Welcome to my Lyrics Page

Below are the lyrics to many of my original compositions.
Click here for ordering information.
It takes One
Our Planet Earth
Smiles
Come to the Sea
Alive
Songs from Mini CD “Hope Road”
Hope Road
Walls Divide
Raise Your Voice (collaboration with Pete Seeger)
America – To Me
Alison (collaboration with Joe Grant)
Violets
Somewhere in the Middle

We Can Change
Soon We Will Have Peace (international version)
Songs to be included in CD “Skies Unite” (to come)

Walls Divide (see CD “Hope Road”)
My Greatest Victory
Blinded By His Eyes
Sixteen Boys (Dear Adolf)

Some Kind of Hero
Raise Your Voice
(German version)
Nie Mehr Krieg (German version of War No More)
Not yet posted::
Soon We Will Have Peace
(German Version)
Hope Sleeps  (by John Flynn – about Anne Frank)
Green and Red (about war refugees – to come)

Songs from Mini CD “Visualize Peace!”
To John
The Dark Before the Dawn
Let the River Flow
Congratulations
She Sees God
Living in Paradise
Soon We Will Have Peace
Additional songs to be included in full-length version of
“Visualize Peace!” (to come)
Pray for Annie
We Are One
Find a Way
(collaboration with Becky Raveson)
War No More
Each One – Reach One (collaboration with Joe Ford)
Songs From the CD "Love Matters"
The Time is Now
Dance Away From Me
Check the Box !
(Questionnaire of Love)
Land of Love
The Real Thing
Don't You Wish We Can Get Away?
Only a Phone Call Away
Ticket to Knoxville
Don't Give up on Love
Too Soon
Love Matters
Chrome, Crystal and Glass
Songs from the CD "Tribute to the World Trade Center"
We Will Always Remember You
Poetry in Stone
Other
Waiting for Winter
Thank You
Chase the Butterfly
Take it Back
America fuer - mich
Over the Rainbow
Keep Singing
Busy
The Day our Children Died
Why
My Human Mother
Softly, Gently
Under 21
The Real World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope Road

It’s my favorite hangout
On the edge of this town.
Folks there take you as you are
And no one puts you down.

It’s a place where I find friends,
A place that’s right for me
And when the day ends
It’s where I like to be – it’s –

Hope Road,
That’s where you’ll find me – on –
Hope Road,
Follow the sign.
Right between the Parkway and the township line  - is –
Hope Road – hmmmm.

I pass abandoned houses,
Mansions for the rich  
A couple of churches,
A railroad and a mall,

Houses for seniors,
A school for the kids –
And I say to myself,
‘This place has it all – it’s –

Hope Road
That’s where I want to be – on
Hope Road
Maybe I’ll see you there –
Somewhere in the middle between heaven and despair is –
Hope Road – hmmm .

Sometimes I want to get away to some other place around town
But when I return, I know  why I stick around – on –

Hope Road
That’s where you’ll find me – on
Hope Road
Follow the sign
Right between the Parkway and the township line – is –
Hope Road.

Hope Road
That’s where I want to be – on
Hope Road
Maybe I’ll see you there –
Somewhere in the middle between heaven and despair is –
Hope Road – meet me there.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Walls Divide

A mother climbed a pedestal
To hold up her newborn child,
Waving to grandpa two blocks away
On the other side.

Skies unite, walls divide my home.
Skies unite, walls divide.  My home is on the other side.

A Wall was built in 1961
Of concrete and of stone,
Cutting through rivers, houses and streets,
Through families and homes.

Too many had tried to flee to freedom
From East to West Berlin,
So a Wall was built to keep some people out,
But mostly to keep people in.

Skies unite, walls divide my home.
Skies unite, walls divide.  My home is on the other side.

We watched the news:  They put up bricks
So high, they blocked out the sun.
They bricked every curtain, every door
And on rooftops were soldiers with guns.

Those with friends across the street,
They stood around and cried,
And those who tried to run for freedom
Were gunned down and left to die.

Skies unite, walls divide my home.
Skies unite, walls divide.  My home is on the other side.

God gave us land, gave us free will,
We could chose and decide.
We came up with land mines and barbed wire
To cut apart and divide.

In November 1989,
Freedom was on the rise.
We watched bulldozers on the news.
We couldn’t believe our eyes.

We took our hammers.  We were determined.
We gave our neighbors a call.
We hardly made a dent, but this was our chance
To make the Wall fall.

Skies unite, walls divide my home.
Skies unite, walls divide.  My home is on the other side.
   [voiceover:  Let freedom ring – for the other side]

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

My Greatest Victory
(dedicated to Max Schmeling, the gentleman who lost to Joe Louis)

I fought a good fight,
I won in the past.
I fought a good fight,
But what stands out the most:
My greatest victory
Was the fight that I lost.

Madison Square Garden roared with the sound
When Joe knocked me out in the very first round.
I didn’t want to lose that day,
But there was no other way.

An hour before we started the fight
I received a telegram, “I know you’ll do right.
You’ll be my next Champion of the World.”
Signed “Adolf.”  I hated each word.

I fought a good fight,
I won in the past.
I fought a good fight,
But what stands out the most:
My greatest victory
Was the fight that I lost.

I was lucky to return from the Eastern front,
Where Hitler sent me because I hadn’t won.
But Coca Cola didn’t care.
Endorsements made me a millionaire.

One day I heard on the late night show
The IRS was looking for Joe.
I boarded a plane. – I looked him up
And the money I’d earned helped him back up.

I fought a good fight,
I won in the past.
I fought a good fight,
But what stands out the most:
My greatest victory
Was the fight that I lost.

Joe and I remained friends.
Who is to say
We both didn’t win
Against Hitler that day.

