to do
They never gave me a choice, not a choice
Never a choice, never a choice at all
There’s a question that’s still on the table
And I’ll answer it now, won’t take much to explain
It might end in a mess
But I have to confess
Of course I would do it again!
So they may not have packed me a parachute
And though I’ve screamed at the top of my voice
They may never have asked what I wanted to do
But I don’t need to be given a choice
Never a choice never a choice at all
Next time I’ll learn how to fly.
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THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
When I face the great unknowable
Can I be sure I'll pass the test?
Will I have shown my faithful servitude?
Will I have earned my peace and rest?
Will I find some truthful witnesses
Who will swear as they've been told
Vouch for me without embarrassment
Show my flaws as solid gold?
When my life is held up in the balance
May I then be brave enough to fall
On my knees to plead for my sins' pardon
Though I warrant not the slightest grace at all.
Can I show the great unknowable,
Though my failures may abound,
In the time that's still available
I aim to reach the highest ground!
When my life is held up in the balance
May I then be brave enough to fall
On my knees to plead for my sins' pardon
Though I warrant not the slightest grace at all.
Can I show the great unknowable,
Though my failures may abound,
In the time that's still available
I aim to reach the highest ground!
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SAMOSAS IN SAMOA Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
(A Tribute to Fats Waller)
I suppose I'd eat samosas in Samoa
Munch timbits in far-off Timbuktu
I'd happily digest
The food you love the best
As long as I was doing it with you
And I'd also eat tahini in Tahiti
Or feast on pitted prunes in old Peru
The food that I would sample
Would be so much more than ample
If only I were eating it with you
Fajitas and falafel, chapatis or a waffle
Perogies and pakoras, from Muskogee to Kenora;
However brief or fleeting, anywhere you’re eating
I’m always glad to share it dear with you - signora
I would gladly munch on crackers in Caracas
Try catfood in the wilds of Katmandu
I might finish in Dunedin
But my heart would still be beatin’
- ‘Cause I would be a-sharing it
- Not just a-grinning and bearing it
The things I wouldn’t do to be with you
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LOVE TO BE WASTED Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I remember your face and the time and the place
Do you remember mine?
It was only a glance, but I cherished the chance
To watch your eyes sparkle and shine.
Perhaps I just dreamed, but for moments it seemed
That our fortunes would join and weave
But as you looked my way, I had nothing to say
And you stood up and took your leave.
Do you ever find that my face comes to mind,
And imagine what might have been?
Do you pretend that our love might transcend
The riches of kings and of queens?
If I knew that was true, I would surely pull through
The pain that I have borne.
But we went our own ways and I spend my days
Empty-hearted and forlorn.
If I had been bold, would my life not be cold
As a late November's day?
But the moment had passed, it went all too fast,
And there's a price to pay.
I live with regret that I cannot forget
The prize that I didn't pursue.
I hope that you found a life more profound
With a love who is ardent and true.
I will give this advice, won't charge any price
To any who dream of romance:
Take a solemn vow, that you'll never allow
True love to wait,
While you hesitate,
Instead of just taking the chance.
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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I don't often write letters; can't put things that well,
But I have to ask someone to spring me from hell.
The ones who might read it are just a small few,
So you'll understand why I'm writing to you.
I came to the northland to make a new start,
But the ones with the chances live worlds way apart.
It's a wonderful country, where people are free
To forget about people as humble as me.
I've got three kids in school, and there's so much they lack
Except maybe switchblades and quick hits of crack.
Each time the phone rings I'm shaking with fear:
Will I be the next mom dad that's mown down by tears?
So I'm sending this letter, and daring to hope
That you'll show me there's life past the end of my rope.
I don't want to beg, but I've nowhere to turn
So I've addressed it simply 'to whom it may concern'.
