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SW​:​S Retreat - August 19​-​21, 2014

by SongwritingWith:Soldiers

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    We hold retreats that pair professional songwriters with military veterans to write songs about their experiences of combat and returning home. These songs were written at a retreat for military families: Glenn, Jelly, Jessica, and J.P. Estrada / Chad, Jamie, Alexis, Sydney, and Emmett Wilson / Mel, Marie, Kelly, Lauren, and Ruby Lewis / Jennifer Marino.

    These songs are their stories and are recorded on site at retreats. They capture a song just hours after being written, like the song taking its first breath.
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1.
Road Trip 02:16
ROAD TRIP Chad and Jamie Wilson / Mary Gauthier Sydney takes the high part Em takes the low Lexi’s in the middle, singing down the road It’s a road trip we’re going on a road trip Dimples on her back hatch getting on in years Oil gasket leaks but Abby’s solid in her gears It’s a road trip, going on a road trip Papa’s coming off the ship (I’m coming off the ship) Papa’s coming off the ship (Our sailor’s coming home) It’s a road trip, our road trip When Pop deploys, Em’s the only guy It’s a hard job to handle but his head stays high It’s a road trip he’s waiting on the road trip Us girls are working hard to make the house right Daddy’s on his way home, one day and one night Then a road trip, we’re going on a road trip Papa’s coming off the ship (I’m coming off the ship) Papa’s coming off the ship (Our sailor’s coming home) It’s road trip, we’re going on a road trip Lubbock, Brownfield, Corpus in July Flagstaff, Phoenix, the miles are flying by On our road trip, our road trip Blue Ridge, Great Lakes, fishing in the Dells Gonna visit Aunt Missy or she's gonna raise hell It’s a road trip, our road trip Papa’s coming off the ship (I’m coming off the ship) Papa’s coming off the ship (Our sailor’s coming home) It’s a road trip, our road trip
2.
WE BUILT THIS Mel, Marie, Lauren, Kelly, and Ruby Lewis / Jay Clementi When I look around, at our patch-quilt family My heart fills with pride deep inside sometimes I can't believe Oo Oo Ooo yeah, Oo Oo Ooo yeah we built this, yeah we built this Duty calls that phone won't stop ringing I’m taking those girls all over the world, just us and the girls singing Oo Oo Ooo yeah, Oo Oo Ooo yeah we built this, yeah we built this Nail by nail, brick by brick Times got tough we never quit We took our love All on our own Said anywhere we go We gonna make it our home Make it our home We got us one, one in a billion baby Letting her roll watching her grow into a little sunshine lady Oo Oo Ooo yeah, Oo Oo Ooo yeah we built this, yeah we built this We got us a little Ruby, sassy cat A shiny rock star pink guitar angel air-force brat Oo Oo Ooo yeah, Oo Oo Ooo yeah we built this, yeah we built this Nail by nail, brick by brick Times got tough but we never quit We took our love All on our own Said anywhere we go We gonna call it home We gonna call it home Our oldest Kelly, has a quiet grace But if you mess with her sister’s mister, she'll be all up in your face All up in your face Nail by nail, brick by brick Times get tough she won’t quit We take our love All on our own And anywhere we go We gonna make it home We gonna make it home It's all a gift Yeah we built this
3.
Oh, Brother 03:57
OH, BROTHER Glenn Estrada and Jelly Estrada / Darden Smith Oh brother, are you alone Oh brother, come back home I can see you in the distance Far far away I wonder are you drifting A little further each day I wonder do you miss me I wonder do you find In some quiet moment That I’m on your mind Oh brother, we are all alone Oh brother, come back home It’s in the random moments When I miss you most It’s when I hear a song you loved That I see your ghost That’s when I want to take you Into my open arms That’s when I want to give you Shelter from the storm Oh brother, tonight I am alone Oh brother, come back home Let’s not part in anger That’s not the way to live Let’s remember love And learn to forgive Oh brother, are you alone Oh brother, come back home Oh brother, we are all alone Oh brother, come back home
4.
