OUT THE DOOR

written 7/3/2004

“The idea for this song was derived by a producer I met from Harlem, NY. He wanted me to write lyrics to one of his tracks about the strength it would take to let someone walk out the door without begging them back.”

It never occurred to me that we were
Headed toward the possibility of being just friends
But lately all we seem to do is argue
It’s almost like we’re supposed to
Time and time again
You think I’m taking you for granted
When all I’m trying to do is let the situation breathe
On it’s own
See I realize the fact that there are gonna be times
When we may not see eye to eye
But baby don’t walk away, don’t walk out that door

CHORUS:
If u have the strength to walk out that door
No I don’t want you back
If u have the strength to walk out that door
There’s no more us
If u have the strength to walk out that door
Said I don’t want you back
If u have the strength to walk out that door

Love can be so complicated
Doesn’t matter how many times you say it
It’s always hard to prove it’s true
Looking back on when we first met
Kissing as we watched the sunset
Girl what happened to me and you?
I’m not taking you for granted
All I’m trying to do is let the situation breathe
On its own
See I realize the fact that there are
Gonna be times when we may not see eye to eye
But baby don’t walk away, don’t walk out that door
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Baby if u leave me now I won’t be shedding no tears (x2)
Don’t expect me to chase u down begging you to stay
When you’re the one that wants to walk away
If I gotta carry on without you girl
You’re gonna regret it someday
CHORUS

WORST CASE SCENARIO

written 08/26/2007

“Written with Emilio Cueto, this one was special because we literally wrote the whole song as it came to us on the fly. He jammed the chords on the guitar as I sang the words I was feeling inside.

After five years and 90 days
You packed your things into your car and said you had to get away
And oh, I can’t seem to understand
See I assumed you were coming back
Cause I’m a man and yeah we think like that
I can’t explain the way it felt when I realized you were leaving me
CHORUS:
It hurts my soul to let u go and I don’t know
How you dealt with all the shit I put you through
Now I’m living in the worst case scenario
I never did the things you liked, a selfish fool
It serves me right, I could have been with you
Now I’m swimming in the worst case scenario

It ain’t easy when you find yourself
In the clearance aisle on the bottom shelf
Of a heart that used to be the reason life was oh so beautiful
Do you feel my pain, do you care at all
Did you break my heart to watch the pieces fall
I know I did you wrong, but if you hear this song you know that…
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Why’d you go and do it baby?
Take your pictures off the wall cause I…
CHORUS

SPEAK NOW

written 2/13/2009

“Upon hearing the news that she was engaged…”

I wish she had told me to fasten my seatbelt
The moment when she felt that we were
Headed toward an emergency landing
Maybe then I could’ve broken the fall
Instead she said nothing, went cowardly running
I guess that it’s something she does
When the going gets tough, it don’t matter enough
To explain herself to someone she loves
And people grow tired of hearing her name
And how I’m the one, the one to blame
For losing a woman as wholesome as her
But am I really to blame or is it the same
The burden we carry that goes unexplained
She wanted a ring, I wanted the fame
And they ask, would I do it again if I could
Maybe I should go get her back but is that what’s good
For us both in the end when it’s all said and done
I’m gonna find someone better
CHORUS:
Speak now or forever hold a piece of my heart
I hope you know what to say when they get
To the part where he asks if you do
Will you really go through with it, baby?
And I know you’re gonna look so beautiful on that day
The day when you’re given away to another man
But I’ll understand cause I still love you
Go ahead now and say ‘I do’

I bet you didn’t know that your friends called me
Cause they’re concerned that you’re not genuinely
Happy with him, they can tell you pretend
Cause you just wanna believe that you’ve found
The life you wanna live but really ain’t nothing changed
The cast is different but we know the story’s the same
So cliché how so many end up this way
And we don’t even talk anymore but I know
When you’re lying in bed next to him
And the thought of me enters your head
That your heart beats a little bit faster
CHORUS

LOST & FOUND

written 01/14/2001

“I was trying to find an eloquent way of expressing my internal hardships though I knew my complaints were ludicrous amidst the deeper problems of the world.”

