Latest Music Page | StephenSmoke.com

Listen to the Songs and Read the Lyrics

Previous Albums

Two previous novels (Trick of the Light and Cathedral of the Senses) included embedded and appropriate portions of the songs from the albums in the eBook versions of the novels . The “enhanced” eBook versions are available in the iBookstore, while the other versions (softcover and regular eBook) are available on Amazon. When the books were written and released, Amazon Kindle did not support embedded media. Click the links immediately below to hear samples on Amazon Digital Music.

Trick of the Light
Cathedral of the Senses (songs written by me and performed mainly by singers and musicians in Sedona, AZ)
NEW: Parallel Soundtrack Album

Latest Mixes

These are the latest mixes of recent songs (2019-2022). When the songs are mixed and mastered, they will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Digital, and other music download sites (as are my previous albums). You can listen to the songs below in their by clicking the Play Button on the audio players. Also, you can read the lyrics to each song by clicking the toggle button beneath each audio player.

Tone Poems

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Tone Poems"

Tone Poems

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Sitting here all night long…writin’ tone poems

Messages in a bottle…on a sea of alone

Sometimes I think…I think too much

3 a.m. silent time

Chasin’ mystery rhymes

No one there…to please

Alone but not lonely

Lookin’ for only

Some kind of redemption and peace

Sometimes the music can get so dark

Sometimes the music can get so…dark

Sometimes the music can get so dark

Verse 2

People say I’m just…killin’ time

I feel so alive breathin’ rhythm and rhyme

Sometimes I feel…I feel too much

Darkness gathers

I’m chasin’ mad hatters

I need a dose of the blues

Gives me a calmin’ down

Brings me back around

Reminds me I got somethin’ to lose

But sometimes the music can get so dark

Sometimes the music can get so…dark

Sometimes the music can get so dark

Citizens of the Real World

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Citizens of the Real World"

Citizens of the Real World

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Memory is a quicksilver dream

Seen through lovers’ eyes

We learn to live with what we’ve done

When history is revised

I convinced myself I never lied to you

Have you ever lied to me

We both know the truth ‘bout all this now

And when to let it be

Chorus

But it’s all right…it’s all right now

We’re both citizens of the real world…

Citizens of the real world…

Well, I been young, I been wrong

Sometimes I been misunderstood

Sometimes it ain’t enough…and it just ain’t true

(To say) I did the best I could

But you hurt me too…more than once

There were times I thought our love was gone

But we always found our way back home

Into each other’s arms

Chorus

People say they got no regrets

Well, I got a few

They hide in shadows like ancient ghosts

And then I hide them from you

The world has changed me…more than I changed this world

I know this is true

Your love has changed me…more than once

I hope my love changed you

Chorus

Shakespeare's Cadillac

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to the See Lyrics for "Shakespeare's Cadillac"

Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Livin’ in my car in the Hollywood Hills

Workin’ as a waiter tryin’ to pay my bills

All day long I play my guitar

Writin’ songs in the back seat of my car

If I ever get outta here I ain’t comin back

Dreamin’ the dream in Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Recorded my songs hustlin’ every day

An A and R man says, “I like the way you play”

I grabbed that life line and wouldn’t let go

Now I’m drivin down Sunset’…I’m on the radio

Top down, hair blowin, don’t look back

I’m ridin’ smooth…in Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Chorus

If I could go back and rewrite the script

There’s a lot of things I’d like to flip

But one thing I’d never change when I look back

Is that sweet, sweet ride…In my Shake, Shake, Shake…Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Six months in my song hit number ten

Then I tried real hard to do it again

Barely cracked a hundred, I was yesterday’s news

I was playin’ rock and roll, but I was singin’ the blues

Went down some dark roads, thought I’d never come back

Took a detour…in Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Dove into a bottle and I almost drowned

Jobs dried up, people stopped comin’ ‘round

Burned a lotta bridges, said a lotta things

Hard to walk among the people once you been a king

Finally drove down a cul de sac

Ran outta gas…in Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Chorus

Now I play the one-hit wonder shows

I play a couple of tunes that people sorta know

I can still get laid, I still get paid

But I’m livin’ in a different world than the one I made

Drivin town to town…tryin’ to get back on track

Me and…Shakespeare’s Cadillac

Chorus

Redemption

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to the See Lyrics for "Redemption"

