Flown the Coop

Written – Wendy Nichol & Ian Russell

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar & Lead Vocals – Wendy; BGV – Ian Russell & Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek

There are mistakes you’ve made

And pride makes you afraid, trying to get it back

And the traits of a soul’s divorce

Are like selling things you can’t afford, can’t afford to lose

Oh She’s flown the coop, could not get out too soon

She’s letting go, he’s trackin it slow

     How do you save it, take hands full and claim

     How do you make two, communicate and make it through

We all reach a point of no return

And hope we can real it in, real it in

But the trials that we face

Are not staring back with grace

Imagine us together, neither passing flight of feathers

You and me, you and me

Imagine there’s no barriers, no memories of unfair weather

You and me, you and me

Known

Written by – Wendy Nichol

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar – Wendy; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek

She heard goodbye, goodbye

He meant don’t cry, it’s gonna be alright

     He knows that he’s fallen from that throne

     He wants to be the king of her world

He heard you failed, you failed

She meant I’m proud, no matter what avails

     She hopes that she’s the queen of his world

     She knows that he depends on every word

The mechanics of a tongue break down

In route, translation can’t be found

And two loved hearts unspoken

When it comes to deeper things

Walls become our tragedy

Two whole hearts are broken

I heard nothing, nothing

You said I’ve given you everything

     I hope that you can see me from your throne

     But you’re heart’s aching just to be known

To know and be known, to know and be known

I want to know and be known, I want to know and be known

Leaving

Written by – Wendy Nichol

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar – Wendy; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek

I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the path that I’m on

Is one crack pipe short of overdosing, a meal that is overdone

But my sneaking suspicion is that all my efforts aren’t undone

Every time things don’t go my way or a challenge comes along

I’m leaving, leaving it all behind,

The weight of doubt is more than I can take this time

I’ve got a new revelation that I don’t endure in vain

I’m one lap short of a victory dance and my drought is one day short of rain

And my new revelation is that my fortress of self-preservation

Is more than just a guarded heart it’s a lonely observation

I have been riding this bike under water for so long

The endurance of timing and worry of chance have given me song

But when the waters of doubt recede and freedom finds me free

I’ll be of soft skin and strong mind with more than a care to carry me

Green

Written by – Wendy Nichol & John Shelton

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar – John David Shelton; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek; Mandoline & Violin – Rick Morton

Steppin to a new tune, wear it on my face

No more clinching my jaw, it’s an open space

     It’s green on this side of the tracks

Pullin out the stops, breaking every mold

Somehow it’s new and somehow it’s still old

Back and Forth, Up and down

All there is to be found is, green

Tell me it’s a dream and I’ll tell you it’s a plan

Walk a day in mine and you’ll see what I mean

     It’s green on this side of the tracks

Thicker skin than before, see through it even more

Still just a mess but it’s beautiful to me

Intoxicating love (repeats)

Your mercy and healing

No tragedy reigning

Your love never waning

Intoxicating (love)

So Close

Written – Wendy Nichol & Ian Russell

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar & Lead Vocals – Wendy; BGV – Ian Russell & Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek; Violin – Rick Morton

The fog outside is a little bit chilled for the cold dark circles you’re giving me

I will take your heartfelt shutout and hope you hear me

There’s a chain reaction of events ripping through our trust

And I know I am to blame for half of the pain

Love comes so close

I could reach out and touch

Love comes so close

I could reach out and touch

Love comes so close

And then you take it away

I’ve got an empty space beside me that I’ve tried so hard to fill

How do I always push away the thing I want near

You don’t need another Delilah

I could be your Juliet

I could be your universe

But I’d settle for being right by your side

Quitter No More

Written by – Wendy Nichol

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar – Wendy; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek

I can read it on your face

I can see it in your eyes

But I know there’s a disguise and a silence over-taking

But you can have it

You can have the fleeting thoughts

I’m not gonna sit here and build a case against you

Oh there will be days, days to overcome

And there will be the hours, hours we need prayer

Some days are easy and some are hard and overwhelmed

But here’s my promise, I’m not going anywhere, going anywhere

I know well the push and pull

We all know I tend to run

We all have caves and fields but mine are overgrown

I often throw away

All that threatens to be broken

But my tool belt is armed and ready to bare my heart and heal

Quitter no more (repeats)

Home

Written by – Wendy Nichol

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Piano – Wendy; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek; Violin – Rick Morton

I’m sitting here on the empty floor

Seems like we’ve been here before

No depth of light can shine into this heart of mine

And bring me back the prayers once prayed in overtime

            I can’t take back what I lost today

            No words describe my inner pain

            I don’t know… why you’d take him home

There will always be things I don’t understand

People making choices breaking trust and then

There’s death and life, and theft of a much deeper kind

We fight or flight, and can’t decide which truth to mind

           I can’t take back what I lost today

           No words describe my inner pain

           Cause I don’t how to call this home

Home’s with you, no matter where you are

I feel cracked and broken down

Wondering how I’m gonna get around

But I’ve seen your face, I know things this can’t erase

My hope past due, I find it only works in you

            I can’t take back what I lost today

            But you’ll redeem this tragedy some way

            That’s why I know… Your arms make this

Friend

Written by – Wendy Nichol

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar – Wendy; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Electric Guitar – Jordan Phillips; Drums – Jesse Sprinkle; Bass – Ryan Creek; Violin – Rick Morton

