SAMANTHA ELIN-Songs& Such

IF I WERE A BOTTLE*  
by Samantha Elin  

*First-Place Winner for Lyrics, American Songwriter Magazine, Sept./Oct. 2018  

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Dobro 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded and Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles
Mastered by Matt Forger 

If I were a bottle of tequila  
Would you love me then  
Would you dance with me through the town  
‘Til the moon’s untimely end 

If I were a bottle of red wine  
Would you want me every night  
Would you rush on home to see me  
In the glow of firelight  

Would you lie atop a hill  
Staring at the sky  
Would your fingers trace my neck 
As stars came sailing by 

If I were a silver flask of whiskey  
Would you keep me close to your chest  
Would your lips hover so near  
I’d always feel your warm breath 

If I were a shot glass of bourbon  
Would you feel mellow and kind  
Or would you hold on so tight  
Afraid love would unwind 

Would you lie atop a hill  
Staring at the sky  
Would your fingers trace my neck  
As stars came sailing by  

If I were a bottle of tequila  
Would you love me then  
* * * * * * * 

AS THE NIGHT WORE ON 
Music by Danny Faragher; Lyrics by Samantha Elin and Danny Faragher  

Danny Faragher — Vocals, Piano, Harmonica 
Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitar, Bass 
Don Heffington — Drums 
Arranged by Danny Faragher 
Recorded and Mixed by Bryan Faragher at The Blue Print Sound, Los Angeles
Mastered by Matt Forger 

The cold wind of loneliness 
Blew me through the door 
I slumped over a table 
Boots on a sawdust floor 
Smiling women came and went 
Like many times before 
Then she floated in 
Wingless and sad 

She thought I was an artist 
By the earring that I wore 
I thought she was an angel 
Fallen at my door 
We called each other soul mates 
We danced across the floor 
And I held her soft hand in mine 

But as the night wore on 
And the drinks wore off 
Our love wore down 
We’d had enough 
Thought we were seeing 
What was clear and real 
But with the morning came 
The truth revealed 

Two broken people 
Seeking refuge in the night 
High on the feeling 
This time they’d get it right 
But as we kissed and held each other 
Until the early light 
My mind whispered 
It’s only a dream 

For as the night wore on 
And the drinks wore off 
Our love wore down 
We’d had enough 
Thought we were seeing 
What was clear and real 
But with the morning came 
The truth revealed 

It was just too good to be true 
Too good to be true 

Woke up to a lazy sun 
Yawning its hello 
Backs to each other 
Now it’s time to go 
Outside sweet music’s playing 
But inside a cold wind blows 
Nothing’s ever what it seems 

And as the night wore on 
And the drinks wore off 
Our love wore down 
We’d had enough 
Thought we were seeing 
What was clear and real 
But with the morning came 
The truth revealed 

Thought we were seeing 
What was clear and real 
But with the morning came 
The truth revealed 
* * * * * * *

CLOSED FOR RENOVATION 
Music by Samantha Elin and Howard Yearwood; Lyrics by Samantha Elin 

Karen Tobin — Vocals 
Howard Yearwood — Guitars, Mandolin, Bass 
Don Heffington — Drums 
Arranged by Howard Yearwood 
Recorded and Mixed by Brian Soucy, Sunnyland Productions, Sherman Oaks, CA
Mastered by Matt Forger 

I’ve been hearing talk you’re itchin’ to ask me for my number 
But there’s just one thing I think you ought to know 
The doorway to my heart’s no longer open 
Boarded up, drive the nails in slow 

You can pick me all the flowers by the river 
Send me letters long and true 
I’ll still hang a sign across my heart 
Paint the words in tears of blue 

This heart is closed for renovation 
Shut down for repair 
Tearing down the memories that settled there 
Closed for renovation 
Shut down for repair 

When I was young, love came so fast and easy 
Like a rush of whiskey to the head 
But long ago a drifter slowed my restless heart 
Winter came, he left my heart for dead 

