Lyrics & Personel

Produced by Michael McDonald and Shannon Forrest

2017 - BMG

HAIL MARY

What really lies

At the heart of a memory

The power of one

Moment in time

When I had your love

It felt like winning

But I’ve paid the price with my peace of mind

CHORUS:

Don’t you find it strange

I still wonder why

After all this time

Not a day goes by

That my heart doesn’t wonder if it’s still worth a try

Worth one more Hail Mary

But you don’t really know about such things, now do you

Does the sound of my voice still carry

Any kind of message still important to you

Or should I just let it die baby, Should I just let it die baby

Why can’t I just let it lie baby

I think of a time

When it came easy

Lost in exchange

For the wisdom of tears

Saddest of fools clutching to vapor

Reaching for something

That’s no longer here

CHORUS: 2x

Don’t you think it strange

I still wonder why

After all this time

Not a day goes by

That my heart doesn’t wonder if it’s still worth a try

One more Hail Mary

But you don’t really know about such things, now do you

Does the sound of my voice still carry

Any kind of memory that’s still precious to you

Oh, baby one more Hail Mary

Maybe you don’t care about such things,now do you

Does the sound of my voice still carry

Any kind of message important to you

Should I just let it die baby, Should I just let it die baby

Why can’t I just let it lie baby

Michael McDonald: vocals, electric guitar, Wurlitzer, horn arrangement

Craig Young: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, percussion

Drew Ramsey: electric guitar

Larry Goldings: B3

Mark Douthit: sax solo

Amy Holland McDonald: guest vocal

Words and Music by: Michael McDonald

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

JUST STRONG ENOUGH

Used to think I wore myself out on you

Trying to measure up

Now I know I just grew tired of forgiving you, baby

For not loving me enough

Now I realize it’s in my nature

To want to hold on to what I thought it was

Just as long as I’m still just strong enough

I never had the sense to surrender

Or the grace to walk away

Always hoping against all hope

You’d have a change of heart someday

Oh, but ain’t it only human nature

To want to love and be loved

Just as long as I’m still just strong enough

Though you’re my greatest weakness

I keep carrying that weight

I keep looking for completeness, baby

I tell myself it’s not too late

Not as long as I’m still just strong enough

With a heart that still remembers

And a love that won’t give up

No, not as long as I’m still just strong enough

Though you’re my strongest weakness

I keep carrying that weight

I keep looking for completeness, baby

I tell myself it’s not too late

Oh no, not as long as I’m still strong enough

Michael McDonald: vocals, piano

Willie Weeks: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums

Warren Haynes: electric guitar

Robben Ford: electric guitar and solo

Horns by Mark Mullins The Levee Horns

Mark Mullins: horn arrangement and trombone

Bobby Campo: trumpet

Matt Perrine: sousaphone

Ward Smith: tenor sax

Mark Douthit: additional horn arrangement, sax

Barry Green: trombone

Steve Patrick: trumpet

Matt McCauley: string arrangement, conductor

Strings performed by: Kris Wilkinson Strings

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald / Gary Nicholson

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Gary Nicholson Music ASCAP, Adm by Sony/ATV

FIND IT IN YOUR HEART

When desire moves from head to heart

You may lose the luxury

To have your fun and play it smart

Take your pleasure and still be free

Oh, the loneliness at the end of every dream

Don’t you know that there’s more to this

Let go of all your reasons

And find something to believe

CHORUS:

You gotta find it in your heart

You’ll only find it in your heart

Love’s the truth that sets us free

You’ll only find it in your heart

Now you found someone who cares

You got your life all figured out

But the truth is you’re not really there

‘Till you give in beyond a doubt

Let go of your fantasies

And start looking for something real

Your best thinking is what got you here

Illusion will be shattered by the truth that love reveals

CHORUS:

You better find it in your heart

You’ll only find it in your heart

Love’s the key that sets us free

Oh girl, get out of your head

Let go of your fantasies

And start looking for something real

Your best thinking is what got you here

Illusion will be shattered by the truth that love reveals

You better find it in your heart

You gotta find it in your heart

Love will never be the same

Oh girl, get out of your head

BRIDGE:

You may think it’s a matter of choice

But there’s only one answer, only one voice

REPEAT CHORUS 3x (alt. lines)

Michael McDonald: vocals, rhodes

Marcus Miller: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, drum programming, percussion

Michael Landau: electric guitar

Tim Akers: synth

Larry Goldings: B3

Michael Leonheart: trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangement

