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Big Dreams and the Bottom Line

by John Lester

supported by
Steve Lawson
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Steve Lawson I so love this album - John's songs have been part of the soundtrack to my life for 15 years, since we first met in London and he came on tour with Michael Manring and I. Time has been very kind to this album, and it still sounds wonderful. You need it. :) Favorite track: I Saw You.
Rene bolders
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Rene bolders Steve Lawson brought this album to my attention, I tried it, bought it and love it !!
Thank you Steve
/
1.
The Ways of a Woman words and music by John Lester How many Gods can man create That turn him away from the love of his chosen one His perfect mate No I don't know why We've sacrificed All the Ways of a Woman How many demons did our deities really burn What priestly purpose could wipe out all the lives of those Who helped the souls safe return Through the healings And through a healthy birth And through the Ways of a Woman She gave us life And she gives us love She's the earth and our connection to the heavens above For all our saviors where born of her I feel it's time that the world return To the Ways of a Woman Open your ears and let history speak The tales of a time when the strength of a man Didn't mean his partner was weak She had the magic of the moon Her cycle kept the world in tune To the Ways of a Woman Now does the bible really lead you to believe All it took was Adam's rib and less than half a day To start the beauty of Eve No that was just a metaphor Just an open door Into the Ways of a Woman How did the power people miss the point Is Jesus Christ crying because the power to anoint Was simply stolen from his mothers hands When it really didn't matter That he gave his message to us as a man I've often wonder How can our world survive With all this separateness and pride And as a man I'll cry out to all my brothers Maybe we can build a better race If we might only just embrace The Ways of a Woman ©John Lester
2.
On My Own 03:42
On My Own lyrics and music John Lester I'm packing up my lessons But I'm leaving my regrets I'm moving through this opening door But I'm not closing it With one thing after another It may feel like I'm falling down But it's just the world and it's funny way Of turning my head around In the right direction So now I I'm gonna take a little walk on my own again It really doesn't mean that I don't love you I'm on my own So now the rhythm of our love May soon grow distant through these coming years But I will not forget Because in my heart it reappears And it beats just a little bit louder Than I believe it ever has It sings for all our good times And it cries for what we thought was so bad But now I know that we taught each other well So now I I'm gonna take a little walk on my own again It really doesn't mean that I don't love you I'm on my own With so many burning bridges I'm gonna get right down in the river and ford this stream I'm gonna let the water wash over me And I'll bathe all of my dreams So now I I'm gonna take a little walk on my own again It really doesn't mean that I don't love you I'm on my own ©John Lester
3.
I Saw You 02:57
I Saw You lyrics and music by John Lester I saw you Waking ‘round in my dreams It’s been more than a time or two And I think I know what that means I saw you Slip away into the night But I just kept on dreaming Of bringing you into the light Now you stand before me Your like a long lost friend And though we’ve really never met Well it’s good to see you again I know this must sound crazy But I’ve missed you for sometime I’ve seen you’ve been searching And I know that I’ve been on your mind Because I saw you Waking ‘round in my dreams It’s been more than a time or two And I think I know what that means I saw you Slip away into the night But I just kept on dreaming Of bringing you into the light Of a life That I knew I would always have Of the woman That could help make me a better man Of the light of a love That could turn this night to day I’ve been watching and waiting So believe me when I say that I saw you Waking ‘round in my dreams It’s been more than a time or two And I think I know what that means I saw you Slip away into the night But I just kept on dreaming I just kept on dreaming ©John Lester
4.
Two 03:22
Two lyrics and music by John Lester There’s a tale that’s been tossed around It started long ago moved from town to town It wove through country, church, and state It’s the story of man and his very first mate Word of mouth passed for centuries Then a thousand times re-written down for us to read Is a very long legend that some literally believe It says first came Adam, second came Eve But in the dawn of me and you How could there be one before the other Perhaps there were Two Just Two When I look into my world I see A very certain inclination towards duality What would we be without our opposite And what would we attract without this perfect fit But in our recent race for equality We’ve stated nothing now more separate than he and she It seems so simple why aren’t we aware That the essence of life is always found as a pair So in the dawn of me and you How could there be one before the other Perhaps there were two Just Two Oh our mother and our father were once One There was only one beginning for God’s daughter and God’s son And when all this One Love wanted was to share the love it knew Then there was only one thing One Love could do It became Two It doesn’t make a bit of sense To preach the past here in this present tense If we’re going to start a brand New Age I think it’s time we ought to turn the page If simply keep old words divine We won’t have our minds open in this modern time All the kings horses and all the kings men Well they died long ago so someone grab a pen And write the dawn of me and you Didn’t start with one before the other There were Two ©John Lester
