Larry Rossi: Songs & Stories

STEP INTO MIDNIGHT

You're so afraid-will it last?
You gotta, gotta get there fast.
But mind's not made, you hesitate.
You're runnin', runnin' from your fate.

Take a step into midnight.
It's the first step into the dawn.
Take a step into midnight.
Start the countdown from number one.

Your heart knows-it's not discrete.
It keeps on pounding to the beat.
It takes the blows when you're not clear.
It's gotta happen now-it's so near.

So take a breath and toss the dice.
Never listen to all the advice.
It's certain death to close your own eyes.
Gotta move now-no alibis.

Take a step into midnight.
It's the first step into the dawn.
Take a step into midnight.
Start the countdown from number one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Your heart knows-it's not discrete.
It keeps on pounding to the beat.
It takes the blows when you're not clear.
It's gotta happen now-it's so near.

Take a step into midnight.
It's the first step into the dawn.
Take a step into midnight.
Start the countdown from number one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

larry rossi lead vocal, harmony,
rhythm & lead guitars

tom jancauskas bass & drum program

"Sometimes we all need to follow our
gut feelings, take chances, and see
where we end up."


HURTIN INSIDE

Sure, I love you baby.
Why do you think I make you cry?
'Cause if I didn't love you baby,
A big part of my life would just die.

When I see your face
Lookin' back from my mirror,
And I realize I'm the one
Who's lookin' in,
Then it all becomes
So very clear to me.

You got me hurtin' inside.
You got me hurtin' inside, oh baby.
You got me hurtin' inside.
You got me hurtin' inside, oh baby.

Sometimes it makes me feel so cheap,
If I give a little time to you.
Like I'm supposed to hide my feelings,
'Cause I think lovin' you
Will never, ever do.

I guess it's better
If they scrape my bones,
And push my feelings
Back and forth every day.
But any man can only take so much,
Until his anger decides to break away.

You got me hurtin' inside.
You got me hurtin' inside, oh baby.
You got me hurtin' inside.
You got me hurtin' inside, oh baby.

Even when I try to leave you alone
The thought of you keeps haunting my mind.
I think that you've been with me
Since the day I was born.
I'll never rid myself of you 'til I die.

Though I love you so much,
I really hate the way
You take control of me.
Why should I feel guilty when I'm with you?
'Cause you're what I need
To feed my soul, you see.

You got me hurtin' inside.
You got me hurtin' inside, oh baby.
You got me hurtin' inside.
You got me hurtin' inside, oh baby.

larry rossi lead vocal, harmony,
rhythm guitar, lead guitar,
keyboards, bass,
& drum program

"People demand, but the soul commands."


NO ARGUMENTS PLEASE

I was thinking 'bout
When I was a young boy,
And my uncle took me fishing
For the first time.
When I got back home
And told my daddy about the fun I had,
He said, "Having fun
Was not a real crime."

He said, "Live everyday
Like you won't see tomorrow,
And I promise you,
You'll have a real good life.
Make sure you work hard at your job.
Don't beg or borrow.
Find a good strong woman,
And make her your wife."

Each day is a gift.
There's no guarantee, so
Everyday give somebody's
Heart a lift, and
No arguments please,
No arguments please.

So I grew up
Just like all the other kids-
Making life with the people
Of my neighborhood.
There was baseball Otto
Hittin' home run derby
Through a window
With a stone and a piece of wood.

I can't forget sweet Rosie cookin' pasta
For our family and friends
On every Sunday noon.
Gent Man Johnny, he tried to be cool,
While his Mama would hit him
With a broken broom.

Each day is a gift.
There's no guarantee, so
Everyday give somebody's
Heart a lift, and
No arguments please,
No arguments please.

I guess right now
You'd say I was a man,
But inside
I still feel like I'm a kid.
My mother and my father,
Well, they both passed away,
But I still remember
All the things they did.

It's funny
How your body can get so very old,
And your spirit can be young
In many, many ways.
If you never stop trying,
No matter how bad it seems,
It always looks better
On another day.

Each day is a gift.
There's no guarantee, so
Everyday give somebody's
Heart a lift, and
No arguments please,
No arguments please.

No arguments please,
No arguments please,
No arguments please.

larry rossi lead vocal & acoustic
guitars

tom jancauskas bass, percussion & drums

"For Cathy L. Anderson..."


SARAH (instrumental)

Waiting...
Can seem so long.
Then like unexpected thunder,
On a clear and sunny day,
You changed the way we lived.
What a blessing you are.

