Yemeni lives matter
Iraqi lives too
Syrians are human beings
Just like me and you
Yemeni lives matter
We are the things we do
We make the bombs that kill babies
We avert our view
Pakistanis bleed
They eat and shit and screw
Like the people you know
They love their children too
We sell ourselves a story
When we do bad things
But our guilt cries out
Like a bell that always rings
by Richard W. Bray
Everything I ever wanted
Showed up and it was you
Then you sighed and said
That you had other things to do…
I found myself a hole
And I filled my guts with rye
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
I soaked up so much hurtin
And I drank my soul dry
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
I fought with every fool
Who had a drink to buy
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
Puking blood and squirting mud
And breathing to be high
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
Today they see me healthy
They smile and wonder why
He didn’t have
The decency to die
by Richard W. Bray
You can spend a lifetime
Whining bout your luck
That don’t make it better
It just makes you a schmuck
Be happy cuz it hurts
It’s brutal and it’s fast
Be happy cuz it’s crazy
And the good times never last
Kindness and compassion:
There won’t ever be enough
You can be a partisan
For fellowship and love
Be happy cuz it hurts
It’s brutal and it’s fast
Be happy cuz it’s crazy
And the good times never last
Live the life you got
You won’t get another chance
So turn and face the music
And have yourself a dance
Be happy cuz it hurts
It’s brutal and it’s fast
Be happy cuz it’s crazy
And the good times never last
by Richard W. Bray
You’re not sick
You’re just in love
—Irving Berlin
My hair’s falling out
And I got new pimple
Who ever said
Life would be simple?
When you’re around
I blush and stammer
I say stupid things
And forget my grammar
I walked by your house
Hoping we would meet
Then I found out
I was on the wrong street
When you’re around
I feel out of place
Sort of like a turtle
In a hundred meter race
I feel sort of dizzy
Everything is hazy
If I don’t see you more
It’s gonna make me crazy
When you’re around
The universe glistens
I really like your voice
So I’m just gonna listen
by Richard W. Bray
you vacuumed out your soul
now you’re trying make it whole
can’t hide the empty in your eyes
when lips are spewing lies
you deny the things you do
is there anything that’s true?
can’t fix the clutter in your head
can’t fix the people who are dead
pocket your profits — don’t keep score
selling drugs and guns and war
by Richard W. Bray
Climbed the tallest mountain
Saw a guru sitting there
I asked him what it meant
And he vanished in the air
Live the love
Live the fail
Live the moment
And savor every inhale
Just when I ‘areckoned
I had it figured out
Life knocked me on my ass
And it turned me inside out
Live the love
Live the fail
Live the moment
And savor every inhale
I read bunch of books
And I seen a few things
Please don’t ever ask me
To explain anything
Live the laughter
Live the fail
Live the moment
And savor every inhale
by Richard W. Bray
Tippy tappy too
The sky is bright and blue
Dippy dappy do
I met a girl like you
Sometimes I’m a fool
Being mean to you
Words cannot not reveal
How bad it makes me feel
Your heart is like a pearl
In a crazy crazy world
Your love is like a shell
Protecting me from hell
Hippy happy hey
Another lovely day
Dippy dappy day
Don’t ever go away
by Richard W. Bray
Your wife came in and found you
In your king-sized bed
With her sister and her cousin
And this is what you said:
“This isn’t what it looks like
But it’s easy to explain
Your cousin spilled some grape juice
And the bed was getting stained
“So your sister came right over
With a bottle of detergent
We all started scrubbing
It was getting pretty urgent…”
She said:
It’s time to stop your digging
You can put the shovel down
Now y’all get to stepping
Before I put my rifle down
Politician told the people
He had our back for the duration
Then the fat cats filled his wallet
While he bankrupted the nation
“This isn’t what it looks like
But it’s easy to explain
I need a billion dollars
To finance my campaign
“You gotta believe me
Hear my words and read my lips
I would never take a bribe
But I do accept tips…”
When the voters gonna say?
It’s time to stop your digging
You can put the shovel down
You’re slick but we ain’t stupid
Time to get out of town
by Richard W. Bray
My situation is kinda dire
Got rusty rims and baldy tires
Chewing gum and chicken wire
Keeping all my shit together
My well is dry, my luck is dryer
My crops are dead, my barn caught fire
I’m half foreclosed without a buyer
I ain’t dead but I’ve been better
Ain’t got much left
I’m still a man
I’m doing
Everything I can
My baby took a bus one day
And said she’d be back right away
She sent a letter yesterday
Saying where to send her stuff
I ain’t the type to kneel and pray
You’ll never hear me bitch and bray
But Lord them skies are awful gray
And things are looking tough
Ain’t got much left
I’m still a man
I’m doing
Everything I can
Richard W. Bray
You were right and I was wrong
Now my life’s a country song
About a man who lost his wife
Wrecked his home and ruined his life
You were right and I was wrong
I lost the place where I belong
You found out—you said goodbye
I hate my wicked wayward eye
You were right and I was wrong
And everything I love is gone
Thought I could have a little fling
It wasn’t worth my wedding ring
You were right and I was wrong
You said be true or say so long
I tried to split my life in two
And eat my cake and have you too
You were right and I was wrong
I was weak and you’re so strong
I have to live with what I did
I miss my home—I miss my kids
By Richard W. Bray
