1. |
Give Me One Reason
04:00
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Give Me One Reason
Give me one good reason to believe this world will change.
Give me one good reason and I’ll hang on.
Give me one good reason and I will fight another day.
Give me one good reason I can hang my hopes upon.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
Everywhere I look I see the writing on the wall.
Everything I hear is doom and gloom.
Everything I’m reading in the papers is a lie,
Spinning out false words to hide the truth.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
All the politicians do is prove that greed is God.
And when they get caught, just pass the buck.
Convoluted answers to the questions of the day,
Proving they don’t really give a damn.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
Can’t you see what’s going on?
When wrong is right and right is wrong
The weak are preyed on by the strong
‘Til all that makes us who we are is gone
Liars cheat and cheaters steal ,
Convince us all to live in fear,
As lawyers, bankers make their deals
On Wall Street, Bay Street, Capitol and Parliament Hill.
Give me one good reason to believe this world will change.
Give me one good reason and I’ll hang on.
Give me one good reason and I will fight another day.
Give me one good reason I can hang my hopes upon.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
Give me one reason, one good reason.
© Dave Semple – 20 July 2012
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2. |
Passionately
04:04
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Passionately
Can the one living inside you reach beyond the wall?
Or do the ones spinning around you keep you down
And feeling small, in spite of it all?
Can the light burning inside you find it’s way into the world?
Or does the darkness living around you incarcerate you
Like a pearl, kept from the world
Can you do, can you do what you’ve got to do?
Can you see, can you see what you’ve got to see,?
Can you say, can you say what you want to say?
Can you be, can you be what you want to be, passionately?
Are you free to be you, to be true to who you want to be?
Can it be only you hold the key to who you want to be?
Be the dream that’s living inside you ‘cause that’s really who you are.
And see beyond the smoke and the mirrors that try to convince you
Every day that you’re less than you are.
You can do, you can do what you’ve got to do.
You can see, you can see what you’ve got to see.
You can say, you can say what you want to say.
You can be, you can be what you want to be,
And do it passionately.
If you keep the dream inside you, you’ll keep walking in the dark,
Always looking for permission to be more than who you are.
Let the truth of your convictions be your passion burning bright,
Never seeking their forgiveness for standing in the light.
You are free to be you, to be true to who you want to be.
You can see that only you hold the key
To who you really want to be.
You are free to be you to be true to who you really want to be.
You can see that only you hold the key…
To set yourself free.
© Dave Semple – 17 April 2014
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3. |
Fortune Favours the Bold
03:58
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Fortune Favours the Bold
What are you gonna say?
What are you gonna do?
What are you gonna be?
Spring into summer yearns.
Summer to autumn learns.
Autumn to winter burns.
Time keeps drifting away.
Play it too safe and you’ll never know.
Fortune favours the bold
Too old to be young too young to be old
Doors open; don’t get caught in the cold
Fortune favours the bold.
Don’t get left in the cold.
You’re too young to be old.
Fortune favours the bold.
Another diverging road,
What are you gonna choose?
Really, it’s up to you.
Let your future unfold.
Come down from the fence and embrace your light.
Fortune favours the bold.
Don’t let rejection put out your fire.
You can be anything you desire.
Fortune favours the bold.
Fear can’t put out your fire.
Live the life you desire.
Fortune favours the bold.
Spring gave you seeds to sow.
Now, in your summer, you let them grow.
When autumn comes you’ll have much to show.
Before winter covers your world with snow.
Promise me you won’t let your light fade away.
Fortune favours the bold.
Don’t get left in the cold.
You’re too young to be old
Fortune favours the bold.
© Music and Lyrics by
Dave Semple – 30 August 2011
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4. |
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Prince Edwards’ Island Skies
When I was a younger lad I travelled to the Maritimes,
One summer with my Mum and my Dad.
‘Round the Bay of Fundy’s changing tides, Cape Breton roads that wind and wind,
We landed ‘neath Prince Edward’s island skies.
The clouds that billowed o’er the sea felt like they could be home to me.
The rolling fields and red dirt roads were something from a dream.
