Steve O'Connor
Roll The Dice
The Messenger
Lyrics
Roll The Dice
Roll The Dice
Standing there in front of me
She’s the girl that others want to be
It’s not the way she looks that’s troubling me now
‘Cos I’m a guy, just look at me
I only see what I want to see
Makes her move, then all of a sudden she
Looks me straight in the eyes
“It’s Saturday night”, she said, “pick a number”
She said, “be the first in line” she said
“To win this heart of mine
Because you won’t know what you’ve been missing
If you don’t draw the cards or roll the dice”
I can tell by the signs she’s giving me
She’s not the kind who goes to church on Sunday
She could take her pick from anyone
Any other than me
I believe in the faith we want to find
Comes to each and everyone of us sometime
All the way from heaven for free
Is this a dream or my lucky day?
I’ll ask her name or watch her walk away
It’s up to me to decide, I can take it or leave it
I’m not afraid but I’m a stubborn guy
When I’m alone that’s my alibi
If I’m betrayed by the fool inside of me
Heaven help this soul
It’s Saturday night so I’ll pick a number
Yes I’ll be the first in line
So let your heart be mine
Because I won’t know what I’ll be missing
If I don’t draw the cards or roll the dice
I can tell by the signs she’s giving me
She’s not the kind who goes to church on Sunday
She could take her pick from anyone
Any other than me
I believe in the faith we want to find
Comes to each and everyone of us sometime
All the way from heaven for free
Standing there in front of me
She’s the girl that others want to be
It’s not the way she looks that’s troubling me
“It’s Saturday night”, she said, “pick a number”
She said, “be the first in line”, she said
“To win this heart of mine
Because you won’t know what you’ve been missing
If you don’t draw the cards or roll the dice”
Never Alone
She’s the one who picks you up when you feel down
And you know you’ll always miss her when she’s not around
But if you see her in your dreams you’re never alone
You know that you can make her jealous or make her smile
Any you know when she needs solace, it’s just for a while
And if you see her in your dreams you’re never alone
Some learn the hard way through the pain
when their misgivings still remain
She can give you times of trouble or peace of mind
When solemn moods that dwell within her give way to the kind
But if you see her in your dreams you’re never alone
She can be your longest moment or your best friend
She can take or leave the losses but win in the end
And if you see her in your dreams you’re never alone
Some learn the hard way through the pain
when their misgivings still remain
What About Life
Like a walk in the meadow
Or your face to the wind
Like a cool drink of water
From a clear mountain spring
Like a hole in the highway
That fills in the rain
In my mind these things remain
But I can’t hold them quite the same
What about life
What about touch
If it’s a believing thing
What about us
What about time
What about cost
If it’s a forgiving thing
Then what about trust
What about trust
Like the skill of a hunter
To a cry in the dark
With the truth of an arrow
As it flies to its mark
With the grace of an eagle
That soars in the sky
While in the name of compromise
The valleys burn and the rivers run dry
What about life
What about touch
If it’s a believing thing
What about us
What about time
What about cost
If it’s a forgiving thing
Then what about trust
What about trust
What about life
So many times I’ve wondered
So many times tried not to cry
What about life
So many times I’ve squandered
What little chances passed me by
What about life
Crazy Over You
If I could show you all the reasons
For what we thought was in our souls
And why we make this complication
And how our senses lose control
But I don’t care if things turn out
The way they do
Still, I’m crazy over you
Every time I tried to tell you
It got harder to explain
And though we build this wall between us
Deep inside it feels the same
But I don’t care if things turn out
The way they do
Still, I’m crazy over you
If we could never find the answers
To what we thought we had to hide
And though we never knew the questions
Are we sure we really tried
But I don’t care if things turn out
The way they do
Still, I’m crazy over you
You Can Close Your Eyes
From each treasured memory
Or bygone that you can recall
To each anxious moment
Or circumstance you might befall
The view from the window
Is all of the comfort you need
So keep to yourself all that’s sacred and all you believe
Remember this distance between us is only time
Remember those whispers you’re hearing alone, are mine
You can close your eyes and feel
The beating of a heart that’s real
Imagine that you can hear my voice at the top of the stairs
You can close your eyes it’s true
That everything you dream of proves
That nothing ever takes the place of someone who cares
You can close your eyes
From each burning ember
That warms you when cold and alone
To each silent anguish
That haunts you or you’ve ever known
The flame from the candle
Is all of the light that you need
