A story song that begs the question, 'why do we do what we know is wrong?' Temptation is a....well. You know.

Riding out the open plains, hills and valleys has always been cathardic for me. "Spend our time just getting over" has the double meaning of getting over the countryside itself, and getting over any deep expirience that we all go through. Mike Kaiser and I were bringing our Mark Knopfler and Tony Rice influences together on this track!

The communication that lies beyond mere words, juxaposed against a cheap pick-up line. Matt McGee's jazzy upright bass lines, mixed with Dan Anderson's beautiful interweaving piano parts really stand out on this one.

A true story about a Georgia chain gang convict who was sentenced to 6 to 10 years of hard labor... all for stealing $5.81. He escaped.Went back. And escaped a 2nd time. The story facinated me and needed to be immortalized in song.

Wrote this around the time I first started to listen to Hank Williams. It was me just writing the saddest song I could dream up.

My English teacher in high school introduced this character from the Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. She saw the parallel to the character and myself immediately. Its become a favorite book of mine and the idea to write about it has stayed with me all these years.

I wrote this around the time I heard Chris Whitley's Dirt Floor album. Completely life changing, much like most of his work has been for me. Was blessed to see him perform numerous times, to very small audiences which always seemed like a huge injustice to me. He always remembered me and always took the time to talk about Howlin' Wolf,Townes Van Zandt and Charles Simic. We'd laugh about the 'oozing sexual tension' of his lyrics. A tragic end for a wild soul and someone who's music touched me deeply. This one is for him.

Mmm...sexual innuendo? Perhaps. But hey, if Solomon could do it....a really funky tune with everyone really clickin' on this one. Mark Beckett's drumming on this tune makes me smile everytime I hear it.

A very emotionally heavy song. Part prayer. Part wrestle with the Devil. I really love the melody of this tune.

A Doc Watson flavored tune,whose music and life has influenced me beyond what word can express, while lyrically addressing the One who stands at the center of all.

Half of this song was written while I was in a tree stand bowhunting, as one door in my life closed. The other half came to me while riding my Harley somewhere between Savannah,GA and Daytona, Florida. The inspiration came after I had seen this singer-songwriter who played on River Street in Savannah.I fell head over heels for her and wasn't the same for years after!

Wrote it when I lived in Nashville for the first time in '04 while pickin' on my friend's porch. Musically, I was thinking of a drivin' shuffle-type song...something like Marty Stuart meets Lyle Lovett. The lyrics always have been kinda funny to me. Slightly over dramatic...'on a barroom napkin,started writin' my will.' I like the imagary.

The first song I ever started and finished in one sitting. It brought me outta bed right before I had fallen asleep. Written one Easter night after I had just watched the Ten Commandments. It was a true gift from above. I can only take a partial credit for it...Always hoped Del McCoury and the boys would cover this tune. His album with Steve Earle got me into bluegrass. Met him a couple of times. A true gentleman.

Written when I was tryin' to write and pray myself out of a very hard time in my life. And as always, I hope its 'open' enough where the listener can find themself able to relate to it in their own life or situation. Some beautiful pedal steel playing by Nashville session ace, Mike Johnson, on this cut.

A little portrait of my family growin' up. Played this song for the first time at my sister's wedding.

A dark song. Standing on the edge,pushed to the brink. But hopefully with a light at the end of the tunnel.

After a long dry spell of no writing, this is the one I wrote right before I moved back to Nashville for good. Was thinkin' about the first time I ever saw the ocean.But the song has come to mean different things to me at different times. It has that power to be deeply emotional and transparent at the same time. Dan Anderson was the first one to notice that the music actually sounds like waves. That was my intent. And so glad he noticed that!

Was thinking about old friends and how they come in and out of one's life. Ya hang on and hope things never change. And they do. And you get left with the memories.Recording this particular song with my guitar hero,Brent Mason was something I'll never forget.

A bluesy tune about a girl I really liked. Ah....the art of eye contact and attraction. Some cool, soulful background vocals by Marcia Ramirez on this track.

I wanted the record to end by walking into the sunset. And I think this song does that. Another one with various meanings that again,I hope the listener can find themself in.