When I returned again to La Belle Province,
I was still dreaming of Prince Edward’s island skies.
Thirty years have come and gone. I’m married now with daughters and sons.
I made a home in my Ontario.
This past summertime we travelled to the Maritimes,
And we landed ‘neath Prince Edward’s island skies.
The clouds that billowed o’er the sea still felt like they were home to me.
The rolling hills and red sand beaches took my breath away.
And when I closed my eyes and fell asleep at night,
I was dreaming ‘neath Prince Edward’s island skies.
The ceilidhs in the crossroad halls with happy, smiling, weathered faces.
Charlottetown to Summerside, Elmira to Nail Pond.
And in the evening as the ocean broke on shore,
I was dreaming ‘neath Prince Edward’s island skies.
Ocean skies and friendly faces,
Rolling hills and open spaces,
Breezes blowing o’er the sea,
Feels like home to me.
The clouds that billow o’er the sea are like a second home to me.
The rolling seas and fishing boats are calling out my name.
When my working days are done in my Ontario….
I’ll be returning to Prince Edward’s island skies.
You can find me ‘neath Prince Edward’s island skies.
I’ll be living ‘neath Prince Edward’s island skies.
Dave Semple – 14 February 2013
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5. |
Long Gone
05:02
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Long Gone
He packed his bags on a Saturday and he walked right out the door.
He left a note for her anyway, on the refrigerator door.
It said, “I’ve got to get out of here,” and it didn’t say anything more.
He left the keys on the table and his heart upon the floor.
Now he’s long gone.
He’s long gone.
She came home early from work one day and the bedroom lights were on.
She thought they hadn’t been left that way when they left for work at dawn.
When she pushed open the bedroom door, it was all so damn cliché.
She didn’t utter a single word; she just turned and walked away.
Now she’s long gone.
She’s long gone.
Sometimes you feel like you’ll break, not bend.
There are circumstances you can’t mend.
You try so hard to make it all right
And then you’re faced with either fight or flight.
It isn’t easy to cut and run
But if you don’t it’s gonna be a mistake.
It’s up to you what you’ve gotta do,
And just how much you’re willing to take,
‘Til you’re long gone.
‘Til you’re long gone.
So if the road that you’re travellin’ on takes you down a dead end street.
Your head is bangin’ against a wall made of bricks, lies and deceit,
And if your soul is bleedin’ out, a fresh start is really what you need.
Doors close but windows do open up; you can set your spirit free,
When you’re long gone.
When you’re long gone. (Walk out the door)
You’re long gone. (Turn and walk away)
You’re long gone. (If you’ve had too much)
You’re long gone. (You don’t have to stay)
You’re long gone.
Music and Lyrics by
Dave Semple – 1 August 2011
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6. |
Ghosts in the Closet
03:12
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Ghosts In The Closet
I know you’re in there. Waiting. Watching me.
Under the doorway. Breathing. Patiently.
I know you’re in there, haunting me endlessly.
Just when I think I’ve got the best of you
That’s when you come to me: when I lie sleeplessly,
Tossing me restlessly, turning my thoughts into…
Ghosts in the closet, skeletons under the bed,
Touching my shoulder. Whispering eerily,
Oh, I hear you, reminding me how I was wrong.
I feel you chilling me right to the bone.
I am well aware of mistakes I’ve made,
Yet, there you are just to throw it in my face.
And do I feed you well enough?
Insecurities give you more than what you need.
Ghosts in the closet, skeletons under the bed.
In the darkness, nowhere to run from these phantoms,
They haunt me, making me shudder and sweat,
Yes, you’ve got me. I must get you out of my head.
I’ve had enough of you. Maybe it’s time that I
Come face to face with you. Come on. I’m ready to play.
Dave Semple – 1 April 2013
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7. |
Is Anybody Listening
05:15
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Is Anybody Listening
Echoing silence down the hall.
Taking down pictures from a quilted wall
Over and over, their faces through my door
Now, just ghosts of footsteps ‘cross the floor.
Remembering laughter, season’s end.
