Let It Ride

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
Let it Ride! The who, what, where, whys and when. Lead me to the start of this, when did it begin to become a problem of my own doing? I'd be pursuing, right now my life could use some truing. I never thought myself in the position, wishing still, but I kept on dissing. You got your problems, I've got mine, but I'm here for the long. Here before you and God, I was wrong. No! I can only let this go on for so long! Must admit the fact that I was wrong. Wrong! Separate! ... yourself from that which would allow you to sink. In order for this to happen, you must think. What's the cost of self isolation? Alone without hope and lack of motivation. Left alone to deal with your feelings. True! You could not like what they're revealing. Careful! What you wish, you might get. All of this could end up in regret! No! I can only let this go on for so long! Must admit the fact that I was wrong. Wrong!

Endurance

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
Now! Everything in which you struggle and strive to be only proves that you are something that you cannot be. See! You're bringing me down with false words profound, making me pray for silence, the only golden sound. See! Why must I be required to suffer for art when it's something you exclude from the very start? See! You're putting me under a microscope. How will I cope when I know that there is no room to hope? And you're allowing me access to your family and slamming me, say this will be the fall of me. When! ... did you forget that freedom of speech is something I would protect, denying my fruits are in check? When! ... the words of the brethren, 'cause time and time again I see it put back together again. When! I had to come to terms that wherever you turn, some are quick to love and some would rather see you burn. This is my test of time! Endurance! Struggle is something that I'm used to, been abused too, and it's something that I know to be too true. Now! And I remain the one to deal with false recognition, wishing still while you're dismissing. Now! ... that I agree and you agree that we can never agree, and still you turn and run and I will see. Now! ... that this is all that you have for your case, you turn in disgrace. Say it too my face! This is my test of time! Endurance!

Never Fails

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
Something that hides. Something that lies. It never fails. Yo, pickin' 'em up, what? It seems you have a problem, that with what you cannot hold. But take a second look at what the past foretold. That should you not study, you'd be forced to relive it. You either can repeat it, hide or forget it. And still they let it linger unless you take the bull by the horns, and in the end it will be your end I will mourn. Far be it for me to be the one to point the finger. Apologies unheard from the phone without a ringer, come on! You said you'd be there when you didn't even give a care. It just never fails. Superficial in your attempt when I sent up flares. It just never fails. Does it bother you to see me falling from grace? It just never fails. Well, shame on me for not seeing that you're two faced. It just never fails. Swinging it back and bring it around, but you say that it never fails. Lyrical style that I manifest well. Still I will prevail. Very well as I can do it, I pursue it, bring it 'round. Word profound my sound be down, we bring it around. Still you want to put me down, kick me down, and kicking me to the ground. I wanna get back up. Smack up and then right away, lyrical style will I manifest, then comin' in back the next day. Because of them the likes of you would be something I'd rather be. Manifest inside of me, what you wanna be, you see?

Sunshine(I Promise You)

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
From first grade through twelfth grade and graduation day, I told you I'd be there for you and would never stray. Easy cause you're the girl next door to me. Through good times, bad times, victory and tragedy, we stood the test of time, but now I see a falling out. And though you're still next door to me, our friendship's in doubt. You were my first friend, my first love, I thought you'd be my all. But relationships dissolve when new friends are involved. I see you're not the same girl you were back then. Please tell me, when did I lose you as my friend? I'd give of myself to get you back in my life, but this darkness in daylight only adds strife. Why can't you take this hand that I'll extend? It beckons you to become my friend again. It's so hard for me to see you push away my hand. Treating me as less, when I only do the best I can to give you your space, and let you grow until you bloom. In eagerness I digress and hope that one day soon, you and I will regain the bond that we once shared. Think not for one minute that I will never care. But how tragic it is to think that this could come to an end. I wish and pray the grace upon you my old friend. I promise you that we can work this out!

Incline

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
The goal here is just to stay afloat. And as we bond we increase hope and we cope. And our stride quickens and we can cover more ground. The once still voice becomes a roaring sound. And in unity all good things are made better. We could survive the most brutal weather. But only if together we can live through this all. Still united we stand, divided we fall. Separation that you don't understand. You point your finger again and again and again. Persecution that you don't understand. You point your finger again and again and again. Passion! Point your finger again and again and again. And you'll do it to us again and again and again. With education we contain we continue to realize, respect can be gained the less that we compromise. In higher learning we become more sensitive. During this time we can learn to forgive again. The crumb snatchers and the wrecking balls would rather build them up than resolve to let 'em fall. And for them that never want to even understand, let your yeas be yeas and nays be nays. Come on and be a man. Speak your doom again and again. Tear us down again and again. But we will rise again and again!

Big Casino

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
Now's the time to rise, rise, rise! 10:45 and you take your spot in the pew, oblivious to the fact that all eyes are on you. For an injustice that you covered up for pride, hoping that no one knows that to them you lied. But frivolous are the ways of selfish nature, to bear the thought of them knowing they'd hate ya. Still right now, how bad do you hate yourself? When three can be family, one dead and one no help. How can it be, when two become three in a family, that a family could be the cause of a modern day casualty? Nerve, nerve, nerve! The biased interjections of a clan that damns all the downfalls of the common man. And why must the ignorant lay dead to blame? You hold your head high while one's down in shame. And what part of the plea will fall on deaf ears? Dare to be judged by a jury of your own peers? I thought that ended when everyone got a voice. Freedom of speech is freedom of choice. How can this be real? What are you standing there for? Come on and feel what's right! Look into my eyes! How can this be real?

