1. |
More Than I Deserve
03:28
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Even when I’ve failed again, feeling put down and assailed again
You believe in me, and you make me do it, too
Even when my well’s run dry, when I’ve barely got the strength to try
You pick me up, and you help me start anew
What did I do? What did I do . . . to deserve you?
You make me feel like I’m someone, you remember little things I’ve done
You love me more than I could ever do
You don’t care what the others say, you stand beside me all the way
You help me find what’s beautiful and true
What did I do? What did I do . . . to deserve you?
What did I do to deserve your generosity
You give me so much more than I’ll ever repay
What did I do? When the world seems bent on stopping me
You make me grateful for another day
What did I do to deserve the faith you’ve had in me
. . . I know I’ve let you down time after time
What did I do . . . so that you disregard the bad in me
. . . and turn ridiculous into sublime
I’m not the man I ought to be, I don’t know what you see in me
I can’t begin to count the many ways
You make my world a better place, you give me comfort, peace, and grace
You let me see the purpose of my days
What did I do? What did I do? (3x) to deserve you . . .
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2. |
Unknown Soldier
03:00
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My father never told me what it’s like to go to war
I knew he’d been an officer, but precious little more
I grew up during Vietnam; the war was on TV
I knew his war was different, but he never let us see
Was he ashamed . . . I wonder,
Or just trying to forget?
The soldier that my father was
Is a man I never met
He wore his khaki uniform each month when I was young
But if he had any stories, they never passed his tongue
He shared a few mementos, a pair of chopsticks and a box
Made of rosewood carved with figures—the rest was under locks
Was he afraid to open up
Or riddled with regret?
The soldier that my father was
Is a man I never met
Bridge: Battle scars take many forms; he wore his all inside
I never sought to dig them up; I wish now that I’d tried
I know it must have pained him, what he carried in his heart
I think it kept him distant, always setting him apart
My father never told me what it’s like to go to war
Perhaps he meant to spare me, but I think it cost us more
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3. |
Just Another Day
03:54
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The sun is shining, I can see
Looks like it’s trying to tempt me
The leaves are coming on the trees
There’s a hope in every breeze
Today might bring serenity
But it’s just another day to me
Another day without your warmth
Another day without your smile
Another day of empty pages
On an ever-growing pile
Another day that I’m imprisoned by the past
Another day to pray it might just be the last
But really, just another day
A mockingbird shows off his stuff
Hoping that no one calls his bluff
The daffodils have raised their heads
Creeping from their winter beds
The days ahead could still be rough
Maybe their faith will be enough
Enough to stand up to the rain
Enough to stand up to the chill
Enough to stand up to the pain
Or at least believe they will
Enough to make it ‘til the darkness fades away
Enough to keep the hopelessness at bay
‘Til they can see another day
I tell myself that I don’t care
I’ve grown accustomed to despair
But what I think I might have missed
Is that the beauty I’ve dismissed
Might be the reason I’m still here
Another day might make it clear
Another day without your love
Another day without your kiss
But the absence is a presence
Makes me feel the things I miss
And that feeling lets me know that I’m alive
And gives me one more reason to survive
So I can feel another day
I can see another day
Maybe not just another day
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4. |
Homecoming
05:06
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Oh, oh, Daddy’s coming home
Hopefully it’s sweet this time
Oh, oh, Daddy, welcome home
Hope you’ll find some peace of mind . . . in time
Annie grips her jump rope and admires her Sunday dress
She’s heading for the mailbox by the street
A “Welcome” banner’s hanging from the trim above the door
Balloons begin to wither in the heat
She wraps the rope around the box and ties it in a bow
So Dad will see it first when he arrives
He bought it for her birthday just about a year ago
Before the war unsettled all their lives
Homecoming . . . coming home
Homecoming . . . coming home
Inside, her mother frowns at her reflection in the mirror
Each imperfection screaming from the glass
Imagining the way she’ll look to his long-absent eyes
Inspection that she fears she might not pass
She’s cooked and cleaned until she’s numb, and still feels unprepared
She’s tried to recreate just how things were
Competing with an image of the way things ought to be
While time conspires to make it all a blur
They say, “You can’t go home again,” she’d often wondered why
But now the words are starting to make sense
The home we leave is not the home we find when we come back
The past cannot survive the present tense
Riding from the airport in the backseat of a cab,
The soldier tries to leave the war behind
But every sound and movement is a trigger that evokes
The images he can’t wipe from his mind
He stares out of the window, tries to soak in all the light
To banish all the demons from his brain
He prays when he gets home his wife and child will bring him peace,
But fears the demons might just win again
Oh, oh, Daddy’s coming home
Hopefully it’s sweet this time
Oh, oh, Daddy welcome home
Hope you’ll find some peace of mind . . . in time
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5. |
Just You
03:32
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Well, the days are growing longer now
And the nights are not so cold
Maybe Winter’s said its last goodbye
And the Spring is taking hold
Or maybe it’s just you, and the things you do
That make me feel a new beginning
When I hear your voice, I really have no choice
It always makes me feel like singing
Well, the skies are so much bluer now
And the clouds are not so low
And the air is feeling warmer now
As the gentle breezes blow
But maybe it’s just you and your point of view
Making everything seem kinder
When I see your face, I forget my place
I’m lost within your world of wonder
You make me feel something marvelous and rare
Like the first step on the moon or the answer to a prayer
Everything’s better any time that you’re around
I wonder how I’ll ever get my feet back on the ground
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Jim Bulleit Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jim Bulleit is a retired high school English teacher. He wrote his first song while taking a poetry class in his early twenties and wrote songs occasionally during his teaching years. Since retirement he has devoted himself to songwriting and has produced four CDs of original songs. His major influences include the Beatles, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, and John Hiatt. ... more
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