Martin Zellar and The Hardways

Haunt My Dreams

Girl you’re so pretty
Like a princess in book
But my pants are dirty
Don’t deserve a second look
Just keep on walking
While I drink away my rent
I won’t bother trying
My luck has long been spent

If only you knew me
When life still tasted sweet
Things would be different
I’d sweep you off your feet
Now I feel like poison
And I’m treated just that way
I sit in the shadows
As you pass by every day

Hey, you haunt my dreams at night
Yeah, like a ghost your skin so white
And your lips so red

I once was a baby
And a happy little boy
I was an athlete
My Daddy’s pride and joy
Then I was a soldier
Seems like four lifetimes ago
Now I am nothing
What happened I don’t know

You know you could save me
If you’d only look my way
Maybe you’d linger
And I’d find the words to say

Hey, you haunt my dreams at night
Yeah, like a Mei Kong firefight
Hey, you haunt my dreams at night
Yeah, like a ghost your skin so white
And your lips so red

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Ten Year Coin

I stood up from that barstool
Just a half a drink away from being sick
I reached into my pocket
Pulled my ten year coin out
And left it for a tip
I tried to clear my head and figure out
Just where the hell it all went wrong
I can’t say I’m surprised it’s come to this
I’m just surprised it took this long

For all these years I’ve lived in fear
That what I was might be what I really am
Ain’t no one bought this good guy bit
I’m a piece of shit
The whole thing’s been a sham
When I was younger I used to wonder
What could cause a man to just lie down and die
I wish that I was younger still
And I wish that I still had to wonder why

I’ve got a wife and kid at home
They ain’t never seen this ugly side of me
I gave my life to Jesus six years back
But you know they’ve only known me three
When I was younger I used to wonder
What could ever bring a man to want to kill
It scares the shit right out of me to admit
That I don’t have to wonder still

I thought this would be devastating
But you know, I feel relieved
The hardest part was breaking all the hearts
Of all those people who believed
Please, dear God, I’m on my knees
Just tell me where the hell it all went wrong
I can’t say I’m surprised it’s come to this
I’m just surprised it took this long

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Brown-Eyed Boy

Sit down here and talk to me
Please don’t walk away
I want so bad to help you son
But I don’t know what to say
I’d do anything for you
I’d borrow, beg, I’d pray
Please don’t tear my world apart
Don’t break my heart this way

God knows I never hit you
And I sang to you at night
We went to church on Sundays
Tried to teach you wrong from right
On June fourteenth when you left home
I cried for most the day
Son, you know you’re killing me
Hour-by-hour, day-by-day

You’re still my pride and joy
You’re my precious brown-eyed boy
And that will never change

This is all so hard for me
So hard to understand
I’ve known my share of heartbreak
Don’t count myself an angry man
I’d do anything for you
I’d borrow, beg, I’d pray
Son, you know you’re killing me
Hour-by-hour, day-by-day

You’re still my pride and joy
You’re my precious brown-eyed boy
And that will never change

God knows, that will never change

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

I Can't Believe

Take another drag from my cigarette
Another day, another dollar
And I’m deeper in debt
The house could burn down and the dog could die
It won’t bring me down
And I’ll just tell you why

I can’t believe how lucky I am
I can’t believe how lucky I am
I can’t believe how lucky I am
I’ve got some friends, I smile nice
And I play in a band

I disregard any pain that I feel
With the gene pool I come from
It just couldn’t be real
When I start to feel low I just pick up a mirror
I take a good look
And those blues disappear

I can’t believe how lucky I am
I can’t believe how lucky I am
I can’t believe how lucky I am
I’ve got some friends, I smile nice
And I play in a band

I know this poor fella, he’s homely as hell
People don’t seem to like him
He can’t write very well
Can’t imagine his sadness, can’t imagine his pain
When I see the cross he bears
It’s hard to complain

I can’t believe how lucky I am
I can’t believe how lucky I am
I can’t believe how lucky I am
I’ve got some friends, I smile nice
And I play in a band

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Hammer's Gonna Fall

Just lay down the gun and go to sleep
Pray as hard as steel your soul to keep
It’s ugly business burning bridges
Ugly business building up those walls
You’ll be wasting precious bullets
Taking shots at anything that crawls

You, you’re gonna turn your heart to stone
Trying to beat this thing down on your own
So you were brought up in a house
Where hearts weren’t worn upon your sleeve
You were taught that men are strong
They don’t bend, and that’s what you believe

I can see your back is against the wall
You keep hoping for the best
But, the hammer’s gonna fall

For three days you’ve been laying on the floor
Dusty light cuts in beneath the door
Genius? maybe, a junkie and pathetic, that I know
If I were you I’d amputate it
Cut it off before it starts to grow

I can see your back is against the wall
You keep hoping for the best
But, the hammer’s gonna fall

The hammer’s gonna fall…

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

George & Tammy

Why does it hurt
These things that you say
Even though
I know you’re too drunk to think
Why do I stay
When all that I get
Are more heartaches and bruises

Don’t you know
Your words aren’t enough
To make good all the things you’ve done
And anyway
I don’t need this heartbreak

Don’t ask me why
I do what I do
I guess
It’s one more over that line
I don’t mean to hurt you
I get so frustrated
I swear
My back’s against the wall