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GOD HAS A PLAN Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
A tramp lay in the doorway, shivering from the cold
I told him God loves each and every creature he beholds
He fixed his eyes upon me, I saw anger in him swell
So I smiled and told him do not fear, I love you as well
I came across a vagabond , her head held in her hands
She sobbed and said it’s all too much, and no one understands
So I told her that the darkest days are just some kind of test
God has made a plan for you, that He alone knows best
Yes, God has got it figured out, God knows what to do
I’ll be getting His instructions, and then I’ll see them through
He should be calling shortly, though it’s getting rather late
But there’s not a lot that I can do, so I’ll just sit and wait
A picture of an innocent, face down on the shore
Spoke volumes of his suffering, shocked me to my core
I was saddened, I was angry, I felt a wounded pride
There must be more that God can do, to stem the human tide
If God has got if figured out, if God knows what do to do
Where are His instructions, I want to see them through
Why has He not called me, it’s getting much too late
What am I supposed to do, if not sit here and wait…
Why has He not called me, it’s getting much too late
What am I supposed to do, if not sit here and wait…
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GAZING AT THE PEAK Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I sit gazing here at the peak
All alone on this mountainside
Where the thin air turns a man quite mad
And where countless dreams have died.
You must have gone at the crack of dawn
Descended at breakneck speed
Nothing to say why you left behind
All you would never
All you could ever
All you would never need.
We were set for the summit's height
Each step of our route so well-planned
We chose our goal with open eyes
Knew the risks when we began
Did I do something to break your trust
Or were you filled with fear
Did your footing slip and your soul demand
It can't end now
It can't end here
It can't end now and here.
Won't try to take those last steps
Can't summon much desire
And burdened with this broken heart
I can push myself no higher.
And well I know the climbers' code:
When a soul is lost this high,
He’s left alone to face his fate
To save himself or die.
And so it's time (now) to make my peace
Hope is faint and it's fading fast
I'll light a fire and build a cairn
Count my faint breaths to the last
I'll mention just this one regret -
(I) couldn’t fathom how love could stop
When we were only inches short
Of this great peak
This top of the world
This greatest mountain top.
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GEOMETRY Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I've played fair and square
But I find I’m now snared
In some fiendish triangle
And I’m running scared
The circle is broken
I’m bent out of shape
I’m out of the loop
With no way to escape
We were parallel lines
That never converged
We kept drawing it out
Hoping something emerged
Think outside the box
Keep your eye on the ball
Twist the cube right
Might work after all
I’ve looked at the angles and still cannot find
A form to make sure that our old love would bind
And whatever dimensions our love had before
Let’s try them again before you close the door
I don’t have a compass
I don’t have a plan
Just living through each day
As well as I can
Better solve the equation
Give it one final shot
Come to the point
Or untie the knot
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AS IF TIME Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Dawn breaks. I listen to birds sing.
In awe of the commonplace and all that it has to say.
Light shines. The morning time bells ring,
Calling the faithful ones to come together and pray.
As sure as the sun will rise in the East every day.
I cling to the hope that I too will not fade away.
As if time ... doesn't pass ... for me.
Sun sets. I watch as the fire falls.
In awe of the universe and all that I'll never know.
Night comes. I wait as the dark calls,
And see the star-filled sky light up and quietly glow.
As sure as the sun will set in the West every day.
I cling to the hope that I too will not fade away.
As if time ... doesn't pass ... for me.
Stillness. The roar of my heartbeat.
In awe of the fragile ties that bind me here to this earth.
Silence. My source and my soul meet,
And tell me my passing is as certain as once was my birth.
As sure as the sun comes each morning and leaves every night,
Life is so short I can't make the pretence of a fight,
And claim time ... doesn't pass ... for me.
And as sure as I am that the sun sets and rises each day,
It shows moments so perfect I can only describe them one way.
As if time ... doesn't pass ... for me.
Dawn breaks...
Sun sets...
Silence...