I fought a good fight,
I won in the past.
I fought a good fight,
But what stands out the most:
My greatest victory
Was the fight that I lost.

© 2006 Heldt 

Back to Lyric Index

Blinded by His Eyes

He spoke of glory.
He spoke of country.
He spoke of more.
He spoke of virtue,
Of getting even,
But the power and the glory that he was about
Was about War.

They were blinded by his eyes,
Blinded by his lies,
Blinded by the promises he kept
And those he broke.
They were blinded by his eyes,
Blinded by his lies.
They choked on his game,
Ran into the flame,
Blinded by his eyes.

He mesmerized them,
Made them feel special,
The lonely and wretched
In the crowds he drew.
He gave them all the things they needed
He gave them more
Than they had before,
Than they ever knew.

They were blinded by his eyes,
Blinded by his lies,
Blinded by the promises he kept
And those he broke.
They were blinded by his eyes,
Blinded by his lies.
They choked on his game,
Ran into the flame,
Blinded by his eyes.

And when he shot himself – it stopped the way he lied,
But before he was done – our home was gone – and
50 million died.

They were blinded by his eyes,
Blinded by his lies,
Blinded by the promises he kept
And those he broke.
They were blinded by his eyes,
Blinded by his lies.
They choked on his game,
Ran into the flame,
Blinded by his eyes.

© 2006 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index  

Raise Your Voice
(Pete Seeger may have been cleaning his desk,
when he found the beginnings of this song
that someone gave him to finish about fifty years ago. 
I eagerly completed it, and Pete corrected my first version.)


Raise your voice, baby,
Raise your voice.
For the true and the right
Raise your voice.
Don’t you stay silent.
You have a choice.
Raise your voice, baby,
Raise your voice.

Baby sleep,
Grow big and strong,
Learn how to tell
The right from wrong.

Learn you can take
Most things in stride,
Learn, at times
You have to fight.

Raise your voice, then,
Raise your voice.
For the true and the right
Raise your voice.
Don’t you stay silent
You have a choice.
Raise your voice, baby,
Raise your voice.

Schlafe ein, mein Kind,
schlaf’ ein,
lern’ ruhig und fleißig
zu sein.

Doch sei gewahr:
irgendwann
Gibt es Zeiten,
Wenn man nicht still sein kann.

Laß deine Stimme dann hör’n,
laß’ dich hör’n.
Ist die Wahrheit in Gefahr
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.
Wenn uns Lügen
die Zukunft zerstör’n
sprich dich aus, mein Kind,
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.

Sag deine Meinung
dann und wann.

Und du wirst sehn,
daß sich vieles ändern kann.

Laß deine Stimme hör’n,
laß’ dich hör’n.
Ist die Wahrheit in Gefahr
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.
Wenn uns Lügen
die Zukunft zerstör’n
sprich dich aus, mein Kind,
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.

(English lyrics – second verse and bridge:)

May you sleep,
But not too long.
Too much in life
Can go too wrong.

And if the wrong
Is the bosses’ rule
Learn, they won’t teach that
In the bosses’ school.

Raise your voice, then,
Raise your voice.
For the true and the right
Raise your voice.
Don’t you stay silent.
You have a choice.
Raise your voice, baby,
Raise your voice.

Even when all your friends
Say you’re wrong,
Take a stand.
Be strong !

Raise your voice, baby,
Raise your voice.
For the true and the right
Raise your voice.
Don’t you stay silent.
You have a choice.
Raise your voice, baby,
Raise your voice.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

America – To Me

Fresh steps in the snow,
No one’s watching as I come and go.
Not a house anywhere, not a car
As far as I can see,
That’s America – America – America – to me.

Majestic forests, shells at the ocean,
Mountains so tall and deserts that sprawl,
Lands that we preserved
Now belong to you and me.
That’s America – America – America – to me.
That’s America – America – America – to me.

Somewhere someone’s playing music,
Someone’s planting a tree,
Someone’s flying a model airplane,
Someone’s dreaming a dream.
That’s America – America – America – to me.
That’s America – America – America – to me.

Fresh steps in the snow,
Birds and deer are watching as I go.
I walk along and I see:
The things that matter are still here - for you and me
And they’re still free.
That’s America – America – America – to me.
That’s America – America – America – to me.
That’s America – America – America – to me.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Alison
(a collaboration with Joe Grant,
co-founder of the Canadian band Tanglefoot)

My dog, Charley
Is howling in the night.
He doesn’t know what’s coming down,
Something isn’t right.
He doesn’t know there’s a War going on.
All he knows:
Alison is gone.

Alison, Alison
Why did you have to go?
Alison, Alison
I didn’t know
My words didn’t reach you,
My life didn’t teach you,
My message of Peace faded too soon.
I’m barking at the moon.

Alison, your beautiful voice
Rang into the sky.
Alison, you’re now in Iraq,
But your still a child.
Charley knows me, he senses my fear.
He pushes his nose into me,
Wishing you were here.

Alison, Alison
Why did you have to go?
Alison, Alison
How was I to know
I’m barking at the moon.

This world has gone crazy,
They’re marching in unison.
They’ve taken Charley’s best friend - Alison.
And we’re barking at the moon.

Alison, Alison
Why did you have to go?
Alison, Alison
I didn’t know . . .

© 2005 Grant - Heldt

Back to Lyric Index  

Violets

She's watering violets,
One - two - three - four.
She's watering violets,
Five, six, more and more.

She was sixteen,
She loved her job.
She liked to work with kids.
She taught them how to carve a tree,
Taught them how to knit.
But then the boys were called away,
Each one in his turn.
She knitted them socks,
She prayed for them.
Most did not return.

And she's watering violets,
One - two - three - four.
She's watering violets,
But it won't stop the war.

