poetry and lyrics
i think of you
in the heat of a sleepless night
in the dusty morning light
i think of you
in the sheets that twist and burn
as i toss and as i turn
i think of you
the curve of your body under your clothes
the touch of your hand on my skin
the echo of smoke i still taste on your mouth
from the fire within
in a crowd or all alone
on a highway far from home
i think of you
every cloud in the angry sky
every shadow passing me by
i think of you
each song on the radio mile after mile
sings with the sound of your voice
i try to forget you just for a while
but i have no choice
i think of you
in my room, in my bed
your body dancing in my head
i think of you
each time you leave me alone in the dark
i wait for your knock on the door
i feel such hunger inside of me now
and i want you more
more and more and more
i think of you
in the sound of the falling rain
in the pleasure and the pain
i think of you
anytime, anyplace
you’re the ghost in every face
in the light of the moon
i think of you
— words and music by jimmy dunne & amanda mcbroom
my darling claire
it was the first day off to school for my daughter claire
she wore a yellow dress and matching ribbon in her hair
i held her tiny hand as we walked down the corridor
she gripped my hand much tighter as we got close to her class door
i got down on my knees and i kissed her on the head
she clutched me in my arms, she was crying as she said
daddy, please don’t leave me here — she begged me not to go
i looked her in her frightened eyes and told her she could know
i’ll never leave you, my darling claire
wherever life takes you i’ll always be there
but i knew the moment i let go of her hand
i’d never know this feeling again
i blinked and we were driving to her college freshman year
that drive with just the two of us i’ll always hold so dear
i moved her in her dorm room and i hugged her at her door
it was hard to let her go because i never loved her more
i sat out in the car with an emptiness inside
maybe because i knew deep down what i just left behind
a most precious chapter in my life had just come to an end
i’d miss her as a daughter and i’d miss her as a friend
and i thought
i’ll never leave you, my darling claire
wherever life takes you i’ll always be there
but i knew the moment i let go of her hand
i’d never know this feeling again
and before i knew it we were walking down another aisle
she sparkled in a white dress and glowed with a great smile
and i kissed on her forehead and i watched her turn away
i looked at her with so much pride and i heard her husband say
i’ll never leave you, my darling claire
wherever life takes you i’ll always be there
and i knew when he placed the ring on her hand
i‘d never know this feeling again
— words and music by jimmy dunne
dream about tomorrow
when you’re down and feeling blue
just dream about tomorrow
imagine all that you can do
and dream about tomorrow
close your eyes and visualize
the very best of you
if you dream about tomorrow
tomorrow may come true
when it’s raining, step outside
and hold your head up high
taste the rain splash on your face
the dark clouds will pass by
do you know, no matter what
you can count on me
i know deep inside my soul
all that you can be
when you’re down and feeling blue
just dream about tomorrow
imagine all that you can do
and dream about tomorrow
just close your eyes and visualize
what you love most in you
if you dream about tomorrow
tomorrow may come true
— words and music by jimmy dunne
america
america, i sing to you tonight
you’re a candle in the darkness
a bright and shining light
so many different faces
each one with a dream
an every-changing tapestry
more than what you seem
you’re the face of every mother
and every child at play
the strength within a father’s arms
at the end of every day
from the farmlands to the cities
to the small towns, sea to sea
it’s the dreamer that’s in all of us
to be all we can be
america
lives in me
america
we remember who we are
we’re the children of the dreamers
who came from near and far
in every act of kindness
in ways both small and grand
we know courage and compassion
an open heart and hand
whatever road we travel
to a future that’s unknown
we walk this land together
we do not stand alone
from the farmlands to the cities
to the small towns, sea to sea
it’s the dreamer that’s in all of us
to be all we can be
america
lives in me
— words and music by jimmy dunne and amanda mcbroom
come home
it was just another bad fight
but then she looked into my eyes
she said it’s time to face the two of us
are living in a lie
whatever love that we once had
has long been washed away
the pain in her face told me
there was nothing left to say
i moved out into a condo
just outside of town
i’d stand in there and replay my whole life
and what went down
my son, he wouldn’t talk to me
when i’d call him on the phone
and then i got a text
and this is what he wrote
come home
you’ve got to find a way to work it through
come home
nothing in the world that i love more
than you
our problem wasn’t love
it was all the other things
it was managing the family
and the stress that money brings
it was the middle of one night
she was at my condo door
she said time had been a healer
that she never loved me more
she said…
come home
we’ve got to find a way to work it through
come home
nothing in the world that i love more
than you
i drove back with my wife
and i opened our front door
i looked inside our old house
and i never loved it more
i looked into my son’s room
and he was fast asleep
i kissed him on the forehead
and he looked up at me
you’re home
i’m home
you’re mom and i are going to work it through
i’m home, i’m home
nothing in the world that i love more
than you
— words and music by jimmy dunne
the next time around
i sleep here in this box right off of the street
it’s cold at night, but the price you just can’t beat
i wake up every morn’ right next to my best friend
we bitch about the way it is, and why it was back when
i drink so i can dream my pride and hurt away
but god says my next life will go my way
the next time around i’ll be the richest kid
i’ll live in a house like you wished you did
with a dad that hits me baseballs
every sunday afternoon
and a mom that rocks me fast asleep
to a made-up little tune
and i’ll become an astronaut
and fly me to the moon
the next time around… you’ll see
i lost my best friend, kay. i found her late last night
she said, “there’s nothing in tomorrow,” so she just gave up the fight
i think i’ll do the same — say goodbye to my old life
i’ve got no kids, i’ve got no stuff; i’ve never had a wife
i know that there’s a god, and he’ll take care of me
and maybe kay will be where i will be
the next time around i’m gonna be a star
i’m gonna buy me a horse and a mercedes car
and for all the cops that shooed me
when they had nothing else to do
for all you folks that stared at me
like i was crazy, too
i’m gonna hit the jackpot
we’ll see who laughs at who
the next time around… you’ll see
— words and music by jimmy dunne
fly away
when did i lose you, was it long ago?
