In the Meantime
(released as a single)

I shook my head and said yes that's what I would do
When you asked me to be patient and see this thing through
You did not yet feel you could let our real lovin' life begin
So in the meantime could we just be lovin' friends

Oh ya I'm fine but in my mind there's a slowly turning screw
Is your other one a lover or is he just friends too
An' though I'll likely fend off these demon thoughts 'n maybe win you in the end
In the meantime the passin' days might just do me in

In the meantime what's my heart to do
In this lean time while I wait for you
The one truth my heart and I now clearly see
Is just how mean time can be

How the twisted twine of our lifetime binds our unfolding fate
And what might have been lies tangled in what is.....an' so I wait
While tomorrow holds sweet promises, it just don't seem to care
And in the meantime today gives its cold, blank stare

Riely O'Connor © 2007. BMI All Rights Reserved.

Not This Deep
(from A Dream or Two)

Oh my broken heart is like an open wound
I'm a goner sure if it don't heal soon
This forsaken bed gives no hope of sleep
I've been cut before but not this deep
Oh, not this deep, Oh, not this deep

My burnin' mind played that trick again
Said that you and I could go on as friends
First I find a way then it seems all wrong
I've been alone before but not this long
Oh, not this long, Oh, not this long

My soul looks out on a cold gray dawn
The mornin's here but your love's still gone
How I face these days I don't quite know
I've been down before but not this low
Oh, not this low, Oh, not this low

Riely O'Connor © 2006. BMI All Rights Reserved.

What Went Wrong
(from Workin' On a Memory)

Did you ever ask as you looked around
Did you ever ask when you saw what was a'goin' down
Well we walked in the sun through a garden of promise
Lies and pride now they rain down on us
Ohhhh mama, what went wrong

Did you ever think it could happen to us
Did you ever think that the precious cup would pit with rust
Our trampled pledge lies on the floor
We settle for less as we're grabbin' for more
Ohhhh mama, what went wrong

Well the nectar flows form the blossom's lip
An' a great tree grows, with its branches unfurled like a sailin' ship
I'm a simple man, an' I lost my way
I lean to the rocks, I hear them prayin'
Ohhhh mama, what went wrong

An' there's a bad wind a'blowin' from the edge of hell
An' there's no way a'knowin' if what they've done is what they tell
Oh lady fair give it one more try
Bring back your heart and your lovin' eyes
Ohhhh mama, what went wrong

And Ohhhh mama, what went wrong
And Ohhhh mama, what went wrong
And Ohhhh mama, what went wrong

Riely O'Connor © 2004. BMI All Rights Reserved.

Malcolm & Rosa
(from Workin' On a Memory)

Well he walked into the station with so little apprehension
And he crossed the crowded platform, the crowd stood at attention
and the calm conductor just called out 'all aboard'

Well he glided down the aisle like a loose and lanky cheetah
And he took a seat across a' from a solo senorita
She said "Hey mister, it looks like you missed your plane"

Well in fact I like the feelin' of the rails b'neath the wheels
An' the observation car with the scenery for a ceilin'
My name's Malcolm, may I ask your name?

Well he never made a ripple back at Lakewater High
He never caught a break, much less a cute girl's eye
He's a late bloomer, makin' up for lost time

He English majored back at Southern Cal, it made him antsy
It was 5 card stud that paid his way an' caught his fancy
Now the West is big, but it's a small world for his kind

He's got a face like Teddy Ruckspin, he's got a tux made out of buckskin

Well the lady that he's charmin' ain't no grist for his mill
Her resume includes the days she wore a badge and pistol
But lately she's a buyer for a retail chain
A while back she took a pack an' walked across the state and back
An' then she ran the ranch a' when her papa had a heart attack
Her name is Rosa, on business she's travelin' alone
A container load a' goods awaits her out on the coast
That garment maker's rep won't know his net from his gross
And if there's time she'll rent a car and drive by home

Her eyes hint at events in which he'd like to partake, all the while her smile makes his heart ache

Well ya never saw a pair hit it off so fine
The train his the flats, they headed for the diner
There was moon on the desert, maybe some plans to be made
On second thought he said let's make it love at first sight
She reached across the tablecloth and squeezed his hand tight
It was as good as a handshake, sweet as the kiss of Spring
Well it's difficult 'n dangerous, exceptionally tough when
A gambler meets a dealer who might not be bluffin'
It's Malcolm & Rosa roarin' west with a full head of steam

I never said the game of love is perfect, sometimes you play it sometimes you work it

It's Malcolm & Rosa roarin' west with a full head of sssteam


Riely O'Connor © 2004. BMI All Rights Reserved.

Can't Say Why
(released as a single)

Made you a promise, you made me cry
I said forever, you said goodbye

Voice inside can say what happened
But it just can't say why, can't say why

It's the same old story, told a thousand times
He said I love you and she said what she feels just rhymes with love

Caught him up short, whipped him around
Left holdin' the ladder as their love came crashin' down

Voice inside can say what happened
But it just can't say why, can't say why

I'll spare ya the tension, I won't make the call
What that voice inside couldn't say, well that says it all

Truth is now I hardly miss you
And that same voice still can't say why
can't say why
can't say why

Riely O'Connor & Kevin O'Connor © 2005. BMI All Rights Reserved.