At twenty she had to leave her home.
Soon it was to burn.
[erase this space]

She locked the door,
She took her bike.
Never to return.
Hundreds of miles away from home
She tried to settle down.
But refugees are never welcome
In any kind of town.

Now she's watering violets
One - two - three - four.
She's watering violets,
But she can't forget the war.

She sneaks into the market dump,
She takes them out, without noise.
"I can't let them die in there
Like all those beautiful boys."
And she's telling her daughter,
"Take a stand on war, be strong,
So you won't end up wondering,
'Where on earth did we go wrong?' "

While-watering violets,
One - two - three - four.
She's watering violets,
Five - six - more and more.
She's watering violets,
Violets she rescued before.
She's watering violets,
So she can forget the war.

She's watering violets.

Back to Lyric Index  

Somewhere in the Middle

Truth is black,
Truth is white,
Truth is wrong,
Truth is right.
Truth is as clear as a mountain stream,
Truth is a riddle.
Truth is where we find it,
Somewhere in the middle.

I want to paint in black and white,
But I’m seeing shades of gray.
I want to find tomorrow,
But I’m dealing mostly with yesterday.
I want to sing for Peace and Love,
I want to right what’s wrong.
I want to find what is true,
Though I knew it all along:

Truth is black
Truth is white,
Truth is wrong,
Truth is right.

Truth is as clear as a mountain stream,
Truth is a riddle.

Truth is where we find it,

Somewhere in the middle.

I want to solve all problems
Of my neighbors, of the world.
But as I solve just one of them,
Others are unfurled.
I want to stand for Peace and Love,
But the words all come out wrong.
I want to find what is real,
Though I knew it all along:

Truth is black
Truth is white,
Truth is wrong,
Truth is right.

Truth is as clear as a mountain stream,
Truth is a riddle.
Truth is where we find it,

Somewhere in the middle.

Truth is black
Truth is white,
Truth is wrong,
Truth is right.

Truth is as clear as a mountain stream,
Truth is a riddle.

Truth is where we find it,
Somewhere in the middle.

Back to Lyric Index

We Can Change

It’s a strange, strange world:
Windmills are back,

The Germans aren’t fighting,
The best man in golf is black.
French accuse Americans
Of being aloof.
It all stands to prove:

We can change – hmmm -
We can change – hmmm -
Everything in life
Can be changed or rearranged.
We can change our circumstances,
We can change what we believe
If we only believe
We can change.

It’s a strange, strange world.
Look how far we’ve come:
We can harvest power
Directly from the sun.
Fighting for oil
Will be so last-century.
Sunshine is free, and

We can change – hmmm -
We can change – hmmm -
Everything in life
Can be changed or rearranged.
We can change our circumstances,
We can change what we believe
If we only believe
We can change.

Wouldn’t it be stranger still
If we really liked each other
If we could see everyone
Is our sister, our brother, but

That can change – hmmm – cause
We can change – hmmm -
Everything in life
Can be changed or rearranged.

We can change our circumstances,
We can change what we believe
If we only believe
We can change.

© 2006 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Soon We Will Have Peace (international version)

Soon we will have Peace
Soon we will have Peace
Soon we will have Peace
In a world of Peace.

(Hebrew by Jakob Balshan:)
Bemhera yavo Shalom x 3
Beolam shel Shalom.

(Arabic by Siham Alfred:)

An Kareeb Sannanamu BiSalam x 3
Fi ALamus Salam.

(Spanish b Michelle Weinstat:)

Pronto vamos tener la paz x 3
En el mundo de Paz.

(French by William DuAime:)

Tout le monde aim la Paix x 3
Bientot on aura la Paix.

(Mandarin Chinese by Amy Lee Segami:)

War-mun yao war-pin x 3
J’eye ee-gore war-pin shee-J’air.

Peace begins when we visualize it.
Peace begins when we realize
We can change, we can understand.
We can reach out to our fellow man
In every land

(German by my Dad:)

Bald wird Friede sein x 3
in der ganzen Welt.

In a world of Peace.

© 2006 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index


Some Kind of Hero

Carl was working for the railroad.
One day he had a date.
He didn't have a way to get there,
But he didn't want to be late.

Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei
You could hear the good people of Zeven say.
He hi-jacked a train, o dear, no
He married the lady, go, Carl, go.
He's a little different, don't you know,
He's some kind of hero.

Carl's no longer with the railroad,
Drives a taxi cab in town.
Drove a wedding party to the river,
But the ferry wasn't around.

Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei
You could hear the good people of Zeven say.
He drove them in the river, o dear, no
Then he pulled them all out, go, Carl, go.
He's a little different, don't you know,
He's some kind of hero.

Winds of change blew over Zeven,
Over all of Germany
First they came to burn the Temple,
Then for Max Wolff's family.

When they broke into their front door
They found an empty home
And no one noticed a taxicab
Speeding through the night, alone.

Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei
There were only whispers in Zeven that day.
While a ship left for Columbia
With the Wolffs who got away.
Times are different, go, Carl, go,
Who would have thought of Carl as a hero?

Winds of change kept on blowing
Towards different, better days.
But, for Carl, times got harder
No one needed jokes or play.

He failed at most things good people do
He's now in his grave, you know.
Said, "I can't do good for anyone,
It's my time to go."
He was a little different, so they say
When they talk about him to this day.
But in my book
Different is okay.

Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei
You still hear the people of Zeven say.
He hi-jacked a train, o dear, no
He drove into the river, go, Carl, go.
He was a little different . . .

And, Papa, may I tell you so
You still are
My kind of hero.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index  

Laß deine Stimme hör’n
(German version of “Raise Your Voice”)

Laß deine Stimme hör’n,
laß’ dich hör’n.
Ist die Wahrheit in Gefahr
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.
Wenn uns Lügen
die Zukunft zerstör’n
sprich dich aus, mein Kind,
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.