Tom Scott: sax solo

Words and Music by: Michael McDonald /John Goodwin

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing /Queen’s Knight Music BMI, Adm by BMG Rights Management US, LLC

HALF TRUTH

Never promised me forever

It’s left to me to wonder why

Never said you were leaving either

Never even said goodbye

So why should I lie awake

Like it’s my own damn fault

I try to find one good reason

To feel like a victim at all

CHORUS:

It’s just one of those times

When a half truth

Becomes a whole lie

Whether you lied to me

Or I’m just lying to myself

I just can't keep drinkin’ that poison

Hopin’ to kill somebody else

Whether it’s you or me baby

I see it all turns out the same

No matter who’s at fault

It don’t matter who you blame

REPEAT CHORUS

So why should I lie awake

Like it’s my own damn fault

Just trying to blame somebody

Or feel like a victim at all

REPEAT CHORUS

Michael McDonald: vocals, Wurtitzer, harmonica

Lanice Morrison: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, drum programming, percussion

Dann Huff: electric guitar, guitar solo, acoustic guitar

Michael Landau: electric guitar, slide guitar, outro solo

Bernie Chiaravalle: 12 string electric guitar

Sol Littlefield: additional electric guitar

Jeff Roach: synths

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald / Grady Walker / Dylan McDonald

Genevieve Music ASCAP / McWalker Music ASCAP / Hibernian Metropolis Music BMI,

Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

AIN’T NO GOOD

Just as the stars we gaze upon died long ago

The echo of this love still lingers on

You can’t hide from something that your heart already knows

When the love that kept you honest is long gone

You’re on your knees and you got no prayer

Cause when you cry out, but there’s no one there

CHORUS:

Cause it ain’t no good

No, it ain’t no good

Lost between the battle and the white flags of truce

Haunted by the memories you’re not willing to cut loose

You call it love, but baby I got my doubts

I ain’t looking for the key to heaven

Just open the gates to hell enough to let me out

REPEAT CHORUS:

Anything worth keeping has long been destroyed

It ain’t even better than nothing at this point.

You call it love, but baby I got my doubts

I ain’t looking for heaven

Just open the gates of hell enough to let me out

REPEAT CHORUS 4x

Michael McDonald: vocals, Wurlitzer

Tony Lucido: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, percussion

Michael Landau: electric guitar, guitar solo

Bernie Chiaravalle: acoustic guitar

David Paich: B3, synth

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald /John Goodwin

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing / Queen’s Knight Music BMI, Adm by BMG Rights Management US, LLC

HONEST EMOTION

I know that there is more to life

Than this little piece that I've broken off and keep suspended

Safe behind these four walls

But have I just blocked out the sky

That fills that old river with pure water

Of love stronger than pride

CHORUS:

Honest emotion

So hard to come by

Once it hurts you enough to last a lifetime

With honest emotion

Would honest emotion even know me if I walk through this door

I'm a skater on the lake of love

Always gliding on the surface of deeper feelings

But never falling through

On my blades of flash and steel

Between the sky and deep blue clear crystal

Waters of pure love

REPEAT CHORUS

I have wings on my shoulders

I never thought to use them

And these shadows in my heart

I never thought I'd lose them

REPEAT CHORUS

Michael McDonald: vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboard

Shannon Forrest: drums, drum programming, percussion, synth bass, synths, string arrangement

Ilya: Torshinski: acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin

Words & Music by:

Michael McDonald / John Goodwin / Charles Frichtel

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing / Queen Knight’s Music BMI, Adm by BMG Rights Management US, LLC/ Chazmanian Music/SESAC

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

It’s times like this

Staring out my window

Only left to wonder

What’s the use in it

If reality can change

With every peak and valley

There’s no use regretting

Some road I didn't take

All I know…. I’ve got to find the good in this

All I want…...is what I need to learn

The heart is like a circle

Always reaching out

Hoping to return

With a faith held fast

The thrill or fear of a moment

That can burn me today

Like a shard of sunlight piercing

The shadows of my past

All I know….. I’ve got to find the good in this

All I want…... is right before my eyes

I know I’ll find…. somewhere in this perfect mess

Time will show… a blessing in disguise

Someday I’ll look back on these moments

All the times I walked through my fears

Only by the truth was I delivered

All I know…..I’ve got to find the good in this

All I want….. is right before my eyes

The highs and lows can only point to in between

But time will show a blessing in disguise

Michael McDonald: vocal, Rhodes, additional synth pads, was clad, bras pad

John Peppard: original arrangement, synth sequence

Tommy Sims: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, drum programming, percussion

