An Arkies Musings

  Colorado Girl by Richard Lawry A little house on Benton Street Filled with happy sounds where A young girl plays in the yard Sunlight in her blond hair Tangled like the wind Drifting through the trees Sweet reflections of the past Flow like a summer breeze She's a Colorado girl Loves aspens in the starlight And sweet Palisade peaches She's a Colorado girl Loves snowy peaks Frosted white Violet blue columbines And mountain sunset twilight She's a Colorado Girl Mama's pot roast on the stove Sweet aroma in the air Family gathered around Love was always there Grace before the meal Then laughter filled the room Simple days have gone too fast Like a sweet and gentle tune She's a Colorado girl Loves aspens in the starlight And sweet Palisade peaches She's a Colorado girl Loves snowy peaks Frosted white Violet blue columbines And mountain sunset twilight She's a Colorado Girl Camping in the Rockies Under stars that burn so bright Campfire songs and stories Carried...

  Driving in the Fog by Richard Lawry The alarm goes off Shattering the silence Of the night At three A. M Seems I just laid down On my comfy bed Now, I'm on My feet again Pull on my clothes Wash my face And I stumble Out the door The fog glows thick In the porch light glow It's time for work Once more I know this road Like the back Of my hand This morning It's not the same There's an empty road And miles to go But it's the fog That is to blame The night sky is As black as coal My headlights Shining bright They just don't seem To show the way Fog keeps Swallowing the light The high beams flicker And blind my eyes Low beams show Only the glow Of fog hiding The countryside In a surreal Shadowy tableau Driving slow Hands gripping the wheel You can't see far It seems unreal Foot by foot The road appears Faith is driving Through your fears The fog will lift And skies will clear You were never alone Grace was here Mile by mile Along the way All you had to do Was p...

Links to the lyrics of every song on the album, Bob Lawry Auto Museum, by Faded Chrome  SIDE A Temple of Steel Bring Her Back Driving Arkansas Roads Whitewalls and Fenderskirts Frazer in the Snow Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh SIDE B Chrome and Velvet Dreams Little Red and White Nash Respect the Rust Hubcaps and Memories The Road Rolls On

My OCD Won't Let Me Be by Kenny Van Orden and Richard Lawry My OCD Won't let me be Sheldon ain't got Nothing on me Everything In the number three My OCD Won't let me be I've got a vision A vision in my mind Oh yeah, oh yeah Let's shine I've got a vision A dream I won't deny Oh no no Oh no Oh no My OCD Won't let me be Sheldon ain't got Nothing on me Everything In the number three My OCD Won't let me be Can't you see it It's lighting up the night Oh yeah Feeling alright I've got a vision A vision in my mind Oh yeah, oh yeah Let's shine I've got a vision A dream I won't deny Oh no no Oh no Oh no I'm a lighting designer On the cheap I knew that was the trick Can't you see it It's lighting up the night Oh yeah Feeling alright My OCD Won't let me be Sheldon ain't got Nothing on me Everything In the number three My OCD Won't let me be My OCD Won't let me be My OCD Won't let me be You can listen...

  Never Said Much by Richard Lawry Quiet in the hallway Head down low Too shy for the girls They didn't know New school, old nerves I couldn't start Then you walked in And stole my heart Never said much But I felt it all Love was knocking In the school hall I never said much Until I knew That my whole life Was waiting on you History class Harris Pine indoors Me making dressers You making drawers Lost my job Standing up for right Found a flower In a soda can To my delight Never said much But I felt it all Love was knocking In the school hall I never said much Until I knew That my whole life Was waiting on you First date ride Made me spin around Got sick in the sky Kept nothing down You took me home Washed my clothes clean Said, Let's ride the train Soft and sweet Five hundred miles Tried to pull us apart Couldn't break the promise Of a devoted heart Never said much But I felt it all Love was knocking In the school hall I never said much Until I knew That my whole life Wa...

  Being Her Back by Richard Lawry Hiding behind an old barn door I saw a project I couldn't ignore Dust on her paint, her tires were worn But I knew that she could be reborn Gonna bring her back Bring her back to life Bring her back Bring her back to life A Forty Buick Limited With sidemount spares Jet black paint Faded by years Dirty old seats Her engine worn But I hear her whisper She'll be reborn Bring her back to life Straight-eight running true She's been waiting on me Like old dreams do Gonna bring her back Bring her back to life Bring her back Bring her back to life Wrenches and rags, late-night light Bringing her engine back to life Grease on my hands, knuckles torn Every bolt says she'll be reborn She's more than steel and an old design She's a bygone era frozen in time Stately and proud, the things she's seen She's going to drive the roads again Gonna bring her back Bring her back to life Bring her back Bring her back to life Gonna bring her ba...

