Robin Greenstein

Tears and Laughter - Song lyrics and musician credits

1) I Heard The Road Call Me (4:41) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, tambourine, lead and harmony vocals
Christopher Mark Jones - Harmony vocals
Alexander Peck - drums
Randall Venturini - bass
Skip Sanders - Hammond organ
Aske Jacoby - electric guitar

Full moon shining on a meteor shower
They're shooting by fast, they say 60 an hour,
But I seem to have missed those bright lights flashing.

Life in the city is like living in a dream,
So please excuse my language if I seem
Callous and hard when I talk long distance on the telephone.

Cause I feel like the sun is shining just for me
I feel it, the dirt and the noise of the city streets,
I've got to get out where the air is sweet

Chorus:
I heard the road call me, just when I was starting to settle down
I heard the road call me, I feel lost and confused where I once felt found
I heard the road call me,
It's like a vicious cycle, just when it's ended,
It suddenly comes back around, Darling I'm leaving town

Body surfing on a tidal wave
And other such courageous displays
It won't get my attention when I'm in such a state

Call it intuition, call it destiny,
Whenever it hits, it's all that I can see,
The skyscrapers can't block it out, there's no need for you to try

‘Cause I feel that stronger pull to another place
I feel it, like the whip of the wind and the look on your face
when I told you I'd never outrun my race

I heard the road call me, just when I was starting to settle down.
I heard the road call me, I feel lost and confused where I once felt found.
I heard the road call me,
It's like a nasty habit, just when you've kicked it,
it suddenly comes back around,
Darling I'm leaving town.

And I don't know just what it is that I'm looking for,
Or where it is: it could be up in the mountains, out in the desert,
maybe it's here at my own back door

2 ) Tears and Laughter (5:50) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, shaker, lead and harmony vocals
Mark Perna - string bass
Brad Yoder - soprano sax

I hope you never have your back against the wall,
but if you do then stand up proud and tall
If there's things you want to do but are afraid
Feel the fear and do them anyway

May the force be with you everywhere you go
If you can't find it, force yourself to grow
Every kindness you perform is your own gift
to the hearts and minds and spirits that you lift

Chorus:
Love (love), laugh (laugh), live (live)
Get (get), grow (grow), give (give)
Sing (sing), smile (smile), sigh (sigh)
With tears and laughter life will pass us by

If you're feeling all the stress that life can bring
Just watch the colors changing on the leaves
There's no use in worrying about your worth
Life's a gift each day you're on the earth

Forgiveness is the toughest thing to ask
Acceptance of your fate the hardest task
And if life should give you lemons, squeeze ‘em up,
Put sweetened lemonade inside your cup

Chorus

Don't second guess the things you didn't do
Remember- to thine own self be true
And if there's nothing else to do but sing along
Raise your voice and sing out clear & strong

Chorus

Merrily, Merrily Merrily,
Life is but a dream,
bye bye bye

3) Hole In The Ground (4:28) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead and harmony vocals
Christopher Mark Jones - electric guitar
Alexander Peck - drums
Randall Venturini - bass
Frank Rendo - harmony vocals

There's a hole in the ground, (2x)
Did you hear the noise when the buildings came down?
There's a hole in the ground, hoo hoo, hmm

There's a hole in the world (2x)
It was made when so much hate was unfurled
There's a hole in the world

There's a hole in our lives (2x)
There's a hole in our lives for all this newborn strife
There's a hole in our lives

There's a city in pain (2x)
There's a city in pain cause so much has changed
There's a city in pain

There's a pain in my heart (2x)
There's a pain in my heart for all the lives torn apart
There's a pain in my heart

There's a change in the land (2x)
We gotta pay more attention to our fellow man
There's a change in the land

There's a river to cry (2x)
And we got 3000 reasons why
Got a river to cry

There's a sky of blue (2x)
Where the souls rose up and away they flew
To the sky of blue