To ward off what shadows surround you
Until they recede
Remember that sooner or later you hopes will rise
Remember that patience rewarded will be your prize
You can close your eyes and feel
The beating of a heart that’s real
Imagine that you can hear my voice at the top of the stairs
You can close your eyes it’s true
That everything you dream of proves
That nothing ever takes the place of someone who cares
You can close your eyes
Remember this distance between us is only time
Remember those whispers you’re hearing alone, are mine
You can close your eyes and feel
The beating of a heart that’s real
Imagine that you can hear my voice at the top of the stairs
You can close your eyes it’s true
That everything you dream of proves
That nothing ever takes the place of someone who cares
You can close your eyes
No Ordinary Life
Everybody’s got a soul to keep
But there’s a fire burning
Slow and deep in me now
While the kisses upon my brow
Turn so cold
For every sinner, there’s a price to pay
So they can go on living day to day
With the crowd
Where the wretched were once so proud
And so clear
No ordinary life, no, no, no
If you lose control
Don’t bear your heart to a perfect stranger
No ordinary life, no, no, no
No long goodbye
When you’ve encountered love
Of the dangerous kind
Every victim has a tale to tell
Though only those who learn to break the spell
Will survive
While the vivid and once so bright
Grows so pale
For every pilgrim there’s a choice to make
Lead the way or follow in the wake
Of the strong
Where they patiently wait upon salvation
No ordinary life, no, no, no
If you lose control
Don’t bear your heart to a perfect stranger
No ordinary life, no, no, no
No long goodbye
When you’ve been touched by love
Of the passionate kind
No ordinary life, no, no, no
If you lose control
Don’t bear your heart to a perfect stranger
No ordinary life, no, no, no
No long goodbye
When you have tasted love of the genuine kind
Hail Caledonia
She wakes from her slumber
Majestic through spring
Till the sun warms the mountains in June
And the size of the moon
From grace into wonder
It’s pride that she weeps
When her rivers run down to the sea
And meets with the breeze
When the forests of Cromar
Grow heavy with snow
And the banks of the lochs will turn frozen
In the glens and the wilderness
Seldom man goes
There is life still for the living to see
And its hail Caledonia
Whose heart is in me
And its hail Caledonia
It’s wild and it’s free
From May through September
The life that she yields
Will be bathed by the sweet summer rain
And will always remain
And the stars shine so brightly
As darkness descends
With this shroud that will cover the land
Like a comforting hand
When the skies pale to grey
And the leaves turn to gold
And the fields and the braes will lie dormant
When the wind from the eastward
As cold as it blows
Is a sign of the changes to be
And its hail Caledonia
Whose heart is in me
And its hail Caledonia
It’s wild and it’s free
The Needs Of The Many
When the eyes of the world
Are focused on the one who’s less forgiving
Instead of those in fear of living in a troubled land
You believe what you will
No matter what your creed or your persuasion
There’ll be no celebration in our plans, yes in our plans
And as the blameless and the lone and pitiful
Toil beneath the sun
We should all share the manna that falls
And then the voices of the vain and powerful echo on and on
While the needs of the many get spurned
There’s a place in the world
For each and everyone to stand beside us
There are signs there to remind us of our fate
You can take or deny
Or listen to the ones who yearn for changes
Because the ones whose words have failed us never wait, no never wait
And as the blameless and the lone and pitiful
Toil beneath the sun
We should all share the manna that falls
And then the voices of the vain and powerful echo on and on
While the needs of the many get spurned
When precious things are taken from our grasp
Then everything that’s left us may not last
It’s only in the blame that we share
Of every wish we harbour deep inside
There’s never been a wish would not survive
With a little care and attention
And as the blameless and the lone and pitiful
Toil beneath the sun
We should all share the manna that falls
And then the voices of the vain and powerful echo on and on
While the needs of the many get spurned
The Best Thing
I can still hear your laughter alone in my room
Where the TV and papers tell of only old news
Now I sit at this table and stare at the floor
Hopin’ you’ll come back through the door
I’ve been hidin’ my feelin’s savin’ my tears
But I can’t stop runnin’ away from my fears
And I carry your picture around in my mind
How could you leave me behind
Oh you were the best thing in my life
But there were words that I could never find
To ease your troubled mind
If I could turn back the pages hold you in time
I’d be everything, you’d still be mine
Now my days are all empty, nights are so long
How could things go so wrong
I remember the places that we use to go
