When even more is still not enough.

Money to Burn

Words & music by Tom Griffith & Toby Walker

Can’t you see this life I’m livin’s ‘bout to break my back
And I ain’t gettin’ nowhere ‘cause the deck is stacked
You hold all the aces and it’s always your turn
When you’ve got money to burn

No you never grew a conscience you just do what you please
You treat helping others like a social disease
How the rest of us are doing ain’t none of your concern
When you’ve got money to burn

Oh money to burn you say you’ll spread the wealth
When you’ve had your fill
But we all know that it ain’t money
That likes to flow downhill

And if they ever catch you in some white collar crime
You don’t have to worry ‘cause you’ll never do the time
You’ll keep on writing checks ‘til the verdict’s overturned
When you’ve got money to burn

Money to burn you swear you’re gonna share
I think the chances are slim
You’re actin' more like some modern day Nero
And look what happened to him

When you finally own it all and you’re think you’re doing swell
You’re gonna see there’s no one left to buy what you sell
You’ll realize too late you’re past the point of no return
And you got nothin’
No you got nothin’
Nothin’ but money to burn

© 2019 For the Best Music/ASCAP
Loose Truth Music (BMI)

An exploration of some questionable life decisions.

Young Again

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Flying down the highway like a leaf in the wind
On a road a smooth as teenage skin
Hoping where I’m going is like where I’ve been
All I want to do is be young again
Young again, young again
All I want to do is be

Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again

I got some nip and tuck I pop those little blue pills
Trying to bend the future to my will
But it won’t listen even when I scream
Give me one more chance to live my dream and be
Young again, young again
All I want to do is be

Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again

Time - I wasted so much of you when I was young
‘Cause I was dumb. Never even thought about
How I was gonna run out of
Time - But now it’s getting late I see my mistake
Can you give me a break just one more take
To do what I never got to do hey you I need more
Time - Come on be kind rewind and let me try it one more time
I need to fix the mix. I need to get my kicks
Time - Get right what I got wrong you know all I want to do is
Get back but all you want to do is - move on
(I need to lie down)

I can feel tomorrow sneaking up on me
Forever ain’t as long as it used to be
I got all the money to buy what I need
But what I really want is to be eighteen
And be “Young again?”
Yeah young again
All I want to do is be

Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again
Oh oh young again

© 2014 For the Best Music/ASCAP

This song started with the drumbeat and then the rest of the song just appeared. I love when that happens!

Nothing Better to Do

Words & music by Tom Griffith

One drink away from getting sloppy
One kiss away from a bad decision
Do I swerve out of your way or
Brace myself for a head on collision

I haven’t been down this particular road but
I’m familiar with the territory
You're a tall cool drink that looks so sweet but
I’m pretty sure you taste like sorry

I know I should just walk away
And not go toe to toe with you
I know I should, I know I should but
Fuck it I got nothing better to do

I like your lips wrapped around that bottle
I like the way you don’t mind if I stare
I think we might be headed for trouble
But I’ll worry about that when we get there

I know I should just walk away
And not go toe to toe with you
I know I should, I know I should but
Fuck it I got nothing better to do

Oh you got nothing
Oh you got nothing - nothing better to do
Oh you got nothing
Oh you got nothing - nothing better to do

Now I’m not saying I can see the future
But if it’s anything like my past
We're gonna light each other up like flash paper
(Burn burn) and that’s about how long it’s gonna last (oh)

I know I should just walk away
And not go toe to toe with you
I know I should, I know I should but
Fuck it I got nothing better to do

Oh you got nothing
Oh you got nothing - nothing better to do
Oh you got nothing
Oh you got nothing -
(What are you doing?!)
Oh you got nothing
Oh you got nothing

© 2024 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Choosing joy in a world rife with reasons for despair is a countercultural act of courage and resistance.
   – Maria Popova, The Marginalian

Here's Hopin'

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Here’s hopin’ the sun’ll shine on you today
Here’s hopin’ things are gonna go your way
All your luck will be good and they’re gonna serve it
Piled up on a platter ‘cause you deserve it
That’s what I’m waiting for
I never wanted anything more
So here’s hopin’

So here's hopin' your astrological chart
Says your future is gonna be a work of art
I think it's high time for the bad times to end
It's time to see you smile again
That's what I'm waiting for
I never wanted anything more
Here's hopin'

You get some peace of mind, a secret valentine
Your favorite dish at dinnertime
And then you find everything you lost
It could happen. I got my fingers crossed
Here’s hopin’

You get a front row seat
You book the master suite
So you can kick back, relax and repeat
And if that seems like a lot
And you're thinking why me
I'm thinking why not

Here's hopin' your life becomes a piece of cake
And it’s so sweet it’s almost more than you can take
(I said almost)
And if there’s anything that I can do
To help you make your dreams come true
You know I will I’ve said it before
I never wanted anything more
Yeah here’s hopin’
That you ain’t just copin’
You know I ain’t jokin’
Here’s hopin’

© 2025 For the Best Music/ASCAP

THE MAPLES
by Marie Howe

I asked the stand of maples behind the house,
How should I live my life?

They said, shhh shhh shhh…

How should I live, I asked, and the leaves seemed to ripple and gleam.

A bird called from a branch in its own tongue,
And from a branch, across the yard, another bird answered.

A squirrel scrambled up a trunk
then along the length of a branch.

Stand still, I thought,
See how long you can bear that.

