Ben Bullington

Newest favorite writer ... in my book with Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, David Rodriguez, and a few others.

on death:

"our souls might mingle in the aftertorch ... like four friends smoking on a late night porch ..."
"promise me you won't worry ... it's probably like the time before I was born ..."

on legacy:

"you got the name, you got the farm, now don't break the line ... lone pine"
"sundown and daybreak alone mark the time ..."

This Scratch on My Guitar

(by K Brown)

1
This scratch on top of my guitar
Don't pick it
It might leave a scar
Took miles of forgetting where you are
To leave it there
on this guitar

2
That scratch right there on my guitar
didn't know
could run that far
Tryin' to reach you where you are
a puff of breeze
a distant star

(Break)
That scratch it bleeds some
everyday
more than once along the way
I nearly run right off the road
tryin' to lose
a heavy load

3
That scratch there cut right to the bone
A little deeper
when you can't atone
But sooner or later you'll get home
This guitars your friend
when you're alone

4
This scratch on the top of my guitar
Don't pick it
It might leave a scar
Took miles of forgetting where you are
To leave it there
on this guitar

(Coda)
Yeah
Took a long time of forgetting where you are
To leave that scratch
on my guitar

Belle Of The Ball

(by K Brown)

Bella, Oh Bella
you're the belle of the ball
and when all of the dancin' is through
you were the one that we all want to waltz with
Oh Bella, gal, where are you

When the last fiddle plays
and the memory fades
Bella, you know
we loved you

(They say) you could not see straight, your teeth would not be straight
And cowlicks that ran through your hair
some say imperfections, but to me was all beauty
perfection for me I don't care

Now I'm as blue as the deep blue sea
Not sure whats come over me
by the light of the moon, and a sly parting glance
You left the dance way to soon

Where will you go now, what will you do
Where will we look to find you
By the light of the moon, will you show us a dance
to the lilt of a soft fiddle tune

Bella, Oh Bella
you're the belle of the ball
and when all of the dancin' is through
you were the one that we all want to waltz with
Oh Bella, gal, where are you

It's time to go home now, the dance is all through
We had us a time that is true
With a soft fiddle tune, we're sure that we'll see you
dance by the light of the moon

Bella, Oh Bella
you're the belle of the ball
and when all of the dancin' is through
you were the one that we all loved to waltz with
Oh Bella, gal, we loved you

When the last fiddle plays
and the memory fades
oh Bella,
once in a blue moon

Reach Out For The Other Side

(by K. Brown)

I made a fool of myself
singing right out loud
tried to draw a crowd
but, what for, what's it good for

Thought they might be on my side
tried to make an honest sound
then looked around
and they were gone, all gone

Reachin' out from the other side
Where you been
what you been doin'

Long ago I might of tried to hide
but now I'm goin' ...

I can't seem to find myself
voice is too loud
while I fool the crowd
but, what for, what's it good for

Tryin' to reach out for the other side
and make an honest sound
maybe look around
for you, and the love you showed

Reachin' out from the other side
Where you been
what you been doin'

Long ago I might of tried to hide
but now I'm goin' ...

(open G for reference)

Old Rockin' Chair

(by K. Brown)

That old rockin chair
sittin over in the corner, there
its got some tales that it could tell
its worn its finish
pretty well

no question its got time on me
before my baby eyes could see
and then long after I am gone
be rockin there
a long time on

It seems we run our lives so fast
its hard to make the memories last
getting there from place to place
and times we wish we could erase

But not that rockin chair
sittin in the corner there
its got some tales that it could tell
its worn its finish
pretty well

Just turned around and then got old
before I even got my story told
that chair there got it all on loan
each creaking joint
each quiet moan

One of these days I'll be gone
But I hope that chair rocks on and on
These old joints of mine now creak and groan
and that long ago
seems so far gone

But not that favorite rockin chair
sittin in the corner there
its got some tales that it could tell
its worn its finish
pretty well.

("Reward" Neal Casal for reference)

Just Want To Be

(by K. Brown)

I just want to be
and not be
called out
strung out
and hung out to dry

I just want to be
and not be
passed out
thrown out
and only left to cry

And in a time
when its cloudy
and quite shady
and hard to trust
just what you see

You must be careful
not to believe it
or deceive it
and put your trust
in what is real

I just want to be
and not be
found out
freaked out
and asking why

I just want to be
and not be
tuned out
left out
or wonder why

I want to be
just to be free