You can bring me a silver locket with your picture 
Buy me a dress soft and new 
I'll still hang a sign across my heart 
Paint the words in tears of blue 

This heart is closed for renovation 
Shut down for repair 
Tearing down the memories that settled there 
Closed for renovation 
Shut down for repair 

I’ve been hearing talk you’re itchin’ to ask me for my number 
But there’s just one thing I think you ought to know 
 * * * * * * *

CORPORATIONS DON'T OWN US ANYMORE 
by Samantha Elin  

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Tambourine 
Recorded and Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles 

Corporations don’t own us anymore 
Corporations don’t own us anymore 
They don’t own us anymore 
The gates are open, hear us roar 
Corporations don’t own us anymore 

We’re not gonna sit around and wait for things to change 
Not gonna sit around and wait for things to change 
 We’re not gonna wait around for change 
We’re gonna rattle the banker’s cage 
Not gonna sit around and wait for things to change 

Cuz 99 percent can’t be wrong 
Ninety-nine percent of us can’t be wrong 
We can’t all be wrong 
So don’t tell us to move along 
Ninety-nine percent can’t be wrong 

Gonna stay out here as long as we should 
We’re gonna stay out here as long as we should 
Gonna stay as long as we should 
Until Wall Street makes good 
We’re gonna stay out here as long as we should 

Uniforms won’t scare us away 
Uniforms won’t scare us away 
They won’t scare us away 
We’ll be back the next day 
Uniforms won’t scare us away 

Left, right, center, we’re here as one 
Left, right, center, we’re all here as one 
Left, right, center, we’re here as one 
The oligarchy is over and done 
Left, right, center, we’re all here as one 

Cuz rich men’s money don’t ever trickle down 
Rich men’s money don’t ever trickle down 
The money don’t trickle down 
In an economy built by clowns 
Rich men’s money don’t ever trickle down 

Corporations own most everything 
Corporations, they own most everything 
They own most everything 
Newspapers, government and TV 
Corporations own most everything 

But corporations don’t own us anymore 
Corporations don’t own us anymore 
They don’t own us anymore 
The gates are open, hear us roar 
Corporations don’t own us anymore 
No, corporations don’t own us anymore 
* * * * * * *

CUT THE WIRE 
by Samantha Elin 

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Bass, Drums 
Danny Faragher — Trumpet 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded by Samantha Elin at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, with special thanks to Gary Griffin 
Mixed and Mastered by Matt Forger 

You catch a plane back East 
To your home that’s not your home 
The next seat is empty 
You stretch out all alone 
Touch down on winter ground 
Single file out the door 
Your shoes feel too tight 
Your head’s a grinding sore 
No one’s waiting for you 
Like a hundred times before 
You wish things were different 
Different somehow 

You look up a woman 
You left behind so long ago 
To come out West to star 
In your own imagined show 
But the stars, they’ve all faded 
And the music has slowed 
She gave up a life of children 
And married someone old 
She watches him at night 
And prays for his last breath 
You wish it had been different 
Different somehow 

In California a lady lives 
Beside a muddy lake 
Where she keeps butterflies 
Under glass for boredom’s sake 
She’s pinned your yellow stripes 
And squashed your soul and heart 
You’re only for display 
Trapping’s her fine art 
You struggle to move 
But it’s really of no use 
If only things were different 
Different somehow 

You wonder if it’s too late for you 
If the light’s gone dim 
You know, things could be different 
Different somehow 

Calling, calling, calling, calling, calling 
She keeps calling, calling, calling, calling, calling 
Hang up the line, hang up the line 
Hang up the line, cut the wire 
* * * * * * *

DON'T NEED ANYTHING
by Samantha Elin 

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Percussion 
Recorded by Samantha Elin 
Mixed by Bob Gothar and Samantha Elin, Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

If I couldn’t see 
Your hand I would hold 
To lead me ‘cross rugged lands 
Through the dark and the cold 
If I couldn’t hear 
Your lips I would read 
The music of your touch 
Is more than I would need 