I feel like getting lost
In solitude, and clear my mind
I really can’t complain, but
Relatively speaking I’m in pain
CHORUS 1:
I feel like getting lost
Take only my ambitions on my back
I feel like getting out
And leaving all my issues in the past
I wanna settle down
But only after everything’s complete
I wanna get around
And see as far as I can see, just…
CHORUS 2:
Lose, lose, lose myself
Amidst this rush of life
Breathe, breathe, until every
Breath I take stands for good and right

Sift and filter all that is unclear, until
Certainty’s all that remains
I really can’t be blamed, when I
Distance myself from what seems the same
CHORUS 1:
CHORUS 2:
BRIDGE
Hold on tight, until
I reach the sea, until
I find the peace in me
I’ve thrown stones, and I’ve
Made ripples dance and play
Now it’s time to make the waves
Crash in
CHORUS 1
CHORUS 2

FORECAST SKIES OF GREY

written 4/27/2008

“Being broken hearted in Los Angeles, CA ain’t so bad due to the abundance of beautiful distractions. This song graphically depicts the promiscuity I indulged in following my break up.”

Sitting in my apartment all alone here in the summer heat
Makes for a good time to call you over
So u show up at my door wearing your sun dress
You know I like it when you wear your hair down
So we gon’ turn off the fans
And we gon’ make it hot in here
Cause I wanna get it on with you
Oh how it glistens on your face, makes me erase
All the bullshit on my mind
Only your sweet caress to blame
We don’t gotta say a word, just let our bodies do the talking now
Ain’t gotta worry bout me, cause I’m focused on you
Would u mind if I go down? Tell me do u mind if I go down?
PRE CHORUS 1:
I was gon’ hip u to my past, but nights like this don’t seem to last
When I open my mouth to find it’s connected to my brain
Look at my face and then forget me, cause kissing my lips
Will evidently start with pleasure and end with pain
CHORUS:
All my leaves fall down as they take their journey floating to the ground
All my feelings change as u try to rearrange the way
That I live my life and you’re caught between the seasons of me
And I’m sorry for it, but u can’t predict my weather
Forecast skies of grey with sunshine penetrating any day
Rainfall in the west, but overcast would probably say it best
When it comes to my heart

Sitting in my apartment all alone here in the winter cold
Sounds like a good time to call you over
So u show up at my door wearing your tight coat
You know I like it when you wear your nails dark baby
So we gon’ turn up the heat and we gon’ make it hot in here
Cause I wanna get it on with you now
Oh how you adjust to my pace, make me erase
All the bullshit on my mind
Only the tattoo on the back of your neck to blame
We don’t gotta say a word, just let our bodies do the talking now
Ain’t gotta worry bout mine, cause I’m gon’ get u yours
Would you mind if I touched you there, can I pull your hair?
Tell me do you mind if I go down
PRE CHORUS 2:
I was gon’ hip u to her smile, cause frankly baby it’s been a while
Since I opened up and told somebody how I feel
Look at my face and then remember, that kissing my lips could
Lead to danger, stab my wounds they will not heal
CHORUS

Sitting in my apartment all alone here in the spring time air
Makes for a good time to say don’t come round here no more

COMMUNICATION

written 5/30/2000

“When I made the decision to pursue music as a career, I felt I didn’t have the support of my immediate family and in turn examined our individual relationships with a magnifying glass. It should be said that they are very supportive of my music now and for that I’m extremely thankful!”

We say ‘I love you’ casually
It may be understood but if we can’t express
Tell me what’s the good
Now that it’s gone so far we feel the point
Of no return exists, but we ain’t trying very hard
Let’s get real here for once
Somebody’s gotta break the ice
Try to find the world that lies below
The boundary of this frozen surface
Hear me for once and realize this boy’s become a man
Taking on each challenge strong
Praying you will understand
CHORUS:
Mama, I wish that you could know my pain
So I could cry to you
Seems like you’re too far away
Father, I really wanna bridge this sea
That lies between us now
And reunite the root and tree
Sister, I used to think we’d never stray
But something happened here
And I accept part of the blame
Sister, we used to be the best of friends
And I apologize, I could’ve watched over you better then

Communication joins us with a link
As thin as thread, but we’re not the first
It’s obvious we can converse
Scream and holler
And even myself and I can’t
Break this habit of resent if all remains unsaid
So let me simply get along
Cause I ain’t harming no one and stop
Worrying about me
I just wanna sing my songs
Music flows through every vein in blood
The same as your own
Show me you have faith in me
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Tell me why we can’t communicate
CHORUS

COFFEE IN BRAZIL

written 11/19/2001

“The music I wrote for this song was originally spawned from a Bossa Nova drum beat, native of Brazil. So, with that in mind, I allowed my imagination to run wild and it led me to a beautiful girl drinking coffee in a magnificent setting.”