Try to stand still, if only for a few moments,
drinking light breathing

There's Only This

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Take off your overcoat of sorrow
Take off your glasses made of tears
Look through the periscope of silence
Watch yesterday and tomorrow disappear

There is no goal there is no end
There is no reason to pretend
That someday there will be one thing
That nails down everything

There’s only this, only this
There’s only now and now is an everlasting kiss
The unlocked door to the house of bliss
There’s only this, only this

Well we’re all born and we all die
And in between we try to pin the butterfly
Turn our lives into a story just so we can get by
But the past is a boulder in a backpack
And the future is a lie

There is no goal there is no end
There is no reason to pretend
That someday there will be one thing
That fixes everything

There’s only this, only this
There’s only now and now is an everlasting kiss
The unlocked door to the house of bliss
There’s only this, only this
There’s only this, only this
The only thing there is on an infinite list
Well if I’m wrong tell me what I missed
There’s only, only - this

That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this

Where there is hope there is fear
They make it hard for truth to whisper in our ear
We always have a choice
To play deaf or hear the voice
But whatever we decide
It always starts from here

Forget regrets forget success
The painful no the brilliant yes
Forget the search that tries to find
The one right answer for all time

There’s only this, only this
There’s only now and now is an everlasting kiss
The unlocked door to the house of bliss
There’s only this, only this
There’s only this, only this
The only thing there is on an infinite list
Well if I’m wrong tell me what I missed
There’s only, only - this

That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this

© 2006 For the Best Music/ASCAP

I GO DOWN TO THE SHORE
by Mary Oliver

I go down to the shore in the morning
and depending on the hour the waves
are rolling in or moving out,
and I say, oh, I am miserable,
what shall —
what should I do? And the sea says
in its lovely voice:
Excuse me, I have work to do.

There's Only This

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Take off your overcoat of sorrow
Take off your glasses made of tears
Look through the periscope of silence
Watch yesterday and tomorrow disappear

There is no goal there is no end
There is no reason to pretend
That someday there will be one thing
That nails down everything

There’s only this, only this
There’s only now and now is an everlasting kiss
The unlocked door to the house of bliss
There’s only this, only this

Well we’re all born and we all die
And in between we try to pin the butterfly
Turn our lives into a story just so we can get by
But the past is a boulder in a backpack
And the future is a lie

There is no goal there is no end
There is no reason to pretend
That someday there will be one thing
That fixes everything

There’s only this, only this
There’s only now and now is an everlasting kiss
The unlocked door to the house of bliss
There’s only this, only this
There’s only this, only this
The only thing there is on an infinite list
Well if I’m wrong tell me what I missed
There’s only, only - this

That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this

Where there is hope there is fear
They make it hard for truth to whisper in our ear
We always have a choice
To play deaf or hear the voice
But whatever we decide
It always starts from here

Forget regrets forget success
The painful no the brilliant yes
Forget the search that tries to find
The one right answer for all time

There’s only this, only this
There’s only now and now is an everlasting kiss
The unlocked door to the house of bliss
There’s only this, only this
There’s only this, only this
The only thing there is on an infinite list
Well if I’m wrong tell me what I missed
There’s only, only - this

That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this
That’s all there is, there’s only this

© 2006 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Just Another Rainy Day

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Just another rainy day and I’m playing my guitar
Just another rainy day and I’m wondering where you are
Sitting in my room
Working on a tune
Trying to find the right words to say on
Just another rainy day

Oh oh, yeah
Oh oh, yeah

Just another day of waiting for the rain to end
Just another day of waiting for my heart to mend
It seems that’s all I do
Ever since I lost you
The world is turning in shades of gray on
Just another rainy day

Oh oh, yeah
Oh oh, yeah

Just another rainy day and I put my guitar down
Maybe when the sun comes out things will turn around
I pray for bluer skies
But I’m not through with goodbyes
I don’t know what else I can say on
Just another rainy day

Oh oh, yeah
Oh oh, yeah

© 2014 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Every time I go to the acupuncturist I am forced to come to a screeching halt. Lying on the table in imitation of a human pin cushion, I drift off and find at the end of each session I feel rejuvenated. Galilean Moons is my take on the type of music I hear during these sessions. My hope is that these pieces will help you to pause, take a deep breath, and find a little peace.

1. Great Barrier Reef
2. Bird from the Tree
3. Life in the Canopy
4. Meditation #1
5. When the Cherry Blossoms Fall
6. Galilean Moons

© 2025 For the Best Music/ASCAP

For me this song is about the idea that we are all doing the best we can, and sometimes the best we can do is make regrettable choices. Many thanks to the extremely talented Adina Leone for her wonderful vocal.

Let’s Get Lost for a While

Words & music by Tom Griffith

The wind in the trees brings back sweet memories
Of times when he made me smile
All gone all too soon
Now the clouds hide the moon
Let’s get lost for a while

Same old song, nothing new
I know you’ve sung it too
But feeling blue ain’t my style
So have a drink, stop your sighs
Hold me close and close your eyes
Let’s get lost for a while

Let’s drop out of sight, disappear for the night
And try to forget love’s unkind
We’ll both play along acting like nothing’s wrong
We’ll tell ourselves everything’s fine

But let’s not pretend the good times won’t end
It’s too late to bother with guile
For as long as it lasts let’s just shake off the past
Let’s get lost for a while

Let’s drop out of sight, disappear for the night
And try to forget love’s unkind
We’ll both play along acting like nothing’s wrong
We’ll tell ourselves everything’s fine

But let’s not pretend the good times won’t end
It’s too late to bother with guile
For as long as it lasts let’s just shake off the past
Let’s get lost
Let’s get lost
Let’s get lost for a while

© 2007 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Years ago Martha and I were talking about my family's tradition of making Christmas cookies. Sometime during our conversation the idea for this song just popped out. It's still one of my favorites.