Schlafe ein, mein Kind,
schlaf’ ein,
lern’ ruhig und fleißig
zu sein.

Doch sei gewahr:
irgendwann
Gibt es Zeiten,
Wenn man nicht still sein kann.

Laß deine Stimme dann hör’n,
laß’ dich hör’n.
Ist die Wahrheit in Gefahr
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.
Wenn uns Lügen
die Zukunft zerstör’n
sprich dich aus, mein Kind,
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.

Schlafe ein, mein Kind,
schlaf’ ein,
lern’ ruhig und fleißig
zu sein.

Doch sei gewahr:
wenn die Regierung sich verfährt,
Daß man’s nicht
In der Schule erfährt.

Laß deine Stimme dann hör’n,
laß’ dich hör’n.
Ist die Wahrheit in Gefahr
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.
Wenn uns Lügen
die Zukunft zerstör’n
sprich dich aus, mein Kind,
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.

Sag deine Meinung
dann und wann.

Und du wirst sehn,
daß sich vieles ändern kann.

Laß deine Stimme hör’n,
laß’ dich hör’n.
Ist die Wahrheit in Gefahr
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.
Wenn uns Lügen
die Zukunft zerstör’n
sprich dich aus, mein Kind,
laß’ deine Stimme hör’n.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Sixteen Boys  (Dear Adolf)

Adolf, this War is almost over,
So you called me back today
To defend our Capital
That’s been almost blown away.

The streets I loved are soaked with blood,
My tank is a burned-out shell.
My buddy’s hollow eyes are staring
Into a bombed-out hell.

You’ve taken these children from their schools
To fight this battle for you.
You gave them praise and iron crosses,
But talk is cheap and metal too,

Sixteen boys and one bazooka   This isn’t the way to fight a war.
Maybe this nightmare will be over if we can last one night more.
Sixteen boys have sixteen mothers, and if I can do just one thing right
Sixteen mothers will hold their boys, we’ll make it through the night.

Adolf, I called you the Prince of Peace
Back in ‘38,
While you got rid of those against your War
And those who wanted to wait.

You could have been a great World Leader
If you‘d stopped after giving us jobs and dignity.
Instead, millions of mothers
Will now curse you in eternity.

I’m hiding with those boys in an alley now,
While the world is bursting at its seams,
And while you’ve crept into your cellar of cement,
Spinning drug-crazed dreams.

Sixteen boys and one bazooka.  This isn’t the way to fight a war.
Maybe this nightmare will be over if we can last one night more.
Sixteen boys have sixteen mothers and if I can do just one thing right
Sixteen mothers will hold their boys, we’ll make it through the night.

I’ve been shot – they may find me and take the boys.
Then there’s one more thing I’ll have to do:
I am saving this last weapon I’ll ever bear –
Dear Adolf - - - it’s for you.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Soon We Will Have Peace
(a chant - multi-language version - please see English version)

{My Dad shouted this across the street in Germany
in 1945 and was arrested for it}

Soon We Will Have Peace
Soon We Will Have Peace
Soon We Will Have Peace
In a World of Peace.

Bald wird Frieden sein
Bald wird Frieden sein
Bald wird Frieden sein
in der ganzen Welt

{I thought the French verse should say something about love:}

Tout le monde aim la Paix.
Tout le monde aim la Paix.
Tout le monde aim la Paix.
Bientot on aura la Paix.

{to be continued –
I hope to have the song translated into many more languages.
Please contact me if you can help me to do that:}

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Nie Mehr Krieg
(German version of “War No More”)

Wenn man es nur am Bildschirm sieht
Und nicht im Schuβfeld steht.

Nie mehr Krieg
Stimm dagegen
Nie mehr Krieg

Wir woll'n
Nie mehr Krieg.
Wir woll'n leben.
Wir sagen laut und klar:
Nie mehr Krieg,
Wir wählen
Nie mehr Krieg,
Wir zählen
Wir woll'n
Nie mehr Krieg.

Wir haben andere Kriege erlebt,
Haben zerstörte Menschen geseh'n,
Dachten, wir hätten dazugelernt,
Dachten, es würde nie mehr geschehn.

Es ist leicht, auf sein Recht zu steh'n,
Nur bei andren Fehler zu seh'n.
Die Wirklichkeit sieht anders aus:
Frieden beginnt zu Haus.

Nie mehr Krieg
Stimm dagegen
Nie mehr Krieg
Wir woll'n
Nie mehr Krieg
Wir woll'n leben
Wir sagen laut und klar:

Nie mehr Krieg,
Wir wählen
Nie mehr Krieg,
Wir zählen
Wir woll'n
Nie mehr Krieg.

Lieber Gott, ich danke für die Frist,
Die unser Planet noch bewohnbar ist.


© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

We Are One

We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One).
We are One in Spirit,
We are One (We are One).
Every person is my sister.
Every person is my brother.
We were born to love each other,
We are One (We are One).

Once I took a piece of paper.
I cut five holes into it.
I stuck my fingers through it
And looked at what I’d done:

Each finger seemed to move about
Independently
And I had to remind myself
They’re one - cause

We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One),
One in Spirit,
We are One , yes

We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One),
One in Spirit,
We are One.

Once I visited a friend
Who was fighting with his brother
’Cause the other had a different way
Of seeing right or wrong.

And I hoped and I prayed
They’d talk with each other,
They’d come to realize
They are one – cause
We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One),
One in Spirit,
We are One , yes

We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One),
One in Spirit,
We are One.

