Here is my 'Lyrics Only' entry to the 2008 USA Songwriting Competition and to the American Songwriter Magazine Lyrics Contest for the Sept./Oct. 2008 edition. Winners won't be announced till Fall so at this point I am waiting. I wrote this as a Country song because I thought it was the best 'fit'. I would love to hear your reactions / critique / input. Thank you.

So Good to be Home

INTRO
As the hurricane was slowing down
inside of that cup,
with the heavy sound of stacking plates
somethin’ made me look up.
Through the glass I watched him off that bus,
and as he made his way on through the door.
He dropped his heavy bag down on the floor,
before he took that stool right next to me.
And I could see...
He’d traveled 7000 mile or more
just to get to that day.
With only 40 miles ahead,
I said I was going that way.
Then with breakfast done, I spun those wheels.
And while I drove he spoke of how it feels...
...so good to be home!

And he said to me...
VERSE 1
“The blue sky's so big back home
with lots of space for clouds to roam.
And they’ll be carrying rain to rows of corn.
You'll see a...a sea of grain the road goes through,
when the south wind blows, it waves hello to you.
It's gonna welcome me back along the way.
We've got...old barns that still stand tall,
with bales of hay that climb the walls.
And there's a...a clear lake on the edge of town
where the Small-mouths dance in the rays comin’ down.
Oh they’ll be fighting our lines...
...man I miss those days.

CHORUS 1
I started countin’ down the hours,
but I can't wait another minute.
I say it doesn't spell HOME
without ME in it
by a better kind of fire
that crackles in the night.
Family pictures on the walls
share the flickering light.
It looks so good to me.
And it feels so good to be
...so good to be home!

VERSE 2
The front yard is gonna look so grand
to these tall black boots whose souls are tired of sand.
Oh they’ll be taking a leave up on that porch.
In the...the last letter from my dad, he wrote
that the old gray house needs a brand new coat.
Still I know, inside it’s gonna feel so warm.
My mama hates it when the screen door slams,
But I know she's gonna love it
when it’s me that’s walkin’ in.
And I...I can't wait to make my mama cry.... (pause)
She’s gonna wrap herself around me
as the tears’ll fill her smile.
How I miss that smile…

CHORUS 2
Well...I’ve been countin’ down the hours,
but I can't wait another minute.
Ya know it doesn't spell HOME
without ME in it
by a better kind of fire
that crackles in the night.
Family pictures on the walls
share the flickering light.
It looks so good to me.
And it feels so good to be
...so good to be home!

BRIDGE
It feels good with the shape I'm in,
but I know she's gonna tell me that I'm much too thin.
Oh it smells so good; its gonna taste so great
But the pie's still coolin’ so she's makin’ me wait.
….Noooo!!!!

CHORUS 3
Well...I’ve been countin’ down the hours,
but I can't wait another minute.
I said it doesn't spell HOME
without ME in it
by a better kind of fire
that crackles in the night.
Can’t you see it all now
in the flickering light?
Oh it looks so good to me.
And it feels so good to be
...so good to be home!”

CLOSING
Before I could bring it to a stop,
well he just jumped right out,
tossed that bag down on the lawn
and ran straight for the house….

Now every time I turn a spoon
around the sugar and cream,
I smile and think about that moment
when he let that screen door fly,
“so good to be…”
and I heard his mama’s scream.
…“home!”

© 2008 Troy T. Douglas