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SW​​​:​​​S Retreat May 2018

by SongwritingWith:Soldiers

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    Our retreats pair professional songwriters with veterans, military families and couples, and active-duty service members to write songs about their military experiences and returning home.

    The following veterans participated in the May 2018 retreat: Lynda Brown, Jay Glaspy, MatH, Holly Slaughter, Carrie Ruth Sutton, Joy Selak.

    These songs are their stories from this retreat. These songs 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.
COFFEE AND GREEK OLIVES Group / Jay Clementi I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee Til I get some Nothing gets done It’s a just a bad day I need coffee coffee In the morning to get me through to lunch Greek olives yeah, I love 'em a bunch I’m just the kind that needs to munch But you know, but you know, You know I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee Til I get some Nothing gets done It’s just a bad day I need coffee coffee Black rifle fresh brood freedom strong, if it ain't black then it’s all wrong Well lifer juice is my jam now it’s my song I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee Til I get some Nothing gets done It’s just a bad day I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee Til I get some Nothing gets done It’s just a bad day I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee I need coffee coffee Til I get some Nothing gets done It’s just a bad day I need coffee coffee © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Sony ATV Cross Keys (ASCAP)
2.
CAN’T HELP BUT LOVE Holly Slaughter / James House Daddy always suffered in a bitter silence I started to notice when I was ten years old Outside the house a beloved leader But he hit the bottle when he came home Did his best to put up facade But the smoke came leaking out the windows You can’t hold back who you are Sooner or later everybody knows Some people live Some people cry Some people are just waiting waiting to die Some people give a little too much Some people can’t help, can’t help but love Mama held everything together She was my shelter from the storm Always there to pick up the pieces When my world got shattered and torn One day she said she had to leave You can either stay or come with me I didn’t go and I didn’t stay I packed up and went my own way Some people live Some people cry Some people are just waiting waiting to die Some people give a little too much Some people can’t help, can’t help but love Spend our lives shedding baggage Weighs us down don’t let us fly If you find love’s forgiveness You will know the reason why Some people live Some people cry Some people are just waiting, waiting to die Some people give a little too much Some people can’t help can’t help but love © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / James Andrew House Music (BMI)
3.
JUST A TEDDY BEAR Carrie Ruth Sutton / Georgia Middleman When Bug was just a baby I had to go away So I bought her a little teddy bear That she could hug each day I’d hoped that it would help her All the times she felt alone A way that she’d remember me ‘til I was finally home Each deployment after I’d buy her a brand-new bear something to hold onto When mama can’t be there Her eyes would swell with tears But I’d tell her to hold him close That I’d filled him up with hugs For when she missed me the most When will a teddy bear Be just a teddy bear And not a long goodbye When will he ever bring a smile to her face And not make my baby cry There will come a day When mama won’t go away And it’ll just be my angel and I When a teddy bear is just a teddy bear And not a long goodbye One day when I was shopping I saw a little bear It made me think of Jennifer so I bought it then and there I thought she’d be excited With such a precious little toy But when I gave it to her What left her eyes was ….joy When will a teddy bear Be just a teddy bear And not a long goodbye Will he ever bring a smile to her face And not make my baby cry There will come a day When mama won’t go away And it’ll just be my angel and I When a teddy bear is just a teddy bear And not a long goodbye Mama, please don’t go Please mama, just quit I don’t need an allowance So don’t say that money’s it I can build a lemonade stand To help you pay the bills So, Mama, stay forever Promise me you will When will a teddy bear Be just a teddy bear And not a long goodbye When will he ever bring a smile to her face And not make my baby cry There will come a day When mama won’t go away And it’ll just be my angel and I When a teddy bear is just a teddy bear And it’ll just be my angel and I When a teddy bear is just a teddy bear And not a long goodbye © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Middle Girl Music (ASCAP)
4.
FULL MOON 03:04
FULL MOON Jay Glaspy / James House Three weeks when the moon goes down We will be crossing the border Doing work in a strange town Kick a hornet's nest Check your kit three times till nothing's out of order Gonna get it on Better get some rest Well it’s a long walk back in a full moon A lot of time to worry bout my wife and kids Long walk back in a full moon Don’t want to think about what we did Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders Put a lot of good friends of mine in the ground This kind of life ain’t for everyone Listen to me son better turn around ‘Cause it’s a long walk back in a full moon Lot of time to worry bout my wife and kids Long walk back in a full moon Don’t want to think about what we did Give me something Numb this pain You can’t hide That zombie haze And it’s a long walk back in a full moon A lot of time to worry bout my wife and kids It’s a long walk back in a full moon Don’t want to think about what I did © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / James Andrew House Music (BMI)