I don’t need anything 
But to lie here by your side 
Feel your breath on mine 
Knowing now the world is alright 

Your heart’s so big 
It could fill a desert sky 
Without you darling 
I’d just fold and cry 
Fold and cry 
Cry 

If I couldn’t walk 
Your arms would carry me 
Past creeks and canyons 
To a place we’d feel free 
If I couldn’t talk 
You would speak my mind 
Words are like water 
In these troubled times 

I don’t need anything 
But to love you for all time 
Grow old, our faces lined 
Like the rings on a pine 
On a pine 

Your heart’s so big 
It could give a desert shade 
Without you I might lay down and fade 
Lay down and fade away 
Fade away
* * * * * * *

DREAM OF A BETTER DAY 
Music by Hirth Martinez; Lyrics by Samantha Elin  

Hirth Martinez — Vocals, Guitars 
Recorded at Hirth's Castle by Samantha Elin 
Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Forty years Ed worked punching in, clocking out 
Barely caught the last train heading home 
He’d lean his tired head against the icy window 
Trying hard to forget he was alone 
His cheap blue tie left a deepening crease around his neck 
In his old wool suit, he could hardly breathe 
But he imagined a day they’d send him off 
With a gold watch and a cuff link for his sleeve 
Well, he could dream 

Silvie rose with the moon, she dressed by silver light 
In a hair net and a pair of comfortable shoes 
A midnight train and a bus or two drove her to that place 
Where the machinery hums the nowhere blues 
Her kids were always telling her, “Your time has come and gone, 
Mama, you know what we mean” 
But she imagined a day a man would sense her grace 
And she’d finally find the love she’d never seen 
Well, she could dream 

Dream of a better day 
Somehow another way 
Of a destiny so kind 
Fortune may collapse and fall 
As sudden as a summer squall 
But love, love will always shine 

A cold November morning, sky a chalky grey 
Like any other weekday Ed was sure 
He huddled at his corner desk, his boss showed him the door 
It was just about all Ed could endure 
He trudged back to the station, thinking to himself: 
The times, they’re getting quite lean 
But he imagined a day their cries would be heard 
And he’d no longer have to struggle upstream 
Well, he could dream 

The machines sputtered to a halt with the breaking light 
Silvie rushed to catch the 8:05 
Her leg lightly brushed Ed’s outward knee 
As he watched her float down the aisle 
Time had gently carved rivulets across her face 
A calmness lay around her he could feel  
They imagined a day they’d drive away 
Clutching each other close, one hand on the wheel  
Well, they could dream 

Dream of a better day 
Somehow another way 
Of a destiny so kind 
Fortune may collapse and fall 
As sudden as a summer squall 
But love, love will always shine 
Love will always shine 
Love will always shine 
* * * * * * *

FOREVER HERE (KISS ME) 
by Samantha Elin  

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Ukulele, Bass, Harmony Vocals 
Dan McNamara — Xylophone 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded and Mixed by Dan McNamara at The Jingle Factory, Sherman Oaks, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Sitting on a fence just wasting time 
I don't know what you got in mind 
But I don't care 
We could sit forever here 

Sharing two apples after dark 
The sun comes up and work will start 
But I don't care 
We could share forever here 

Kiss me, slide over and kiss me 
Kiss me one-two-three 
Put your hand upon my knee 

Canoeing down a river in a boat for two 
The catch is bad and the fish are through 
But I don't care 
We could canoe forever here  

Kiss me, boy how you kiss me 
Kiss me, une deux trois 
Votre main sur mon genou 

We're sitting on a fence just wasting time 
I know what you got in mind 
But I don't care 
We could sit forever here 
No I, no I don't care 
We could love forever here 
Forever here 
Kiss me (whispered) 
* * * * * * *

