The Vision - George McAnthony

Musicians:
George McAnthony: vocals, harmonica, whistling
Tom Wild: electric-, classical-, baritone-, 12string electric-, acoustic guitars
Gery Croon: drums & percussion
Dow Tomlin: bass
Mike Douchette: pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, harmonica
Gregg Galbraith & Kelly Back: acoustic guitars
Glen Duncan & David Russell: fiddle & mandolin
Buddy Hyatt: keyboard
Charlie Cushman: banjo
Chip Davis & Margie Cates: background vocals
Handclaps: Chip Davis, Margie Cates & Alex Pallaoro

All music and lyrics are written by George McAnthony
Published by "Azzurra Music" / S.I.A.E. Italy
Produced by George McAnthony (c) 2000
Recorded, engineered and mixed by Steve Chandler at HILLTOP STUDIOS, Nashville USA
Mastering and editing by Paolo Lovat at General Records Studio – Verona
Cover photography by Paul Peter Gasser
Digital imaging: Dietmar Obkircher – Druckstudio Leo
Graphics and Layout: Giorgio Martini – Azzurra Music
Art direction and design by Sonja Paolini

CROSS THE HUMAN BRIDGES - the ethnical peace song (G. McAnthony)

"I wanna open with this hymn for ethnical peace because I'm very concerned about the conflicts and wars we have had in the last years. Pain and suffering has increased all over the world. I see egoism, intolerance and racism in places that are far away and in places that are near, too near. We'd better not play with the fire, the price to pay would be too high."

Times have gone a little better, people have tried to socialize / but the growing sign of tyranny, it will lead us all into misery

Cross the Human Bridges, and listen to your heart / if we walk together, then we will survive / so don't play with the fire, for the sake of our world this could really get in trouble our life, yeah, yeah, yeah

More respect for one another, let us save this century / politicians move apart, if you're hiding an aggressive heart

Cross the Human Bridges, and listen to your heart / if we walk together, then we will survive / so don't play with the fire, for the sake of our world this could really get in trouble our life, yeah, yeah, yeah

I am just a travelling singer, but one thing I can tell for sure / if peace on earth has to remain, then we've got to go against the grain

RAMBLING COWGIRL (G. McAnthony)

“this tune was written in the Death Valley Desert in California back in December 1998.”

Rambling Cowgirl, dust on her boots, she likes to run, ain't got no roots / you see her riding on a freight train, she's the railway queen // Still searching but not yet found, always travelling but nowhere bound / she likes to see new places, somewhere she's never been

There 's gotta be a place, there must be a land, where she feels at home and life is easy / she's moving fast like a hurricane, she keeps holding on, holding on

Wild Flower, she lives like a tramp, her real name is Mary Ann / at the country parties, she is the line-dance queen /

Rambling Cowgirl, ain't got many friends, the boys say she acts like a man / on her eighteen wheeler, she is the highway queen // Some say your heart is made out of stone, if someone loves you, then you'll be gone / you've got the spirit of a wild horse, you're the rodeo queen

There 's gotta be a place, there must be a land, where she feels at home and life is easy / she's moving fast like a hurricane, she is looking for something she'll never really find

ANIMAL'S HOPE SHUFFLE (G. McAnthony)

“I really love animals, the free spirits that complete and enrich our lives. They've got lots of love to share. Animals know all the secrets of the universe and through them we can understand Gods love for all creatures. It is our duty to protect their precious lives.”

He likes to sit out in the sun each morning, he likes to greet the day, then he begins to play / this newborn grizzly-bear gets never boring, he's called little brown Jack, he's gotta little brown back

And I feel that animals deserve our loving care and a better life / they reveal that God above is watching everyone and everything like the cattle and the mouse, the flies in the air, dogs and cats and little brown Jacky-Bear

They have the right to live their life in freedom, like a long time ago, we've got a long way to go / all living creatures know where they belong to, they hope we will protect their habitat

CHORUS / the eagle and the hawk and the bees in the air, horses, buffaloes, pigs and deer / elephants, little mosquitoes anywhere, lions, frogs and little brown Jacky-Bear

They always like to spread out good vibrations, have love to share, so we better take care / they know the secrets of the universe, they might reveal, to every loyal friend who feels

CHORUS / the donkeys, monkeys, squirrel on the tree, the birds that sing and tweedleedee / dolphin, whale and the shrimp in the sea, all living things on earth and you and me / (INSTR.) the cattle and the mouse, the flies in the air, dogs and cats and pigs and deer / the termites in my wooden chair, the ponies and of course the little brown Bear

EVERYTHING IN YOU (G. McAnthony)

“I dedicate this love song to Sonja, the woman who's been at my side in every part of my life. She supported me to let this album become a special one by giving me lots of precious inputs and advice.”