5.
NEVER FORGET 03:05
NEVER FORGET MatH / Jay Clementi I got a grey duct tape photo album Held together by a binder ring It’s in my pocket like a wallet To remind me How grateful I am for the heroes in those uniforms They were rangers and my brothers always charging towards the storm I’ll never forget I’ll never forget Their faces or their names And I’ll never let, and I’ll never let Their honor and memory fade The freedom they made for me Depth of their bravery Example that they set I’ll never forget I’ll never forget I’ll never forget I know I’m lucky that my family still has me I’ve dogged some bullets and even danced with an IED The bad guys in that card deck you know I don’t recall But it’s a different story with the guys that got 'em all I’ll never forget I’ll never forget Their faces or their names And I’ll never let, and I’ll never let Their honor and memory fade The freedom they made for me Depth of their bravery Example that they set I’ll never forget never forget never forget I stand and I fight and I sing and I write for the ones that are living on I think of the families of the ones that didn’t make it home And I’ll never forget I’ll never forget Their faces or their names And I’ll never let, and I’ll never let Their honor and memory fade The freedom they made for me Depth of their bravery Example that they set I’ll never forget never forget never forget I’ll never forget never forget never forget I’ll never forget © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Sony ATV Cross Keys (ASCAP)
6.
YOU DON’T LOOK SICK Joy Selak / Georgia Middleman I passed a woman on the street With a brace on her arm She didn’t have to explain I knew that she’d been harmed And it got me to thinking What would my life be If I could have a brace Wrapped all over me But that will never be the way that I appear And it wears on me when I have to hear You don’t look sick So you must not be I think you’re lying You don’t look so bad to me I wanna tell you how I’m hurting And I’m broken But It’s hard When you don’t look sick No one sees who you really are I’ll go out to a party Dance and stay up late Have everybody laughing Then I’m in bed for three days straight On that one night I forget Just how painful life can be But don’t let that be the ruler By which you measure me Cause that’s not fair it’s only one good day Do you know how much it hurts me every time I hear you say You don’t look sick So you must not be I think you’re lying You don’t look so bad to me I wanna tell you how I’m hurting And I’m broken But It’s hard You don’t look sick No one sees who you really are My illness isn’t who I am or who I’ve been Or who I’m gonna be If I don’t look sick Then that must mean there’s nothing wrong with me © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Middle Girl Music (ASCAP)
7.
GRATEFUL 02:54
GRATEFUL Lynda Brown / Jay Clementi I’ve been betrayed a hundred ways, cried a thousand tears Watched my sweet humble momma, get abused for years I wish my Dad, was a Dad but no he chose liquor You might think, you might think that I’d be sad and bitter but I’m Grateful For my family and my God that’s Faithful For all the paths I’ve been on, The right ones and the wrong The calm storms and the strong They brought me here to where I’m able to Be grateful My strength and my weakness is compassion in my heart Brought me joy, peace and friends but ripped my world apart I gave the best of me, best of me in work and in love I gave all of me, all of me and guess I gave too much but I’m Grateful For my family and my God that’s Faithful For all the paths that I’ve been on The right ones and the wrong The short ones and the long They brought me here to where I’m able to Be grateful But I won’t let the past define me But I’ll let it remind me Of the legacy I’ves left behind me And I’m Grateful For my family and my god that’s Faithful For all the paths I’ve been on, The right ones and the wrong Singing my own song They brought me here to where I’m able to Be grateful, grateful, grateful © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Sony ATV Cross Keys (ASCAP)
8.
MOVING ON 02:30
MOVING ON Lynda Brown / MatH / Carrie Ruth Suttton / Jay Glaspy / Joy Selak / Holly Slaughter / Jay Clementi / James House / Georgia Middleman I’ll take the lessons; I’ll keep my boots I’ll leave the hurt behind I’ll keep the photos, I’ll leave the movies That keep running wild in my mind And I’m Moving On Getting stronger every step I take I’m Moving on Learning from my mistake As I travel, past the road signs Laughing as I cry I’m torn between, the death of a dream And the real me locked inside And I’m Moving On Getting stronger every step I take I’m Moving on Now I bend where I used to break When you're in it, it’s black and white But you find out it’s really grey Now I walk on the grass, rock that freedom beard And I don’t give damn what they say ‘Cause I’m Moving On Getting stronger every step I take I’m Moving on All my senses are wide awake I’m Moving On Getting stronger every step I take I’m Moving on Learning from my mistakes © 2018 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Music (ASCAP) / Sony ATV Cross Keys (ASCAP) / James Andrew House Music (BMI) / Middle Girl Music (ASCAP)

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released June 7, 2018

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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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