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Into The Heartbeat

by Jim Ballard

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1.
Into The Heartbeat 05:08
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Into The Heartbeat I can hear the choirboys singin sad out on the block Where they’re pitchin dimes keepin time with the hands on a broken downtown clock But i never see their faces in the glow of the marquee light Til i step into the heartbeat of the city night Hand on my heater in my blue two seater breakin through that fifty five Gonna cruise every lot with everything i’ve got when i see you i’m gonna come alive Now its a whirlwind tour its a bust for sure We gonna cruise the sites Gonna drive into the heartbeat of the city night ‘Cause in the heartbeat of the city night In the eye of the storm we’re gonna be alright Gonna go for it all out on the edge of the night But when you hit the inside lane Rushin’ through your veins Is the poundin of the heartbeat of the city night Black girl white girl lamp post ladies such desire in their eyes Two by two the perfumed virgin queens in drag disguise Call out to the young boys open shirts and jeans so tight To come into the heartbeat of the city night ‘Cause in the heartbeat of the city night In the eye of the storm we’re gonna be alright Gonna go for it all out on the edge of the night But when you hit the inside lane Rushin’ through your veins Is the poundin of the heartbeat of the city night So put your ear to the heated blacktop lane Like an outlaw listening for a poundin train There’s a passion poundin in my veins tonight You can hear this city breathin in breathin out In every sound from the street you can hear it shout Gonna hit the wall take it all wanna break out tonight Now the choirboys are fast asleep doorway dreams to fill their heads The drunken angels settle in for the night twisted blue jeans for a bed Their engines cold and quiet hold their breath til the time is right To explode into the heartbeat of the city night ‘Cause in the heartbeat of the city night In the eye of the storm we’re gonna be alright Gonna go for it all out on the edge of the night But when you hit the inside lane Rushin’ through your veins Is the poundin of the heartbeat of the city night
2.
Shot In The Dark 03:35
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Shot In The Dark Jackie he’s a shooter but he ain’t no shark Walkin on the high side His bag’s a ten suiter ‘cause he never miss his mark Talkin all about the free ride Keep a lotta money In his Detroit bank You know he never make a slop shot Don’t do good english but he always say thanks It’s easy when you’re playin hot Just a shot in the dark Just a turn of the key Just a shot in the dark Coulda been you or me Steel Street Stevie put his whammy on the waitress Down at the streetcar diner Sayin the rap he’s layin is nothin less than serious You know that boy’s sneakin up behind her Later on that night when the city’s locked up tight And the race for the first place is over In his middle model car beneath a street lamp star That boy’s an urban Cassanova Just a shot in the dark Just a turn of the key Just a shot in the dark Coulda been you or me The graveyard shift at the all night cafe that’s the Only life Judy’s ever had Been a lotta years since she cried her last tears and she Walked out on her mama and her dad Now all her friends are happy she’s out in Hollywood Soon to be a risin star (her letters say) Studyin scenes on the silver screens from the Front seat of her Chevrolet Just a shot in the dark Just a turn of the key Just a shot in the dark Coulda been you or me
3.
Communications Breakdown 03:22
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Communications Breakdown I received your message a little too late Somethin musta told me you wouldn’t wait I hurried in the night air I drove until dawn I asked around everywhere but you were already gone Already gone It was a breakdown in communications all down the line Breakdown in communications this time Always meant to tell ya I wanted you the most I thought I had your signal but I was pickin up a ghost Now the telephone’s an echo in an empty flat I don’t wanna let go but I don’t know where you’re at Where you’re at It was a breakdown in communications all down the line Breakdown in communications this time Musta been a blizzard on the other side of town Lightnin in the main grid All the lines are down Wanna try the grapevine Even word of mouth But every rumor has it you’ve already headed south Headed south It was a breakdown in communications all down the line Breakdown in communications this time Breakdown Breakdown Breakdown Breakdown
4.
Partners In Crime 03:57
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Partners In Crime Up in the morning, climbin outta bed Wrestle with the traffic jam in your head Thinkin up ways to get around the man Out in the city tryin to make it pay Til the sun goes down at the end of the day Settlin in to try and make a stand Make a stand Pushin me pullin me Don’t give me time Pushin me pullin me Partners in crime Sell em forty hours adjust to mental block One eye on the window one eye on the clock Patiently markin off another day Then you hit the sidewalk head in a cloud Comin down to find you’re just a face in the crowd Just another actor waitin for a play So ya say Pushin me pullin me Don’t give me time Pushin me pullin me Partners in crime Oh Oh Oh this is just a feelin I’ve got.... Home at five thirty disconnect the phone Throw away the paper eat dinner alone Usin up time just to pass the time Just like a late night movie on the air When the story don’t take you anywhere Grabbin at straws just to make it rhyme Make it rhyme that’s no crime Pushin me pullin me Don’t give me time Pushin me pullin me Partners in crime