Frazer in the Snow by Richard Lawry Frazer in the snow Roll on, roll on Frazer in the snow Roll on Cold December, fifty four Heading north from Tennessee Blue Frazer rolling through the snow Just Bob and Pat and what might be Frazer in the snow Roll on, roll on Frazer in the snow Roll on Oh, Frazer in the snow keep rolling on We don't have much but we got love Thirty dollars and not yet twenty-one But it feels like more than enough Frazer in the snow Roll on, roll on Frazer in the snow Roll on Engine ticking near Michigan Snow falling thick and slow Said"I do" while the roads were closed But two hearts said, "let's go" Frazer in the snow Roll on, roll on Frazer in the snow Roll on Oh, Frazer in the snow keep rolling on We don't have much but we got love Thirty dollars and not yet twenty-one But it feels like more than enough Frazer in the snow Roll on, roll on Frazer in the snow Roll on Knocking hard on the Kansas line Pulled one plug, limped back home G...

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh by Richard Lawry I was walking past the trailers At the edge of the fair When a funny little sound Came through the air Puhht whoosh whoosh Whoosh whoosh Puhht A sound not well known No steady beat just a mind of its own Putt whoosh whoosh Whoosh whoosh putt An engine spinning slow But just fast enough It hits when it needs It misses by design Old iron heartbeat Keeping perfect time Flywheels heavy As a farmer's hands Spinning out the work Across the land Governor swinging Like a metronome Tells that piston When it's time to come home Putt whoosh whoosh Whoosh whoosh putt Fire and coast Till the load gets tough Under strain It talks a little more At idle it'll rest Six strokes or more Hits when it wants Misses by design World's laziest engine keeping perfect time Missing on purpose Loud and proud Corn got shelled And the water got pumped Wood got sawed And the butter got clumped Wash got done And the cream got spun All from a hit and miss gitting er...

  Hubcaps and Memories by Richard Lawry Years of collecting It's all hanging there Hubcaps line the rafters With a fifties flair Car parts rusting But they've got a place Each one a story Each a showcase The rafters creak The memories call A lifetime of treasures Lining the wall Hubcaps and memories They're gleaming tonight Pieces of the past In the museum light A Ford Model A And a toy car parade Humble reminders Of the life you made Antique toy trucks On a high wooden shelf I see your smile in each One of them myself They called it junk But you called it gold A museum of autos And stories they told Through grease and grit Through laughter and tears You built this life Over all these years The way you worked Long hours each day Things collected Never thrown away Now they hang Like reflections of you The world calls it clutter But they don't see Every part Every scratch Is a memory It's more than the metal The chrome or the rust It's the vision The dream And the...

Twisted Metal by Richard Lawry Pulled in slow that Wednesday morning Thinking of work and the day begun Thoughts of orders and of scheduling Didn't know my world had come undone Then I saw the terrible scene The twisted metal of a roof collapsed Building torn in the aftermath Under the weight of ice The trusses snapped Twisted metal in the morning Frozen rafters split and torn All our quiet little stories Sleeping under shattered forms I'm just standing in the silence Breathe a cloud against the air Twisted metal in the morning And my hearts still frozen there Standing here in the ice and snow While cars are under the mangled tin How can I recover from this day Where safety and security once had been Twisted metal in the morning Frozen rafters split and torn All our quiet little stories Sleeping under shattered forms I'm just standing in the silence Breathe a cloud against the air Twisted metal in the morning And my hearts still frozen there I felt small as the broken beams...

  Poems, Hymns and Songs written by Richard Lawry Click on the links below for each poem A Seaside Sunset Chrome and Velvet Dreams Whitewalls and Fenderskirts A Solitary Place Driving Arkansas Roads Country Doctor Temple of Steel The Road Rolls On Little Toy Train Little Red and White Nash Long Beach Serenade Respect the Rust Twisted Metal Hubcaps and Memories Frazer in the Snow Bring Her Back Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Never Said Much My OCD Won't Let Me Be Driving in the Fog

Respect the Rust by Richard Lawry Ford Model A sitting out behind the barn Paint's long gone but it still holds charm Bench seat torn, springs poking through But that's where I learned dreams still come true Every dent's a lesson Every mark is a tale Every rusty bolt Taught me how not to fail Daddy said, Son the shine don't mean much If you wanna know the truth You gotta respect the rust So respect the rust Every scar and every stain Yeah respect the rust The stories in the frame All the busted knuckles All the miles in the cold All the hours of work Every rusty car sold Those old cars taught me more Than a book ever could Hard work turns rusty metal Into something good What time tries to take We keep with Respect for the rust Yeah, respect the rust Rust shows all the years The tears and the tries Rust is always true It never shows lies Daddy said, Son the shine don't mean much If you wanna know the truth You gotta respect the rust So respect the rust Every scar and...