And all of the good times that we use to know
Are all over and gone now, it hurts me inside
Why did you run and hide
Oh you were the best thing in my life
But there were words that I could never find
To ease your troubled mind
Oh you were the best thing in my life
But there were words that I could never find
To ease your troubled mind
If God Created Angels
When All I need is love and understandin’
You say I’m everythin’ you want me to be
And I don’t need no tellin’ or remindin’
That you’re the only one friend that I’ll ever need
And I don’t know if God created angels
And I don’t know if God created
Everything we see
I only know if God created angels
It’s though he chose the best one
And saved you for me
You whisper to me softly at my shoulder
With tender words that sound so warm and sincere
That you’re there to hold onto should I falter
In yours the sweetest voice that I’ll ever hear
And I don’t know if God created angels
And I don’t know if God created
Everything we see
I only know if God created angels
It’s though he chose the best one
And saved you for me
And with each day that passes
You grow closer to my heart
Yes more than ever
When All I need is love and understandin’
You say I’m everythin’ you want me to be
And I don’t need no tellin’ or remindin’
That you’re the only one friend that I’ll ever need
And I don’t know if God created angels
And I don’t know if God created
Everything we see
I only know if God created angels
It’s though he chose the best one
And saved you for me
When I Just Wanna Be
I can take all I’m given
These unrelenting days
Acting alone and driven
By unrepenting ways
The feeling is fine
The feeling is fine
While the road may be long
That vision’s still mine
I can befriend those fallen
Those easily betrayed
When not for the first time
Honesty just got in my way
I’m thinking out loud
I’m thinking out loud
From a voice in my head
To a face in a crowd
But lone is the heart that follows
Waiting patiently
So lone is the heart that follows me
When I just wanna be
You may survive when promises
Fail to build the trust
But never deprived
When dignity hides
The things we must
It’ll drive you insane
It’ll drive you insane
Till the tears that you weep
Have extinguished that flame
But lone is the heart that follows
Waiting patiently
So lone is the heart that follows me
When I just wanna be
When only the few feel gratitude
Then only the lost find solitude
When I get the calling in me
It’s all I wanna be
I can take all I’m given
These unrelenting days
Acting alone and driven
By unrepenting ways
The feeling is fine
The feeling is fine
While the road may be long
That vision’s still mine
But lone is the heart that follows
Waiting patiently
So lone is the heart that follows me
When I just wanna be
The Messenger
Oh So Sweet
When part of me sleeps, the others are wakened
What part of me keeps, the others have taken
I’m lying in wait, ready for action
I’ve taken the bait, it’s oh so, so sweet
It’s oh so sweet
If part of me speaks, a word of confession
Then part of me seeks, a soul of discretion
I’m laughing in chains, but praying for rescue
It’s oh so sweet
Not to waste the time I’m given I count my
Blessings and failures, just to taste the vine that’s risen
Would quench this yearning and stop me turning
To anyone I meet, it’s oh so sweet
It’s harder to teach, the truth from illusion
But easy to preach, amid the confusion
It comes at a price, for services rendered
It’s better than nice, it’s oh so, so sweet
It’s oh so sweet
When part of me sleeps, the others are wakened
What part of me keeps, the others have taken
I’m lying in wait, ready for action
I’ve taken the bait, it’s oh so, so sweet
It’s oh so sweet
Not to waste the time I’m given I count my
Blessings and failures, just to taste the vine that’s risen
Would quench this yearning and stop me turning
To anyone I meet, it’s oh so sweet
Just Me (Sam's Song)
I am not a stranger, I herald each sunrise,
Steady as a mountain that sits perfectly still
If I could be a rainbow I’d colour the greyest skies
But when you look, what do you see
Don’t be fooled it’s only me, just me
Stronger than the starlight from heavenly distance shines
Softer than a rain cloud that gives gently its rain
Don’t worry of the thunder it’s only my beating heart
But when you look, who could it be
Don’t be afraid it’s only me, just me
I could be a beacon bright where darker waters flow
Or just like a dancer in the spotlight
I could be a soothing breeze where troubled winds may blow
I am not a stranger, I herald each sunrise,
Steady as a mountain that sits perfectly still
If I could be a rainbow I’d colour the greyest skies
But when you look what do you see
Don’t be fooled it’s only me, just me
Why Am I Here
I like to hear the rolling thunder
I like to see the sun go under
I go with fortune on my side
I travel far, I travel wide
You like the rain against your window
You like to sit and watch the fire glow
You always bathe at eventide
Until you rest your tired eyes
I know we’re different people
And so our worlds collide
We know each other better than ourselves