Represent

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
The sun's amber light ignites the day anew, as a child sits and wonders what to do. You see, the world is changing outside, but his home stands still. And with this mindset in place, each day becomes a thrill. Mom and Dad's time would revolutionize history, making this mindset more of a mystery. And now their teachings and their actions define behavior, discounting every single person that has labored. Every morning he faces the forces that make him try, knowing the silence and force only hide the lies. 'Cause he is one of the chosen, child of the master race, and must live life at the family's own pace. And now he stands alone at recess, and prays that God will define the lines and leave the lesser man in pieces. We ask why does this social structure sag? They say pledge American, but worship the rebel flag. Let it burn down, let it burn down to the ground. It doesn't represent me! "If I leave here tomorrow ..." Sweet not sour, spiteful thoughts of you devour. Until the moment of confrontation, in hopes of alleviation, a child's demonstration of open segregation. Although you like to think this taboo, this as any other teaching remains true. And to some it's absolutely relevant, that time is spent teaching the next generation the rebel flag is heaven sent. And with this comes a certain loyalty. And the hierarchy of demise, like Hitler becomes royalty. Looked up to as a hero for all times, breeding the ignorance with the lack of line to define what is real, true and right, blurring the lines of progress when 20/20's hindsight. The flag is a visual for them that revel in false might, with crosses set on the lawn just to ignite. No! It doesn't represent me. It doesn't.

Relocate

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
You've built me up to be something that I'm not, and right now, I think I'll take this shot. There's no pulpit, microphone, or soapbox that can release me from all of these locks. Because you scrutinize, you need to realize, and stop looking at me through judgmental eyes. I stand here a solitary man, doing the very best that I can. When I struggle just to stand, you shove me back to the floor, leaving me with this question, can you take this one day more? Ya better relocate. C'mon and relocate. Relocate! When we fall how many times magnified? You see my life, the assumptions that died. We've all tried to pick ourselves back up, but this slump it remains on you chump. When I struggle just to stand, you shove me back to the floor, leaving me with this question, can I take this one day more? Don't you front on me kid!

Adieu

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
As time goes by, I feel there is a marathon to run. The same I felt about you and all we've done. The good times brought us together; God's glue. I'd never trade them for the world, I swear this to you. My fondest dreams and hopes real, validated. But the past bared the trials, sealed and bond related. All gone wrong, never thought the best times in my life would be the hardest lesson taught. Say it's not true, one day this will fade away. Let my blood be ante, if only for one more day. I might regain the thing that brought me jubilation. Now gone, without explanation. Reflection in time of failure. Reflection in victory. And now I bid you adieu; a fond farewell to you from me. A reflection, another reflection, a third reflection. Maybe it's my own fault I stand upon this path. I stand here again amongst the aftermath of relationships that slipped through my fingers. Like the Cranberries said, do you have to let it linger? Or should I regain the calluses of troubled past? Perhaps this one's golden, the one that will outlast. I know this act: scene four, the big fall. Must I allow myself the space, the time and all? Reflect for a sec. Now we don't relate. We can overlook this mountain oh so great. For it has it peaks, and we've come to ours as well. We'll all lay dormant knowing that we all failed. Now we can no longer look to time for independence. This moment in time we bring the need for resilience. To never let go for the sake of struggle. Better to let go than watch it all crumble. All of this time I've tried to hold us together, now that I feel this would be much better. Sorry and apologies for how this ended, the tragedy of losing someone I befriended.

Wrecking Ball

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
As many times before, I am in a holding pattern. Reducers sit back and wait for their chance to flatten my ego, life, and testimony. They're rolling phony. Telling me I have lack of faith; they're full of bologna. They don't show me that they could do any better than I could do. Remember me from Flipside? Because I remember you. But all's fair in love and war. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. It's yourself you're bluffing. Every time I push back to stand up tall, you do me wrong, which makes you the wrecking ball. And every time reduce me to nothing at all, I realize that you are the wrecking ball. Too many times before my friends have been the wrecking ball. They say that they support me when they tried to make me fall. Reducing me to tears of anger while they hide in coffee shops. But guidelines of the world cannot stop what God must stop. To put an end to the madness, stop the hypocrisy. A praying wall of fiberglass that cheapens God's beauty. Good thing they have me to put their focus upon, 'cause if they look in the mirror, the wrecking ball is wrong. Wrecking Balls of the world, unite and take over!

Time To Change

Lyrics by Tedd Cookerly
We inherit the world when it's kicked down wheezing and begins to bleed. I wanna drown my brain 'til it's saturated with the irony. What to do now? I'm inundated. Freedom of choice is overrated. Every kid finds that he's subjugated to the apathy. All the youth want is just to change the world. Change the world! And the older, the more we try to change the youth, and that's the news, yeah! Change the world! And what you call reckless abandon, I call abandonment of the youth, now where's the proof? I guess that's in the pudding. I've got you jumping up and down like your name was Cuba Gooding Jr. at the Oscars, wild in the streets, running, looking to your youth, and you start shunning. Remember back in the days, chill in the hood, passing out tracts, talking about the news was good. Nowadays that can't happen without the danger. You're looking to the youth, to the fact they're no stranger. Your job's uplifting, help them all cope. Through times of social trials, help generate hope. Times of the socialist reign the soul. Everything now to offer all control. It wasn't handed down but borrowed from the children. Ignite the torch and not offer damp kindling. Our youth are molotav cocktails ready to ignite. When will we define for ourselves what's wrong and what's right? Then set forth the hounds to track down this present evil? But for my generation there can be no sequel. End times await to shatter dreams and bite at heels. Only love and its wounds can hope truly reveal. This is our time, this is our necessity; to fight against all types of social conformity. I've embraced the failure, I've accepted the truth. And now I must praise, respect, pray, and educate the youth!