GHOST 
by Samantha Elin and Brad Swanson 

Nicole Gordon — Vocals 
Brad Swanson — Keyboards, Strings Programming 
Arranged by Brad Swanson 
Recorded and Mixed by Brad Swanson at SwanSound Music, Woodland Hills, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

You take another sip from your coffee cup
Turn another page but you never look up 
I’m starting to wonder if I’m still alive 
‘Cuz I can’t seem to reach across this divide 

Am I a ghost in my own house 
'Cuz I can’t recall
The last time you noticed me at all

Is there an us left to be saved 
Two troubled souls trapped in a maze 
And if the bed were bare of sheets where I once laid 
Would you care that I was gone or let my memory fade 

Am I ghost in my own house 
‘Cuz I can't recall 
The last time you noticed me at all 

Can you hear me 
Can you see me 
Don’t let me disappear 

Am I a ghost in my own house 
‘Cuz I can’t recall 
The last time you noticed me at all 

Floating through walls was never enough 
You didn’t even notice 
I’d fallen out of love 
* * * * * * *

GOLD-DIGGIN' MAN 
by Samantha Elin  

John Cowsill — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Mandolin, Banjo, Bass, Tambourine 
Dan McNamara  — Drums 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded and Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles; 
and by Dan McNamara at The Jingle Factory, Sherman Oaks, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

The early light cut through a torn curtain 
Lit his wife’s hair a fiery gold 
He left her side to see if the kids were still dreaming 
He shivered hard in the brazen cold 
He slipped down to the basement and pulled out a shovel 
Splinters tore through his calloused hands
Then he snuck out back to finish what his great-granddaddy started 
He was a silver-seekin’, gold-diggin’ man 

He worked until his arms ached and the sweat flew off his shoulders 
Threw down his shovel to catch one breath 
His kids didn’t understand him and his wife turned a blind eye 
The neighbors, they shrugged and turned their heads 
But his will knew no boundaries and his faith was like floodwater 
That swells deeper as it hits the dam 
And the dirt piled all around him as he dug his life away 
He was a silver-seekin’, gold-diggin’ man 

He’d dig a hole to China, at least New Mexico
He’d give his soul for riches far below 
His future shimmered bright, gold dust between his toes 
The metal rods that shook, they told him so
His great-granddaddy rode West in 1848
Empty pockets, big dreams all he had 
Miners cried “Eureka,” greed grew strong and fast 
His best friend shot him in the back 

The days rambled on and the sun sank soft and low 
Everett Dunn felt closer to the prize 
But his fate would soon appear in the guise of uniforms 
Wild dreams the laws often despise 
The men carried folders with papers signed and stamped 
Citing Mr. Dunn with misuse of his land
Backyards are for mowing, not mining they told him 
The silver-seekin', gold-diggin' man 

On a quiet Sunday morning Everett died a broken soul 
The preacher begged mercy for the damned
Now the dousing rods lie rusted in a tangle of weeds 
Above the silver-seekin’, gold-diggin’ man 
The silver-seekin', gold-diggin' man 
* * * * * * *

HEARTACHE DIET 
Music by Samantha Elin and Danny Faragher; Lyrics by Samantha Elin, Danny Faragher and Diane Marie Ault  

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Bass, Percussion Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded and Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, CA
Mastered by Matt Forger 

I bumped into a good ol’ friend of mine  
She asked me, “Whatcha’ been doing with your time?”  
She said, “Something about you isn’t quite the same  
Can you tell me, tell me what is to blame?”  

And I said 
I’m on a heartache diet  
I can’t deny it  
No way to hide it  
If you wanna try it  
Start with a plate of loneliness  
A bowl of misery  
You’ll lose seven pounds in tears  

It all began back in the early spring  
When I noticed he stopped wearing his ring  
I wished he would tell me where he was bound  
But he turned away and left without a sound  

He put me on a heartache diet  
I can’t deny it  
No way to hide it  
If you wanna try it  
Take a bite of bitterness  
A jar of jealousy  
You’ll lose seven pounds in tears  

I bumped into that same old friend again  
She was looking real pale, kinda’ thin  
I said, “Something about you isn’t quite the same  
Can you tell me, tell me what is to blame?”  

