top of page
Used Book Shop

 

Painkiller
by Parker Bradley
 

Painkiller

I hope you're good with your gun

Cuz the pain my chest runs straight 

to the tip of my tongue

 

I want you to know

I ain't leaving you willing

Cuz the hole she left is now

What you are filling

 

I was out at the bars just trying to fall under the floor

She left me again and threw all my guitars out the door

I sat there wishing this would be the last time that I’d run

But the pain ripped through my chest like it was shot from a gun 

 

Painkiller

I hope you're good with your gun

Cuz the pain my chest runs straight

to the tip of my tongue

 

I want you to know

I ain't leaving you willing

Cuz now I know I’m the one

That you are killing

 

So here I am all alone with no one to blame

I’m pounding these pills and trying to remember my name

I wish Id never seen that bottle of white pills. 

That promised to cure me but became the reason I’m ill

 

And one more to take away the pain

And one more to be what I was again

And one more to stop all this rain

And one more to stop all this rain

 

Painkiller

I hope you're good with your gun

Cuz the pain my chest runs straight

to the tip of my tongue

 

I want you to know

I ain't leaving you willing

Cuz now I know I’m the one

That you are killing

Used Book Shop

Lay Down

by Parker Bradley
 

Lay down your whiskey jar
Lay down your easy lies
Lay down you heart on the table
won't you give me a try

Lay down your vagabond heart
Lay down your gypsy soul
Our days are numbered,
Let your good times roll

It ain't easy, to leave your love around
It ain't easy, when everyone's pushing your down
It ain't easy, to pick yourself up off the ground
So you lay down

Lay down your wicked grin,
and Lay down the illusion that you can hold it all in
Open up your eyes to me, you may never see me again

It ain't easy, to leave your love around
It ain't easy, when everyone's pushing your down
It ain't easy, to pick yourself up off the ground
So you lay down

So lay down your loaded gun
Aimed straight at my heart
Don't shoot your lover man,
He's the only one who'll understand

It ain't easy, to leave your love around
It ain't easy, when everyone's pushing your down
It ain't easy, to pick yourself up off the ground
So you lay down

You lay down, so you lay down

Used Book Shop

 

Certain Days
by Parker Bradley
 

Lost another one to the whiskey, and you had to move on

I kicked myself for being how I am

You had to get out, before I knew you were gone


 

Then you asked me if I missed you, since we went our separate ways,

Only on certain days

 

When the sun comes up, 

When there’s morning coffee in my cup 

And Everytime it rains,

When hear Willie Nelson 

and it gets me high, 

Only the days that end in why

Only on certain days

 

So I settled down, in this little Texas town, 

Found a bar where I can just hang around 

I focus on my work and how it pays, 

And figure out how to get through these certain days 

 

Then you asked me if I missed you, since we set this whole thing ablaze,

Only on certain days

 

When the sun comes up, 

When there’s morning coffee in my cup 

Everytime it rains, 

When hear Willie Nelson 

and it gets me high, 

Only the days that end in why

Only on Certain Days 

 

Once in while, I remember your half-gypsy - smile,

And I have to turn the page

And when I get tore up, straight whisky in my cup

To fight off these certain days 

 

It’s quiet know, in our Texas town

And that San Mo train just bears on down

And the mermaids in San Marcos, think I might drown

I raise my head up, and I look around

 

You asked me if I missed you, since we set this whole thing a blaze

And I lied and said,  only on certain days

Used Book Shop

 

Get in the Van

by Parker Bradley
 

Get in the van, get in the van

We’re making all the music that we can

Load out our gear in the driving rain

 

Get in the van, get in the van

Gonna make millions if we can

Maybe one day this van will become a plane

 

We’ve got a long run of shows, up and down the East Coast

From Maine to Georgia and then down to Mile-O

Then back up to Philly, then down to new orleans

Whoever booked this tour was strung out on methamphetamines

 

Getin in the van, get in the van

We’re making all the music that we can

Load out our gear in the driving rain

 