Sweet morning, a new day is on the rise / you lay beside me and I look in your eyes / nothing can take me away from you / no matter where I go, no matter what I do

Everything in you seems like a song to me, filled with harmony / it feels like magic that our dreams have come true / everything in you, anything you do

We needed time to understand / we had to struggle, baby, now and then / things you didn't do, the words I did not say / our love has almost slipped away

Everything in you seems like a song to me, filled with harmony / it feels like magic that our dreams have come true / everything in you, anything you do

Your sweetness has decorated my life / there's nothing else I really need to survive / our life has been like an empty sheet / love will fulfill and complete

HEROES NEVER CRY (G. McAnthony)

“the lyrics underline the need of people, especially men and boys, to look up and follow the heroes from the movies, the tough guys who never cry and don't show fear and pain. Well, it's wrong to think that this attitude makes us stronger and free from problems, we'd rather take the risk to break to pieces so that our personality can't grow.”

Men all around the world, they like to follow each other / to find out what is good for them and what they'd better not do / a man has got to be made of stone, it doesn't matter if he's feeling alone / and if it breaks his heart he's gotta show them everything is going good

Heroes never cry, they rather break to pieces / that's what everybody thinks around the whole wide world / even men should sometimes cry, well I don't know the reason why / it's their way of life that doesn't give them any chance to live

Boys around the world, have seen a lot of movies / of James Dean, John Wayne, heroes are brave and tough / the real man follows the rule, the real man has got to be cool /it doesn't matter if what we've seen is just a movie-bluff / heroes all around the world

Heroes never cry, they rather break to pieces / that's what everybody thinks around the whole wide world / even men should sometimes cry, well I don't know the reason why / it's their way of life that doesn't give them any chance to live

SHOW MY TRUE EMOTIONS (G. McAnthony)

“this subject is similar to "Heroes Never Cry" but focused more on my personal incapacity to show my real feelings and fears. I, too, am used to closing myself in a big shell showing only my happy face, everything is just fine!!? I've learned that we're better off showing ourselves the way we are, talking about fears and troubles, our heart will be delighted and gain serenity.”

It's late in the night, I'm staying out walking, looking inside, move without talking / there's something in me, something that tells me to hide what I feel / I'm used to get by all on my own, troubles and pain should never be shown / I gotta get through, I gotta get out of my cage one day

I wanna show my true emotions, there's no use turning them down / I have suppressed my feelings for so long / now I want to talk about it, and I want to tell you why / I have got my weakness and my pride

Well, I have got friends who would really care, the fault lies in me, I don't want to share / it's embarrassing me, I continue to cover and hide who I am

I wanna show my true emotions, there's no use turning them down / I have suppressed my feelings for so long / now I want to talk about it, and I want to tell you why / I have got my weakness and my pride

A voice inside of my mind, says I should leave my fears behind / finally as troubles are gone, my heart is going to bloom like a flower in the sun

HIGH & LOW (G. McAnthony)

“I wrote this song during a tour in France, in Dijon in May '99, it talks about the highs and lows in life that come from certain mistakes we repeat over and over again and that make us lose our balance.”

I'm tangled up with noise and haste, lose the time that I should not waste / here we go once again, I get out of tune and the trouble begins

Hey - Ho, high and low, still there's one more round to go / just like me and all the things I do, sometimes glad and another time blue

Well I should be rather satisfied, life and work seem to be alright / then I compare myself with them, I get out of tune and trouble begins / (CHORUS)

I'm always searching for a better sound, I've tried and tested but I haven't found / while I should rather play and sing I waste my time with technical things

Hey - Ho, high and low, still there's one more round to go / just like me and all the things I do, sometimes glad and another time blue

To play the game means to play it right, but it's hard to do at second sight / life's too short always to be out of tune and full of misery / life's too short always to be out of tune and full of misery / I get out of tune and trouble begins, I get out of tune and trouble begins / life's too short always to be out of tune and full of misery

THE VISION (G. McAnthony)

“the title song is about a vision of unknown times to come. The wind and the eagle talk about a future full of changes.”

I've got to find my destiny / my Indian heart is guiding me / I'm heading for a vision hill / where I'll be waiting still // I'm sitting down beneath a tree / lay two eagle feathers next to me / for three nights they're gonna keep me warm / and protect me from the storm

The Indian summer wind reveals a story / of a brand new world we're gonna see / it sings of all the news and changes that are gonna be

Then while I say my morning prayer / tobacco smell has filled the air / it's coming from a Sacred Pipe / just from where the feathers laid / (CHORUS)

I smoke the pipe and raise my eyes / up to where a golden eagle flies / it's landing right upon my knee / and it talks to me // "This world must still be getting worse, then the Lord comes down again to live with us, and finally earth and heaven will be one, be filled with joy and sun"

The Indian summer wind tells me a story / about the values in our hearts / some will be ready for this new world and some will fall apart

THE LITTLE THINGS THAT I LIKE (G. McAnthony)

“the simple and ordinary things are the real important ones, they color up our daily life. Sometimes being lost in haste, I don't recognize them enough. I love thinking that even God himself sometimes likes to laugh while watching children and animals.”

