American Dream

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2017

Way back in 1969, I was 10 years old and working on
The story of an American boy, growing up in a small town.
The world was filled with people, who protected us from evil,
And Read us books by Dr. Seuss as the war in Vietnam raged on and on.

So we filled our station wagon up, with gas so cheap you could drive forever,
And headed out to California, we stayed in a house in Oakland,
With my crazy aunt who played guitar, We saw some hippies, and the war,
Was oh so far away from us … and the American dream. The American dream.

Then came 1973 and the boys came home,
I had a crush on that Wilson girl, she never had a clue in this world,
So I learned to play “The Needle and the Damage Done,”
To ease the pain of being young, and that was all I knew about drugs,
But I knew heartache, least I thought I did.

And as Watergate and Nixon began to disappear,
I was walking in the Land of Oz, Abandoned theme park of my youth,
It seemed a fitting elegy, and all in all it seemed to me,
That no one had much sympathy … for the American dream. The American dream.

Chorus
So dream on all you sisters and brothers
All the dreams of our fathers we all must atone
And the future is not written in stone,
So dream an American dream. Dream an American dream.

Well the 80’s came with big haired bands and Reagan built a shining city,
It was a Hollywood illusion.
And the factories closed and the wolves of Wall Street,
Gave the bankers what they needed.
Dreams are not for little people, they don’t enjoy the buying power,
Main Street fell from its ivory tower and I sang my songs,
Unaware that I was witnessing, the curtain call for the working classes,
The last hurrah … for the American dream. The American dream.

Then the fight broke out in the Middle East, and the dogs of war began to feast,
On all our insecurities, and the politicians fed us stories,
And I said to myself, this is not so good,
I still believed in right and wrong.
But the seeds of doubt were growing roots.

I don’t know when I lost my faith, I don’t recall the time of day
Along the way the black and white, began to turn to shades of gray,
With the loss of authenticity, and the anger at authority,
And the casual inhumanity, and the death of my American dream. My American Dream.

Chorus
So dream on all you sisters and brothers
For the dreams of our fathers we all must atone
And the future is not written in stone,
So dream an American dream. An American dream.

Well our mutual destruction was all but guaranteed
When we dropped that bomb on Nagasaki
Tell me now do you feel lucky, Well I don’t know, I just want to live.
Since then we’ve landed on the moon,
And put computers in our pockets
Built some even bigger rockets
But are we still the same as ever?
Dreaming of the stars but never
Reaching for each other’s hearts
And I don’t mean to preach
But I wonder if we’re ever gonna reach that far.
The American Dream. The American Dream. The American Dream.

Way back in 1969, I was 10 years old,
Working on the story of an American boy, growing up in a small town.
Growing up in a small town … growing up in a small town.

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
John Cowan – Bass, Backup Vocals – www.johncowan.com
Masako Jeffers – Fiddle & Piano
Jeff Taylor – Accordion – Jeff Taylor allmusic.com credits
Quentin Farris – Drums – https://www.facebook.com/quentinfarrispercussion
Produced by David Foster and David Barrick
Engineered & Mixed by David Barrick, Barrick Recording Studio – https://www.facebook.com/BarrickRecordingStudio
Additional Mixing by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions – www.palettemusic.net
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in Glasgow, Kentucky

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2020

Chorus
There’s a black cat outside my window
Must be some kind of an omen
A black cat, by my window
Maybe I should let him in.

You know I’m not that … superstitious
I don’t believe in such things
But he might be here to grant my wishes
Let’s see what kind of luck that he brings.

Chorus
Cause there’s a black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Could it be bad luck or good?
Black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Maybe I should knock on wood.

Hard times knocking at my door
And all that I can do is laugh
Just when I was feeling lucky
A black cat was crossing my path.

You know I’m not that … superstitious
But there’s a full moon up in the sky
And the night is getting so delicious
Halloween is coming and I’ve got to ask why.

Chorus
There’s a black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Could it be bad luck or good?
Black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Maybe I should knock on wood.

Chorus
There’s a black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Could it be bad luck or good?
Black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Maybe I should knock on wood.

Chorus
There’s a black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Could it be bad luck or good?
Black cat, (black cat) outside my window
Maybe I should knock on, maybe I should knock on wood.