The war in the living room has forgotten I’m even there

My invisible walk to school, all the faces there that don’t care

A constant uncertainty, the reward of the hungry

A state of emergency, without alerting an authority

You called me friend (2x)

You called me loved

You called me friend

There’s no defense, believe me, I tried to play

Every need gets met, but some in the worst of ways

I was walking alone

Till you came in and held my hand

You called me your own

Said I was your best friend

I held my eyes closed

You waited till I let you in

Now you’re in, you’re in my friend

And you still call me friend

You call me loved

You call me friend

Love You Breathe

Written by – Wendy Nichol & John David Shelton

Production – Ja’Marc Davis

Acoustic Guitar 1 – Wendy; Acoustic Guitar 2 – John David Shelton; Lead Vocals & BGV – Wendy; Bass – Ryan Creek; Djembe  -Wendy; Congas, Shaker & Tambourine – Amira Al-Jiboori

For those who curse themselves

For those who covet those who’ve held

For the size two and the size twenty

Those not let down gently

Who shouldn’t have been let down at all

Never wish you could just dissolve

To become unremembered and unmentioned

Neither place yourself at the heights of dissension

But the LOVE that you breathe in each day

Makes it worth this lonesome way

Empty is in what you choose

You can win or you can lose

Blasted genes that make me unique

Colored stripes that shade my physique

My voice, my thoughts they’re all wrong

The lie that my name says belong

A family line of blessing or curse

A look, yeah that connection of course

And the responsibility that I will not carry

For the man that walks next to me

My rock is my thoughts, my hard place my will

I’m stuck in a rut that makes me think that’ll I’ll fail

And I try and I try but I cannot perceive

That the day will arrive that I can achieve

Strength in my fist, endurance on my knees

I’m made with a purpose you can not stop me

The plight of a lie has brought days of misery

But the joy in today’s light has surely found me

Thinkin’

I wish I would’ve hugged you last night

Why’d we have to say goodbye so soon

After we had talked for hours

We finally saw the moon

I can hardly believe

How beautiful you are to me

A few days ago we were nothin’

Now we’ve shared so many things

Thinkin’ of you

And I’m wonderin’

If you’re thinkin’ of me too

And I…want to see you again

Dreamers dream

Lover’s hopelessly love

Drivin’ themselves crazy

But never givin’ up

Could it be true that I

Finally met you

The irony of love

I must say goodbye so soon

Oh the thought never again

Yes the doubt did descend

Into my mind recently when…

Oh you fill my mind every now and again

And I was wonderin’

If you’re thinkin’ of me too

What If I…

Too many chances to say the profound

Slipped from my lips still encrypted within my self

Too many moments that have passed

Things I didn’t say that would last

And it seems maybe others have forgotten too

But I can’t bare my neglect of you

I must tell you what I’ve thought of you

Tell you what I’ve thought of you

What if I never said the words

Told you how I care

Told you how I need you near

What if I never showed you love

Let you always know how you truly rock my world

Then I wonder have I ever moved the emotions of your soul

Have I ever stirred heart-felt thoughts

Have I tugged at the forgotten strings attached to your parts

Or have I moved like the unnoticed breeze today

Like the wanderer whom I paid no mind to

I must tell you what I’ve thought of you

Tell you what I’ve thought of you

There Have Always Been

I feel your arms wrap one at a time

I begin to shake on the inside

I don’t know a feeling that compares

To this moment here with you

There have always been things in the way

There have always been games I have to play, to play

There have always been the long silent pauses that draw me into you

There has always been, there has always been you.

I have always sought to the moment’s thrill

I knew they’d never really fill

I have finally reached the point

Where I don’t want the ones who inevitably say goodbye

Tryin’ for the things that bring me

Pleasure for the temporary

Then I’m broken by early mornin’

Why does it never seem

To hurt anyone else as

Much as it hurts me

I never want to hinder

Your arms again

Light to Your Demise

Black hats to black shoes, impression on the streets

Open windows to the soul, covered as heaven weeps

Do we keep learning even when we die

Or do we remain vacant as on earth because we don’t try

I am not my hair nor my clothes, not even the things that I do

I may come close to words that from my soul do pour

Then I realize that it’s someone else’s words

Someone else’s thought or idea or set of chords

And I don’t have time

I don’t have time to be like you

I won’t absorb your negativity anymore

I want to see the sunrise

And bring light to your demise

Made me unique he said so many times

I only wish that I could see through my fleshly crimes

Up and down roller coaster calls for faithful walks and faithful hands

Ripped with good intentions but plagued with name brands

Stealing from my surroundings the ashes to everyone else’s cigarette

Claiming from the crevices the winning side to every bet

Blue shaded glasses when I want to see it blue

Yellow shaded glasses when you see it that way too

Hats of every kind, words to match to moment

Clothes of all designs to give witness to the remnant

I just want to be me, who I am and what I want

But I want to be you and what to you is always pleasant, go figure

Go figure…

I Just Do

I’m supposed to be over you

You’re supposed to be gone

It’s time to let go

And not write another love song

But how can I…. when every song on the radio’s a love song?