just yesterday you were this big
i’d tuck you in, you’d reach for me
i’d whisper stories
and i’d wonder who you’d someday be
you’re fast asleep, my growing teenage girl
we never had a fight like this
i’m at your door, and i look in
the pictures on your walls
are in a world that I’m not in
i miss my little girl
the days i shared with you
you’re letting go of me
it’s just what you should do
fly away
fly away from me
just fly away
be all you dream to be
i learned what love is when I saw your face
your birth changed everything for me
i wish that I gave you more space
so many things i wish
that i could somehow do again
fly away…
— words and music by jimmy dunne
dream about tomorrow
when you’re down and feeling blue
just dream about tomorrow
imagine all that you can do
and dream about tomorrow
close your eyes and visualize
the very best of you
if you dream about tomorrow
tomorrow may come true
when it’s raining, step outside
and hold your head up high
taste the rain splash on your face
the dark clouds will pass by
do you know, no matter what
you can count on me
i know deep inside my soul
all that you can be
when you’re down and feeling blue
just dream about tomorrow
imagine all that you can do
and dream about tomorrow
just close your eyes and visualize
what you love most in you
if you dream about tomorrow
tomorrow may come true
music and lyrics by jimmy dunne
i’ll go anywhere for you
i came home all excited
couldn’t wait to tell her all about it
the company had offered me the best salary of my life
the offer had only one drawback
we had to move to accept the contract
and she tried to seem supportive
but it tore her up inside
we talked about the kids and schools
and the adjustment it would be
she took some time to think it through
and then she said to me
“let’s go chase your dreams one more time
if we find yours, i’ll have mine
i’m gonna miss my friends
gonna miss my family, too
but i’ll go anywhere with you”
then she said…
“what you’re saying sure sounds good
i can see why you think we should
throw our caution to the wind
and just pack up and leave
i’ve lived my whole life in this old town
lot of deep roots we’ve put down
and i know you realize
just what you’re asking me”
then as a tear gently ran down her face
she said, “you know, i’m gonna really miss this place”
“but let’s go chase your dreams one more time
if you find yours i’ll have mine
as long as we’re together
our love will see us through
i’ll go anywhere with you”
i took a walk through town alone
i never felt so much at home
and suddenly i realized money just can’t buy
happiness for you and i
and i said…
“how could my dreams be so blind
because if you have yours, i’ll have mine
as long as we’re together
our love will see us through
cause i’d live anywhere
as long as you are there
i’m happy anywhere with you”
— words and music by jimmy dunne & paul overstreet
something’s missing in my life
we built a new home in the suburbs
it’s better than i dreamed
annie’s fine, as for the kids
you can’t imagine what they mean
what can i say, my job is great
we just had our biggest year
everything a guy could ever want in life is here
but something’s missing in my life
and i wonder if it’s you
you’ll never get this poem
because there’s nothing i can do
i wouldn’t do it to my kids
i wouldn’t do it to my wife
but i think it’s you
i’m missing in my life
i know this seems insipid
i can’t forget that night last fall
one dance at a reunion
and i want to change it all
but when i held you in my arms
and felt your body against mine
the romance left in college
was right inside my mind
maybe what’s missing in my life
isn’t really you
maybe i just wish
that i could be the guy you knew
you reminded me of things
i really loved about my life
i think it’s me i’m missing
i think it’s me
i’m missing in my life
— words and music by jimmy dunne
if you hadn’t happened to me
i got up this morning and i put some coffee on
stared out the kitchen window, thinking all alone
and when i heard you stirring
the thought raced through my mind
how much i’ve grown to need you
and how you fill this heart of mine
if you had never happened in my life
i can’t help but wonder what my world would be like
because all the things i treasure most
as far as i can see
it never could have happened, girl
if you hadn’t happened to me
would i be a single man, would i be married now
would i have a different job, would i still live in this town
the thought of never holding you in my arms at night
there’s nothing in the world that could ever make it right
if you had never happened in my life…
sometimes in the rush of things i don’t take time to say
i appreciate the beauty that you bring my life each day
and sometimes when i hold our children in my arms i see
how close i came to missing everything you’ve been to me
if you had never happened in my life
i can’t help but wonder what my world would be like
because all the things i treasure most as far as i can see
it never could have happened, girl
if you hadn’t happened to me
— words and music by jimmy dunne & paul overstreet
it all begins again
i stopped into a cafe where we used to go
and ran into an old friend that we used to know
we reminisced and talked a while of the things we couldn’t change
then he asked me about you
and it really hit me strange
i’d always feel a rush when you walked into a room
i’d recognize the musky sweet of your perfume
i feel a tightness round my heart
remembering that you’re gone
how can the friendship die
but the love go on and on
because it all begins again
loving you as i did then
like an old familiar tune
you haunt me, you taunt me
and it all begins again…
we don’t take care of love the way we ought to do
we take it all for granted ‘because it’s not brand new
and all that i remember now
is how we felt so good
people told me i’d forget you
and i always thought i would — but