The Christmas Cookies

Words & music by Tom Griffith & Martha Trachtenberg

I was driving to my folks’ house on a snowy Christmas Eve
To make the Christmas cookies and share some memories
I had everything I needed except the most important part
The magic of the season was missing from my heart

So I stopped into a church to say a troubled prayer
When I looked up to my surprise a little girl stood there
She said, “My name’s Maria.” She smiled and tugged her dress
She said, “It’s almost time for dinner. Please won’t you be my guest.”

’Tis the season to be giving
Tell the world the Lord is living
And give thanks for all the gifts that we receive
’Tis the season to believe

When I saw that line of people all waiting to be fed I called my folks and asked them if they’d meet me here instead I spent all night baking santas with Maria, Mom and Dad And you know those Christmas cookies were the best I ever had

’Tis the season to be giving
Tell the world the Lord is living
And give thanks for all the gifts that we receive
’Tis the season to believe
’Tis the season to believe

© 1994 For the Best Music/ASCAP
Waffle Queen Music/BMI

I think most people who find themselves in a difficult situation never thought they'd be there, and are doing their best to make things better. Needing help doesn't make them any less.

(Don't Treat Me Like A) Poor Relation

Words & music by Tom Griffith

I saw him standing on the corner
Nothing to his name except his pride
His clothes were dirty, his eyes were weary
As he held his hand out to each passerby
He said, I don't want any trouble. It's just that I'm so hungry
Anybody have some change to spare
I saw somebody stop and shake a finger at him
Tell him, Get a job and earn your share
And he said

(Chorus)
Don't treat me like a poor relation
Don't put hate in my empty hand
Do you think I spent my whole life working
So I could end up where I am
I ain't asking you to save me
I just need a helping hand
Before you walk away remember
I'm the one the Bible calls your fellow man

Well I work hard to earn a living
But it ain't easy trying to make ends meet
Some nights I lie awake and worry
‘Cause one bad break and that could be me
Hey Mr. President I ain't a corporation
I'm just a man with a family to feed
But I know I'm somebody. I helped to build this nation
So don't you go and turn your back on me

Chorus

Too many people out there living day to day
Thank your lucky stars that it ain't you who has to say

Don't treat me like a poor relation
Don't put hate in my empty hand
Do you think I spent my whole life working
So I could end up where I am
We are all in this together
Everybody needs a helping hand
Before you walk away remember
The one the Bible calls your fellow man

Don't treat me like a poor relation
Don't treat me like a poor relation
Don't treat me like a poor relation

© 1997 For the Best Music/ASCAP

I don't know where the idea for this song came from, but once it arrived it would not let me go. Interestingly, I knew from the very beginning that I wanted the actual sound of the recording to be an integral part of telling the story. Three years and at least six different arrangements later, I feel like I finally nailed it.

You Don't Have to Be Alone

Words & music by Tom Griffith

I found you in a Motel 6 up in Ithaca
You were drowning in your tears
Said you had no better place to go
So you might as well be here
Told me everyone who loved you was gone
And there was no one left who cared
Well I'm right here baby
And I'm not going anywhere

You don't ever have to be alone again
No you don't ever have to be alone again
If that's what you want
If that's what you want

I watched you as you stumbled through
Your private world of pain
I can't count the times I wished I could
Help you come in from the rain
I know there's nothing I can do
To ever change the past
But I can promise you one thing
I'm the one thing that will last

You don't ever have to be alone again
No you don't ever have to be alone again

You don't ever have to be alone again
No you don't ever have to be alone again
If that's what you want
If that's what you want

We could be sparkling like the ocean . . .

© 2021 For the Best Music/ASCAP

In between writing and recording my songs, I'll often take a break and just fool around with sounds with no particular goal in mind. Sometimes these little “amuse bouches,” as they like to say in the cooking shows, turn into interesting instrumentals. These are eight of my not-quite-main-course favorites.

1. Deep Time
2. Modern Medicine Man
3. Neckbone
4. Out of the Fog
5. Smooth Latin
6. The Twelfth Chill
7. When Worlds Collide
8. Working the Groove

© 2024 For the Best Music/ASCAP

This song was inspired by an essay in the New York Times by Alyona Synenko about attending her cousin's wedding in Odesa. To me, it is such a powerful, life affirming act to get married in the middle of a war.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen, which has been feeding the Ukranian people for free since the war began.