You've become the tear
In my eye, the smile
In my heart...
The melody of my soul.
I love you.

larry rossi flugelhorn, keyboards
rhythm guitars, lead guitars,
acoustic guitars, piano, bass,
percussion & beat box

For Sarah


PUSH 'EM BACK

He was a small, young handsome kid.
He did the best, whatever he did.
His heart was made of gold,
And his mind was cold steel.
He listened to the radio,
Until they told the day to go
To get his fancy uniform
And run on to the field.

Though he was small and underweight,
He'd fill up jersey 38
With pride and hope,
Determined he would stand his own ground.
And when he'd step up to the line,
He'd grunt and growl
And spit in time,
And open up a great big hole
To help the first down.

Down, set...
Hut, hut
He hit hard.

Push 'em back, push 'em back, way back.
Push 'em back, push 'em back.
Push 'em back, push 'em back, way back.
Push 'em back, push 'em back.

He never really said too much-
Just played the game,
And played it tough,
And gave it everything he had
To help his team win.
They just had a game to go-
Just one more game 'til Superbowl,
But they'd have to beat
Just one more team
Before they'd get in.

They lost the toss
And kicked the ball.
You should have seen the jerseys fall.
The other team would start their drive
Back from their own ten.
Back and forth, to and fro,
Neither team could score a goal.
Scoreless at the half
They would be back to try again.

Down, set...
Hut, hut
He hit hard.

Push 'em back, push 'em back, way back.
Push 'em back, push 'em back.
Push 'em back, push 'em back, way back.
Push 'em back, push 'em back.

And now,
For today's half-time entertainment.

"Well, Chuck, I don't know how
They can win this game."
"I'd have to agree with you, Doug,
The offense seems to be lacking
A bit of the old spontaneity today."
"Well they're taking the field now,
And the second half is about to begin."

They came back from the locker room
With iron jaws and eyes of doom.
The other team would kick the ball
To get it underway.
They formed a wedge to block the run
And pushed their way down to the one.
A Q.B. sneak and they were first
To get a score that day.

Down, set...
Hut, hut
He hit hard.

The lead, it didn't last too long.
The other team was mean and strong.
They moved the ball, scored a goal-
Man, they were lookin' great.
The score was tied up 6 to 6,
Both extra points were nix to nix,
So the coach decided it was time
For number 38.

The centerman, he snapped the ball.
The quarterback, he stood up tall
And looked downfield for 38,
'Cause he was goin' deep.
The ball thrown high and way above
With all his strength
And all his love,
Ol' 38 would win the game
With one fantastic leap.

Down, set...
38 hut
He jumped high.

38, 38
"Well, Chuck, like I said at the half,
38, 38
I really felt they could beat this team."
38, 38
"Well, absolutely, you know, you
Just can't lose...
38, 38
With such a spontaneous offense."

"This is former linebacker, Doug Trenches,"
"And former deli-man, Chuck Shank saying... "

"It looks like fair weather today."

larry rossi vocal 1, vocal 2
announcer 2, keyboards,
trumpets, trombone, bass,
drum program & "sounds"

tom jancauskas announcer 1

regan becker the 38 screamers
jason hubbard
charles petit
dave ramont
ellen rossi
larry rossi
lisa sanderson

"It's a wonderful game, being able to live
out a dream through another person's life.
We all need a hero, no matter what his age
may be."

For Chris


LONELY GUY

He made a lot of people smile.
He made a lot of people feel so good.
He made a lot of people laugh
At lots of hurtin' things they never could.

He didn't have a lot of friends.
I never figured out the reason why.
Yet there were always those around
Who took from him until the well went dry.

He was a lonely man.
He was a lonely guy.
He's such a lonely man.
He's such a lonely guy.

You know when he was all alone,
He'd always wish that he was in a crowd.
So he'd get with lots of people,
And then complain
That they were way too loud.

He couldn't seem to find the things
That would make his life come out alright.
So he'd blame it on the others.
He never, ever really saw the light.

He was a lonely man.
He was a lonely guy.
He's such a lonely man.
He's such a lonely guy.

For all the good it might have done,
He never really understood it all.
'Cause no one ever gave him justice-
No one ever helped prevent the fall.

If he would have seen it comin',
Then perhaps he might have changed.
The odds were never in his favor-
His life was always pre-arranged.

He was a lonely man.
He was a lonely guy.
He's such a lonely man.
He's such a lonely guy.

He was a lonely man.
He was a lonely guy.
He's such a lonely man.
He was a lonely guy.