LOVE WILL ABIDE Chad and Jamie Wilson / Mary Gauthier / Darden Smith Floating on a tin can in the middle of nowhere My family’s in Virginia, but Texas is home 3,000 souls on a ship packed like sardines Shoulder to shoulder but I’m still alone Incoming e-mails that I can’t reply to In River City, all coms are down I send her my love through my prayers, through the heavens Lord give her strength, keep us on solid ground Suck it up shake it off trust in tomorrow Lean in, let go, love will abide Our love is bigger than the oceans between us Hold on to knowing love will abide I’m in the kitchen the phone won’t stop ringing I sent 15 e-mails but you could not reply I need you to hold me the news has me shaking They say it is cancer and I’m terrified The kids at the table, working on homework Rush off to practice, no time for this now I send him my love through my prayers, through the heavens Lord give him strength, keep us on solid ground Suck it up shake it off trust in tomorrow Lean in, let go, love will abide Our love is bigger than the oceans between us Hold on to knowing love will abide Hold on to knowing love will abide (Instrumental) Ships in, tours done, I’m home now, the lights out The kids are in bed, we’ve dreamed of this time Held together by prayers we sent through the heavens We fall asleep knowing, love will abide
5.
Big Love 03:49
BIG LOVE Glenn, Jelly, Jessica, and J.P. Estrada / Darden Smith We got a big love We got big love Father, mother Sisters and brothers All one family We got big love Big love I am blessed by their strength I am blessed by the way they care for me I am blessed by their forgiveness I am blessed because they’re there for me We got a big love We got big love Father, mother Sisters and brothers All one family We got big love Big love Sometimes we fight but we’ve learned to let it go Sometimes it’s hard to understand To hear what’s really being said But we keep an open heart and open hands We got a big love We got big love Father, mother Sisters and brothers One weird and beautiful family We got big love Big love My faith is in the struggle But my faith has set me free My faith is in commitment My faith is my family We got a big love We got big love Father, mother Sisters and brothers That’s my family We got big love We got big love Big love
6.
WRAP MY HEART AROUND YOU Jelly Estrada / Sydney Wilson / Jay Clementi There are feelings deep inside me I wasn't brave enough to say In your love I've found the strength To set the truth free today You were there all along the soft place to fall The writing on the wall the strength that I trust Now I’m gonna just Wrap my heart around you I'm so glad I found you You made me realize everything is gonna be alright Love till it hurts quench every thirst leap with faith land with grace That's what I'm gonna try to do Wrap my heart around you Sometimes looking back, I get stalled on the tracks From the pain of the past I can't undo I just need to Wrap my heart around you I'm so glad I found you You made me realize everything is gonna be alright Love till it hurts quench every thirst leap with faith land with grace That's what I'm gonna try to do Wrap my heart around you Wrap my heart around you I'm so glad I found you You made me realize everything is gonna be alright Love till it hurts quench every thirst leap with faith land with grace That's what I'm gonna try to do Wrap my heart around you
7.
BATTLE RAGES ON Jelly Estrada / Alexis, Emmett, and Sydney Wilson / Darden Smith / Jay Clementi I will never know what it’s like To be fired on at night Scared to the bone But ready for the fight All I can see----- Slammed door hit the floor just can’t take it anymore The battle Rages on Even at home When the bullets and the bombs and the patriotic songs are gone The battle rages on Soldiers say goodbye To their wives and kids Everybody knows It could be months before we see’em again All I see------ Slammed door thunder roars they just aren’t the same anymore We know the battle Rages on Even at home When the bullets and the bombs and the patriotic songs are gone The battle rages on Daddy listen what I say it’s all gonna be ok Daddy listen what I say it’s all gonna be ok Daddy listen what I say it’s all gonna be ok Daddy listen what I say it’s all gonna be ok We know the battle Rages on Even at home When the bullets and the bombs and the patriotic songs are gone The battle rages on
8.
Daddy's Girl 03:37
DADDY’S GIRL Kelly Lewis / Alexis Wilson / Jay Clementi I have his brown hair and his smile But I don't have his heart And thinking I would never be a Daddy's girl Has been the hardest part Just a baby taking care of babies While mom was working late like crazy Then you walked in that night with her With an open heart and gentle words That moment forever changed me And I knew Love love love Is thicker than blood Love love love Is all that matters in this world Now finally I get to be A Daddy's girl I always thought that my brother Would have to walk me down the aisle Now I know with heart and soul You'll be there tears dripping off your smile The lessons that I've learned from you are gold And the morals from the stories that you’ve told Will always be a part of me, I've waited for so long to see A loving father with a hero’s soul Now I know Love love love Is thicker than blood Love love love Is all that matters in this world And I finally get to be A Daddy's girl It ain’t about the ones that make you It's about the ones that raise you I’ve realized that in this life Love love love Is thicker than blood Love love love Is all that matters in this world Now finally I get to be A Daddy's girl
