- Jeff Bates - "Rainbow Man"
(Lee Allen and Jeff Bates)
I was born in Alabama, but I never knew my Momma.
She gave me away at three months old.
Some folks in Mississippi took me in an' kept me,
An' treated me just like I was their own.
A Holiness preacher man's daughter,
And a hard-working sharecropper father.
An' my Momma was Apache, my real Daddy? Hell, don't ask me.
Momma says she don't remember him.
An' I'm sure somewhere in my history, I've got some slave blood in me.
An' some folks think I look Mexican.
I never really fit in any place,
'Cause there's always a part of me to hate.
I'm the rainbow man.
That's who I am.
I'm a little white an' black an' red and tanned.
I've got all these different colors in my skin.
I'm the rainbow man.
Well, I know you may doubt it, but if you stop an' think about it,
There's one common thing that we've all got.
People from all countries come here because they're hungry,
For what's cookin' in America's meltin' pot.
We're all different but the same.
Red's the only color in our veins.
And I'm the rainbow man.
Livin' in a rainbow land.
I'm white an' black an' yellow an' brown an' red and tanned.
And I'm so proud of all the colors that I am:
I'm the rainbow man.
All these colors make me American,
I'm the rainbow man
- Jeff Bates - "The Love Song"
(Jeff Bates, Kenny Beard and Casey Beathard)
First time I felt it, think I was five years old.
I was scared, had a nightmare; Momma was there for me to hold.
Daddy, he was different; he never said it much,
But I heard him loud and clear when he brought home that ball and glove.
Then it took on a brand new meaning,
I wasn't just a boy no more, when she moved in next door.
Where you from? What's your name?
Wanna go to my game?
Got the keys to my Dad's old truck.
Turn the radio off to remember the song,
We held hands and there we was,
Love.
Pages kept on turnin', there I was with someone else.
First time in my lifetime, I wasn't livin' for myself.
I knew I wasn't fallin', anywhere I'd fell before.
This place was different: it was deeper, it was more.
Then it took on a brand new meaning,
Yeah, it was strong and it was true, knew what I had to do.
Found a ring, hit my knees,
Couldn't talk, couldn't breathe,
My heart had me all choked up.
Said: "I do," as we cried; wedding bells,
Waved goodbye, the whole church knew it was:
Love.
Then it took on a brand new meaning,
When the doctor said: "It's time to watch your miracle arrive."
Thank the Lord, cut the cord.
Take her home, help her grow.
And complete the circle of love.
Love.
That's the circle of love.
- Jeff Bates - "Long Slow Kisses"
(Jeff Bates, Gordon Bradberry and Ben Hayslip)
Hey, baby, I guess you're wonderin' what I'm doing home so soon.
Nah, I ain't sick.
It's just, this morning, when you told me you didn't feel like you were the most important thing in my life, anymore,
Well, that broke my heart.
So I had to turn around and come back an' tell you what I'm gonna do about it.
I'm gonna light the bedroom candles,
Take the phone out of the wall.
We can lay around and talk for hours,
Or maybe we won't talk at all.
I'm gonna resurrect the love,
That slipped away from us,
An' the man you've been missin'.
Startin' with some long, slow kisses.
I just wanna let you know how ashamed I am for making you feel that way.
Darlin', I'm so sorry.
I guess I've just been focusin' too much time on makin' a livin',
Way too little on makin' love.
But if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, girl, I swear from this moment on,
You'll always know where you stand with me.
I'm gonna light the bedroom candles,
Take the phone out of the wall.
We can lay around and talk for hours,
Or maybe we won't talk at all.
I'm gonna resurrect the love,
That slipped away from us,
An' the man you've been missin'.
Startin' with some long, slow kisses.
'Cause what really matters most,
Is you and me this close,
Feeling no distance:
An sharin' some long, slow kisses.
Sharin' some long, slow kisses.
