1) Fall By The Grace Of You ©Don Bray2005
There's mud on the carpet from the dog in the yard
She’s digging up T-bones working so hard
Unlike me in my kitchen old coffee grounds
My dirty dishes and no one around to see me
Fall by the grace of you
I Fall by the grace of you

There's rain on the windows a chill in the air
I’m hiding out here going nowhere
While the geese in the sky make a run for the south
Singing old goose songs but no sound from my mouth
As I fall by the grace of you
I Fall by the grace of you

There's wood on the woodpile for me to chop through
I make excuses yeah that's what I do
As the hours turn to days turn to months turn to years
Me in my kitchen nursing these fears
As I fall by the grace of you
I Fall by the grace of you

2) Damn The Torpedoes ©Don Bray/Sept 2007
I’ve been trying to tidy up
It’s not as neat as it looks
Clean this dust off these cheap old frames
On these pictures you took

It’s great to see them in autumn light
Sad the things you can find
Look this one has my eyes closed tight
It’s no wonder I’m blind
And I’m blind but

CHO: Damn the torpedoes I’m going anyway
  Shoot me straight
  I will not stray

I’ve been thinking I’ll change my name
Maybe something that sounds
Like cold wind on a stormy day
Kicking gray clouds around

I’ve been trying to change my ways
See me pacing the floor
Made an art of these empty days
My old shoes by the door
And I’m lost but

CHO:

3)Meany And The Sailor Boy ©Don Bray/2005
Meany met a sailor boy on his day off his day off
Bumped into him by the liquor store liquor store
And man it was so beautiful they fell in love fell in love
The sun it rose an set upon their shore

That sailor of the sea he was a lovely man lovely man
He looked at Meany like she was the goddess she’d become
He saw inside her lovely eyes a treasure there treasure there
And ain’t it perfect when we love someone

CHO: And she tried to be strong when his ship sailed away
  And he promised her he would return
  The promise held no water
  It was very clear very soon
  The sailor was AWOL when his ship came in

Meany is a patient girl she spent her time spent her time
Dreaming about subs and masts and cannons in the night
And every morning when she woke she called his name called his name
A lonely Meany is a sad sad sight

CHO:

Some men search for treasure on the open sea open sea
And some prefer to never set their foot upon a ship
Some men hold the answer to their very dreams very dreams
And watch it slip between there fingertips

CHO:

4) Shadows ©Paul Court2005
Naked and bloodied blinded by light
Slapped on the ass by a man in a mask
Then cut from the source of all that there is
Carried off and scraped by a stranger
You’re finally laid on a salty breast
Your heartbeat marches with hers again
The whole world is wishing you well
And it’s a tiny rehearsal for hell

Stiff in your new clothes it happens once more
Torn from your home and put in a room
And the things that they tell you don’t make any sense
How could the sun be the centre
But by quarter to four you’re back from the war
Perhaps is was just a bad dream
Awake or asleep oh why can’t you tell
And it’s a tiny rehearsal for hell

Thirteen floors up now no windows to speak of
You push papers from there to here
And your every idea is shot to the ground
Or stolen by someone upstairs
But by prime time you sit on your favourite chair
And you sip from some rosy glasses
You buy everything they’re trying to sell
And it’s a tiny rehearsal for hell

BRIDGE: Shadows we are and like shadows depart
  But we travel we dance and we play
  We mingle with shadows of friends and of lovers
  Till we quietly find our own way

Your family’s gathered the scent of some flowers
Bring memories you can’t hold off
But willingness guides you ‘cause where there are shadows
You’re certain there must be a light
And your tiny rehearsals are all but behind you
The curtain stays down those lights they won’t blind you
And in the wings your maker will find you

5) Taxi Moon And I ©Don Bray/2006
I hold the door the evening was grand
I kiss her goodbye him I shake his hand

And I see her face as she turns around
I wave at their taxi as it goes uptown

I Look at the moon she never lies
Three of a kind once taxi moon and I

CHO: With the ebb and flow the come and go
  The to and fro the pull of life’s traffic
  The left behind the leaving when we go

That constant Moon she sees it all
The love of the moment and the moment’s fall

The taxi and I we leave the scene
But I won’t come back to this fine place I’ve been

CHO:

The moon will remain and I hear her say
The taxi will pick up anyone who’ll pay

6) All The Stars ©Don Bray/2007
There was no mention that stars would shine
It took me by surprise
Nobody told me the wind would blow
Your love into my eyes

There was no warning that you might be
Standing by the punch
And who knew a dress could sing
I didn’t have a hunch

CHO: I was mistaken about my heart
  You had it fooled right from the start
  And all the stars in that whole sky
  Couldn’t shine their light on me
  Not a one could help me see

There was no premonition no danger sign
I was in the dark
No hairs on the back of my neck standing up for me
No dog began to bark

BRIDGE: Some yellow tape would have been nice
  Some big red truck with some big red flashing lights
  Or some deranged individual telling me my end was nigh
  I had no idea this pig was going to fly

There was no flashlight silhouetting me
No one reading me my rights
Step away from the Woman it’s plain to see
She’s had her way with you tonight

CHO:

Holy Moley you we’re the star who dazzled me

7) I Will Not Hold On ©Don Bray/2006
In these ever-changing days the winter slips away
The ice turns into water remembering old ways
The sun hangs out for longer and temperatures rise
This Blue Jay by my window is sounding snows demise