Long Beach Serenade by Richard Lawry Before the sun begins the day I walk where moonlight washes away Silver whispers on the sand As waves roll in I understand Each breath of tide that comes before A fleeting mirror then no more But still it comes again, again Like mercy rolling in Miles of beach No one but me A world filled With quiet peace The silent road Of sand and sea Where freedom feels Like destiny When the light feels far away And I'm standing on the edge of gray I'll lift my eyes, I'll comprehend There's strength rising deep within Then out of nowhere, silently A shadow keeps me company Golden wings tt my right side Grace in a gentle glide Seven feet of fearless flight Majestic in the morning light The eagle flies, not fighting hard Lets the currents lead undeterred Those who trust the Lord will find their strength restored They will soar like eagles on the wind A normal life transcend The eagle won't rush, he will not strain He trusts the unseen breath aga...

Little Red and White Nash by Richard Lawry Wheels turn low Where the blacktop bends This little car My only friend Red and white She gleams She shines Takes me far Past these modern times Oh The wind sings louder Than the past In my little Red and white Nash Let it go Flying low But not so fast In my little Red and white Nash Dust kicks up It paints the air The sun leans down It doesn't care Fields roll wide They wave They bow I'm heading somewhere But I don't know how The road unfolds It doesn't end This little car My only friend Oh The wind sings louder Than the past In my little Red and white Nash Let it go Flying low But not so fast In my little Red and white Nash Yesterday's a town I don't stop in Tomorrow's just A whisper in the wind I've got now And now feels right Underneath this Endless sky tonight Oh The wind sings louder Than the past In my little Red and white Nash Let it go Flying low But not so fast In my little Red and white Nash The road ...

  Little Toy Train by Richard Lawry Six years old A Colorado boy For Christmas he wanted Just one toy Santa he said All I want Is an electric Train But I know the cost I know Daddy can't make it mine So a wind-up train will be just fine When Daddy heard his boy's refrain He vowed to get him an electric train On Christmas Eve The boy was in bed Electric train tracks Around the tree spread Christmas morning A big surprise The boy could not Believe his eyes Click-clack, click-clack Steady and slow Chuff-chuff, chuff-chuff Watch her go Toot-toot. toot-toot Joyfully Little toy train Round the Christmas tree Round and round the little train ran The boy gasped and clapped his hands He loved the train with all his heart He knew that he would never part Click-clack, click-clack Steady and slow Chuff-chuff, chuff-chuff Watch her go Toot-toot. toot-toot Joyfully Little toy train Round the Christmas tree The boy has grown to be a man But every year since that Christmas grand He sets up the...

The Road Rolls On by Richard Lawry Forty years of hard work here Dreams built where engines glow A legacy in every bolt and seam Bob Lawry's life, his craft, his name Automobiles and memories remain The road rolls on, it never ends Richie, Chad, and Kenny Carry on his legacy Chrome that shines like the setting sun Every curve tells what he's done His story rides in every gleam Wheels may rust but not the pride In this museum time's alive Come see the spark that never died Bob Lawry's life, his craft, his name Automobiles and memories remain The road rolls on, it never ends Richie, Chad, and Kenny Carry on his legacy The past drives forward, the future steers Come see the road of forty years Bob's heart still beats here At the Bob Lawry Auto Museum You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link

  Temple of Steel by Richard Lawry Wheels of memory spin and hum Polished chrome where shadows run A whisper of lives long undone In the Bob Lawry Auto Museum Dreams parked in rows I see 'em Thirty-nine Zephyr Glide like a ghost Thirty-four Desoto Curves I love most Twenty-six Oakland Rust and grace Stories etched in every trace Forty Buick Time slows its pace Engines that spoke Engines that sighed Every ride a piece of pride In the Bob Lawry Auto Museum Dreams parked in rows I see 'em Thirty-nine Zephyr Glide like a ghost Thirty-four Desoto Curves I love most Oil and dust Love and decay Echoes of hands That paved the way Each chassis a heart Each hood a soul In this temple of steel I feel whole You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link

Country Doctor by Richard Lawry Country doctor in a Model T coupe There is another call he needs to attend Fog in the holler, wind blowing through Her baby is sick, what should she do Send for the doctor, ride through the night Praying to God it will be alright Country doctor in a Model T coupe Motor chugging, there's work to do Chug-chug chugging Doctor's coming through Headlights in the yard, Model T arrives Black bag in his hand, her spirit revives There in the doorway, she steps aside and Mama welcomes the Doctor inside Country doctor in a Model T coupe Motor chugging, there's work to do Chug-chug chugging Doctor's coming through Baby has a cough and terrible fever It's breathing isn't too good either He listened close to that tiny chest And promised he would do his best Country doctor in a Model T coupe Motor chugging, there's work to do Chug-chug chugging Doctor's coming through Morning comes, sunrise around The fever broke, the child slept sound D...