I kept thinking what would happen
If we looked past right or wrong.
If we saw it is our differences that attract,
If we saw it is our differences that connect,
If we saw it is our differences that make us strong
As One – Cause

We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One),
One in Spirit,
We are One , yes

We are One (We are One),
We are One (We are One),
One in Spirit,
We are One.

And we are One in Spirit,
We are One.

© 2005 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Find A Way

When I think about this world
And how I’d like it to be.
I dream everybody
Lives in peace and in dignity.

I dream lions and lambs
Are friends.
And the whole world understands:


Some day we’ll find a way
Some day we’ll find a way
Some day we’ll find a way
To live in Peace.

The future seems so far away – I hope I’ll see the day.

Then I look around me and
I know there’s work we have to do
When It’s easier to love some stranger
Than a neighbor who’s not kind to you.

Before this world ends
Make amends.
Turn enemies into friends.

Some day we’ll find a way
Some day we’ll find a way
Some day we’ll find a way
To live in Peace.

And when your neighbor seems lost in the dark
Maybe we can help – make a start

Some day we’ll find a way
Some day we’ll find a way
Some day we’ll find a way
To live in Peace.

Peace begins – we all know it must
In each and every one of us.

© 2005 Raveson - Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Each One – Reach One

Ocean to ocean
There's a feeling in the air:
We can make a change,
We can light a flame.

Call from the mountains:
Now is the time
To reach out beyond ourselves,
People - you and I.

Light a fire that burns forever,
Send a message to be heard:
Each one - reach one
All around!

Send love to all the nations,
A message to be heard
Each one - reach one
All around the world.

When I read the faces,
When I listen well
I hear so many stories
Each has to tell.

Hands are reaching out for me
In every crowd.
Reach out - all around,
Let’s sing out loud:

Light a fire that burns forever,
Send a message to be heard:
Each one - reach one
All around!

Send love to all the nations,
A message to be heard.
Each one - reach one
All around the world.

Ocean to ocean
There's a feeling in the air:
We can make a difference,
We must be heard.

© 2005 Ford - Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

To John
(The first song I wrote)

Chrome and crystal, wood and glass,
A view of the city is what you have won.
Prison or castle, peace or harassment
What does it all mean to you, John?

When you were young, you dreamed of a ranch.
You took long walks with the air on your face.
You wanted to work only for one small branch
Of this firm that now holds you in tight embrace.

Where is the beauty of starry nights?
Do you still see them, do you find the time?
Or has the glitter of smaller lights
Blinded your eyes to their peaceful shine.

Do you remember the way that we said
We'd run this world if it were in our hands?
Now that you take home those five-digit checks
Are you still the same person as when you made one tenth?

Is the reformer still in you?
Do you still desire to right the wrong?
Or is the Lincoln now all you pursue?
Your home in the suburbs, has it changed your song?

Please understand:  I cannot be
The way you wanted me to become.
I see many a day to be lived yet by me
On a path that's slower and that I walk alone.

Chrome and crystal, wood and glass,
A view of the city is what you have won.
Prison or castle, peace or harassment ,
What does it all mean to you – John?

© 1974 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

The Dark Before the Dawn

Come in out of the night
Where shadows are around you.
Come in out of the night
Where fears and doubt surround you.

We'll line up your teardrops on the mantle piece,
We'll place them there with kindness.
We'll take our time until they've all
Turned into diamonds.

You know that the night won't last forever.
Remember when you long for the sun
Soon it will be morning.
It's the dark before the dawn.

Come in out of the pain,
We'll leave the problems behind us.
Come in out of the pain,
We'll be where fears and doubt won't find us.

The winds rush around, they turn into storms,
We know we can hide here.
We'll light up a fire to keep us warm,
Safely inside here.

The winter never lasts forever.
Remember when you long for the sun
Soon it will be springtime,
It's just the dark before the dawn.

Our friendship can grow
While the night feels so long.
In the dark before the dawn.

© 2004 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Let the River Flow

When I was a child
I drank from our River,
Waded in its currents,
My face to the sun.

When I was a child
I watched from the railroad bridge,
Lost track of the hours
As I let the River run.

Let the River flow,
To the horizon.
Let the River flow,
Keep it ebbing and rising.
Let the River flow
To feed our creation.
Let it nourish our dreams,
Make our crops grow.
Let the River flow.

Before I left home
I said goodbye to my River,
But the smell in the air
Showed something had died.

Our dairy was replaced by
Fromm’s Rubber Factory,
And the Northern Milk Plant,
And the waters were white.

Let the River flow,
To the horizon.
Let the River flow,
Keep it ebbing and rising.
Let the River flow
To feed our creation.
Let it nourish our dreams,
Make our crops grow.
Let the River flow.

 It took many dead fish,
Many new mayors,
Many petitions
And people's complaints.

But now, when I visit
I can sit on my railroad bridge
Though I wouldn't drink the waters
They look clean again.

Let the River flow,
To the horizon.
Let the River flow,
Keep it ebbing and rising.
Let the River flow
To feed our creation.
Let it nourish our dreams,
Make our crops grow.
Let the River flow.

© 2004 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

She Sees God
(For Sr. Mary Rose of Covenant House)

She sees God
In their faces,
She feels the universe
When she holds their hands.
She sees God
When she puts her arms around them.
No matter how it ends,
She's there for them.
She sees God.

She helps young runaways,
Her name is Mary Rose:
Her door is always open
For those who need her most.

She goes to find them in the streets,
She'll meet them at the bus
Before the pimps can get to them
She'll gather the lost.

They come by the dozen,
They come one by one.
Knowing they'll find a bed
And something like a home.

They come for a night,
They come for a day,
For a week, for a month,
Knowing they can stay cause

She sees God
In their faces,
She feels the universe
When she holds their hands.
She sees God
When she puts her arms around them.
No matter how it ends,
She's there for them.
She sees God.