Everything’s over, once again.
Deafening stillness, I stare at empty chairs.
Now, just fading voices fill the air.
I gave you my words
Feathers falling free,
Landing on the rocks
Then floating out to sea
I gave you my words
Lifted from the page
All I want to know…
Was anybody listening?
All I want to know…
Was anybody listening?
Another year older; another year gone
The faces get younger; time marches on.
Palettes of colour. I just keep getting grey.
Wasn’t I just like them yesterday?
I gave you my words
Spinning maple keys
Carried by the wind
Blowing through the trees.
I gave you my words
Lifted from the page
All I want to know…
Was anybody listening?
All I want to know…
Could you read between the rhymes,
To find the reasons through the seasons?
The hands of time commit the crime
And you can’t borrow from tomorrow
So choose your ways through all the daze
And make the most of what you’re given.
Can you hear me now?
I gave you my words
Rising from the flames
Swirling through the air
Then coming down again.
I gave you my words
Lifted from the page
All I want to know…
Was anybody listening?
All I want to know…
Was anybody listening?
All I want to know….
Are you even listening?
Dave Semple – 18 June 2010
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8. |
Lost and Profound
04:01
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Lost and Profound
I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where I’m going,
And I don’t know which direction I should take.
Stranded for years on an island I built. Locked in a prison with bars made of guilt.
Taking its toll every step of the way, not even feeling the price that I paid.
Trying to keep all the balls in the air, tryin’ without pulling out all of my hair.
Keeping the peace, petty conflicts abound; seeking solutions that could not be found.
My hands were bound.
Putting my faith in the world that I knew. Believing their “honest” intentions were true.
Innocent flowers, they were serpents below, they cast me adrift; locked me out in the snow,
With nowhere to go.
And I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where I’m going,
And I don’t know which direction I should take.
But I can’t go back. Gotta leave it all behind me,
But I don’t know how to move myself ahead.
Shuttered the windows and barred all the doors. Cursed at the ceiling then crashed to the floor,
Losing my voice to the salt water tears, feeling how worthless my giving of years.
Now the words in my ears… are saying…
I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where I’m going,
And I don’t know which direction I should take.
But I can’t go back. Gotta leave it all behind me,
But I don’t know how to move myself ahead.
I’m lost and profound. I’m not out, just down. A voice with no sound, hear me screaming.
Found: knees on the ground, my world spinning ‘round and ‘round and ‘round and ‘round.
‘Cause I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where I’m going,
And I don’t know which direction I should take.
But I can’t go back. Gotta leave it all behind me,
But I don’t know how to turn myself around.
But I can’t go back. Gonna leave it all behind me,
I will find my way to find myself again.
© Dave Semple – 10 June 2015
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9. |
Inside of the Grey
03:24
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Inside of the Grey
There are times when you watch the clock unwind.
Looking back, wondering what was left to find.
It’s too late to locate what was left behind.
And now those hidden treasures are phantoms of the mind.
The highs reach up to the skies, the lows are the price you paid.
The light and the dark define you,
But living is truly inside of the grey.
All the times when the world appeared sublime,
Photographs of the mountains you had climbed.
So glorious, victorious, when all the stars aligned,
You thanked the gods above for their wonderful design.
The highs reach up to the skies, the lows are the price you paid.
The light and the dark define you,
But living is truly inside of the grey.
Then there were the days of darkness,
Wrapped in a fog of fear.
You looked to the skies and cursed them,
Through your tears.
Now you lie underneath the starry skies,
Shades of grey just outside your line of sight.
These moments, forgotten, between the lows and highs,
Are really what comprise the story of your life.
The highs reach up to the skies, the lows are the price you paid.
The light and the dark divide,
To show you your life lived inside of the grey.
© Dave Semple – 9 May 2014
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10. |
Take Me By The Hand
03:27
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Take Me By The Hand
Take me by the hand and we’ll go walking in the moonlight,
Underneath the stars scattered ‘cross the sky.
Take me by the hand and hold me ‘til the morning.
Tomorrow’s just a dream. To yesterday we said goodbye.
