Anger Can Be So Seductive
Copyright 2008 Dana Clark
I have been told by counselors that they have used this song in anger management classes!
In live performances, I introduce it as a "mental health moment."
CHORUS: Anger can be so seductive
Anger can be so destructive
Give it up
Let it go
Anger tries to make you feed it
Anger—Trust me. You don't need it!
Give it up
Let it go
Anger makes it hard to think
And anger brings you to the brink
Give it up
Let it go
Anger—sometimes it seems exciting
But in the end, it's so misguiding
Give it up
Let it go
Breathe!
VERSE: When the problem is inside us and we cannot bear to look
Getting mad at someone's easy, and it gets us off the hook
When we take it to the limit and our ego hits the wall
When we're bouncing off the bottom and we end up feeling small
We can think about the thing they said that made us feel so bad
We can blame them for the way we feel when we let them make us mad
But say goodbye to anger and we've got a chance to grow
Give it up. Let it go.
CHORUS
Breathe!
VERSE: We use it on our enemies. We use it on our friends
We keep passing it around and somehow anger never ends
When we get mad at home we hurt the ones that we love best
Sure, we get over it, but then we're cleaning up the mess
Our children learn it from us and someday they pass it on
So our anger keeps on hurting them long after we are gone
Let's teach them love so anger's not the only thing they know
Give it up. Let it go.
CHORUS
Breathe!
We get mad at the government. We get mad at the boss
And if we never stop and think then we may never count the cost
But trade anger for forgiveness and we lay those burdens down
We can take that energy and work to turn the world around
We can reach out to a child in need or heal a broken heart
We can make a friend or write a song. Create a work of art
Yes, when we are done with anger we can let forgiveness flow
Give it up. Let it go.
CHORUS
Soon He’ll Take Flight
Copyright Dana Clark and Kevin Lewis
He’s got a favorite pair of jeans and hair that hides his face
He’s can’t wait to outgrow his teens and take his rightful place
He’s building his identity around his new guitar
He’s not sure where he’s headed but he’s certain he’ll go far
He’s younger than he looks but he’s older than he acts
He’s sure about his attitude, confused by all the facts
He’s full of dreams and dangers and puzzled by the world
Intrigued by pretty strangers but he’s scared of all the girls
CHORUS: Though sometimes he feels fragile,
He grows stronger by degrees
Unsure of who he is, he’s testing personalities
He grows into his shoe size as he’s reaching for his height
He’s a rocket on the launching pad
Soon...he’ll take flight
He falls in love with someone new almost every day
His hopes are high as heaven but his feet are made of clay
The heart that’s hanging on his sleeve he can’t quite give away
For if she loves him back he turns and runs the other way
CHORUS
BRIDGE: His mama thinks he’s handsome. His friends all say he’s cool
He makes his own decisions and he loves to break the rules
He defies all definition for he’s changing day to day
His future is unfolding. Don’t you dare get in his way
CHORUS
You Just Might Be Surprised
Copyright 1998 Dana Clark
VERSE: You have never known someone like me
I have never met someone quite like you seem to be
We may never share a point of view
But imagine for one moment you can step into my shoes
CH: Let my words paint you a picture of how life looks to me
Then I'll listen while you tell me how you've struggled to be free
If we can learn to see the world through someone else's eyes
We just might be surprised
We just might be surprised
VERSE: We may never have this chance again
We could open up, speak our minds, call each other friend
I promise I will listen with my heart
And looking in your eyes I will discover who you are
CHORUS
VERSE: Reaching out to you might bring me pain
But if we take the risk there's so much we might gain
Remembered joy to treasure through the years
And a memory flavored with the taste of someone else's tears
CHORUS
Disguised As Poetry
Copyright Dana Clark
Most of us have wondered how the universe began
Some claim a cosmic accident. Some say a holy plan
The facts alone will never fill the hunger of our hearts
We long to comprehend this world of which we are a part
CHORUS: With parable and metaphor the ancient tales are told
As we listen all the wisdom of the past unfolds
A myth is humankind's response to boundless mystery
Each story bears a seed of truth disguised as poetry
The people near the islands say the world began with waves
People near the sun say it was light their god first gave
Many souls in every age who've tried to understand
Found comfort in believing we were made by loving hands
CHORUS
When children ask their questions they deserve to hear the truth
So we must find a way to make the oldest stories new
And they need time to wonder, time to question on their own
For there are many answers they can only find alone
CHORUS
You Resurrect Yourself
Copyright Dana Clark
VERSE: No one seems to see your pain
You’re too ashamed to ask for help
Sometimes you think you are to blame
There’s no one you can trust to tell
You’re despairing. You’re defeated
A victim with no voice
Then just when you’ve lost your last hope
You find you have a choice
CHORUS: Then you resurrect yourself
From the ashes of your dreams
You slowly work a miracle
Though it’s harder than it seems
Patiently you seek a way
To restore your battered soul
You claim the fragments of your life
You learn to take control
Once you were broken
Now you’re whole
VERSE: Your sorrow strips you to the bone
And leaves your naked heart to mourn
You struggle hard to stand alone
You labor long to be reborn
For each burden that you carry
You must climb ever higher
Your spirit stronger since it has been tempered by the fire
CHORUS: As you resurrect yourself….
VERSE: Against all odds, your scars have healed
And you’ve remembered how to laugh
What you have won you’ll never yield
A champion in your own behalf
Your goals grow ever clearer
Your mind seems twice alive
You’re empowered knowing you can face the worst
And you’ll survive
CHORUS: For you resurrect yourself….