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by SongwritingWith:Soldiers

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    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.

    Our retreats pair professional songwriters with veterans, military families and couples, and active-duty service members to write songs about their military experiences and transition home. These field recordings were recorded on-site at a SongwritingWith:Soldiers retreat and capture a song being performed just hours after it's been written, like a song capturing its first breath.

    Participant Co-Writers: 
    Chaddrick Allen / Rhonda Chavez / Sally Griffiths / Justin Lilley / Benjamin Liotta / Carlos Gomez Perez / Robert Heathe Shumate / Tristan Wimmer

    Singer-Songwriters:
    James House / Will Kimbrough / Mark Nesler / Terry Radigan

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1.
Clean Slate 02:59
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CLEAN SLATE Robert Heathe Shumate / James House Running through life Going through the motions Realize it's the first notion Carrying this weight Where I put it down Woke up, I was cold and sober Doing nothin but just getting older Wondering where I go from here Daybreak I see it coming Dark nights had me runnin Peace of mind is not too far away Keep moving I’ll be alright Just can’t give up the fight Day break brings a clean slate Good Intentions without feeling It’s like purpose without a reason Just another day of wasted time Daybreak I see it coming Dark nights had me runnin Peace of mind is not too far away Keep moving I’ll be alright Just can’t give up the fight Day break brings a clean slate Every life I’ve lived I’ve been through Choices you make the path you choose The love that you seek the people you need Helped me find the truth Daybreak I see it coming Dark nights had me runnin Peace of mind is not too far away Keep moving I’ll be alright Just can’t give up the fight Day break brings a clean slate
2.
Time To Be Me 03:27
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©2023 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Will Kimbrough Music (BMI)
3.
Forged By Fire 03:13
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FORGED BY FIRE Justin Lilley / James House Sand falls down through an hour glass Fills up my pockets Like the weight of my past I just can’t seem to drop it The little boy that I used to be He got lost somewhere between freedom and a dream Oh he never came back And where could he be Forged by fire Forged by fire Forged by fire Its crazy the things that saved me Turned out wanna break me No GI Joe backyard game If this ones for keeps Forged by fire Forged by fire Forged by fire Forged by fire The broken pieces of who I use to be Some are scattered and some are set free Ain't enough glue Ain't enough truth To tie me to what I use to be Day by day I keep movin on Take it easy and take it slow Cause this road can be long Forged by fire Forged by fire Forged by fire Forged by fire
4.
The Whirlwind 03:21
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THE WHIRLWIND Benjamin Liotta / Will Kimbrough My life’s been a bit of a whirlwind - I don’t even know where to start But the day I shed my ego - I made my life a work of art I saw myself reaching a dead end of my young man New York scene I decided to become a corpsman - Found myself wearing green Doing your job isn’t easy with bullets flying your way I learned who I really was in Iraq and I’m still that man today Getting to sleep wasn’t easy - The waters of guilt run deep I found myself lost in a spiral - And I drank myself to sleep And then my consciousness shifted - I went to war, and war is insane The weight of my guilt was lifted and it sure freed up my brain Searching for peaceful existence led me to live on my own Raising some crops and some chickens and building a tiny home Then I met my Siren - She brought love into my life She’s the beauty to my beast and I’m so glad to call her my wife I found pleasure in putting my plans off so she could sing all day long We packed our bags and went abroad, hypnotizing with her songs Our life is a bit of a whirlwind Right here at our family’s start It’s been one hell of a journey But our lives are a work of art It’s been one hell of a journey And we love our work of art
5.
Me 02:56
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ME Rhonda Chavez / Terry Radigan I wore a mask It was yellow like the sun Rosy cheeks And I had a smile for everyone But on the inside Was the thing I couldn’t let show I was dark and scribbled Just a wild tornado Pretending to be All together Pretending to be Someone I was never So afraid to let anybody see Me Cause all I ever wanted Was just to belong So I had to lose myself Just to play Just to play along But on the inside I never did feel seen or heard So I just stayed quiet And never said I never said a word Pretending to be All together Pretending to be Something I felt never So afraid to let anybody see Me This is who I wanna be Whatever this is This is how I wanna feel And how I want to live Cause I’ve got so much love to give It’s time to let go and forgive Me And stop pretending to be All together Pretending to be Someone I was never I’m not afraid to let anybody see And after all these years ain’t it nice to finally meet Me
6.
You're Gonna Know My Name 02:41