I Do (A Wedding in Odesa)

Words & music by Tom Griffith

She walks down the street
stepping over the rubble
From bombed out buildings
and burned up cars
She makes her way down
to the wedding hall
It's dark and empty
and covered in scars

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

It's just her, the groom
and their families
All her friends have left
or they're just gone
They get married
by candlelight
While the air raid siren
sings its deadly song

And she knows she will always remember
The day she chose to never surrender

She says I do because she believes
in truth over silence
She says I do because she believes
in love over violence
She doesn't hesitate
to leap into the arms of fate
Today dreams can come true
So she says I do

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Later there's a party
at a rooftop restaurant
They all raise a glass
to the bride and groom
When the lights go out
they just make a joke about it
While the smoke from the fires
tries to hide the moon

And she knows she will always remember
The day she chose to never surrender

She says I do because she believes
in truth over silence
She says I do because she believes
in love over violence
She doesn't hesitate
to leap into the arms of fate
Today dreams can come true
So she says I do (because she believes)
She says I do (because she believes)

She doesn't hesitate
to leap into the arms of fate
Today dreams can come true
So she says I do

© 2022 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Prominence is a first-person, point-and-click science-fiction adventure about a colonization mission gone terribly awry. In the midst of the crisis, the player needs to discover what happened and decide what to do about it. The official site has more details.

Mike Morrison was producing the project and asked if I'd be interested in coming on-board to work with him on the audio for the game. Together we composed more than 40 minutes of cinematic ambient electronic music, cast and directed 20 voice actors, and created over 100 sound effects and environmental soundscapes.

1. Main Menu (Intro Theme)
2. Wakeup In Medical
3. Exploration
4. Are You Here To Fix Me?
5. Restoring Power
6. Data Archives
7. Taeron Tech
8. Drifting Toward Doom
9. Making An Escape Plan
10. We Have To Work Together
11. Into The Core
12. Pel Koloro
13. Building The Shuttle
14. End Credits

© 2015 Digital Media Workshop

My wife Martha Trachtenberg and I, along with my friends Andy Huenerberg and Diane Garisto, started a band we called Return to the Dream. I loved collaborating with these three extremely talented musicians to produce this album. It's still one of my favorite projects.

Each of us wrote songs for this collaborative album. My contributions are linked below.

1. Angel
2. Pocketful of Change
3. Chippin' Away
4. God Is Working in the Dark
5. Keep On Wanting You
6. Hide and Seek
7. It's Gonna Change Me
8. Mother's Spiritual
9. What I See
10. Can't Find My Way Home
11. (Here's to) My Wild Irish Boy
12. Touch of Your Hand
13. The Dream Rolls On

© 2008 Return to the Dream

Angel

Words & music by Tom Griffith & Martha Trachtenberg

In my shadow there stands an angel
He's been with me my whole life long
And I know he waits in the darkness
Like the sun waits for the dawn

As a child I saw him clearly
I grew older and he started to fade
When I cried out, “Why are you leaving?”
He said, “You are the one who turned away.”

(Chorus)
Angel
Is it time to go home?
Angel
I can see you now
I can see you

You have been my faithful companion
Now the day's turning into the night
Should I follow you into the darkness?
Will you lead me into the light?

Angel
Is it time to go home?
Angel
I can see you now
I can see

Chorus

In my shadow there stands an angel

© 2005 For the Best Music/ASCAP
Waffle Queen Music/BMI

Chippin' Away

Words & music by Tom Griffith

It's an uphill climb in a steady wind
sometimes - sometimes
It's a place where sunlight's never been
sometimes - sometimes
I keep on stumbling through the dark
wondering if I'm wasting time
But I can't quit; I can't stop yet
There's too much left for me to find

(Chorus)
Chippin' Away at the Rock of Gibraltar
Finding my shadow in the noonday sun
Chippin' away at the Rock of Gibraltar
I'm just gonna stay here and get this job done hey hey
Chippin' away

It's an icy fog and I lose my way
sometimes - sometimes
All that I can do is bow my head and pray
sometimes - sometimes
I'm in a hole I can't ignore
and the sides are getting steeper
But I know I'll find what I came here for
If I dig a little deeper and deeper

Chorus

Sometimes I see a glimmer,
sometimes I feel a spark
Sometimes it's like a diamond,
I see it shining in the dark

Chorus

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

It's Gonna Change Me

Words & music by Tom Griffith

The wind is blowing through my front door
I hear the call of the road once more
It's a call that I can't ignore
It's gonna change me

There is a mountain for me to climb
I don't know why I guess it's time
I don't know what's on the other side
But it's gonna change me

(Chorus)
It's gonna change me
It's gonna change me
I don't know what's on the other side
But it's gonna change me

Not running from
Not running to
Just doing what I have to do
But this time I've got you
And it's gonna change me

It's gonna change me
It's gonna change me
'Cause this time I've got you
And it's gonna change me

Said it's gonna change me
Oh it's gonna change me
I've got your love to see me through
It's gonna change me

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

(Here's to) My Wild Irish Boy

Words & music by Tom Griffith

I have a picture of you as a child
The wind in your hair, your eyes sparking wild
Headstrong and free, a face without guile
Before life did what it did to you
And though you are gone I am glad I knew you
Oh here's to my wild Irish boy

Here's to my wild, my wild, my wild
Here's to my wild Irish boy

You were trapped by your anger, held back by your pride
Twisted by the demons that you kept inside
Did God give you wings on the day that you died
To rise above all of this pain
May love, luck and laughter be all that remain
Oh here's to my wild Irish boy

Here's to my wild, my wild, my wild
Here's to my wild Irish boy
Here's to my wild, my wild, my wild
Here's to my wild Irish boy

I stand with my tears in the cold and the rain
And I mourn all we lost to our sorrow and shame
Then I think of your eyes and I call out your name
Praising all you tried to be
Now and forever you'll be part of me
Oh here's to my wild Irish boy