it all begins again…
walking out on you was wrong
never knew you’d be so strong
do you ever miss me now
could we turn the dream around
could it all begin again somehow
it all begins again
— words and music by jimmy dunne & pamela oland
suppertime
it’s supper time again, and we all straggle in
sit down at our places after we washed our hands and faces
sister sets the table, while mom takes off her apron
and sits down next to dad – and we all bow our heads
now brother’s lip is busted from a wrench that he was cussing
while working on his old truck that’s not much more than rusted
now he sits there like a warrior with his first taste of battle
guess it really doesn’t matter if it ever runs at all
sister’s fingernails are painted, and she’s brushed her hair all day
last night she had her first kiss out by the front yard gate
don’t know what she sees in tony – he’s so tall and he’s so boney
guess it doesn’t take a whole lot to get a girl acting that way
now momma, she’s so pretty, and she likes to hug on daddy
they always wait to kiss and talk till we’ve all gone to bed
then the radio starts playing and they get close and they start swaying
while in my bed i’m laying with those old songs in my head
now daddy’s hands are scratched up, and they look like they’ve been bleeding
his forehead lines are reading – he’s had another long, hard day
but as he looks across his table like a hero in a fable
we see him smile at us and we know that everything’s okay
yes, it’s supper time again, and we all straggle in
sit down at our places after we washed our hands and faces
sister sets the table, while mom takes off her apron
and sits down next to dad – and we all bow our heads
— words and music by paul overstreet and jimmy dunne
i can’t let this feeling go
like the rustle of the trees
the whisper of the breeze
the feeling stirred me gently at the start
all at once i knew
that what it takes is you
to fill the empty corners of my heart
behind my closed eyes you’re always with me
till there was you, i couldn’t know
love is the difference
i can’t let this feeling go
love is tender
love is wild
love is you — that’s all i know
right or wrong
i can’t let this feeling go
i lay awake at night
in my mind, i hold you tight
and imagine how you feel against my skin
i yearned for someone’s kiss
to make me feel like this
i know now love’s a place i’ve never been
invisible forces are pulling me to you
falling just like a domino
now that i’ve found it
i can’t let this feeling go
out of my hands now
it’s a powerful magic
i can’t swim against the river’s flow
feeling the need
and i can’t let this feeling go
— words and music by jimmy dunne & pamela oland
as long as you are there
life, we’re in this together
and i’m blessed to spend mine with you
part of you is part of me
there’s so much we’ve been through
as long as you are there
i know the sun will shine on me
as long as you are there
there’s nothing i can’t try to be
the world keeps spinning faster every day
but i don’t care
as long as you are there
love should last for all seasons
though winter can take its toll
but when it’s true, love will survive
to warm you when it’s cold
as long as you are there…
if i could look in the future
there’s no telling what i’d see
the only thing i know for sure
is you’d be there with me
as long as you are there…
— words and music by jimmy dunne & austin roberts
a change of heart
she’s not a bit like you
she’s kind of quiet for my taste
she doesn’t have a witty way with words
i don’t know what to do
i’m feeling so two-faced
the situation really is absurd
and i never would have loved you — all this long
if i hadn’t thought with all i’m worth
that here’s where i belong
but i’ve had a change of heart
a change of dreams
a love that was a perfect fit
is tearing at the seams
and i’ve cried for how i’ll hurt you
but there’s just no other way
i’ve had a change of heart
that’s taking me away
your eyes have turned to ice
i guess i’ve really done it now
the dye is cast; there’ll be no turning back
and losing you’s the price
i never thought of that somehow
you’re hurt i know, i guess i better pack
i hear the words i’m saying
yet it’s so hard to believe
the day would ever really come
that i would want to leave
but i’ve had a change of heart…
you’ve been the best thing in my life a long, long time
and since at last you’ve turned to me
and asked what’s on my mind
i’ve had a change of heart
a change of dreams
that’s taking me away…
— words and music by jimmy dunne and pamela oland
when you put your heart in it
this was a one in a million shot
such a long shot
but somehow we got here together
and who knows what will happen
anything can happen
if we keep getting better
and we keep on believing in each other
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
who’s to say that we can’t make it
it’s the same dream that we share
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
this was a long and winding road
such a hard road
but we couldn’t stop once we had started
we were always getting closer
suddenly it happened
the chance of a lifetime
now we’re gonna take it – we can make it
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
who’s to say that we can’t make it
it’s the same dream that we share
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
— words and music by jimmy dunne & austin Roberts
all i’ll ever need is you
how do we begin
how do we put the words together
promising to go on forever
taking life day by day
listening to our hearts to find the way
if we face the darkness till we see the light
and let the laughter ease us through the tears
then all i know is
all i’ll ever need is here
if half the dreams and plans we made
somehow don’t come true
i won’t mind if they begin to fade
‘cause all i’ll ever need is you
after the rush is gone
after the blush of young romancing
will you still want to take me dancing?