Redemption

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

I saw you leap from a broken bridge

Into a river of tears

The saddest sound I’ve ever heard

Your echoed cries in my ears

Verse 2

I feel you through my dreams at night

At least that’s what I believe

Can I save you this time

Is this my reprieve

Chorus

I’d give my life see you smile

And hold you one more time

I’m haunted by what I could have done

Was there a prayer I did not pray

A word I did not say

I need direction

I need connection

I need a cure for this soul infection

I need Redemption… Oh yeah, oh yeah

I need Redemption

Oh yeah, oh yeah,

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

Oh yeah, oh yeah,

Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah…

Verse 3

I know everyone can’t be saved

And life is rarely fair

If I could have eased your pain

I’d have risked it all, I swear

Verse 4

I read your tear-stained note that night

Your forgiving sweet goodbye

You explained so many things

Everything but why

Chorus

Oh, this darkness pulls me down

I search for reasons to believe

That you and I will meet again

I need a hero for this story

Release from purgatory

I need direction

I need connection

I need a cure for this soul infection

I need Redemption… Oh yeah, yeah

I need Redemption…

Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah…

The Music Was Coltrane

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "And the Music Was Coltrane"

And the Music Was Coltrane

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Those were the dog days for sure

Long on dreams and short on dimes

You were somethin’ and I was yours

We held the secret for a time

Verse 2

But then our dreams died sudden death

Happened so fast we did not see

Shot through the heart with hopelessness

Seduced by reality

Chorus

And the music was Coltrane

Some things you just can’t explain

To this day I remember the rain

And I remember you

Verse 3

Limousine crawls through the street

Silver dollars on four wheels

It’ll be good to see you again

Both knowin’ how it feels

Chorus

First and Second verse Chorus

One For the Road

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See the Lyrics for "One For the Road"

One For the Road

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Time to get dirty, baby

You know what I mean

Time to fire up

That sex machine

You need a vacation

No need to bring no magazines

Just bring your imagination

Those hot legs

And that sweet thing in between

Verse 2

You’re my addiction, baby

And I need you bad

(You’re the) worst craving

Best I ever had

I shoot you up

In doses that leave me drained

Can’t give you up

I don’t want no cure

Just wanna live with the pain

Chorus:

Wake up in the morning

My head is in a spin

But this is a dream I wanna be in

Come back to bed, baby

How ‘bout one for the road

Verse 3

I think about you

All day long

You know I can’t work

Feelin’s so strong

Then you video-call me

You give me that look and show me that thing

Ain’t nothin’ like it

Such a smooth ride

On that sweet adrenaline

Chorus

Crawling Through Glass

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to the See Lyrics for "Crawling Through Glass"

Crawlin’ Through Glass

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Sometimes my life seems so well arranged

Then in a moment everything changed

I gotta to learn to need you less

Not to count on your love, I guess

I know you love me, girl

And you know I love you too

But sometimes it’s just too much to ask

Sometimes I feel like I’m crawlin’ through glass

Sometimes I feel like I’m crawlin’…

Crawlin’ through glass

Verse 2

I know what it’s like to be alone

But our love made a house a home

It scares me to know what was once so clear

In the blink of an eye…can just disappear

Maybe there’s something wrong with us

Something missing …maybe trust

Maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be

But sometimes I feel like it’s killin’ me

Sometime I feel like it’s killin’

Killin’ me

Chorus

Sometimes you choose to risk it all

Sometimes you rise, sometimes you fall

Here I am…I made my stand

For better, for worse

I am your man

Verse 3

Feelin’ untethered in a ragin’ storm

Miss bein’ with you, safe and warm

Love has conditions, there’re lines not crossed

If you forget this you can get lost

You and I can get really close

But sometimes it’s gone when I need it most

Love’s an illusion, shining bright

When it disappears…well, it steals the light

When it disappears…well, it steals…

Steals the light

Chorus

Echoes of the Apocalypse

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Echoes of the Apocalypse"