Get in the van, get in the van

Gonna make millions if we can

Maybe one day this van will become a plane

 

First we head up to the Tone shop for sticks and wires

Maybe play that old Gibson J45, 

If it’s here when I return, all that money I will burn

For a chance to find a few songs inside

 

Get in the Van, Get in the Van

We’re making music when we can

Load out the gear in a driving rain

 

We”re  living the dream, no one complains

If we make those millions

this Van may become a plane

 

We droke down outside Raleigh,

No one showed up in New Orleans

I had to wish happy birthday to my daughter when she turned 16


 

I hope she remembers all  I taught her

I hope her word stays true, 

Do what I say, not what I do

 

Another late night birthday call 

from outside some old dance hall, and I felt like I’d rather be dead

 

Tears welled up and this is what she said….

 

Daddy, get in the van, get in the van,

Your making all the music that you can

It’s your life, and know that I understand

 

I’ll be here when you get home, 

We can roll out to the Great Unkown

Maybe one day I’ll have a van of my own

 

I remember what you taught me, 

I kept my word as true, 

I hope I can roll out in the van with you

 

Get in the Van, get the van

We’re rolling straight home in the passing lane

We never made those millions

And this van is just a van in the passing lane

Used Book Shop

 

The Flatness of Kansas

by Parker Bradley
 

The river turns to stone across an endless summer moon

The tractor pulls down one more mile

Johnny likes his chances with Emmy Lou

If he could only make her smile

One hundred years, is how long that we've been here

But we won't see one minute more

He watches the sun as it falls below the cotton

And wonders what he'll do now

Just gimme a three pedal steel

Your hands on the wheel

And I'll forget all that I've done wrong

Turning my glances at all these second chances

Living with nothing at all

 

The flatness of Kansas, goes on and on

The river cuts through it like a knife

Johnny found his calling in an old miner's song

He made Emmy Lou his wife

 

One hundred years is how long that we've been here

But he's never seen nothing like him before

He watches his son as he plays along the cotton

And wonder's why he'd ever need anything more

 

Just gimme a three pedal steel

Your hands on the wheel

And I'll forget all that I've done wrong

Turning my glances at all these second chances

Living with nothing at all

Just gimme a three pedal steel

Your hands on the wheel

And I'll forget all that I've done wrong

Turning my glances at all these second chances

Living with nothing at all

Used Book Shop

 

Out of Range

by Parker Bradley
 

Calling out, wait for you to leave no doubt

Forgetting what it's all about

And you come back home

 

Waiting all day for a passing gaze in a West LA Cabernet haze

For a glimmer of hope

Instead of being alone

 

If there's a way you can hear me darling

If there's a way you can hold my hand

I've been a long way from you, and it feels so strange

I've been way, way out of range

 

Leaving out, all things you would cry about

Brought on by my constant doubt

That you were true

 

Holding out, I know you were just holding out

Hoping I'd shut them out

Hoping I'd just come through

 

If there's a way you can hear me darling

If there's a way you can hold my hand

I've been a long way from you, and it feels so strange

I've been way, way out of range

 

Far away, I've been so far way

Forget the words to say

But they don't come through

Calling out, wait for you to leave no doubt

Forgetting what it's all about

And you come back to you

 

If there's a way you can hear me darling

If there's a way you can understand

I've been a long way from you, and it feels so strange

I've been way, way out of range

 

If there's a way you can hear me darling

If there's a way you hold my hand

I've been a long way from you, and it feels so strange

I've been way, way out of range

Used Book Shop

 

Second Hand Heart

by Parker Bradley
 

Up on the shelf, in a second hand store

Next to a hand made wedding dress, that was never worn

There's mama's set of silver, and a pocket watch of gold

A baby's rattle still in a the package, 'cuz it was never sold

 

A '37 National Steel, a cracked porcelain ballerina

Half a deck of tarot cards, and an old concertina

I used sit in the window, and watch them all stroll by

Just a forgotten thing, from good times gone by

 