Here's to my wild, my wild, my wild
Here's to my wild Irish boy
Here's to my wild, my wild, my wild
Here's to my wild Irish boy

© 1996 For the Best Music/ASCAP

The Dream Rolls On

Words & music by Tom Griffith

I used to drive for a living up and down these old highways
Hauling all my hopes and dreams along with all that freight
Sometimes at night I'd pull her off to the side
Sit out on the steps and watch the world roll by
I'd play “Oh Lonesome Me” on my guitar
And stare up at the stars

(Chorus)
The dream rolls on
Through my life and through my songs
Right or wrong
You know the dream rolls on and on and on and on and on

I just kept on playing every chance I got
Waiting for the day when I would get my shot
I figured that's my ticket out of this one-way life
I'd finally find some time for my kids and my wife
I practiced “When Will I Be Loved” and “Mama Tried”
And I kept that dream alive

Chorus

Now I play for a living and some people know my name
But it's funny how the more things change
The more they stay the same
'Cause I still drive all night to play those one night stands
And when I'm done I call my wife
And try to make her understand

Chorus

© 2007 For the Best Music/ASCAP

It took me forty years to be able to write this album. I wanted to write about issues that were important to us baby boomers back in the sixties, but viewed from today's perspective.

“The best songwriting of 2007. In these funny, poignant, sometimes angry songs, various boomer characters take stock of their lives 40 years after the Summer of Love. Griffith's disc is like a little novel that gets better with each read.” - Rafer Guzmán, Newsday

“Tom Griffith is such an MVP as a producer and sideman you might forget the guy can also write a song, but the evidence is there on his long-awaited CD, 40 Years Later.” - John Platt, Program Director, WFUV/NY

1. No Love is Free
2. He Wants to Join the Corps
3. When I Had You
4. She Was a Strange Girl
5. It Takes a Job (To Make a Man a Man)
6. Just Got Away from Me
7. Money's Not the Answer
8. Every Once in a While
9. Still Lookin' Over My Shoulder
10. Rising Sun
11. I Can't Let Go
12. All That I Am

No Love Is Free

Words & music by Tom Griffith

She got the house,
I got the car
One minute we're married,
then the next I'm in a singles bar
I still can't believe
how easy it was
For them to figure out the cost
of falling out of love
But they did and then
they sent the bill to me

No love is free (4x)

We met at a love-in,
smoke filled the air
I still remember all the flowers
she wore in her hair
We moved in together,
the years drifted by
And somewhere between the kids,
careers and cars we forgot to try
Now all I have are some
expensive memories

No love is free (4x)

Losing your money's
just the start
You don't watch out
you'll lose your heart
Oh, oh, oh,
I oughtta know
Somewhere, somehow, someday
Sooner or later
you're gonna pay
You're gonna pay and pay
and pay and pay
And that's just the way it is

Well I put my life
together again
I'm just a little bit older and
wiser and poorer than I was back then
But I learned a lesson
I'll never forget
Sometimes the love you give—
it does not always equal the love you get
Every passion has a price,
take it from me

No love is free (4x)

© 2001 For the Best Music/ASCAP

He Wants To Join The Corps

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Back in '69 I was next in line
To do my part for Uncle Sam
So I tried my best to fail every test
And I never went to Vietnam

Think what you will of me, I still believe
We should study war no more
But now I've got a son turning twenty-one
And he wants to join the Corps

I tell him, “Son look there,
that's me with all my hair
When we marched
on Washington.
Yellin' ‘Hell no,
we ain't gonna go’
I gotta tell you though,
I had some fun.”

“Still I held my ground
when the heat came down
Because peace
is worth fighting for.”
My son says, “C'mon pop.
Would you please stop?
I want to
join the Corps.”

Oh, he hasn't heard
a word I've said
Oh, I'd like to
knock some sense into his head
Oh, anyway,
don't matter what I say
He wants to
join the Corps

Oh, he says he
needs to find himself
Oh, by learning
how to blow up someone else
Where's he get it from?
It must be his mom
It ain't from me
that's for sure

'Cause I've done all I can
To make him understand
But he wants to
join the Corps
Yes I've done all I can
But now my son's a man
And he wants to
join the Corps

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

When I Had You

Words & music by Tom Griffith

I still have this old photograph
It reminds me of the way things used to be
In it I'm about to laugh
And behind me is the sky and deep blue sea
I had my whole world in view
That's what I had when I had you

it feels like it was yesterday
Then again sometimes it's like it was a dream
Life has changed in a thousand ways
But you're all that really matters so it seems
I had a love that was true
That's what I had when I had you

Time has no meaning
Words are a lie
Desires may be sleeping
But love never dies

I woke up at the crack of dawn
With a feeling in my heart I can't explain
I know that I must move on
But I don't know how to come in from the rain
When I was with you I knew
That's what I had when I had you
I had a love that was true
That's what I had when I had you

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

She Was A Strange Girl

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Back in the days when I was in high school
About a hundred years ago
My senior class took a little field trip
Into the City to see a show
Everybody sweatin' on that big old yellow bus
Singin' ‘99 Bottles’ 'til the driver yelled “Shut up!”

I was sittin' with this girl named Leslie
She was one of them arty types
Loved macrame and hated Elvis Presley
Wore purple dresses with paisley tights
She ate pomegranates and kept a pet bumblebee
God knows why but she had a thing for me—
uh oh . . .