Echoes of the Apocalypse

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

I’m a passenger on this train

See crossing lights flash

People caught in the middle of the tracks

Can’t avoid the crash

Bracin’ the for the impact

This train is movin’ fast

Rollin’ into darkness ‘cause

Nobody remembers the past

Headin’ into the unknown

Racin’ down the rails

Gatherin’ speed every mile

Till the engine fails

Fueled by lies

Fired by fear

No one believed

It could ever happen here

Chorus

Words have no meaning

Pretty lies from pretty lips

All I hear are echoes

Of the comin’ apocalypse

Verse 2

Media magicians

Make truth disappear

Create heroes and villains

Like master puppeteers

People lookin’ in the mirror

See only their own pain

Little misdirection, Baby

It’s easy to fool the vain

Civil wars are never won

Each bullet’s takin’ two

All eyes on the target

Which one is you

When it’s over

And you calculate the cost

All that’s left are memories

Of everything you lost

Chorus

Verse 3

When you don’t know where you been

It’s hard to know where to go

Keep makin’ the same mistakes

With nothin’ to show

Remember the people you love

Things you hold dear

Tell yourself the truth, Baby

Is your hate just really fear

Do you judge your leaders

The same as the ones you hate

Or do you look the other way

And just collaborate

Freedom fighters are just a mob

Seen from the other side

History is flexible

And the winners decide

Chorus

Outrun the Dark

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Outrun the Dark"

Until the Darkness Comes

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to the See Lyrics for "Until the Darkness Comes"

Until the Darkness Comes

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse:

I know it ain’t right, but I don’t think it’s wrong

I know things have gotta change

Just can’t go on, till my strength is gone

Sometimes I feel it’s killin’ me

Is this the end or is it just too dark to see

I can’t tell in this fog

I look for a way through, but all I see is you

I free fall till darkness comes

Chorus:

Oh, Oh, Oh, my baby, until the darkness comes

Oh, Oh, Oh yeah, my baby, until the darkness comes

Verse:

My private disease, has brought me to my knees

Feel like I’m broken in two

When what you want, just ain’t what you need

Somebody’s gonna bleed

Chorus

Easy Street

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Easy Street"

Easy Street

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse:

You really didn’t think I’d go

Just shows what you know

Suitcase and guitar in hand

Gonna join a rock and roll band

Feel like I’m free at last

Feel like I’m a movin’ fast

On Easy Street

Lexi likes her rock and rollers

Usually orders two to go

She dances all night long

Sweatin’ to her favorite songs

She whispered in my ear

Man, it’s cool out here

On Easy Street

Chorus:

Grass ain’t always greener

Streets are usually meaner

Hard road can take a heavy toll

Experience means nothing

‘Less you pay attention

Otherwise you’re just lettin’ circles roll, baby

Lettin’ circles roll

Verse:

Now I’m sleepin’ till noon

Workin’ on a killer tune

Last night was a tough night

Some drunks got in a fight

Two guys got into a scrum

Fell into the drums (made a mess)

On Easy Street

Nobody wants to hear my songs

Play “Satisfaction” all night long

Drummer quit the band

Some drunks broke his snare and his hand

Well, I ain’t singin’ much

Feel like I’m losin’ touch

On Easy Street

Chorus

Verse:

Now Lexi’s into jazz

She said she had a great time

Now I’m playin mostly blues

Feel like I’m payin’ dues

My ego got a little scarred

Times’ve gotten hard

Down on Easy Street

I saw you just the other day

You were with somebody else

Makes no sense at all

To wait for you to call

I picture you and him in bed

Feel like I’m walking dead

Down on Easy Street

Chorus:

Thought a change of scene

Might do me good

The only thing that changed

Was the weather

Changed my tune

Sad love songs

Now your name seems to rhyme a little better

Maybe we should just get back together, oh yeah

Verse:

It’s good to be back home

Closest thing I’ve ever known

Things got a little outta hand

I’m glad to be your man again, baby

Seen enough emotional graffiti

Life just ain’t that easy

Down on Easy Street

Best Days of Our Life

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See the Lyrics for "Best Days of Our Life"

Best Days of Our Life

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

I see you in the morning, makin’ breakfast

A moment untouched by time

It makes me happy, after all these years

Baby, you’re still mine

Life is messy, sometimes worse

Hard to see how pieces align

But ev’ry night when I kiss you, before we go to sleep

I see imperfect perfection and I feel fine

Chorus

These are the best days

These are the best days…of our life

Sometimes we say nothing, for hours

A silent lovers’ lexicon

Funny how the small things, become the big things

What you miss most when they’re gone

You’re not perfect, not even close

There been times I been halfway out the door

When we let each other be who we really are

Somehow…we love each other more

Chorus

We’ve been hurt, we been mended

Lovers’ hearts are strong that way

Love is a light in the darkness

Love can heal a broken yesterday

I no longer feel invincible

Tomorrow could be a no-show

We live forever in hearts of the ones we love

And my songs go where I can’t go

Chorus

Serious

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Serious"

