One of These Mornings (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

One of these mornings, gonna make a fresh start

Live less in my head, more from the heart

A new direction, my path will be clear

Focus on the good, not worry and fear

Chorus:

One of these mornings, I won’t need a defense

It’ll be all right, it’ll all make sense

And I’ll be free, I’ll be at peace

When guilt’s forgiven and fear’s released

I won’t remember all the pain that I’ve felt

Troubles I’ve known, hands I was dealt

I’ll let ‘em all go, stop struggling so hard

Those grudges I held, I’ll simply discard

Chorus

And on that morning, I’ll know we’re all one

And everything holy—earth, heaven and sun

And all creation, what was and will be

Lives on within us for eternity

Chorus

'til September (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

Across the street from the ocean there's a neon sign

That starts to glow at the end of May

That's when I know it's time to vanish from this town of mine

Come back again after Labor Day

I can feel the city melting underneath my feet

I find relief inside a music store

So many instruments to choose from, so much time to keep

And my song won't be denied anymore

Chorus:

Gonna keep myself busy ’til September

I just might learn to play the violin

Maybe by then, I'll understand harmony

Maybe by then, I'll understand love

For the fiddle and the bow to make the sweetest sound

Look for the invisible string

Truth is found right there in the middle ground

Beauty lies in every living thing

Chorus

Bridge:

After all this time the sun never says, "you owe me"

And the earth never wonders why

Look what happens with a love like that

Love like that lights the whole sky

When the autumn waves dance across that empty beach

I'll return to keep you company

With some lessons yet to learn and maybe some to teach

Love will light the way for you and me

Chorus

Mercury (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

Chorus:

Love is like mercury in your hand

Heeds a call, not a command

Cradle it gently, love will stay

Hold it tight and it slips away

Hold it too tight and it just slips away

We split up into partners back in science class

Dissecting frogs, analyzing gas

Now love keeps poking like tweezers and a knife

Learning lessons in the science lab of life

Learning lessons in the science lab of life

Chorus

The properties of love cause a chemical reaction

If the formula’s right—magnetic attraction

The chemistry of love needs acid and a base

But hurts like hell when it blows up in your face

Hurts like hell when it blows up in your face

Chorus

Trial and error, love’s rhythm and rhyme

If we learn from our mistakes, we’ll get it right next time

Every experiment teaches something new

But don’t forget the goggles and the rubber gloves too

Don’t forget the goggles and the rubber gloves too

Chorus

The Six Million Dollar Man (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

We were born in August, seven hundred twenty-seven days apart

You won the science fair, I lost myself inside the world of art

Captain Kirk and comic books, Cap'n Crunch and Michaelangelo

We had a black and white TV in the rented house on Pink Hill Road

An apple and a sandwich and a thermos full of soup out of a can

Mommy packed your lunch inside the Six Million Dollar Man

Steve Austin, former astronaut, walked you down the long driveway

His superhuman powers were the envy of the boys in every grade

Chorus:

And at record-breaking speed

You turned the corner and ran away from me

Seems the last thing that you need

Is an ordinary sister in a portrait of an average family

Opposites are opposites, there is no need to blame or make amends

Half the world is filled with brothers and I’ve found a few disguised as friends

But they don’t have our mother’s eyes, and they don’t have our father’s nose

And they don’t have our memories of that rented house on Pink Hill Road

Chorus

Wish I had a telescope, wish I had a bionic eye

Then I could see across the miles, past every satellite and spaceship in the sky

I could see right through the leaves of that magnolia tree in your back yard

And I might see if there’s a place for me somewhere deep inside your heart

Chorus

We were born in August, seven hundred twenty-seven days apart

Dead Mouse (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

In memory of our cat Sophia (1998-2017) 

Chorus:

There’s a dead mouse lying in the middle of the floor

Dead mouse lying in the middle of the floor

Used to be a lively one but isn’t any more

He’s just a dead mouse lying in the middle of the floor

Little mousey ran just as fast as he was able

Scooted ‘round the corner, hid underneath the table

Tried to run for daylight but he never made the door

Now he’s a dead mouse lying in the middle of the floor

Chorus

There's a fat cat lying in the middle of the bed

Licking at her paws, scratching at her head

Looking kind of happy, looking kind of smug

Just taught a lesson to that mouse out on the rug

Chorus

Cat food in her bowl for breakfast in the morning 

More cat food in her bowl at noon when she comes back

Cat food in her bowl in the evening for her dinner

But a tasty mouse at midnight’s what she’s craving for a snack

Chorus

One day I found one back behind the piano

Last night I found another in the corner by the bar

But I may never know the extent of the carnage

‘Cause only the cat knows where all the bodies are

Chorus

Peace of Mind (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

I can tell that you’ve been searching for your long lost friend

You’d like to find him somewhere in your smile again

You hope to see him shining when you sing your song

And listen to his laughter as he plays along

There’s a wrinkle in your forehead that is here to stay

There’s a lonesome sort of sound in every word you say

You’ve been looking for the answers in the books you read

But it’s your heart that knows exactly what you need

Chorus:

Put your head on my shoulder and close your eyes

Never mind the sages and the worldly wise

If only for a moment leave them all behind

And let the love within this silence bring us peace of mind

You can rattle off your theories on anomalies

You can shower me with thousands of apologies

But there’s a healing place between us that we both can share

If you open up your heart again, I’ll take you there

Bridge:

I have seen the bigger picture in its golden frame

And I recognize the image though it has no name

I have braved the blackest night to find the brightest dawn

I have known a higher love that will go on and on

Chorus

Seize These Days (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

Well, I’m too good at making excuses for why things don’t get done

Not enough cash or energy, or hours from sun to sun

I guess I’m not that courageous, and I don’t feel all that strong

Sometimes it scares me to try something new; I’m pretty sure I’ll just get it wrong

I wish that things could be different, but it’s out of my control

These are the lies I tell myself, as piece by piece I give away my soul

They say the sun shines down on both the unjust and the fair

That slow and steady wins the race between the tortoise and the hare

I’m not obsessed with winning, and I don’t mind being wrong

I just don’t want to live my life as if I were already gone

I’ve got to seize these days; I’ve wasted too much time

I can learn to live these moments from the heart and make them truly mine

Well I don’t know about tomorrow and I can’t change yesterday

But I can seize these days and I can make them the best days of my life

Things we put off ‘til tomorrow are things we can’t enjoy today

Opportunity knocks but do we hear, or do we find reasons to delay

So we wait until the bills are paid; we wait until the kids are grown

We wait for our retirement and pray we won’t have to face it alone

And every day that passes is a day we won’t get back

Every chance we lose to grow is a memory we’ll lack

Too much we fear the future and are haunted by the past

When will we learn to live these precious moments and make them last

We’ve got to seize these days; we’ve wasted too much time

But we can learn to live these moments from the heart and make them yours and mine

We don’t know about tomorrow and we can’t change yesterday

But we can seize these days and we can make them the best days of our lives

The Weather (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

Gonna be a long hard winter, I heard last night

They say the Farmer’s Almanac is usually right

Well I can see it on your face, I don’t need any books

To know how dreary the forecast looks

You never ask me about the weather anymore

I used to always complain that’s all you wanted me for

Now that you’re gone and I’m feeling so low

I’d give anything to talk about the snow

There’s a thunderstorm brewing out in Ohio

It’s still hours away, just thought you might like to know

So you can close the windows, bring the dog inside

Put away your bike and watch the turning tide

But you never ask me about the weather anymore

I used to always complain that’s all you wanted me for

Now that you’re gone and I can’t ease this pain

I’d give anything to talk about the rain

Nine AM on the fifth of July

Eighty degrees and not a cloud in the sky

It’s a day made for you, it’s a nightmare for me

You know, it’s not the heat it’s the humility

‘Cause you never ask me about the weather anymore

I used to always complain that’s all you wanted me for

Now that you’re gone and I’m the lonely one

I’d give anything to talk about the sun

Now that you’re gone and I’m the lonely one

I would give anything to talk about the sun

Oh, I’d give anything to talk about that lucky old sun

Just Fine (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

There’ll be no body odor up in heaven

Everybody’s gonna smell just fine

God’s got some heavenly plans for our olfactory glands

The aroma will be grand when we reach that promised land

‘Cause there’ll be no body odor up in heaven

Everybody’s gonna smell just fine

There’ll be no halitosis up in heaven

Everybody’s gonna smell just fine

We’ll eat garlic cloves all day but smell just fine when we pray

Bad breath will fly away when the Lord has had his say

‘Cause there’ll be no halitosis up in heaven

Everybody’s gonna smell just fine

There’ll be no stinky feet up in heaven

Everybody’s gonna smell just fine

We’ll get some sanctified suds to wash our heavenly duds

That icky sweat socks crud will smell sweet as a rose bud

‘Cause there’ll be no stinky feet up in heaven

Everybody’s gonna smell just fine

This House (from The Live Album)
© 2016 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

May this house become a home

May it be more than just a building made of wood, glass, and stone

If we build it with the hopes, dreams and laughter that we share

We can learn to live, learn to give, and learn to really care

And we can learn to know each other even as we're truly known

If this house becomes a home

May the words that we use

Build a bridge of trust between us that our love can never lose

With the bread of life to feed us, milk of kindness to drink

The light of love will shine through all we say and do and think

And it will light the paths around us and warm the seeds we've sown

As this house becomes a home

If we let it, the truth will set us free

Hope will be the anchor of our souls

If we allow ourselves to love with all our hearts, minds and strength

We'll be on the way that leads us home

May this house become a home

May we find some peace of mind here, may we never feel alone

If our minds never narrow and our hearts stay open wide

We’ll find the path together as we walk side by side

And we'll sanctify our days by the ways we have grown

When this house becomes a home

One Great Hour To Share (from the album Whole Other World)
© 2011 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

