RADIO MAN
This opening cut is about a man who has to make a life changing choice and he's torn as to which direction to take. He doesn't trust anyone to give him advice on this very intimate
declaration. It's really about how the power of music can inspire change in a person?s life.

LOLLIPOP GUILD
It's all about betrayal and peoples' willingness to move beyond the hurt of being stabbed in the back by someone they trusted. In the end, they find the courage to stand and move forward.

SUNGLASS WARDROBE
Sunglass is just a really fun, melodic song. The guy in the tune wants to fall in love, and he falls head over heels after one intimate embracing kiss. I suppose the saying "you can't judge a book by its cover," is another theme in the song.

ONLY IN AMERICA
Some subtle political things are going on in only. It is fascinating that no matter what the news is from day to day, half the people in America think we're going in the right direction and the other half think we're not. The message is that basically we see what we want to see, but the common thread is that we are all Americans. What do you see? The song has an edgy optimism to it. It's also saying that it's important for people to believe in something and feel hope that they can ultimately trust in their country.

ABSTRACT MAN
This is a portrait about a person who is in the midst of changing, walking away from a traditional, normal and expected way of life into exciting, unknown areas. It's about a metamorphosis from one thing to another. Evolving into a different human being with a multitude of new interests, desires, wants and needs. Having the courage to re-invent one?s life. Ultimately, the protagonist battles people who want to cling to who he was. The fade out at the end has this eerie vibe of the aftermath.

THE AIR THAT I BREATHE
A lot of people in the industry coached me about the value of doing a classic pop rock cover song. Air That I Breathe was a perfect fit. The positioning of powerful keyboards, tom toms, and acoustic guitar strum do it justice, but in a different fresh way, I think. We gave it an energetic vibe."

DRAGON FIGHT
For anyone who has ever had to battle inner/outer demons or addictions, this is their song. The key to the whole piece is the bridge which states, "The struggle within/Capture the knight to win," meaning his life is at stake. It's all about finding courage.

MIDNIGHT PASS
A cool nonstop driving guitar tune, Midnight Pass has a lot of interesting possibilities that mean different things to different people. For me, it was inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in which adult human beings were forced to some very innocent and primal emotions. This kind of nightmare and tragedy forces us all back to the core of who we are.

COLOUR OF THE WIND
I just love that image of a person's spirit being the colour of the wind. It's really a beautiful song, the kind of tune I like to call a sweetheart ballad. Like a lot of my tunes, it has a spiritual side that touches on the idea of native America and past lives, but at heart, it's very direct and honest, regarding his feelings towards her.

TOMORROW MORNING
No matter who you are, there is always that moment when you meet somebody and the dating rituals lead up to the first, nervous physical encounter. This song is about the next day, tomorrow morning and how that person feels, and hope for a future with that person. I wanted to capture every minute detail that touches on every sense of that first time encounter.

EMERALD LAND
Emerald Land is full of symbolism representing the way we evolve as we get older and make difficult choices in our lives. We think the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but of course it's not. We realize that in our true hearts, real love is on this side of the fence.

BETWEEN THE LINES
When I first started writing it, the lines I was referring to were those on a highway, but as the song grew I realized that the lines were those being drawn in my mind. Surrendering to old thinking can lead to new freedoms.

ALL I EVER WANTED
The bottom line in this scenario is that when one human being is on the outside looking in, it's a really sad place to be. The song really does touch on the basic human need to be loved. The diminished minor and 7th chords I think really help deliver the vibe of not having control and the uncertainty of the moment.

FRANKLIN STREET
Franklin Street, is just the set for a concise expression about walking away from conditional love. We can only change ourselves, not others.

CHRISTMASLAND
in my repertoire. I never could quite get in the mood because it was always in July when the conversation came up. When a dear friend showed me "Christmasland", a song he had written, I knew I should record it. My friend suggested I fine tune it, but I felt it was perfect in it's original form. The song made me recall the excitement and anticipation that I felt when I was a child. Playing and singing this song still can get me in the Christmas mood immediately. Long lost feelings invade my head, of the specialness of the holiday without the commercialism that turns everyone off, not to mention negative feelings about having to buy because you're supposed to. When I sing it, it makes me want to give...."

BACK AGAIN
I love that song. It was the first song I ever wrote in an alternative tuning. I think it's in open G. It has a lot of movement and style. It always felt like three tunes in one.

DARE TO LOVE
Very cool tune. I still get chills when I listen to it. Danny Parks' guitar nailed it big time; he's the best. It's one of the best songs I've written; the lyrics have a visual, cinematic feel.

BEYOND THE EDGE
It's about not giving up on your partner during the tough times. The key to the song is the line 'I won't give up, I won't give up on love.' It starts out as an acoustic ballad and turns into a kick ass pop rock song. Someday I'll do BEYOND THE EDGE live and it'll be a 14-minute piece that will leave everyone emotionally exhausted.

WHEREVER YOU MAY BE
It's about loving someone a lot, even though you're not with them, even if you've never met them. The pop singer says the only thing that I have to give to you is my love and my songs and tonight they're for you, wherever you may be.

I'LL NEVER STOP
This is my favorite song on the album. It's a sweet, gut honest love song about a guy who has had years of hit and miss relationships. He finally finds The One and he's able to say 'You're the one. I love you most of all.'

MISSING YOU
That's another song with a great live vibe, a good beat and a solid pop groove. Two people split up, and as they look back on the relationship, one wants to get back together, but the other one is done, and says, 'I'll always cherish what we had, but I don't want to go back.'

DON'T KEEP ME WAITING
This is one of my best pop rock lyrics. It's ear friendly, everybody can relate to the statement - 'I've waited half a lifetime to learn how to love.' I like the turn of phrase at the end, where the guy says: 'I'm the one you've been waiting for.'

THE BROKEN HEART
I had the music for 'Broken Heart' for a while and was inspired to write the lyrics after walking on a beach in Siesta Key Florida. The pop rock singer has lost his friend, or lover, or someone close to him, and it's never happened before. Suddenly he knows why people in that position can appear shattered.

CHASING AN ILLUSION
I knew I was going to call the pop album 'CHASING AN ILLUSION' and I went to an art show with a friend in Venice, FL. We walked into Ciro's booth and I knew that his images were a perfect fit for the pop album. The song is about lovers realizing it doesn't work. They say let's stop kidding ourselves, we're getting older and it's time to move on. The illusion is the perfect relationship that wasn't quite perfect after all.

TILL I FOUND YOU
It's someone who has been hurt and gone into a cocoon. They say they'll never love again, and then they meet someone and decide to take another chance on life, something they never thought they'd do. I really think this song would work well with a female vocalist doing it.

SOMEONE LIKE YOU
This is about longing for someone. As the song evolves they remember a friend who once helped them to rise above their hurt and pain in a loving, spiritual way. It could be a song to a guardian angel, or a friend who's passed on. The message of the song is in the bridge: 'The merry go round of life is a chance, hold on while the horses dance. I'll never forget what you've done for me. I love you wherever you may be.'

NO GOODBYES
That one is a bit out of the box. I was inspired by a story someone told me. An abusive father and husband died and everyone was going on about how sad it was he died, but nobody went to his funeral. I thought that the real tragedy was the family, not him.