The Road Ahead

A few notes about “The Road Ahead”
by Dave Cofell

Well, here it is. After years of promising that I would someday be able to offer a CD for my friends, family and fans- at last I come through with the first one. I hope you won’t be too disappointed with the results. I didn’t allow much in the ways of overdubs and effects or any pitch-correction software. It is just me the way I was at the time I recorded the songs.

It was a struggle for my good friend Bruce Walters who I enlisted to help me with this project- he did his best to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. He ended up as producer, arranger and editor as well as sounding board and critic (in the best sense of the word). I recorded all of these songs in my basement over the past 4-5 years and Bruce tried to mix them to sound like what you would hear if you saw me play in a bar or coffee shop sans background noise. I can’t say enough about what a great help he has been and anything that sounds good on this CD is his doing, all the rest is mine.

I also need to thank my friends Bruce Everett Miller and Br. John Hanson for loaning me their guitars to give my mine a rest. Bruce has a pretty decent Fender 12-string and John has a lovely little Hoffman parlor guitar. Thanks guys! Also thanks go out to my brother-in-law Pat Dwyer for continued humor and interest and Dale Laudenbach for help with some of the arrangements, mixing, fishing opportunities and tackle.

Every project, try as you might, has some imperfection that really gives it that human touch. For this one the most glaring imperfection is that I misspelled MY OWN MOTHER’s name. Can you believe it? I’ll never live this down once my siblings find out. Hopefully this CD will go to press a second time and I can correct this. SORRY MOM!!!

But in spite of the imperfections I really had a great time with this whole thing. The Artwork was a load of fun to make, especially the map on the disc. I got to name lakes after friends and ancestors and rename towns with the titles of the songs. Some towns and lakes that had special significance to me I left just where they should be. The front cover is a walking bridge near my parent’s house where the locally famous “sniper” incident took place. The inside cover is the intersection of Collegeville Road and Old Collegeville Road. I grew up on Old Collegeville Road although at the time it was known as Collegeville Road.

The back cover was taken outside of the Local Blend coffee shop in St. Joseph, MN. It is just a 3 blocks from my current home and a great place to go for coffee, wine, beer, assorted baked goods and treats, and also a really active local venue for live music. Jeff and Stacie are the local guardian angels for live music in St. Joe and I thank them both. My wife Monica took this picture but didn’t want me to give her a photo credit so I just thought I’d mention it here instead.

And that brings me to my last but not least thank you- To Emiliana, Leela, Maura and especially to Monica with all my Love.

June 6th 2009, Saint Joseph, Minnesota

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Leela’s New Shoes

Dedicated to all my dear family.
Words and Music Copyright © 2008 by Dave Cofell

Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes
Maura runs right off to tell her Mama the news
Their older sister’s got a brand new look
Like something she read about in some old book

And I don’t know where all this is going
I’m just so happy to be sittin’ here knowin’
That Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes

My woman’s on the warpath again
Thinks I didn’t keep a promise that I made way back when
Situations change, there ain’t nothing stays the same
Still thinks I’m playing all the same old games

And I don’t know how all this will end
I’m just so happy to be sittin’ here with my friends
And knowin’ that Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes

Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes
But my sweet baby she can only sing the blues
Think that I'll get me gear, head down to the river and go fishin’
Sit a while and think about all the things she’s wishin’

And I don’t know how long all this will last
I’m just sittin’ here watching this river goin’ past and knowing that
Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes
Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes
Leela’s got herself a brand new pair of shoes



Goin’ Nowhere

Written one night after playing an unpaid gig to an empty house.
Words and Music Copyright © 2007 by Dave Cofell

If you’re looking for the bright lights
A fancy party gonna light up your night
If you’re looking for some high society
Why on Earth are you talking to me?

