The thieves in charge
Just dangle some cash
And dirty politicians
Kiss a whole lotta ass
The game is rigged
In the USA
The American Dream’s
Been dealt away
Crooks and traitors
Keep getting paid
Send jobs overseas
And call it free trade
The game is rigged
In the USA
The American Dream’s
Been dealt away
Ain’t got no money
To fix our schools
We’re going down hard
Like a punch-drunk fool
The game is rigged
In the USA
The American Dream’s
Been dealt away
by Richard W. Bray
Left in a hurry
And I’m feeling kinda mean
My cleanest dirty shorts*
Ain’t none too clean
Stomach’s full of empty
My hair’s a disgrace
Didn’t even get a chance
To wash my face
Keep diving deeper
But I still ain’t hit
The bottom of the bottle
Is it time to quit?
Had to leave me a woman
Crazier than sin
Getting out was so much tougher
Than getting in
She took all I got
And tied me to her bed
It’s wonder to behold
That I ain’t dead
Keep diving deeper
But I still ain’t hit
The bottom of the bottle
Is it time to quit?
I’ve seen the seedy side
Of every bar and saloon
I drank in every dive
From here to the moon
Got a thousand sordid tales
That I could tell
Shared shots with the devil
In the pit of hell
Keep diving deeper
But I still ain’t hit
The bottom of the bottle
Is it time to quit?
*Sincerest apologies to Mr. Kristofferson
Richard W. Bray
We’ve all been
Treated wrong
But it’s a sin
To pass it on
Revenge won’t make you whole
Revenge won’t cure your bloody soul
Let it go, let it go, let it go
You can snuggle
With your rage
Or you can try
To turn the page
Revenge won’t make you whole
Revenge won’t cure your bloody soul
Let it go, let it go, let it go
You can wallow
In the dirt
But you can’t fix
Hurt with hurt
Revenge won’t make you whole
Revenge won’t cure your bloody soul
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Hate causes
Heart disease
Release your anger
To the breeze
Revenge won’t make you whole
Revenge won’t cure your bloody soul
Let it go, let it go, let it go
Richard W. Bray
You can stick a gun
In somebody’s face
You can even pull the trigger
But you cannot replace
His kin, his land, his God
And his creed
Not for bread alone
Is a man gonna bleed
You can raise an army
You can send it overseas
But you ain’t gonna change
What people believe
You can make a bunch of widows
And kids without moms
But you can’t fix the world
With cluster bombs
You can turn whole nations
Into danger zones
Or you can concentrate
On taking care of your own
You can try to control
What’s beyond your command
Or you can focus on building
A better homeland
Richard W. Bray
You can’t lie away the pain
But you can hide it for a while
Whitewash covers up a stain
Like a fresh coat of denial
You can’t drink away the pain
It’s such a sad and silly goal
And if you don’t go insane
You might just wash away your soul
You can’t laugh away the pain
By insisting it’s not real
When your dreams go down the drain
Don’t pretend that you don’t feel
I can’t love away your pain
But I can help you through the day
We’ll walk together in the rain
It’s never gonna go away
Richard W. Bray
It’s a rough and tumble universe
You’re gonna take some lumps
Now and then all of us
Are gonna get the grumps
It’s easy to be glum
In a world with so much bad
To celebrate misfortune
And paint the sky with sad
That’s why I admire
Folks who face the day
With a cheerful disposition
Whatever comes their way
You can be a hero
With a smile on your face
Attack this cruel, cruel world
With gentleness and grace
Richard W. Bray
There’s a girl who works with me
She’s everything a gal should be
She’s gotta smile that makes me melt
The greatest joy I ever felt
Is when she laughs or just says Hi
I was born to be her guy
My tender heart will never mend
She said she likes me for a friend
I really thought that she’s the one
Now my lonely life is done
I sat and sat on our first date
She was seven hours late
She said it was a hectic day
She sent my sorry ass away
I called her up when I got home
She said she needs to be alone!
My tender heart will never mend
She said she likes me for a friend
I really thought that she’s the one
Now my lonely life is done
Richard W. Bray
I wake up in the morning
And I face a thousand choices
I ain’t gettin nothing done
If I hear the voices
Of everyone who thinks he knows
Just what I should be
My life ain’t about you, pal
Your life ain’t about me
Everyone who thinks they know
Just what I should do
Please don’t tell me who I am
And I won’t bother you
My life is a fulltime job
And I won’t get far
If I spend my precious time
Wondering who you are
So get yourself mirror
Cuz that’s where you will see
Everything you need to know
Bout who you need to be
Everyone who thinks they know
Just what I should do
Please don’t tell me who I am
And I won’t bother you
Richard W. Bray
I had a happy home
And I thought I needed more
I had a happy home
I don’t have it any more
Driving, driving nowhere
Don’t wanna go home
Driving, driving nowhere
I can’t stand myself alone
Driving, driving nowhere
And my gas is running low
Driving, driving nowhere
Cuz I got nowhere to go
I had a girl who loved me
What more can I say?
I had a girl who loved me
And I sent my girl away
Driving, driving nowhere
Don’t wanna go home
Driving, driving nowhere
I can’t stand myself alone
Driving, driving nowhere
And my gas is running low
Driving, driving nowhere
Cuz I got nowhere to go
Ain’t nowhere to go
I ain’t never gonna find
The lovin that I lost
Now I’m gonna lose my mind
Driving, driving nowhere
Don’t wanna go home
Driving, driving nowhere
I can’t stand myself alone
Driving, driving nowhere
And my gas is running low
Driving, driving nowhere
Cuz I got nowhere to go
Richard W. Bray
Love can take a mighty toll
Love can lacerate your soul
Love can mutilate your guts
Love can make your brain go nuts
Love is crazy
Love is wild
But it’s hardly ever mild
Love is groovy
Love is grand
But it never goes as planned
Love’s a ride
That thrills and throws
And nobody ever knows
What it’s gonna do to a man
Love can make the stars align
Love can make your whole world shine
Love can readjust your view
Love can make your whole life new
Love is crazy
Love is wild
But it’s hardly ever mild
Love is groovy
Love is grand
But it never goes as planned
Love’s a ride
That thrills and throws
And nobody ever knows
What it’s gonna do to a man
Richard W. Bray
Laughter hope sock in the eye's Blog 