All I need is a brave soul, and all I need is a chance

I can remind you how good it feels to dance

A little rough around the edges, I've been around  a time or two

I'm a second hand heart, but I feel brand new

 

Now there's scars you can see, and some you won't

A bullet hole in the front used to hurt, but now it don't

There's the two scars in the back, where the knife went in

Some nights I feel that blade, cold against my skin

 

Sometimes we never get close to the things we are closest too

Sometimes we never get the truth for the things we hope are true

 

All I need is a brave soul, All I need is a chance

I can remind you how good it feels to dance

A little rough around the edges, I've been around  a time or two

I'm a second hand heart, but I feel brand new

 

Up on the shelf, in a second hand store

Next to a hand made wedding dress, that was never worn

Used Book Shop

 

Rescue

by Parker Bradley
 

When the time is right

You're leaving on a one way

Leave tonight, no one sees you running

Running

 

Your light

You're leaving when you want to go

Burning bright, brighter than you'll ever know

Highway, and diamonds lead your way

 

And you raise up your hand

Way up in the sky

And watch as the rescue plane flies

On by

 

When the time is right

You're hoping you won't ever see

One more night of this broken home pageantry

Leaving

Leaving

 

You won't wait for them to come around

This world spins and it won't

Slow down

 

And you raise up your hand

Way up in the sky

And watch as the rescue plane flies

On by

 

Rescue plane on by

 

Anyone has to know

You can't stay tied to your own window

Oh, but you won't be around

One more day in this town

 

And you raise up your hand

Way up in the sky

And waive that rescue plane

On by

 

Rescue plane on by

On by

Rescue plan on by

On by

Used Book Shop

 

All These Crimes

by Parker Bradley
 

Give me my grandma's, key lime pie

On her back porch in the middle of July

She got her ticket to the moon

The salt of the earth gone way too soon

 

All this time

All these crimes

Weigh so heavy on a heart

A heart like mine

 

He'd pull up in his big black Cadillac

Got 75 years, then he died of a god damn heart attack

I miss his shades of gray

His in between and his come what may

And he'd say

Where you come from or where you've been

Don't mean nothing like what's under your skin

 

All this time

All these crimes

Weigh so heavy on a heart

A heart like mine

 

Come on Romeo, Come on Juliet

The love you had, we will never forget

Would've liked to see you make it out

But love has a way of leaving no doubt

 

All this time

All these crimes

Weigh so heavy on a heart

A heart like mine

 

So here I am, all alone

With my heart of steel, and my fists of stone

Maybe one day, I will get a little rest

To ease this weight that lays upon my chest

 

All these crimes

All this wasted time

Weigh so heavy on a heart

A heart like mine

 

Come on Romeo, Come on Juliet

The love you had, we will never forget

Would've liked to see you, make it out

But love has a way of leaving no doubt

 

All this time

All these crimes

Weigh so heavy on a heart

A heart like mine

 

Heavy on a heart like mine

Used Book Shop

 

Last of the Summer Wine

by Parker Bradley
 

When the city lights, shine so bright

That the stars at night, can't put up a fight

They just can't break in

I think of you and remember when

 

I know how it goes

We all grow up and get left alone

Move along too fast

And suffer the lifetimes of the past

 

We drink the last of the summer wine

If you drink too fast, you can have some of mine

We drink the last of the summer wine

We'd taste the past, and it tasted fine

Six stolen beers, and a radio

In your sister's car, to the lake we'd go

Put a blanket down and dance so slow

Hope it would never end

I don't want to waste your time

Thinking up and down the line

So I'll just put it all in a song

Maybe one day you'll sing along

We drink the last of the summer wine

If you drink too fast, you can have some of mine

We drink the last of the summer wine

We'd taste the past, and it tasted fine

I know how it goes

We all grow up and get left alone

Move along too fast

And suffer the lifetimes of the past

 

We drink the last of the summer wine

If you drink too fast, you can have some of mine

We drink the last of the summer wine

We'd taste the past, and it tasted fine

It tasted fine

It tasted fine

bottom of page