Lyrics

Most of the following songs have been recorded under my stage name, Lucky Overton, and can be found

on most major platforms. Purchase albums, downloads, stream and become a subscriber for access

to my full catalog at at bandcamp.com or buy direct and donate to artist support

at www.luckyoverton.com .

Distancing Denise

There’s not a cloud on this horizon, I’ll never write again.

'Cause I get inspired by cheap motel rooms,

but you’ll never find a place that’s good enough for you.

Does it feel safe to keep your distance, and go home alone again?

I like to sing and eat Chinese, but

you’ll never find a food that’s good enough for you.

Let’s get us a room.

So mutter phrases from a foreign language, 

while I pretend to understand.

I’ll make you laugh when you’re in a bad mood, but

you’ll never find a man who’s good enough for you.

So will I see you out tonight, dancing alone?

We used to salsa and flamenco, 

well maybe when I answered my phone.

I live my life like it’s a movie; don’t want the crowd to fall asleep.

We’ve got seas directly in the front row,

but you’ll never find a stage that’s good enough for you.

Let’s get us a room.

Well I never tried to figure you out, girl. We are who we are and that’s all.

But I could lie and say that it’s been interesting,

well, I am who I am and that’s good enough for me.

Good enough for me.

Good enough for me.

Good enough for me.

Ain’t It a Shame

Hey I’m losing my mind making the miles between us

and I’m wasting my time counting the years between us.

Both babes were born with blonde hair but they were born too far apart.

Now here we are it’s been ten years and I haven’t come that far.

-CH-

Ain’t it a shame, I’m leaving you today.

I can’t explain I have to go away.

Go away. I’d like to think of us as a painting left undone.

I’m driving into the sun knowing you were the only one for me.

Her love is like the sunset in Texas; 

it’s beautiful and lasts longer than the night itself.

And the days go by and the weeks go by until we’ve grown apart.

I never lied but I question why I ripped apart your heart.

-CH-

I get into my car; don’t care what it takes,

I’m gonna drive eighty never hit the brakes.

Headed out of town who knows the reason why

I made you laugh, then I made you cry.

To my left is a cluster of lights.

I remember when it felt so right.

Straight ahead, Amarillo now I’m so close.

What I’m after I don’t know.

-CH-

Now my windshield’s smashed,

my block is cracked.

My kind of love is a heart attack.

I’m out of gas. Don’t know where I’m at.

The past is gone, there’s no turning back.

Both babes were born with blond hair 

but they were born to far apart.

Now here I am ,

it’s been ten years and I haven’t come that far.

-CH-

-CH-

Wet 20

Well here I sit on your barstool,

digging through a soggy wallet.

I may not look rich, but I got a wet twenty

and I’m buying beers for all my friends.

You see last week we all just had a good feeling

to grab an oar an head out that door.

Not a one of us had any idea,

just what it was that we were in for.

Well we lost our drinking water

when we hit some rocks and a raft tipped over.

Pissed off a rancher when we tried to make a campfire,

I don’t know how things could get much worse.

Till it started raining with a constant cloud cover

for days, we didn’t see the sun.

It wasn’t long before some of us had to wonder

just a thinking that the river had won.

-CH-

Maybe I’m a fool to go with you,

but I’m not wasting my life.

If you wanna leave my ass here,

go ahead, but we might not make it back.

Just a small band of troopers

kept on rowing till the daylight’s end.

We set that camp up just to tear it all down

and then we’d head on out and do it again.

-CH-

Well soon that water got deeper,

and the sun came out to say hey.

Saw a bald eagle flying thirty feet above me

man don’t it feel so good to be free.

Well I can see you’re not an eager bartender

but mam, I know who I am.

'Cause after fighting for my life on that river,

how can I not feel like a man?

North for Winter

Well the newspaper read its own news today.

Here’s a tired old song, but I’m singing my blues away.

Outside the streets are burning, and inside the ice is forming.

Backwards hats and loose pants, they went out of style today,

sent off my sweepstakes ten thousand dollar giveaway.

We had a tight connection, in two years, a separation but

-CH-

I’m flying north for the winter.

The south is too hot, the east too plain

and wet is too far away.

Well the clouds are troubles that seem to float on by.

