1) Night Rider

All the airports seem alike,
check your bags, check your flight,
They send you on your way,
Passports and security,
magazines and duty free,
Are friends along the way,
You have your dream,
She has her own,
but why does it always seem that your dreams, are found such a long way from home.

All the runways seem alike,
they’re only decoys shining bright,
To lead you away,
They take you racing through the night,
Till there’s an end in sight,
Then they speed you away,
You have your window,
She has her own,
And out through the dark somewhere, The lights of her window are calling you back home.

Night rider, night rider,
The sky is a lonely highway,
Of lost dreams, and promises,
And things that you meant to say.
Higher and higher,
The night finds a thousand ways,
To travel your worldly voyages,
While the world is a long way away.

And all the jumbos seem alike,
when you’ve been up there on a night flight,
For a few hours or more.
The movie’s over and the lights are low,
And there’s nothing much on the stereo,
You’ve heard it all before.
But you have your window,
And for reasons unknown,
Out through the darkest night,
You can always see things clearer than back home.

Night rider, night rider,
The sky is a lonely highway,
Of lost dreams, and promises,
And things that you meant to say.
Higher and higher,
The night finds a thousand ways,
To travel your worldly voyages,
While the world is a long way away.

2) The Sense Of It All

Life is a journey through new situations,
Sometimes we falter and fall.
We question our motives,
Look to our souls,
And we try to make sense of it all.

So follow this road to tomorrow,
If only to see where it goes,
And don’t look for answer,
One day you’ll recall,
Some things made no sense at all.

3) For The Good Of The Nation

I’ve got one eye on the mirror,
I’ve got one eye on the road,
And I’m on my way again,
I’ve got one foot in tomorrow,
I’ve hot one foot in today,
Now and then, I am standing in the darkness,
But I’m talking from the light,
I am leaning to the left,
But I’m feeling for the right,
I’ve got simple explanations,
For complex situations,
And I’m working for the good of the nation.

There are people who are with me,
there are people who are not,
As you’ll imagine,
There are people out to get me,
with everything they’ve got,
It’s plain to see, There are those who criticise me For everything I do,
They say I’m taking from the many To give to just a few,
Well there are certain limitations,
With every aspiration,
When you’re working for the good of the nation.

For the good of the nation,
For the good of my own country,
It’s an act of dedication,
And that’s good enough for me.

You may have your own opinion,
how the country ought to be there’s no denying that,
You may have your own opinion just what you make of me,
and that’s a fact But you know it isn’t easy,
Keeping one ear to the ground,
While you’re running with the foxes,
While you’re hunting with the hounds,
You get little compensation,
For the trials and tribulations,
Of Working for the good of the nation.

For the good of the nation,
For the good of my own country,
It’s an act of dedication,
And that’s good enough for me.

4) The Waiting Game

You say your life is not fulfilled and there are things you need to do,
You say we should be thankful,
For the things that we’ve been through.

And you say you need your freedom,
That’s what our lives are for,
It’s not that you don’t want me,
It’s just that you need more.

I tell you, I understand you,
And I agree with that point of view,
But just like you,
I have things to do,
And I have to do, What I have to do.

And where there’s a will there’s a way, they told me,
And while there’s a chance, well there’s nothing can hold me,
Where there is smoke there is always a hope that a fire may burn again,
And while there’s a spark of something between us,
There’s always a chance of a flame,
And you’re gonna find I’m right behind,
playing the waiting game.

In these days of changing ways,
People do what they want to do,
‘Cos doing the best for someone else,
may not be the best for you.

I tell you, I understand you,
And I agree with, that point of view,
But I want you, and I need you,
And I have to do, What I have to do.

And where there’s a will there’s a way, they told me,
And while there’s a chance, well there’s nothing can hold me,
Where there is smoke there is always a hope that a fire may burn again,
And while there’s a spark of something between us,
There’s always a chance of a flame,
And you’re gonna find I’m right behind,
playing the waiting game.

5) He Was Just A Boy

He was just a boy,
he didn’t know no better,
Just a boy he didn’t understand,
Thought the world was a bed of roses,
Thought the times were easy times,
Hitched a ride on the highway,
When the highway, Was a friend of mine.

The conversation came to music,
And that guitar case in his hand,
And there were dreams about tomorrow,
There were tales about the times,
There was a rainbow down the highway,
And the highway was a friend of mine.

He was the one if there was ever a one most likely to believe,
That he was the one who had everything you need,
And so the future shone so bright,
Like the neon signs and the city lights,
It was on that cold December night in the snow,
Somehow we made it into Chicago.

Was an old guitar,
but he played like magic,
I had a song or two that I sung in tune,
And every town was an indication,
That every night would be a new year’s eve,
And every show was an inspiration,
They never wanted us to leave.

The road is long,
the road is narrow,
Take one step wrong you can lose your way,
And every turn has a new temptation,
Every town has the one you need,
He hitched a ride on a new sensation,
That he never wanted to leave.

‘Cos he was just a boy,
he didn’t know no better,
Just a boy,
he didn’t understand,
And he was the one if there was every a one most likely to succeed,
He was the one who had everything you need,
And though the future shone so bright,
Like the neon signs and the city lights,
It was on that Southern Summer night on the road,
I saw the lights go out in Toledo.