And she said: I’m on a heartache diet  
I can’t deny it  
No way to hide it  
I know that you’ve tried it  
Start with a plate of loneliness  
A bowl of misery  
I lost seven pounds in tears  
A glass of emptiness  
A slice of sorrow  
I lost seven pounds in tears
* * * * * * *

ON A LARK 
by Samantha Elin 

Nicole Gordon — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitar, Ukulele 
Dan McNamara — Bass, Vocals 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded and Mixed by Dan McNamara at The Jingle Factory, Sherman Oaks, CA
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Would you build me an igloo to protect me from the cold  
Kiss me under the “Home Sweet Home,” love me when I’m old  
Wrap your arms around me, whisper something bold  
Would you build me an igloo to protect me from the cold  

Would you pour me a swimming pool if it suddenly turned hot  
We’ll float on the cool, cool water ‘til the sun is just a spot  
Then walk me across a field, pick forget-me-nots  
Would you pour me a swimming pool if it suddenly turned hot  

Dance with me around the moon  
Swing from star to star  
Would you do anything, anything on a lark 

Would you build me a wall of bricks if the wind roared all night long  
Lay them down one by one while whistling a sweet song  
Tuck me under a blanket and tell me nothing’s wrong  
Would you build me a wall of bricks if the wind roared all night long  

Dance with me around the moon  
Swing from star to star  
Would you do anything, anything on a lark 

Lead Vocal: 
Would you build me an igloo to protect me from the cold  
Kiss me under the “Home Sweet Home,” love me when I’m old  
Duet Vocal: 
Wrap my arms around you, whisper something bold  
I will build you an igloo to protect you from the cold  

(Whistling)  
Walk you across a field, pick forget-me-nots  
I would pour you a swimming pool if it suddenly turned hot  

Would you build me a red canoe if the river rose too high  
Paddle ‘cross the water to the land that’s safe and dry  
* * * * * * * 

SHE DROVE (CHASING THE SUN) 
Music by Samantha Elin; Lyrics by Samantha Elin and Brad Swanson 

The Electric Version: 
Brad Swanson — Vocals, Rhythm Electric Guitar, Keyboard, Drums 
Howard Yearwood — Guitars, Bass 
The Acoustic Version: 
Brad Swanson — Vocals, Drums 
Howard Yearwood — Guitar 
Carl Byron — Accordion, Keyboards  
Arranged by Brad Swanson 
Recorded and mixed by Brad Swanson at SwanSound Music, Woodland Hills, CA
Mastered by Matt Forger 

I was born and raised in the city, where a freeway blocked my view  
Of concrete walks, cement walls, and sky a brownish blue  
She tore up in an El Camino, stolen from her dad  
She yelled, “Kid, let’s fly outta’ here, this place is drivin’ me mad.”  
Knees a’knockin’, my insides shaking, time nearly froze  
Her legs went on for miles and miles, lips a blood red rose  

She drove me fast and free  
Over the bridge, past Fort Lee  
Racing the wind to the country  
The road flowed endlessly  
Turquoise sky over me  
Chasing the sun to the country  

Flew halfway ‘cross Texas to a town called Rising Star  
Where the kids hung out on the corner counting red, white, and blue cars  
An old man pumping gas cried a tornado ripped off his door  
Warned of another twister coming, said we better prepare for more  
Her heel slammed down on the pedal so hard, the rearview mirror fell off  
I swore we lifted off the ground, she swore we’d never stop  

She drove me fast and free  
Down the 183  
Racing the wind to the country  
The road flowed endlessly  
Turquoise sky over me  
Chasing the sun to the country  