5.
Broken 06:22
Broken words and music by John Lester So now all's been said and done I thought the truth might ease our minds But the truth just makes two very separate sides That we each defend But if I'd only tied To give ourselves just a little time Some time to leave the fragile space behind Maybe we'd part as friends But I've broken all that you and I would ever be For my anger and my pride, it never lets me see That each change must start in me But now it's grown to late to mend What I've broken What I've broken But life goes on and on And like two river's to the sea There's no real end to you or me And though we part maybe we'll meet again But in the stillness that I greet There's one reflection Of a willow weeping with the breeze It's telling me I should have learned to bend Because I've broken all that you and I would ever be For my anger and my pride never let me see That the change must start in me And now it's grown to late to mend What I've broken What I've broken Why do I always try To dig so deep inside When there's a time for letting go And you think by now I'd know Because I've broken all that you and I would ever be For my anger and my pride, it never let me see That the change must come from me And now it's grown to late to mend What I've broken What I've broken What I've broken ©John Lester
6.
The Happy Man lyrics and music by John Lester The happy man doesn’t have my status And he’ll never earn the money I make The happy man catches sideways glances ‘cause everybody thinks he’s Mother Nature’s mistake But the happy man doesn’t have any problems ‘cause his mind doesn’t think that way The happy man can’t worry ‘bout the future So the happy man just lives for today He lives for today He lives for today The happy man has some trouble when he’s walkin’ So he dances all the time The happy man takes the long way home Because he never could keep a straight line The happy man doesn’t carry any baggage ‘cause he never knows if he’s gonna stay The happy man can’t worry ‘bout the future So then happy man just lives for today He lives for today He lives for today Maybe I was given too much in this life Or I’ve got too much time to think about what’s not going right Because a little slow kid like we all teased in school Has worked it all out while I’m still playin’ the fool Maybe he’s here to help me understand It really doesn’t have to take alot To be a happy man To be a happy man The happy man likes to yell real loud As he passes by my little coffee shack The happy man likes the sound of his voice As it bounces of the walls of our cul-de-sac A passer by asks me “why’s he do that” And I give the only answer I can Though the guys a little slow, there’s one thing that I know, He’s a very happy man And I hear him singin’ Yea-e-yea-e-yea-e-yea-e-yea… ©John Lester
7.
The Heart of Our Family lyrics by John Lester music by Chris Chernesky There's something on my mind I'd like you to know So I'm taking a little of your time To tell you before you go I've been living a good life Out on my own I've been taking so many chances Knowing I could always come home I am you And you are me I'm a flower that sprung from your seed And it's your love that's helped me to grow So as I walk out into my world I won't stand alone I'll always carry the heart of our family Even after you go ©John Lester
8.
Out of the Clear Blue Sky words and music by John Lester When I was a young man So many troubles seemed to come my way I didn’t see that I sewed the seeds of my anger They grew a little every day Always a battle for my ways And always someone else to blame So many enemies But never did I wonder from whence they came I never stopped to look inside To see if I held the reasons why The world was coming at me From out of the clear blue sky Now comes a time When my country’s also come of age A hell hit the homeland And everyone is rightfully filled with rage The president’s pointing his finger And from the pulpit I heard him say We’re one nation under God and by God We’re gonna get ‘em back one day With no admission to reasons why He put all the blame on another side And said the Evil One came at us From out of the clear blue sky Call me a traitor Say I’m a coward not a patriot Well I know we had to strike back I just don’t think we’ve planned the hardest battle yet How many fights for freedom Will we wage while the peace is denied And is that peace just a prayer we make on Sundays And hope that God to bless upon us From out of the clear blue sky They were crazy They were evil and they were wrong But the weak take a desperate measure When they’re backed into the corner by a foe to strong My brother, my sister My countryman, and my friend I think we’d better take a really hard look at ourselves If we want to keep this from happening again And if we search beyond our pride Perhaps we’ll find an answer that has long been denied And peace will reign upon us From out of the clear blue sky ©John Lester
