Angela Easterling Earning Her Wings

All songs written by Angela Easterling except:
The Accordion by A. Easterling and Shawn Davis;
and When I Wake Up (to Sleep No More) by Marion Easterling,
©1944 Stamps-Baxter Music (BMI) Administered by Brentwood-Benson Music.
©2007 DeL’Est Music ASCAP

Earning Her Wings, Feel Like Drinking, Truck-Drivin’ Man, The Accordion a
nd When I Wake Up produced by James O’Connell and Angela at Monkey Den Studio.
Toy, River Jordan, Eyes Of A Fool and Long, Gone, True
produced by Angela and Micah Plissner at Micah’s.
The Musicians:
CARL BYRON Piano, Accordion, Organ
MARK CHRISTIAN Banjo
CHRIS LAURENCE Pedal Steel
DAVE PHENICIE Bass, BGV’s, Harmonica
JON BUTTON Bass
DEANE COTE Guitars
JAMES O’CONNELL Drums, Guitars, Percussion, BGV’s
JIM AND DANI LACEY-BAKER guest vocals on When I Wake Up
SHAWN DAVIS guitars
IKE MARR Fiddle, Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar
ADAM GUST Drums
ANGELA BGV’s, Mandolin, Percussion

Cowboy produced by Shawn Davis at Grandma’s Warehouse.
Additional Musicians: ANDREW BUSH – Bass, Guitars; NICK RANDOLPH – BGV’s
CINDY WASSERMAN BGV’s.

Dear Johnny produced by Jim Lacey Baker at Mad Dog.
Additional Musicians: JIM – Guitars; JEFF LEGORE – Bass; MARK MORROW – Drums;
DANI – BGV’s.

Mixed by James O’Connell.
Mastered at Digiprep.

River Jordan

River Jordan, running deep, come down here and wash over me. I been lost. I been down.
Been longin’ for my starry crown.
California sun like a burnin’ flame; but I still hear Virginia call my name.
High on a mountain, that holy flood, in my blood, in my blood, in my blood.
Oh Lord, can you hear my prayer? Sometimes I wonder if you are there.
That home I left, that green, green hill, haunts me still, haunts me still, haunts me still.
Can I lay my burden down? I’m longin’ for my starry crown.

Earning Her Wings

The blue lights are shining o’er the streets of the town,
The cowboys and truckers order up one last round;
They stare at the lady up there with the band, and call for “a sad one” again.
She’s tired and wasted, she wants to go home.
But morning comes slowly for the man that’s alone,
So right now, she’ll love them the best way she can,
up there with the mic in her hand.
She sings easy, sweetly… They say every time you hear those fiddle strings,
A honky-tonk angel is earning her wings.
Maybe she once dreamed that she’d be a star, Maybe she married too young and fell hard,
Maybe her beauty has faded with time, But she’s the belle of that barroom tonight.
When the smoke in the air hits the lights on the stage,
You’d swear there’s a halo surrounding her face.

Feel Like Drinking

When I’m pushed into a corner and my back’s against the wall,
The rising expectations just make for a steeper fall
I need to get away and just forget about it all and I’ll be fine… I feel like drinkin’ tonight.
I feel like drinkin’, I don’t feel like thinkin’, I need a vacation from my restless mind.
So pass me that bottle, I’m goin’ full throttle, And leavin’ this whole mess behind.
Oh I feel like drinkin’ tonight.
Sometimes you want to go where nobody knows your name.
They don’t ask a lot of questions, who you are and why you came.
They know what you’re doin’ here,
they’re here to do the same and they won’t mind if you feel like drinkin’ tonight
What’s wrong with bein’ happy for a little while? I’m gonna fix that trouble,
Gonna have me a double, tilt it back and just take flight… And do a little drinkin’ tonight.

Toy

You were like a kid on Christmas Morn. I was the trinket you would adore.
You unwrapped me so careful and slow.
Pushed every button to see what I could do, Had your little fun and when you were through,
You left me to go try somethin’ new.
You’re a bad boy. And I’m your toy.
Pretty painted smile still on my face, parts of my heart all over the place, I
ain’t no good to nobody this way.
Why did you take me down off the shelf? You should have left me there, happy by myself,
Now you know how owning me felt.
You made this country Barbie fall, head over her high-heeled boots and all.
I guess no one ever told you, “Boys shouldn’t play with dolls”
I hope you enjoyed your little game. I hope that you don’t forget my name, ‘
Cause someone’s gonna do you the same.

