1 Under the Bridge: A Play on Words

© 2012 James Richard Langston. All rights reserved.

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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/3/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9395-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9399-7 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9400-0 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012922220

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Contents

A Hammer and Some Nails

Cherokee Teardrops

At His Beck And Call

A Secret’s Not a Secret

At The End of a Cotton Row

Be an Angel in Her Sight

Alone and Liking It, But Lonely

Christmas on the Highway

Black Bess and Me

Birds

Christmas During Hard Times

Cottonmouth Joe

Diamonds

Eyes of the River Queen

Foot Fire Down Bear Wallow Road

Home for Christmas

From Crayons to Perfume

Graveyards

The Scarlet Thread

Amber Marie

Let’s Go To the County Fair

Ringgold Georgia

Marty and the Duke

Mamma, Who Was That Stranger

Nobody Blamed Little Shirley

My Tennessee

Roses for Pedita

Tennessee Morning

Sounds of the Wild West

Texas

Thank You Lord, For Mom

The Old Man’s Final Will

The Legend of Tom Skinner

The Dawn Came Up Like Thunder

The Tick of Time is Passed

They Called His Name Elvis

Under Blue Colorado Skies

Wild Mountain Splendor

Winter Alone

Willie’s Song

Your Last Word, Goodbye

A Backward Glance

A Blanket on Our Bed

A Natural Born Loser

A Nine Gallon Man, a Ten Gallon Hat

A Smile Between The Teardrops

A Songwriter’s Letter

A You I’ve Never Met Before

Angle Of Attack

Ashes in My Memory

At The Mention of Your Name

Avenues to Leave

Back By Popular Demand

Battles

Because My World Just Stopped

Before You

Beginning To Be Me

Between The Bookends of My Years

Beyond Love’s First Desire

Blackjack

Blood in the Sand

Boney Maroney

Breathless

Burning My Memories

Can You Read My Mind

Changing Brands Down In Texas

Chewing Tobacco

Cheyenne Rider

Christmas Alone

Christmas in Nashville

Clear Out Of Sight

Cleo

Coming From Behind

Country

Country Gentleman

Country Music Says It All

Country Songs

Created Just For Fools

Darling, If You Can Read Lips

Dating By Computer

Did God Tell You

Don’t Make Me Say, I Love You

Don’t Say Anything At All

Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open

Dreams

El Paso II

End of My Childhood Days

Every Once In A While

Far Beyond What We Can See

For I Am Yours, Sweetheart

For The Last Time, Until

For The Love of a Puppy

Forgive Me One More Time

Fried Ice Cream

G.I. Joe

Getting Back To Texas

Give My Heart a Break

God’s Creation

Grease Upon Your Shoe

Have You Ever

He Shines

Heroes of the Silver Screen

Honey, I’ve Been Missing You

How Can Leaving Me Be Right

How Do You Divide the Family Bible

I Don’t Want To, but I Do

I Double Dog Dare You

I Found Myself a Lady

I Love Life

I Should Have Told You

I Spend My Time at Wimpie’s

I Still Recall How It Felt

I Water Her Roses With My Tears

I Wish You Had Told Me Sooner

I’d Still Be Loving You

Image of My Desire

In The Early Morning

In The Middle Of Our Bed

In The Middle Of My Love Song

Is There Anybody Out There Listening

It Scares Me

Seems Like A Long Way Back Home

It Was Out On Calvary’s Hill

My Savvy Horse

It’s Been Good

Robertito

To Hailey

A Hammer and Some Nails

2007

Mary watched Him working,

With a hammer and some nails.

And later saw Him whipped,

With a cat of many tails.

She wept as she watched Him,

Hanging on that rugged cross.

A hammer and some nails,

Were the reasons for her loss.

A hammer and some nails,

Were the tools of his trade,

As He grew to be a man.

And a hammer and some nails,

Were used where he laid,

On a cross, on a cold hardened ground

A carpenter’s carpenter,

Following Joseph in his way.

A savior and a Prince of Peace,

In His glorious coming day.

King of all kings, who lived as a man,

A carpenter’s carpenter,

With nails in His hands.

Cherokee Teardrops

1985

Cherokee teardrops,

Soft, dark and deep,

Shed by Cherokee women,

Every time they weep.

The tears of Cherokee women,

Rolled down their cheeks,

They cried for their nation,

Their braves lay at their feet.

Their homes all in ashes,

Their children standing bare,

They wiped Cherokee teardrops,

With their long raven hair.

A defeated Cherokee nation,

Submitting to their fate,

Were moved to Oklahoma,

In the winter of thirty eight.

Proud Cherokee teardrops,

Shed on every hand,

All because the white man,

Found gold on Cherokee land.

Cherokee teardrops,

From southern mountains grand,

Spread across this nation,

To a wasted, dusty land.

Cherokee teardrops,

Falling on two stones,

Left a trail of sadness,

From their southern mountain homes.

At His Beck And Call

1987

You say he don’t want you, anymore,

That he means nothing at all to you.

Well, I can tell by the shame on your face, girl,

That what you’re saying to me right now, is not true.

Well I can see the longing in your eyes,

When you think I’m not watching you at all.

Oh, it tears my heart right out of me, girl,

Just to think that you would go, at his beck and call.

You say he don’t love you, as before,

And the love you had for him has all died.

Well I can tell by the weakness of your words, girl,

That this is not the first time you have lied.

I can read between the lines, I can see it in your eyes,

You really don’t love me at all.

I’m only temporary, I’ll take the fall.

I’ll be the fool here, after his beck and call.

Girl if only I could convince my doubtful heart,

The way you keep running back to me.

But there’s an old flame still burning in your eyes, girl,

Oh, the way it once used to burn for me.

I can read between the lines, I can see it in your eyes,

You really don’t love me at all.

I’m only temporary, I’ll take the fall.

I’ll be the fool here, after his beck and call.

I’ll be the fool here, after his beck and call.

A Secret’s Not a Secret

1982

There are a lot of lessons learned,

From the time we enter this world.

One that you had better learn,

If you want to keep your girl.

You can get a kiss behind the