She was a strange girl
A very strange girl

We got in early so they turned us loose
The teacher said, “Just be back by three.”
Leslie said, “I've got some friends in the village.
Would you like to hang with me?”
You know I wonder right up to this day
What on earth possessed me to say - “Okay.”

So we went down to her friends apartment
Her name was Moonstone and she lived with Stu
We sat on pillows in the middle of the kitchen
Drinkin' green tea and sippin' miso soup
Then Leslie said, “I've got something I think you'll like.”
And she reached in her bag and pulled out a six inch pipe—
uh oh . . .

She was a strange girl
A very strange girl
Strange, strange girl

I don't remember how we got back to Broadway
I don't remember a word of the play
I don't remember the bus ride home but
I will never forget that day

She was a strange girl
A very strange girl
Strange, strange girl

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

It Takes A Job (To Make A Man A Man)

Words & music by Tom Griffith

All I want to do is make a living
Find some honest work for a decent wage
And right now I'll take anything they'd give me
But they say there's nothing for a man may age

I can't remember when I wasn't working
I built my whole life with these two hands
Now I can't sit around just doing nothing
'Cause what I do is who I am

It takes a job to make a man a man
And if you ain't been there you can't understand
It's hard to face the world your hat in had
'Cause it takes a job to make a man a man . . . yeah

My wife smiles and says she knows we'll make it
But I can see the worry in her eyes
Sometimes late at night I hear her crying
And her tears wash away what's left of my pride

It takes a job to make a man a man
And if you ain't been there you can't understand
Now love can help you do the best you can
'Cause it takes a job to make a man a man . . . yeah

© 2002 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Just Got Away From Me

Words & music by Tom Griffith

I guess it started back in high school
Gettin' crazy with my friends
After the game we'd go out drinkin'
Maybe do a number every now and then
It felt good gettin' high
I started doin' it whenever I could
Then it changed, I'm not sure when
But i started gettin' high just to feel good

(Chorus)
It got away from me
Just got away from me
I thought I had it all under control
But it just got away from me

Well I was lonely, so I got married
Pretty soon that all turned to sh - -
All we did was scream at each other
Thank god we never had a kid
'Cause she just kept on me about the money
Whatever I did was never enough
One day I lost it and I hit her
But I swear I never meant to get that rough

(Chorus)

So here I am, wherever that is
Steppin' on the pieces of my shattered dreams
You know I think what what cuts the deepest
I finding out that things are just what they seem
Yeah sometimes I sit back and I wonder
How it ever came to this
How everything I tried to hold only
Ran out like water through my fist

(Chorus)

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Money's Not The Answer

Words & music by Tom Griffith

The day you left school you got yourself a job
Carved out your career oh yeah you worked real hard
And you made it all the way to the top
You traded in your Beetle for a Mercedes Benz
Got yourself a family that you see now and then
Yeah you made it. So why can't you stop?

You got everything you need
except the one thing that you want
What do you want
What do you want

(Chorus)
If that's the question-money's not the answer
If that's the question-money's not the answer

Well you've been rich and you've been poor
You like to tell your friends you know one thing for sure
Rich is better, and that might be true
But lately you've been thinking 'bout the races you've run
All the battles you've fought, all the victories you've won
And you wonder just where it got you

You tell yourself you're happy but you're really not
What makes you happy
What makes you happy

(Chorus)

So are you really captain of your destiny
Or is your tiny boat drifting lost at sea
You don't know how to tell anymore

You got everything you need
except the one thing that you want
What do you want
What do you want

(Chorus)

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Every Once In A While

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Every once in a while I can stop and see
Just how much you mean to me
You're where I want to be for the rest of my life

Don't know why sometimes when I see your face
I slip into a state of grace
But it all falls into place every once in a while

I see how much I need you, I need you
My life would fall apart without you
I feel how much I love you, I love you
I can hardly believe
You're here with me

The my heart opens up and the love pours in
And I fall for you all over again
Oh I know how lucky I am every once in a while

I see how much I need you, I need you
My life would fall apart without you
I feel how much I love you, I love you
You're the world to me
You're everything

Every once in a while when you're holding me
We fit together perfectly
I can touch eternity every once in a while
Every once in a while
Every once in a while

© 1997 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Still Lookin' Over My Shoulder

Words & music by Tom Griffith

When I walk down the street and I hold your hand
I know some people don't like it,
I can feel 'em stare
Well you'd think by now they would understand
I know I shouldn't let it get to me
But I still care
They act like it's a crime
Findin' love across the color line
After all this time
I'm still lookin' over my shoulder

You say it's not as bad as it used to be
You say maybe the world's really changin',
well I don't know
When I think of the things that been done to me
I can't say it's all that much different
from years ago
There's still things I can't do
Places I'll never go to
'Cause I'm not like you
I'm still lookin' over my shoulder

I don't need a lawyer
I don't need a cop
I just want somebody
Somebody who can tell me
when it's gonna stop

'Cause I'm still lookin' over my shoulder
Yes I'm still lookin' over my shoulder

Now ain't nobody got the right
To tell me how to live my life
But I pay a price
I'm still lookin' over my shoulder

© 2001 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Rising Sun

Words & music by Tom Griffith

You tell me all your secrets
I'm the center of your life
But I don't know how much longer
I will be your guiding light
So while I wait for you to fly

(Chorus)
I will hold you for as long as I can
Kiss you every chance I get
Love you like the rising sun but
My love will never set
My love will never set