The Accordion

The preacher went down to the old Hendricks’ place, in a rusted-out pick-up that had seen better days.
Said, “I heard Ya’ll’s truck just broke down, well, this one ain’t too pretty, but she’ll get you around.”
Old Man Hendricks was grateful, but he still had his pride. Said,”Wait right here” and he ran on inside.
Came back with the one thing of value he owned: his mother’s beloved accordion.
“When I was just knee-high and her smile was bright,
we’d laugh and we’d dance to that music all night.
I thought those sweet days would go on and on; But they’re gone, long gone.
And nobody plays this Accordion”
The preacher just smiled in a wistful way. Said, “My daughter’s a singer, She’s out in L.A.
But I want her to remember where she came from, so I think I’ll send her this accordion.”
“When she was just knee-high, her smile was bright,
she’d laugh and she’d dance to that music all night.
I thought those sweet days would go on and on; But they’re gone, long gone. I
hope she’ll play this Accordion”
Now, in a one-room apartment, at Franklin and Vine, that girl from Pearl River has gone back in time;
And a page from her memory, all tattered and torn, mends with each note from the accordion.
When she was just knee-high, her smile was bright,
she’d laugh and she’d dance to that music all night.
She thought those sweet days would go on and on,
and they were almost gone. ‘Til she learned to play that accordion.

Eyes Of A Fool

There’s the girl in the picture, the one I always dreamed,
Though the smile is perfect, it can’t hide the lies from me.
Think you’re so special, well you think you’re so smart.
Acting like you’ve made it when you don’t know where to start.
Oh I look in the mirror and all that I see are the eyes of a fool staring back at me.
Wearing that new dress with the same worn-out fear;
You can’t get your own man, so you take the one that’s near.
At night when he leaves you, you sit by the phone,
hoping someone will call and you won’t be alone.

Truck-Drivin’ Man

Well I grew up on a farm down in Carolina, where the men know how to be men.
Grandpa’d ride the tractor then he’d feed the cattle, Sing a song before the day would end.
Came to California, where the boys are so purty. Their hair’s fulla gel and their clothes are never dirty.
Leaves my heart longin’ for the simple satisfaction of a truck-drivin’ man.
He can be from the hills, he can be from the swamp, it really don’t matter to me.
Just let me watch him fix my car and Lord, I’m in ecstasy.
Curl up and listen to some old Johnny Cash. He smells like tobacco and the bourbon in his flask.
Oh Lord, have mercy, I get hot thinkin’ ’bout my Truck-drivin’ man
All I want’s a truck-drivin’ man. Load it up, fire it up and run it the way he can.
Give him your keys and you’ll understand.
Why I don’t want a doctor, I don’t want a lawyer, I want a truck-drivin’ man.
Now girls you might question my line of thought here, so let me just explain.
If you’ve never had a man who works with his hands, then you probably think I’m insane.
But just take a little break from that sophistication, walk right down to your nearest filling station,
Introduce yourself to your knight in shining diesel, your own truck-drivin’ man.
He may have grown up the hard way, but you know his mama raised him right.
He’ll treat you just like a lady, you’ll never turn back once you’ve tried
A Truck Drivin’Man!

Cowboy

He’s got a woman, everywhere he goes, sometimes two.
And in her heart, in her heart, she knows, she’s no fool.
But when the bedroom lights are off, and the candle’s burning soft,
He’s everything she ever wanted, breaks her heart but she don’t scorn it.
She’s too far gone to wonder, is it wrong or is it right, if her cowboy comes tonight.
So when she holds her lover, she studies every inch to memorize.
He leans down to kiss her, she don’t even close her eyes.
‘Cause there’s so little precious time to store love inside her mind, f
or all the lonely nights ahead when he lies in another bed
And her cowboy’s always gone. But someday he’ll stay on,
Sayin’ “Baby, You’re the one for me”. They’ll ride away and she’ll be free.

Dear Johnny

Dear Johnny,
I just heard that you were gone. And I had to sit down here and sing you one last song.
I know I should be happy that you’re free from all your pain
Today’s the day my hero got his wings.
Were you smiling when you saw your bride? Was she waitin’ there for you on the other side?
While I sit here on the brink and watch you Fly Away, Fly Away
And is the Man in Black wearin’ white today.
Dear Johnny, This old world’s a crazy place. There’s no one to believe in; there’s so little room for faith.
So you’ll please forgive me if I shed a selfish tear; somehow it all seemed better with you here.
Now you’re singin’ in that holy Angel Band. And are there streets of gold right where you stand?
While I sit here on the brink and watch you fly away… Fly away

And is the Man in Black wearin’ white today

Long, Gone, True

The night wind sings its lonely song. A lover’s wish, it won’t be long. I
can’t be there, I’m not that strong. Don’t be angry, please
You’re my only valentine. I feel your touch, our arms entwine.
You scared me with those hungry eyes, Still all I want to do tonight
Is to be with you. And to hold you.I pray for the mercy to get me through.
I’ll be long, gone, true.
I’m no angel, though I tried to heal those years of hurt inside,
To make up for the ones that lied, Still all I want to do tonight
Is to hold you. And to love you. I pray for the mercy to get me through. I’ll be long, gone, true.
Someday when you are alone and free, on some dark highway, by some sweet flowing stream,
I hope that you will think of me and smile.
‘Cause I’ll be with you, I’ll be holding you. I pray for the mercy to get me through. I’ll be long, gone, true.
©2011 AngelaEasterling.com Do not reprint without permission