Black cat, black cat, black cat, black cat
Black cat, black cat, black cat, black cat
Black cat

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Piano
Debra Lyn – Backup Vocals – – www.debralyn.com
Jake Hill – B-3, Electric Piano
Bill Transley – Trumpet
John Garr – Saxophone
Dave Allen – Bass
Drums – Webb Hendrix
Produced by David Foster, John Garr and Jake Hill Productions
Engineered by Jacob Corenflos, Stavely Andrews, John Garr and Jake Hill
Mixed by Jake Hill
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in White House, Tennessee

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2015

Woke up with a jackhammer going, pounding on my brain, pounding on my brain,
Nothing like love to make you feel that way.

Oh my aching head, I can feel every word you said
Every nerve I own has been stepped on
Oh my aching heart, where do I start?
Cause you know that feeling it ain’t gone

Woke up with a jackhammer going, pounding on my brain, pounding on my brain,
Nothing like love to make you feel that way.
Woke up with a jackhammer going, driving me insane, driving me insane,
Nothing like love to make you feel that way, feel that way.

Oh me, oh my! I wish that I could die!
When the raw emotions get too real.
Oh lordy Lou! I keep thinking about you
Wondering if you feel the way I do.

Woke up with a jackhammer going, pounding on my brain, pounding on my brain,
Nothing like love to make you feel that way.
Woke up with a jackhammer going, driving me insane, driving me insane,
Ain’t nothing like love to make you feel that way.

Jackhammer going, jackhammer going
Woke up with a jackhammer going.

Jackhammer going, jackhammer going
Woke up with a jackhammer going.

Woke up with a jackhammer going,
Jackhammer going, jackhammer going

Woke up with a jackhammer going, it was pounding on my brain, pounding on my brain,
Ain’t nothing like love, ain’t nothing like love,
Ain’t nothing like love to make you feel this way.

Credits
David Foster – Vocals
Sandra Dye – Backup Vocals
Mareika Tisdale – Backup Vocals
Jake Hill – Programming: Piano, Percussion, Horns, Synths & Backup Vocals
Russell Hulme – Guitar
Bill Transley – Trumpet
John Garr – Saxophone
Pre-production and engineering by Hank Linderman
Engineered and Produced by Jake Hill Productions
Mixed by Jake Hill
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in San Pedro, Belize and White House, Tennessee

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2015

It’s a beautiful rain, Coming down on my window pane
As I lie here safe and warm, Listening to the storm.
It’s a beautiful rain, All the world seems so wet and strange
Hoping nothing’s ever gonna change, in the beautiful rain.

Cause it’s so hard to live, it’s so hard to love someone
When the words all come out wrong
And there’s nothing left to say
So let the beautiful rain
Wash the tears right out of your head
And all the angry words we said, Wash ’em all away.

It’s a beautiful rain, coming down to ease my pain
Lying here in your open arms, and your skin is so soft and warm.
It’s a beautiful rain, Soon the sun will come out and play
And it’s gonna be a brand-new day,
Without the beautiful rain.

Cause it’s so hard to live, it’s so hard to love someone
When the words all come out wrong
And there’s nothing left to say
So let the beautiful rain
Wash the tears right out of your head
And all the angry words we said, Wash ’em all away.

So let the beautiful rain
Wash the tears right out of your head
And all the angry words we said, Wash ’em all away.
It’s a beautiful rain. It’s a beautiful rain.

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jake Hill – Programming: Piano, Drums,
Bass, Strings, B-3, Flutes, Harp, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion & Backup Vocals
John Garr – Saxophone
Michael Gregory – Guitar
Produced and Mixed by Jake Hill Productions
Engineered by Jake Hill, Stavely Andrews and John Garr
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in San Pedro, Belize and White House, Tennessee

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2020

Climb so high, Hey rattlesnake!

Hey look at that rattlesnake, ain’t he smooth?
Everyone’s afraid to move
Afraid of what we cannot see
Nothing’s what it seems to be
The future is not ours to make, the future is a rattlesnake.

Chorus
And if he moves too fast we couldn’t climb so high
Moves too fast we couldn’t climb so high
Moves too fast, we couldn’t climb so high
Climb so high, climb so high, climb so high, Hey rattlesnake!
Something’s always gonna get ya … Rattlesnake!

There’s hurricanes and fiery death
Tornados are moving in our path
Enemies as yet unseen
A deadly plague, a rogue machine
The human race must stay awake, to step across the rattlesnake.