Ran headlong into trouble on the Amarillo plains  
The front left tire exploded as black clouds broke into rain  
The corn field rose so high, I couldn’t cut our way through  
She closed her eyes and waved her arms, and a path widened for two  

She grabbed my hand and led me to a barn five miles down  
There she blessed me with her love, the wind’s moan the only sound  
Woke the next morning to her footprints and a note  
“A thousand roads await you,” was all that she wrote  
Alone and seventeen, I never thought this would end  
With my insides torn to pieces, it hurt I can’t pretend  

Hitchhiked East with nothing but a 20-dollar debt  
Found myself back in the place where she and I first met  
Climbed the corporate ladder, traded trees for cold steel  
The higher you go sometimes the lesser you feel  
Now I look out the high rise and I see a joyless world  
I miss the horizon, I miss that crazy girl  

She drove me fast and free  
Over the bridge, past Fort Lee  
Racing the wind to the country  
The road flowed endlessly  
Turquoise sky over me  
Chasing the sun to the country  
She drove me fast and free  
Her hand on my knee  
Racing the wind to the country  
* * * * * * * 

SILENT, STILL 
by Samantha Elin 

Nicole Gordon — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Bass 
John Palmer — Flat Drum, Cymbals, Chimes, Tambone 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded by Samantha Elin at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, CA, and John Palmer's 
Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar
Mastered by Matt Forger 

I waited for you  
I waited the day  
I waited through the night  
But you never came  
No you never  
I stood at the mouth  
Listened for the river  
To whisper your name  
She was silent, she was still  
I stood there the same  

The moon shone down  
Reflected off the water  
The last man remaining  
Turned his search lamp off  
Faraway crows the only sound  
He gazed down tired and hopeless  
The sky opened up to rain  
He was silent, he was still  
I stood there the same  

I remember when  
You were three years old  
And snow weighed heavy on the roof  
I sat by your bed  
And held your hand  
And wished for you all that was good  

The sun rose up  
Shed light on the question  
The river cradled the answer in her arms  
Washing you gently along her banks  
I wove you a pillow of petals  
Covered you in a blanket of leaves  
But you lay silent, you lay still  
I stood there the same  
* * * * * * * 

SLIP AWAY 
by Samantha Elin 

Brad Swanson — Vocals, Keyboards, Drums Arranged by Brad Swanson 
Recorded and Mixed by Brad Swanson, SwanSound Music, Woodland Hills, CA
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Are you keeping a list of the bad I’ve done?  
Do you carry it around, I bet it weighs a ton  
Has it weathered with age or faded from the sun  
And do you read it like a Bible or memorize it for fun  

When it comes to the wrongs I’ve done  
You remember each and every one  
Sweet memories slip away ‘til there are none  

You talk on and on ‘bout the lies I’ve strung  
Tell all your friends the tales I’ve spun  
At night you dream dark dreams of the tears I’ve brung  
And you can count the times, the times I’ve almost run  

But when it comes to the love I’ve sung  
You forget the words one by one  
When the radio plays our song, you can only hum 

 Well, I wish I could forget, make my heart numb  
Whisper goodbye, so long hon  
Then I see a picture of you when we were young  
Your graceful arms around our only son   

When it comes to the wrongs I’ve done  
You remember each and every one  
Sweet memories slip away ‘til there are none  
But when it comes to the love I’ve sung  
You forget the words one by one  
When the radio plays our song, you won’t even hum  
* * * * * * * 

TEARS ON A CLOTHESLINE 
by Samantha Elin 

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitar, Mandolin, Bass 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded by Samantha Elin 
Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

I’m gonna hang my tears on a clothesline to dry  
Hang my tears on a clothesline to dry  
I’m gonna watch them flutter in the wind  
Dangling from a wooden pin  
Gonna hang my tears on a clothesline to dry  

You’ll see, I’m not gonna cry when you leave  
I’m not even gonna cry once when you leave  
Like a vindicated thief, I will breathe a sigh of relief  
I’m not gonna cry when you leave  