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SLIP AWAY Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
There’s a time for every purpose
And we knew our time had come
We thought that giving peace a chance
Would hush the warriors’ drum
Now our strength is slowly failing
Our ranks are being thinned
We didn’t have the answer
It’s still blowing in the wind
The times they were a-changing
And we could have seized the day
We held the whole world in our hands
And we let it slip away
Have the armed laid down their weapons
Have the greedy learned to share
Have we put an end to misery
Have the odds become more fair
Have we brought the earth a respite
Have the lonely found a friend
We may not like the answer
But there’s no use to pretend
The times they were a-changing
And we could have seized the day
We held the whole world in our hands
And we let it slip away
Were we merely wide-eyed innocents
Too slow to realize
Generations had to pass
Before we’d eye the prize
Did we become distracted
By comfort’s easy charms
And leave ourselves indifferent
To others’ outstretched arms
The times are still a-changing
Let our children seize the day
They hold the whole world in their hands
Don’t let it slip away -- I pray --
Don’t let it slip away!
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OLDER THAN METHUSELAH Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Some say they get tired of their partner,
The mate they have chosen for life,
In sickness, in health, for better or worse
To love as a husband or wife.
But I still love you as much as I first did,
And my vows still feel shiny and new:
I'll be older than Methuselah,
Before I get tired of you.
We've weathered both good times and sad times,
We've sailed in the calm and the rough,
But I've never thought for one minute
To call out "enough is enough!"
I get up every morning, I'm thinking
How to stick by your side close as glue:
I'll be older than Methuselah,
Before I get tired of you.
If I think of a life lived without you
My world would be barren and bare:
How could I break out in laughter;
How could I weep with despair.
To be you I'd need patience like Job had.
To keep me from tearing my hair,
And I'd need all the strength of a Samson
To shoulder the burdens you bear.
I'd have to be wiser than Solomon
To tackle the crises that brew,
And I'll be older than Methuselah,
Before I grow tired of you.
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NO WORDS Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Have you ever been touched,
So gently been touched,
By someone you never thought cared all that much?
No words need be said,
You are spinning a thread,
So strong it will never, ever shred.
And if you said 'yes'
You will do no less
Than weave that thread a hundredfold.
Have you ever been held,
So fiercely been held,
By someone you love and who loves you as well?
No words need explain,
You are forging a chain
So strong it will never break again.
And if you said 'yes',
You will do no less
Than link that chain a thousand-fold.
Have you ever been blessed
So humbly been blessed
To have known a good friend who gave friendship his best
No words need reveal
You are spokes in a wheel
So strong it can hurt more than time can heal
But if you said yes
You can do no less
Than let that wheel turn as it will
(over/at end of line - instrumental of first verse)
. . . spin a thread
. . . link a chain
Though the wheel turns . . again and . . . again
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BIG BOX STORE Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I studied hard at college but by graduation day
All those well-paid, full-time jobs had melted right away
And seein’ as how the factories have moved away offshore
The only place to work now is the big box store
Oh the big box store; the big box store,
It’s with a big box smile they greet you at the door.
Hello to the rich and hello to the poor
vEverybody’s happy at the big box store
I open up my pay-cheque and it barely pays the rent;
Don’t make a living wage ‘cause the money’s always spent
I have to buy the cheap stuff to stretch my dollars more
And so I do my shopping at the big box store
Oh the big box store the big box store,
It’s with a big box smile they greet you at the door.
Hello to the rich and hello to the poor
Everybody’s happy at the big box store
Way deep down, of course, the owners have a heart
For charitable causes they duly play their part
At Christmas time they take in donations for the poor
That wind up with the workers at the big box store
Oh the big box store the big box store,
It’s with a big box smile they greet you at the door.
Hello to the rich and hello to the poor
Everybody’s happy at the big box store
The rich folks seem to think that bargain hunting’s lots of fun.
Ten cents cheaper! The sport has just begun
I’ll show you good old fun like you’ve never seen before
If the union ever makes it to the big box store
Oh the big box store the big box store,
It’s with a big box smile they greet you at the door.
Hello to the rich and hello to the poor
Everybody’s happy at the big box store
(At least the customers are happy at the big box store.)