CHO: Every day comes quicker than the one before
  Every day must soon enough be gone
  Every day is a treasure that we have in store
  Every day every day I will not hold on

My dog is getting slower longer in the tooth
If I told you I wont miss her it wouldn’t be the truth
You may ask about the owner well I’m really just like her
My eyes are getting cloudy and I’ve lost a lot of fur

CHO:

  I have plans to let it go
  Soon as I remember

In these ever changing times we tread a fine line
Between wanting what’s ahead and forgetting what’s behind
From the crying of my daughter the first day that we met
To the passing of her father there’s much to be done yet

CHO:

8) Fry Me A Sliver©Don Bray/2002
Instrumental with Dave Clarke

9)IF I HAD A PRAYER ©Don Bray2005
If I had a prayer
I’d get down on my knees right there
And arrange so life is always fair
If I had a prayer

If I just believed
I’m sure the truth would come to me
And life would unfold easily
If I just believed

CHO: When I get my choice
  I’ll sing with some other voice
  One that only chooses to rejoice

If I could just see
I’d lead us all to safety
The path would be so clear and free
If I could just see

If I had a plan
We’d escape into some promised land
With a language even I could understand
If I had a plan

CHO:

If I had a prayer
I’d pray until we all had our share
And hope was practiced everywhere
If I had a prayer

10) ALL YOUR LOVE©DON BRAY/2007
I remember you as a gentle girl
Questioning the whole wide world
I always answered if I knew
Though it rarely seemed enough for you
The demons that I held inside
Have finally come to claim my pride
And all your love has slipped away

I raised you to be good and true
So here you are girl just look at you
I couldn’t be a prouder man
You say your piece you take your stand
Now that I have dropped the ball
You’ve seen how far the weak can fall
And all your love has slipped away

I wanted you to take your space
To walk your way with strength and grace
I don’t know how it came to be
Burdened by the likes of me
Now that we are face to face
With my dark side and sad disgrace
All your love has slipped away

I’m sorry that I broke your heart
And let slip this whole ugly part
I will always want the best for you
May all your other dreams come true
And I’ll get by with what I have
These memories of an errant Dad
When all your love
Has slipped away

11) DOMESTICITY BLUES ©Don Bray/1998
When I get up in the morning
Gonna go down to the laundry mat (repeat)
I’m gonna wash your darks gonna wash your lights
Gonna wash your things keep me up all night
When I get up in the morning
Gonna go down to the laundry mat

When I’m finished with the laundry
Gonna hang your linen out to dry (repeat)
If the neighbours like what the neighbours see
Tough luck honey it’s just for me
When I’m finished with the laundry
Gonna hang your linen up to dry

CHO: Some men balk at domesticity
  They say doing dishes just don’t speak to me
  But I say here I am I’m waiting patiently
  To do your laundry

  Everybody sees me baby walking down the street
  All that they can do is turn away
‘Cuz they know that it’s hopeless
  And there’s nothing they can do
  When they see a boy who’s struck this way

When you hold the door open
We’ll be turning down the thermostat (repeat)
Though it might seem cold in your lingerie
I’m sure they’ll keep us hot all day
When you hold the door open
We’ll be turning down the thermostat

CHO:

12) I WILL NEVER FORGET ©Don Bray/April 2006
In the school gym we were dancing
I was feeling no harm
Being the luckiest boy in the high school
I had you on my arm
Your dress I remember it was white it was woven
You gathered me into your net
I couldn’t believe you chose to be there with me
I will never forget.

In the school gym we were dancing
You were holding my hand
You as cool as the night air outside
Me just trying to be a man
And the way that you smelled was a song to my senses
It was a gift that we met
And there you were with my hand on your hip
I will never forget

At the end of the night all the dancers were leaving
I walked you to your door
I could have walked through my whole life believing
Walking with you is what I was for
And we stood and we talked and I know what you thought
You wondered why I hadn’t kissed you yet
I was too petrified you had the grace to let it slide
And I will never forget

All these years later you’ve left me behind
I don’t want to believe
How this life has just slipped right on by with
These things I can’t retrieve
And the state I was in from the touch of your skin
Remains as my strongest regret
I never kissed you Lord how I wished to
I will never forget

13) WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN ©Don Bray/2007
When the lights go down
And you make your way
By faith and touch
And memory
And heat of skin
The night recedes
When the lights go down

When the lights go down
And you take the stage
You sing your song
That way you do
And my voice soars
Inside of you
When the lights go down

CHO:
  Down where my heart sleeps
  Down where I’m complete
  Down where I fight what I fight
  Down where my hopes lie
  Down where my dreams fly
  Down where the wrong turns to right
  When the lights go down

When the lights go down
And the night is warm
I taste my path
Runs down your back
And the naked truth
Is all you ask
When the lights go down

14) ANOTHER SIMCOE SQUALL ©Don Bray/08
As the snow comes down again
I await this winter’s end
In the blue chair by the fire
As this icy day transpires

CHO:The wind sounds so lonely
  The sky looks so old
  I sit here waiting to unfold

And the snow will melt away
It was never meant to stay
Someone else will feel this small
In some other Simcoe Squall

CHO: The wind will sound lonely
The sky will be old
Why was I waiting?