Talking to No-One

I wrote “Leading Lines” when I was 34, back when everything still felt like it had a question mark behind it. Listening now at 52, I hear that younger version of me wide open to the world with no filters, no calluses yet—letting sound, light, and people’s humanity hit me full force. That’s what this song is. It’s a map drawn in pencil, not ink. You can hear me trying to understand why a melody can break you, why a stranger can change you, why some people walk away like they’re following something you can’t see.

There’s a kind of innocence in it I don’t think you get that innocence back, but I’m glad I captured it when I did. I didn’t try to be clever. I just stayed honest—questions stacked on questions, no real answers, just movement. Even now, I don’t think the questions changed all that much. Maybe I just stopped voicing them. 

Lyrics:

Verse 1

Always been affected by everything around me

Don’t be surprised, it’s how I’ve chosen to be

See this may be my last trip, now 34 around this star

I love to ask why it is, things are the way they are 

And I’m ok with whatever answer

I’ll process it all the way I always do

With kindness and understanding

a better way to relate to you 

Chorus

but, Why do sad songs make me sad

Why do angry songs make me mad

Why do people choose to leave

What are the (leading lines) they see

Which voices will they follow

Which are the voices they believe

Verse

I am affected by sounds around me

They make me fear, they make me love, make me believe

While most learn to ignore them

To me they make me feel complete

Can we speak a second about light

And how it lays across a skin

Can change you heart in an instance

But only if you let it in

Chorus

Like, why do sad songs make me cry

Why do swing songs make me move

Why do strings make feel like I can fly

Why do blues song’s make me blue

Why is it lovers always lose 

Why does real love never seem to choose  

Bridge

And all the time we take 

to ignore the things right in our face

are moments that we lose, I don’t like to lose, I really don’t like to lose

[chorus]

Ohhh, Why do sad songs make me sad

Why do angry songs make me mad

Why is it people choose to leave

What are the (leading lines) they see

Which voices do they follow

What are the voices they believe

Outro

(What are voices you believe)

(What are the voices we believe)

(What are voices you believe)

(What are the voices we believe)