There's a hole in the ground (2x)
Did you hear the noise when the buildings came down?
There's a hole in the ground

5) Here I Am (Hineni) (5:13) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, banjo, shaker, lead and harmony vocals
Mark Perna - string bass
Frank Rendo - harmony vocals

Now there came a time when God put Avram to the test
To find out who above all else on Earth he loved the best
Abraham the Patriarch, the Lord called out to him
To make the most awful request a God can ask of men

The Lord said "Abraham",
He replied "Here I am, " (Hineni, Hineni)

The Lord he spoke to Abraham, "Fetch your favorite son
Take him to the mountaintop, where my will be done
Offer Isaac up to me as a burnt offering,
I am the Lord your God, your master and your King."

Avram said "Here I am" (Hineni),
Avram said "Here I am" (Hineni, Hineni)

3 days of journey passed, the mountain came in view
"We'll go up and worship and then return to you"
They left the servants down the hill and went up – just the two
As they climbed the mountain, Isaac was confused

Issac said "Father mine",
He replied "Yes my son" (Hineni Hineni)

"Here are Firestone and Wood, but where's the sacrifice"?
Avram said "Don't worry son, the Lord God will provide."
He bound up Isaac on the altar, then picked up the knife;
About to slay his precious son, when God's Angel cried

"Abraham, Abraham!"
He replied "Here I am" (Hineni, Hineni)

"The Angel said "Don't kill the boy, do not harm your son,  
The Lord now knows you would have not withheld your favored one" 
Avram saw a ram caught in the thicket by his horns
He took the ram and killed it as an offer to the Lord

Avram said "Here I am" (Hineni);
Avram said "Here I am" (Hineni, Hineni)

"Your heirs shall be numerous as the stars up in the sky,
Because you have obeyed me and dared not to ask why."
And if you are called by God and he shows himself to you;
When he demands your blind devotion, then what will you do?

Will you say "Here I am"? (Hineni)
Will you say, "Here I am"? (Hineni, Hineni, Hineni)

5) A Tale of Two Cities (5:41) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitars, lead and harmony vocals
Christopher Mark Jones - acoustic guitar
Frank Rendo - harmony vocals
Tony Conniff - bass
Skip Sanders - accordion

We were on the north side, you were on the south,
Dividing lines were drawn when the lights went out
You were not put off, you said that we'll survive
Nothing precious lost, everyone alive
But it's hard to be a saint, when you have no heat
In your urban cave, potential looters on the street

Chorus:
A Tale of Two Cities, the have and have-nots
But if you are in need, come on up to me,
and I'll share what I've got

The smell of steaming joe, maybe a hot shower
Some music and a song to pass away the hours
The cellphones told the tale, and Facebook held the words
Through social media, each small voice was heard.
So take a cab on up, we'll drink to what is gone
And rail against the Gods til the power comes back on

Chorus

They closed the marathon & the Halloween Parade
People queued for gas, jangled nerves were frayed
The runners stayed in town and they ran anyway
To clean up Staten Island and the Rockaways
No more Democrats, no Republicans,
Just people who need help, that's how healing begins

Chorus

And so an Island grand, with a selfish reputation,
Showed a kinder, gentler side that riveted a nation
Some folks lost their homes; some folks lost their lives,
In a crippled world, a city found its pride.
So when you got to bed and you turn out the light,
Say a prayer for Jersey and New York tonight...

Chorus

6) Where There's a Will There's A Way (4:05) (Robin Greenstein/ Wendy Becker)
(Publisher Tuddy and Pokey Music, BMI/ Petite Amie Music, ASCAP

Robin - acc. guitars, lead and harmony vocals
Rik Howard and Wendy Becker - Harmony vocals
Jim McCarty - drums
Tony Conniff - bass
Skip Sanders - Hammond organ, keyboard
Rik Howard - electric guitar

You're sitting on your side of the bed,
Have you heard a word I've said?
Feels like I'm talking into space,
You've got that blank look across your face

It didn't use to be like this,
What happened to the flowers and the kiss?
You couldn't wait to get home to me
Now you saunter in so casually

Desire's gone, passion wanes
What do you do with the remains?

