Melissa McClain ~ The Music

[BACK]	American Girl She sat down to reassess why things were such a mess, why some dreams just don't come true. Her dreams lined up in a list, all the dreams that she had missed; she came so close but let them go. Now there's this emptiness—the feeling she can't handle this— this coming to terms with her own life. The side of her have-nots grows; she tosses the list and knows there's no one to blame here but herself. She's an American kind of girl. She grew up wanting the whole world. She's got a lot of love to give, a lot of life to live, but it's never enough, there's just no time. Later in a pensive mood, she sees that her attitude can change her world in one second flat. With getting older now, she's realizing how maybe she really did have it all. Chorus. There's just no time. No time. Time can run over you. Time lets the truth show through. Time can make you regret. She's an American kind of girl. She grew up wanting the whole world. She's got a lot of love to give, a lot of life to live, if only she'd change her mind.
	Perennial I can't even look up, feel like my world's gone crumbling down; there's this frown I've been carrying 'round. Can't shake this cold feeling. Everything's wrong there's nothing right, can't sleep at night, try as I might, but then I look up, and the flowers are beautiful. I watch them light the afternoon, even though life looks awful dark. They push themselves every year to break the surface, to rise up. They teach us to have faith, trust the heart. It's not been a good year. Nothing's gone as I had planned, don't understand, did all I can. My great expectations can be my doom when things don't go my way. But today, what can I say? I happened to look up. Chorus. And if we could be more like the evergreen. With everlasting faith, we regenerate. Regrow fresh and clean. Change your mind and see that you can last it through and grow a brand new you. Chorus.	[BACK]
[BACK]	If I Told You If I told you you were a mystery, would you unfold your secrets for me? If I told you you were a lucky charm, would you let me wear you on my arm? And you said maybe you will. And you said maybe you won't. And you said maybe you will. And you've always got that smile if only for a while; and you know I'd walk with you if only for a mile. It's a secret I can't keep, even in my sleep. This is real. If I told you you inspired me, would you help me be the writer I can be? If I told you you were the perfect song, would you let me harmonize and sing along? Chorus. In my sleep, there'll be angels dancing. In my sleep, I can dream what will be true. In my sleep, I can give myself to you, raining over me, over me. Chorus.
	Never Been I've never been this way before, down this road with hearts and dreams in pieces on the floor. It's new to me. I've never seen myself in the staring role of a love tragedy. I've never been this way. I need a map to negotiate all the twists, turns, and curves of heartache: a treacherous road with a caution sign urging me forward from all I've left behind. I've never been this way. And they say love's worth the risk. That's what they say, but they're not going my way, today. It's a dark and lonely open road, just me and my emotional overload. There's no help along the way, but there's one hell of a toll to pay. I've never been down this way. It's too foggy and dark to see on the corner of loss and uncertainty. There must be another way ahead, but it's hard to move when your heart's turned to lead. I've never been this way. I don't want to be going this way.	[BACK]
[BACK]	When the Night Came She moved in to the basement apartment below me, two rooms with a stove and tiny window view. It was the perfect setting for a tragic scene. As the audience, I didn't know what I should do. Her boyfriend only worked at keeping his beer cold. Six packs stood guard by their white, battered door. He'd lock her out when she got home from work late. I'd hear her banging and desperation right through my floor. I'd get so tense; I'd get no sleep. His threats would knock her off her feet. He'd get in his car, and he'd drive away, but she'd let him in the very next day, and I'd think what the hell for. You've got a baby to adore. I never spoke to her; I didn't even know her name, but she would soon have a baby, and I heard her cry a lot. We both dreaded his drunkenness, and when the night came, that's when she'd beg him for mercy when they fought. Chorus. One night the cops came. I don't know what went down, but she never came back. It was quiet now, quiet now.
	Epic Epic journey, epic loss. Funny how my plans criss-crossed. Blew my boundaries, blew my mind. I'd like to feel at home sometime. Chase a vision, chase a dream. It's not the one that's meant for me. Row of epics on my shelf, I took the long way to find myself. I got a bottle full of wishes, a pocket of stars. Got enough good karma to get me real far, but the soles of my shoes are rooted to the ground, until I get it right. Danced on the edge of everything, couldn't run through the fire's ring. Always feared my getting burned, but in staying safe what have I learned? Chorus. And that voice inside my head says I'm not ready yet, but remind me why I'm doing this. I forget. Chorus.	[BACK]