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A LOT TO DO Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
It must be fifteen years since
We knew each other well
So much has happened in between
The world has gone to hell
Let’s sit down on the back porch
And have ourselves a brew
Because we’ve got
We’ve got a lot
We’ve got a lot of catching up to do
Everything about us
You’d put down and reject
We tried to understand you
You gave us disrespect
But I’m sure from your perspective
The opposite is true
And so we’ve got
We’ve got a lot
We’ve got a lot of matching up to do
Let’s talk it through then leave it in
The past where it belongs
There’s no sense bearing grudges
Or trying to right old wrongs
Let’s put our best foot forward
And build a bond that’s true
Because we’ve got
We’ve got a lot
We’ve got a lot of patching up to do
I’ll store away your old toys
In the attic in a box
Reminds me our relations
Weren’t always on the rocks.
I’ll try a whole lot harder
That I promise you
Because we’ve got
We’ve got a lot
We’ve got a lot of catching up
We’ve got a lot of matching up
We’ve got a lot of patching up …to do.
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EVERY WAKING MINUTE Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
We were married out of high school
For us the stars aligned.
There was never any question
Our fates would be entwined.
We weren't worried we had nothing
We would build it on our own.
Till the afternoon they called to say
She was never coming home.
Sometimes people ask me if I miss her
I feel a pain, I look away and say:
Only every second and every waking minute
Of every single hour of every lonely day.
She'd gone to run an errand
Some groceries at the store;
A moment's inattention
I won't see her any more.
What we thought was something solid
Went up in a puff of smoke
If this is part of God's great plan,
Well, I don't get the joke.
Sometimes people ask me if I miss her
I feel a pain, I look away and say:
Only every second and every waking minute
Of every single hour of every lonely day.
They claim that fate is random
And the chance was very small.
As if that's some consolation
Well, I'm not consoled at all.
They say "put it all behind you,
And make a fresh new start."
But it's not so neat and tidy
When there's a dagger though your heart.
Sometimes people ask me if I miss her
I feel a pain, I look away and say:
Only every second and every waking minute
Of every single hour of every lonely day.
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BROKEN IN TWO Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Heartless, you led me astray
Expecting, you’d drop me some day
You were heartless, the spectacular words from your lips – untrue
Reckless, I followed your trail
Forgetting, my will was so frail
I was reckless, and now I admit that I am broken in two
I surrendered to you once you caught my eye
It could have been hello and goodbye
I was just one of your escapades
While I face those whose trust I betrayed
Ruthless, you didn’t bother to pause
Ignoring, the damage you’d cause
You were ruthless, no thought at all about us - just you
Senseless, I’ve made myself sport
Accepting, I’ll be laughed out of court
I was senseless, and now I confess I am broken in two
Maybe biology makes men the same
But no one but me will shoulder the blame
It’s all my fault I have caused so much pain
No words can ever say what can’t be explained
Hopeless, that’s how I must appear
Unravelling, I shed tear after tear
I’m hopeless, and here I lie, I’m broken in two.
And even as I fall, I hope you might call, and I will see you again.
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LET IT FLOW Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
He went to church and always paid his taxes;
He didn't do a thing to tempt his fate.
You knew that he'd pull through,
There was still so much to do
You didn't see the end until too late.
All of us pass on before we're ready;
All of us will leave some work undone.
However hard we pray,
We'll never find a way
To complete the life another has begun.
You must go, you must go,
Down to where the grieving river flows.
The river's there to share
The pain you try to bear:
So let it flow, let it flow, let it flow.
I shouldn't stand delivering a sermon
I have no right to tell you what to do.
But sometimes if you're near,
he picture's not so clear,
What faces you may just obscure your view.
You're racing round, to keep yourself in motion,
You can't outrun the sorrow in your heart,
But let yourself be still,
Don't fight back with your will
For then the healing in your soul can start.
You must go, you must go,
Down to where the grieving river flows.
The river's there to share
The pain you try to bear:
So let it flow, let it flow, let it flow.
You've done no wrong that calls for your atonement;
No guilt need send you sinking like a stone.