And though there’s always danger
In things we try to hide
There’s nothing gained as far as I can tell
So why, why oh why, would I turn away from you
If I’ve laid all the blame on you then why am I here
And why, why oh why, would you ever think that I
Could never look you in the eye
Say all the things you want to hear
Then why am I here
You like my touch upon your shoulder
Until the darkness passes over
Still you’re afraid that you might fall
Or nobody else will hear your call
It’s true when dreams get shattered
They don’t make a sound
You think that all that matters now has gone
And all the little pieces lay scattered all around
It’s those you need to gather one by one
So why, why oh why, would you ever think that I
Could never look you in the eye
Say all the things you want to hear
Then why am I here
Why am I here
If We Had Our Chance Again
Another winter day
Another time when nights grow cold
In skies of gold
Another year goes by
And still we ask the question why
The hours fly
An oh… where did we find the time
For what we had in mind
And oh… would we do the same
If we had our chance again
Another restless dream
You count the raindrops in the dark
You hide the scars
Another flower dies
Another season passes by
But still we try
An oh… where did we find the time
For what we had in mind
And oh… would we do the same
We gaze upon the sky
As though to wish our lives away
In some small way
Our feelings insecure
We search in vain to find a cure
For something more
Your Satin Veil
We’re in the middle of this situation
Dazed in the headlights, alone in a crowded room
Between us you and me to make this happen
We need to make that move
No need to talk about it if we’re to get there
We need to get there, to get there soon
But you in your satin veil, your satin veil
You’re all wrapped up in blue
Your satin veil, your satin veil
You’re all wrapped up in blue
You’re free to listen to your private voices
Afraid of the silence, a slave to your own perfume
Though we were never meant to make those choices
Torn by the blame consumed
No one need say they’re sorry, no reservations
No hesitations or iou’s
But you in your satin veil, your satin veil
You’re all wrapped up in blue
Your satin veil, your satin veil
You’re all wrapped up in blue
I don’t remember all the times and places
That you ever cried
I just remember holding still, until the tears had dried
I’ve not forgotten all the change of faces
The need to survive
And you can tell yourself you’ve tasted, the sweetest wine
But you in your satin veil, your satin veil
You’re all wrapped up in blue
Your satin veil, your satin veil
You’re all wrapped up in blue
You Can Be The Voice
Doomed to failure, when caught in-between
Embrace the changes, as part of the dream
For love won’t care to be your saviour anymore
Or be the prize you’re looking for
Live the future, don’t dwell on the past
And face the danger, as long as it lasts
For you won’t find someone to blame too far behind
So don’t you waste your precious time
You can be the voice
Don’t suffer all alone in silence
When you can make a choice
Both simple and free
When you can be the voice
You don’t have to stand by helplessly
Raise the hunger, don’t give up the fight
Or fear the darkness, it’s only the night
Don’t put your faith in those, the fools who masquerade
Behind the veil of the glory days
Brave the journey, its part of the plan
Forgive the heartless, as much as you can
Don’t break those promises, don’t make your own way home
Until you’ve spent some time alone
You can be the voice
Don’t suffer all alone in silence
When you can make a choice
Both simple and free
When you can be the voice
You don’t have to stand by helplessly
Doomed to failure, when caught in-between
Embrace the changes, as part of the dream
For love won’t care to be your saviour anymore
Or be the prize you’re looking for
All I'll Ever Be
When you feel down and broken
Things on your mind unspoken
I’m the one you always turn to
These arms will always hold you
These things are all I’ll ever be
This face is all you’ll ever see
And every time she thinks it’s over
Tears will fill those eyes of china blue
And I don’t care which way I’m facing
She’s all I ever need and ever knew
If I should fall or stumble
If I should fade or crumble
You alone will always find me
You strike this spark inside me
These things are all I’ll ever be
Your face is all I’ll ever see
And every time she thinks we’ve made it
Joy will fill those eyes of china blue
She don’t mind how long it’s taken
It’s all that she believes and ever knew
These things are all I’ll ever be
This face is all you’ll ever see
And every time she thinks it’s over
Tears will fill those eyes of china blue
And I don’t care which way I’m facing
She’s all I ever need and ever knew
It's Your Life
You can parlez with me
As you do walk beside me
And I could listen to you tale
But don’t you reason with me
Or try to bargain with me
I’m sorry, I’m just not for sale
The favoured don’t know how to lose
Beggars, they don’t get to choose
They only live to see the sunrise
It’s your life, you see
