Road Jam
Song List & Lyrics:
To play a song or a tune
To play whatever they can play
As long as they wish to stay
It doesn't matter how it sounds
We can turn it around
Chorus:
Let's rock 'til the night is done
Let's rock 'til the morning sun
Let's rock 'til we've played it all
Let's rock 'til the neighbours hit the walls
Feel the rhythm of the beat
Feel the bass through our feet
It makes me feel so alive
Playing guitar on overdrive
So plug it in, play it loud
It doesn't seem right to go without
[Chorus]
It doesn't matter how it sounds
We can turn it around
[Chorus]
I know it's true
But every path that I seem to take,
Takes me away from you
Every chance that I take
I come back to here
Every time that I seem to reach
You're farther than you appear
I'll try and get to you
My dulce vida
But I must remember All roads lead to salida
I'll try and get to you
My dulce vida
But I must remember
All roads lead to salida
A train whistles on the breeze
The highway whispers through the air
As I swing beneath the maple trees
Let’s play ball in the fields
I always enjoyed the games we played
Let’s cool off with a swim
And swim away the summer days
Chorus:
I remember those country days
I remember the fun we had
I remember those country days
So far away
Camping out beneath the stars
Coyotes have something to say
The crickets blanket the night
The constellations light the way
[Chorus]
Exploring around the grey wood barn
Let’s hide and seek before we rest
Climbing log fences and sand hills
A dinner at night with nature’s best
I remember those country days
I remember the fun we had
I enjoyed all those country days
So close to me
Yet I feel so alone
So many people going about their day
I've started again on my own
Chorus: I'm not sure what I should do
Send it all or just a few
I'm not sure what I should do
I'm sure it will come soon
So many people look at me
Not really knowing what they see
It didn't matter if I was on my own
But now it seems to bother me
[Chorus]
So many friends surround me
Yet I feel so alone
But I will do what's at hand
To reach whomever I can
[Chorus]
Every sight that I've seen
This world I know has so much to offer
With each place that I've been
I'll keep on going to my destination
Always enjoying the ride
I can't describe my observations
Or what I feel inside
Nothing to do, no worries to carry
I left it all behind
Chorus:
So let the sun shine down on me
So let the sun shine
So let the sun shine down on me
So let the sun shine on me
Everything seems so new to me
Taking a trip beyond my mind
It feels so good to see with my eyes
A world which I've yet to find
[Chorus]
So I can see the world I know
So I can see what makes it go
So I can see the beauty of everything around
[Chorus 2x]
And I don't know where you are
But sometimes you come back to me
In the night under the stars
Chorus: I don't know if it's true
But I hope I found my way to you
Whenever I dream of you
Do you dream of me too?
So many nights when I'm asleep
You are there 'til I awake
And in the morning something's gone
I don't know how much I can take
[Chorus]
Every time you're there in the night
Everything just feels so right
As the room is lit by the light
I don't know what I should do
[Chorus]
Whenever I dream of you
Do you dream of me too?
I was hoping for more days
It's so hard to comprehend
Now that you've gone away
I know the pain will fade
And the memories will stay
(Will stay)
I'll remember all those times
All the laughs that we shared
All the silly things I'd do
Just to see what you'd say
I know the pain will fade
And the memories will stay
Chorus:
But right now I feel like running
But right now I feel like running
Running to nowhere
So here's a song to you
I doubt it'll be the last
You'll always be with me
No matter what comes to pass
I know the pain will fade
And the memories will stay
[Chorus]
Running to nowhere
Running to nowhere
Running to nowhere
Running to nowhere
Thanks for the joy you shared
Now that it's time to go
It makes me feel sad
But I've been told I know
Chorus:
Into the darkness I will go
It's been a good time, I should know
But I should go now from this light
As I jet off into the night
As the moon rises
Beyond the path I chose
The stars I can see
As we say our goodbyes
[Chorus 3x]
And I know I'd seen you before
We started moving to the music
We didn't know what was in store
As the night continued on
We kept on going strong
Chorus:
We always thought this would last
We didn't know it would pass
Somewhere we lost how to move
Sorry I stopped the groove
I cannot feel the music now
We've lost it somehow
Somewhere along the way
The music would not stay
Now it seems our groove is gone
I don't know where I went wrong
[Chorus]
Sorry I stopped the groove
Sorry I stopped the groove
Sorry I stopped the groove
Sorry I stopped the groove
[Chorus]
If I knew what was to come
Would I feel this sorrow?