But if you’re goin’ nowhere
I can tell you how to get there
Just mention my name
Because I’ve been there too

If there’s a sparkle in your eye
Or a shine upon your shoe
If you want to ride in a big fancy car
I’m probably not the guy you should be talking to

But if you’re goin’ nowhere
I can tell you how to get there
Just mention my name
Because I’ve been there too

Yes if you’re goin’ nowhere
Could you please give me a ride there?
Then you could just call out me name
And I’d be there too!



Tightrope

Inspired by the Great Karl Wallenda.
Words and Music Copyright © 1990 by Dave Cofell

Across you go, heel to toe
It’s a long way down
To the cold, hard ground

No net to catch you
If you should fall
But don’t you think about that at all

And I watch you from below
As back and forth you go

You get to one side
And you start back again
It’s a crazy game that you ain’t gonna win

You look down as you turn around
You smile for the crowd
And they just cheer you on

And they know it won’t be long
Just a matter of time before you go down

So I close my eyes as you miss your step
The crowd goes wild
But you catch yourself

And you’re back on the wire
But not for long
I remember the day that you went down

And I still see you falling in my dreams
I still hear the echo of the screams

Now your tightrope waits
Up in the sky
Waits for another fool to give it a try

And the crowd grows inpatient
And the crowd grows wild
And the crowd looks at every man, woman and child

And I know if you were here
I know you’d be the first to volunteer



The Land

My Grandparents, Anton (Tony) and Irene, were farmers near Eden Valley, Minnesota. This song is an imagined moment in their young married life.
Words and Music Copyright © 2005 by Dave Cofell

Irene breathed softly on her pillow
Outside there’s a waving weeping willow
She’ll rise an hour before the dawn
To start a fire and get our breakfast on

And me, I’m just laying here awake
Thinking about what we’ve got at stake
We plant these seeds so they might grow
And tend them ‘till we’ve got something to show
And at harvest time we gather in
And get ready to start over again

Irene moaned softly in her sleep
That’s the only time I’ve ever heard a peep
About the dreams that she must see
I wonder; do they include me?

‘Cause I don’t have the words to say what I feel
But I know that what I feel is real
To hard work you are no stranger
And this life that we lead will be full of dangers
But if you take me by the hand
And walk with me out onto this land
Then I think that we both will understand
I think that we both will understand
I think that we both will understand...

Irene, it’s quiet on the land tonight
I’ll just let you sleep, darling, everything’s alright...



Stella

Inspired by a Stella (by Harmony) Tenor Guitar given to me by my friend Mike McGraw.
Words and Music Copyright © 1990 by Dave Cofell

Talk to me Stella, please don’t walk away
What can I tell you to make you want to stay?
But I’m just a fella, Lord, and what can I do?
Talk to me Stella, and I’ll talk to you

Stella never paid no mind to me
It was like I was made of something that she couldn’t see
‘Till yesterday I caught her eye and she gave me a smile
Lord, I almost cried

Stella dear, what can this mean?
Was it real or just a dream after all?

Stella never paid no mind before
I wonder if there’ll be anything more

Talk to me Stella, I think you’re so fine
I want to yell a “Oh won’t you be mine”
But I’m just a fella, Lord, and what can I do?
Talk to me Stella and I’ll talk top you
I’ll talk to you



What Do You Do

A very early song of mine about a young man who has fallen in love with a close friend.
Words and Music Copyright © 1980 by Dave Cofell

What do you do when all your dreams come true
Did you find out there’s so much more to Love?
And what do you do when all your friends are true
Did you find out there’s no one in command?

Looking for some place to hide
Finding no one home inside of me
How can that be?