Be a gently falling leaf,
Float on that stream of grief,
Let it carry you to somewhere quite unknown.
If grieving is a river it will move you
Toward the vast horizons of the seas.
Your spirit may just mend,
And who knows -- it may send
You strength to sail away on some fresh breeze.
You must go, you must go,
Down to where the grieving river flows.
The river's there to share
The pain you try to bear:
So let it flow, let it flow, let it flow. Let it flow..
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I BELIEVE IN Words: David Simmonds , © Canada, 2016
My daughter asked me a question
And I gave her some half-baked reply
But I knew she deserved something better than that
So I gave it the old college try:
She'd asked me 'what do you believe in
What principles guide you each day
What sustains you during the darkest of nights
What lights up the uncertain way?'
The question she posed was so simple,
Yet the answer demanded much thought.
I looked back on all that I'd seen and I'd done
And considered all I'd been taught
And I said I believe in the kindness of strangers
And family, neighbours and friends;
I believe in using the love that’s inside us;
I believe we’re all one in the end.
She asked me 'are you not religious
Do you not think that God has a plan
Do you claim to find your soul's inspiration
In the eyes of your fellow man?'
I said I don't know if there's heaven or hell
Or what happens after I die
I’m part of something much bigger than me
And I don't need to understand why
And I do believe in the kindness of strangers
And family, neighbours and friends
I believe in using the love that’s inside us
I believe we’re all one in the end
And though I answered my daughter's question
I’m not sure she was satisfied’
But it’s a question that she has to ask of herself
And find her own answer inside.
And still I believe in the kindness of strangers
And family, neighbours and friends
I believe in using the love that’s inside us
I believe we’re all one in the end
And I also believe in the power of compassion,
Of the need to live and let live;
That these are the gifts that wait deep in the heart
For anyone willing to give.
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THE GIRL IN THE WELLINGTON BOOTS Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
When I was young man so carefree
There were so many girls to embrace:
There was Milly from Hillier, and Tessy from Cressy
And Carla from Carrying Place
But the one who most held my attention
The ripest of all the fine fruits
Was the one whom I chose to propose to
The girl in the wellington boots
Yes, the girl in the wellington boots.
T’was goodbye to Gwen from Glenora
Farewell to Suzanne from Waupoos
My courting days were behind me
I’d fitted my neck in the noose
So the women got out their best dresses
And the men sighed and put on their suits
And one summer day I was hitched to
The girl in the wellington boots
Yes, the girl in the wellington boots.
We were happy as clams at the outset
But the winter stretched out awful long
By the time the ice had all melted
I was certain that something was wrong
Did I somehow make her unhappy
All our talks came apart in disputes
Then one day she said I can’t stand it
And gave me the wellington boot
Yes, she gave me the wellington boot.
“I’m sorry to so disappoint you,” she said,
”But there’s been a slight change of plan.
Now don’t get yourself in a panic;
I’m not chasing some other man
But I’ve chatted with some of your old flames
And come up with a list of recruits
To become a same-gender partner
For this girl with the wellington boots
Yes, this girl with the wellington boots.
And I’ve got some advice for you mister
When you hear it you’ll probably squirm
But the male of the species is useless
Except as a donor of sperm.
If you ever forget to be humble
There’s a fact that no witness refutes
You were ditched by the one you most courted
The girl in the wellington boots.
Yes, the girl in the wellington boots.”
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RHODODENDRONS Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I never took to growing rhododendrons,
Nor a lilac, or a mallow or a rose,
But I'd love it if we found we could work some common ground.
Start a garden, see it blossom, how it grows.
Truth be told, I've no idea how to garden
Never had one to tend of my own,
But if you would take the lead, I will help you plant the seed
Certain we will reap much more than we have sown.
Let me shelter you, let me care for you
Let me be your water, warmth and light
May you take command of my untutored hands,
So beauty fills your days and sleep your nights.
When we're old we will stroll through our creation
And rejoice in our living work of art
We'll recall in the glow where the rhododendrons grow
When you taught me how to garden with the heart.
