KARI CARLTON

Drivin’ down that dusty road
You sitting’ by my side
Duke is lovin’ the bumpy road
Bouncing’ to your right

The 4 X 4 is all gassed up
And it’s packed up nice and tight
Once we find a perfect spot
We’ll settle for the night

CHORUS:
The bonfire is a raging’
Duke is standing guard
Making’ sure we’re left alone
Like he does in our front yard

I laid your favorite blanket down
Once I found that perfect place
I brought your favorite pillow
To rest your pretty face

I wish this night could last forever
As I hold you nice and tight
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be
Than here with you tonight

CHORUS:
The bonfire is a raging’
Duke is standing guard
Making’ sure we’re left alone
Like he does in our front yard

Your favorite song come on the radio
The moon lit up your smile
I know we been a talking’
‘Bout something’ for a while

I can’t find any reason
To keep on holdin’ out
You’re the only one in the world for me
You make me so damn proud

CHORUS:
The bonfire is a raging’
Duke is standing guard
Making’ sure we’re left alone
Like he does in our front yard

Let’s snuggle by the fire
And watch those blue flames dance
I can’t take my eyes off you
It’s more than just a glance

You have a sparkle in your eye
Everything’s just right
Surrounded by God’s glory
Let’s start our family here tonight

CHORUS:
The bonfire is a raging’
Duke is standing guard
Making’ sure we’re left alone
So he can play with our kids in the front yard

Far back in the mountains
Hidden in the trees
Your home with the cherry door
One of the most beautiful things

I always loved it there
The diners that you made
Eating on the swing
Rocking in the shade

CHORUS:
But once that cherry door closed
It wasn’t such a dream
You made sure you taught me
No one could hear me scream

I leave with bruises and broken bones
And everyone believes
I tripped on that broken log
just beneath the leaves

The only one it’s dangerous for.. IS ME

Your promises entice me
So I go back once more
You said it would stop
So I knock on that cherry door

CHORUS:
But once that cherry door closed
It wasn’t such a dream
You made sure you taught me
No one could hear a scream

With your hands wrapped around my throat
My ripped up clothes on the floor
All the pain and ugliness
Inside that cherry door

That day something stirred in me
And I managed to get out
All the things you did to me
Is all I thought about

Once more I knocked on that cherry door
Surrounded by the trees
It was a beautiful day
The birds’ songs in the breeze

You smiled at me and let me in
Carefully I crossed
Not only through the doorway
But my return from being lost

CHORUS:
As that cherry door closed
All bets were off
I remembered what you taught me
It’s time to make it stop

It’s time for you to learn
What you loved teaching me
You loved all that control
Now it’s you they won’t hear scream

I’m lying here in silence
My heart so full of pain
Miles of distance between us
My tears, they fall like rain

Sometimes things get rough
And the colors fade to black
My heart explodes inside
Watching you turn your back

CHORUS:
Every night I’d lay beside you
Singing our special song
I hold on to those memories
Because the good times, they are gone
I’m working so hard to know you
To get back what we had
Praying you will again want
Your mother and not just your dad

People try to comfort me
Saying it’s your age
That you’ll grow out of this
That it’s just a stage

I want to believe them
You’re growing with each new day
Your eyes are blank when you look at me
As you’re pushing me away

CHORUS:
Every night i laid beside you
Singing our special song
I hold on to those memories
Because the good times, they are gone
I’m working so hard to know you
To get back what we had
Praying you will want again Your mother and your dad

I’m living with a stranger
They say I’ll make it through
I just go through the motions
Because I don’t have you

CHORUS:
Every night I laid beside you
Singing our special song
I hold on dearly to those memories The good times, they are gone
I want to get to know you
And get back what we had
Praying you will want again
Your mother and your dad

Don’t you turn your back on me
Who the fxxx do you think you are?!
Seems like you’ve forgotten
How you’ve gotten where you are

I can’t take it all away
As easy as it came
But make no mistake
You’re digging your own grave

CHORUS:
You can try to hurt me
I won’t shed a tear
Soon you’re gonna find out
I’m your puppeteer

You can’t be made to dance?
Won’t let your body move?
Sit back and enjoy the show
While I put you in the groove

Taking what I had to give
You think that’s your only role?
Don’t worry, I’ll teach you
But I’ll do it nice and slow

See, I won’t let the likes of you
Destroy me or what I’ve built
And while you feel it slip away
What I won’t feel is guilt