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YOU'RE GONNA KNOW MY NAME Carlos Gomez Perez / Terry Radigan I crossed that border At the age of nine That was my first mission No papers no flag no country No time to think about what I was missing Became legal At the age of nineteen Then I signed my life away To be one of the few and the proud Yes and to finally have my say I’d be stronger I’d be smarter I’d beat you at your own game I’d be tougher I’d be meaner And you were gonna know, yea You were gonna know my name Marched off fallujah Sent to die at the age of 21 But I had other plans I was gonna make it home To hold my son So I put my head down Crossed the fatal funnel Felt those bullets pierce my skin They might have taken a piece of me But I wasn’t gonna let them win So I got stronger I got smarter I beat them at their own game I got tougher I got meaner I wasn’t gonna be Wasn’t gonna be just another name I made it home Bout a hundred years older With a silver star two bullets And a chip on my shoulder Lord it made it so hard to hold her So many things Wish I could have told her Yes I’m stronger And I’m smarter Oh but I will never be the same Cause I am tougher And I’m meaner Carlos Gomez Perez That’s my name
7.
Watchin The Flowers Grow 03:14
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WATCHIN THE FLOWERS GROW Chaddrick Allen / Mark Nesler I was beggin’ every man for a dollar Trying to get high every day I sold my soul to the devil I didn’t know any other way Ain’t no doubt about it I was headed to hell for sure Till I finally got mad and said to myself I can’t do this shit no more Yeah everything I lost I got back I’m proud to say I’m on the right track I see a lot of beautiful things now that I’m taking it slow and if I stay Off the pipe gonna be alright Cause I found me a way to fight this fight By the grace of God I finally let it all go Just watching the flowers grow People are always wondering Why I don’t carry a gun But walking around with a bible In my hand I don’t need one Yeah I’m eternally grateful For every single day And now all I wanna do is pay it back To my brothers along the way Yeah everything I lost I got back I’m proud to say I’m on the right track I see a lot of beautiful things now that I’m taking it slow and if I stay Off the pipe gonna be alright Cause I found me a way to fight this fight By the grace of God I finally let it all go Just watching the flowers grow Wish grandma was here to see the man I’ve come to be but I Can’t help but feel like she’s smiling down on me Yeah everything I lost I got back I’m proud to say I’m on the right track I see a lot of beautiful things now that I’m taking it slow and if I stay Off the pipe gonna be alright Cause I found me a way to fight this fight By the grace of God I finally let it all go Just watching the flowers grow Yeah I’m counting my blessings Just watching the flowers grow
8.
Hey Brother 02:33
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HEY BROTHER Tristan Wimmer / Mark Nesler I was blessed to have a brother I realize that now I sure wish I’d known that when you were still around you’ve been gone Eight long years And man it’s still hard Maybe that’s why you’re hanging ‘round like some distant star Hey brother There’s some things I need to say Words I kept bottled up Till you blew yourself away Like I love you, I miss you I’m sorry that I chose Afghanistan over you when you needed me the most Hey brother I didn’t know how much You looked up to me I’m just now hearing that from all your friends I meet You were so goddamn funny So many good times looking back No doubt I’d give anything just to hear you laugh Hey brother There’s some things I need to say Words I kept bottled up Till you blew yourself away like I love you, I miss you You didn’t die in vain And even though it’s not my fault I still take all the blame Hey brother Thank you for the parachutes And clothes you left for me Guess it should come as no surprise that they fit me perfectly I’ll become The man you saw in me If it’s the last thing that I do And I promise to be a better dad than the brother I was to you
9.
Write One For Myself 03:13
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WRITE ONE FOR MYSELF Chaddrick Allen / Rhonda Chavez / Sally Griffiths / Justin Lilley / Benjamin Liotta / Carlos Gomez Perez / Robert Heathe Shumate / Tristan Wimmer / James House / Will Kimbrough / Mark Nesler / Terry Radigan It’s a comfort to be here Looking at you is like looking in the mirror I’m relieved about what’s been happening to me Taking a break from my anxiety I’ve made the best friends I’ll ever have There’s no way to express everything we share Every one of us has been straight to hell Everybody’s got a story to tell Maybe I can write one for myself Thinking I could use a little help We all have a story to tell Maybe, just maybe I can write one for myself It’s nothing like a video game Just cause we share a history Don’t mean we’re all the same What saved my life left me haunted We deserve a good life but we got to want it We’ve earned our peace But it comes in pieces Being home is hard Chaos is easier There’s all kinds books up on the shelf Trying to help somebody else Maybe I can write one for myself Thinking I could use a little help We all have a story to tell Maybe, just maybe I can write one for myself Maybe I can write one for myself Thinking I could use a little help We all have a story to tell Maybe, just maybe I can write one for myself
10.
At Ease 03:21
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released November 14, 2023

©2023 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / James InThe House Music (BMI) / Will Kimbrough Music (BMI) / Getyasome Music BMI / Catherine the Great (ASCAP)

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SongwritingWith:Soldiers Nashville, Tennessee

SongwritingWith:Soldiers is a non-profit 501c (3) organization.

Our Mission: We transform lives by using collaborative songwriting to expand creativity, connections, and strengths.

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