until our journeys end
i will always be your friend
i’ll be there when the sun breaks through the storm
and hold on to the love that brought us near
‘cause all i know is
all i’ll ever need is here
all i know — you’re all i’ll ever need
i’ll be there when the sun breaks
through the storm, you’ll see
all i know is
all i’ll ever need is you
— words and music by jimmy dunne & melissa manchester
you’re messing me up
i like the way you’re dressing
and i don’t mean the clothes you wear
i’m talking about how
you spin me somehow
and you’re doing it
just standing there
i like the way you’re talking
and i don’t mean the words you say
it’s the language that’s oozing
right out of your skin
baby, you sure got a way
you undress me, caress me, you mess me all up
i’m down on my knees like a whipped little pup
you mmm me, and mmm me — you’re doing my mind
baby, you’re messing me up
i sure like that scent that just hit me
and i don’t mean the perfume you see
it’s taking me places i’ve never been
places i sure shouldn’t be
chorus
— words and music by jimmy dunne
always you
where does a fool start to tell his tale
tell me it’s not too late – you’ll listen
after all this time i finally found
what i’ve been looking for
and standing at your door
why did i think i needed something more
it was always you, always you
it took so long to work through
always you
now i know it’s true
it was always, always you
when was the moment i realized
you were the only one that mattered
i was dancing to the music
in the arms of someone new
wishing she were you
deep in my heart that’s when i really knew
it was always you…
i’ve come around full circle
i’m back where i should be
is there still some part of you
that feels some love for me
it was always you…
— words and music by jimmy dunne and rory bourke
christmas in new england
the world’s a canvas
the sky’s an artist
it’s using snow to paint a wonderland for two
the smell of pine trees
the children skating
i know this time of year will find me here with you
because there’s a magic in new england
that will bring us back again
no matter where we are or where we’ve been
christmas in new england
there’s nowhere else on earth i’d rather be
christmas in new england
a dream that keeps coming true for me
now there’s a candle in every window
i love to see the light reflecting in your eyes
walking down main street
feels so familiar
i hold your hand and know why true love never dies
and coming home to spend the holidays
is one thing time can’t change
the feeling here will always be the same
christmas in new england
there’s nowhere else on earth i’d rather be
christmas in new england
a dream that keeps coming true for me
— words and music by jimmy dunne & austin roberts
i just can’t love you any more
right now
i’m feeling so lonely
though i’ve never felt closer to you
i thought i could hide
the pain that’s inside
but i just can’t take leaving you
no one
can ever leave gently
there’s no harder word than goodbye
i wish i could say
what makes love stay
i wish i could tell you a lie
you’ve wrinkled my sheets forever
your lips, they won’t wash from the glass
make love me to me as never before
i just can’t love you any more
promise
you’ll never forget me
or the hours i spent in your care
i may not hold the warmth of your hand
but the love in my heart will be there
you’ve wrinkled my sheets forever
your lips, they won’t wash from the glass
make love me to me as never before
i just can’t love you any more
— words and music by jimmy dunne & j. elizabeth bradley
electroboy
i’m electroboy, and i’m 31; manic-depressant — as you’ll see
no one knew for about ten years what the hell was wrong with me
i was a film major up at wesleyan; got a great job in pr
my fiancé knew i was going far
it was april 16, ‘95 in a barney’s outlet store
next thing i know i’m flopping like a fish on the men’s department floor
when i came to i was all strapped in looking at this team of docs
my medicine? 200 volts of shock
and the doc said
you put your big head in
you put your big head out
you put your big head in
and you shake it all about
you do the hokey pokey
and you turn yourself around
that’s what it’s all about
about a half day later i woke up; i swear i didn’t know my name
this thick jamaican nurse said, “electroboy, you’re never gonna be the same”
19 times i went in there, i’d come out squeaky clean
my memory’s shot – but i’m one well-oiled machine
you put your big head in…
it’s been a year since i’ve been back; my doc says i’ve been cured
i strangely miss the treatments; i know it seems absurd
i’ve got a job in maine and my new girlfriend doesn’t have a frigging clue
maybe she’ll always think i’m just as good as new
— words and music by jimmy dunne
fly away
when did i lose you, was it long ago?
just yesterday you were this big
i’d tuck you in; you’d reach for me
i promised i’d be there
to make sure no one ever hurt you
i just can’t sleep, my growing teenage girl
we never had a fight like this
i’m at your door – and i look in
the pictures on your walls
are in a world that i’m not in
look what you’ve become
the very best of me
tonight i say good-bye
to the child you’ll always be
fly away
fly away from me
please fly away
be all that you can be
you know that promise i made long ago?
that i’d let no one hurt my child
i never dreamed it would be me
i didn’t want to lose
the gift that means the most to me
look what you’ve become
the very best of me
tonight i say good-bye
to the child you’ll always be
fly away
fly away from me
please fly away
be all that you can be
— words and music by jimmy dunne
father and son
dear dad,
we haven’t spoken in, what — nine years now?
i hear about you when i talk to paul
he told me about the problems you’ve been having
he said it wouldn’t kill me just to call
a guy at work was talking about his parents
he asked me if my folks lived here in town
i told him no — i was too embarrassed
i lied and said, “i wished you were around”
there’re lots of things we never will agree on
you’ll never know half of who i am
“an angry son who did it just to hurt you”
to you that’s all i am, is one of them
it’s taken me a lifetime
to believe what i knew all along
there’s nothing wrong with me, dad
you’re the one who’s wrong
i got some news to make you happy
john died the other day
and guess who’s got it now — your namesake
so strike the band and have a big parade
the nightmare in your life is finally over
you won’t say it, but i know that’s what you’ll feel
the good news, dad, in just a few years
you’ll be the only guy in town named bob o’neill
father and son
father and son
few bonds as strong in this whole world
as a father and son
dear bob,
from the moment that i saw your note this morning
i had a feeling about the news i thought i’d read
i sped through it to see why you were writing
and there it was in black and white to see
i read it all again through very slowly
you can’t imagine what it did to me
images of you throughout your whole life
raced around inside my mind to see
i remembered the first moment that i met you
in your mother’s arms, cuddled to her breast
of all the highlights in my lifetime
