We were prompted to write a song that include two actual street names.
I had been thinking about the little Texas town where I grew up. And at the time I had written several songs that seemed to be themed around the proverb of the Prodigal Son - I wasn’t really doing that on purpose, they just kept turning out that way. Probably some subconscious brain stuff due to packing up and moving abroad. Or more likely it was God stuff. Ya know what I mean?
So, all of that led me to this memory of the time 3 guys tried to jump me in a shady part of town. I was prolly 16 or 17 at the time.
I had gotten a call from a friend that I knew had been hanging with said shady types. She was in trouble and needed a ride. So I told her I’d pick her up.
The minute I jumped in the car I had a feeling that something was hinky about the whole thing. Couldn’t shake it. But couldn’t leave her hanging. So I went. With my guard way up.
All I can really say is that, it felt like God was warning me to keep my back to the wall and be aware of the exits. Heh.
Got to the place and of course the friend was nowhere to be found, but these 3 punks oozed out of the shadows.
One was a childhood friend who had taken a dislike to me at some point. Who could say why? I’m certainly a charming fella. The other two were your standards high school misfits. Prolly guys I would have been friends with if the other dude wasn’t part of the equation.
Now, because I had felt that spidey-sense thing, and because I’m smart enough to know that I’m no Chuck Norris, I managed to...extricate myself from the situation.
But man, I learned a lot from the whole ordeal! The experience really stuck with me and served to prepare me for so many other moments in life when that unseen friend would somehow speak into my guts to warn me of some dumb thing I was about to do or encourage me to be on the look out for some upcoming opportunity. So yeah, I hear voices, I guess.
Musically, this guitar riff has been under my fingers for YEARS!! I tried 4 or 5 other times to write lyrics for it but they never seemed to mesh. I think I’m pretty happy with this a start...I’ve got several additional lyrical ideas that I’d like to play with - could help the tune from a storytelling perspective (I’ve left them in the lower portion of the song lyrics, if you’d like to peruse and make suggestions;).
Hope you dig the tune. Feedback is always welcome!

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Lyrics:
“At the corner of Brazos st
dead end at prairie Lea
That’s where trouble came and found me

Came at me from the shadows
One old friend, the others unknown
Felt the warning from somewhere down deep

I never shoulda been there
Knew the odds but didn’t care
Rolled the dice and they fell fair, but not for me.

My defenses can’t relieve me
From Consequences, regrets, and beatings
In the shadows tryna fight the demons
Don’t make no difference that I had my reasons
Situation’s goin south and it’s on me

Blood and sweat muddy the ground
Had me outnumbered takin me down
Knew I never shoulda come around near that street

Couldn’t make out what he said
Maybe a threat of life or death
Made my peace and gathered a breath to go out clean

(*Just when I knew it would all be over
A felt a hand upon my shoulder
An unseen friend came and...

Seen him again once or twice
When a shadow’s falling on my life
Feel that presence at my side...to save me(fighting, protecting, carry me*)

But sometimes you can’t see
The other side before you take the leap
My excuse not enough to keep from falling
The fall from happening (beat*)”