You don’t belong to me
Don’t lay your broken heart on me
It’s your life, your call
If you survive that fall
You’ll hear, you’ll hear it loud and clear
Don’t say “I told you so”
That you don’t mean it, no
Or dare to let it show
Behind your curtained window
Burns the candle yellow
To share the darkness you embrace
If you hide in shadows
And run from dangers you know
You’re not ready yet to face
There’s no room for sorry now
Wipe fever from your weary brow
You only long to touch what feels fine
It’s your life, you see
You don’t belong to me
Don’t lay your broken heart on me
It’s your life, your call
If you survive that fall
You’ll hear, you’ll hear it loud and clear
Don’t say “I told you so”
That you don’t mean it, no
Or dare to let it show
Here In No Time
You can be who you want to be
Raise your hands for the world to see
Or wander round with a simple point to prove
The cold and the midnight rain
And darkness takes its toll again
Still your eyes see a different kind of view
But it’s hard to settle when you’ve been peddled
What you already know
What once was cherished, but now has perished
So how do you let them go
Well, you wait and you see, when you smile
You feel the sunshine
And that hope that you need, will be here in no time
Here in no time
Be yourself from the inside out
Don’t kiss and tell what you dream about
Just make the most of the time you choose to stay
Though words are broken all the same
The loser shoulders all the blame
They can fall, not a single thing to say
But be sure to mention, that your intentions
Are pure and honest made
To learn the lesson, from your obsession
That only in time will fade
Well, you wait and you see, when you smile
You feel the sunshine
And that hope that you need, will be here in no time
Here in no time
But it’s hard to settle when you’ve been peddled
What you already know
What once was cherished, but now has perished
So how do you let them go
Well, you wait and you see when you smile
You feel the sunshine
And that hope that you need, will be here in no time
Here in no time
The Messenger
Failure to listen, afraid what people say
A voice in the shadows may scare your heart away
If these things have ever touched you
Unsure of everything you’re told
As the pages yellow, the stories mellow
Still pretenders gather to take what carries your name
If you get used, don’t blame me, I’m only the messenger
You’re just like an open book
Be proud of the way you look
The hands you shook
And each and every step you took
And so, remember
It’s your mind to change, it’s your mind to change
I’m only the messenger
Torn by the choices of soft or solid ground
Talk from a distance may turn your head around
Don’t sell yourself for glory
Or dare to sacrifice your dreams
Keep your eyes wide open, don’t hide from what you see
Until the truth comes calling to tear those barricades down
If it’s bad news, don’t blame me, I’m only the messenger
You’re just like an open book
Be proud of the way you look
The hands you shook
And each and every step you took
And so, remember
It’s your mind to change, it’s your mind to change
I’m only the messenger
It's You
It’s you, puts the light in my life
It’s you, puts the light in my life
It might look different through another’s eyes
Who’s to sacrifice or compromise
You make it simple, you say it clear
You let me hear the things that I want to hear, every day
It’s you, puts the light in my life
It’s you, puts the light in my life
We could be listening to the radio
Some songs they’re playing always seem to know
What lies before us, what’s in between
Imagine places that we’ve never been
It’s you, puts the light in my life
It’s you, puts the light in my life
The light is fading now the sun is low
That quarter moon’s on the rise
Shadow flicker in the candle glow
So we won’t be afraid of the night
It’s you, puts the light in my life
It’s you, puts the light in my life
Each time this weakness in me come and goes
That sweet forgiveness in you really shows
You gave a promise, you see it through
The only thing I’m sure of is loving you
It’s you, puts the light in my life
It’s you, puts the light in my life
Oceans Unknown
I can still see a flicker, maybe
Of a flame that’s been dyin’ lately
Or the sound of a whisper faintly
Sayin’ turn out the lights
Or leave a note on the door
‘Cos it doesn’t really mean
That much anymore
Are the chances you go on takin’
Worth the heart of another breakin’
Or the choices you plan on makin’
Mean you’ve made up your mind
And maybe proud of yourself
Of just getting confused
With somebody else
This ship sets sailin’
For oceans unknown
In hopes each course we take
Will carry us home
Don’t let’s talk about it
It’s best some things we never know
I can still see a flicker, maybe
Of a flame that’s been dyin’ lately
Or the sound of a whisper faintly
Sayin’ turn out the lights
Or leave a note on the door
‘Cos it doesn’t really mean
That much anymore
The more I think about it
To get my conscience clear
The less I know
But in the cold of the morning
And through your own desires
Would your true colours start to show