Chorus:
Where are the days I used to remember?
Everything has unraveled
So much I have done
I feel there's so much to do
I feel no one else feels the same
With every thought, in every way
I just don't play the right game
[Chorus 2x]
The sun lights up the room
The summer breeze fills the air
I feel the warmth that it brings
In the back stands an apple tree
It's fruit we would enjoy
The birds I hear they sing to me
Of the days we would share
Chorus:
All these thoughts I still recall
But so much has changed
And though the rocketship is gone
The lighthouse still remains
Often times I'd stick around
To enjoy a bite or two
Above the fridge the radio
Plays the songs beyond this time
[Chorus]
I remember those times
How I do miss those times
Now that you're gone
Now that you're gone
Going down to the park
We would ride on the swings
Each and everyone of us
Would play tag beneath the trees
[Chorus 2x]
Beneath the trees I feel the high
Resting next to a mountain lake
Reflecting the landscape
Chorus:
I feel at peace beneath the western pines
I feel at peace beneath the mountain sky
The silence washes over me
The air shares a memory
The view takes my breath away
A moment I must save for another day
[Chorus 2x]
I know we'll meet again soon
But better days are ahead
For both you and I
One more for the road my friend
Though I may not be far behind
Though this place I must admit
Still offers me so much
But it's so hard to get by
Without a chance to try
One more for the road my friend
Though I may not be far behind
One more for the road then I'll be out the door
Not sure where I'm going but it's some place
I've never been before
Though each path must end
And we must say goodbye again
Memories often fade
Into a dream they will degrade
One more for the road my friend
Though I may not be far behind
Though I may not be far behind
Though I may not be far behind
Though I may not be far behind
Though I may not be far behind
But only time can reveal
When I'll be back
Please tell me so I'll relax
Chorus:
I'll be back one more time
I'll be back to say goodbye
I don't like to leave things undone
I want to end before I run
But I hope I'll do what I can
But I hope that you'll understand
[Chorus]
Taking it easy
No one around
Keeping myself busy
With nothing I have found
I'll take it easy
I'll take it easy
I'll take it easy for sure
[Chorus 2x]
All songs written by Kevin Ballantyne except where noted
With a gap of about 9 years since my last album, Road Jam reflects events and ideas from nearly the last decade. As usual, most, if not all, songs on this album originate from personal experiences.
‘Let's Rock’ is based on a jam with some friends. We played until the neighbours hit the walls.
Both ‘Aninaatig’ and ‘Jet Off Into The Night’ are based on one place, my aunt and uncle's farm near Perth, Ontario. The farm was named Aninaatig meaning 'maple tree' in Ojibwe. The former song is based on my childhood memories of the farm. Although 'Jet Off Into The Night' was something a friend of mine once said, the words are based on the many times we bid farewell to my uncle as we left the farm at night.
‘Running To Nowhere’ I wrote about the passing of a good friend of mine in 2021. This album is dedicated to his memory.
‘The Rocketship Is Gone’ is about some of my memories of my grandparents' house in Elmvale Acres, a community it Ottawa. I wrote the chorus while I was driving around the neighbourhood. As a child, I always remembered a lighthouse, rocketship and train outside the Museum of Science & Technology. However, on this drive I noticed the rocketship was gone. I was relieved to see the lighthouse was still there as a reminder of my childhood. While somethings may change, other things can stay the same.
There are a few songs that I wrote based on some of my travels. The title of ‘All Roads Lead To Salida’ came when I was in Chile and my cousin and I saw all these signs pointing to 'salida'. My cousin said "I guess all roads lead to salida" without us knowing that 'salida' means exit. The chorus to ‘Let The Sun Shine On Me’ I wrote while on a high-speed train in Japan. ‘The Western Pines’ is about my experience when going for a short hike at Whistler in British Columbia.
‘One More For The Road’ is about looking for new opportunities in life as I wrote it around the time I was looking for work.