Serious

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

If you’re suicide serious

What’s been lost…can’t be found

You’ve crossed the Rubicon

Ain’t no middle ground

If you’re gonna do it, do it

Put an end to fear

You don’t need a crowd

To disappear

Chorus

Let it go Baby, let it go

All the hurt, all the rage

Let it go and turn the page

Pull the chord

And start free-fall Into the light

Into the night

Into what’s next

Into the void

Into nothin’ at all

Start free

Free fall

Verse 2

That terminal sadness, oh…

Imprisoned in your mind

Days get long when you count the hours

All that wasted time

There ain’t no sin in sadness

It’s your life, live or die

So many tiny deaths

You don’t need a long goodbye

Chorus

Expert on Everything

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Expert on Everything"

Expert on Everything

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

She knows everything

She knows everyone

She’s done everything under the sun, oh yeah

She an expert on everything except real life

I climbed a mountain

She said she climbed one higher than mine

I said I’ve been searchin’

She said I hope that you will find

Somethin’ good as mine

I’d rather find mine

She’s seen everything and nothing at all

Been everywhere but here

Lived a life of almost-there

Lived a life of could-have-been

Exaggeration is her tool and trade

Here she comes, drink up, drink up, drink the Kool Aid

She knows everything

She knows everyone

She’s done everything under the sun, oh yeah

She an expert on everything except real life

I bought a new car

She said, “Cool, but mine cost more.”

She values worth … a dollar … at a time

Always keepin’ score

Always wantin’ more

Baby, what for

Takin’ victory laps for races never run

Trying to impress everyone

Tryin’ to fill an empty space

She’s made an art of saving face

Built a life without a saving grace

Here she comes, drink up, drink up, drink the Kool Aid

Solo

Repeat Verse 1

Danger is the Needle

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to the See Lyrics for "Danger is the Needle"

Danger is the Needle

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

You’re lookin’ good, your lean machine

Baby, taste that sweet adrenaline

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide

You meet yourself comin’ back from the other side

Chorus

Take a walk on the wild side

I’d love to hear you moan

Life is a drug, oh my darlin’ one

And danger is the needle…that drives it home

Verse 2

You got the edge, see it in your eyes

You dress the part, there ain’t no need for a disguise

You don’t back down, you bring it on

You bite my ear and whisper, “C’mon”

Chorus

Take a walk on the wild side

I’d love you hear you moan

Life is a drug, oh my darlin’ one

And danger is the needle…that drives it home

Verse 3

I need you, baby, like air to breathe

If I don’t taste you soon I feel I’m gonna bleed

You got that thing, don’t need a name

Just know that after tonight ain’t gonna be the same

Chorus

Amsterdam

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Amsterdam"

Amsterdam

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Got my guitar case wide open

Singin’ “Nowhere Man” to no one at all

People they look right through me

Just a modern echo on an ancient wall

Verse 2

Weekends I go to the Van Gogh

I choose a painting and I write a song

Art is timeless, it’s a word that lingers

In a ‘Verse that goes on and on

Verse 3

Walk along the river and I stop at a hash bar

Sit in the corner and drift away

Feeling so Amsterdam lonely

Miss my baby in LA

Chorus

Ohhh… Amsterdam

You got me runnin’

You got me writin’

You got me feelin’

Oh God, I am alive

Verse 4

Van Gogh is darkness in bright color

Rembrandt character in candlelight

I hang my pictures of words and music

In galleries of long and thoughtful nights

Verse 5

I chase canals into the moonlight

To a place where the river runs free

Windmills spin dreams in the darkness

As the lighthouse paints the sea

Lookin' For My Muse

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See the Lyrics for "Lookin' For My Muse"

Lookin’ For My Muse

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Well, I’m lookin’ for my muse