9.
Reach Out 05:03
Reach Out words and music by John Lester I'm gonna reach out And hold on to the positive I'm gonna reach out And shake the judgement tree Don't always need to talk about All the petty little problems that are and will always be Instead I'm gonna reach out Reach out with me I heard it in the Rasta man's song I bathed in the Reggae on the River and the whole daylong He sang of peace, love, and living in harmony But when I returned to my normal day I heard the critical voice of my America say That’s just dreadlocks and drugs But we stand in our own way, unless we I'm gonna reach out And hold on to the positive I'm gonna reach out And shake the judgement tree Don't always need to talk about All the petty little problems that are and will always be Instead I'm gonna reach out Reach out with me I read it in a book that they call the Koran And now the I Ching shows me all the balances of man But the right side of religion says there's only one word to read If we're all to reach for the highest peak Then while I travel from the west my brother journeys from the East And we could both help each other through the obstacles we meet, if we just I'm gonna reach out And hold on to the positive I'm gonna reach out And shake the judgement tree Don't always need to talk about All the petty little problems that are and will always be Instead I'm gonna reach out Reach out with me Believe what you believe But you’ve gotta set your neighbor free We can all spread our wings in flight If we stop wasting energy making wrong from right, instead I'm gonna reach out And hold on to the positive I'm gonna reach out And shake the judgement tree Don't always need to talk about All the petty little problems that are and will always be Instead I'm gonna reach out Reach out with me The positive vibration Makes its way into every religion So reach out The positive vibration Doesn't recognize the borders of a nation So reach out We gotta reach out ©John Lester
10.
Sister 04:35
Sister lyrics and music by John Lester She’s not a lover, not the mother that this world would have me need She’s not a friend or the woman sent to one day marry me And yet she’s cared to share with me all my joys and all my fears She’s at my side, standing by and she will be all my years Sister I live this life with you Just like heaven meant for me to do With me at my infancy we shared a common world Together while we faced the trials of a young boy and little girl When I didn’t understand the brand new man that I would turn into Just across the hall, I’d often call on the sage in my siblings room Sister I live this life with you Just like heaven meant for me to do A healer, a teacher, an old soul stands next to me A beauty, a bright light, a true love is what I see A friend from forever, a partner at every turn Now all I can offer, I offer her in return For sister I live this life with you Just like heaven meant for me to do The prophets say it’s no mistake we pick the lives we do Our parents, friends, and family all teach the lessons our souls choose For all the joys and trials in life I picked a sibling on this earth She’s helped set free the voice in me so now I sing my song for her For sister I live this life with you Just like heaven meant for me to do ©John Lester
11.
Your Tattoo 03:53
Your Tattoo words and music by John Lester I can't hear the rhythm and blues And I can't see the pictures hanging in your room I don't remember the conversations that we had And lord I just can't say if this is good or if it's bad The years keep stealing memories, as if we had never met Father time just stands there laughing as he tosses each regret But the hour glass won't bury all the passion we once knew I just can't forget Your tattoo I just can't forget Your tattoo Didn't I tell you Not to scar your body so What a misconception I decided sight unseen but how was I to know The imprint on your body would leave an image in my brain So many days now stand between us But each second will remain Caught within a symbol that the midnight artist drew I just can't forget Your tattoo I just can't forget Your tattoo The years keep stealing memories as if we had never met Father time just stands there laughing as he tosses each regret But the hour glass won't bury all the passion we once knew I just can't forget Your tattoo I just can't forget Your tattoo ©John Lester
12.
The Garden 03:42
The Garden words and music by John Lester I'd like to start a garden But no seeds will I sow I've buried all my hopes and dreams And I'm tending them while they grow It's a garden where your wishes all come true If you give them space and time Would you like to start a garden You can plant your row of wishes right beside mine ©John Lester

credits

released August 25, 2003

John Lester - vocals, electric and acoustic basses, acoustic guitar
Paulo Baldi - percussion
Celso Alberti - drums
Jean Michel-Huré - additional guitar on "Broken"
Scott Underwood - drums on "Broken"

Recorded all over the place.
Cast of engineers: Celso Alberti, John Archambaut, Jeff Martin, Michael Rosen, Benji Faquhar, Raphael Huygues, Paul Scemam, and Kenny Jones.
Mastered by Andy Jackson at TubeMastering, London
Cover art by Myrna Shoa

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John Lester San Francisco, California

Award-winning singer-songwriter, bassist and multi-instrumentalist.

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