One day a lady
Walked in with a beautiful child,
Handed her some money,
"I'll have more for you in a while.

Remember me, t'was Christmas,
I was pregnant in the street.
Here's now a little boy
I want you to meet.

He sees love
In everything.
It's because of you
We're now safe."

She sees God
In their faces,
She feels the universe
When she holds their hands.
She sees God
When she puts her arms around them.
No matter how it ends,
She's there for them.
She lights a candle,
She sees God.
She sees God.

© 2003 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Poetry in Stone

Towers so perfect,
Beacons of sight,
Simple and brilliant
Majesty in white.

Gentler than lovers,
A groom and a bride,
Everyday cathedral
Reaching to the light.

They shaped our horizon,
They welcomed us home.
All of that has changed now,
Our innocence is gone.

They were poetry in steel,
Poetry in Stone.
How can we believe they're really gone?

I swear I still see them
On foggy days.
I feel their spirit
Reaching through the haze.

We mourn our loved ones,
Our daughter, our son.
We can't be the same again,
Our children are gone.

They were poetry in steel,
Poetry in Stone.
How can we believe they're really gone?

Senseless the hatred,
Nothing was won.
The world came together,
But our towers are gone.

They were poetry in steel,
Poetry in Stone.


© 2001 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Check the Box !
(Questionnaire of Love)

I haven't been dating much this year,
But I have a great idea:

I've been working on a Questionnaire of Love,
Please fill in all the answers.
Cause you're the one I'm always thinking of
And I've got to know my chances.
So, please tell me
Would you rather be:

(a)        On the Nile - chased by a crocodile?
(b)        In a tent - cause you couldn't pay the rent? 
(c)        In despair - with a game of Solitaire? 
(d)        Would you like to be - with me? 

Lalala lalala lalala - Check the box! 
Lalala lalala lalala - A - B - C ! 
Lalala lalala lalala - Be with me! 
Lalala lalala lalala.

Here it is, my Questionnaire of Love:
Take a pencil and get ready.
Tell me I'm the one you're thinking of
And you'd like to be my steady.
So please tell me
Would you rather be:

(a)        On a pleasure trip - to the Vegas strip 
            Losing all your dough - in a single throw? 
(b)        In a sauna - where it's very hot, 
            When you want to leave - the door is stuck? 
(c)        On a picture trip - through the Sahara 
            When the camel ate - your camera? 
(d)        Would you like to be - with me? 

Lalala lalala lalala - Check the box! 
Lalala lalala lalala - A - B - C ! 
Lalala lalala lalala - Be with me! 
Lalala lalala lalala 

Check "d" - Be with me! Check "d" - Be with me! 
Check "d" - Be with me! Check "d"!
Check "d" - Be with me! Check "d" - Be with me! 
Check "d" - Be with me! Check "d"!

Would you rather be:

(a)        In a snowstorm - on a mountain slope 
            With a broken leg - and a broken rope? 
(b)        Flying to Quebec - on a jumbo jet, 
            Instead being hijacked - to Tibet? 
(c)        Alone with the woman - of your dreams; 
            She takes one look at you - and screams? 
(d)        Would you like to be - with me? 

Lalala lalala lalala - Check the box! 
Lalala lalala lalala - A - B - C ! 
Lalala lalala lalala - Be with me! 
Lalala lalala lalala. 
 

© 2001 Fairweather-Heldt-Raveson

Back to Lyric Index

Dance Away From Me

The sun is rising,
People are drifting away,
Going home after a night on the town.
You and I dance as lovers,
But I know there's another,
And the music has a haunting melody
As I watch you
Dance away from me.

How many times I've told you,
"You and I are free."
But it wasn't real then, like tonight.
Now I want to hold you,
So I don't have to see
You dance away,
Dance away from me.

Always together,
I thought I knew you so well,
Thought I always listened
And that nothing was wrong.
Now it seems I haven't heard
What you’ve told me without words.
I've lost you, it's so plain to see:
I watch you
Dance away from me.

How many times I've told you … [repeat chorus]

Dance away, dance away, dance away, you're free.
You dance away,
Dance away from me

© 2003 Fairweather-Heldt-Raveson

Back to Lyric Index

Land of Love

I live in a box with a lock on a mound of stone.
I talk to a box and I knock, but there's no one home.

Lose myself in a haze,
As I watch people walking through space,

Reaching, searching to belong,
Knowing only that something is wrong.

There's a Land of Love,
I'm dreaming -

I dream of a
Land of Love.
Of living in a
Land of Love.

I'm seeking a smile for a while in my perfect world.
I'm leaving behind in my mind every care and hurt.

Life is kind and I belong
And I find that nothing is wrong.

I find diamonds in the dirt,
I find answers in places that hurt.

There's a Land of Love,
I'm dreaming -

I dream of a
Land of Love.
Of living in a
Land of Love


© 2001 Ford-Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Chrome, Crystal and Glass

You run the scene,
Calm and serene,
You have such style and such flair.

Who could ignore
The sign on your door?
You've earned your place way up there.

Day after day there's so much to do.
So many eyes look up to you.
They see

Chrome, Crystal and Glass,
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.
Night after night
A thousand lights show your
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.

Now you're alone.
It's time to go home,
Time to unwind, to be free.

But work is still there
And you really care.
Worries will not let you be.

Even at night you're still in this place,
Moving and planning, how can you find space?
You see

Chrome, Crystal and Glass,
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.
Night after night
A thousand lights show your
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.

Once there were dreams,
Now it just seems
Even the best dreams can change.
Once you and I
Reached for the sky,
Now we feel distant and strange.

You said should you die there'd be plenty there
Who'd say how they loved you and say how they cared,
But who would miss a friend?
I miss a friend
When I see

Chrome, Crystal and Glass,
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.
I see them at night
A million lights from your
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.