How can I…when every subject that I think on leads me back to you?

I suppose our emotions

Can always lead us astray

And moving on is best

Regardless of what you did not say

I just do (repeats)

Cause I don’t find my peace in you

Seeking You

You’re on the road I can see there are signs ahead

The fog is thick so is the grief and 

You’re trying hard to figure it out and trying to ignore it at the same time

It’s broken glass swept under a rug, a memory already forgotten

Pushed away, blamed for who you are and everything you’ve had.

I don’t know if you’ll ever find your way

I don’t know if peace will ever find your pain

I don’t know if you’ll see the truth or find true love

Find true love but I know Love is seeking you.

There’s a time and place mixed between fear and faith

And you’re caught in the middle of a tug of war

It’s perception mixed with distraction

It’s those same broken glasses passed down for generations… it’s just your turn

Beauty Queen

Size ten is too big it just won’t work

It doesn’t fit the image I hide here in my heart

I’m ugly and bound to forever be free

Cause no one ever likes what they see

She cries cause she believes her beauty will never be seen

She lies, she heaves one last time to fill the need

One more pill that just won’t fill

The pain in my stomach is far too real

My clothes are too tight they’re all looking at me

They think I’m gross, why can’t they see

I can’t watch you do it anymore

The beauty of your rays of light penetrate the darkest night

You’ve got a sea of beauty queen flowing from inside of thee

This is for All the Girls

This is for all the girls

Who wanted to live up to the dream

Of being someone else’s world

This is for all the girls

Who bought the after morning thrill

Because of last night’s unprotected pill

This is for all the girls

Who couldn’t wait long enough

And now all you can do is wait… to find out

I’ve been there and I’ve done that

You’re gonna make it through

There’s better don’t make that

A pattern you’ll have to break through

This is for all the girls

Who hide behind the tough guy mentality

To protect themselves from the cruelty

This is for all the girls

Who think they have to control

So someone doesn’t try to mold them into that role

This is for all the girls

Afraid of the future pain

That any close relationship might bring

You’re not alone, you’re not condemned

You need to break away from that

You can be healed, of the pain

You deserve better than that

Hold onto faith, He’ll be the way

You can be truly free

Breakaway, expect the best

Don’t be afraid toBreakawaye rest

You Will Love Again

I’m no expert on life but I think I am sometimes

In my eyes it should match up but life’s poetry never rhymes

Not until we look back and see what we didn’t know

So I’ll stick to what I know and learn the rest as I go

How tragedy can so often be what’s best

Even when we don’t understand broken hearts do rest

They mend, they grow, they love again

When God comes in a lends a healing hand

You will love again (repeats)

Don’t forget to express the feelings inside

Good or bad they’re your own not to hide

It’s okay to love when someone doesn’t love back

It’s okay to give when they’re giving lacks

Admire with an open heart, fear not rejection

Let your mind not be subjected to dissection

Love doesn’t love in order to receive love

And mercy is not something unheard of

It’s Called Not Meant To Be

Days amazed with walks and barefoot grassy-laced dreams

Rain fallin’ but only on you and me

As we dance under tears of heaven

And special stars painted sparkly words

Just for our eyes to see, just for us to dream

Oh candid place to be, I’m dreamin’ of you and me                                                             

            But time goes by

            I was in love with you

            And you were in love with me

            But it’s called not meant to be

            Called not meant to be

Anywhere with you was my place in your eyes I’d long to stay

Mind’s contentment to be true I knew I had to be with you

Clouds of disarray broke the heart-shaped words you spoke

Passion it took but love awoke… anyway

                        I’m tired of

holdin

on

the that

dream and I’m

                        Tired of

holdin

on to you and me and I’m

                        Tired of my heart ache just from

hearin

your name

                        I’m tired of

dreamin

of you and me

Ignored

Perfection

Perfect is my enemy

Captive it has kept me

Contemplating so much failure

The what-ifs and the maybes

How long with I hold on?

Judgments and comparing

Descriptions by the “caring”

Aggressive from the passive

and the voice inside of my head

How long will I hold on?

I cannot see in front of me

But it must be good

Every time I look into our eyes

Everything is understood

Stretch me but not breaking

I exhale all life gave

Exchanging for redemption

And the hands that cover me

How long will you hold on?