that’s right up there with the very best
i thought about that first mitt that i got you
how you’d bring it to those cub games we would see
i felt again the way i loved you
and the way that you loved me
and i remembered that night up at the cottage
when i walked in on you — you and your friend
i thought of how i felt to see my son
i swear to god i can taste it all again
you saw me as a monster
from that moment in your life
it tore me from my only son
it tore me from my wife
father and son
father and son
few bonds as strong in this whole world
as a father and son
and here i am alone at sixty-six
living in this big old empty house
and there’s not a single picture on the wall
of my kid or of my spouse
i still think in my heart that i’m right
that morally your lifestyle is just wrong
but i’m so angry with myself
i let this go this long
you may not believe this
but i need to be there now
i need to hold you in my arms
and show i care somehow
and that’s why i am standing
right here at your door
because if i can’t have you in my life
what’s worth living for
so i’m begging you
i want to have something we once had
i want to have a son
and i want to be a dad
father and son
father and son
few bonds as strong in this whole world
as a father and son
— words and music by jimmy dunne
goodbye
all that god is i saw on your birth day
from your first breath i loved you
you were drawn with colors so distinctive
there’s so much that we’ve been through
if there is no heaven
if all that is – is here
then i have lived a blessed life
and you, the gift that i hold dear
you radiate a beauty
you lift my world so high
a chapter of our lives has ended
goodbye, my child…
goodbye
please forgive me if i forever see you
with this pureness on your face
if there is no heaven
if all that is – is here
then i have lived a blessed life
and you, the gift that i hold so dear
you radiate a beauty
you lift our world so high
a chapter of our lives has ended
goodbye, my child…
goodbye
— words and music by jimmy dunne
he’ll always be my son
fifteen years ago today
he wouldn’t shake my hand
he said, “you’re not my daddy”
and i said, “i understand”
he thought awhile, then looked at me
and then he turned away
but he said, “if you love my mommy
then i guess you’ll be okay”
though i’m not the one he means when he talks about his dad
i’m the one who tried to give him things i never had
i helped him fight his battles, and i cheered him when he won
he may not call me dad
but he’ll always be my son
it truly seems like yesterday
playing tennis in the park
those great talks about nothing
as we’d walk home in the dark
but the years went on, and i can’t forget
the awful fights we have
when you’d say – don’t tell me what to do
because you really aren’t my dad
though i’m not the one he means when he talks about his dad
i’m the one who tried to give him things i never had
i helped him fight his battles, and i cheered him when he won
he may not call me dad
but he’ll always be my son
and it was only just this morning
that he called me on the phone
to say he had a little boy
that he could call his own
when i got there, he was waiting
and i shook his trembling hand
he said, “it’s strange to be a daddy”
and i said, “i understand”
he put the baby in my arms
just like a prize i’d won
he said, “i want you to meet my dad,
dad, this is my son”
and now i’m the one he means when he talks about his dad
because i’m the one who gave him things i never had
i helped him fight his battles, and i cheered him when he won
and now he calls me dad
and now i call him… son
— music by jimmy dunne, lyrics by jim melko and l.b fred
i love you more
once i loved you, now i love you better
what a feeling when the feeling changed
i painted a mental picture
i colored with years of dreams
of someone i’d want to see
each night lying close to me…
it’s your face
once i knew you, now i know you better
you’re the friend i’ve needed all along
happy with just each other
safe in our private world
forgetting material things
we once thought our lives depended on
all i’ve longed for
and dreamed i’d find
is happening to me
body, soul and mind
i loved the way we loved before
when we thought we’d felt it all
who could know how deep we’d fall
every day i love you more
once i held you, now i hold you tighter
now i know i’ll never let you go
out of a world of strangers
i found my world in you
no one could love the way we do
— words and music by jimmy dunne & pamela oland
i wish you could be here now
do you like the dress i’m wearing
it’s mom’s dress from your wedding day
i cleared the room to have a moment
and to think about what you would say
you said, “the best, but hardest moments
were realizing that i’d grown”
you don’t know how hard this is
to walk out of this door alone
daddy, can you really hear me?
i feel you in this room somehow
you’d be so proud of your daughter
i wish you could be here now
tell me why my heart is pulling
back to memories way back when
maybe ’cause when this door opens
i let go of the child i’ve been
i’ve waited my whole life
for what i’m about to do
i never dreamed that i would walk
down that aisle without you
daddy, can you really hear me?
i feel you in this room somehow
you’d be so proud of your daughter
i wish you could be here now
— words and music by jimmy dunne
if there are no happy endings
don’t know if a song can touch you anymore
i know you taught me more than i can teach you
but i’m still standing here on this cold and barren shore
trying to find the words so that i can reach you
bridges that i thought i’d burned
and there’s something that i’ve learned
that i must tell you now
though it’s been a long, long time since you’ve heard it
if there are no happy endings
there are only happy days
and my days are only happy when i’m with you
you might be a little scared
a little unprepared
but your feelings will disappear
when you feel the love i have to give you
take a journey with me across a sea of time
the beauty of your soul had just awaken
remember how we thought we’d have an easy time
just like all the rest we were mistaken
and if we could go home again
you know that i would do it in a second
and we have things to settle in this lifetime
no one wants to wit till the next one
if there are no happy endings
there are only happy days
and my days are only happy when i’m with you
you might be a little scared
a little unprepared
but your feelings will disappear
when you feel the love i have to give you
— words and music by gerry goffin + jimmy dunne
it’s the happiest time of the year
it’s the happiest time of the year
with christmas almost here
there’s something magic in the air
you feel it everywhere
it’s the prettiest time of the year
it won’t stop snowing here
the neighbors’ homes twinkle in the night
what a gorgeous sight
but the thing that makes christmas — christmas to me
is right in this room — it’s my family
may all of you have a merry christmas
it’s the happiest time of the year
the most magical time of the year
i hold this time so dear
to see a season through a child’s eyes
their wonder and surprise
but the thing that makes christmas — christmas to me
is right in this room — it’s my family