5.
I Call Your Name 04:26
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I Call Your Name On the edge of town on a rainy night in a rusted out borrowed van Starin out at the city lights a letter in my hand You know you always said it would come to this but I just laughed in your face Well never mind, you never miss what you never had anyway And I call your name just like you told me I should And I call your name but it doesn’t do me any good I’ve forgotten the names, I’ve forgotten the faces, whispered promises I made But it all comes back when you run out of aces and your dreams begin to fade Then time will track you down, catch you in your stride, overtake you on the run Just when you think you got it on your side it’ll show you what you never got done And I call your name just like you told me I should And I call your name but it doesn’t do me any good Broken and busted, drunk and disgusted, not a nickel to my name Reasons are useless, they’re only excuses and excuses all seem so lame Now there’s a card game goin in the Empress Hotel I guess I’ll ante up and go What was on your mind its hard to tell I guess I’ll never know And I call your name just like you told me I should And I call your name but it doesn’t do me any good It doesn’t do me any good It doesn’t do me any good
6.
Rag Tag Gypsies 04:23
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RagTag Gypsies The rain fell hard on the stony street soakin through my jeans soakin through my feet But its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight I was up in the alley when the deal went down I was talkin to Noah he was leavin town And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by I been to the city where the women are mean been out on the street where they love like machines And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight I saw Jesus out walkin with Robin Hood he said there ain’t no heroes in this neighborhood And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by Now Matt the Cat be your friend sometime cause he knows what its like to be scufflin for dimes And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight ‘Cause if you do what you say and say what you do there aint nobody who can argue with you And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by So here’s to all of you dreamin dreams Sittin in school rooms comin loose at the seams Workin a job with your eyes on the clock Waitin for some magic ship to dock It feels so good when you’re under the lights you forget your troubles you forget your fights And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight Then you sit em all down and you tell em the story how you stood all alone on the field of glory And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight ‘Cause the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by So i found myself somewhere in hollywood they were talkin in tongues like i knew they would And its alright its alright gonna make it home tonight And the ragtag gypsies get by Yeah the ragtag gypsies get by
7.
Borrowed Time 04:28
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Borrowed Time They towed my car late last night from the River street lot The cops say I can get it back alright but it’ll take all the jack i got Well what’s the use in cryin’ it ain’t quite livin but it ain’t like dyin Oh oh I called your number all night long from a one armed telephone You didn’t answer maybe i got it wrong but i ended up walkin home Well what’s the use in cryin’ it ain’t quite livin but it ain’t like dyin Oh oh Oh oh I’m livin on borrowed time I got to have ya but ya just ain’t mine I’m livin I’m livin on borrowed time Love’s in decline Keeps me behind This borrowed time I saw you on the avenue you had not changed that much But I wouldn’t know what to say to you you were always in such a rush Well hell what’s the use in cryin’ it ain’t quite livin but it ain’t like dyin Oh Oh I’m livin on borrowed time I got to have ya but ya just ain’t mine I’m livin I’m livin on borrowed time Love’s in decline Keeps me behind This borrowed time
8.
Too Many Mornings 03:51
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Too Many Mornings Warm days in the summer Hot sun on your skin Cool nights with a lover If I live a thousand years I couldn’t shed another tear I just wanted you to hear me tell you Lovers come and lovers go It don’t seem to matter what you do Mornings come and mornings go Been too many mornings without you Day break like a thunder Night dreams disappear Leavin me here to wonder Was it somethin that I said on the street or on your bed Did you want someone instead of me now Lovers come and lovers go It don’t seem to matter what you do Mornings come and mornings go Been too many mornings without you Step out of your silence Open up your heart to me Sail back from your island Say whatever’s on your mind did I treat you so unkind You got me feelin like a blind man fallin Lovers come and lovers go It don’t seem to matter what you do Mornings come and mornings go Been too many mornings without you Been too many mornings without you Been too many mornings without you
9.
Midnight On Main Street 04:11