Used to find her in a bottle a’ booze

Tired a’ singin’ the blues, yeah

Lookin, lookin’for my muse

And I think it could be you

Lookin’ for some inspiration, baby

How ‘bout you

Verse 2

Well, I’m lookin’ for my groove

Mesmerized by the way you move

Makes my rough edges smooth

Lookin’, lookin’ for my groove

And I think it could be you

Lookin’ for some stimulation

Baby, how ‘bout you

Chorus

There are times I need a place to go

To remember who I am and what I know

Sometimes I feel…so disconnected

Sometimes I feel…lost and rejected

You’re my elixir, baby you’re my fixer

And I need a dose…right now

Verse 3

Lookin’ for a fun taboo

Helps me navigate the blues

Helps me make it through Lookin’, Lookin’ for taboo

And I think it could be you

Wanna taste forbidden fruit How ‘bout you

Chorus

Verse 4

Lookin’ for some magic

When we’re in sync we’re telepathic

Legendary and romantic, yeah

Lookin’, lookin’ for some magic

I see some magic in you

Lookin’ to create illusion

How ‘bout you

Chorus

Makin' Peace With Myself

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Makin' Peace With Myself"

Makin’ Peace With Myself

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Started talkin’ and could not stop

Told the truth till the very last drop

Some tasted bitter, some went down hard

Some of your truths were not the same as mine

Memories get colored with the brush of time

Some were brutal, some were kind

Chorus

Makin’ peace with myself

The war’s been gone on for too long

I can’t remember what I’m fighting for

Just know I’m losin’…and I can’t go on no more

Verse 2

Memories haunt my dreams at night

I rewrite the scenes to make ‘em play out right

Like a newly-blind man searchin’ darkness for a life he once had

I remember the day I came to pick up my things

There was someone there…you wouldn’t let me in

Man, I thought I never could hurt that bad

Chorus

Verse 3

Lots of first times and last times too

I was young and so were you

First time I ever unlocked that door

I wasn’t prepared to feel that much

Felt pain in places I could not touch

Last time I ever unlocked that door

Chorus

Too Sad To Cry

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "To Sad To Cry"

Too Sad To Cry

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verses 1 & 2

Baby, how did we get here

It didn’t happen over night

I know you think I’m wrong

And I know that you think you’re right

But I’m too damned tired to fight

Turn the lights out when you go

Leave the key and lock the door

I need to be alone for a little while

‘Cause I know I ain’t gonna see you anymore

Chorus

(And it makes me) Too sad to cry, yeah

Too sad to cry, yeah

Too sad, baby Too sad, baby Too sad to cry

Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, I’m too sad to cry

Verses 3 & 4

Lies of omission weigh us down

We qualify and justify

You say a well-crafted truth really ain’t a lie

And you even tell yourself you’re bein’ kind

Don’t have to say everything

I’m not talkin’ about confession

But when darkness starts to come down hard

Can we really choose truth over obsession

Chorus

Bridge

I know nothin’ lasts forever

Even this pain I’m goin’ through

Well, I need to remember to forget

That you used to be…my world

Verses 5 & 6

The face I used to love is fading

Flickering in and out of lies

We used to talk without sayin’ anything

Now we can’t even say goodbye

I already miss you, baby

And you just walked out the door

There ain’t no goin’ back and now we can’t go on

So we’re stuck in hell for a while

Chorus

Bridge

Outro

Too sad, baby Too sad, baby Too sad…to cry

Movin' It

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Movin It"

Movin’ It

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

When you taught me Tantra…that was something new

I studied hard…did a lotta crammin’ too

When you’re the teacher…I don’t mind going back to school

‘Specially when you got that hot body…turnin’ every shade of cool

Chorus 1

You’re a little bit jazz, I’m a rock’n’roll

I’m a little bit blues, you’re a little bit soul

But we move…to the rhythm all night long

Verse 2

Baby’s good to me, I gotta say

We try to meet each other halfway

She said “I’ll try S&M…Is that like an M&M treat?”