I love you beyond reason
Still I know they'll come a day
When I go from standing by your side
To standing in your way
I won't try to make you stay

(Chorus)
You've become my world
And my joy runs so deep
Your love is a gift
One I'll always keep

(Chorus)
I will hold you for as long as I can
Kiss you every chance I get
Love you like the rising sun but
My love will never set
My love will never set
My love will never set

© 1999 For the Best Music/ASCAP

I Can't Let Go

Words & music by Tom Griffith

In 1967 I hitched across the USA
I made it out to Frisco
just in time for Monterey
When I heard Janis sing
and I saw Jimi play
It changed me

Those were the glory days,
the politicians were runnin' scared
We were all in it together
and the sound of revolution filled the air
But one day I turned around
and found no one was there
Well that changed me

(Chorus)
I thought the music stood for something
We'd save the world through rock 'n' roll
You pretend you don't remember
But I can't - I can't let go
'Cause all those songs of freedom
Are buried in my soul
You can say the dream is over
But I can't - I can't let go

They turned the Summer of Love into Hair
—what a travesty
And when I heard Purple Haze on Muzak,
that was it for me
Now rock 'n' roll is some kid with no balls singin'
"Be all that you can be"
What happened

(Chorus)
I thought the music stood for something
We'd save the world through rock 'n' roll
You pretend you don't remember
But I can't - I can't let go
'Cause all those songs of freedom
Are buried in my soul
You can say the dream is over
But I can't - I can't let go

No I can't let go . . .

© 2000 For the Best Music/ASCAP

All That I Am

Words & music by Tom Griffith

If I'm going to be all that I am
I have to accept all that I'm not
Things I can't do
Things I don't see
Lives I won't live and things I won't be
I let them go and I find that I'm free
To be all that I am

If I'm going to be all that I am
Then I'll have to use all that I've got
All of my anger
All of my pride
All of the faults I try to hide
Got to make room for the shadows inside
To be all that I am

If I'm going to be completely myself
I have to include everyone else
Those who are younger and richer than me
Those who do what I do better than me
I bless them all because all I can be
I all that I am

Yes I bless them all because all I can be
Is all that I am

© 1997 For the Best Music/ASCAP

One of the many hats I've worn in my life was that of a Montessori teacher. For those of you who are not familiar with it, a Montessori education focuses on developing critical thinking, self sufficiency and cooperative problem solving. I highly recommend it!

One of the requirements for my certification was to develop and execute a project that would create new, age appropriate lessons that fit within the Montessori curriculum. This little EP is the “final exam.” If you have any children between the ages of, say nine and twelve, I think they just might like these tunes. I know my students did!

1. The Ballad of Lumpy (Vital Functions)
2. Equivalence
3. Homonyms
4. Fundamental Needs
5. The Web of Life

The Ballad of Lumpy (Vital Functions)

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Once I had a friend his name was Lumpy
Now Lumpy was a very lazy guy
He never wanted to do what he had to do
And when he did he kept on asking why

One day he said, “You know I'm through with eating
I'm tired of chewing food three times a day.
And as for drinking water, well I don't think I oughter.
Why should I bother eating anyway?”

Lumpy, Lumpy it's a Vital Function, that's why
Without some good Nutrition you would be in bad condition
If you stop eating, you'll die

“Alright,” he said, “I'll eat, but I'm not breathing.
Who needs to exercise their lungs all day?
If I don't get some air, well I don't really care.
Why should I keep on breathing anyway?”

Lumpy, Lumpy it's a Vital Function, that's why
Here's some inspiration for continued Respiration
If you stop breathing, you'll die

“Okay,” he said, “I guess I'll keep on breathing.
But after that I tell you I am through!
Be it air or ice cream cone, once inside they're on their own.
Why should I even care where they go to?”

Lumpy, Lumpy it's a Vital Function, that's why
Your continuation depends on Circulation
You don't use it then you'll lose it and you'll die

Now I think I should mention at this junction
Those are vegetative Vital Functions
There are others that you have to use
To live the life I know that you would choose

There's Sensitivity to where your food should be
And then there's Support so you don't fall
And with menial deduction we can see that Reproduction
Is essential or you wouldn't be here at all

Lumpy hung his head and said, “That's awful.
If it wasn't so much effort I'd be irked.
I think I'll go to bed.” Then he heaved a sigh and said,
“It's terrible to be this overworked.”

© 2004 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Equivalence

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Say you have a triangle and you want to know
How much space it takes up
Well the going will be slow
But if you turn that triangle into a rectangle
Easy-peasy lemon squeezy

(Chorus)
Equivalence (They look real different)
Equivalence (But they take up the same space)
Equivalence (That makes it simple)
Just follow the rules and you'll be cool

Say you have to measure some crazy kind of shape
It won't be a pleasure
Unless you give yourself a break
So if you use the rule to wrangle
It into a big rectangle
Easy-peasy lemon squeezy

(Chorus)

Should we avoid a trapezoid? Make it a rectangle!
Or a parallelogram? Make it a rectangle!
Who among us wants a rhombus? Make it a rectangle!
Oh come on, a polygon?!