Chrome, Crystal and Glass,
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.
Night after night
I see those lights from your
Chrome, Crystal and Glass.

© 2001 Heldt-Raveson

Back to Lyric Index

Only a Phone Call Away

It's the time now:
I wish you all the best.
I say goodbye now and
Hope that you'll be blessed.
I will miss you,
I'll wonder where you'll be.
Kiss me goodbye now,
I'll try not to cry.

You've been a friend,
You've never let me down
Through good and hard times
You've always stuck around.
Please remember,
Now or any day:
I'm only a phone call away.

This is your chance now,
Though it takes you away.
It would be foolish
To ask you to stay.
When you're out there
Please don't forget one thing:
If you're in a bind,
You know where to find love.

You've been a friend,
You've never let me down.
Through good and hard times
You've kept my feet on the ground.
Please remember
Now or any day:
I'm only a phone call away.

No matter where you are,
No matter what you do,
My door is always open to you.

So it's goodbye now,
I wish you all the best.
I know I'll miss you,
I hope that you'll be blessed.

Please remember:
You can come back to stay.
I'm only a phone call away.


© 2001 Heldt-Raveson

Back to Lyric Index

Ticket to Knoxville

Aunt Hilda's house on Chestnut Street was painted blue and white.
Her Caddy was ancient as the Smokies, where we'd go and ride.
She'd stop to show me field hawks gliding in the skies
But then we moved and I said through the tears in my eyes:

I'll buy a Ticket to Knoxville,
I'll find a way.
I'’ll buy a Ticket to Knoxville
As soon as I can take a day.
I promise you I'll be there, I'll save some money, you'll see,
Then I'll buy that ticket and visit you in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Soon I started working, but not in Tennessee.
Love changed all my plans around, I started a family.
We worked and watched our baby, we couldn’t get away,
So for Aunt Hilda's birthday I called to say:

I'll buy a Ticket to Knoxville … [repeat chorus]

Finally I found the time, our little girl was three.
I called Aunt Hilda's number, her neighbor answered me:
"I'm so sorry to tell you - your aunt just passed away.
She used to be so proud of you.  She'd talk of you all day."

And I knew right there and then:  From now on
I'll make time for those I love before they're gone.

I bought that Ticket to Knoxville.
I managed to get away.
Somehow I found the money,
But it wasn't how I'd dreamed that day.
Hawks flew over Chestnut Street for my little girl to see,
But I wish she'd met Aunt Hilda in Knoxville, Tennessee.


© 2001 - Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

The Real Thing

Too many numbers,
Too many tasks,
Too many nights of lonely hopes,
Too many masks,
Too many bargains found along the way,
Bargains distract, they please you for a day.
And still you don't see what it was
That you lost

The real thing,
You didn't understand
The real thing,
You held it in your hand.
You looked and it as something
From another day.
The real thing
Slipped away.

The clock is ticking
And a day isn't long.
You try to make good plans,
But some things turn out wrong.
Your calendar pages are running out of room.
You try to find time for those you love,
But time flies by so soon.
And still you don't see when it was
That you lost

The real thing,
You didn't understand
The real thing,
You held it in your hand.
You looked at as something
From another day
The real thing
Slipped away.

Ever since you left me I've been alone
All those times without your love, still it lingers on - and on -

The real thing,
I didn't understand
The real thing,
I held it in my hand
I looked at it as something
For another day.
The real thing
Slipped away.


© 2001 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Congratulations

Your light used to be on late every night,
The only one on the block.
You worked and worked to get it right.
Nothing could make you stop.

Now that you've made it, everyone cheers.
Your life has changed overnight.
But I know how hard you've worked
To make this come out right.

Congratulations,
You've done it.
You're gonna make it to the top.
Congratulations,
You're living your dream.
Nothing can stop you now,
Take a bow,
Congratulations!

You've made your mark, you've reached your goal,
You know you've finally won.
You didn't listen to those who gave up,
Who told you it couldn't be done.

Now that you're on top of the world,
You're the hero of the day.
Now that the hard times are over and done,
There's one thing left to say:

Congratulations,
You've done it.
You're gonna make it to the top.
Congratulations,
You're living your dream.
Nothing can stop you now,
Take a bow,
Congratulations!

Keep up the good work, don't you slow down.
And count me in to cheer for you all over town.

Congratulations,
You've done it.
You're gonna make it to the top.
Congratulations,
You're living your dream.
Nothing can stop you now,
Take a bow,
Congratulations!

© 2001 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Love Matters

Jimmy was a troubled child,
But Kathy didn't give up.
She taught him Math, she set him goals,
She never, never stopped.
"Get real," Jimmy said, "Math isn't with it.
It don't matter in the world we're in."
But Kathy kept teaching-
Hoping-
Praying to reach him better.
When someone asked what keeps her going,
She simply said, "It matters."

"Love Matters
Now more than ever.
Love Matters,
Love can bind our world together.
Some say it's hopeless,
It's a war that can't be won,
But if we take care of the small things
Big things can be done.
Love Matters."

She made him pick up the bottles and papers
He threw down in the hall.
He grumbled, "She always picks on me,
She's the meanest of them all."
But the scores came in and Jimmy's were better,
Than those from the right side of town.
While Kathy kept teaching-
Hoping-
Praying to reach him better.
At his graduation he understood
Why she said, "It matters."

"Love Matters
Now more than ever.
Love Matters,
Love can bind our world together.
Some say it's hopeless,
It's a war that can't be won,
But if we take care of the small things
Big things can be done.
Love Matters."

Jimmy's in charge now, he manages a store,
He handles his life like never before.
When Kathy was praised, she smiled and said,
"I just did my job."