When we're old we will stroll through our creation
And rejoice in our living work of art
We'll recall in the glow where the rhododendrons grow
When you taught me how to garden with the heart.
Let me shelter you, let me care for you
Let me be your water, warmth and light
May you take command of my untutored hands,
So beauty fills your days and sleep your nights.
Let beauty fill your days, sweet dreams your nights.
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RANDOM ACTS OF CRUELTY Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Some truths we know just by instinct
Some wisdom we gain on our own
Some knowledge we learn from our parents
Some insights must come once we're grown
But sometimes the voice of experience
Doesn't matter a lick
We'll place our tongue on a cold metal pole
Though it's a lead pipe cinch it will stick.
We're pretty well sure of the outcome
If we jump off a ten-storey roof
Common sense suggests we not bother
Obtaining definitive proof.
So why do we need to see for ourselves
How a callous remark we let stray
Will wound like a sword swung in battle with force
Just as sure as night follows day.
They tell us that evolution
Sets humans and primates apart
We put barrels of monkeys in orbit
So heaven knows we are smart
So smart we have started to treat them
As if they were works of fine art:
Random acts of cruelty
That break another one's heart.
Must be something about our genetics
Some logic we simply can't learn
Pour gas on a woodpile and light a match
Then profess some surprise when it burns.
And when our selfish indiscretions
Tear the ones we love like sharp claws
We pretend we're entirely bewildered
When effect is connected to cause.
If those we care for were jewels
We'd not let them shatter in shards
So why forget that the bonds we build
Can collapse like a house of cards.
Seems like we're bent on expanding
That dubious collection of art
Random acts of cruelty
That break another one's heart.
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LASH ME TO THE MAST Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
The Mariners tell lurid tales
Of voices in full bloom
Who'd beckon vessels near to shore
And lure them to their doom
So we made each other pledges:
If resolve does not hold fast
I vowed to take command of you
And lash you to the mast
When we sailed into the ocean storm
You held firm and fast
I was maddened by my weakness
You lashed me to the mast
And only once we landed
And the storm had all blown past
Did I ask myself, well, who is there
To lash you to the mast
If we should put to sea again
How well would I prepare
To guard myself from sirens' songs
That beckon from their lair
Across the many latitudes
And oceans deep and vast
I know that I'd be helpless lest you
Lashed me to the mast
No vessel is too sturdy
To overcome the seas
If they want to take their vengeance
The seas do as they please
No life is so important
To demand that it be saved
While a stronger soul is sacrificed
And tossed into the waves
Your fragile life is worth as much
To you as mine to me
So I must also place myself
At the mercy of the sea
I pray I’ll find the courage
Before time has all but passed
To take the helm myself so I might
Lash you to the mast.
No vessel is too sturdy
To overcome the seas
If they want to take their vengeance
The seas do as they please
No life is so important
To demand that it be saved
While a stronger soul is sacrificed
And tossed into the waves
Odysseus of mythology
Such perils you have braved
While on the raging oceans
How many you have saved.
Who, unsure that their steadfastness,
Would hold until the last
Then followed your bizarre command
To lash you to the mast.
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WASTING MY BREATH Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
I was going to tell you all the things you've ever meant to me
I was going to say I’d perish if you left
I was going to mention everything I've somehow left unsaid
But I guess I’d just be wasting my breath
I was going to change my old self-centered habits just for you
I was going to prove I wasn’t blind and deaf
I was going to make a promise I would surely change my tune
But I guess I’d just be wasting my breath
I don’t care to choose a villain or a victim
I know I’m damaged way beyond repair
It’s not as if I never tried to love you
It isn’t like I never said I care
I won't try to make you see that you'll be lonely on your own
That you'll never find another so bereft
I won't argue we should finish what we started long ago
‘Cause I know I’d just be wasting my breath
I don’t care to choose a villain or a victim
I know I’m damaged way beyond repair
It’s not as if I never tried to love you
It isn’t like I never said I care
I must face up to the fact that you have had your fill of me
Love dies long before a lover’s death
There's no reward in playing out a game that ends one way
So I know I’d just be wasting my breath
I know I’d just be wasting my breath
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TIME TO UP AND LEAVE Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Now I may be a simple soul,
But don't mark me as a fool.