CHORUS:
You can try to hurt me
But I won’t shed a tear
You’ve made a big mistake
Here comes your puppeteer

You can’t be made to dance?
Won’t let that body move?
Just sit right there and watch
As I put you in the groove

Straighten up and fly right
My daddy used to say
It really doesn’t matter now
It’s too late anyway

I hope they were worth it
All your fxxxing around
See the scissors by your strings?
It’s time to come crashing down

CHORUS:
You really wanted to hurt me
But I didn’t shed a tear
Now you’ve realized
You had a puppeteer

I watched you dance, your body moved
As promised I made you crash
You’ve been around enough to know
Broken things go in the trash

Right where you belong

You lit my cigarette
and asked me not to smoke
you took that cigarette and put it to your lips saying
“if you go, I go”

Looking at the stars as you spin me around
I felt I could go on forever
as you stopped me for a kiss,
I knew I wanted you forever

CHORUS:
A lifetime of pain
Never knowing which was worse
The broken bones, the bruises
Or the taunting with their words

This happens only in the movies
At least that’s what I thought
As a little girl
That’s all I was taught

But here you are, loving me
Despite me feeling broken
You’ve shown me such a world
Filled with only love and passion


CHORUS:
A lifetime of pain
Never knowing what I’d get
Broken bones, bruises
Things I could never forget

Dancing in the club that night
The entire world stood still
I felt your heart beat with mine
I couldn’t believe it was real

A new diamond on my finger
My past so far behind
So excited to celebrate
I found the impossible find

O- OH OH My life time of pain
O- OH OH You showed me a new way

CHORUS:
My lifetime of pain
They can’t hurt me again
That lifetime of pain
Has come to an end

Half a mile from home
And everything would change
In the blink of an eye
A drunk driver took you away

O- OH OH You were taken away
OH taken, taken
Taken, taken

You were taken away

Pull me off of these tracks now
Where is Superman?
OH- O O, who will untie me?
Tied to the tracks

I’m immobilized
O- O- O
I cannot move
The trains are speeding by

Please untie me
Hurry before it’s too late
How long will you leave me here
Leave me here to wait?

CHORUS:
Oh what do you wait for
Who do you want me to be
I do everything to make you happy
What is it you can’t see

I feel the track
It vibrates against my skin
What am I supposed to Oh-Oh
Why do you always have to win

CHORUS:
Oh what do you wait for
Who should I be for you
How come I’m not good enough Oh, Oh
What do you want me to do

Oh untie me Pleeeeeeeeeease
Hurry before it’s too late
How long will you leave me here
Leave me here to wait?

I feel the vibration
It’s getting stronger
Coming faster
Rushing toward me

CHORUS:
What were you waiting for
I did everything and you chose not to see
I can’t stay tied here
It’s time to rescue me

I’m untying myself
I see I don’t need you
You’d have left me there
I deserve better- that’s truth

O, Oh untie me and set me free
O, Oh you just let me be
O, Oh now it’s up to me

There’s a sea of black umbrellas
Protection from the rain
But there is no protection
From this horrifying pain

Everyone is gathered
I wish you could see this
You didn’t think they’d notice
Didn’t think that you’d be missed

CHORUS:
But you did it anyway
It didn’t matter what I said
So you did it anyway
Now there’s an empty hole instead
Why’d you do it, anyway?
We were all here on your side
You selfishly did it anyway
There hasn’t been a minute we haven’t cried

Thank you for the pieces
Of all our shattered souls
Guess who gets to clean up your mess
And try to patch up all these holes

Were you too proud to ask for help?
I see that’s served you well
If you were standing here
I’d say “go to hell”

Didn’t you care what this would do?

CHORUS:
But you did it anyway
It didn’t matter what I said
So you did it anyway
Now there’s an empty hole instead
Why’d you do it, anyway?
We were all here on your side
You selfishly did it anyway
There hasn’t been a minute we haven’t cried

Now I have to live with guilt
For cursing what you’ve done
What if I can’t forgive you?
I’ll have to live my life dealing with this one

I pray the anger goes away
For every life you shattered
My sister, my best friend
I told you your life mattered

CHORUS:
But you did it anyway
It didn’t matter what I said
So you did it anyway
Now there’s an empty hole instead
Why’d you do it, anyway?
We were all here on your side
You selfishly did it anyway
Not a minute we haven’t cried