Would’ve never thought her to be the kind of girl
To move so quietly, yet shine so brightly in return
Would’ve thought she didn’t care
Threw caution in the air
By the way she dressed, caressed herself while sitting there
She had eyes like diamonds
With a soul to bare the pain
Sex like weapons, though I’m just imagining
CHORUS:
Even if I turn away forever
I’d still see her face with every breath I take
Even if I walked away without her
She’d still be with me every step
Even if it’s all a dream, it’s my reality
And I’ll choose to stay awake or stay asleep
Even if it all goes down, I know yet and still
That I saw Heaven drinking coffee in Brazil

Would’ve never thought her the aggressor
But it became so plainly evident when she sat next to me
Would’ve thought it a mistake, she’d laugh and walk away
But instead gave me her address, a time, and a note said ‘don’t be late’
With her eyes like diamonds
And a smile to ease it all
Love like oceans
No telling how deep one could fall
Chorus

I USED TO KNOW A GIRL

written 01/02/2008

“I sat down with my guitar, alone in my living room with the lights off, and with no hesitation starting playing the pattern that would become the backdrop for this song. Then I started humming the melody along with the words ‘I used to know a girl’. It was one of those divine moments that every songwriter experiences when a song somehow writes itself effortlessly.”

I used to know a girl who love to stay in bed all day
Especially when it rained, and she’d touch my skin
And I’d kiss her face
But where has she gone, gone away to now
I used to know a girl who cried when she heard sad love songs
And she knew all the words to every one I had wrote for her
Well this is another for you to learn
CHORUS:
I wonder if she can still picture my face
Or am I a memory scorned and erased
Will she remember the moments we shared
And will she care anymore

I used to know a girl who wanted to be by my side
Even when the odds were stacked up against us she’d be there
I can’t seem to find her anywhere
I used to know a girl who spoke in her sleep while I lay awake
And nothing in the world makes better sense now that she’s gone
Now I understand every word she said
CHORUS
Would you recognize me if I showed up at your door
Could we find the words to say anymore
I used to know a girl who missed me when I was gone away…

ONLY LOVE COULD BE SO CRUEL

written 9/25/2008

“I saw a picture of my ex with another man just 3 months after we’d broken up…”

I can safely say the worst day of my life
Was when I saw her with another man
Standing where I used to stand
Next to her, having fun, I thought she was my one
Tell me what have I done to lose her love
I thought that we were indelible that’s why I wrote
From my heart that song for u
Turns out that I was wrong for u
And we didn’t turn out to be the model for this love
We thought we were
CHORUS:
It’s not so sad in retrospect
Cause you were only everything I ever wanted
This can’t be real I tell myself again
Only love could be so cruel

If pictures speak a thousand words then tears fall down
From what they’ve heard, when they heard every word
I can’t bring myself to find the breath that fills my chest
With emptiness, as I’m shattered and cold on the floor
And I called my sister cause I needed someone to
Tell me everything would be alright
She said it’s gonna take some time
I feel, I feel so devastated by you, I don’t know what to do
CHORUS
How could u just move on so quickly without me?
Did u hear me I said, how could u just move on
So quickly without me
And u want me to forgive u now
But I cannot cause I don’t know how
To love u any less than I do right now

SIRENS

written 10/27/2008

“I met a woman who was taken…as in married. Her smile was electric and she had a radiance about her. I was so tired of writing songs about my ex at the time, and she inspired me to write about love again…even if it was forbidden.”