Michael Landau: electric guitar

David Levita: additional guitar

Steve Porcaro: synths and synth effects

Brandford Marsalis: soprano sax

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald/John Peppard/ Beth Nielsen Chapman/Bernie Chiaravalle

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing / Jolipep Music BMI, Adm by Rio Bravo Management, Inc BMI / Songs of Prismlight Music (PRS – Worldwide ex. USA and Canada, SESAC – USA and Canada), c/oKaren Schauben Publishing / Bernoit Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

DARK SIDE

On this question of love and trust

I used to think us much too serious

That was long before

I lay drowning in the thought of you

Heart to the flame is an easy throw

So much more than first we know

Since you have to lose all you have to give to learn the truth

CHORUS:

Some things we learn come easy

Then there’s the things that don’t

We’re bound to learn the hard way

Love has no pride

We all know love is blind

And we see what we want

We find out all too soon

Love has a dark side

You learn to give up to let go

A heart can always find it’s way back home

But now you’re different

Cause you’ve been there

And now you know

CHORUS: 2X

Some things we learn come easy

Then there’s the things that don’t

How we love to learn the hard way

Love has no pride

We all know love is blind

And we see what we want

We find out all too soon

Love has a dark side

Sometimes we see it coming

Sometimes we don’t

If there’s time to walk away

We just let it ride

We finally reach the point of no turning back

You bet you’re silver lining

Love has a dark side

BRIDGE:

Just beyond Eden’s gate

Lies the dark and frozen waste

Somehow we‘re bound to cross the range of feel

It takes one to make the other seem real

No, No, Baby

CHORUS: 2x

Some things we learn come easy

Then there’s the things that don’t

We love to learn the hard way

Love has no pride

We all know love is blind

We only see what we want

You’re bound to learn somehow

Love has a dark side

Sometimes we see it coming

Sometimes we don’t

While there’s time to walk away

We just let it ride

We finally reach the point of no turning back

You’re bound to walk the line

Love has a dark side

Michael McDonald: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, synths, string arrangement

Leland Sklar: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, drum programming, percussion

Dann Huff: electric and acoustic guitars

David Levita: electric guitar

Ilya: Torshinski: additional guitars

Larry Goldings: B3

Words and Music by: Michael McDonald

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

IF YOU WANTED TO HURT ME

I’ve been waiting for you all my life

Only to hear you tell me that you couldn’t be mine

How we both lose and we pay the price

You make it sound to me that you’re crucified

Now my fleeting joy

Grows so dim

As you turn away and run to him

CHORUS:

Makes me wonder what you mean when you say, you’d stay

If you only could

That you must break my heart

For my own good

Makes me wonder how you’d treat me, baby

If you wanted to hurt me

No matter how I try I may never find

A single ray of hope in all your lies

So I live in fear, my share of doubt

You’re just another heartache and there’s no way out

Now my hope grows so dim

As you turn away and run to him

CHORUS: 2X

So once more tell me

How you must be cruel to be kind

For all your good intentions

With me in mind

Makes me wonder how you’d treat me, baby

If you really wanted to hurt me

So you say you’d stay if you could

But you must break my heart

For my own good

Makes me wonder how you’d treat me, baby

If you wanted to hurt me

If you really wanted to hurt me, baby

You’re doing just fine

For all your good intentions

With me in mind

You make me wonder

How you’d treat me baby

If you wanted to hurt me

Michael McDonald: vocals, Wurlitzer, piano

Marcus Miller: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, percussion

Michael Landau: electric guitar

David Paich: B3

David Frank: horn arrangement

Harry Kim: trumpet

Scott Mayo: alto and tenor sax

George Shelby: tenor and baritone sax

Andrew Lippman: trombone

Drea Rhenee’: guest vocal

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald / Peter Leinheiser

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

Meheiser Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

BEAUTIFUL CHILD

You learn soon enough

If you don’t know by now

When you’re talking to my face

I’m not really here

I’m already down the road with my expectations

Wrestling with regret

Somewhere back there

Yes, I am baby

When you cross that line

And you lose yourself

There may be no turning back

Cause illusion fades

And what you’re looking for

May be no more than that

CHORUS:

Beautiful child

Someday you’ll give anything

To live in a moment

Live with what you’ve got

You can search this world over

And still be a prisoner in a cage

Once you’ve forgotten what it feels like

You’ll find it on the inside

Not so much by virtue

That we come to know the truth

Still we must be careful not to let it slip away

Feel free to take what you need from me

Learn from my mistakes

From the things

We stand to lose

Once we turn our backs

Of the truth

Don’t be afraid cause it ain’t no more than that

REPEAT CHORUS 2x

(Grateful for what you’ve got) last chorus

Michael McDonald: vocals, acoustic guitar, Wurlitzer

Craig Young: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, drum loop, percussion

David Levita: electric guitar

Michael Landau: electric guitar fills

Sol Littlefield: electric guitar solo

Danny Rader: acoustic guitar, bouzouki

David Paich: B3

Jeff Roach: synths

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald / Chuck Sabatino / Bernie Chiaravalle

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing / Chasba Publishing ASCAP, c/o Karen Schauben Publishing / Bernoit Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

TOO SHORT

I met a girl that lived in Blue Hill

She said her name was Beverly

She had a smile that’d make a man’s heart melt

One gold tooth she could not hide from me

(I said girl) It breaks my heart to wonder

Why every night you walk these streets alone

Why you sell your body in the shadows

One thing I just need to know

Where do you keep your heart and soul

(She told me)

This Life is too short to give up (Repeat 3x)

Away at school he reads her letters

How he’s his momma’s pride and joy

But like the fate of many others

The virus takes his mother

And a father’s drunken silence

Leaves a lost and wayward boy

Souls that for all the best intentions

Are just another sad tale this cruel world will tell

Where the best intentions are good for nothing more

Than to pave a road to hell

Save for a quiet voice

Like a faint and distant bell

(Saying)

This Life is too short to give up

(She told him)

This Life is too short to give up

Tattooed arms

Clutching a weathered bible

From a prison cell they put him on the street

To bring his message of revival

To every lost and lonely soul

Every broken heart he meets

On every crowded street corner

In the gutters of defeat

(He tells them)

This Life is too short to give up

There is a light that shines for us…and one everlasting love (that lifts us up) (and so)

This Life is too short to give up

Michael McDonald: vocals

Tommy Sims: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, percussion

Michael Landau: electric guitar

Avid Levita: acoustic guitar, additional electric guitar

David Paich, B3

Mark Douthit: sax, sax arrangement

Words and Music by:

Michael McDonald / Russ Bono

Genevieve Music ASCAP, Adm by Wixen Music Publishing

Russ Bono Music ASCAP, Adm by Russ Bono

FREE A MAN

Say what you want about the gays

The one thing that they are not, is afraid

You thought you had ’em down

You thought you had ‘em beat

Then there’s thirty thousand righteous dudes

Marching down the street

We may not all agree on sex

But we all agree on love

CHORUS:

Free A Man

And love will follow

Free A Man

And love will follow

Free A Man

And love will follow

For the sake of perspective we look back

What it’s meant in this country to be black

You thought you had ‘em beat

You thought you’d keep ‘em down

But you only fanned the flames

That burned your castle to the ground

When you employ the tactics of hate

You’ve already lost the war on principle

(You’ve got to) REPEAT CHORUS

There’s a newly sung song going down

Religion has not failed man

No, it’s the other way around

When your purse is empty but your heart is full

There’s a different direction that your heart is pulled

No more fool or money’s clown

When history makes the man

Not the other way around

The soul takes its hearty form

From the inner storm

No doubt in attempt to quell

Self-will unbounded

Let the soul imagine the man

Not the other way around

Say what you want about the kids

But ain’t they only doing what we did

You clamp ‘em when they’re young

Or freeze ‘em when they’re teens

Teach ‘em commerce and religion are the reason, rhyme, and means

But when the same fears bring ‘em to the brink

They’ll be looking for a different way to think

REPEAT CHORUS

Michael McDonald: vocals

Michael Rhodes: bass

Shannon Forrest: drums, percussion

Michael Landau: electric guitar

David Levita: rhythm electric guitar, robot guitar solo

Mike Rojab: rhodes

Larry Goldings: B3

Tom Scott: sax solo

David Frank: horn arrangement

Harry Kim: trumpet

Scott Mayo: alto and tenor sax

George Shelby: tenor and baritone sax

Andrew Lippman: trombone

Words & Music by: Richard Stekol BMI

Lifer Publishing BMI