[BACK]	Climb High Christina failed her freshman year in a Mid-western high school. She barely bothered to attend, smelled like pot, and tried to be real cool. Her family saw troubled times; you know, she turned to drugs to make her feel fine, but they pulled her further down. She couldn't climb high. Christina's sophomore year brought a change: it seems she broke a smile. She was earning A's and looking great, had sloughed off her old style. She said she found the Lord, did a mission in Belize. She said she saw the world's hurt, and she wanted to help so the world wouldn't bleed. She could climb high. Kelly's loving parents raised her to be a good Baptist girl. She graduated from college and was soon out on her own in the world. With the love of the Church right by her side, she knew she'd always be okay; she'd set her sights on the sky. She could climb high. 'Til one day, they all left her side when she told them she was gay. Now her parents can't accept that; you're not our daughter anymore, they say. The Church can't rejoice for now you've made this choice. Falwell says it's a sin; now the Church can't take you in. She couldn't climb high. CHORUS
	Sweet Prince Woke up in Denmark just in time to find your king was gone. Took your world with him by the morning. His ghost is lingering, trying hard to get his message through. Is that a blessing or a warning? You must be joking; you can't change the world. Take all the time you need to think about what you've heard. Fate played a dirty trick on you. Take all the time you need to draft the plans, 'cause they'll be sorry someday. They saw you sulking with your head held low in darkest thought. You let 'em know you had too much sun. They watched you as you pined away for sweet Ophelia's love. Your madness troubled everyone. Chorus. It's the choice of a lifetime, the only one you got. Maybe time is on your side; maybe not. You were caught up in thought, to be or not, living or dying, truth or lying, free will or fate, time to deliberate, lifetime debate, waited too late. 'Cause you'll be sorry someday. You must be joking; you can't change the world. You took all the time you needed to think about what you heard. Time played a dirty trick on you. You took all the time you needed to draft your plans, and you were sorry today. Good night, sweet prince. You're sorry.	[BACK]
[BACK]	Don't Know What to Say I carried the last of the laundry up the stairs. Threw the suitcase open on the bed. Maps lie scattered unfolded on the kitchen table. Got my life mapped out in my head. I try your number though it's way too early to call, but I can't leave without saying goodbye. Three long rings, and I just break the connection, return to packing with a sigh. I can't leave a message 'cause I don't know what to say to you or to myself to make this feeling go away, but I know there are some words that can help me see the truth, but for now I just don't what I can say. I stacked my clothes neatly in piles inside the suitcase; took my favorite CDs to the car. Folded the maps and laid them out on the front seat 'cause when you're feeling lost you need to find where you are. Before I grab the suitcase and head out for the curb, I try to reach you one last time; another three long rings followed only by silence, and it's that silence that I leave behind. I can't leave a message 'cause I don't know what to say to you or to myself to make this feeling go away. I thought there'd be some words that would help me see the truth, but maybe there was never anything to say anyway.
	Purple Primate Wasn't the luggage store quite scary? I wanted a bag, simple and plain, when my eyes were drawn to the obvious gimmick designed for consumers without a brain. At least 20 backpacks hung in glory-somebody's brainchild on a string. Dangling from each one was a mammal. Did it make the backpack a better thing? It was a monkey, a silly monkey, a purple primate. I pondered my own childhood for a moment and all of the reasons I had spent my cash. I bought whatever was cute and useless so later I'd feel just like an ass. So I'm not buying that monkey, that silly monkey, that purple primate. I thought of Thoreau as I left the store that day. Why is extra baggage on a piece of baggage anyway? Consumers be mindful of your buying habits. Yet, maybe I'd buy one if it were a fuzzy rabbit. But it was a monkey, a silly monkey, a purple primate.	[BACK]
[BACK]	Kissing the Blues Finally woke up from this nap; shook complaisance off my back. I feel a newness like I've never known; seems like years since I have grown. Holding your hand I know I can do it. Touching your face I know I'll get through it. Looking in your eyes I know there's not much I can't stand. Kissing the blues goodbye. Kissing bad news up into infinite sky. Kissing those, kissing those blues goodbye. For years I lost my touch. I was searching way too much for some answers to help me see, but those answers were always in me. Chorus. Exploding old notions of how I should do it. My thinking's so lucid that I can see through it. If there's music inside I just gotta let it sing. Chorus.

Epic

Climb High