You always seem to catch me off my guard
If it’s something you haven’t done in a while
What made it so hard?
Looking back at all the time
I’m hoping that there really is a reason for this rhyme

I always try to hide inside myself
Or find a spot that’s further back on the shelf
But you always found me

Now I sit here singing, with you by my side
You know I’ve looked all around
But there’s just no place to hide
You seem to have caught me off my guard again
Caught me off my guard again



The Road Ahead

For my long-suffering wife Monica. I tell people I wrote this after the car broke down.
Words and Music Copyright © 2005 by Dave Cofell

Walking down that road ahead is something I would do
If I could walk that road ahead side by side with you
Oh, that’s what I’d do
Walking down the road ahead side by side with you

Clouds up in the sky, birds singing in the trees
I don’t care if it rains or shines as long as you’re with me
And oh, down that road, we two
Walking down the road ahead side by side with you

There’s a place up ahead where we will stay
I’m going there with you, come what may
And oh, when we rest
Side by side with you, that’s the best

Walking down that road ahead is something I would do
If I could walk that road ahead side by side with you
Oh, that’s what I’d do
Walking down the road ahead side by side with you



Beat and Blue

Written after a long night that followed a long day.
Words and Music Copyright © 1990 by Dave Cofell

I’m so tired, Lord, that I feel sick
If you’d say that I’m depressed
I’d say you’re optimistic
I ain’t going out, you know it’s true
Just tell everyone I’m beat and blue

I don’t know what gets me so low
I work hard all day long, I’ve got nothing to show
I know I work as fast as I can
The boss says pick it up or we’ll get someone who can

So beat and blue
What am I going to do
You wouldn’t want to be in my shoes
Oh Lord, I’m beat and blue

I don’t know what gets me so down
All of my friends have stopped coming around
Ain’t nothing nice, ain’t nothing new
Oh Lord, I’m beat and blue

So beat and blue
What am I going to do?
You wouldn’t want to be in my shoes
Oh Lord, I’m beat and blue

I’ve been awake all night, I cannot sleep
I’ve spent all my time just counting sheep
There’s a fever that’s burning in my head
Come this morning I could be dead



Tic

I often say that this is a song about wristwatches when in fact it is really about the persistence of Time.
Words and Music Copyright © 1989 by Dave Cofell

World of trouble, world of pain
A whirlwind runs all around through my brain
Time a’wasting, time goes too fast
Even daylight savings, they don’t last
There’s a memory hanging on the wall
There’s a memory out dying in the hall

Tic-tock tic-tock those hands are spinning round
The pendulum swings, the chime it rings
But it ain’t slowing down
Not for me, not for you

Living a dream, dying of thirst
I don’t know which would be worst
My dreams are nightmares and when I wake
I stumble blindly out into the lake
Drinking the poison day after day
I thought I would get used to it that way

Tic-tock tic-tock the shape of time ain’t round
It’s a linear thing to which we cling
But it ain’t slowing down
Not for me, not for you

World of trouble, world of pain
A whirlwind runs all around through my brain
Time a’wasting, time goes too fast
Even daylight savings, they don’t last
There’s a memory hanging on the wall
There’s a memory out dying in the hall

Tic-tock tic-tock those hands are spinning round
The pendulum swings, the chime it rings
But it ain’t slowing down
Not for me, not for you

Tic-tock tic-tock the shape of time ain’t round
It’s a linear thing to which we cling
But it ain’t slowing down
Not for me, not for you



Hand to Their Ear

Am I the only person who looks fondly back on the good old days when hardly anyone had a mobile phone? This song was written one night after being out with a group of friends who all were talking or texting on phones and hardly anyone paid much attention to the person sitting next to them... the actual time elapsed during this episode was about 5 minutes but at least I got a song out of it!
Words and Music Copyright © 2008 by Dave Cofell

We used to walk on down the street
We used to talk and say things that were sweet
I’d call you sweetheart, you’d call me dear
But now everyone’s got their hand to their ear

I’m in the store and I looking at some shirts
I heard a woman talking over in the skirts
She said she couldn’t wait till I could see her
But then I saw she had her hand to her ear

I’m on the freeway, driving in my car
Cars all around goin’ 80 miles and hour
It ain’t the old ladies in caddies I fear
It’s the new kid on the block who’s got his hand to his ear

Now we’re home together at the end of the day
I’d like to talk to you in the old fashioned way
I’d like to put my arms around you and hold you near
But every time I try you’ve got your hand to your ear