He was a lonely guy,
He was a lonely guy.
He was a lonely guy,
He was a lonely guy.
He was a lonely guy,
He's such a lonely guy.
He was a lonely guy,
He's such a lonely guy.
He's such a lonely guy.

larry rossi lead vocal, harmonies,
rhythm guitars, lead
guitars, keyboards,
& bass

tom jancauskas drum program

"Do you know any lonely guys?"


I CAN'T GO ON

I can't go on.
Can't get along with nobody.
If I can't get along with myself-
If I'm feelin' like somebody else.

Every day is a new day.
Why are the feelings
Just that same old thing?
Tryin' hard to shake the old ways-
You need the song
That will make your love sing.

Every night there's the wondering.
Know I'm tired,
But I can't get to sleep.
Searching deeply for the one thing
That mends the heart-
That makes you weep.

I can't go on.
Can't get along with nobody.
If I can't get along with myself-
If I'm feelin' like somebody else.

I can't go on.
Can't get along with nobody.
If I can't get along with myself-
If I'm feelin' like somebody else.

Where's the day that it changes?
Where's the moment
That will set things straight?
Life is here for the changes.
Pain is your partner
While you have to wait.

I can't go on.
Can't get along with nobody.
If I can't get along with myself-
If I'm feelin' like somebody else.

I can't go on.
Can't get along with nobody.
If I can't get along with myself-
If I'm feelin' like somebody else.

larry rossi lead vocal, harmonies,
guitar, keyboards,
trumpet, bass &
drum program

tom jancauskas 5 string bass

"It's very dangerous to stray
from the path of your own destiny."


REASON TO LIVE (instrumental)

You are...
My reason to try.
My reason to cry.
The reason I give.

You are...
The reason I am.
The reason I can.
My reason to live.

larry rossi trumpet, guitar, piano,
keyboards, bass, &
drum program

chris rossi triangle
sarah rossi flute

For Ellen


MONEY IN MY POCKET

Feeling down?
Watch that frown.
Nothin' much,
Nonsuch.

Feeling down?
Watch that frown.
Nothin' much,
Nonsuch.

I got my money in my pocket-
Gonna go dancin' with you.
I got my money in my pocket-
Gonna go dancin' with you.

I'm feeling down-
Great big frown.
Nothin' much,
Nonsuch.

I'm feeling down-
Great big frown.
Nothin' much,
Nonsuch,

I got my money in my pocket-
Gonna go dancin' with you.
I got my money in my pocket-
Gonna go dancin' with you.
I got my money in my pocket-
Gonna go dancin' with you.
I got my money in my pocket-
Gonna go dancin' with you.

larry rossi lead vocal, harmony,
keyboards, guitar,
trumpet, bass, &
"money"

tom jancauskas drum program &
"dialogue"

"Don't think too hard; you may miss the
point."


FIND IT SOON

All I tried to do is help you see yourself.
All I tried to do is make you care.
All I hope is just that you can understand-
To take things as they are and not compare.

Place your heart inside another room-
To find another answer very soon.

Gotta find it soon, gotta find it soon.
Gotta find it soon, gotta find it soon.
Gotta find it soon, gotta find it soon.
Gotta find it soon.

You do you and I'll do me, and we might find
A way that we can work things out at last.
You do something-I will try to understand.
I'll be careful not to judge it way too fast.

Place your heart inside another room-
To find another answer very soon.

Gotta find it soon, gotta find it soon.
Gotta find it soon, gotta find it soon.
Gotta find it soon, gotta find it soon.
Gotta find it soon.

Wasting given moments is a tragedy,
'Cause time is all we really have to do.
We all have to live
What we were meant to give,
And if we don't, then we are so untrue
To ourselves...

Listen to me-there's no reason
For an alarm.
Don't restrain the things you do,
Unless they do harm.

Listen to me-I don't mean to
Cause any harm.
Don't restrain me-there's no reason
For an alarm.

Listen to me-there's no reason
For an alarm.
Don't restrain the things you do,
Unless they do harm.

Listen to me-I don't mean to
Cause any harm.
Don't restrain me-there's no reason
For an alarm.

larry rossi lead vocal, harmony,
acoustic guitars, &
keyboards

tom jancauskas bass & drum program

"One man's ceiling is another man's floor-
never step upon it while you're reaching
for more."


All songs written by Larry Rossi
Copyright (c) 1990 RPM Creative Music (BMI)
(p) 1990 & 2008 RPM Productions
All Rights Reserved