Chorus
And if we move so fast, he couldn’t climb so high
Move so fast, he couldn’t climb so high
If we move so fast, he couldn’t climb so high
Climb so high, climb so high, climb so high, Hey rattlesnake!
Something’s always gonna get ya … Rattlesnake!
Something’s always gonna get ya … Rattlesnake!

It’s just the nature of the beast
It’s just the nature of the beast
It’s just the nature of the beast … Rattlesnake!

Is this the end of who we are?
The blazing light from an exploding star?
Or will we conquer and survive?
Will our hope remain alive?
Do we have what it will take, for us to kill the rattlesnake?

Chorus
And if we move so fast, he couldn’t climb so high
Move so fast, he couldn’t climb so high
Move so fast, he couldn’t climb so high
Climb so high, climb so high, Hey rattlesnake!
Something’s always gonna get ya … Rattlesnake!
Something’s always gonna get ya … Rattlesnake!
Something’s always gonna get ya … Rattlesnake!

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Debra Lyn – Backup Vocals – www.debralyn.com
Jake Hill – Programming: Clav, Bass, Drums, Percussion & Synths
Michael Gregory – Guitar
Produced and Mixed by Jake Hill Productions
Engineered by Jake Hill, John Garr and Stavely Andrews
Digital Editing and Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in San Pedro, Belize and White House, Tennessee

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2020

It’s three o’clock in the morning and I’m lying here awake
I swear another sleepless night could be more than I could take
I got my sleeping pill right here beside my favorite coffee cup
I use the one to take me down, the other one to wake me up … na na na Insomnia.

The newsman on the TV set, you know he fills my mind with dread
He says if I am still alive today, the day will come when I’ll be dead
I don’t know why I waste my time watching the news at six o’clock
Cause that ain’t news to me, I’ve known it since the day that I could walk … na na na Insomnia.

Chorus
Insomnia. I’m counting sheep. When will you ever let me sleep?
Insomnia. I want to know. Will you ever let me go … Insomnia.

Sometimes I wish that I could just drop out and give it all away
Leave this troubled world behind, and all the problems of the day
Find an island paradise where I can lie there in the sun
Send a postcard in a bottle and say goodbye to everyone … bye-bye-bye Insomnia.

Cause every day’s a dress rehearsal for some new anxieties
Like hurricanes or global warming or a brand-new disease
There must be something I can do to help me ease my troubled brain
But the harder that I try it’s like a runaway train … na na na Insomnia.

Chorus
Insomnia. I’m counting sheep. When will you ever let me sleep?
Insomnia. I want to know. Will you ever let me go … Insomnia.

And when the six a.m. alarm goes off and a new day must begin
That’s when you finally let me sleep, it’s time to get back up again
So I go stumbling in to work, the boss man says to me “you’re late!”
Blame it all on my old friend, Insomnia, my late-night date … na na na Insomnia.
Insomnia. Insomnia.

It’s three o’clock in the morning and I’m lying here awake
I swear another sleepless night could be more than I could take
I got my sleeping pill right here beside my favorite coffee cup
I use the one to take me down, the other one to wake me up … na na na Insomnia
Insomnia, Insomnia nanana nanana nanana Insomnia

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jake Hill – Programming: B-3, Acoustic Guitars & Percussion
Dave Allen – Bass
Webb Hendrix – Drums
J.J. Hall – Shakers and Mouth Pops
Produced by David Foster and Jake Hill Productions
Engineered by Stavely Andrews, John Garr and Jake Hill
Mixed by Jake Hill Productions
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in San Pedro, Belize and White House, Tennessee

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2016

Jenny doesn’t like to lose, when she wears her lawyer shoes
She says she doesn’t need the bottle anymore.
But Jenny cannot seem to find, any kind of peace of mind
She always wins the battles, but not the war.

Chorus
And it’s crazy how we always cling, to all the things that bring us pain
The love that leaves you emptier than you were before.
And the only thing I’ve learned from love, is that I never seem to learn,
So I go riding off to save her, once more.

In the space between our souls
There’s a deep and widening hole
That tears us with the truth behind the lies.
And now I know the borderline
Between love and hate is oh so fine
It always seems to blind us with our own eyes.

Chorus
And it’s crazy how we always cling, to all the things that bring us pain
The love that leaves you emptier than you were before.
And the only thing I’ve learned from love, is that I never seem to learn,
So, I go riding off to save her, once more.