Like a breeze on a ferry or a rusted old road sign.

But the sign says dead end and the weather won’t change,

simple smiling faces you love to hate

and all these tangled roads seem to follow me but

-CH-

Well I got what I want and I ain’t going back again.

This world turns a hundred miles per hour while I’m going ten.

And it’s fall but the leaves aren’t changing.

Somewhere here heart is aching,

breaking, faking, the plane is taking me

-CH-

-CH-

Thoughts of Rain

Peeking under covers, confusing friends with lovers.

She asked me to come downstairs and see.

Blisters on her forehead, yet she was a lover of mine.

She sparkles and shines like broken bottles on a reservation roadside.

The kitty circles its prey in a newspaper dating game.

The dog barked, now he’s mangled, scratched and scarred.

Curly headed criminal mind, she was a lover of mine.

The devil in her eye, her only goal was to fantasize sadistic crimes.

 

-CH-

Thoughts of rain on a Saturday full of sunshine.

She said, “Can you do something for me? Cause’ it’s so lonely being homely.

I only wanna walk on your ceiling.”

Wrinkles all around her yet she was a lover of mine.

Running out of time, a spotted pony never undermined a rugged ride.

-CH-

-CH-

She said you’re not a man 

until you’ve known and come to understand a good woman.

Maybe she was right,

that’s why she sleeps with an empty space on her left side.

-CH-

-CH-

Kid Sligo

I left you in the morning, brand new hat on my head.

You had a way of making me feel like a kid.

Flew across the ocean, said hello to Big Ben.

Half a world away and half a world apart,

two strangers making love in the dark.

-CH-

I’ve been lonely, but mostly

I’ve been killing time.

Believing you’re mine.

Within the ruins of Glencar, I found a stone-cold heart.

So many things that I could’ve done instead.

But does it really matter in the end?

-CH-

That kladdah ring on your finger always pointed out.

I’ll bet you’re putting on your perfume now

getting ready for a night on the town.

-CH-

I left you in the morning, brand new hat on my head.

You had a way of making me feel like a kid.

Slow Down

You didn’t think that we could fly

well, you never know until you try.

And if you feel we move too fast, well

all we need’s another chance.

I know all your friends, they wouldn’t understand

well never mind them.

-CH-

Cause we got nowhere to go but up.

Maybe we just need to slow down.

Slow down.

I know that I’m afraid of heights

but every time I look into your big blue eyes

I see you suspended in all your innocence.

Let’s think about this.

-CH-

We made out on a park bench.

After the great race, we went to my place.

Twinkling stars, you fell asleep in my arms.

And then the fever came rushing in.

We didn’t know how to handle it.

We’ve been through the acting cool

and hiding what we really wanna do.

-CH-

Slow down if we move to fast.

We gotta slow down if we wanna make it last.

Gone

Gone, gone, gone. I’ll sing a song and start your travel.

But you never left my mind.

You were one, a single strand from an awkward childhood.

It’s taken so long for us to get over this.

Are you on the bus, 

watching the desert blow on by in a cloud of dust?

And are you feeling alright? Is it better now that you’re 

gone, gone, gone. And every town, it has its problems.

You’ve got yours and I’ve got mine.

Gone, gone, gone. Why does it take so long to find where we belong?

And once you’re gone, it’s hard to go back again.

Is your mama on the phone, 

wondering when her baby girl is gonna come back home?

Maybe around Christmas time when there’s three feet of snow outside.

But nothing has changed. It’s still the same as it ever was.

So I went walking downtown

late one night, as the bars were closing down.

I watched em’ kicking you out,

hey what a great time to re-introduce myself.

You said, “Hey I remember you.

You lived just around the corner.

We’re so much older now.

So tell me where does the time go?”

I said oh I don’t know, but I can tell you where it’s been,

all the way from hell, to heaven and back again.

You said, “Yeah, I think I’ve been there too.”

Are you blinded by the light?

Mistaking mountains for the haze of a northwestern sky?

And are you doing alright, baby?

Yeah you know life is what you make it, but

nothing has changed.

It’s still the same as it ever was.

28 Miles to Portland

Twenty eight miles to Portland, I guess I let you down.