Chorus:
Where there's a will, there's a way, (I've heard) people say,
So I don't think that we're over
A little give, a little take, and we can make things better,
I do believe, where there's a will there's a way

I remember when we started out
you were all that I could think about
We used to talk for hours on end
you were always my best friend

10 years on it's a bumpy road
we're living our lives on overload
You're a little more tired and I'm harder to please
In our separate corners with no referees

Life's full of changes, ups and downs
Underneath it all, our hearts are bound

Chorus

If you need someone to hear what's on your mind
You know I'll be the first in line
Don't give up on our crazy dance
Together we've got a fighting chance, cause

Where there's a will, there's a way, (that's what) people say,
So I don't think that we're over
A little give, a little take, and we can make things better,
I do believe, if you meet me halfway,
Where there's a will, there's a way
Where there's a will, there's a way baby, d
Don't give up
Where there's a will, there's a way

7 ) Tears In Heaven (3:57) (Eric Clapton (PRS) / Will Jennings (BMI) Duet with Frank Rendo
(Publisher Blue Sky Rider Songs, Irving Music & Unichappel Music, Inc.)

Robin - acoustic guitars, lead vocal
Frank Rendo - lead vocal

8) I'm Flying Home Tonight (2:59) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead vocal
Rob Friedman - keyboards, electric guitar, percussion
Doug Yowell - drums
Michael Visceglia - bass

We took off, it was a cloudy day
The Captain said "Hello folks, we'll be flying high."
"Don't mind" I said, "I'm kind of up there myself"
I'm flying home tonight
I'm flying high tonight

I've been away, I've been across the sea,
Wandering and traveling, discovering me
I sang through the darkness while I looked towards the light
I'm flying home tonight
Oh and I'm feeling all right.

They turned down the lights low, they gave me a pillow
But I don't feel much like going to sleep
I'd really like to play my guitar while I'm sitting here but it,
It won't fit under my seat, No it won't fit under my seat

The trip is long and I've got lots of time
To think about the friends that I'm leaving behind
There's many good people and I'll miss ‘em alright
I'm flying home tonight
Don't look back now ‘cause they're out of sight

I've got some good folks, they took care of me
They did for my own and then they set me free
I never thought it'd be so hard to leave
And since I've been gone, I think they kept a little piece of me

I'm going back where I was raised
Familiar faces and bends in the highway
Fourth house on the left with all the lights on at midnight
I'm flying home tonight
I'm flying home tonight
I'm flying, I'm flying
I'm flying home tonight
I'm flying home tonight

9) The Secret Of Your Love (4:00) (Robin Greenstein /Janice Payson)
(Publisher Tuddy and Pokey Music, BMI/ Blueberry Muffin Music, ASCAP)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead and harmony vocals
Alexander Peck - drums
Randall Venturini - bass
Skip Sanders - keyboards
Frank Rendo - harmony vocals

La La La, La La La, La La La La La (repeat)

I hope you don't mind that I'm singing this song for you
But you're my inspiration
And when you're around, I feel like I might go wild
Because you're my temptation
You've got such a hold on me, I'm forever in your spell
They can try and buy me out, but I will never sell

Chorus:
The secret of your love is that it's never ending
The stars shine up above from rays of love you're sending
You make me smile when I want to frown
You bring me up when I‘m feeling down
You show me where my heart is bound
That's the secret of your love

La La La, La La La, La La La La La (repeat)

Let the music play on, hold me all night long
Because your love is healing
And I'm so amazed you make me feel this way
You know my head is reeling
People search the whole world through but they can't seem to find
A love that's strong and true, a love like yours and mine

Chorus

La La La, La La La, La La La La La (repeat)

You make me smile when I want to frown
You bring me up when I'm feeling down
You show me where my heart is bound
That's the secret of your love

La La La, La La La, La La La La La

10) West Coast Swingin' (3:06) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
Mark Weakland- drums
Tony Conniff - bass
Joe Krown - keyboards
Aske Jacoby - electric guitar

Let's sing, let's swing
Spin me round and round
I feel so high when you hold me baby
Never gonna come back down

Let's glide, let's ride,
Baby sweep me across the floor
West Coast swingin' with ya darling
Who could ask for more.