My feelings went away long ago  
My feelings flew away so long ago  
Buried for so long, I dug them up and like a swan  
My feelings flew away long time ago  

No one should be treated like I’ve been  
No, no one should be treated the way I’ve been  
Freedom is a word rising up until it’s heard  
No one should ever be treated the way I’ve been  

One day a woman will quit you cold  
One day she will turn and quit you cold  
Your bed will be half-empty and death will become tempting  
One day she will turn and quit you cold  

Then you’ll hang your tears on a clothesline to dry  
Hang your tears on a clothesline to dry  
You’ll watch the sun burn down from high  
Way up in a cloudless sky  
You'll hang your tears on a clothesline to dry  
I’m gonna hang my tears on a clothesline to dry  
We’ll hang our tears on a clothesline to dry  
* * * * * * * 

THAT’S JUST THE WAY THINGS GO 
Music by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar; Lyrics by Samantha Elin 

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Bass 
John Palmer — Drums, Percussion 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded and Mixed by Art Stucco at Sunland Ranch, Sunland, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

You’re sitting here beside me  
Watching some TV show  
It doesn’t really matter  
We stopped talking long ago  

You dispense the words I love you  
Every night in bed  
It doesn’t mean anything  
It’s just a habit to be said  

I guess that’s just the way things go  
A lifetime of tearing our souls  

They say that when kids grow up  
And move along their way  
It changes what they’ve left behind  
To emptiness and disarray  

So we struggle to fill the spaces  
Where laughter used to be  
We only dig a deeper void  
It’s an American tragedy 

I guess that’s just the way things go  
A lifetime of tearing our souls  

You used to swing me in the yellow sun  
So high, oh my  
Now that’s gone, gone, gone  
So long  

I guess that’s just the way things go  
A lifetime of tearing our souls 

You’re sitting here beside me  
Watching some TV show  
It doesn’t really matter  
We stopped talking long ago  
* * * * * * * 

THESE THINGS I KNOW 
by Samantha Elin 

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Cello 
Recorded by Samantha Elin 
Recorded and Mixed by Steve Reid at The Sonic Jungle Studios, North Hollywood, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Oak trees shake their leaves 
Shivering in the wind 
These things I know 
The tides pour in and out 
Washing away sins 
These things I know 
Politicians lie 
Trying to save their skins 
These things I know 
Lovers you and I 
Our hearts are paper thin 
These things I know 

These things I know 
Like summer’s turn to fall 
The writing on the wall 
Like love’s fading call 

The earth spins round and round 
Reaching for the sun 
These things I know 
The moon slips far astray 
When daytime has won 
These things I know 
The criminal’s on the run 
Knowing what he’s done 
These things I know 
I will turn to you 
When the night has finally come 
These things I know 

These things I know 
Like summer’s turn to fall 
The writing on the wall 
Like love’s fading call 

I want to know you 
I want to know you 
I want to know you 

I don’t know you 
I don’t know you 
I don’t know you 
I don’t know 
* * * * * * * 

THREE MONTHS 
by Samantha Elin 

Patty Booker — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Bass, Dobro 
Dan McNamara — Drums, Tambourine, Shaker 
Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Recorded by Samantha Elin at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles 
Recorded and Mixed by Dan McNamara at The Jingle Factory, Sherman Oaks, CA
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Let me warn you from the start so you can choose to stay or go  
My commitment may be brief but my kisses are real slow  
There’ll be no vows to break, no rings to size or wear  
No future plans or fights, just a woman who cares  

My love comes with an expiration tag  
For three months I’ll be the best girlfriend you ever had  
I’ll kiss your lips so gently and always treat you right  
And when three months are up, I’ll disappear into the night 

Some women will say anything to get whatever they seek  
You’ll believe all their lies ‘til their stories spring a leak  
It’s not that you’re unworthy of a love that lasts for long  
But better short and sweet than promises gone wrong  

My love comes with an expiration tag  
For three months I’ll be the best girlfriend you ever had  
I’ll whisper sweet nothings and always treat you right  
And when three months are up, I’ll disappear into the night  

You can’t say I’m not honest, forthright and sincere  
Would you rather I tell you only things you want to hear?  