9.
Halfway Home 03:16
HALFWAY HOME Jennifer Marino / Mary Gauthier There’s pieces of me here in bed with my wife There’s pieces of me still in the sandbox tonight I can’t put them together And I’m tired of halfway home One foot in two worlds and neither one fits I shouldn’t be here, I’m torn and I’m split I left friends over there I’m tired of halfway home I won’t let it win No I won’t let it win I won’t let it win No, the darkness won’t win I won’t let it win There must be a way to come home My old friends have moved on I guess I pulled away They used to call I didn’t know what to say I just wanna go back I’m so tired of halfway home Can’t un-see what I saw can’t undo what I’ve done Don’t know who I am since I laid down my gun I’m still fighting the war I’m tired of halfway home I won’t let it win No I won’t let it win I won’t let it win No, the darkness won’t win I won’t let it win There must be a way to come home Last night I dreamed I had something to give There was a hand on my shoulder and a reason to live I woke up and remembered I’m tired of hallway home I won’t let it win No I won’t let it win I won’t let it win No, the darkness won’t win I won’t let it win There must be a way to come home I won’t let it win No I won’t let it win I won’t let it win No, the darkness won’t win I won’t let it win There must be a way to come home Brother I wanna come home I won’t let it win No I won’t let it win I won’t let it win No, the darkness won’t win I won’t let it win There must be a way to come home Brother I wanna come home
10.
OUR WHOLE FAMILY SERVES Marie Lewis / Mary Gauthier Thanksgiving, Birthdays, New Years, Christmas Hospitals, braces, 6 towns in 4 years Bone marrow, blood tests, PET scans, and discount stores My kids need their daddy, when he comes home, it’s halfway His head full of horrors and there’s nothing he can say There aren’t any words for the battles in this kind of war He serves for me I serve for him We serve for love not patriotism Puts food on our table, it’s a job, we all work Our whole family serves When he’s gone my daughter is my right hand, my main man Me and the kids alone here without him There’s nights when I go in the bathroom and lay on the floor I cry and release it, I find something deeper Come through it stronger, my man is a keeper I picture his face when I think can’t take any more He serves for me and I serve for him We serve for love not patriotism Puts food on our table, it’s a job, we all work Our whole family serves 3 years and 6 days, he counts down while we wait Like prisoners scratching off time on a cold slate With a smile on his face he holds up his head and he’s brave Silence and secrets, keep us our clearance We can’t talk to no one, we can’t talk about it I hope when we get to the end there’s something to save He serves for me and I serve for him We serve for love not patriotism It puts food on our table, it’s a job, we all work Our whole family serves
11.
VETERAN'S DISEASE Mel Lewis / Darden Smith I wake up in the morning, I look in the mirror With every passing day it gets a little clearer I got the veteran’s disease I got the veteran’s disease When I run into another man who’s seen what I’ve seen We talk and talk until our old ladies want to scream They’ve got veteran’s disease They’ve got the veteran’s disease My wife don’t think it’s true But she’s got it too It’s called the veteran’s disease Old dude at the gym, getting out of the shower Doesn’t even put a towel on, wants to talk for hours He’s got the veteran’s disease I say oh, man please I walk into a Walmart, I know without a doubt If I run into my buddy we’re never coming out We’ve got the veteran’s disease The veteran’s disease That’s just the way it goes We get high on getting low It’s the veteran’s disease It’s like some kind of radar, it’s like some kind of smell We walk into a room look around we can tell Who’s been there, and who needs To get it off of their chest Talk it out It’s the veteran’s disease Even the kids that grow up on the base They don’t know it yet but they’ve got a case Of the veteran’s disease The veteran’s disease Cause once you get around it, there’s no inoculation We just pass it down to the next generation The veteran’s disease Say it loud, the veteran’s disease Stand up and say it loud I’m a vet and I’m proud I got the veteran’s disease It’s like some kind of radar, it’s like some kind of smell We walk into a room look around we can tell Who’s been there, and who needs To get it off of their chest Talk it out It’s the veteran’s disease

credits

released November 4, 2014

Songwriters include Jay Clementi, Mary Gauthier and Darden Smith.

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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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