may all of you have a merry christmas
it’s the prettiest time
the most magical time
it’s the happiest time of the year
— words and music by jimmy dunne
my magic universe
one day i woke inside of you
and what a magnificent view
i heard your pounding heart
and i felt your soul
the day i woke inside of you
i opened up my eyes
to what a wild surprise
to hear and see inside of you
i saw (and heard) inside of you
our magic universe
the very voice of life
alive in you
i may not live inside of you
but there’s some things i know are true
i hear your pounding heart
and i know who lives
inside of me and inside you…
— words and music by jimmy dunne
i‘m racing
i’m at a time in my life filled with passion
when so much that i hope for may come true
my kids are at an age where dreams are endless
when there’s nothing in their lives that they can’t do
my wife is embracing a new found freedom
nurturing the talents in her soul
balancing her love of being a mother
with a career that fills her dreams and makes her whole
but in the wonder
in the challenge
in the majesty of moments every day
i’m racing — i’m just racing
racing to get more out of each day
now i’m facing — truly facing
that what i love the most – gets in the way
i’m victim of the everyman’s seduction
a yearning for the high of power and wealth
even when i’m home i’m always working
there’s no time for my family – or myself
where’s the wonder
where’s the challenge
where’s the majesty of moments every day
i’m racing…
our attic’s getting fuller every minute
we’re saving everything the kids have done
i’m living an illusion there’s a someday
i can’t admit the someday has begun
i’m still racing…
— words and music by jimmy dunne
if i dare to dream
on the road to happiness
some get lost and some get blessed
that’s the way the winds of fortune blow
so i just keep going where i’ve never gone before
chances are the chances
won’t come knocking on my door
and if i take one step i can take…
one more
if i dare to dream
behind my eyes i’ll see
i can get from where i am
to where i want to be
inside my heart
the answers are all there
if i dare to dream
there’s no wall too high to scale
there’s no sea too rough to sail
following the compass of my heart
maybe there’s a calling that only i can hear
all i know i’ve got to trust in
something deep in here
and i won’t make happen what i fear…
to start
if i dare to dream…
— words and music by jimmy dunne and pamela oland
i bleed for you
not a night goes by when i’m lying in my bed
when my life rewinds just like a movie in my head
not a prayer that there’s not a day i go through
that i don’t bleed for you
when i close my eyes i see your face a hundred times
in my mind, you smile — and a chill runs down my spine
i once held a heart i know to be true
darling, i bleed for you
the way your hair laid on my shoulder
the way you kissed my lips good night
it’s in the way your eyes climbed inside my soul
how could i ever ask my heart to let you go
they say time’s the only thing can get me through
darling, i bleed for you
my friends all say the day’ll come — it won’t be long
when i find someone who’s gonna help my life move on
no one knows my heart the way that you do
and, darling i bleed for you
the way your hair laid on my shoulder
the way you kissed my lips good night
it’s in the way your eyes climbed inside my soul
how could i ever ask my heart to let you go
they say time’s the only thing can get me through
darling, i bleed for you
words and music by jimmy dunne & jill colucci
joy to life
how fragile this world that we live in
i get caught in the fight of the day
i can’t see the gifts i’ve been given
so much is clouding my way
but sometimes your voice speaks so loudly
yet you whisper right into my soul
to look for the miracles everywhere
as the truth of life unfolds
joy to life, joy to life
joy to all you have given me
everywhere i look i see
the joy of life
tranquil my heart to the rhythm
of your beauty that’s inside of me
i’m learning to trust your sweet vision
and to be all that i’m meant to be
joy to life, joy to life
joy to all you have given me
everywhere i look, i see
the joy of life
so much time that i’ve been wasting
so much yet to be done
there are new fruits i’ve been tasting
my journey has just begun
joy to life, joy to life
joy to all you have given me
everywhere i look, i see
the joy of life
— words and music by jimmy dunne
let’s return the gifts and call the whole thing off
those four days down in rio
god, i fell in love
your body and your savoir-faire
it’s what i was dreaming of
but the last six months engagement
has been quite a strain
so before you step into that dress
i think i should explain
let’s return the gifts and call the whole thing off
let’s just cut our losses while we can
ever since we met
i’ve gone deep in debt
girl, who do you think i am?
i hate to break the news
but there will be no “i do’s”
let’s call the whole thing off
what happened to massages
as we snuggled close in bed
you should have never quit your job
what was going through your head?
everything you have
is either leased or in a loan
one look at your mother
and you’d think i would have known
let’s return the gifts and call the whole thing off
let’s just cut our losses while we can
ever since we met
i’ve gone deep in debt
girl, who do you think i am?
you say, “you won’t give back that ring?”
fine, it’s fake, just keep the thing
but call the whole thing off
when i met your parents
your dad’s a big old cow
and your mother’s pancake makeup
covered up that uni-brow
i must say that meeting
broke this camel’s back
i’m just sad my face won’t be
tucked in your big rack
let’s return the gifts and call the whole thing off…
— words and music by jimmy dunne
nobody loves me like you do
like a candle burning bright
love is glowing in your eyes
a flame to light our way
that burns brighter every day
now i have you
and nobody loves me like you do
like a leaf upon the wind
i could find no place to land
i dreamed the hours away
and wondered every day
do dreams come true
nobody loves me like you do
what if i never met you?
where would i be right now?
funny how life just falls in place somehow
you touched my heart in places
that i never even knew
nobody loves me like you do
i was words without a tune
i was a song still unsung
a poem with no rhyme
a dancer out of time
but now there’s you
and nobody loves me like you do
what if i never met you?
where would i be right now?
funny how life just falls in place somehow
you touched my heart in places
that i never even knew
nobody loves me like you do
— words and music by jimmy dunne & pamela oland
please me
forgive me for forbidden thoughts that dance under my head
i close my eyes, and you’re in my arms drifting softly on my bed
i tease you and i slowly slide your clothes from your wet skin
you can’t hold back — as we begin
and you whisper…
please me, tease me, ease me tonight…
i imagine the night , the timing is right — it’s you that’s at my door
you flirt with me with small talk, but we know what you came for
the moment that we touch is even more than we both thought
could this be real — will we be caught?