Don’t you know
You can’t push a man too far
I just reached my breaking point
That’s all
And anyway
It won’t happen again

Sometimes it’s okay
I think that you love me
And need me
Everything’s gonna work out fine

So just give me time
I can make you happy
I swear
Just give me a little more time

I know
My words aren’t enough
To make good all the things I’ve done
And anyway
You don’t need this heartache

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar, Pedal Steel:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Lullaby

Close your eyes baby
Turn out the lights
You’ve been fighting sleep for an hour
Let’s call it a night
In the morning when you wake up I’ll hold you
Kiss your cheek
As you slowly wipe the sleep from your eyes
And you smile
I’ll grow weak

I was alone and drifting
Yes, it’s true
Until that breathtaking moment
I first laid eyes on you
I finally felt forgiven
I finally felt the worth
That I never felt was due me
In all the years
That I’d stumbled on this earth

And I…
I love you twice around the world
To the stars up in the sky
And I…
Will give you all my everything
Until the day I die

Life’s not always easy
Hard times lay ahead
Mistakes will be made
Harsh words will be said
Just know that I love you
And I’ll love you as long as I live
There’s nothing in this world you could do
That I couldn’t forgive

And I…
I love you twice around the world
To the stars up in the sky
And I…
Will give you all my everything
Until the day I die

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Big Sandals

Grandpa’s telling his stories
About the good old days
Daisy picking
Purple Haze

He says back then music mattered
Way back then young folks cared
They used drugs for a reason
Love was shared

We were dwarfed by your shadow
Your sandals we couldn’t fill
So we cranked up Hot Blooded
Shot-gunned Old Mill
Yeah, we shot-gunned Old Mill

Grandpa says we’re all worthless
I’ll bet his dad said the same
He’s getting old, getting bitter
We ain’t to blame

As far as happening decades
I guess we drew the short straw
Don’t be so damned self-righteous
It was the luck of the draw

You dropped acid to Hendrix
We got drunk to The Cars
You protested a war
We played pinball in bars

We were dwarfed by your shadow
Your sandals we couldn’t fill
So we cranked up Hot Blooded
Shot-gunned Old Mill
Yeah, we shot-gunned Old Mill

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Saxophone:
• Rochelle Becker
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Saxophone:
• Max Ray
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Guilty Just the Same

These black bastards
They just howl all night
They call me trash
Well at least I’m white
I want out of this cage
Let me out of this zoo
I ain’t asking to walk out
A big, black hearse will do

They sent me a lawyer
Some bull-shittin’ Jew
I say fuck him
And fuck the ACLU
Just let it end here
Just let it end now
You could drag it out forever
But they’ll kill me anyhow

I know you want me dead
I say that’s just fine
While you’re at it
Kill that daddy of mine
I done what I done
And I sure accept the blame
I know I pulled the trigger
But he’s guilty just the same

I watched him fuck my sister
Watched him break my mama’s nose
He beat me near to death once
With a piece of garden hose
You can cry for the widow
For the shattered family
In my whole shit-filled life
No one’s ever cried for me

Cried for me…

I done what I done
And I sure accept the blame
I know I pulled the trigger
But he’s guilty just the same

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• All Instruments:
• Martin Zellar

We Were Young

Reaching out
I see you all alone
Through winters first soft snow
Through winters first soft snow

Fading back
You were young, the sky was gray
I remember you that way
I remember you that way

We were born
We were born that day
Then we died
In some small way

Fading back
I see you all alone
I can see you reaching out
Through winters first soft snow

Reaching out
I see you all alone
Through winters first soft snow
Through winters first soft snow

Fading back
You were young, the sky was gray
I remember you that way
I remember you that way

We were born
We were somehow born that day
Then we died
In some small way

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• B3 Organ:
• Jon Duncan
• Guitar, Pedal Steel:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar

Frog Fightin' Drunk

Well My daddy come home from the bar last night
With a snoot fill of rye
Then He crawled right into the bed with me
And passed out cold, Lord I thought he’d died
Well the booze it oozed right from his pores
And he smelt just like a skunk
The man was fallin’ down, knee walkin’
Frog fightin’ drunk

Well my mama’d hear him comin’ and she’d lock the door
And us kids would run and hide
But like a pie-eyed Houdini
He’d find a way to get himself inside
Then he’d find the jug that my mama’d hid
And he’d fall right down kerplunk
The man was fallin’ down, knee walkin’
Frog fightin’ drunk

He’d belller like a rhino
Then he’d snort just like a hog
Then he’d take him a swing at just anything
Then lay right down and sleep like a log

Well the booze it oozed right from his pores
And he smelt just like a skunk
The man was fallin’ down, knee walkin’
Frog fightin’ drunk

He’d belller like a rhino
Then he’d snort just like a hog
Then he’d take him a swing at just anything
Then lay right down and sleep like a log

Well the booze it oozed right from his pores
And he smelt just like a skunk
The man was fallin’ down, knee walkin’
Frog fightin’ drunk

• Written By:
• Martin Zellar
• Bass Guitar:
• Dominic Ciola
• Piano:
• Jon Duncan
• Lead Vocal:
• Dan Neale
• Guitar:
• Dan Neale
• Drums:
• Marc Retish
• Guitar, Vocals:
• Martin Zellar