Late at night, when I’m alone,
I close my eyes and pray
To a God I don’t believe in anymore.
But it’s all I’ve got to get me through
The darkness to the dawn
It’s the only thing that keeps me hanging on.

Chorus
And it’s crazy how we always cling, to all the things that bring us pain
The love that leaves you emptier than you were before.
And the only thing I’ve learned from love, is that I never seem to learn,

Though I never meant to harm her,
Like a knight in shining armor,
I go riding off to save her.

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
John Cowan – Backup Vocals – www.johncowan.com
Chris Carmichael – Violins, Violas, & Cellos (string arrangement) – https://www.artvilla.com/carmichael
Produced by David Foster and David Barrick
Engineered by David Barrick, Barrick Recording Studio – https://www.facebook.com/BarrickRecordingStudio
Mixed and Mastered in Dolby Atmos/Spatial Audio by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in Glasgow, Kentucky

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2018

Into each life some rain must fall they say
Why does it keep on raining day after day?
I try to smile as I pay my dues
And I’d walk a mile in anyone’s shoes
What is it gonna take, for heaven’s sake? When am I ever gonna get a break?

Into each heart some pain must come they say
Why does my heart keep breaking, day after day?
They say good things come to those who wait
So I toss my hat to the winds of fate
When are they gonna blow some luck my way? When am I ever gonna get a break?

I will stand on the shore with a silly grin, Waiting for my ship to come in
But the stars they don’t ever seem to line up for me.

Into each life some rain must fall they say
Why does it keep on raining day after day?
I stand in line at the hard knock school
And like old man Job I’m a suffering fool
I’m a patient man, but I’m tired of this long wait. When am I ever gonna get a break?

When am I ever gonna get a break?
When am I ever gonna get a break?
When am I ever gonna get a break?Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Jake Hill – Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Strings, B-3, Bass, Bells, Harp & Backup Vocals
Engineered by Jake Hill and Stavely Andrews
Produced and Mixed by Jake Hill Productions
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in San Pedro, Belize and White House, Tennessee

Words & Music: David Gilbert Foster (BMI)
©2016

There is a bond that ties us all together
It’s not blood, and it’s not faith and it’s not color
It is strong and we must not fail our brothers
We are one, in the eyes of God.

Chorus
We are one, all the saints and unbelievers
We are one, truth sayers and deceivers,
We are one, all the lovers and the haters,
In the eyes of the creator, We are one.

You can pray but you cannot change the weather
You can shake your fist at the angry sky
And you can hate every bird of a different color
But we are one, in the eyes of God.

Chorus
We are one, all the saints and unbelievers
We are one, truth sayers and deceivers,
We are one, all the lovers and the haters,
In the eyes of the creator, We are one.

We are one, and together we must stand
We are greater than the evils that fall across our land
We may bend, but we’re never gonna break
And I know for heaven’s sake, we are one.

There is love, that cannot be diminished
It lives on in the darkest of days
It plants a seed inside the hearts that are not finished
We are one, in the eyes of God.

Chorus
We are one, all the saints and unbelievers
We are one, truth sayers and deceivers,
We are one, all the lovers and the haters,
In the eyes of the creator, We are one.

We are one, yeah, Oo oo, we are one, we are one, yeah, yeah
We are one, we are one, we are one, one, one
We are one, one, one, we are one, one, we are one
We are one, we are one, we are, we are one, we are one, one.
We are one, one, we are one, we are one
We are one, we are one, we are one
We are one, we are one, Ah ah, yeah yeah yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, One.

Credits
David Foster – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Hammond B-3
John Cowan – Bass, Backup and Lead Vocals – www.johncowan.com
Sandra Dye – Backup Vocals
Mareika Tisdale – Backup Vocals
Masako Jeffers – Piano
Quentin Farris – Drums – https://www.facebook.com/quentinfarrispercussion
Produced by David Foster and David Barrick
Engineered & Mixed by David Barrick, Barrick Recording Studio – https://www.facebook.com/BarrickRecordingStudio
Mastered by Jeff Silverman, Palette Music • Studio • Productions*
*Jeff Silverman/Palette Studio is a Certified Apple Digital Masters Mastering
House, Approved by Apple, Inc. • Mount Juliet / Nashville, Tennessee
Recorded in Glasgow, Kentucky