6) Reasons

Ah the promises we made,
In days gone by,
Ah such changes could be made If we just tried.

Who would have thought that we would never,
Even begin to find a way,
How this old world might come together,
Someday.

Are we heading in the wrong direction,
Looking for a place to meet,
Hanging on a cross connection,
Waiting for a chance to speak,
And the reasons come,
And the reasons go,
And the chances are I’ll bet,
There may never be a real good reason,
There’s never been a good one yet.

And all the vision,
all the wisdom,
All the knowing,
what went wrong,
Are simple answer soon forgotten,
When the troubles are all gone.

Who would have thought that we would never,
Even begin to find a way,
How this old world might come together,
Someday.

Are we heading in the wrong direction,
Looking for a place to meet,
Hanging on a crossed connection,
Waiting for a chance to speak,
And the reasons come,
And the reasons go,
And the chances are I’ll bet,
There may never be a real good reason,
There’s never been a good one yet.

7) Can’t Keep A Good Man Down

You gave me reason to be living,
you gave me reason to be glad,
You gave me reason to believe,
when you turned around to leave,
I’d lost the only friend I had.

You gave no warning of deception,
you gave no signs that I could see,
You built me up till I could stand,
so you could quietly take a hand,
And knock the legs from under me.

You push a good man down,
you push a good man around,
You keep a good man guessing,
with false impressions,
You can knock him down,
you can leave him lying on shaky ground,
But baby you will never,
never keep a good man down.

But you gave me reason to be,
You gave me cause to carry on,
So all the lies that you disguise,
All the elements of surprise,
Ain’t gonna keep me down for long.

You push a good man down,
you push a good man around,
You keep a good man guessing,
with false impressions,
You can knock him down,
you can leave him lying on shaky ground,
But baby you will never,
never keep a good man down.

8) The Young Vaqueros

Leaving London was a pity,
leaving Paris was a shame,
Still Australia could be pretty,
and the chance of new surroundings Was a chance to start again.

San Francisco held the answers,
then the answers live in Spain,
Now you say we’ll go to Texas,
in the great wide open spaces,
We may find ourselves again.

Like a couple of young vaqueros,
with a couple of big sombreros,
We will ride through the day like tomorrow will never come,
On our painted pintos,
going where the wind blows,
You and I and the setting sun with our hearts on fire,
With our wild desires,
will our Texas life lift us higher and higher,
Who lives for reason,
who lives forever,
Who looks for things to stay the same when they may never,
As long as you go,
then I guess we all know,
That I’ll be there,
Amigo.

Distant hills are always greener,
somewhere else won’t be the same,
Girl I know we’re only dreamers,
and the chance of new surroundings,
Is the chance to dream again.

Like a couple of young vaqueros,
with a couple of big sombreros,
We will ride through the day like tomorrow will never come,
On our painted pintos,
going where the wind blows,
You and I and the setting sun with our hearts on fire,
With our wild desires,
will our Texas life lift us higher and higher,
Who lives for reason,
who lives forever,
Who looks for things to stay the same when they may never,
As longs as you go,
then I guess we all know,
That I’ll be there,
Amigo.

9) Down Hill Run from the film “Magee and the Lady” (Australian film title, “She’ll Be Sweet”

Woke up this morning the sun was in the sky,
There was every indication another day would roll on by,
And nothing short of dying would keep me from the good things to come.

Woke up this morning a self-assured men,
Nothing much to speak of but my life was in my hands,
And how was I to know I’d soon be heading on a down hill run.

I’m the kinda guy who’ll just never say die,
No matter how many times you hit me,
But if I’m going down and there’s someone else around,
The it’s for sure someone else’ll go down with me.

So I’m going down this highway,
anywhere it goes,
Not sure where I’m going,
but then everybody knows,
Life isn’t easy when you’re heading on a down hill run.

I’m the kinda guy who’ll just never say die,
No matter how many times you hit me,
But if I’m going down and there’s someone else around,
Then it’s for sure someone else’ll go down with me.

So I’m going down this highway,
anywhere it goes,
Not sure what I’m doing but there’s one thing I know,
Someone else is going to be heading on a down hill run.

10) Tonight (I’ll be Part of the Crowd)

Don’t look for me through your window,
Don’t leave the key in the door,
Don’t speak to me of tomorrow,
That’s what tomorrow is for,
Who knows in this life what tomorrow is like,
It may be we’re no longer around,
but I’ll be out on the town, Tonight.

Don’t ask those friends of refinement,
To discuss intellectual themes,
Don’t think you’ll find me contented,
Discussing the cause of our dreams,
There’s more to this life than soft candle light,
And music that goes with the wine,
And I’ll be having a time, Tonight.

Give me a part of a crowded floor,
let me dance and yell for more,
Where the night’s as long as the beat goes on,
I don’t want no chance for conversation,
Or people to talk about when I’m gone.

So don’t search for faults in my childhood,
don’t search for meanings disguised,
Don’t search for symbols of manhood,
Rejecting the peace of our lives,
There are times when I like all the lights to be bright,
and the music incredibly loud,
And I’ll be part of the crowd, Tonight.