People jump around in that east coast style, yeah
Don't know what they're missin'
Pass me on the left side with a six-count step
Then pull me close & we'll start kissin'

Let's move, let's groove,
Baby hold me all night long
Nothing makes you feel as good as
Dancing to a funky song

People jump around in that east coast style,
They don't know what they're missin'
West coast swingin' is the way for me,
Rhythm and blues makes me feel so free,

Let's move, let's groove,
Baby hold me all night long
It's so sexy dancing with you baby,
To a west coast song
Yeah, Yeah
Nothing makes you feel better than
Dancing to a funky song,
Alright
Nothing makes you feel good like
Dancing to a west coast song

11) I'm Down (2:52) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead vocals, harmony vocals
Christopher Mark Jones - Harmony vocals
Alexander Peck - drums
Randall Venturini - bass
Skip Sanders - Hammond Organ
Aske Jacoby - electric guitars

Chorus:
I'm down, and I can't understand it
I tried not to let myself feel this way.
I'm down, and I hate to admit it
But this time I did it, got carried away

At first, it was nice, we were high
We walked under the sky and the moon was aglow
Last night it was late, we were tired
You were filled with desire, I couldn't say no

You said you couldn't stay, I said that's fine with me
I can tear myself away from you so easily
Today I find I'm feeling very differently
I wish you were near, I wish you were here
That old rockin' chair has got me sittin' on my ear

Chorus

I thought I had no expectations
No hesitations ‘bout the right thing to do
But now, it's a new situation
I find myself watching and waiting for you

I left the bar tonight after you didn't show
I walked the city streets, nowhere special to go
All the time denying you'd affected me so
But I'm losing my cool, I feel like a fool
I got these blues so bad I don't know what to do

Chorus

12) Buddha Watches Silently (4:00) (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead vocals, harmony vocals
Rob Friedman - keyboards, electric guitars, percussion
Doug Yowell - drums
Michael Visceglia - bass

Through the night, a piercing light
Shines it rays upon me
I have no fear, I know you're here
To protect and guide me

All through this dying tragedy, I will have no fear
For Buddah watches silently, year after year

Everything seems to sing
when you're beside me
Now's the time when you're mine
To protect and hide me

Through all words of profanity, the true meaning is clear
For Buddah watches silently, year after year

When I'm gone, carry on
All the things that I've hoped for
Please don't try to learn why
I'm not with you anymore

Although I go unwillingly, I will have no fear
For Buddah watches silently, year after year
For Buddah watches silently,
Year after, year after, year after year

13) Happy New Year (Robin Greenstein)

Robin - acc. guitar, lead vocal
Mark Perna - string bass
Brad Yoder - soprano sax

We're gonna have a good year
We're gonna leave the past behind us
We're gonna keep our thumbs up from now on

Let's break out the champagne
I made a New Year's resolution
We're gonna start our lives all over

But everytime I come home it's like I've forgotten
I go into her room to say hello

We're gonna have a good year
We're gonna leave the past behind us
All our memories will be long gone

I brought home some brochures
We'll take that trip we've always wanted
We've had our share of hard times

But sometimes when I close my eyes, I see her
But she's not in her bed, our baby...

We're gonna have a good year
We're gonna leave the past behind us
You don't forget, you just move on

All songs by Robin Greenstein, Publisher: Tuddy and Pokey Music, BMI unless otherwise noted.