I’ve been thinking bout’ this great big world

that’s got me spinning around.

You’ve always been a good friend, as good as they come.

We’re the only ones in our families 

to get thrown into the great unknown.

Coming down off this mountain, soaking in the sun

it’s late in the afternoon, but the day is far from done.

The last time I saw you with a smile on your face,

we were drunk and out of place.

Well I pulled out your picture

and thought of those days.

When there wasn’t so much distance between us,

before that summer slipped away.

We went swimming in the river

and laughing every day.

I can’t remember any other time

when I was feeling that way.

And when I left you with tears in your eyes,

maybe I was wrong to say goodbye.

I turned off my screensaver and packed my bags.

Twenty eight miles to Portland, yeah

I’ll be seeing you again.

The Mailman and the Monkey

The mailman brought a monkey

directly to my door the other day.

But I should have stuck with Lucky,

and gone and chased that monkey away.

He’s just a furry little freak

with big ears, and a gap between his teeth.

The mailman said he is the only one;

our first born, golden son.

You take good care of him now.

The kids are far from home now,

dust on these empty streets where we used to play.

Like history repeating, a mother’s wish is just a heartache away.

Go and ride a toy train to nowhere.

It rattles and shakes the walls inside this cage.

It comes out of my closet and up onto my bed

and then it plows into the contents of my head.

Now, I’m never gonna sleep again.

-CH-

Lately I’ve been digging my grave

by pretending that I’m really alive.

I take him out every weekend,

believing we got nothing to lose.

But I should’ve had my head checked for

dressing a monkey in a monkey suit.

He frowns at everyone we meet,

then scurries off to go find himself a drink.

This dependency’s a different disease.

That monkey, hey he might just be

a little too much like me.

Mr. mailman’s still a working,

spreading his packages across the universe.

Like a record skipping,

it’s spinning and we’re just making it worse.

So I take the stubborn monkey to the zoo now.

He curses at what he can’t understand.

He pulls me to the ground and picks me up by the shirt

and drags me through twenty five years of dirt.

Now, he’ll never know how much this hurts.

-CH-

Are You Alone Tonight?

Inside of an old empty house,

she’s reading at the kitchen table.

She took a gamble on a half-written romance novel.

She hopes that I’ll be coming home.

And the tears come pouring down.

I hear it’s flooding in Hernando.

It pours like liquor from a Tennessee mash whiskey bottle. 

It flows, oh no the pain won’t go away.

-CH-

Are you alone, tonight?

Are you waiting on a phone call to make everything all right?

And she walks on into the bar,

lord knows her life’s been changing.

She meets an old friend, but can a man be trusted anymore?

She knows, that there’s just no getting over this.

-CH-

I get wired and I can’t fall asleep.

But you know I never could.

Yeah. Should I get sick and tired of this wicked world

of plastic pearls and green eyed devils made of snow,

won’t you come and save my soul?

And on Sunday that phone might ring,

after the coffee, the laundry, and nicotine.

A newspaper, and a cup full of caffeine.

I hope you’re taking care of yourself

cause I can’t anymore.

-CH-

Ride

I get off in the middle of the day

with a call from Sandy, she wants to get away.

Just getting by is not so easy,

and my life’s just the same.

We believe in perfect endings,

but they never come. She has a son

she hasn’t seen in four years.

Ride out of here.

Kicking up some dust way out

on a quiet forest service road.

Going to the mountain tops

where the tall, white aspens grow.

And city lights, they shine so bright

just a looking down off this hill.

Down there is where all my troubles

I’ll be leaving behind.

-CH-

Let’s ride out of here.

Get a ride.

Everybody want to go out

and have a good time.

Although they’re not here, 

but maybe later on

we’ll see Joe, Christopher and Ryan.

And the bar is really hopping tonight 

as the November snow lays outside.

Good times a rolling,

but I don’t know  where they’re going tonight.

-CH-

Come on let’s ride

out of here.

Ride out of here.

I dreamed of you last night,

warm kisses, candlelight.

But dreams, they fade away,

if you don’t make them happen.

Fifteen hundred miles away,

go cart races in the haze,

instead of sunshine, I want rain.

No one would ever want to live this way,

I can’t stay forever.