  Driving Arkansas Roads By Richard Lawry   Dust rises soft where we've begun A peach moon hangs low, undone Magnolia whispers in the Arkansas air The stars align, dreams everywhere The hum of the engine with the top down My heart beats louder when you're around   Every bend, every turn Something inside returns   Driving Arkansas roads Under skies that never close In a convertible Just me, the stars and you Driving Arkansas roads While the quiet truth unfolds   Gravel clicks like a skipping stone Each mile a memory carved in bone The road runs black Where the moonlight fades Time slows down But the moment stays Red dirt stains on my old car A melody born on your guitar   Driving Arkansas roads Under skies that never close In a convertible Just me, the stars and you Driving Arkansas roads While the quiet truth unfolds   Every fence post, every tree Holds a secret meant for me A waltz of whispers, fiddle odes This love is born on Arkansas roads You can l...

  A Solitary Place by Richard Lawry Now in the morning long before the light I rise while the world is still asleep Cold air on my breath gravel under my feet A quiet road is calling me The sky is filled with diamond fire No sound but my heartbeat here In the stillness I remember why In solitude I feel you near When the noise falls away And the dark feels alive I hear your still small voice Come and be with me So I find a solitary place Where heaven feels close I lift my eyes, I slow my pace And my cares melt away Before the sun paints the day Before the world begins to move I meet you here in the quiet dark In a solitary place with you A dark night road beneath my wheels Stars like a thousand burning flares The Milky Way stretched across the sky Majestic brushstrokes everywhere No city lights, no borrowed glow Just grandeur in an open space The heavens sing what words can't hold Creation testifies your grace When the noise falls away And the dark feels alive I hear your still smal...

Whitewalls and Fenderskirts by Richard Lawry Whitewalls spinning down the street Flashing a smile as we meet Hubcaps gleaming like a steel guitar Chasing dreams in my favorite car Fenderskirts low The paint it gleams Every turn a snapshot A vintage dream Whitewalls whisper The night agrees We're riding The edge of memories Fins slicing through the evening air Tuck and roll seats, fuzzy dice hanging there Radio crackles with a timeless tune Under the night sky we race the moon Lost in the roar of the V/8's song Time slips away as we drive on Fenderskirts low The paint it gleams Every turn a snapshot A vintage dream Whitewalls whisper The night agrees We're riding The edge of memories Whitewalls and fenderskirts are keeping score Miles blur, but I crave a little more Hubcaps and fins are just a ghost Haunting the past But these moments Oh, they're built to last Fenderskirts low The paint it gleams Every turn a snapshot A vintage dream Whitewalls whisper The night agrees W...

Chrome and Velvet Dreams by Richard Lawry Polished chrome under the sun so high Velvet seats where stories lie Bob Lawry's kingdom a dream in steel Every curve a whisper, every line surreal Roll back time, hear the engines hum Chrome and velvet, where we come from A Zephyr's glide, an Airflow's sigh Buick dreams, Oakland skies Thirty-nine Zephyr like a bird in flight Thirty-four Desoto sleek through the night A Buick Limited bold and grand Twenty-six Oakland a ghost of the land Roll back time, hear the engines hum Chrome and velvet, where we come from A Zephyr's glide, an Airflow's sigh Buick dreams, Oakland skies Each grill a grin, each wheel a tale On these roads of memory we sail Time stands still in this museum glow Where the past is alive and it always shows Roll back time, hear the engines hum Chrome and velvet, where we come from A Zephyr's glide, an Airflow's sigh Buick dreams, Oakland skies

Seaside Sunset by Richard Lawry I want to walk on sand Across those miles of beach I need to know for myself How far the sand can reach And when I've walked forever I'll be on the beach For a seaside sunset On the Oregon coast Breakers hit the sand Steady heartbeat of the sea Where it meets the land Colors stretch before my eyes Where I'm meant to stand In a seaside sunset On the Oregon coast As daylight fades away Waves are crashing They've got something to say To the seaside sunset The seaside sunset The colors come alive And I think of you At the end of these hours There's nothing I'd undo Stretching out forever Everything is new It's a seaside sunset On the Oregon coast As daylight fades away Waves are crashing They've got something to say To the seaside sunset The seaside sunset Waves crashing Time standing still Silhouettes on a silent hill Tide flows out like a mirror wet Reflections of the seaside sunset I love the seaside sunset A seaside sunset