"Love Matters
Now more than ever.
Love Matters,
Love can bind our world together.
Some say it's hopeless,
It's a war that can't be won,
But if we take care of the small things
Big things can be done.
Love Matters."

© 2001 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

We Will Always Remember You

The skies had seldom been so bright,
The flowers bloomed purple, yellow and white.
But on the horizon a cloud loomed grey.
Our steps were slow as we went on our way.

We silently walked up a hill
The sights in the distance are with us still:
We looked for the towers, enveloped by haze
Two columns of smoke had taken their place.

The truth sank in, yet it didn't seem true.
And our thoughts were with you.

We will always remember you,
We will always remember you.
We will never forget that day in September,
The day we lost you.
We will always remember you.

We tried to call, but the lines were down.
The news showed destruction all around.
We cried and prayed they'd find you alive,
But the day went on, the evening arrived,

And then the night when we hardly slept,
And another day that we hoped and wept.
On the third day we still wished and prayed,
But then came the rain, and it seemed too late.

Still the heroes searched on, they rescued a few.
They were looking for you.

We will always remember you,
We will always remember you.
We will carry on for the red - white and blue.
But it's not the same without you.
We will always remember you.


© 2001 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

The Time is Now

I'll have time for love some day,
When the bills are paid
And my life is back on track.
I'll have time to listen some day.
I'll make up for the things I'm missing,
I'll let love in.

And the quiet voice is hard to hear,
The voice that says, "The time is here."
It's whispered from the start,

"Let go, child,
The time is now.
Let go, child.
Let go and let me
Touch your heart."

I will make my fortune some day,
My life will change,
I'll turn it all around.
I will write my story some day.
I'll live to see my time of glory,
I'll find myself.

And the quiet voice is hard to hear … [repeat chorus]

Some day we'll call these our good old days.
We rush to get them over and done.
There'll be time to long for them
After they're gone.

And the quiet voice will still be there,
Whispering, "The time is here,"
It's been there from the start,

"Let go, child ..."


© 2001 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Don't You Wish We Could Get Away?

Why don't you come and stay,
Spend the rest of the day.
I have some wine, bring lots of time.
Don't you wish we could get away?
Discover the unknown, a paradise of our own.
Leave all behind, tell me what's on your mind.
Don't you wish we could get away?

We can sail on the ocean, dance in the rain.
We can make our own heaven,
You'll be glad that you came!

Let's play without a care with the wind in our hair.
Then we'll make love, moonlight above.
Don't you wish we could get away?

We can float on a moonbeam's silvery light.
Count the stars all around us,
I can love you all night!

Why don't you come with me,
Life is easy and free.
Find paradise in each other's eyes.
Don't you wish we could get away?

Come, let's try to get away
And maybe fall in love today.

© 2001 HELDT - RAVESON

Back to Lyric Index

Don't Give Up On Love

It's not right:  You've thought of him all day.
Your life hasn't been easy.  Your Dad has gone away.
Please hang in there.  Call when you need a friend.
I know this is hard for you.  I'll try to understand.

Don't give up on love
Cause you're lonely and you're scared.
Your Mom & Dad love you, I know they still care.
Don't give up on love
When everything goes wrong.
People called grown-up don't always get along.
Don't give up on love,
Don't give up.

I know you called him to talk on the phone.
He didn't have time for you, he wasn't alone.
It's hard to believe they don't love you any less
When they're the ones who've put you
Into this kind of mess.

Don't give up on love ... [repeat chorus]

I feel for you, I've been there too.
But you're wiser than your parents now,
Somehow you'll make it through.
Don't give up on love ... [repeat chorus] 

© 2001 HELDT

Back to Lyric Index

Too Soon

You walked away like any other day.
You promised, "I'll call you, I'll see you soon."
I asked you to stay, but you went on your way,
Never a burden, you just left the room.

You must have known when you said goodnight
That, for me, the time could never be right.
You must have known when you left the room
You were leaving me - Too soon.

I know you've gone to a place that's kind,
But it's hard for me, I'm left behind.
And though your love is with me all the time,
That doesn't stop the pain in my mind.

You must have known when you said goodbye
I'd be missing you, I'd be left to cry.
You must have known what you've meant to me
You were leaving me - Too soon.

I know you're still with me.  One day I'll wake to see:
You're waving across the room, smiling my way.

And I'll know it's you, and I will run to you,
Knowing it's not -
Too soon.

© 2001 HELDT

Back to Lyric Index

War No More

As I lay me down to sleep
I pray to the Lord Peace to keep.

While men with clean desks
Solve their problems creating a mess,
We, the people, live the day by day.
Now we say:

War no more -
We won't take it.
War no more -
Let's have
War no more -
We won't make it.
We make our voices heard:

War no more -
We won't let it.
War no more -
We've had it.
We want
War no more.

We've seen the faces of faces of other wars,
Seen people’s houses blown away.
We've seen the scars of the ones that returned,
Watched the living dead, day by day.

[Alternate verse:
I’ve seen the faces of World War II
Our house was partly blown away.
I’ve seen the scars of the ones that returned.
Walked with the living dead, day by day.]

When those men with neat lives
Solve their problems making others fight,
They make it sound so dignified.
That doesn't make it right.

War no more -
We won't take it.
War no more -
Let's have
War no more -
We won't make it.
We make our voices heard:

War no more -
We won't let it.
War no more -
We've had it.
We want
War no more.

As I lay me down to sleep
I pray to the Lord
Our planet to keep.

© 2002 Heldt

Back to Lyric Index

Living in Paradise

[Intro chant:]
Our planet is blue, our planet is green,
Our planet is the brightest you've ever seen.

Our planet is so cool, it really is hot -
It gives us everything it's got.

We're living in paradise.
Tell the leaders of every nation:
We can start today,