I got a ticket for a three way ride

on an Amtrak train in Oceanside.

I’m lounging in the lounge car

with vodka, beer and moonlight.

And a conversation headed

south bound down the coast.

Somewhere between Eugene and Sacramento

is the girl I remember the most.

-CH-

So baby let’s ride

out of here.

Get a ride.

So here I am, just a staring at a red light

wondering what I need to make things right;

a new life, new love, maybe a new haircut.

Maybe if I had some money, 

I could buy some time. I have a song,

but I think I just need a ride.

Ride. Do you know what it’s like,

to just dream, dream away your life?

Come on and ride. Leave it all behind.

Yeah come on and ride.

Get a ride.

Come on and get a ride.

Sun City Skyline

-CH-

Love me tomorrow,

love me today. Why,

won’t you love me when you’re gone?

Love me tomorrow,

love me today. Why,

won’t you love me when you’re gone?

Well I left the engine running,

guess I made a mistake.

Tried to catch you on the phone,

but the call came in too late.

Why is it easy to miss you,

so many miles away?

Leaves me thinking of another reason

to see you again.

-CH-

Well I spent three hours rolling,

just searching for your sign.

Sometimes I get the feeling

that I won’t be seeing you for a while.

I guess you left me wondering,

if everything’s alright

as the colors fade into the night

on a Sun City skyline.

-CH-

Two Tickets on a Plane to North Carolina

Well the message from the captain, it came in.

“There’s a storm brewing up on the east end.

So put your tray tables up 

and keep your seatbelts fastened, please.”

Babe, I hear the people are pleasant in Ireland

and I’ve been longing to climb to the top of Benbulbin.

We’ll have rashers and biscuits, 

and big pints of Smithwick’s everyday.

“Sorry for the delay”, said the captain.

“It’s backed up in Phillie, it’s going to be a while till we can get in.”

We knew where we were going, somehow we ended up here,

with two tickets on a plane to North Carolina.

Well it’s raining on the British Open.

Figured we’d be on our way and on into Dublin.

Weather happens while you’re napping, so it happens 

we’re relaxing, with two tickets on a plane to North Carolina.

You make me feel like I’m

a mile high

over a grey sky.

About a day late, but you know it’s alright.

It’s a hazy, humid day for a late flight.

We knew where we were going, all the way from Arizona

with two tickets on a plane to North Carolina,

two tickets on a plane to North Carolina,

two tickets on a plane to North Carolina, yeah.

My Braces

Put on my braces and I

went for a walk today.

Both of my doctors told me

I’d never walk again.

Went to the polls and I

picked out a president.

There’s rules to this game,

but it doesn’t mean it’s fair.

-CH-

And the sun comes up and frowns

just before he goes down.

Drink away my twenties

living in this college town.

Winter is coming, I can

feel it in my bones,

as I stumble down the stairs

to my La plaza vieja home.

And the doctors say relax,

but stay active.

Try to keep positive,

but don’t expect to walk again.

-CH-

I remember just a few months ago,

rolling through Havasu,

a brand new attitude and an old pair of boots.

Catching some rays and unpacking a dream, 

a one man campsite on an abandoned beach.

And restlessly attempting the impossible,

feeling supernatural.

And it’s as big as this state, as real as this pain,

as thin as the blood that’s a running through my veins.

Yeah, yeah.

Put on my braces and I

went back to work today.

What do those doctors know about me

anyway?

Smiling in Your Dreams

I left you sleeping, so I could watch you

smiling in your dreams,

you’re such a beauty.

I tried not to wake you,

but you know that I

can’t ever sleep.

A little time turns into hours,

but it doesn’t matter

much to me.

Got a million things to do

and I get distracted so easily.

-CH-

I know we’re scared,

this ain’t easy

but nothing is.

So much out of my reach,

nothing I can do,

but think of you.

I wish that you could be here,

lying in my arms, where you belong.

Lost track of time,

I lost what was mine.

You’re always on my mind.

-CH-

I know we’re scared,

it’s so hard to believe.

When you want something so bad,

nothing you can do,

but toss in your sleep.

I can’t get enough of you

you’re always on my mind.

No matter what it takes,

I’ll try to keep you satisfied.

Give me time, and I’ll get you 

all that you deserve.