and you say…
please me, tease me, ease me tonight…
where ever i go i keep hearing your voice
whispering dreams in my ear
i imagine your touch and the taste of your skin
forgive me but i need you here
i want you to…
please me, tease me, ease me tonight…
i imagine the night and i’m all alone and it’s you that’s at my door
every move that you make that your body takes tells me what you came for
— words and music by jimmy dunne
saving grace
if wishes had wings, i could fly
i’d soar with my dreams
no mountain would be too high
but you’re there when i stumble
on that long uphill climb
you catch me and carry me
time after time
when a cold wind is about to blow me away
i take a leap of faith
because i can’t recall
when your arms weren’t there to break my fall
your love is my saving grace
saving grace, saving grace
your love is my saving grace
whatever i’m facing
it’s always amazing
your love is my saving grace
when shadows of doubt cloud my mind
you shine through somehow
just putting your hand in mine
my heart knows what matters
love works its miracle
if i lost everything i’d still have it all
saving grace, saving grace
your love is my saving grace
whatever i’m facing
it’s always amazing
your love is my saving grace
— words and music by jimmy dunne, pamela oland and jeff pearson
shake the tree
life is like a big fruit tree
we’ve all got trunks – with limbs so free
trunks don’t bend, ‘cause roots run deep
fear of change – it rarely sleeps
that’s why it’s so damn hard to
shake the tree
climb right up your big, fruit tree
that’s where your juice is sure to be
shake your limbs – and let it go
in that moment – you will know
how lucky the world will be if you
shake the tree
shake the tree…
your fruit is sweet – but won’t last long
so shake your tree – and live this song
the world blessed you with gifts to share
the question is – do you dare
to shake the tree
shake the tree…
— words and music by jimmy dunne
shooting stars
sometimes when i dream at night
i still pretend that things are right between us
in my world of twilight sleep
there on the outside looking in… you know i’ve seen us
and it’s funny how perfume can linger
somewhere in your mind
you can love someone so much you bring her
back through space and time
we were shooting stars
bright and beautiful
lighting up the night
for an instant we were burning
with an incandescent light
but the fire simply burned itself away
we were shooting stars that vanished on their way
we were shooting stars that lived and danced away
things that i remember best
are funny little moments just in passing
stolen glances, secret jokes
that seemed like nothing at the time…keep lasting
sometimes i want to cry from wanting
to re-write history
though she’s lost and gone, she still is haunting
every part of me
we were shooting stars
bright and beautiful
lighting up the sky
for an instant we were burning
with an incandescent light
we were shooting stars
we were shooting stars
we were fire and we smoldered
like an arc across the sky
then we disappeared from view
like a shooting star must do
for the fire simply burned itself away
we were shooting stars that vanished on their way
we were shooting stars that lived and danced away
— words and music by jimmy dunne and pamela oland
simply blue
they say it’s a long day’s journey
after opening night
they tell me i have to slow down
but it feels too right
i might write a novel
or dance in paree
the biggest wave in the ocean
could never scare me
there’s no place called never
no distance too far
i can reach the sky
grab a handful of stars
it doesn’t seem there’s anything
i can’t do
but if it weren’t for you
i’d be simply — simply blue
my home is where my heart is
i’ve always been free
whenever a door is locked
i seem to have the key
i might climb mt. everest
or hitchhike to maine
there’s no cloud that could cover me
i welcome the rain
there’s no place called never
no distance too far
i can reach the sky
grab a handful of stars
it doesn’t seem there’s anything
i can’t do
but if it weren’t for you
i’d be simply, simply blue
— words and music by jimmy dunne and elizabeth bradley
sweet dreams
twinkle, twinkle, little star
how i wonder what you are
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky
twinkle, twinkle, little star
how i wonder what you are!
sweet dreams
i wish to you a lifetime of sweet dreams
sweet dreams
the wonder of your life is in your dreams
sweet dreams, sweet dreams
my child, sweet dreams
when the blazing sun is gone,
when he nothing shines upon,
then you show your little light,
twinkle, twinkle, all the night
twinkle, twinkle, little star,
how i wonder what you are!
sweet dreams
i wish to you a lifetime of sweet dreams
sweet dreams
the wonder of your life is in your dreams
sweet dreams, sweet dreams
my child, sweet dreams
— words and music by jimmy dunne
the change in me is you
the change in me is you now
the change in me is you, somehow
i used to think that love was just for fools
so how did love ever find this fool lost in the dark
and how did love find the key
to open up my heart
now i know there’s no life without love
now i know what lovers always knew
i was blind until you came and changed my point of view
and now i see the change in me is you
i feel you here beside me
i know you see inside me
before we met i thought i had it all
but who’d have guessed that love would come
and take me by surprise
who’d have guessed you’d be the one
to open up my eyes
now i know there’s no life without love
now i know what lovers always knew
i was blind until you came and changed my point of view
and now i see the change in me is you
— music by jimmy dunne, lyrics by candy parton and george mc grath
the river and the rose
what makes a river run where it runs
how does it know where to flow
through the rocks and the narrows
somehow it finds its way home
what makes a rose want to reach for the sun
how on earth does it break through the snow
surviving by will
through the cold winter chill
it still grows
and love flows
love grows
like the river and the rose
what makes a love last for all time
like a mountain touching the sky
through the wind and the rain it remains
like your love and mine
love flows
love grows
like the river and the rose
what makes a river run where it runs
a rose want to reach for the sun
how i ever found you nobody knows
ask the river and the rose
— words and music by jimmy dunne, bruce burch and barbara rothstein
the wonder in my life
i’m all alone, sitting here late at work
and i’m picturing you with the kids
you’re reading to them as they fall asleep in your arms
in your loving arms
it’s in moments like this
i dream of your kiss
and i picture my beautiful wife
and i wonder if you
truly know what you do
the strength that you’ve given my life
i know there’s a god
i see her in you
darling, it’s true…
you’re the wonder in my life
the treasure of life is in a moment
when you hold me in your eyes
and i see the depth of your precious soul
and our children’s souls
it’s in moments like this
i dream of your kiss
and i picture my beautiful wife
and i wonder if you
truly know what you do
the strength that you’ve given my life
i know there’s a god
i see her in you
darling, it’s true…
you’re the wonder in my life
— words and music by jimmy dunne
this is the last time i’m falling in love
there’s something i’m feeling deep inside
something that’s nothing like i felt before
you are the one
it’s over and done
there’s no need to look anymore…
this is the last time i’m falling in love
the first time i saw you i knew
this is the last time i’m falling in love
’cause this time i’m falling
this time i’m falling
this time i’m falling for you
i wish i had known you all of my life
but the rest of forever will be long enough
i can make due
just holding you
knowing each time that we touch
i know that each time that we touch…
this is the last time i’m falling in love
the first time i saw you i knew
this is the last time i’m falling in love
’cause this time i’m falling
this time i’m falling
this time i’m falling for you
— words and music by jimmy dunne, charlie black, and austin roberts
thoughtlessly
i could have called and told you where i was
i could have held you, but i didn’t because
i was scared of what the future might bring
i guess i could have done a lot of things
your love means more to me
than i ever can explain
then why do i cause you so much pain
i acted thoughtlessly
i never thought of how you’d feel
i never kept my end of the deal
i acted thoughtlessly
give me one more chance for you and me
and i’ll never act again
so thoughtlessly
i love you with all my heart, what else can i do
don’t let us break apart – how could i do this to you?