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy

(Chorus)

© 2004 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Homonyms

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Words that sound alike but are not spelled the same
Are a very special group and Homonyms is their name

Take their, there and they're
T-H-E-I-R is the “their” in their new car
Their boat, their bat, their house, their cat (nice kitty)
Is T-H-E-I-R

T-H-E-R-E is where something can be
In there, over there, out there, under there
That's T-H-E-R-E
And let us not forget its use as a subject
There go the boys. There are the toys.
There is the sea. There is a bee.
Are all T-H-E-R-E

T-H-E-Y-'-R-E (I don't know what you're talking about)
Is a contraction for “they are” (Oh I see)
They're short, they're tall, they're large, they're small
Well now you know that has to be T-H-E-Y-'-R-E

Oh if you look around you'll find Homonyms abound
Just remember that the way they're spelled
Won't change the way they sound

How about two, too and to?
T-W-O is a number don't you know?
Two cows, two dogs, two ducks, two hogs
Is T-W-O

T-O-O. Now that one means “also.”
I tripped too. I laughed too. I burped too. (excuse me)
That's when you use T-O-O
Now I don't mean to confuse
But when there's more than you can use
Like too fast, too slow, too high, too low
Go for T-O-O

And finally T-O. It tells you where to go
To the zoo, to the moon, to the pool, to your room
That's T-O

Words that sound alike but are not spelled the same
Are a very special group and Homonyms is their name
Words that sound alike but are not spelled the same
Are a very special group and Homonyms is their name

Ah Homonyms. There're lots of them.
How about “see” and “sea” Argh matey, I see the sea.
Or “pear” and “pair?” One pear is not a pair. That's confusing.
Or “fare” and “fair?” that fare is not fair. I won't pay it!

You know, there's no homonym for the word “homonym.”

© 2004 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Fundamental Needs

Words & music by Tom Griffith

There was a Cro-Magnon man, he had a Cro-Magnon wife
They raised Cro-Magnon kid, they lived a Cro-Magnon life
One day the kid said, “Folks, I'm as happy as can be.
I can't complain but all the same there're a couple of things I need.”

(Chorus)
“I just need something to eat and a way to get it
Somewhere to sleep at the end of the day
Something to wear in all kinds of weather
Some way to say what I wanna say
Some time to stop and hear a story, maybe paint a picture too
And some time to wonder why we're here
I think that ought to do. Thank you.”

There was a Mycenaean man, he had a Mycenaean wife
They raised Mycenaean kid, they lived a Mycenaean life
One day the kid said, “Folks, my life is swell but gee . . .
I'm no ingrate, still, let me state there're a couple of things I need.”

Chorus

Now people come and go, and cultures rearrange
But for the modern man some things never change
There are some basic wants that make our lives complete
And all these things of which I sing
Are Fundamental Needs

We all need something to eat and a way to get it
Somewhere to sleep at the end of the day
Something to wear in all kinds of weather
Some way to say what we wanna say
Some time to stop and hear a story, maybe paint a picture too
And if we all take time to wonder why we're here
Where we come from, and what we're doing on this earth
I think that ought to do.
Don't you?

© 2004 For the Best Music/ASCAP

The Web of Life

Words & music by Tom Griffith

When the baker needs some flour he calls the trucker
Then the trucker calls the miller and says,
“You got some flour for me?”
Then the miller calls the train and says,
“Bring me some grain.”
So the railroad sends a boxcar to
pick up the farmer's wheat.

And the wheat goes on the train,
rolls to the mill which grinds the grain
Then the flour gets trucked to the baker
who bakes some cakes and pies
Which is what the farmer buys

(Chorus)
We're all a part of a bigger picture
Everything we say and do in this world matters
So find your place and shine your light
We are all connected through the web of life

Jill gave her Dad an extra hug this morning
He felt so good at lunch
he tipped the waitress a large sum
She in turn heaped extra fries
on the platter of the guy
Who runs the pizza place Jill goes to
after school is done

So that afternoon the pizza guy who got the fries
From the waitress who got the tip from Dad
'Cause he got that hug, well the guy felt so darn nice
He gave Jill a free slice

Chorus

If a butterfly can spread its wings in Mexico
And cause the wind to howl and blow in Borneo
I think it's plain to see that undeniably

We're all a part of a bigger picture
Everything we say and do in this world matters
So find your place and shine your light
We are all connected through - all connected to
We are all connected through the web of life

© 2004 For the Best Music/ASCAP

Often when I sit down to write a song I have an idea of what I want to say, and/or the feel I want to play. Trust was not one of those songs.

I started to write down images that made me think of the idea of trust. But I really didn't know how or if they would be part of the song. The big breakthrough, for both the song and me as an artist, was realizing that I didn't have to sing the verses. This was going with my gut in a big way for me. Once I realized that, the song came together relatively quickly.

Trust

Words & music by Tom Griffith

Trust is a room with no lights and no windows
Trust is an unopened box
It's a pause at the end of a sentence
It's a house with no locks

All that needs to come between us is trust (2X)

I watched you down your second margarita
And I couldn't decide
If you were screwing up your courage
Or swallowing your pride

Were the only ones who get to say
If it has to be this hard
So are we putting on our armor
Or letting down our guard

All that needs to come between us is trust (4X)

Trust is a road beyond your headlights
It's not knowing the end when you start
Trust is the silence of unanswered questions
It's what left when things fall apart

We're the only ones who get to say
If it has to be this hard
So you don't have to wear that makeup
If I don't have to hide my scars

All that needs to come between us is trust (4X)

Trust is a room with no lights and no windows
Trust trust is an unopened box
Trust is the silence of unanswered questions
It's what's left when things fall apart

© 2023 For the Best Music/ASCAP