Every time I want to talk to you alone
I’ve got to call you up on your little-bitty phone
Times have changed, that much is clear
Now everybody’s got their hand to their ear



April Showers

Written a few years ago after a couple of particularly rainy weeks.
Words and Music Copyright © 2007 by Dave Cofell

I wake up and I open my eyes
My dream of you folds itself up and flies
Far away to where the sun always shines
But around here it seems like it is raining all the time

And the skies look cloudy and gray
And it may wash the dust and the dirt away
And it might bring the flowers in May
But it’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining today

The coffee that’s in my cup is two hours old
It wasn’t much good hot and it ain’t no better cold
I stare out my window through the pane(pain)
Outside all I can see is the rain

And the skies look cloudy and gray
And it may wash the dust and the dirt away
And it might bring the flowers in May
But it’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining today

It’s raining, it’s pouring
It’s the same old story all over
It’s raining, it’s pouring
It’s the same old story all over again



The Escape

A song about leaving a bad situation and heading into the unknown.
Words and Music Copyright © 1990 by Dave Cofell

There’s a north wind that blowin’ cold
There’s a south bound train that’s leaving soon
And I will be onboard and when it leaves I’ll be gone
I’m riding on

If I was a catfish I would swim
If I was a hawk I would fly
But I know for sure that if I stay on here
I will die

It’s a bad time for moving on
And it’s a cold night before the dawn
It’s a steep price to pay, such a bad time to go away
But nevertheless

There’s a place I know way down there
Where I can live without a care
That’s where I am bound, where this restless heart can settle down
I’m going there

There’s a north wind that blowin’ cold
There’s a south bound train that’s leaving soon
And I will be onboard and when it leaves I’ll be gone
I’m riding on



Love as a 4-Letter Word

Another one for Monica.
Words and Music Copyright © 1992 by Dave Cofell

We get up in the morning and we start our day
Kiss and go our separate ways
We work hard all day, come home and fade away

Sometimes you call during the afternoon
Just to say “hi baby, baby how ya doin’?”
Well, I’m doing fine, I love you so, I’ll see you soon

We once had a cat, that cat never purred
You petted it one time and that feline was cured
It must be true what I heard-
Love is more than just a 4-letter word

Sometimes at night there ain’t nothing for dinner
Not even a slice for the bread winner
You can have mine baby, I’ll just get a little thinner
It don’t matter to me at all as long as we are together

Sometimes at night there ain’t nothing for dinner
Not even a slice for the bread winner
You can have mine baby, I’ll just get a little thinner
It don’t matter to me at all as long as we are together

Sometimes I hear you singing, you sound just like a bird
It’s the most beautiful sound in the whole wide world
It must be true what I heard-
Love is more than just a 4-letter word
It must be true what I heard-
Love is more than just a 4- letter word
It must be true what I heard-
Love is more than just a 4-letter word



The Longline

A song that began as a train song and ended up being a life song. Just one of those metaphors that resonates well with me.
Words and Music Copyright © 1988 by Dave Cofell

Stretching on out the miles
Strength in standing through the trials
Out on the longline riding free
Forget about what you used to be

Peace laying out on the prairie
Always awake in the heart of the city
Out on the longline sweet and low
Never quite going where you want to go

Who’s to say where it will end
Who’s to say what’s up around the bend
Out on the longline running blind
Don’t slow down, don’t get behind

Did you see what just went by?
Did you catch it out of the corner of you eye?
Out on the longline running on
It’s too late to look now ‘cause it’s gone

Some folks get off early
Some folks go too far to see
Out on the longline running fast
How will you know if you’re the last?

Out on the longline riding free
Forget about what you used to be
Out on the longline sweet and low
Never quite going where you want to go
Out on the longline running blind
Don’t slow down, don’t get behind
Out on the longline running on
It’s too late to look now ‘cause it’s gone
Out on the longline running fast
How will you know if you’re the last?




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