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Midnight On Main Street On the rainsoaked ransacked hard packed street Where the steamin stone sidewalk pounds hard against your feet The words of love lie forever in concrete A thousand different sounds all make one drivin beat In the oil can blackness in the neon glare The buses crawl by leavin diesel in the air The ladies on the corner make you stop and stare Its alright its alright its alright there Its Midnight on main street Gotta sing it right gotta play it sweet Midnight on main street Midnight The king’s cruisin losin everything on four wheels The joker is a smoker the queen isn’t real The jack and his smack says he’s ready to deal While the sidewalk saviour gonna help you to heal Whisky Dick the fat man is glad to take your bet You can get rich quick but you ain’t rich yet A handful of wishes boy is all that you get When you’re clean outta jack he won’t let you forget ‘Cause its Midnight on main street Gotta sing it right gotta play it sweet Midnight on main street Midnight The vacant lot ladies in the back room bars Cling to the tails of the sidewalk stars Saxophone sounds on the car radio And the dragsters wait for the green light go They explode in the night like a magnum forty five Gotta move fast if you wanna survive Sally’s in the alley and she’s dressed for killin Lookin for young Johnny who’s ready and willin He’s leavin in the mornin goin back to oil drillin But tonight he’s breakin all the hearts just like a movie villain The chubby kid walks with a pistol on his hip He knows where its at but he don’t let it slip Gettin lost in crowded streets on the concrete strip Til the dawn breaks water like the prow of a ship Midnight on main street Gotta sing it right gotta play it sweet Midnight on main street Midnight
10.
Rollin' With The Punches 04:01
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Rollin’ With The Punches I saw your picture yesterday the headline said you’re doin ok Rollin with the punches stayin alive But it ain’t been so long since you been down scufflin in the alleys on the backside o town Rollin with the punches you’ll survive But ya left it all now and ya don’t look back hid your trail well ya covered your tracks Rollin with the punches doin fine Ah but I know better ‘cause I knew ya when ya never broke ‘cause ya knew how to bend Rollin with the punches down the line I remember when you were still in school Rollin with the punches you never let on you were nobody’s fool in your own time You gambled low and ya gambled high Rollin with the punches So now you got yer smoke and you got yer coke Rollin with the punches beat all the odds and by ‘n by down the line and yer english cars and that ain’t no joke it never ends And your friends surround you with pretty lies such a shame such a shame such a thin disguise Rollin with the punches such good friends Good good friends I hear your name in every conversation It ain’t no secret it ain’t anything new But when the time comes down And you’re out on the street Don’t say you knew me I won’t say I knew you Yes and everybody’s got a story to tell I told all mine and I told em well Rollin with the punches layin bets Some people say its a beggar’s lot to sing and play but that’s all I got Rollin with the punches Some play for pleasure and some play for pain Rollin with the punches Ah but the search for love will never end it just goes on and on and on my friend Rollin with the punches learn to roll Learn to roll
11.
Joni Joni (Bonus Track) 03:22
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Joni Joni You were comin from some strange affairs when I Found you on the hotel stairs you were Waitin out the rain and scared of Everything I saw you needed my protection Took you in gave you my affection Even witnessed to your resurrection Happening Oh Joni Joni how can it be that you loved all them bad boys but you never loved me My my my I think I see All those years I spent in tryin Holdin you when you were cryin Even when I knew that you were lyin Yes I knew Ah but when you found your love had faded Just like a movie scene you played it And actor on the screen you made it Seem so true Oh Joni Joni how can it be that you loved all them bad boys but you never loved me My my my I think I see Now I see you movin down the line bettin on the race Where the buses run on time and disappear without a trace And the only thing that’s left behind are the lines on your face Never mind never mind never mind You’re runnin in place Just runnin in place I hear you’re on the street again You’re all dressed up in the falling rain Sayin nothin’s lost and nothin’s gained And nothin’s real So I’ll be leavin town with mixed emotions Girl you’ve earned my undying devotion With your velvet voice and your cool commotion Hard to feel Oh Joni Joni how can it be that you loved all them bad boys but you never loved me My my my I think I see

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released May 19, 2020

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Jim Ballard Akron, Ohio

Jim Ballard
A native of NE Ohio, Jim Ballard has been, for many years a part of the recording/performing community. After touring and performing all over the country with artists from 10,000 Maniacs to Gordon Lightfoot,The Mekons to Pete Seeger, he moved into his studio, Skylyne. There, he has recorded and worked with artists from Michael Stanley to Don Dixon and Alex Bevan. ... more

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