Leave no trace, driving from your place

nothing but the smile that’s on your face.

-CH-

I know we’re scared,

been shot down 

a hundred times.

Take me away, 

let me know you’re mine.

Let me know you’re mine. 

I left you sleeping so I could watch you

smiling in your dreams. 

Heavy as a Heartache

I never met a girl like you, but I guess you knew

by the way I came unglued.

I got two midterm papers due

but here I am just a thinking of you.

And every day has a way of crawling away

when I can’t wait to see you again.

Maybe I am just a fool with my thoughts of you

haunting everything I do.

And every single star in the sky,

would it make you realize, honey I’d do anything for you?

-CH-

Always headed up, but it’s coming down,

I’m as heavy as a heartache hanging around.

Two tattered souls in a tiny town,

we fit together unlike anything I’ve ever found.

You’ve been spending time with yourself but it’s just as well,

caus’ it’s so safe inside that shell.

And I’ve been out here chasing myself, yeah

pretending to be someone else.

But every time that I try to forget about you,

your candlelight comes shining through.

And is this feeling gonna stay?

Or will your frozen fingers finally loosen their hold on me?

-CH-

And I don’t know where I’m a going, 

but it might be your way.

I feel it coming, and it’s not too far away.

Just getting back from your place

and there’s snow flakes all over the place.

Yeah, you probably would have let me stayed,

but who needs a heartache hanging around anyways?

-CH-

Watch Your Back

You gotta watch your back

while you’re sneaking around,

hide your head in this mountain town.

You say you’re sorry for making things worse

so you’re headed south west.

You want a piece of me, boy

but there ain’t much left.

You gotta watch your back

cause trouble’s going down.

Soon as you leave town,

everybody’s screwing around.

Your nosy sister’s sniffing down the road

wearing her mother’s clothes.

She wants to run over me, oh yeah

but she’s a way too slow.

-CH-

You can see that we are going nowhere fast.

At her expense, no not mine.

You gotta watch your back

while you’re living this life.

My mama always had this good advice:

she said, “Son, you never try to cross this road

until you look both ways. 

And you should always be yourself,

even if you scare em’ away.” Yeah.

-CH-

You can see that we are going nowhere fast. 

Jealous of Pictures

The moon reflects his light across your face.

A snowflake captivates and melts without a trace.

Dive into this dream and then I wake.

Tonight I’ll touch your heart and give back all I take.

-CH-

She’s so jealous of my pictures of her

because they get to be closer than she’ll ever be to me.

Cars creep slowly by and so does time.

Under this jealous moon I wait for you.

I bet he sees through everything we do.

So I take two steps back to watch you glow so true.

-CH-

Holding you like this, feeling like this

I know I’ll miss your tender kiss.

I talk too much, worry too much,

I think too much, I’ve had enough.

A love like this, I can’t resist.

A night like this, I won’t forget.

-CH-

Recreating all we’ve thrown away.

Like two trick candles flickering and relighting.

Oh what is this burning to be set free?

Just stay and lay with me, delay our misery.

-CH-

Black and Blue

Do you ever wonder why?

Caus’ I do sometimes,

on this bed where we used to lay.

Same old hiding place.

I’m here, but I’m

so many miles away.

So why can’t I stay?

Why should we have to hide?

Deny what I feel has been locked up inside.

I can’t steal what ain’t mine,

so I’ll just drive

and leave this behind.

So why, tell me why I

-CH-

Can’t live with this, 

my heart isn’t finished.

You’ve got you’re doubts too.

A poor fool’s promise,

a wish that won’t come true.

I’ve been beaten black and blue

all for you.

You always told me to follow my heart.

And I do.

But I end up back in your arms.

So sound the alarm,

and let the dogs run in

to rip us apart.

So why, tell me why I 

-CH-

You know they say we’re all just drops of salt 

in the sea

or grains of sand laying on the beach.

But if in your arm is where I should be,

then there’s nothing,

nothing you can’t promise me.

Stay with me.

-CH-

I can’t fake this, my heart isn’t finished.

Oh I’m still in love with you.

A poor fool’s promise,

a wish that won’t come true.

I’ve been beating myself

black and blue.

Thoughts and love

all for you.