I like walking barefoot in the summer / drinking fresh and pure water from the mountain spring / when I wake up in the morning, I get a kiss from my sweet little darling / those are the little things that I like

I like the songs of Mark (Knopfler), John (Denver), Neil (Young) and the Beatles / I enjoy those old fashioned Christmas tunes / but there's a thing I would be missing, it is my girl and the way she's kissing / those are the sweet things that I like

To see children smile and run wild is gonna make me feel satisfied / it makes me think that God above has got a smile on his face, and sometimes He likes to laugh

I enjoy having a little chat with my brother / we can forget about our job and have a beer or two / any time I meet my honey, I'm feeling good and times are getting sunny / those are the moments that I like / (CHORUS)

I have got a dog who can almost talk / it makes me happy when he's walking along right at my side / when I wake up he comes running, in his own way he likes to say "Good Morning" / those are the little things that I like, that's right, mhm, oh yeah / those are the good things, the wonderful sweet things, of my ordinary common life, those are the tiny little things that I like

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DANCE (G. McAnthony)

“is everybody ready to take a trip on a Mississippi steamboat? Well, the big party is about to start. From Memphis down to New Orleans the paddle wheel ship rolls to the rhythm of the Mississippi river dance.”

Once every summer some folks like to gather for a Mississippi steamboat trip / they travel from Memphis, down to New Orleans, on this beautiful paddle wheel ship / last year Tom met Susie at the party but he didn't take the chance / he was still too shy to ask her for the Mississippi River Dance

Once again the party begins, it is a hot summer Saturday night / Tommy stands there with trembling feet, he's almost petrified / but Susie feels there is something going on and she's got to take the chance / she gets Tommy by the hand, pulls him out on the floor for the Mississippi River Dance

The dance was fun, so they step outside, and finally they're all alone / Susie is waiting for a kiss, but Tommy is a coward although he's grown / he knows this could be their night, but again he doesn't take the chance / hopefully he'll get the courage after one more Mississippi-River-Steamboat-Square-Dance

ONE MORE CHANCE (G. McAnthony)

“Hank has already taken the wrong decision one time, he gave in to the pressure of his wealthy father, but after he was feeling pretty bad about it. Now he's got another chance and he will follow his heart this time.”

Almost through but not forgotten, time has healed them in the end / Jolene is a poor truckdriver's daughter, Hank's daddy is a rich and mighty man

I believe in one more chance, girl I wanna be your man, we can make it if we try / honey, just be yourself and I'll be what I'll be, oh yeah, the only thing that counts is the way we feel

Everyone is against the wedding, Hank has got to chose between her and them / and this has already happened, he won't break his heart again / (CHORUS)

As the father knew about his sons decision, to marry that poor truckdriver's girl / he changed his mind and his opinion, but too late, they have already moved beyond the hill

I believe in one more chance, girl I wanna be your man, we can make it if we try / honey, just be yourself and I'll be what I'll be, oh yeah / the only thing that counts is the way we feel / things are gonna be tough, we gotta start from new / I don't need daddy's money, all I need is you

PUT ME DOWN  (G. McAnthony)

“I'm used to avoiding quarrels even in situations where I shouldn't. In this song I learn to react, I stand up and fight for my truth. Let's not be put down any longer.”

Put me down, try to put me down, I'm ready to defend what I think and who I am / slow down, boy, you'd better cool down / you've got to set me free, yeah yeah, you'd better lay off me

This time I'm sure I wont step back, this time I'm ready to attack / I'm not afraid of you no more, so watch me very close, 'cause I'm a wild wolf , and I howl

Put me down, you wanna hit me down, if you are gonna hurt me, then you'd better watch yourself / just come along, well I wont be gone / you think I am a fool, yeah yeah, the one to blame is you

I'm not afraid of anyone, sometimes a fight has to be done / I'll be standing tall and firm, and I thank the Lord 'cause he'll be here to watch me, and I sing

Put me down, down on the ground, I'm not the way you wish I was, I'm just the way I am / knock me down, try to talk me down / this time I don't agree, oh can't you see, don't joke with me

Put me down, try to slap me down, my heart is proud and innocent, I'm ready to defend / what I've found, oh yes I've found, a brand-new strength in me, yeah yeah / you've gotta try to hit me and knock me, get me and slap me, beat me and put me down, oh yeah