I know love can shed its kindness
And turn into something cruel.
I may not be the smartest
But don't think that I'm naïve
When the trust has all departed,
Then it's time to up and leave.
I don't rush into decisions
I hate causing any pain
But what we had has vanished
And won't come back again.
And I may not be religious,
But I know what I believe:
There's a time that calls for staying
And a time to up and leave.
I don't like confrontations
I don't like to scream and shout.
So don't rage at me for saying:
"This is it! I'm getting out!"
I'm not trying to take advantage,
This is difficult enough,
But I've come to my decision,
Though the going may get rough.
I don't have much education
But there're lessons I have learned:
Though a fire may not be blazing
It can leave you scarred and burned
You might have held me spellbound
Now you've no tricks up your sleeve.
But the magic has all ended,
And it's time to up and leave.
Yes, I may be a simple soul,
But don't mark me as a fool.
I know love can shed its kindness
And turn into something cruel.
I may not be the smartest
But don't think that I'm naïve
When the trust has all departed,
Then it's time to up and leave.
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MAKING MY PEACE Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Grey fills the sky;
Clouds scurry by,
Anxious to arrive where they'll be blown.
Still in my chair;
Quiet cloaks the air,
Time to make my peace with being alone.
Memories appear;
Unordered yet clear,
Stir feelings I have never quite outgrown.
But I'm ready to face,
I've come to the right place,
Where I make my peace with being alone.
I've made it too hard
To let down my guard
And give my thoughts the liberty to roam;
I hand them the keys;
Let them go where they please,
I will make my peace with being alone.
Calm bathes my soul;
My spirit feels whole,
Puts me at an ease I've never known.
Freed of my fear;
Answers come clear,
I may find my peace with being alone.
Unlock the gate;
Trust all to fate,
I'll accept the outcome once the dice are thrown.
My mind wanders free;
Its universe to see,
I begin to make my peace with being alone.
Calm bathes my soul;
My spirit feels whole,
Puts me at an ease I've never known.
Freed of my fear;
Answers dome clear,
I may find my peace with being alone.
I've made it too hard
To let down my guard
And give my thoughts the liberty to roam;
I hand them the keys;
Let them go where they please,
I will make my peace with being alone. (2 X)
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HALF MEASURES Words: David Simmonds, © Canada, 2016
Some would say the glass is sitting there half empty,
Others say No, no, no, you mean half full.
It is wearing pretty thin,
Like angels on a pin,
The whole debate's a useless batch of bull.
'Cause you don't know when the man will tap your shoulder
And say 'I'm sorry pal it's time for you to stop.
And I'll bet right then you'll find
The question on your mind
Is: did I drain my glass of every drop?
No I don't have much patience with half measures
Why the hell keep holding something in reserve?
If you're in you go full tilt,
And live it to the hilt:
You mostly get the life that you deserve.
'Cause you don't know when the man will tap your shoulder
And say 'I'm sorry pal it's time for you to stop.
And I'll bet right then you'll find
The question on your mind
Is: did I drain my glass of every drop?
You don't take a half-baked bread out of your oven
It's the same with any plans you don't think through.
If you've got some clever scheme,
It is not enough to dream;
But give it all you've got, it might come true.
'Cause you don't know when the man will tap your shoulder
And say 'I'm sorry pal it's time for you to stop.
And I'll bet right then you'll find
The question on your mind
Is: did I drain my glass of every drop?
If you're going to be a buddy be a good one
'Cause the payback's worth the effort in the end.
If you give with half your heart,
You are doomed right from the start
And the pain from your regret may never mend.
'Cause you don't know when the man will tap your shoulder
And say 'I'm sorry pal it's time for you to stop.
And I'll bet right then you'll find
The question on your mind
Is: did I drain my glass of every drop?
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