If you take me by the hand I will dance with you forever.
Sipping from the wine sweetly dripping from the vine.
If you take me by the hand, we’ll face everything together.
Things will turn out fine if you take me by the hand.
‘Cause whenever I am with you, oh, the world, it just disappears,
And whenever I’m without you the hours feel like years.
And you know I never doubt you. You’re the only truth in my life,
Because everything about you is just right.
When you take me by the hand it leads to palpitations.
Chills run down my spine like an hourglass’ sand.
Take me by the hand, and guide me up to heaven.
Life is so sublime when you take me by the hand.
‘Cause whenever I am with you, oh, the world, it just disappears,
And whenever I’m without you the hours feel like years.
And you know I never doubt you. You’re the only truth in my life,
If you weren’t so already, would you be my wife?
Oh, yes, I know, that I love you so?
No matter what winds blow,
I want you to know I’ll never let you go.
Take me by the hand. Oh, give me palpitations.
Life is but a dream when you take me by the hand.
Come on and take me by the hand. Dance with me forever.
Life is so sublime. Lovely, take me by the hand.
© Dave Semple – 8 February 2015
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11. |
The Air I Breathe
04:47
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The Air I Breathe
I breathe you in with my eyes.
Passing glances, yours to mine.
You stay a moment and calm my soul
I breathe you in, then, I let you go.
I breathe you in to my heart.
Flowing freely from the start.
And for a moment, I hold you there.
I breathe you in pure as air.
I watch you sleeping
Am I in your dreams?
I feel your body
Lying next to me
From by your side
I would never leave
I’d be lost without you
You’re the air I breathe
I can see you through the night.
My heart feels you by my side.
And for a moment you ease my mind.
I breathe you in time after time.
I watch you sleeping
Am I in your dreams?
I feel your body
Lying next to me
From by your side
I would never leave
I’d be lost without you
You’re the air I breathe
As I watch you sleeping
I drift to dreams
I feel you lying
Right next to me
I hear your breathing
And it comforts me
When I’m dreaming of you
You’re part of me and I believe
That you’re the air I breathe
Music and Lyrics by:
Dave Semple – 7 December 2009
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12. |
Damage Done
05:25
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Damage Done
He would traveled an ocean just to hear her voice again
He fought all his battles hoping death was his friend
But death didn’t want him; still he couldn’t go home
Oh – hhh, What had he done?
He bought her a mansion and he watched for her by night
Would she stumble upon him like a moth drawn to the light?
So he reached ‘cross the water to his dream, burning bright
Oh – hhh, What had he done?
Oh – hhh, Damage done
With rain on the windows he’d arranged his second chance
She would stumble upon him. It would seem like happenstance
And he knew when he saw her there was love still in her glance
Oh – hhh, What had he done?
Oh – hhh, Damage done
Don’t build your castle on a fairy’s fine wing
You cannot imagine what the winds of change bring
Don’t tune your heartstrings to a tuning fork struck on a star
You can’t repeat the past when your life has been a lie from the start
From the start….
Oh – hhh, Damage done
In a stifling hotel room he asked her to decide
With all his deceptions crashing down, down with the tide
When she gave him her answer, a part of him died.
Oh – hhh, Damage done
Oh – hhh, Damage done
Don’t build your castle on a fairy’s fine wing
You cannot imagine what the winds of change bring
Don’t tune your heartstrings to a tuning fork struck on a star
Oh, you can’t repeat the past when your life has been a lie
No, you can’t repeat the past when your life’s been a lie from the start
Oh – hhh, Damage done
Oh – hhh, Damage done
Oh – hhh, Damage done
Music and Lyrics by
Dave Semple – 9 May 2011
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Dave Semple London, Ontario
Born in Montreal and raised in Noranda, Quebec, Dave is a graduate of the University of Windsor and has lived the last 30 years in London, Ontario as an educator, musician, actor, director, songwriter, and novelist. Playing live with just a guitar is THE BEST, but Dave loves spending time in his studio filling out the sound layers. Story is everything. ... more
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