but lessons of love are painfully learned
now let’s build the bridges i have burned
chorus, instrumental, chorus
— words and music by jimmy dunne and michael desbarres
valentine
your beauty would, one thinks, begin to fade
sometime between the present and the shade
but such has not become the case
and, so, i draw enjoyment from that face
as much today as ever in the past
most men are thankful if their love should last
but i’m most fortunate because mine grows
unlike the brief, sweet beauty of the rose
there is permanence to you, my dear
who are more precious, valentine, with each year
you are my valentine, my dear
my valentine
more precious with each year
— words and music by steve allen and jimmy dunne
we could walk together
everybody’s got a road to go down
whether it’s under neon lights
or starry skies and quiet nights
it’s no different, city streets or country town
everybody’s got a road to go down
and we could walk together
we’ve both got a ways to go
that’s how it should be
takin’ the long road home
you and me
everybody’s got to find his own peace
it don’t matter who you are
no one’s ever out of reach
we got the power to turn the world around
and everybody’s got a road to go down
and we could walk together
we’ve both got a ways to go
that’s how it should be
takin’ the long road home
you and me
— words and music by jimmy dunne and sue sheridan
what am i to be
what am i to be
what’s in my life for me
what can i do that no man has done
how clear will these eyes see
will i be a gentle man
will i write my songs
will i make a better place
and will you be along
where am i to go
what feelings will i know
will i embrace the gifts i have
what will i leave to show
will i gamble with my dreams
will i draw a winning hand
will i keep the child in me
and still become a man
what am i to be
what’s in my life for me
what can i do that no man has done
how clear will my eyes see
when you look inside me
what changes do you see
what am i to be
— words and music by jimmy dunne
the wind will blow my way
i feel i’m on a sailboat drifting out to sea
it can’t reach the shore because there isn’t any breeze
i am like a captain trying to keep faith
because just like the weather, luck is known to change
the wind will blow, the wind will blow
the wind will blow my way
i know my friend, these hard times will end any day
oh, i know my ship can make it in
the wind will blow my way
now i wish for easy passage, but i understand
life is what happens when something else is planned
i can’t use my sails, but till that hour arrives
i’ll make the best of what i have, and hold my head up high
the wind will blow…
i can see my home from here
i will cross these waters without fear
my hands may bleed from this old oar
but i’ll row this boat, row this boat
row this boat to shore
the wind will blow…
— words and music by jimmy dunne & tia m. sillers
you always lead with your heart
put your arm around my waist
lay my head against your shoulder
as the music softly plays
the night stops growing older
all my dreams are finally coming true
as i’m dancing, dancing here with you
you always lead with your heart
don’t you darling
you open up and waltz right on in
when everyone else is afraid to let love start
oh, you always lead with your heart
in a world where nothing lasts
and no one’s taking chances
time goes by so fast
who remembers what romance is
somewhere there’s a heart
with the strength to believe
and i found it — right here on your sleeve
you always lead with your heart
don’t you darling
you shine with your own special light
when everyone else is dancing in the dark
oh, you always lead with your heart
when i need someone to hold
i know you’ll be there
and if time should turn you cold
you know that you’ll find me there
you always lead with your heart…
— words and music by jimmy dunne and amanda mc broom
when you put your heart in it
this was a one in a million shot
such a long shot
but somehow we got here together
and who knows what will happen
anything can happen
if we keep getting better
and we keep on believing in each other
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
who’s to say that we can’t make it
it’s the same dream that we share
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
this was a long and winding road
such a hard road
but we couldn’t stop once we had started
we were always getting closer
suddenly it happened
the chance of a lifetime
now we’re gonna take it — we can make it
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
who’s to say that we can’t make it
it’s the same dream that we share
when you put your heart in it
it can take you anywhere
— words and music by jimmy dunne & austin roberts
when you find the right one
i know you
you’re the one i’ve been looking for
i know you
now love feels like an open door
i know you
and i know what to do with the feeling
been waiting so long
and i know that i won’t let it slip away
when you find the right one
hold on
don’t let anything keep you apart
when you know she’s in your heart
when you find the right one
hold on
let it come down
let it come down to me and you
let it come through
on a road leading home in the darkness
there’s nothing to fear
now we’re almost there
we can see the light
when you find the right one
hold on
don’t let anything keep you apart
when you know she’s in your heart
when you find the right one
hold on
— words and music by jimmy dunne, austin roberts, and charlie black