I said,” Kinda, baby, just a little more sweet”

Chorus 2:

You’re a little Coachella, I’m a Desert Trip

I’m a Bryan Adams, you’re a Tragically Hip

But we move…to the rhythm all night long

Oh babe, I love the way you move it

Oh babe, I love the way you move…movin’ it

Verse 3

We’re kinda yin and yang…but we make it work

She thinks I’m crazy…I think’s she’s the queen of quirk

But she uses that body…like a sex machine

It’s the most addicting thing this boy has ever seen

Chorus 3

You’re Yo Yo Ma, I’m a Joshua Bell

But we both like AC/DC and “Highway to Hell”

And we move…to the rhythm all night long

Oh babe, I love the way you move it

Oh babe, I love the way you move…movin’ it

Glorious Charade

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Glorious Charade"

Glorious Charade

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

You touch my scars without recoil

You feel torn apart yet come back whole

You get a front row seat…to the dark unknown

And when you’re done…you can go back home

There’s also beauty that must be told Inspiration feeds the soul

And what I see…behind the veil

Keeps me here…long enough to tell the tale

Chorus

All the dreamers have gone to bed

Lullabies all in their heads

At the end of the day

Make no mistake I’m here with you

And I’m wide awake

Verse 2

I know I drink a little too much

And I would agree it’s been a crutch

But it helps me hide…a broken heart

And it numbs the pain…when the darkness starts

I interpret life: just what I see

Decode the bliss and the misery

From all the lies…meant to confuse

I uncover truths that I can use

Chorus

Verse 3

Life’s a masquerade: the many faces of you

Each one a little false, each one a little true

It’s a mixed blessing…this glorious charade

Just when you think you know yourself you are betrayed

Been down the road in both directions

I made mistakes, I made corrections

There are dangerous curves…and tolls to pay

And the shortcuts…tend to lead me astray

Chorus

Don't Mean Nothin'

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See the Lyrics for "Don't Mean Nothin"

Don’t Mean Nothin’

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Sometimes my music’s

Been my only friend

Brings me back…from around the bend

Friends have come

And friends have gone

But that friendship never ends

I know my music

Don’t mean nothin’ to you

I get it, Baby

And I understand it too

But my music

Means somethin’ to me

But it don’t mean nothin’ to me

To mean nothin’ to you

But it don’t mean nothin’ to me

To mean nothin’ to you

Verse 2

Sometimes you gotta choose

Be happy or be right

That’s a tough place to be in

Feel like I’m skatin’

On real thin ice

I’m getting’ tired of fallin’ in

I know my opinion

Don’t mean nothin’ to you

I get it, Baby

And I understand it too

But my opinion

Means something to me

But it don’t mean nothin’ to me

To mean nothin’ to you

Verse 3

Whatever happened to

“Agree to disagree”

Now you just won’t let it go

Sounds like you’re tryin’ to

Convince yourself

Of what you’re already supposed to know

Seems like my freedom

Don’t mean nothin’ to you

I get it, Baby

But I don’t believe it’s true

See, my freedom

Means somethin’ to me

And it don’t mean nothin’ to me

To mean nothin’ to you

Now and Zen

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See the Lyrics for "Now and Zen"

Now and Zen

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Everybody dies

Everything is lost

Everybody cries

Life’s precious cost

Every price you paid

Decisions that you made

All make sense somehow

And it all adds up to now

Chorus

Living life

From the inside out

Sometimes it’s beautiful

Sometimes it is just what it is

Just what it is

Verse 2

Everybody rents

It all goes away

But everything of value is

Within your reach today

Keep this in mind

As it disappears

And memories of tomorrow

Wash across the years

Chorus

It’s good to see you

Baby, how you been

Relax with a cocktail

Equal parts of Now and Zen

Of Now and Zen

Verse 3

Don’t let time make

A prisoner of you

When you’re lost in thought

It’s an easy thing to do

Focus here and now

At first that might seem small

But when the light explodes

Suddenly it’s all…baby, all there is

Chorus

And this is you

Always has been

It’s always now

Always now

And now again And now again…

The Invisible Man

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to the See Lyrics for "The Invisible Man"

The Invisible Man

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Talking to you is like

Playing tennis by myself

I never felt so damned alone

When I was with someone else

I put the booze away

And so my head is clear

So I got to ask myself

What the hell am I doing here

I’m not a victim

And I don’t feel betrayed

And I don’t blame you, darlin’

For mistakes I made

And I would stay with you

If I thought you could see me here

But you see me through so much disappointment

I doubt if I could reappear

Sometimes I… Feel like the invisible man

Chorus:

I might not have something important to say

But I’d like someone to listen anyway

Can you feel me

Can you hear me

Can you see me

Or am I invisible, Invisible, Invisible

Sometimes baby I feel… Nothing at all

Verse 2

We speak the language of

Combatants in a battle zone

This house we live in, baby

Ain’t no longer a home

I scan your eyes, your heart

There ain’t no love anymore

Every day with you Is like going to war

Each day we walk

Emotional mine fields

Afraid to explode things unsaid

And reopen wounds unhealed

And so we stand and fight

Over meaningless things

While silent truths suffocate

And harsh words sting

Sometimes I… Feel like the invisible man

Chorus:

I might not have something important to say

But I’d like someone to listen anyway

Can you feel me

Can you hear me

Can you see me

Or am I invisible, Invisible, Invisible

Sometimes baby I feel…invisible, Invisible, Invisible

Sometimes baby I feel…nothing at all

Nothing at all

Streamin' Dreams

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Streamin' Dreams"

Streamin’ Dreams

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

Passion’s when you…can’t not do it

The kinda’ love that’ll get you through it

C’mon baby, you best get to it

While you can still breathe

Verse 2

When darkness seems to eat you up

Voices in your head start to beat you up

There’s a light inside that can heat you up

Oh, you gotta find it

Verse 3

Sometimes I can’t sleep at night

Tryin’ to figure out how to make it right

I’m the hero in every fight

That never happens

Verse 4

When life don’t go the way I plan

It’s okay to be where I am

Keeps a bottle outta my hand

And that ain’t nothin’

Chorus:

My thoughts create what I see

Black holes or opportunity

For some, life’s about the cryin’

For some, the sweet spot is the tryin’

All the way home

Verse 5

Gotta jump off the victim train

Everybody’s got their share of pain

Hidin’ in the dark ain’t gonna keep you sane

Don’t waste a minute

Verse 6

No one knows how much time they’ve got

Focus on what is, not what’s not

Treasure what’s given, not what’s bought

Somethin’ no one can take away

Chorus

Bridge

Thinkin’ ‘bout things don’t make you free

Sometimes you gotta just let it be

It is what it is, not what it seems

Life is just a rush of streaming dreams

Meaning of Life

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Meaning of Life"

Meaning of Life

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse 1

All the statues are catchin’ fire

Newspaperman is a liar

Honest men don’t get their turn

But the city gets high…while the city burns

Baby says, “Are you tryin’ to find your bliss”

I said, “I’m just lookin’ for a kiss”

Searchin’ for the meaning of life

Verse 2

People say they’re lookin’ for truth

Ain’t gonna find it in a voting booth

All you get are practiced liars

And arsonists…good at settin’ fires

Politics is the litmus test

Who is cursed and who is blessed

Searchin’ for the meaning of life

Verse 3

Went walkin’ under big skies

Wearin’ my disguise

Wasn’t wearin’ red or blue

Just lookin’ for something true

Like people ‘n things I can touch

Do you really think I ask too much

Searchin’ for the meaning of life, oh yeah

Searchin’ for the meaning of life

Verse 4

Propaganda is the new art form

Havin’ information don’t mean you’re informed

Repeating lies don’t make them true

The emperor’s new clothes are all see through

If you’re gonna see it clear

Gotta get beyond your fear

Searchin’ for the meaning of life, oh yeah

Searchin’ for the meaning of life

Verse 5

I see religion gives you peace

Answers to questions that never cease

I know that it works for some

But I need a little somethin’, Baby, till the Kingdom Comes

I pray the saints keep me close

Save me from unholy ghosts

Searchin’ for the meaning of life, oh yeah

Searchin’ for the meaning of life

Give Me Moonlight

by Stephen Smoke | Redemption

Click Here to See Lyrics for "Give Me Moonlight"

Give Me Moonlight

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Smoke

Verse:

I see your body lying naked next to mine

I see your private tattoo

Moon shadows paint you in and outta light

A masterpiece of you

Chorus:

Give me moonlight

Make it midnight

Gonna be all right

When my baby comes around

You know I’m yours, baby

You know you drive me crazy

When you bring your love around

Verse:

Like Christmas morning, I just can’t wait

To unwrap your gift

I slip your lace down, nice and slow

Get lost in a lovers’ kiss

Chorus

I see your body lying naked next to mine

I see your private tattoo

Moon shadows paint you in and outta light

A masterpiece of you

Chorus