So when the season changes and you’re lying in your bed  
Just remember that old saying buried somewhere in your head  
Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all  
And don’t wait up for the phone to ring ‘cause I ain’t gonna call 

My love comes with an expiration tag  
For three months I’ll be the best girlfriend you ever had  
I’ll kiss your lips so gently and always treat you right  
And when three months are up, I’ll disappear into the night  
I’ll whisper sweet nothings and always treat you right  
And when three months are up,  
I’ll disappear into the night  
Disappear into the night…into the night…into the night  
* * * * * * *

WAITING FOR YOU 
Music by Bob Gothar; Lyrics by Samantha Elin 

Hirth Martinez — Vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars 
Recorded and Mixed by Samantha Elin, Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

Sitting on a bench  
Waiting for a friend  
Old man beside me  
Writes a letter he’ll never send  
Dog chasing its tail  
Bird begs for a crumb  
Kids race across the grass  
Don’t care who’s lost or won  
What a way to spend the day  
Waiting for you to come  

Paper airplanes fly  
Trying to touch the sky  
Old man tells me  
His life story in rhyme  
I see lovers holding hands  
Squirrels playing in the sun  
Skaters colliding  
One falls and twists her thumb  
What a way to spend the day  
Waiting for you to come 

I know every line of your pretty face  
How the wind twirls your hair  
How sweet your lips taste  

Sun slipping down  
Throwing shadows on the ground  
Children’s laughter  
Fades to a lonesome sound  
You come running up the path  
To the beat of my heart’s drum  
The old man gives you his seat  
As he quietly hums  
What a way to spend a day  
Waiting for you to come  
And here you come  
Here you come, here you come 
* * * * * * * 

WEARY PILGRIM 
Music by Samantha Elin and Danny Faragher; Lyrics by Samantha Elin 

Samantha Elin — Vocals 
Danny Faragher — Harmony vocals 
Bob Gothar — Guitars, Bass, Guiro 
John Palmer — Congas, Shaker 
Instruments Arranged by Bob Gothar 
Vocal Arrangements by Danny Faragher
Recorded by Samantha Elin 
Mixed by Samantha Elin and Bob Gothar at Tin Can Alley, Los Angeles, CA 
Mastered by Matt Forger 

I was walkin’ the backroads for days  
Looking for a rest  
Tired of so much space to roam  
Was worn down I confess  
I'd fled my sister’s clapboard house  
During a lunar eclipse  
Darkness, she carried me for miles  
Left me in the California mist  

Weary pilgrim  
Leaving devils far behind  
To cross that waterline  
And bathe in the tears of the angels  

Saw a six-foot shadow creeping  
Along the side of Highway 1  
Cloaked in many blankets  
To block the sliver of a sun  
He slipped to me a felt pouch  
Filled with gold coins he had won  
Saying, “Drop these in the water  
Let each be a thing you’ve done”  

Weary pilgrim  
Leaving devils far behind  
To cross that waterline  
And bathe in the tears of the angels  

Slept under a rose-colored moon  
Stars fell to the sea  
A million drops of perfumed water  
Clung to the leaves  

My sister packed a sack with guns  
A map and some food  
Told her husband to bring me home  
Whatever he had to do  
So he headed West through the mountains  
On a smile and a thumb  
His first scent of freedom sweet  
But what would he become?  

He stumbled across me lying  
Under a 1000-year-old tree  
He gazed around at the rocks, the clouds 
The dirt and the sea  
He laid down his arms  
Staring silent at the shore  
He’d won a struggle or two  
But knew he’d lose this war  

Weary pilgrim  
Leaving devils far behind  
To cross that waterline  
And bathe in the tears of the angels  
* * * * * * *