You celebrate my glory in the beauty of the earth

In love that brings forgiveness, in the miracle of birth

You offer up your gratitude in worship and in prayer

But what I really want from you is willingness to share

There are questions you can’t answer that keep you up at night

Why evil strikes the innocent and darkness hides the light

On the day when every eye can see, when all accounts are squared

The question that will matter most is, did they know you cared

Chorus:

When the wind and the rain of the hurricane left me homeless on the street

Did you give me clothes and shelter, did you bring me food to eat

When the warlords came and I fled the flames, when they made me a refugee

Did you feel my racing heartbeat, hear my cries of agony

When the heat and the sand of this barren land left me struggling to survive

Did you help me find clean water so my family could thrive

When I was lost and lonely and wandering in despair

My greatest time of need was your one great hour to share

My world for all its beauty can be an ugly place

Suffering comes and hopes and dreams vanish without trace

Though tragedy can bring on pain you simply can’t erase

It gives each soul the chance to be an instrument of grace

Chorus

Immigrants (from the album Whole Other World)

© 2012 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

All of us are immigrants in this state of grace

None of us inherit it, we all must find a place

Lifted up by mercy and held in love’s embrace

All of us are immigrants in this state of grace

All of us are wanderers, strangers on this earth

Race and class and family are accidents of birth

That tell a bit about us but don’t tell what we’re worth

All of us are wanderers, strangers on this earth

All of us are instruments, voices in this song

We do our best to play our parts, at times we get them wrong

Working out the harmonies, we strive to get along

All of us are instruments, voices in this song

All of us are shooting stars, across an endless night

Each one burns a different course, a brilliant burst of light

We glow for just a little while, then trail off out of sight

All of us are shooting stars, across an endless night

Fifteen Minutes (from the album Whole Other World)

© 2012 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz

Sun’s coming up, alarm clock’s about to ring

On my windowsill bluebirds begin to sing

But it’s warm and cozy in this bed

Can’t shake the cobwebs out o’ my head

And down below my knees I still can’t feel a thing

There’s a train at the station leaving at a quarter ‘til eight

If I had to guess, I’d guess I’m gonna be late

Chorus:

Just give me fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes more

In the scheme of things, ain’t that much I’m asking for

If you want to see me at my best, I gotta get my beauty rest

Just give me fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes more

Got appointments to keep, a pile of bills I just can’t pay

Long list o’ things to do I put off yesterday

But my body’s like a very fine wine

Shouldn’t serve it before its time

And horizontal storage is essential for a pleasing bouquet

There’s a train at the station leaving at a quarter ‘til nine

If it leaves without me, that would suit me just fine

Chorus

Cat’s getting restless, scratches the end of my nose

Like every other day it wants to be fed I suppose

But I’m dreamin’ ‘bout the birds and the bees

Travelin’ the world and the seven seas

My spirit’s willin’ but my body is comatose

There’s a train at the station leaving at a quarter ‘til noon

If I don’t make it, there’ll probably be another one soon

Chorus

Children Of God

© 2012 Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz (from the album Whole Other World) 

As children of God we’re choosing to care

For the poor and the lonely, those lost in despair

We’re living for justice in a world that’s unfair

Offering a hand, hope and a prayer

Chorus:

Children of God, children of God

Our hearts are all yearnin’ to be children of God

There’s a path broad and easy so many have trod

But the way’s straight and narrow for children of God

As children of God we’re resentful no more

Patient and kind, our hearts don’t keep score

We’re living for peace in a world that loves war

Enduring all things, though weary and sore

Chorus

As children of God we don’t hesitate

To be good to each other and not retaliate

We’re living for love in a world filled with hate

Believing in mercy—it’s never too late

Chorus

The Dove (from the album Whole Other World)

© 1998 Steve Gretz, Steve's Big Head Music

There are nights for counting moonbeams, there are days to count the cost

There are times when fading memories make it seem like all is lost

But when fear starts to undo me, and sadness fits me like a glove

The words he whispers to me are the sign of the dove

There are some who take their chances, there are some who just take flight

While others flit like butterflies and never seem to light

But there’s one who, sure and steady, soars across my sky above

And the hope he points me to is the sign of the dove

Chorus:

Just how I lost my way I guess I’ll never understand

Those years of treading water left me longing for the land

But he wraps his words around me, surrounds me with his love

And carries me back to myself on the wings of a dove

There are times I spend in turmoil, times I start to drift

When I feel his presence fill me and bring its precious gift

He holds my aching spirit, he enfolds me in his love

And shows me how to glide with the grace of a dove

Chorus