If I was to steal you away
I know exactly what I would do
If I was to steal you away
It only gets more complicated
I don’t know where it would lead
If only we could take it there
My eyes wandered, caught you dancing
In the corner of the room
I can only stare back at you through
Glass I cannot break
One cannot compare the mesmerizing
Contours of your shape
CHORUS:
Run into the field, blindfolds on our eyes
Maybe we could see each other better
The truth we can’t disguise
Head across the shore
Jump into the deepest water
Only if you wanna fall in love

If I was to steal you away
I’d take you farther than your
Wildest dreams
If I was to steal you away
I’d do my best to leave you breathless
We both know, but we don’t really wanna say
The words that congregate inside our minds
It’s been a while since I let a smile undo
My core demeanor
I can only stare back at you
With fever and desire
Somehow what’s forbidden captures our attention
And dares us to conspire
CHORUS

SHAKESPEARE

written 5/01/2008

“Throughout this song, I question my life… where it’s been, where it is, and where it’s going. The uncertainty I was feeling, coupled with the turmoil of a broken heart also prompted me to issue a warning to all women seeking my commitment in the near and/or distant future.”

I take myself too seriously most of the time
When I’m thinking on my feet
I got no answers to my questions but
Questions seem to answer the echoes of the life
I’m trying to lead
And everybody wants to know what it is that
Draws another close to them
And everybody wants to know what it is that
Makes one fall in love with them
PRE CHORUS:
In my better judgment I seen brighter days
And brighter days are yet to come
No more waking up on my kitchen floor
Cause I ain’t got time for none of that no more

CHORUS:
Oh love if u find me first and I’m not ready to concede
Or give u everything u need, just walk away
I know it’s tragic but if you chose to stay
We’re gonna have to call it Shakespeare and I
Don’t wanna see the curtains fall what would it solve
To know that all of this was make believe, oh Love
If u find me first and I look challenging to u
Listen to me now, now, now

Sometimes I feel so undiscovered
Tell me what will it take to make it on my own?
With all this useful information
From various occasions, all of which
Comprise of my life
And everybody wants to know exactly when it’s gonna come
Come to them
Well me, I realize that I’m the type who seeks to find
What I desire

PRE CHORUS
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Is it only me or do streets aligned with trees
That form a canopy with sunlight penetrating thru the leaves
Make u feel good
Makes me feel good
If you look down at the pavement as u walk along the way
You’ll see a puzzle made from pieces of the sunshine and the shade

No more thinking I’m the only one
Cause everybody gotta overcome
CHORUS

I take myself too seriously most of the time

LET YOU GO

written (6/08/2007)

“I was still in love, but I’d become complacent in the relationship and unable to recognize her unhappiness. She wanted to take a break and spend the summer with her family. I wrote this 2 weeks before she left, disbelieving it was the end of us, but deep down, aware of the possibility.”


We did not know each other when she believed in unicorns
And I believed in Superman
But here we stand again in our innocence
She’s like the sand slipping thru my fingers
And I can’t make a fist in time to hold onto one grain
Even castles wash away eventually
CHORUS:
I wish that I could erase my memory
Then all you’d be, then all you’d be is
The greatest thing that never happened in my life
And I don’t wanna let u go
I’m not ready for a girl like you

I used to think I was a man of my word
Promises I made and never kept
Said I’d give you the world, but you deserve much more
And love is an endless abyss of which the sweetest part is the fall
I wish that we could jump and never land at all
Suspended in moments that leave us speechless, and honest, and real
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
As far as I can see, it’s only you and me
Such is this life, so beautiful and so cruel
So back to the board I go and hope
To draw myself kissing your lips again, can we pretend
And can we dream the way children do

If I could replace all the memories with you and me
Then all you’d be, then all you’d be is
The greatest thing that ever happened in my life
And I don’t wanna let u go
Cause I’ll never find a girl like you
If I let u go, if I let u go
Repeat Chorus

LAST WORDS

written 12/19/2007

"Angry with myself for not being able to get over her faster, I tried to finalize my emotions by closing the book on us.”

If the sound of my voice does nothing more for u
If u look in my eyes and you can’t tell the truth
If I say I love you and you don’t feel it too
I guess that it’s time I moved on now, moved on
CHORUS:
This is me letting you go
This is me, and these are the last words
I’ll ever sing to u

You were my best friend
I know you through and through
You were the last piece of me I ever thought I’d lose
Revealed all my failures
And left me here to bleed
The dagger runs deeper and deeper
With every word we speak
CHORUS